Preview BWRG on Amazon

[PongHit]

A lot of folks are going to get this album as a present from me. Just stunned.

Me too — just listened to all the preview clips 3 times, & pre-ordered it for my 76 year-old mother.  Very excited; Brian sounds great.

[GoofyJeff]

This is amazing stuff... beautiful, stunning, breathtaking, wonderful... can't wait to hear the whole thing!!

[Andrew G. Doe]

Be sitting down when you do... or have something soft behind you, because you will fall flat on your ass. 

[variable2]

nothin' but love and someone to watch over me sound great..

excited about this..

[Rocker]

OMG ! Brian can still sing with soul !!    Incredible

[Ed Roach]

Vocals -- Best of the solo career? I'm thinking yes.

This could really remake Brian. If he wants, he can be a crooner!

I was thinking along the same lines when I listened again this morning, and wondering where else he could take this - after the Disney album.
Lo & behold, I opened my Sunday Times to read these two articles about Jimmy Van Heusen & Sammy Cahn:

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-robin7hoods-20100725,0,3401028.story

Ironically, the first article begins:

Of the following fabled songwriting teams of the 20th century, which won three Oscars, garnered eight Oscar nominations, but never won a Tony?

A) Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II.

B) George and Ira Gershwin.

C) Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe.

D) Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen.

If you picked "D," well done!

For all their accolades, Cahn and Van Heusen lack a single Broadway hit -- their "Skyscraper" (1965) and "Walking Happy" (1966) faded fast --that showcases their sassy lyrics and engaging pop melodies.

Until now.


Sidebar is a good one, too:  'Robin and the 7 Hoods' has the Van Heusen sound

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-robin7hoodssidebar-20100725,0,1129203.story


One more thing; for obvious reasons, "Postcard"  is down there as 'Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought'.  How do we get Amazon to list "Pacific Ocean Blue" next, instead of a John Phillips with Spanky & Mackenzie   All of us buy another new copy?

[Shady]

Cannot believe this!!!!! Hot diggetty! Holy Toledo even... this is sumptuous, bitchin' and too much to take in.

A lot of folks are going to get this album as a present from me. Just stunned.

Same,

Lot of family and friends will be getting this as a gift 

[phirnis]

"Nothing But Love" sounds very promising indeed.

[Wirestone]

Not enough cursing, though.

[hypehat]

Please, please, please say the Shortenin Bread riff pops up somewhere? 

[mtaber]

I am holding out and refusing to listen until I actually buy the CD myself... hearing bits and pieces (or entire tracks) in advance always takes away a good deal of the excitement of a new release for me.  I remember getting Surf's Up the day it came out, not having heard a second of it in advance, and how thrilling that experience was.  It's nice to hear things ASAP but, in the end, I always regret it when I give in to temptation and take an advance peek.

I'm excited as hell for August 17th!!!

[bgas]

I am holding out and refusing to listen until I actually buy the CD myself... hearing bits and pieces (or entire tracks) in advance always takes away a good deal of the excitement of a new release for me.  I remember getting Surf's Up the day it came out, not having heard a second of it in advance, and how thrilling that experience was.  It's nice to hear things ASAP but, in the end, I always regret it when I give in to temptation and take an advance peek.

I'm excited as hell for August 17th!!!

Why can't they just release it now?
It's evidently ready, and has been, seemingly, for some time. Heck, they could have put it out July 17th.
Why are they torturing us?

[?]

I am holding out and refusing to listen until I actually buy the CD myself... hearing bits and pieces (or entire tracks) in advance always takes away a good deal of the excitement of a new release for me.  I remember getting Surf's Up the day it came out, not having heard a second of it in advance, and how thrilling that experience was.  It's nice to hear things ASAP but, in the end, I always regret it when I give in to temptation and take an advance peek.

I'm excited as hell for August 17th!!!

Why can't they just release it now?
It's evidently ready, and has been, seemingly, for some time. Heck, they could have put it out July 17th.
Why are they torturing us?

I think the release date is a ploy for Grammy attention.

[37!ws]

Wow. Ever since I first heard not only the finished Smile version of "I Wanna Be Around" but also the all-too-brief verses of "That Lucky Old Sun" that Brian should do more crooner-like tunes. Boy oh BOY was I RIGHT. He's amazing. I can't wait.

[Margarita]

My cup runneth over.  I'm overwhelmed at the care and emotion that went into this album. 

[?]

Permission to say... "told you so" ?  

And it sounds even better in toto, as several of the tracks segue into each other or have little link pieces. Also, you get to hear some classic BW fades.

This is the real deal.

Interesting...  So if the tracklisting on the Amazon vinyl page is accurate, the Porgy and Bess songs are linked into a suite.  Is this the case?

1. Rhapsody in Blue/Intro
2. The Like in I Love You
3. Summertime/I Loves You Porgy/I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'/It Ain't Necessarily So
4. 'S Wonderful
5. They Can't Take That Away From Me
6. Love Is Here To Stay
7. I've Got A Crush On You
8. I Got Rhythm
9. Someone To Watch Over Me
10. Nothing But Love
11. Rhapsody in Blue/Reprise

[b00ts]

I have to throw my hat in the ring and say that this sounds truly incredible. I loved TLOS, but this sounds like it blows that album out of the water production-wise. I agree with those who say Brian sounds the best he has in years - he sounded markedly improved on TLOS, and in spite of the tricks (double-tracking, autotune) he sounds incredibly engaged on the Gershwin material. Luckily they seem to be used more tastefully and sparingly here on BWRG than on "What Love Can Do." I cannot wait for this album!

[Andrew G. Doe]

Please, please, please say the Shortenin Bread riff pops up somewhere? 

Sadly, no... but at least one other BB riff is prominently recycled.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Permission to say... "told you so" ?  

And it sounds even better in toto, as several of the tracks segue into each other or have little link pieces. Also, you get to hear some classic BW fades.

This is the real deal.

Interesting...  So if the tracklisting on the Amazon vinyl page is accurate, the Porgy and Bess songs are linked into a suite.  Is this the case?

1. Rhapsody in Blue/Intro
2. The Like in I Love You
3. Summertime/I Loves You Porgy/I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'/It Ain't Necessarily So
4. 'S Wonderful
5. They Can't Take That Away From Me
6. Love Is Here To Stay
7. I've Got A Crush On You
8. I Got Rhythm
9. Someone To Watch Over Me
10. Nothing But Love
11. Rhapsody in Blue/Reprise

Other tracks are also linked.

[shelter]

I didn't want to listen to the clips because I just wanted to wait for the album to come out, but after reading all these comments here I couldn't resist. Very impressing work indeed. Probably his best vocals since he lost his "old voice", and the arrangements really sound like Brian in his prime...

[brother john]

Apart from Rhapsody I don't know any of the other originals I don't think, so it would be useful (if not essential!) to hear them so I can make a comparison, because obviously what we will be listening for are the Wilsonian parts of the songs first, and the Gershwinian parts second.

So, could anyone recommend a source for the original Gershwin recordings/arrangements (which I assume BW worked from, more or less) for me to acquire/listen to online.

Edit: Would this be any good?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/George-Gershwin-Essential-Collection/dp/B000I2KPHS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1280146375&sr=1-1



TVM!  

[shelter]

Apart from Rhapsody I don't know any of the other originals I don't think, so it would be useful (if not essential!) to hear them so I can make a comparison, because obviously what we will be listening for are the Wilsonian parts of the songs first, and the Gershwinian parts second.

It's nearly impossible that you've never heard any version of 'Summertime'. 

[brother john]

Well, yes of course I've heard dozens, but I'd like to know what Brian has done that no-one else has.

I mean, I've heard it on TV, in movies, on the radio, played by blues guitarists in pubs and bars... It would be nice to go back to the originals, if there are such things, and here what the master did with them before everybody else.

I've added a link to my post above - what do you think of this collection?

[hypehat]

That collection would be a good move - if you're looking for the man himself, there's a 'Gershwin Plays Gershwin' collection out there, which is a collection of piano rolls transferred in the modern age. In case you don't know what a piano roll is, this should help http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_roll

It's essentially a collection of Gershwin demos, including Rhapsody In Blue and An American In Paris, which is nearly the equal of Rhapsody. Sadly, that's the only one from Brian's album on there, but it's a good listen, because it's only George bloody Gershwin playing loads of rare tunes!

As an aside, this is my personal favourite Gershwin (besides rhapsody). I was so excited to hear Brian's doing it on this album http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCTIpclVQe4

[Runaways]

oooo someone to watch over me is reaaaaally really good.  that's one of my fav songs, and his version sounds great.