Rank the tracks #21: Love You

[rogerlancelot]

Chords are overrated.

 

Now that one made me laugh out loud!

[Quzi]

1/ I'll Bet He's Nice
2/ Let Us Go On This Way
3/ The Night Was So Young
4/ Roller Skating Child
5/ Airplane
6/ Johnny Carson
7/ Good Time
8/ I Wanna Pick You Up
9/ Honkin' Down the Highway
10/ Mona
11/ Ding Dang
12/ Solar System
13/ Let's Put Our Hearts Together
14/ Love is a Woman

[Dave Modny]

I like Good Time, too. I would've rated it higher, but I have to admit to being partial to the original/vintage, unreleased stereo mix. It seems like it was a concerted effort on the powers-that-be part to make the Love You mix, well, more Love You-esque: Not using that doubling effect on the choruses, mixing the backing vocals down to the point of almost not being there on the same choruses (they're also split in stereo on the vintage mix), those little vocal ad-libs at the end, etc., etc. It's also kind of cool how the band was so apt to dip into their '69-'71 tracks during this period -- be they actually used or just considered.

Though, I have to wonder: I don't remember, offhand, the professional reviews for LY at the time of its release, but surely someone had to notice the vast difference in Brian's voice on that track? Was it even mentioned, or the track's actual origins realized by any reviewer of notoriety at the time?

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Though, I have to wonder: I don't remember, offhand, the professional reviews for LY at the time of its release, but surely someone had to notice the vast difference in Brian's voice on that track? Was it even mentioned, or the track's actual origins realized by any reviewer of notoriety at the time?

Good question!

[MBE]

I think the thing for me is that The Beach Boys were such good singers, Brian was such a good producer, that sonic sludge and off key vocals aren't acceptable to me. Never mind some pretty rough lyrics. The best songs on here are very nice, but I have never played the LP all the way through for my wife or friends who like the band. I just can't. Of course that applies to most 1976-96 Beach Boys albums.

[Iron Horse-Apples]

It's an album we're lucky to have.

[Bill M]

I don't like this album nearly as much as most of the folks on this board.  Loved it when it first came out, but very little has stood the test of time for me.

1) Ding Dang - so bizarre, you have to love it.  As others have said, it's too short.
2) Good Time - also rather bizarre.  Didn't like it at first, but it's grown on me over the years.

Everything else doesn't cut it for me.  Sorry!  Let's just agree to disagree.

[I. Spaceman]

I think the thing for me is that The Beach Boys were such good singers, Brian was such a good producer, that sonic sludge and off key vocals aren't acceptable to me. Never mind some pretty rough lyrics. The best songs on here are very nice, but I have never played the LP all the way through for my wife or friends who like the band. I just can't. Of course that applies to most 1976-96 Beach Boys albums.

The problem seems to be preconceptions.

[Musketeer]

I like Good Time, too. I would've rated it higher, but I have to admit to being partial to the original/vintage, unreleased stereo mix. It seems like it was a concerted effort on the powers-that-be part to make the Love You mix, well, more Love You-esque: Not using that doubling effect on the choruses, mixing the backing vocals down to the point of almost not being there on the same choruses (they're also split in stereo on the vintage mix), those little vocal ad-libs at the end, etc., etc. It's also kind of cool how the band was so apt to dip into their '69-'71 tracks during this period -- be they actually used or just considered.

Though, I have to wonder: I don't remember, offhand, the professional reviews for LY at the time of its release, but surely someone had to notice the vast difference in Brian's voice on that track? Was it even mentioned, or the track's actual origins realized by any reviewer of notoriety at the time?

I only remember the Rolling Stone review which was very positive but I don't think even mentioned "Good Time." I bought the 8 track version, which did not list the lead singers, so I assumed Al sang lead on it. 

[Mr. Cohen]

Oh God, this is going to be tough.

THE GREAT

1. Roller Skating Child: This song just rocks, and it's such a clever arrangement. The hint of "Da Doo Doo Ron" tack piano in the background of the verses is a particularly brilliant touch, and the transition into the fade is so unique and cool.
2. Honkin' Down The Highway. That. Drum. Intro. Also, something about that organ reminds me of "Wendy", and the infectious bass coupled with Carl Wilson's purposefully robotic country noodling is just too much awesomeness for my poor brain too handle.
3. The Night Was So Young: Just beautiful. The perfect cross between Pet Sounds and Love You's shimmering Lite Brite world of sound and awkward emotional honesty. When it cuts to just a piano and the Boys singing "doo, doo, doot, do, doo", I die.
4. Let Us Go On This Way: This takes the rumbling, driving, room-filling quality of the Moog fart bass to unbelievable heights. It has real power.
5. I Wanna Pick You Up: The counterpoint synth lines during the second verse are insanely brilliant, and I enjoy the diversity of the arrangement, from the accordion (?) in the chorus to the trippy but gentle little vocal outro. Hell, the way the song breaks down before the vocal outro is a small thing of wonder, too.
6. Let's Put Our Hearts Together: Rough as hell, but an intensely gorgeous song. It really is at a Today! or Pet Sounds level in terms of songwriting. The background vocals do kinda creep me out for a point because of how close it sounds to Imagination.
7. Airplane: The spacey instrumental works with the concept of flying up in an airplane, and it's a sweet theme for a love song. The chords and melody near the end (you know, "CARRY ME BACK TO HER SIDE!!!!") are pretty powerful, and I enjoy how the moog bass transitions between the chords during the first half of the song.
8. Ding Dang. Roger McGuinn. Brian Wilson. Cocaine. 'Nuff said.

THE GOOD
9. I'll Bet He's Nice: Truly a GREAT song, but the elements don't quite mesh here. While having the arrangements outshine the lyrics in intelligence is one of the quirks of this album, it's a little too much here. You have these incredibly simplistic lyrics butting up against a bizzaro world Switched On Bach synthesized arrangement, and it's just hard to comfortably feel it out on an emotional level.
10. Johnny Carson: Ed McMahon comes on and says, "here's Johnny!" Every night at a 11:30 he's so FUH-ON-HEY! That about sums it up, right? The vaguely gospel-like piano is so wonderfully demented.
11. Mona: Fun song, but could use a bridge or something.
12. Solar System: The Spectorian blend between the piano and organ are appropriately spacey, and that synthesizer that transitions between the chorus and the verses and bridge is exactly right for the moment, but somehow this song's arrangement still seems slightly undercooked. The chorus doesn't seem like it's all it should be.

THE OK
13. Love Is a Women: I dig the barroom love song vibe Brian was going for, and this has a nice Spector bass line... but it's a little boring, to be honest. The bridge is great, though.

THE BAD:
14. Good Time: Not a bad song, but I despise it for breaking up the mood.

[Mike's Beard]

It's actually very easy to picture what a Love You era re-recording of Good Time would have sounded like.

[MBE]

I think the thing for me is that The Beach Boys were such good singers, Brian was such a good producer, that sonic sludge and off key vocals aren't acceptable to me. Never mind some pretty rough lyrics. The best songs on here are very nice, but I have never played the LP all the way through for my wife or friends who like the band. I just can't. Of course that applies to most 1976-96 Beach Boys albums.

The problem seems to be preconceptions.

Not really. I didn't mind any of the harder rocking, bare,  or eccentric stuff from 1967-74 one bit. In fact I like it. I even like the big band session from 1977. I just don't like many of these songs on a musical or vocal level. I can accept different, but to me it just sounds like bad music or a poor effort. My point above is that I know what they had been able to do, and suddenly they couldn't do it or wouldn't. 

[I. Spaceman]

It is a Brian album, it isn't about "they". I think the people who actually seem to like the band as a whole, more than just as a vehicle for Brian's talent, are the ones who seem to dislike the album. The Holland lovers. Personally, when Brian is on it, as he is on Love You, for better or worse to some ears according to the era of his creativity, I could care less about the rest of them (aside from their interpretations of Brian's work), and I don't miss their songs particularly.
Honestly, to me the greatness of the album is just as smack-in-the-face obvious as Pet Sounds. I am as befuddled by a negative opinion of the record by fellow BW fans as I would be if they claimed the Earth was flat and that Smile was garbage.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

I love Love You but like the New Album/ Adult Child material better

[Iron Horse-Apples]

It is a Brian album, it isn't about "they". I think the people who actually seem to like the band as a whole, more than just as a vehicle for Brian's talent, are the ones who seem to dislike the album. The Holland lovers. Personally, when Brian is on it, as he is on Love You, for better or worse to some ears according to the era of his creativity, I could care less about the rest of them (aside from their interpretations of Brian's work), and I don't miss their songs particularly.
Honestly, to me the greatness of the album is just as smack-in-the-face obvious as Pet Sounds. I am as befuddled by a negative opinion of the record by fellow BW fans as I would be if they claimed the Earth was flat and that Smile was garbage.

I couldn't agree more. In fact its time I came out of the closet. I am a Brianista and proud of it!

[AndrewHickey]

It is a Brian album, it isn't about "they". I think the people who actually seem to like the band as a whole, more than just as a vehicle for Brian's talent, are the ones who seem to dislike the album. The Holland lovers. Personally, when Brian is on it, as he is on Love You, for better or worse to some ears according to the era of his creativity, I could care less about the rest of them (aside from their interpretations of Brian's work), and I don't miss their songs particularly.
Honestly, to me the greatness of the album is just as smack-in-the-face obvious as Pet Sounds. I am as befuddled by a negative opinion of the record by fellow BW fans as I would be if they claimed the Earth was flat and that Smile was garbage.

I'm not quite the Brianista you are -- I do think Dennis and (before 1981) Carl were both genuine songwriting talents in their own right, and I think the others add a *lot* with their vocals (I even think Al's solo album is better than some of Brian's) -- but in general I agree. Love You is one of the two or three best things the band have done, together or separately, and the main reason for that is it presents a coherent artistic vision from the band's greatest talent.

[MBE]

Nope I am a group fan and proud of it so maybe that's why. Still change the word they to he in what I wrote and it still applies.
I love Brian, he is one of a kind, but it's that they all wrote and sang together so well that I like the best. I don't think for instance Holland is better than Today, Wild Honey, Pet Sounds etc. but Holland is very good Beach Boys to me just outside their top ten.

[Shady]

It's an album we're lucky to have.

I agree..

How it ever got released, I don't know

[I. Spaceman]

  I do think Dennis and (before 1981) Carl were both genuine songwriting talents in their own right, and I think the others add a *lot* with their vocals

I absolutely agree, and I love Dennis's music and the best of Carl's. I'm just saying there isn't one of their songs I wouldn't trade for a top-flight Brian song. On the other hand, there are plenty of bad Brian songs I would trade for a good Dennis or Carl song.
It is just, in general, the view of The Beach Boys as some type of songwriting/production collaborative, has gotten way, way out of hand and needs to be redressed. The only reason anyone else produced anything, or started writing tunes for the band, is because Brian fell down on his job. Period. And all of it would have, and did stop for a couple of albums, as soon as Brian reassumed control. And that's the way it should be. Brian is the genius.

[Sheriff John Stone]

Mike Eder, I understand where you're coming from, and I rank Love You in my Top 5 BB albums, maybe as high as No. 2.

There's only two things I'd change. The first, and just to get this issue out of the way, is "Good Time". I wish they would've either re-recorded the vocals or leave it off, maybe for "Good Timin" or something else. But, to your issue...

I accept and sometimes love the ragged vocals. I'm not sure why, maybe because of the honesty and the true picture of the band at that particular time. But, this is where I see your point and agree with you. Some of the vocals - Brian's tag on "Roller Skating Child", "Solar System", "Let's Put Our Hearts Together"  and "Love Is A Woman" - are borderline embarrasing, whether you love Brian or not. Again, while I accept their "newness" and true picture, maybe an extra, better take was in order. We all know how hit and miss Brian could be vocally. Maybe on a better day...

The only analogy I can make is the recent Bob Dylan. Man, I love his stuff, and I accept his deteriorating voice over the last ten years. But, sometimes it ain't easy enjoying his last couple of records because of his vocals. You almost have to work at it! The best example would be Christmas From The Heart. That's not an easy listen. But, your appreciation of the artist and love of his work overrides it. I view Love You like that, and I'm able to, well, love it.

[Wrightfan]

It's uneven but there's a lot of awesome tracks
The Night was So Young
Good Time (Very underrated. Would've loved this on Sunflower. Replace maybe a song like It's About Time with this.)
Honkin' Down the Highway
Let us Go On This Way
Airplane
I'll Bet He's Nice
I Wanna Pick you Up
Let's Put our Hearts Together
Love is a Woman
Solar System
Ding Dang
Johnny Carson
Roller Skating Child
Mona

[ArtVandalay]

Wow...surprised to see Mona at the bottom of so many lists.

[Alan Smith]

Be careful, or you might end up spending the rest of the night in there. Thanks to you expert Beach Boys collectors, I have been blissfully absorbed for days. What a damn interesting thread!

If only I could find the Rolling Stone piece on the New Jersey tarmac incident...I've been working my way back from page 11. Maybe it's on page four.

Go forth - http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,6867.msg110359.html#msg110359

[MBE]

  I do think Dennis and (before 1981) Carl were both genuine songwriting talents in their own right, and I think the others add a *lot* with their vocals

I absolutely agree, and I love Dennis's music and the best of Carl's. I'm just saying there isn't one of their songs I wouldn't trade for a top-flight Brian song. On the other hand, there are plenty of bad Brian songs I would trade for a good Dennis or Carl song.
It is just, in general, the view of The Beach Boys as some type of songwriting/production collaborative, has gotten way, way out of hand and needs to be redressed. The only reason anyone else produced anything, or started writing tunes for the band, is because Brian fell down on his job. Period. And all of it would have, and did stop for a couple of albums, as soon as Brian reassumed control. And that's the way it should be. Brian is the genius.

Half of why they started writing was Brian, half was a natural progression. He certainly wrote a lot in 1967-70, even helped Dennis get a good start with Little Bird.

[MBE]

Mike Eder, I understand where you're coming from, and I rank Love You in my Top 5 BB albums, maybe as high as No. 2.

There's only two things I'd change. The first, and just to get this issue out of the way, is "Good Time". I wish they would've either re-recorded the vocals or leave it off, maybe for "Good Timin" or something else. But, to your issue...

I accept and sometimes love the ragged vocals. I'm not sure why, maybe because of the honesty and the true picture of the band at that particular time. But, this is where I see your point and agree with you. Some of the vocals - Brian's tag on "Roller Skating Child", "Solar System", "Let's Put Our Hearts Together"  and "Love Is A Woman" - are borderline embarrasing, whether you love Brian or not. Again, while I accept their "newness" and true picture, maybe an extra, better take was in order. We all know how hit and miss Brian could be vocally. Maybe on a better day...

The only analogy I can make is the recent Bob Dylan. Man, I love his stuff, and I accept his deteriorating voice over the last ten years. But, sometimes it ain't easy enjoying his last couple of records because of his vocals. You almost have to work at it! The best example would be Christmas From The Heart. That's not an easy listen. But, your appreciation of the artist and love of his work overrides it. I view Love You like that, and I'm able to, well, love it.

Well with Dylan of course his voice since Oh Mercy (or even Street Legal) isn't so hot, but I equate it to Dennis in a way. I feel Dennis sounded fine on his own songs (or anything with a more serious vibe he attempted then) during the mid to late seventies years because his musical textures changed and I feel Dylan's has as well. They made the adjustment so to speak. Brian didn't adjust the same way, to me his singing is just plain bad on some cuts here. I think the music called for Brian to sing it, but not the Brian of 1976. I also have a problem with the synth being so heavy and the lyrics so it's not the voice alone for me.