The Smiley Smile Message Board

What's your favourite Brian Wilson composition from the 70s? The Night was so Young, This Whole World..there are some gems. An album's worth maybe?  Obviously Surf's up was written in the 60s but wasn't Til I die as well?

Well most of it would date from 1970-73 for me. Hard to say one song but maybe "Til I Die". If the fact that he started writing it in 1969 makes that invalid I would go with Sweet Mountain. Sail On Sailor, Marcella, Shyin Away (he may have co-wrote it) and Mess Of Help are others I also like an awful lot. Good Time and the 1970 Back Home were done early in the year but if they were written after new years they too are great.

And This Whole World to?

a day in the life of a tree

Would have a perference for the pre- Brian is back stuff. Perhaps he wrote more when the inspiration struck then rather than feeling outside pressures to do so. My Brian in the 70s album: (included stuff written in 60s..even marcella can be traced to all dressed up for school)

Sail On Sailor
Marcella
This Whole world
My Diane
You Need a Mess of help
Cool Cool Water

The Night was so Young
All I wanna do
Funky Pretty
Good timin
Til I Die
Surfs Up

Just Once in My Life would be my one of my favourite productions of his from that era - a real stand out on 15 Big Ones

I'll Bet He's Nice
Roller Skating Child
'Til I Die
A Day in the Life of a Tree
This Whole World
Funky Pretty
Mona
The Night Was So Young
My Diane
Sail On, Sailor
Still I Dream of It
We Gotta Groove
Sweet Mountain
...

Lots of brilliant work to choose from.

I love BW's production/arrangement work in general yet for me nothing really beats the Moog years.

Phirnis picked some good ones, particularly (imo):

"Still I Dream of It"

"Til I Die"

"The Night Was So Young"

"Funky Pretty"

"Sweet Mountain"

Forgot about Mona.. thats a class one alright. Don't know we gotta groove..when's that from?

It's on boots - A fairly simple 'rocking' instrumental with the phrase We Gotta Groove repeated a fair few times. Not very essential.

Wondering if Brian still has his Moog in storage? I would rather have him with the moog than the keyboard he uses now.

I wasn't totally serious about that one, obviously. In terms of songwriting, not very essential indeed. That said, I love the overall sound of these little groovy/loopy songs Brian created at that point in time. "Ding Dang" and the cover of "Calendar Girl" come to mind, for example.


"Funky Pretty" hardly ever seems to get the attention it deserves. It's like an early Love You track without the boys sounding like drunken sailors yet. What could be better than that?

To date, I still find "Mt. Vernon and Fairway" some of the most intriguing music he did in the 70's. Often wonder if the sessions exist and perhaps feature longer versions. Like "Rio Grande", I wonder if any of it originated as a part of Smile.

It is pretty interesting look into the type of project Brian would do if motivated to create, the backing music from it on the box set is awesome. I wish Brian made an album in the early 1970s with his classic voice with "Mt. Vernon and Fairway" or Love You styles.

All of Holland is worthy except maybe Beaks of Eagles. It's a album that gets better every time I put it on. Yes the good voices really make a difference but I like the lyrics better on Holland too. Even Mt. Vernon has a sophistication Love You missed.

Favourite Brian compositions from the 70s?

This Whole World
Til I Die
Sail on Sailor
Winter Symphony
Marcella
The Night Was So Young
Had to Phone Ya
My Diane
Still I Dream of It
Sweet Mountain
I'll Bet He's Nice
A Day in the Life of a Tree
All I Wanna Do
Johnny Carson
Funky Pretty
Add Some Music


I wonder how much of Good Timin' and Santa Ana Winds is Brian?

The two are very different - the Moogs Brian was using in the 70s are monophonic (one note at a time - lead synths). Still, imagine he had his Moog and his Baldwin Organ with him on stage? That would be something...

I bet he would play the Moog on Love You era songs instead of a mute or low in the mix keyboard. I

Man, I'd never heard Sweet Mountain (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIeC8WU3tbg) before this thread.  Amazing song.  I need to get my hands on the Spring LP.

I double dare y'all to pick one song written in the 70s

A Day in the Life of a Tree.

I go back and forth between 'Til I Die and This Whole World, but for the last year or so, it's been the latter. Wonderful production, gorgeous vocal tag, and catchy as hell. Plus, it serves as an excellent way to get music snobs into the Beach Boys. When I put the song on and count off the number of chord changes it goes through in two minutes, it blows some minds.

Truly a glimpse into a full 1970s BW LP.

Nearly everything, on Sunflower was written in the 60s because they recorded most of it in 1969 or very early 1970. I think "Cool Cool Water" wasn't finished until like a month before the album release in summer 1970, but even that had a lot of prior work done on it.

My favorite is probalby "This Whole World", I love the backing vocals.... and that cool outro where Mike goes reallllllly low. 

"Sweet Mountain" uses material from an earlier David Sandler release, "Standing Tall".

http://www.glacierdisc.com/littledipper/Standin%27%20Tall.mp3 (http://www.glacierdisc.com/littledipper/Standin%27%20Tall.mp3)

http://www.glacierdisc.com/littledipper/A%20Page%20from%20my%20Book.mp3 (http://www.glacierdisc.com/littledipper/A%20Page%20from%20my%20Book.mp3)

Simple answer: All of them.  ;D

Top 3 BW
1. Add some music to your day
2. I'll bet he's nice
3. This whole world

Extensively, may I add.

"It's Like Heaven"

...when will it ever end???

Seems like the Sweet Mountain melody is entirely different, and obviously the arrangement and mood are turned around 180 degrees, going from sprightly & upbeat to...well, druggy and weird.  So are all those changes attributable to Brian?  And was it ever determined whether Brian or Sandler was doing the male vocals on Sweet Mountain?

Oh yes, how could I not mention that one?

"Do Ya" is another one by the 70s incarnation of The Honeys that I love, incredibly catchy and the lyrics are hilarious!

The vocals in the coda are Brian's. It's an extraordinary, great song, made out of a nice song.

"The vocals in the coda are Brian's. It's an extraordinary, great song, made out of a nice song. "

Exactly.

I gotta go with H.E.L.P.!

Cruise to Harlem