Postcard From California

[John]

Ahem:

It's About Time is great. Now, carry on, folks.

[Wilsonista]

It's not about preferring Ringo Rama to All Things Must Pass.  

Mike Wheeler (the founder and creator of surfermoon.com) used to hate Dennis'a music with a passion, ESPECIALLY the ballads (he found them to be as sincere as Joey Tribbiani pick up lines). And this was the guy who created the first really good web site on the Beach Boys.

[Jon Stebbins]

That's right. And there are Beach Boys fans who prefer MIU to BB's Love You. Its a mad mad mad mad world. There's a website I'm forgetting the name...sorry...but it takes all the reviews, from all the major magazines and newspapers, and all the websites and all the professional music critics who have published extensive reviews of a particular release and this website AVERAGES the total score from all of those varied sources.  As I recall POB/Bambu was a clear winner over TLOS last time I checked...and TLOS reviewed really well...it was no slouch...but POB/Bambu got consistently better reviews. But those are just opinions...the opinions of a lot of people whose job it is to evaluate new releases. However, there are some people who just don't dig DW's style or whatever...at least "the stuff they've heard" which usually means they haven't heard much, or they heard it once or twice...or its not Brian so they don't care.

Another thing I've mentioned a few times before...Time does a funny thing to opinions. I remember in 1988 when BW 88 was being touted as on a par with Pet Sounds and Smile...really...by some really respected BB's historians who would turn red at the mention of that now. BWPS...now that was the masterpiece to end all...oh...yeah most people have changed their minds about that and prefer the BB's versions of those songs now. TLOS will be remembered as a good record...just not as good as people thought it was when it first came out. And POB? It only gets more popular and more respected throughout the industry and throughout history as more time goes by. That's just a fact. Love it, hate it, ignore it...doesn't matter. Its bigger now than yesterday, and it will be bigger tomorrow than today...that is what has happened to Pet Sounds, and Smile. The best art grows in stature, the over-hyped art shrivels with time.

[the captain]

Howie: don't be a fucking asshole.

[carl r]

it's a bit disingenuous to say "in my opinion... you know nothing" - reminds me of politicians saying "with all due respect" which kind of means a prelude to  "go f*** yourself"

I don't think anyone is saying POB or Dennis' stuff is rubbish. For me there is a separation - sonically the songs Dennis cut are streets ahead of anything any of the BBs were doing. Funk rock. And nobody would say that Brian's solo career has been particularly innovative.

But I only enjoy Dennis' work in small doses. This may be because I can never be in the right mood.

I'm reminded of Brian's lyrics from melt away:
I won't let you see me suffer
Whoa not me
I won't let you hear me cryin'
Whoa not me
I won't let you see me sighin'
Whoa not me

Landy or not, that has been the difference since 1988 - you're right, in that Brian's put himself into the songs, but hasn't bled into them as Dennis did.

Dennis was a star, underemployed by the band, all of this is true. But the question about both Brian and Dennis is whether they could make it outside the band. It's taken a while, but you can finally argue Brian's solo body of work is building up in quantity and quality.

[Andrew G. Doe]

It's taken a while, but you can finally argue Brian's solo body of work is building up in quantity and quality.

I've heard GIOMH and WIRWFC called many things, but 'quality' wasn't one of them (excepting on the Bloo, natch).  Brian's solo 'career' has two high peaks (one almost entirely composed of material some 37 years old) while the rest is only of interest to the likes of us.

I'm eagerly awaiting the release of Last Wilson Standing: The Best Of Brian 1987-2008, if only to see what Capitol consider representative of those 21 years.

[shelter]

I think it's ill-informed because Dennis Wilson is more than just POB, and POB is the work of a man's life and Brian's post '80s work, although a lot of it is amazing, is churning out product.

Yeah yeah yeah... You can go on for hours and you still won't change the fact that I simply enjoy listening to TLOS a little bit more than listening to POB. Or the fact that I listened to TLOS at least twice as much last year. My favorite music is simply the music I enjoy listening to most, no matter how much effort did or didn't go into it. It wouldn't even matter if POB would've been made by two dozen monks who slaved over it  for 16 hours a day for twenty years straight and if TLOS would've been made in five lunch breaks.

If you think I have incredibly bad taste in music: fine, no problem, we're still cool... But if you think that I'm 'ill-informed' because of my taste (I still don't see how that's even possible), I find that somewhat offending.

[Aegir]

So who would've thought Mike Love and Flea would be on the same album?

[MBE]

It's taken a while, but you can finally argue Brian's solo body of work is building up in quantity and quality.

I've heard GIOMH and WIRWFC called many things, but 'quality' wasn't one of them (excepting on the Bloo, natch).  Brian's solo 'career' has two high peaks (one almost entirely composed of material some 37 years old) while the rest is only of interest to the likes of us.

I'm eagerly awaiting the release of Last Wilson Standing: The Best Of Brian 1987-2008, if only to see what Capitol consider representative of those 21 years.

I know you consider Smile one of the two highlights but what do you think is the second?

[shelter]

So who would've thought Mike Love and Flea would be on the same album?

 

[Andrew G. Doe]

It's taken a while, but you can finally argue Brian's solo body of work is building up in quantity and quality.

I've heard GIOMH and WIRWFC called many things, but 'quality' wasn't one of them (excepting on the Bloo, natch).  Brian's solo 'career' has two high peaks (one almost entirely composed of material some 37 years old) while the rest is only of interest to the likes of us.

I'm eagerly awaiting the release of Last Wilson Standing: The Best Of Brian 1987-2008, if only to see what Capitol consider representative of those 21 years.

I know you consider Smile one of the two highlights but what do you think is the second?

That Lucky Old Sun - I feel it will age far more gracefully than the 1988 album.

[lance]

Pacific Ocean Blue and That Lucky Old Sun are both great albums!!!

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Amen Lance.

[MBE]

I agree Andrew. The 1988 album is good song wise, but I know two casual fans (my girlfriend and a friend in New York) who both think LOS is really good. To me that says something because it reached people who are outside of the real fanbase.

[Phil H]

There's a website I'm forgetting the name...sorry...but it takes all the reviews, from all the major magazines and newspapers, and all the websites and all the professional music critics who have published extensive reviews of a particular release and this website AVERAGES the total score from all of those varied sources.  As I recall POB/Bambu was a clear winner over TLOS last time I checked...and TLOS reviewed really well...it was no slouch...but POB/Bambu got consistently better reviews.

It wouldn't be 'Metacritic.com' by any chance Jon?

http://www.metacritic.com/music/

You'll see that Brian's 'SMiLE' is number one in the 'All Time High Scores', so they must know a thing or two over there .

[The Shift]

I'm eagerly awaiting the release of Last Wilson Standing: The Best Of Brian 1987-2008, if only to see what Capitol consider representative of those 21 years.

Is it safe to assume you expect this to be a double CD, coupling BWPSMiLE with TLOS, and Rio Grande as a bonus cut?   

[roll plymouth rock]

So who would've thought Mike Love and Flea would be on the same album?

 

And don't forget about Neil Young!

[carl r]

let's see what could be exhumed:

Cd1

Caroline, No
Sherry, She Needs Me (70s version)
Games Two Can Play
Shortnin' Bread
Still I Dream Of It
Lines
It's Over Now
Oh Lord (remastered/recorded)
Yeah
Love and Mercy
Melt Away
Little Children
There's So Many
Meet Me In My Dreams Tonight
Rio Grande edit

CD2

Getting In Over My Head (Paley version)
Proud Mary
You're Still A Mystery
Chain Reaction of Love
Must Be A Miracle
It's Not Easy Being Me
This Song Wants To Sleep With You
Soul Searchin'
My Mary Ann
Lay Down Burden
That Lucky Old Sun/Morning Beat
Good Kind Of Love
Message Man
Live Let Live
Midnight's Another Day


It wouldn't fly off the shelves initially, but...

[The Shift]

Nice, but you're outside the dates:

Last Wilson Standing: The Best Of Brian 1987-2008

[lance]

Oh my God, I am sorry, but Last Wilson Standing is just a terrible title.

[Aegir]

So who would've thought Mike Love and Flea would be on the same album?

 

And don't forget about Neil Young!

That's not so weird. Mike always used to tell that anecdote about singing Good Vibrations on the bus with Buffalo Springfield. Or do you mean Neil Young and Flea? That's not so weird, either.

[Jon Stebbins]

There's a website I'm forgetting the name...sorry...but it takes all the reviews, from all the major magazines and newspapers, and all the websites and all the professional music critics who have published extensive reviews of a particular release and this website AVERAGES the total score from all of those varied sources.  As I recall POB/Bambu was a clear winner over TLOS last time I checked...and TLOS reviewed really well...it was no slouch...but POB/Bambu got consistently better reviews.

It wouldn't be 'Metacritic.com' by any chance Jon?

http://www.metacritic.com/music/

You'll see that Brian's 'SMiLE' is number one in the 'All Time High Scores', so they must know a thing or two over there .

That's right Metacritic...great site. I don't think its a matter of them knowing a thing or two since its just a compilation of all the major reviews averaged together. To me that's what you call consensus.

http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/wilsondennis/pacificoceanblue?q=Dennis%20Wilson

[SurfRiderHawaii]

From the BBB Board

Re(1): Al's CD

Posted on November 21, 2008 at 02:14:03 AM by Paula Bondi - Springer

Although Al’s new CD has not yet been released, coming soon to aljardine.com, as a concession, Al will offer to the fans that have been so patient a free download of a new Christmas single.

Happy Holidays from all of us at Jardine Tours.

[John]

Nice, but you're outside the dates:

Last Wilson Standing: The Best Of Brian 1987-2008

It would include more than a few "Beach Boys covers" from the live albums, and certainly a huge chunk of BWPS too. The idea that it wouldn't, like the list above, is far too unrealistic.
If it contained the title track of OCA, Melt Away and the Wonderful suite from BWPS, I'd buy it definitely.

[Chris Brown]

It's taken a while, but you can finally argue Brian's solo body of work is building up in quantity and quality.

I've heard GIOMH and WIRWFC called many things, but 'quality' wasn't one of them (excepting on the Bloo, natch).  Brian's solo 'career' has two high peaks (one almost entirely composed of material some 37 years old) while the rest is only of interest to the likes of us.

I'm eagerly awaiting the release of Last Wilson Standing: The Best Of Brian 1987-2008, if only to see what Capitol consider representative of those 21 years.

I know you consider Smile one of the two highlights but what do you think is the second?

That Lucky Old Sun - I feel it will age far more gracefully than the 1988 album.

Agreed Andrew...I love a lot of the songs on BW '88, but the production dates it horribly.  TLOS doesn't sound like it belongs to a particular decade; it has a timeless quality to it I think.