The last instance of Brian's "classic" vocals

[lance]

Still Cruisin' is the greatest Beach Boys album of the last twenty years.

[smile-holland]

And Summer In Paradise is the greatest BB-album in 14 years   the worst BB-album in 47 years

(sorry, couldn't resist... back to the topic...)

[matt-zeus]

Yeah, L.A. Light is much better than MIU.

I have to disagree, I find L.A. boring! (I like Good timin though)

[Alex]

Yeah, L.A. Light is much better than MIU.

I have to disagree, I find L.A. boring! (I like Good timin though)

Even Angel Come Home?

[smile-holland]

The reason for this is I think that Brian might not be singing live at all.

Brian is singing live. First, look at his facial expressions; he could never lipsynch or fake it like that. Never. Second, when Mike looks over at Brian, it isn't because Brian is impressing him, it's because Brian hit a clunker, the only one he hits BTW. Which also proves he is singing; if it was in a pre-recorded track, they would've edited that note out.

Again, there is something strange that they left the stage area, where their instruments were set up. Even though the set wasn't televised, do we assume they played some songs - live. Why didn't they just stay on the stage? So, maybe, it was set up with a pre-recorded tape, that they moved to another area, with the lighting different, or the speakers, or whatever. I do, though, find it a little "extravagant", that the producers of the Inaugural Ball would have The Beach Boys pre-record a track to be sung over live the night of the Ball. I mean, this wasn't American Bandstand! If this was 2009, yeah, but 1985?

1 - the synch on the youtube footage isn't good enough to decide if they're lipsynching or not.

2 - the instruments might belong to some other band.

3 - I still hear at least ten voices: unless they had some form of live ADT back then, there had to be a pre-recorded track.

4 - was the ceremony a live broadcast, or was there time for some post dubbing ?

and

Re the instruments. I think Donna Summer was next so may have been hers.

ok, this might sound scary... but I just found a video tape in my collection that says: "Inauguration president Ronald Reagan, Washington D.C., January 19th 1985 - the complete program. Apparently a broadcast on Dutch TV on Jan. 26th (a week later)

Bought someone's vid-collection many years ago and this one is one of them. Can't tell right away what's on them, but I could check what is happening before and after the BB-performance to see if there's an explanation on those instruments being set up.

[matt-zeus]

Yeah, L.A. Light is much better than MIU.

I have to disagree, I find L.A. boring! (I like Good timin though)

Even Angel Come Home?

It's okay, better than 'Love surrounds me'. The worst offender is 'Goin south'.

[Alex]

Yeah, L.A. Light is much better than MIU.

I have to disagree, I find L.A. boring! (I like Good timin though)

Even Angel Come Home?

It's okay, better than 'Love surrounds me'. The worst offender is 'Goin south'.

Really?? The songs from LA that I don't care for are Here Comes the Night and Sumahama. LA is the first (and last) BB album to be dominated by Carl and Dennis since the CATP/Holland-era. It's (mostly) a step up in quality from MIU and a step up in maturity from 15 Big Ones and Love You. It was a hell of a lot better than the albums that followed it. If only they had replaced Here Comes the Night with California Feeling and Lookin' Down the Coast, and Sumahama with another one of Dennis' Bambu songs, then I think LA could've sounded like the natural follow-up to Holland, instead of the half-debacle-stopgap 15BO/quirky and offbeat change in direction Love You/major fiasco MIU arc the BBs went on.

[MBE]

I agree that Here Comes The Night and Sumahama are the worst, but to be fair Dennis still wanted to do another solo album so giving them two of his songs was very generous. Mike had a number of good songs he could have taken from First Love and he picked one of the very worst. Too Cruel, Daybreak, I Don't Wanna Know, so many better ones.

[Alex]

I agree that Here Comes The Night and Sumahama are the worst, but to be fair Dennis still wanted to do another solo album so giving them two of his songs was very generous. Mike had a number of good songs he could have taken from First Love and he picked one of the very worst. Too Cruel, Daybreak, I Don't Wanna Know, so many better ones.

Hmmm, didn't know Daybreak was from that era! Still, I think LA could've benefited from another Dennis song...my apologies to the Lovester, but I have no problem with a Love-free BB album.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

A Love-free BB album is not a BB album.

[John]

My bottom three from L.A. are Goin' South, Here Comes The Night, and Sumahama.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

For me it's Full Sail, Going South and Shortenin Bread (the earlier version was just so much better!)

[Dancing Bear]

Shortenin' Bread is pointless, and doesn't even have Brian gruffing the lead vocals. HCTN wins some points for effort, but a four minutes edit wouldn't hurt.

Full Sail, Sumahama and Goin' South are average. Just ok. But that's the problem. Too many average mid-tempo tracks, in an album whre they're not exactly rocking their socks off.

[Sheriff John Stone]

Shortenin' Bread is pointless, and doesn't even have Brian gruffing the lead vocals. HCTN wins some points for effort, but a four minutes edit wouldn't hurt.

Full Sail, Sumahama and Goin' South are average. Just ok. But that's the problem. Too many average mid-tempo tracks, in an album whre they're not exactly rocking their socks off.

Agree with all of the above points.

"Shortenin' Bread" was such a bad choice; what was the point? Much more appropriate for a 15 Big Ones or Love You. "Here Comes The Night" was controversial to begin with, so why the overkill with 11 minutes of it? It does have some nice moments, but nearly one-third of the total album time? "Full Sail", "Sumahama", and "Goin' South" ARE just average, which is basically what L.A. (Light Album) is; an average album with not enough high points.

[Pretty Funky]

Full Sail is a great Carl lead but I'm into sailing so some bias there.

HCTN, aside from being far to long was 2-3 years late trying to get the disco crowd. The Four Seasons, also industry veterans, timed it perfectly with 'Who Loves You' 75-76.

[Alex]

A Love-free BB album is not a BB album.

Friends was an almost Love-free BB album. Just take away Anna Lee The Healer and Meant for You and there'd be no Lovester on it.

[Jay]

This thread is going all over the place!   Back to the topic at hand. It looks like Hard Time/Rolling Up To Heaven is the last circulating recording with Brian in "pure" voice. Now, what is the earliest circulating recording of Brian in his gruffy voice? Is it the Back Home recording? Are there any earlier demo tapes that circulate of Brian in his gruffy voice?

No way on Earth(or any other planet) is that Regan Inarguation clip totally live. I hate to say/admit this, but the BB voices on that tape are just way to good to be from 1985.

I honestly don't understand the badmouthing of Shortnin' Bread. Sure, it's pointless. The BB's of 1978 were not even close to the same group that started in 1961. But pay no attention to that fact, Shortnin' Bread is just plain FUN! Listen to that guitar work, and that pounding bass and drums. I listen to the LA album version, and I just HAVE to eventually get into it and dance. Besides, how is it possible to listen to Dennis sing "Mama's little baby loves Shortnin' Bread" in his bass voice, and not get a smile on your face?  

[MBE]

A Love-free BB album is not a BB album.

Friends was an almost Love-free BB album. Just take away Anna Lee The Healer and Meant for You and there'd be no Lovester on it.

But he's still there. I think the best Beach Boys albums in some ways are the few where everyone gets to do a lead.

Good Timin, Angel, Love Surrounds Me, and Baby Blue are great. Lady Lynda ok Sumahama and HCTN poor. Full Sail, Goin South, and Shortnin filler but not horrid. I love Dennis and think Bambu would have kicked L.A. to bits but he has four leads and two songs on it. Granted he saved the album, but a good all round Beach Boys album could have been made with some of the outakes both group and solo.
Funny we are talking about one of the albums Brian had least to do with on a Brian thread lol.

[runnersdialzero]

Was any version of "California Feeling" ever released? I have one version that's downloaded, but it sounds like a demo or a rough mix, something that's a bit generated. Who sings lead on that? Is only one version circulating among fans?

Sorry for all the n00b questions.

[the captain]

Was any version of "California Feeling" ever released? I have one version that's downloaded, but it sounds like a demo or a rough mix, something that's a bit generated. Who sings lead on that? Is only one version circulating among fans?

Sorry for all the n00b questions.

No problem, without questions, a person never learns. There is a Brian Wilson band recording of California Feeling that was officially released on one of the greatest hits comps, circa ... 2002? Thereabouts. It's the "Brian Wilson Selects..." Beach Boys greatest hits album, and that's tacked on, a version with his solo band.

[John]

A Love-free BB album is not a BB album.

Friends was an almost Love-free BB album. Just take away Anna Lee The Healer and Meant for You and there'd be no Lovester on it.

The chorus of Wake The World too.

[Jay]

Does anybody know when this recording was made?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lR-YM61R60

[variable2]

Does anybody know when this recording was made?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lR-YM61R60

Not sure of the year, probably 75 or 76.. but I think this is sped up so that it's a faster tempo and higher pitch.  the clip you posted is in A, while the version I have (part of the Love You demos boot) is in Ab.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Was any version of "California Feeling" ever released? I have one version that's downloaded, but it sounds like a demo or a rough mix, something that's a bit generated. Who sings lead on that? Is only one version circulating among fans?

Sorry for all the n00b questions.

We wuz all noobs wunce. 

That sounds like the 1978 recording - Carl on lead, Bruce (errr... or was it Mike ?) on chorus, Brian on whiny high part.

"TSF" is a fall 1976 recording.

[Exapno Mapcase]

"Good Timin, Angel, Love Surrounds Me, and Baby Blue are great. Lady Lynda ok Sumahama and HCTN poor. Full Sail, Goin South, and Shortenin filler but not horrid. I love Dennis and think Bambu would have kicked L.A. to bits but he has four leads and two songs on it. Granted he saved the album, but a good all round Beach Boys album could have been made with some of the outakes both group and solo. "

There were other decent songs around at the time.  Santa Ana Winds, Cal Feelin', Lookin' Down the Coast.  There's a suggestion that Don't Fight the Sea dates originally from 78/79.  The there are other possibilities - Winter Symphony, Go and Get That Girl... If they waited a bit, they could've used It's A Beautiful Day! Perhaps a BB recording of Country Pie or a different Mike track culled from his unreleased solo - I like the harminies on Sumahama, but there are better tracks on his album.

I like LA; it's half decent and two or three songs better than MIU (which also could've been improved by sing some 'unreleased' stuff from that era (including Winter Symphony!), but two sluggish Carl ballads is one too many and HCTN is an embarrassment.  Shortenin' Bread is unnecessary (and isn't as rawkishly good as the earlier version) and why include Lady Lynda when there two or three faqr better Al songs?!