Reviewing Adult/Child as an actual Beach Boys album

[Jeff]

It's Trying to Say does lack something, IMO.  Quite a lot in fact.

If It's Trying to Say had been on MIU, it would be seen as in roughly the same class as She's Got Rhythm or Pitter Patter.  But being unreleased seems to give it a couple of extra stars for many of you.

And yes, the crescendo is unforgiveable.

[Summer_Days]

1976-1978 is such a fascinating time for the Beach Boys musically.. i really need to order 15 Big Ones/Love You and get into this stuff more

Here's all of Love You:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wv4f8gcTwPs

I think all of 15 Big Ones is on Youtube, but honestly, that album simply isn't hearing all of. It's one of my least-listened to Beach Boys albums.

[Dudd]

I haven't listened to 15 Big Ones yet... I hear it's pretty poor but I might as well listen to it sometime just out of interest.
It's on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwbktfkF8M0

[Days of Broken Arrows]

This is my first post and I'm completely embarrassed about the song I'm going to address, but what the heck.

I think when assessing "Hey Little Tomboy," it makes more sense to think that it was most likely written from the point of view of a teenager and not an adult and was meant to be cute, not sexual. Three songs on the original vinyl side one of "Love You" were written from a teenager's perspective ("Let Us," "Roller Skating" and "Honkin'") and Brian had previously done this earlier, with songs ranging from "We'll Run Away" to "I Get Around" to "Wouldn't It Be Nice."

"Tomboy" might have made more sense conceptually had it been placed on side one of "Love You," where it would have fit in amongst the references to going to school, folks letting kids stay out late and the like. It definitely doesn't fit on "MIU," where it's the only song written from such a perspective (excepting maybe "Wontcha Come Out Tonight"). Nor does it really work on "Adult Child," surrounded by big band numbers (etc.), and containing that ridiculous spoken word section that unwittingly anticipates David Lee Roth's rap on "Panama."

It's up for question whether Brian wrote from the perspective of a teenager because that was his mindset or because he was writing with an imaginary audience in mind (and yes I know Usher and Asher co-wrote two of the early songs I mentioned, but Brian sang them and was the auteur). I say it's the former. But I always wince when I see people criticizing the song as "pervy" when I had always assumed it was written from the perspective of a 16-year-old to another 16-year-old. Songwriters often conjure "characters" when they sing in first person, and I think that's what Brian was doing here. This once came up on an NRBQ board regarding a "sexist" Al Anderson song called "Feel You Around Me;" my feeling was that Al was playing a character and that he really didn't "work two jobs just to pay (for a girlfriend's) clothes."

Funny enough, as a 21-year-old discovering "MIU" many years ago, it was "My Diane" that gave me the willies, not "Tomboy." The latter reminded me of high school, but when I read a Dave Marsh article that said "Diane" was about his sister-in-law...weird!
 

[Dudd]

I like Tomboy, but there's just something unshakeably creepy about the whole thing... I think it might be the singing.... "Hey little tomboy, sit here on my lap"... hm. Great assessment though!

[Mahalo]

Tomboy rules....love the Adult Child version. I never thought of it as creepy just hilarious. Again, here is a song where it sounds like guys are really having fun. It is so funny- the melody is great...would it work with different lyrics?...

[Sutter Cane]

After numerous listens, I've come to the conclusion that Adult Child is a solid album with absolutely abysmal sequencing that somehow manages to somehow bury all the best material (save Still I dream of it) and emphasize the worst songs on the album. Honestly I feel it'd be a much better album if went like this instead

Side 1
1. Life is for the Living
2. H.E.L.P. is on the Way
3. Hey Little Tomboy
4. Deep Purple
5. Games Two Can Play
6. lines

Side 2
1. Shortnin' Bread
2. It's Trying To Say
3. Everybody Wants To Love
4. It's Over Now
5. On Broadway
6. Still I Dream of It


this way you have a really emotional song followed up by an incredibly silly one with almost nonsense lyrics, the album ends on a solid core of emotional songs, with On broadway sandwiched in there, since in my opinion it's biggest sin is being boring and unremarkable rather than painful, so it'll make it look slightly better if it's in the middle of a pack of much better songs.

[drbeachboy]

I like On Broadway sped up a little. Gives it a little more umph.

[Ziggy Stardust]

Love the album more and more, unique sound in the BB catalogue and fits Brian's voice so much better.. it's such a shame the whole thing never got finished or saw really the light, definitely the new SMiLE for me.

I can't say, as we already spoke about it earlier in this thread, that i'm a fan of the covers we can find on google, the ones with the weird colors using the Brian pic from the SMiLE sessions, it just feels odd to me.. but i'm not an expert when it comes to this, i don't have the programs, so with little that i've got, i tried something that i had on my mind for a while as for the artwork for Adult Child, some kind of collage type, so here's what i could do that would look close to it, using pics from that era but also from earlier that would fit with the rest or the title
http://imageshack.us/a/img822/7618/15kl.png
that's the basic, but it feels too dark/sad so i tried different versions, with titles and by giving it some color
http://imageshack.us/a/img545/3871/8v2.png
http://imageshack.us/a/img809/7941/95st.png

if anyone want to add something to that montage, do their own thing on it, or has some cool new covers to offer....

[ontor pertawst]

It's gotta be this one.

[SMiLE Brian]

Forgot about that one....

[Shady]

It's gotta be this one.

That should seriously be Brian's new album cover

[ontor pertawst]

it'd be great for a 3 disc set of piano demos, outtakes, AND Adult/Child! John Q Public says this sh*t makes him want to pretend the death of physical media isn't in progress.

[runnersdialzero]

Maybe I'd be able to review it if they released more than two Gosh Darn tracks from it in the last forty years GOD DAMN EHT

[SMiLE Brian]

I wonder if Melinda has seen this picture or Brian has told her about it?

[runnersdialzero]

I wonder if Melinda has seen this picture or Brian has told her about it?

I'm sorry, this just paints the most hilarious picture I can probably conjure up in my head.

Brian: "Melinda I... I have something I need to tell you."
Melinda: "What is it Brian?"
Brian: "I've wanted to tell you for so long. I uh... back in the 70s... y'see, I..."
Melinda: "Brian, please tell me."
Brian: "There's... this picture... a nude picture of me sitting in a chair wearing a funny hat. I mean you can only really see my ass crack and..."
Melinda: "What."
Brian: "It was a long time ago! It was such a different time. I was on cocaine, and..."
Melinda: "A nude photo."
Brian: "... yes. I'm eating food in it too and..."
Melinda: "With a funny hat."
Brian: "... yes'm."
Melinda: "... I need to be alone. We'll talk about this later."
Brian: "Melinda, listen, I just..."
MELINDA: "WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT. LATER."
Brian: "Melin..."
MELINDA: "DRHARHRHRRHGGHGAGHRRR I'M NOT SUTPID. I'M NOT STUPID D'RAHRAH... GGGGG'RRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" *Melinda grows fangs and gains empty eyes and green skin and grows thrice her size and starts breathing fire*
Brian: "HOLY sh*t, KIDS, IT'S HAPPENING AGAIN. DARIA WHOSE NAME I ONLY REMEMBER BECAUSE I'M A *HUGE* FAN OF THE TELEVISION SERIES AND OTHER KIDS AND 90 DOGS, GET OUT OF THE HOUSE NOW"

[ontor pertawst]

She should consider a set of postcards.

[SMiLE Brian]

Bravo Runners!

[joshferrell]

I would have liked to have "Lazy Lizzy" come just before "Tomboy" that way at least it tells a story....

[joshferrell]

So if I were to tell a story through the tracklisting it would be something like this
1.Life is for the living
2. Brian's Back
3.everybody want's to live
these 3 tracks would tell the story of Brian coming back
4.maryln rovell (sp)
5. Lazy Lizzy
6. Hey little tomboy
7.my diane
this section would be the "Love life" section of the album (so to speak)
8.help is on the way
9.Lines
10.games two can play
11. it's trying to say (Baseball)
this section would be the "healthy" section getting back into shape
12.deep purple
13.still I dream of it
14. it's over now
 these songs would be the straight forward swing suite to finish off the album

[Nicko1234]

4.maryln rovell (sp)
5. Lazy Lizzy
6. Hey little tomboy
7.my diane
this section would be the "Love life" section of the album (so to speak)

I think that section would speak more for the fact that Brian had some disturbing sexual feelings at that time. I mean, those Rovell sisters were hardly oil paintings...

[Shady]

I wonder if Melinda has seen this picture or Brian has told her about it?

I'm sorry, this just paints the most hilarious picture I can probably conjure up in my head.

Brian: "Melinda I... I have something I need to tell you."
Melinda: "What is it Brian?"
Brian: "I've wanted to tell you for so long. I uh... back in the 70s... y'see, I..."
Melinda: "Brian, please tell me."
Brian: "There's... this picture... a nude picture of me sitting in a chair wearing a funny hat. I mean you can only really see my ass crack and..."
Melinda: "What."
Brian: "It was a long time ago! It was such a different time. I was on cocaine, and..."
Melinda: "A nude photo."
Brian: "... yes. I'm eating food in it too and..."
Melinda: "With a funny hat."
Brian: "... yes'm."
Melinda: "... I need to be alone. We'll talk about this later."
Brian: "Melinda, listen, I just..."
MELINDA: "WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT. LATER."
Brian: "Melin..."
MELINDA: "DRHARHRHRRHGGHGAGHRRR I'M NOT SUTPID. I'M NOT STUPID D'RAHRAH... GGGGG'RRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" *Melinda grows fangs and gains empty eyes and green skin and grows thrice her size and starts breathing fire*
Brian: "HOLY sh*t, KIDS, IT'S HAPPENING AGAIN. DARIA WHOSE NAME I ONLY REMEMBER BECAUSE I'M A *HUGE* FAN OF THE TELEVISION SERIES AND OTHER KIDS AND 90 DOGS, GET OUT OF THE HOUSE NOW"

 

Dude, you are incredibly funny

[SummerInParadise23]

Just heard Hey Little Tomboy for the first time ever! Great little song! Also love the HELP song! Really funny. Love Mike and Carl's vocals on Tomboy.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Maybe I'd be able to review it if they released more than two Gosh Darn tracks from it in the last forty years GOD DAMN EHT

They have - of the twelve tracks on the master handed to Reprise shortly after June 27th 1977, exactly half - six - have been released in some way or another since 1978.

Side 1:
Life Is For The Living
Hey Little Tomboy - on MIU
Deep Purple
H.E.L.P. Is On The Way - on the 1993 box
It's Over Now - on the 1993 box
Everybody Wants To Live

Side 2:
Shortenin' Bread - on LA
Lines
On Broadway
Games Two Can Play - on the 1993 box
It's Trying To Say
Still I Dream Of It - on the 1993 box

[Cabinessenceking]

Maybe I'd be able to review it if they released more than two Gosh Darn tracks from it in the last forty years GOD DAMN EHT

They have - of the twelve tracks on the master handed to Reprise shortly after June 27th 1977, exactly half - six - have been released in some way or another since 1978.

Side 1:
Life Is For The Living
Hey Little Tomboy - on MIU
Deep Purple
H.E.L.P. Is On The Way - on the 1993 box
It's Over Now - on the 1993 box
Everybody Wants To Live

Side 2:
Shortenin' Bread - on LA
Lines
On Broadway
Games Two Can Play - on the 1993 box
It's Trying To Say
Still I Dream Of It - on the 1993 box

But both Shortenin' Bread and Hey Little Tomboy are different versions/re-recordings of the original A/C album masters?