Thanks for that, thats cool. That version of Back home is really quite different actually. I like the production but I prefer the melody on the Brian version, it seems more refined.

I remember reading a site some years back which had files of the Love you demos that you could listen to, but I can't find it anywhere now, I Similarly I once had a listen to the 1970 version of Back Home (which i like a lot) but now can't find it anywhere does anyone know where can find them.

That could be the one, yes Manic might too be a description.

On Brians website in the audio section, there is an interview with him from the Mike Douglas show back in 1976. Its amazing how lucid and 'all there' he seems, but then considering how he seems in interviews now, thats not surprising. Its just we are led to believe that Brian was completely out of it, but he talks very candidly, intelligently and confidently about things, and you can hear in his speaking voice why he sings the way he does in this period. Its a shame that there aren't visuals to go with it.
Did anyone actually see this when it was broadcast first time round, what did you think?

Thanks for that, I am tempted to go and seek out that complete California collection if only to hear Brians contributions.

I have a great cover of the Tradewinds 'New Yorks a Lonely town' covered by Welsh rocker Dave Edmunds as 'Londons a lonely town'. I think it was done in the mid 70s and I read somewhere that Brian was meant to be on it doing backing vocals. Certainly there is someone on there who sounds a bit like Brian, but I was wondering if anyone had any info about it, as its a real great song.

My favourite Queen album is Queen II from 1974, which has a heavy BB influence mostly on the vocals (tons and tons of harmonies), but the whole album is stunning, especially side two (all written by Freddie) which just all flows into one. Its essential!!!!!! My fave album of all time.

My fave band of all time (just above the BB and Led Zepp) is Queen (who in many ways are the combination of the BB and Led Zepp), the BB influence on Queen is great (who covered 'I can hear music' early on in their career under a different name - in fact Freddie Mercurys vocal is better than Carls!).
Anyway, to get to the point, I read online once a few years ago that the BB covered Queens 'You take my breath away' (from their 1976 LP 'A day at the races'), I'm not sure if it was finished or what year it was done or anything, or even if this was true. Does anyone have any information regarding it?

I know that Adult Child and New Album may have been released at this time, but if there had been a good follow up to Love You what do you think should have been on it, this is using anything from the Adult Child/Cal feelin/MIU period, Im sure a solid album can be made. Any suggestions please...

I love CATP. It was the last BB album I ever acquired (on the 2000 two-fer) after trying to track it down on vinyl for years, and I was expecting to be a poor quality album after reading so much negativity about it. However I have always loved it, Brians songs are great, the Flame songs are great (especially hold on...) Dennis' songs are good and even the Mike ones are good. I love the dusty rootsy production and find it a far more engaging listen than the over-rated Holland.
I wish there had been more material from this era, does anyone have a list of outtakes from this album?

I'm glad thats cleared that up.

I've recently just got a Lou Christie comp, after I read someone mentioning him on this board. As a listener who loves crazy falsetto, i'm finding it highly enjoyable. Does anybody know of any possible referencing between the BBs and Lou. 

I recently acquired the BB 25 years together DVD off Play.com for £6.99. I had no idea this was even officially released because I have never seen it anywhere. The packaging is very poor, and the correct track sequencing isn't even on the back. When you skip to the next song while watching, it sometimes contains 2 or more songs within one track, but as far as i can ascetain, it is the whole show. The show itself is hilarious and is probably a definitive example of why some people have a low opinion of the Beach Boys, it is beyond cheese. Its good to see Brian on stage, though much of the time he is just shouting and doesn't sing that much apart from the excruciating but amusing version of 'Spirit of rock'n'roll' at the finale. I'd like to hear anyone elses opinions on this.

I've been trying to pinpoint the time at which Brians voice changed from his late 70's gruff voice to his more whiny 80s voice. I always thought it would have been sometime around 82ish, when I read that allegedly Brian had a some sort of drug induced stroke which may have explained his slurred delivery thereafter. I really don't know if this is true, the reason i'm doubting this date though was evidence I saw when i obtained the Beach Boys at knebworth DVD. When Brian sings the intro of Sloop John B and the bridge of Surfer Girl, his voice is near identical to how it sounds now pretty much. Considering this wasn't too long after he had recorded a couple of lines for Goin' on, and the demo of Night bloomin jasmine (very gruff 1979), this has thrown me into confusion. Its not the smooth voice like on Matchpoint of our love (which is closer to Busy doin nothin) and bear in mind that theres a couple of demos from 83 on the BW88 reissue which have his '80s' voice. I have not heard any more of Brians early 80s demos - Black Widow etc so i have no idea what he sounds like. Apologies for the anality of this thread. If anyone can shed any light then please do so.

One of the craziest and most frustrating things about being a BB and BW fan is the amount of unreleased material, and the fact that some really great music was made and not released and yet some of the stuff that ended up on the albums is absolute horrid crap. This is more prevalent after 1970 mostly due to the politics of the band being ML&AJ verses DW&CW with Brian in the middle. If Brian still had total control over the band throughout the 70s then it would be very likely that the best of his songs would have been released (and probably Dennis' for that matter). For instance an album like Keepin the summer alive (which is horrible) would have been much better if songs that were from that time and a few years before were on it, eg: Stevie, That special feelin, Do ya, Lines, Its trying to say, Im begging you please etc.
I know that i'm going on more about unreleased songs rather than versions of already existing songs, but even in that case some of the alternate versions are so much
better, eg: Time to get alone, Big Sur, Back Home (1970). It seems that the Beach boys sometimes have had no clue about their own music, about what is good and what is not.

In no order:
Some Sweet day
Gettin' in over my head (Paley version)
I sleep alone
You've touched me
She says that she needs me

and for the rest of the top 10:
Melt away
This isn't love
Rio Grande
Too much sugar
It's not easy being me

My Mary Anne deserves a mention too

Now imagine all those on a Brian Wilson album - Amazing!

I sleep alone - great melody great groove.
Sherry she needs me - great vocals and track
Back Home (Sunflower version) - nice production
Stevie - Great tune
Water builds up - Great tune
We're together again - Lovely
Still I dream of it - classic
You've lost that lovin' feeling - Amazing!
We got love - Nice vocal
Almost Summer (I know its technically released) - Great lost late 70s song, would have fit on MIU
Thats all that spring to mind at the moment, I'm sure there are more. Have not heard many of Brians early 80s songs or the Usher stuff so I can't comment on it.