Wouldn't It Be Nice To Live Again

[Ziggy Stardust]

.............. ... . .. ......

[SurfRiderHawaii]

Dennis wrote -- and this is my charitable estimate -- about a half dozen excellent songs.

Forever
Cuddle Up
Only With You
River Song
Tug of Love
Baby Blue

And maybe one or two others (and even this short list has too much that sounds alike). Everything else repeats the same lyrical and musical themes at various levels of sobriety.

That would be true if it was...but it isn't.

Little Bird is not similar to Be With Me...which is not similar to Celebrate the News...which is nothing like Lady...which is totally different than Sound Of Free...which is completely different than Slip On Through...which is nothing like Forever...which is unlike 4th of July...which is nothing like Wouldn't it Be Nice To Live Again...which is totally different than Cuddle Up...which is nothing like Steamboat...which is so different than Holy Man...which is nothing like Carry Me Home...which is totally unlike River Song...which is nothing like Rainbows...which is completely different than You and I...which is nothing like Moonshine...which is nothing like Love Surrounds Me...which is nothing like Baby Blue...which is completely different than Love Remember Me...which sounds absolutely nothing like Be Still...which could not be more different than Wild Situation etc...etc... etc... That is one of the coolest things about Dennis is the wide range of textures themes styles and genre influences. Dennis favorite music was BW music...but to say he listened to nothing else is so so inaccurate. He was all over the place, probably more eclectic in his tastes than anyone in the band. Great quotes from him on tour in the '60's to 70's going on about his love for the music of Spector, Beatles, Lesley Gore, Lovin Spoonful, Temptations, Love, Doors, Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, Dusty Springfield, Barbra Streisand, Bach and Wagner and so many others.

I think there were periods when Dennis didn't listen to much music outside of his own clique/realm etc... those anecdotes have been shared but don't paint the whole picture. The periods of little interest in the music of others would have been later, probably after the explosion in his prolific streak of composing. I think to get to where got as a songwriter there was a period of major soaking up of styles and ideas...from  '64 to '73-ish he listened to tons of music outside of the Beach Boys and Brian, his enthusiasm about other artists and composers is touched upon in Ian and my new book.

Steamboat is brilliant and my favorite Holland track.

Jon, Adam Marshland posted about a newly discovered Dennis song, possibly better than WIBNTLA. Can you comment or are you sworn to secrecy?

Just for the record, that post, though it did have some basis in fact, was pretty tongue-in-cheek.

Can you be more specific Adam? Your original quote got wiped.

[Andrew G. Doe]

He paid the money for the promo CD...

But not for the right to copy the song or any part thereof.

...which is unique.

Nope.

On the bright side, I'm thinking that the fact BRI haven't been battering his door down could be taken as a pretty good indication that the track will be on the box.

[adamghost]

Dennis wrote -- and this is my charitable estimate -- about a half dozen excellent songs.

Forever
Cuddle Up
Only With You
River Song
Tug of Love
Baby Blue

And maybe one or two others (and even this short list has too much that sounds alike). Everything else repeats the same lyrical and musical themes at various levels of sobriety.

That would be true if it was...but it isn't.

Little Bird is not similar to Be With Me...which is not similar to Celebrate the News...which is nothing like Lady...which is totally different than Sound Of Free...which is completely different than Slip On Through...which is nothing like Forever...which is unlike 4th of July...which is nothing like Wouldn't it Be Nice To Live Again...which is totally different than Cuddle Up...which is nothing like Steamboat...which is so different than Holy Man...which is nothing like Carry Me Home...which is totally unlike River Song...which is nothing like Rainbows...which is completely different than You and I...which is nothing like Moonshine...which is nothing like Love Surrounds Me...which is nothing like Baby Blue...which is completely different than Love Remember Me...which sounds absolutely nothing like Be Still...which could not be more different than Wild Situation etc...etc... etc... That is one of the coolest things about Dennis is the wide range of textures themes styles and genre influences. Dennis favorite music was BW music...but to say he listened to nothing else is so so inaccurate. He was all over the place, probably more eclectic in his tastes than anyone in the band. Great quotes from him on tour in the '60's to 70's going on about his love for the music of Spector, Beatles, Lesley Gore, Lovin Spoonful, Temptations, Love, Doors, Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, Dusty Springfield, Barbra Streisand, Bach and Wagner and so many others.

I think there were periods when Dennis didn't listen to much music outside of his own clique/realm etc... those anecdotes have been shared but don't paint the whole picture. The periods of little interest in the music of others would have been later, probably after the explosion in his prolific streak of composing. I think to get to where got as a songwriter there was a period of major soaking up of styles and ideas...from  '64 to '73-ish he listened to tons of music outside of the Beach Boys and Brian, his enthusiasm about other artists and composers is touched upon in Ian and my new book.

Steamboat is brilliant and my favorite Holland track.

Jon, Adam Marshland posted about a newly discovered Dennis song, possibly better than WIBNTLA. Can you comment or are you sworn to secrecy?

Just for the record, that post, though it did have some basis in fact, was pretty tongue-in-cheek.

Can you be more specific Adam? Your original quote got wiped.

I certainly could be, yeah.  Sure.

[drbeachboy]

Dennis wrote -- and this is my charitable estimate -- about a half dozen excellent songs.

Forever
Cuddle Up
Only With You
River Song
Tug of Love
Baby Blue

And maybe one or two others (and even this short list has too much that sounds alike). Everything else repeats the same lyrical and musical themes at various levels of sobriety.

That would be true if it was...but it isn't.

Little Bird is not similar to Be With Me...which is not similar to Celebrate the News...which is nothing like Lady...which is totally different than Sound Of Free...which is completely different than Slip On Through...which is nothing like Forever...which is unlike 4th of July...which is nothing like Wouldn't it Be Nice To Live Again...which is totally different than Cuddle Up...which is nothing like Steamboat...which is so different than Holy Man...which is nothing like Carry Me Home...which is totally unlike River Song...which is nothing like Rainbows...which is completely different than You and I...which is nothing like Moonshine...which is nothing like Love Surrounds Me...which is nothing like Baby Blue...which is completely different than Love Remember Me...which sounds absolutely nothing like Be Still...which could not be more different than Wild Situation etc...etc... etc... That is one of the coolest things about Dennis is the wide range of textures themes styles and genre influences. Dennis favorite music was BW music...but to say he listened to nothing else is so so inaccurate. He was all over the place, probably more eclectic in his tastes than anyone in the band. Great quotes from him on tour in the '60's to 70's going on about his love for the music of Spector, Beatles, Lesley Gore, Lovin Spoonful, Temptations, Love, Doors, Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, Dusty Springfield, Barbra Streisand, Bach and Wagner and so many others.

I think there were periods when Dennis didn't listen to much music outside of his own clique/realm etc... those anecdotes have been shared but don't paint the whole picture. The periods of little interest in the music of others would have been later, probably after the explosion in his prolific streak of composing. I think to get to where got as a songwriter there was a period of major soaking up of styles and ideas...from  '64 to '73-ish he listened to tons of music outside of the Beach Boys and Brian, his enthusiasm about other artists and composers is touched upon in Ian and my new book.

Steamboat is brilliant and my favorite Holland track.

Jon, Adam Marshland posted about a newly discovered Dennis song, possibly better than WIBNTLA. Can you comment or are you sworn to secrecy?

Just for the record, that post, though it did have some basis in fact, was pretty tongue-in-cheek.

Can you be more specific Adam? Your original quote got wiped.

I certainly could be, yeah.  Sure.

[modestmaus]

I doubt I am the first to suggest something like this but, someone with a flute should record themselves playing it tunelessly & loudly for 30 seconds and then post it to various places on the internets as the leaked 30 second clip from WIBNTLA.

[Sound of Free]

Every one huh? Slip On Through? River Song? Holy Man? Celebrate The News? San Miguel? Sound Of Free? Rainbows? You and I? They all sound like that? Reminds me of the people who say every Brian Wilson song has that same annoying WHOOO-OOOO falsetto thing, like at the end of Fun Fun Fun...every one, they're all the same. Not.
[/quote]

Sub in Be With Me and Moonshine for You and I and I think you've hit all my favorite Dennis songs (although there are more good ones.)

[monicker]

Brian will always be more accessible and more commercially viable [...]

See, from what i’ve seen in my own experiences, it’s pretty much the opposite. Dennis’ later solo stuff is often seen as “serious” and “emotional” music, and i think that’s the sort of thing that, at least with more of the people i have experiences with, people can attach to and find merit in. With these same people, Brian’s music tends to be seen as too quirky/eccentric/silly/upbeat/jolly, etc., even cartoonish, thus, not as accessible. It’s, like, too goofy or weird for most, while Dennis' music is “mature,” something to be taken seriously as Art. That’s not how i see it all, mind you, just what i've mostly seen. 

You could never accuse Dennis of 'phoning it in' [...]

I can. That is precisely one of the things i dislike about his later music as he progressed more and more in his own style--that it did sound phoned in: I love you. I love you a lot. You’re beautiful. I love you. I really love you a lot, etc.

And i can hear that sort of thing even in the chords and melodies. It's like this desperation to prove that he's an emotional man. For ME personally (this is obviously subjective), a lot of his late music feels so contrived and hard to swallow that it almost seems devoid of emotion. 


In my opinion, the only good songs Dennis wrote, and in this order starting with the best at the top:

Little Bird
Celebrate The News
Never Learn Not To Love
Steamboat
Forever
Lady
4th of July
Slip On Through

And the following are decent:
Got To Know The Woman
It’s About Time

A very solid ten songs. And that's it. I especially don’t understand the praise for POB of all things. I used to wonder if maybe i was listening to the wrong album. Maybe one day it'll click though. 

[SurfRiderHawaii]

Dennis wrote -- and this is my charitable estimate -- about a half dozen excellent songs.

Forever
Cuddle Up
Only With You
River Song
Tug of Love
Baby Blue

And maybe one or two others (and even this short list has too much that sounds alike). Everything else repeats the same lyrical and musical themes at various levels of sobriety.

That would be true if it was...but it isn't.

Little Bird is not similar to Be With Me...which is not similar to Celebrate the News...which is nothing like Lady...which is totally different than Sound Of Free...which is completely different than Slip On Through...which is nothing like Forever...which is unlike 4th of July...which is nothing like Wouldn't it Be Nice To Live Again...which is totally different than Cuddle Up...which is nothing like Steamboat...which is so different than Holy Man...which is nothing like Carry Me Home...which is totally unlike River Song...which is nothing like Rainbows...which is completely different than You and I...which is nothing like Moonshine...which is nothing like Love Surrounds Me...which is nothing like Baby Blue...which is completely different than Love Remember Me...which sounds absolutely nothing like Be Still...which could not be more different than Wild Situation etc...etc... etc... That is one of the coolest things about Dennis is the wide range of textures themes styles and genre influences. Dennis favorite music was BW music...but to say he listened to nothing else is so so inaccurate. He was all over the place, probably more eclectic in his tastes than anyone in the band. Great quotes from him on tour in the '60's to 70's going on about his love for the music of Spector, Beatles, Lesley Gore, Lovin Spoonful, Temptations, Love, Doors, Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, Dusty Springfield, Barbra Streisand, Bach and Wagner and so many others.

I think there were periods when Dennis didn't listen to much music outside of his own clique/realm etc... those anecdotes have been shared but don't paint the whole picture. The periods of little interest in the music of others would have been later, probably after the explosion in his prolific streak of composing. I think to get to where got as a songwriter there was a period of major soaking up of styles and ideas...from  '64 to '73-ish he listened to tons of music outside of the Beach Boys and Brian, his enthusiasm about other artists and composers is touched upon in Ian and my new book.

Steamboat is brilliant and my favorite Holland track.

Jon, Adam Marshland posted about a newly discovered Dennis song, possibly better than WIBNTLA. Can you comment or are you sworn to secrecy?

Just for the record, that post, though it did have some basis in fact, was pretty tongue-in-cheek.

Can you be more specific Adam? Your original quote got wiped.

I certainly could be, yeah.  Sure.

Funny Adam! We will wait for the tracklist. Thanks for the response!

[Dancing Bear]

In my opinion, the only good songs Dennis wrote, and in this order starting with the best at the top:

Little Bird
Celebrate The News
Never Learn Not To Love
Steamboat
Forever
Lady
4th of July
Slip On Through

And the following are decent:
Got To Know The Woman
It’s About Time

Never mind the main point of your post but.... Are you trying to sell the idea that 'Got To Know The Woman' is a better song than 'River Song'? Wow. 

[monicker]

I don’t think i’m trying to sell any idea, just offering my opinion on the matter. I don’t think River Song is anything special. I’m not gonna do backflips because it has a choir on it. However, you just reminded me of something i definitely should have included in my list above: Mexico. That’s a good one, how come no one around here ever mentions it? That melody and those chord changes are evocative and interesting and it’s a great arrangement. 

[Gabo]

And i can hear that sort of thing even in the chords and melodies. It's like this desperation to prove that he's an emotional man. For ME personally (this is obviously subjective), a lot of his late music feels so contrived and hard to swallow that it almost seems devoid of emotion. 

I'm kind of the same way. For me, though, I'm personally not a big fan of Dennis because I feel his music doesn't have a lot of personality, especially compared to Brian. His songs sound very "of their time" and don't have particularly interesting lyrics or melodies.

That's just my opinion, anyway.

[Jay]

You know, I love  River Song, but I've always felt that it feels kind of "incomplete". I mean, it only has one verse(I was born into the city life, etc), a psuedo bridge(It breaks my heart to see the city, etc) and a chorus(you got to run away, etc). Shouldn't it have another verse?

[chris.metcalfe]

His songs ..... don't have particularly interesting lyrics or melodies.

 

[Andrew G. Doe]

In my opinion, the only good songs Dennis wrote, and in this order starting with the best at the top:

Little Bird
Celebrate The News
Never Learn Not To Love (Manson, C. M.)
Steamboat
Forever
Lady
4th of July
Slip On Through

And the following are decent:
Got To Know The Woman
It’s About Time

A very solid ten songs. And that's it. I especially don’t understand the praise for POB of all things. I used to wonder if maybe i was listening to the wrong album. Maybe one day it'll click though. 

FTFY

[Gabo]

His songs ..... don't have particularly interesting lyrics or melodies.

 

I don't know... his songwriting, while serviceable, does not convey a unique artistic vision. All his songs are basically endless rehashes of "I love you" or "I want you," and his very generic  craft fails even to elevate the pedestrian lyrics his co-writers supplied him with.

I do like Slip On Through, Little Bird, and Forever, so my argument isn't without holes. I don't really care to debate anyone about this though.... I guess I'm just kind of a Brianista. :B

[18thofMay]

His songs ..... don't have particularly interesting lyrics or melodies.

 

I don't know... his songwriting, while serviceable, does not convey a unique artistic vision. All his songs are basically endless rehashes of "I love you" or "I want you," and his very generic  craft fails even to elevate the pedestrian lyrics his co-writers supplied him with.

I do like Slip On Through, Little Bird, and Forever, so my argument isn't without holes. I don't really care to debate anyone about this though.... I guess I'm just kind of a Brianista. :B

And Brian's lyrics and or that of his colaborator's were?

[Jay]

"Pedestrian lyrics"? I challenge/dare you to write a song one tenth as good as Constant Companion.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Dennis didn't write that one, either. 

[Jay]

Carli Munoz(sp?)? I thought Dennis was a co-writer on that. Or maybe it was just the music side of it. Still, Dennis recorded it, and the lyrics are far from "pedestrian".

[Gabo]

Carli Munoz(sp?)? I thought Dennis was a co-writer on that. Or maybe it was just the music side of it. Still, Dennis recorded it, and the lyrics are far from "pedestrian".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9j0vSQzWt0



Here's a song I wrote last year.  I have chops for a 21 year old doing bedroom music-making (maybe not for singing though...). This song is at least 10X as good as "Got to Know The Woman" () Yes I'm not a lady. Lady Xoc was just a cool Maya queen (I'm into Mesoamerican archaeology/art history)

[Andrew G. Doe]

On the 2008 reissue of POB[/i], it's credited to Munoz/Baker.

[Jay]

Carli Munoz(sp?)? I thought Dennis was a co-writer on that. Or maybe it was just the music side of it. Still, Dennis recorded it, and the lyrics are far from "pedestrian".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9j0vSQzWt0



Here's a song I wrote last year.  I have chops for a 21 year old doing bedroom music-making (maybe not for singing though...). This song is at least 10X as good as "Got to Know The Woman" () Yes I'm not a lady. Lady Xoc was just a cool Maya queen (I'm into Mesoamerican archaeology/art history)

That scared me.   

[Gertie J.]

Carli Munoz(sp?)? I thought Dennis was a co-writer on that. Or maybe it was just the music side of it. Still, Dennis recorded it, and the lyrics are far from "pedestrian".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9j0vSQzWt0



Here's a song I wrote last year.  I have chops for a 21 year old doing bedroom music-making (maybe not for singing though...). This song is at least 10X as good as "Got to Know The Woman" () Yes I'm not a lady. Lady Xoc was just a cool Maya queen (I'm into Mesoamerican archaeology/art history)

are you gay?

[The Shift]

Carli Munoz(sp?)? I thought Dennis was a co-writer on that. Or maybe it was just the music side of it. Still, Dennis recorded it, and the lyrics are far from "pedestrian".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9j0vSQzWt0



Here's a song I wrote last year.  I have chops for a 21 year old doing bedroom music-making (maybe not for singing though...). This song is at least 10X as good as "Got to Know The Woman" () Yes I'm not a lady. Lady Xoc was just a cool Maya queen (I'm into Mesoamerican archaeology/art history)

are you gay?

Don't feed Mdm Le Troll. Pray the music never escapes that bedroom!