New album info (as it rolls out...)

[southbay]

"Waves of Love" sounds damn good nestled between "Shelter" and "Daybreak".

which version?

[Aegir]

this album is way too short.

[Zach95]

this album is way too short.

Assuming you found the leak? 

[Ron]

One thing that annoys me, why do the BB have to include these "tropical" elements like in "Daybreak Over the Ocean"? Here's a big misunderstanding I think. When the group started out and sang about the fun-in-the-sun stuff it wasn't about taking a f*cking vacation on a tropical island. On the contrary, what probably still makes their early stuff so incredibly appealing is the idea that they were living the life they sang about 365 days a year, not just when their bosses and wives would allow them to. Huge difference!

Oh, by the way, I think "Strange World" is pretty underrated around here. Very charming little song (and very Brian imho!).

I can agree with some of this.  The modern day (on this album) tropical vibe they have is slightly off mark.  I listened to "Spring Vacation" again this morning.  I've narrowed it down to specifically the title and chorus of the song.... the verse is fine, even the "Easy Money" part of the chorus is fine, but the whole "Spring Vacation/Good Vibrations" thing I just can't get with.  If they literally would change those two lines the song would be twice as good.  They don't take Spring Vacations.  They're all retired, there's nothing to vacate from.  The good vibrations thing as mentioned ad naseum is just so overdone, even I, the king of beach boys apologists can't get behind that sh*t.  

Even if it was called SUMMER VACATION it would make more sense.  It's just the whole 'lets act like we're 16' thing ruins it, spring vacation specifically calls to mind people getting out of school and going to the beach on spring vacation before they have to be back in school.  

"Summer Vacation/The Ocean's Waiting/Warmer Weather/We're Back Together"

"Easy Money/Ain't Life Funny/Hey What's It To Ya/Hallelujia"

Not bad.

[Ron]

I really like Daybreak. It's very (as Brian would put it) mellow. The lyrics are great - Mike should be writing more like that and less of the "good vibrations/summer weather" stuff. I also think that track contains his best vocal of the album (even though it was recorded much earlier than the other ones).

I respectfully disagree, I much prefer his vocal on Isn't it Time... and I do agree the lyrics are pretty good, I think his performance and even the whole vibe of the song is kind of boring/dreary though.  They probably could have made it sound better with something as simple as a different instrument being used or something, it's just a very boring song in my opinion (daybreak over the ocean). 

[Zach95]

One thing that annoys me, why do the BB have to include these "tropical" elements like in "Daybreak Over the Ocean"? Here's a big misunderstanding I think. When the group started out and sang about the fun-in-the-sun stuff it wasn't about taking a f*cking vacation on a tropical island. On the contrary, what probably still makes their early stuff so incredibly appealing is the idea that they were living the life they sang about 365 days a year, not just when their bosses and wives would allow them to. Huge difference!

Oh, by the way, I think "Strange World" is pretty underrated around here. Very charming little song (and very Brian imho!).

I can agree with some of this.  The modern day (on this album) tropical vibe they have is slightly off mark.  I listened to "Spring Vacation" again this morning.  I've narrowed it down to specifically the title and chorus of the song.... the verse is fine, even the "Easy Money" part of the chorus is fine, but the whole "Spring Vacation/Good Vibrations" thing I just can't get with.  If they literally would change those two lines the song would be twice as good.  They don't take Spring Vacations.  They're all retired, there's nothing to vacate from.  The good vibrations thing as mentioned ad naseum is just so overdone, even I, the king of beach boys apologists can't get behind that sh*t.  

Even if it was called SUMMER VACATION it would make more sense.  It's just the whole 'lets act like we're 16' thing ruins it, spring vacation specifically calls to mind people getting out of school and going to the beach on spring vacation before they have to be back in school.  

"Summer Vacation/The Ocean's Waiting/Warmer Weather/We're Back Together"

"Easy Money/Ain't Life Funny/Hey What's It To Ya/Hallelujia"

Not bad.

Not bad at all! Sing it to yourself! It works great!

[EgoHanger1966]

this album is way too short.

TLOS, Gershwin, Disney, Imagination....are all between 35 and 39 minutes.

[Sea Devil]

What the gash is that whistling about in FTTBA?
It's either heavily auto tuned, or is a synth made to sound like whistling.. sounds cheap.
Absolutely adore the song though, best on the album by a mile!

[Aegir]

this album is way too short.

TLOS, Gershwin, Disney, Imagination....are all between 35 and 39 minutes.

Imagination always seemed way too long to me!

[Ron]

Part of me wants to say it's too short too, but like pointed out the trend is kind of to make albums short (again).   I think the current length is about what it would have been (or maybe longer?) in the 60's.  The 80 minute opuses of the 90's have left the building, almost everybody makes short albums now.

[southbay]

What the gash is that whistling about in FTTBA?
It's either heavily auto tuned, or is a synth made to sound like whistling.. sounds cheap.
Absolutely adore the song though, best on the album by a mile!

It's not a synth, it's Al Jardine

[Ziggy Stardust]

I'm diggin' it but still, for me the very last and amazing Beach Boys album will always be TLOS (even tho it isn't).... until Brian does better or something more ambitious with the actual Beach Boys, we'll see.

[Wirestone]

I'm diggin' it but still, for me the very last and amazing Beach Boys album will always be TLOS (even tho it isn't).... until Brian does better or something more ambitious with the actual Beach Boys, we'll see.

As said here, the likelihood that the Boys would have had anything to do with a project like TLOS is infinitesimal. Too strange. Too arty. Mike wouldn't have allowed the Parks parts. Not enough summery themes.

I choose to think of TLOS as Brian's best solo album. Because that's what it is. And if this new project has shown us anything, it's that Brian has come to think of the Boys and of his solo career as distinctly different things. Think about it -- as he was promoting the Gershwin record, and recording and promoting the Disney one he was meeting with Capitol on this separate project.

[Ron]

Good points.  Still, I'm naieve enough to think that it's entirely possible they may drag ol' Mikie along for one more really nice ride. 

BTW, here, just to throw the bait out.  Joe Thomas said "3 album deal".  As you're pointing out, Brian seems to be capable of juggling several things in the air at once, perhaps this album was to appease Mike and Brian has something more 'artsy' planned for the third album?  (second album possibly being a live album). 

I know.  Wishful thinking.  Still. 

[Wirestone]

Good points.  Still, I'm naieve enough to think that it's entirely possible they may drag ol' Mikie along for one more really nice ride. 

BTW, here, just to throw the bait out.  Joe Thomas said "3 album deal".  As you're pointing out, Brian seems to be capable of juggling several things in the air at once, perhaps this album was to appease Mike and Brian has something more 'artsy' planned for the third album?  (second album possibly being a live album). 

I know.  Wishful thinking.  Still. 

I believe the three-album deal was this one, the hits compilation, and the new boxed set.

[keysarsoze001]

this album is way too short.

TLOS, Gershwin, Disney, Imagination....are all between 35 and 39 minutes.

Every Beach Boys and BW solo album other than SMiLE and OCA has been shorter than 42 minutes, as far as I know. Brian still thinks in terms of LPs, which were only able to fit maybe 45 minutes at the absolute most in the 60s. Right down to how he sequences the albums, I've long held the opinion that he thinks in terms of a Side 1 and a Side 2. Consider how "California Role" has an actual ending instead of crossfading directly into the next track or narrative. Even SMiLE probably shouldn't have been as long as it was. I highly doubt Brian would have sequenced it to be a 3-sided album, and he probably wouldn't have done a double-LP. Hell, I'd say we count ourselves lucky it isn't the length of Wild Honey, which is less than 30 minutes!

[coco1997]

which version?

The CD version.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

I can't help but think the line "Drivin' down Pacific Coast out on Highway One, the setting sun/Goodbye" is a euphemism for death.

I think you mean a metaphor.

I metaphor sex, but she told me no.

[Wirestone]

this album is way too short.

TLOS, Gershwin, Disney, Imagination....are all between 35 and 39 minutes.

Every Beach Boys and BW solo album other than SMiLE and OCA has been shorter than 42 minutes, as far as I know. Brian still thinks in terms of LPs, which were only able to fit maybe 45 minutes at the absolute most in the 60s. Right down to how he sequences the albums, I've long held the opinion that he thinks in terms of a Side 1 and a Side 2. Consider how "California Role" has an actual ending instead of crossfading directly into the next track or narrative. Even SMiLE probably shouldn't have been as long as it was. I highly doubt Brian would have sequenced it to be a 3-sided album, and he probably wouldn't have done a double-LP. Hell, I'd say we count ourselves lucky it isn't the length of Wild Honey, which is less than 30 minutes!

GIOMH is 53 minutes.

[Ron]

And to be honest, it suffers for it. 

[Wirestone]

And to be honest, it suffers for it. 

You didn't hear me saying it was the best 53 minutes of anyone's life. Well, maybe Stevie Kalinich's.

[bsten]

Is the Daybreak version on the new album different from the 95 ML version? I happen to have a copy (hhhrrmm) of the 95 version, and from what I heard on Itunes, they sound the same...

/B

[Shady]

TPLOBAS would make for a really great music video. Shame it will never happen

[Ron]

And to be honest, it suffers for it. 

You didn't hear me saying it was the best 53 minutes of anyone's life. Well, maybe Stevie Kalinich's.

I know, just sayin'.  It is a bit long.  Especially when the songs are sub par, you wonder why they went through so much trouble when they had to have known they could drop 4 or 5 songs off the album and it'd probably improve it, lol. 

[Ron]

TPLOBAS would make for a really great music video. Shame it will never happen

I don't really get into that song too much, but you're right, a video would help.  I can see Brian sitting at a table for some reason when he starts singing it, I don't know what that's all about.