Favorite Backing Track?

[Runaways]

I could listen to the bass line for "Wouldn't It Be Nice" for hours.  i love it.  the backing track just bounces along and i can't resist

[DSamore]

Yeah- also "Wouldn't It Be Nice?" It is so dense and lush. Perfection!

[GoinBald]

Salt Lake City does it for me.

[Matt H]

Love California Girls, with all the horns, it sounds so dense.

[grillo]

It's a toss-up between Cabin Essence and Had to Phone Ya. No kidding.

[Bicyclerider]

Another vote for Had to Phone Ya (the orchestrated version). 

[LetHimRun]

Either Let Him Run Wild or Wouldn't It Be Nice.

[A Million Units In Jan!]

Cabinessence. To me, it's absolutely perfect-especially, the 'Grand Coulee Dam' fade.

[TdHabib]

"Cabinessence" is a little piece of art on it's own--brilliant. "Wouldn't it Be Nice" is majestic, as is "California Girls." I think "I Just Wasn't Made for these Times" is incredible too, I dig the piano in the chorus---you'd never pick that out if you weren't listening to the backing track.

[phirnis]

"Help Me Rhonda" - when this gets to the chorus it's such a joy to hear what's otherwise buried underneath the group's vocals. Does it get any more bouncy than this?

Agree on both "Cabinessence" and "Had to Phone Ya" - great stuff.

I'd love to hear the individual backing tracks of "This Whole World", "Sweet Mountain", "All I Wanna Do", and "Roller Skating Child".

[Sam_BFC]

I think "I Just Wasn't Made for these Times" is incredible too, I dig the piano in the chorus---you'd never pick that out if you weren't listening to the backing track.

Good call, also intersting that it is kinda 'honky-tonk' which we wouldn't expect given the song's mood.

[juggler]

"Child is Father of the Man"

[Big Bri]

"Sloop John B."
"Cabinessence"
and
"Til I Die" (Desper Mix)

 Bri

[slothrop]

Hard to say...how about a top 3? In chronological order, as of right now:

Amusement Parks USA
All I Wanna Do
Honkin' Down the Highway

And listening to "Blueberry Hill" right now, I have to say it's a pretty ballsy arrangement...that bass...etc.

[Chris Brown]

So many to choose from, most of which have been mentioned already (in no particular order):

Sloop John B
Wouldn't It Be Nice
God Only Knows
I Just Wasn't Made For These Times (hell, everything on Pet Sounds really)
Do You Wanna Dance
In The Back of My Mind
Kiss Me Baby
California Girls
Salt Lake City
Wonderful
Cabinessence
Surf's Up
Til I Die

Now that I'm thinking of these, I'm inclined to make my own "Stack O' Tracks" mix...I could listen to just Brian's instrumental tracks all day long.  There's just so much to take in with each track - several interesting elements all coming together at once.

[A Million Units In Jan!]

"Child is Father of the Man"

My favorite part of the song, and something that's hard to single out (especially in the versions with the vocals) is the fuzz bass on the song.

[MookieZ]

I've always loved the track to I'm Waiting for the Day.

[jeremylr]

How about...... (in no particular order, & there are many more I could pick)

1.  You Need A Mess of Help To Stand Alone (1972)
2.   Be Here In The Morning (1968)
3.  Busy Doin' Nothing (1968)
4.   Break Away (1969)
5.  'Til I Die (1971)
6.  Disney Girls (1971: especially the opening mandolin/drums)
7.  Steamboat (1973)
8.  All This Is That (1972)
9.  Kiss Me Baby (1965: one I just heard recently, unbelievably)
10.  That's Not Me (1966)
11.  Love Surrounds Me (1979: so atmospheric, kinda late at night feeling)
12.  The Trader (1973)
13.  It's Ok (1976:  those drums, organ, & Moog are pretty good)
14.  I'll Bet He's Nice (1977)
15.  I Can Hear Music (1969;  love those acoustic wall of sound guitars)
16.  Slip On Through (1970)

[punkinhead]

kiss me baby, wouldnt it be nice, and time to get alone

[Mr. Cohen]

I've been liking "Just Once in My Life" a lot lately. I really like the backing track for "TM Song", too. Those, to me, are what 15 Big Ones would've sounded like had Brian tried to make it a big production. I will note that my particular love of these 15 Big Ones backing tracks probably has something to do with me having worn out some of the more famous examples. These still sound more fresh to my ears.

[Emdeeh]

It's About Time -- great percussion there!

[bossaroo]

where can I find the '15 Big Ones' backing tracks???

Had to Phone Ya especially.....

[punkinhead]

The backing track to Had to Phone Ya on the Spring album is good too, really quirky.

[markcharles75]

I have to vote also for Just Once In My Life.  That slinking bass, tinkling guitars, nice synth line...I wouldn't change a thing.  Also an effect that sounds like steam being released (?) just before "that old pot of gold."  Is this from the same Brian who went on to do the rest of the album so slipshod (granted with moments of greatness) and the poorly produced Love You the following year?  What did he have enough juice just for one mega production?  Because Just Once In My Life is all that and a bag of chips...

Also, the standards mentioned here are brilliant.  There are times I just have a stack of tracks listening hour and marvel at the greatness of it all.  I like to play, say, California Girls backing track on crank to people who usually aren't fans and you can see they are thinking "wow, very nice..."

Mark

[PrayForSurf]

Can't think of  a backing track I've heard that does NOT grab my attention ...