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I think this song would have been a better choice for the 2nd single rather than Isn't It Time.  

IIT does have a good beat plus catchy verse/chorus.   It's biggest asset is that it gives just about everyone a vocal spotlight at some point. The new mix might change my mind but I think IIT might have been better as a third release.  

TPLOB&S is a better written tune and has a catchier hook.  With some tinkering to the end, it could make for a very listenable and memorable hit.  It's very similar to South American - which Brian should have released ahead of the Your Imagination single for the same reasoning.  I think that SA would have given him more airplay back then especially when it is so difficult for older acts with new material to find a place on today's radio.

respectfully but completely disagree.  Isn't It Time is a better choice as a single simply because it's a great song, and Private Life, well, isn't.  It's the only song on the new album I consistently skip over. Even Beaches In Mind is better, IMO.

Oh no.
For me it's the worse track on the new album. So bad in many ways.  So dull.
The verses are probably the worse that Brian ever wrote.   The chorus (written by Joe) is much better but still doesn't save the song.

And listen to how poorly Brian phrases some lines:
- no one knows just why we CA'..  we see their faces EVERYWHE'
- at the line at the grocery STO'
- we watch them on a tv SCREE'.. their lives are like a movie SCE'
- sometimes life can be so STRA'... maybe we just are looking for a CHAN'

Bruce is amazing on it, however.

Hell no!

 :lol

Honestly, I don't see "hit potential" for any song on the new album, because what station is gonna play the Beach Boys new single? But anyway, "From There To Back Again" could be a good single choice. It's not kitchy, it's not retro. It's honest, it's pure, it has heart.

It's not one of the better records on the album, but it sounds good listening to it poolside on a sweltering Summer day (or Summer night!) :-D. It would not be a good single though IMO, and neither would FTTBA. Isn't It Time might be a good choice if they do something to fix Brian's opening of the song- I read that they're making other changes to it before it's release.

bad single, especially in this radio age.  The only tune that would have a remote chance of getting mainstream radio attention is IIT.

Bill and Sue is...okay. Isn't It Time sounds like it's close to being very good, and sonically would fit in better on contemporary music stations.

I wouldn't go that far, but, upon repeated listens, "The Private Life Of Bill And Sue" has grown on me while "Isn't It Time" has faded a bit.

"Spring Vacation" was the song, the missed opportunity. It should've been the lead off single in, well, the spring! :police:

PLoB&S is definitely an album track, not a 45.

Won't hear a word said against it, mind, though I have my own opinions about it – I'd like to see it expanded for one thing – but a single it will never be.

I think they chose Isn't it time as a single, because it's really radio friendly.
It sounds like a song you'd hear any big pop star singing on nowadays. Ukulele is super hip right now.

"I wouldn't go that far, but, upon repeated listens, "The Private Life Of Bill And Sue" has grown on me while "Isn't It Time" has faded a bit."

Me too, but they're among my least favourite tracks.  If only Spring Vacation had decent lyrics...

NO!!!
I disagree, and even disrespectfully. The worst song on the album to me.


Me too.


Absolutely. Mike Love never wrote lyrics that bad. And he wrote "Everyone's in love with you" about the Maharishi. TPLOBAS has the worst BB lyrics ever. The melody lines are ridiculously bad too.


Nothing to add to that.

(cringes)

Isn't It Time a much better cut. Good beat, everybody gets to shine on vocals, lyrics that are more universally acceptable to the general public. Hell, I think "It's It Time" should have been a lead single. They seem to have an easier time performing it that "TWGMTR", so perhaps we could have avoided those off-key late night appearances, yeah?

Count me in among the group that considers this song the worst on the album.

Personally, I'd put Bill & Sue in the four best songs on the album, along with Isn't It Time, Shelter (the real grower for me -- didn't think much of it on first listen at all) and From There To Back Again. Isn't It Time and Shelter are the only ones that sound anything like singles though, and Isn't It Time is far catchier. I do think it's a shame that Jeff's vocal on the bridge is so weak, though -- it's the one song where I can see what the people who hate his vocals mean.

"Bill and Sue" is too sleepy of a track for it to make a dent in the airwaves (ha what airwaves?).  Everything about "Isn't it Time" screams single, especially with the clear and pronounced sing-along chorus. 

The thing is, he never really says anything about reality television. The song doesn't say anything about anything, actually. In it's 4 minutes, there isn't a story arc. Whoever fleshed out the lyrics (Joe I guess) could have done a better job. In the end, the message is that people watch pointless television shows. I knew that!

For it to be a single, it would have to be heavily edited. The instrumental interludes are too passive, nothing occurs for like 15 seconds. It's ok as an album cut, though.

I like TPLOB&S very much and think it's a cool song. But "Isn't it time" has single written all over it. Except for the middle part I think it's fantastic.  I don't have anything against using a middle part but that one just sounds so cliché whatsoever (can't put it in words right now).

Now that the album has had enough time, I have to say, "Isn't It Time" and "From There To Back Again" are definitely my two favorites and of those two, "Isn't It Time" is much more radio friendly, which means I think it's the best choice (and the album's best chance) for a single.

I second that emotion, Private Life has a chorus and harmonies up there with BW's best. OK the lyrics are naff and the newsreader at the end is a bit cringeworthy, but it is an ace song. Isn't It Time is also brilliant. Shelter would also be a good single. Who would have thought the BB would ever do any good songs again, after hearing the title track I feared the worst, in my view there are 4 excellent songs on the album that could have been singles  (also counting Strange World).

I still think Daybreak Over the Ocean, because of it's Kokomo similarity, is the song that more easy-listening station would be the most likely to latch onto and play. If the goal for a single is to get airplay to promote the album, I think that is their best bet for a third single.  Not to be a Negative Nellie, but I would be surprised if I ever hear Isn't It Time on the radio. Never heard TWGMTR on the radio either.

Yes, the chorus has a really good hook that has grown on me and it should be the main focus. I would remix the ending to delete the news announcer sfx and have the chorus continually repeat as it fades out instead.  The verses are ok - they are intentionally generic but I would mix in a montage of news announcer sfx over the instrumental interludes, using different voices that are speaking about current/real celebrity couples without actually naming them - I think they would fit better here and give those breaks more purpose to the narrative.

The chorus of this song is so annoying. Sure, "Isn't it time we dance the night away" isn't the most genius thing but it's catchy and not annoying like bill and sue.

I think a better choice would have been to take that song and not put it on the album.

Exactly.

Seconded.  Although I've grown to kinda like the song, I was really let down when I first heard it.  Given the cool and quirky title, I expected the track to be a lot more interesting, musically and lyrically. 

It's not my favorite on there by any means. Reminds me of South American and that's not a good thing.

I'm in agreement with those who say that PLOBAS would not be as good a follow up single as Isn't It Time, especially if talking about airplay. IIT is catchy whereas PLOBAS is in the vein of Brian composing/writing about something (ie. reality shows) that struck him for some reason but I don' think the theme of the song would resinate generally IMO.
FTTBA and Shelter could have been candidates - FTTBA sounds very good while Shelter is somewhat catchier with the refrain.
Actually, I think Strange World is very solid and Spring Vacation and Beaches In Mind are "guilty pleasures"  that keep re-occuring to me.
Even Mike's Daybreak is an enjoyable listen.
Brian's final 2 songs are simply superb, just not singles material.
All in all, IIT is a good choice.

There's no way From There to Back Again could be a single... it doesn't even have a chorus.

I dont' know if it would be a better choice, but I don't think either one would be a good single.  They're decent songs, but we're talking about singles.  something that stands on it's own.  Neither of these songs are 'good' on their own... they're only good when you're sitting there explaining to somebody why they're good.

"From there to back again" wouldn't work as a single, Tom Petty might play it if he still has his radio show that plays 'deep cuts' but other than that, you're not going to hear that playing on the drive home from work.

The kitch in Beaches in Mind is just a little too much in my opinion, but Spring Vacation would make a great single that would have the potential to pull in new listeners.  Everyone I play it for thinks it's great.  It sounds like the Beach Boys. 

It's a fact: If some rock band You'd never heard of released "Isn't it Time" you wouldn't listen to it twice.  If some rock band you'd never heard of released "Spring Vacation", it'd get stuck in your head. 

Bill & Sue definitely grew on me after a while. But it wasn't that appealing in first listen and in today's US radio/TV scene first listen is what counts. If IIT's production is fine tuned enough for the single it just might be ready for prime time and then some.

Nah. Isn't It Time is the hit.

That's another way to put it. I agree.


No, that's NOT a fact. To me it would be the other way round.

Oh Ron, your opinions aren't fact. When will you ever learn?

'Isn't It Time' probably won't become a big hit anywhere, but I can see it getting some radio airplay.

'Bill and Sue' on the other hand, it's really not one of the better songs on the album. And because of the quasi-tropical sounds, I think a lot of people will see it as just another weak attempt at a second 'Kokomo'.

Brian does that on a lot of songs even on the classic records when he sings softly, although with his age and damaged voice it's a more prominent now. I would still take that style of singing than the way he sounds on the opening verse of IIT. I've said it before and now again that I can't believe that take was accepted. Listen to Brian on Nothing But Love and even if there is SOME processing, it's Brian Wilson without a doubt. That's what Brian singing good these days should and can sound like.

If some other band released "Isn't It Time", I would be inclined to check out more of their material. This is more true of "Isn't It Time" and "From There To Back Again" than the rest of the album.

I can't think of any circumstances in which I'd even hear a song like "Spring Vacation" sans the Beach Boys releasing it in 2012. I do not actively seek out music that sounds like this because most of it sounds pretty bad, to me. It would not get stuck in my head, as I was initially very put off by it and only gave it additional listens because it was on an album I was interested in. It's definitely grown on me and turned into a favorite from the album, but only under these very specific circumstances.

"Isn't It Time" is exactly the sort of thing I want to hear the Beach Boys pushing as a single in 2012. It sounds modern, but in a way that won't date it to this year (see Beach Boys '85 or Still Cruisin' for an example of the opposite and why it's generally not a good thing), and yet you can easily picture a slightly more sparse production and it appearing on an album like Friends (think "Anna Lee The Healer"). I like the rest of the album, but what I just said either only applies to or applies the most for "Isn't It Time". For the Beach Boys to put out something that sounds so fresh and well-written in 2012 is an extremely pleasant surprise. It's one of the few things on the album that you can show to anyone without making any kind of excuses. You don't have to put it in the context of "Well, it's a new Beach Boys album. They're legends, they have a lot of history. Yeah, well, they're all about 70 now, so the liberal amount of cheese/gloss/nostalgia is kind of expected" or "Yeah, Brian/Mike/whoever doesn't sound like he did in the 60s. Still, Brian's had a rough time, he sounds much better now than he used to and we're lucky he's still around." You don't have to say who it is, you don't have to explain why the recording even existing is such an important thing, you can just say, "Hey, I like this song, check it out."

Those are the facts for me.

:lol
That's funny.

I actually like Bill and Sue.  I LOVE the mellow coconut, tropical vibe.  I LOVE the chorus.  I love that a cappella highlight near the end!  Delicious!!  Ah Yes...the verse lyrics (and Brian's delivery of) are a little cringe worthy though.  They sound a lot like a "Gettin' In Over My Head" reject.  (Which is an oxymoron, since that whole damn album is a reject!  And I love it too, cause it's crazy!)

But the "isn't it time we dance the night away..." lyric from "Isn't it Time" isn't top-shelf liquor either.  Dance the night away?  How do you -- who dances the night away?  They're old!  It's not time to do that.  No.  It's time to watch other people dance the night away.  Maybe hook up with your best friend's daughter, who's now 40.   ;)

I don't take Beach Boys lyrics too seriously...and I expect cringe-worthy moments on every album.  Every album.  Isn't it Time is the more logical single, though.  It's got hand-claps!

Good point.

For me "Spring Vacation" was great from the get-go.  There's not a weak second, musically.  "Ridin' around..." the verse is smooth and cool.  Great melody.  Period.  And the chorus is powerful with that wicked-cool harmony, that trademark dissonance on "Vaaa-cation" and "Hoo-ney."  I agree with Sheriff John Stone...this is the song.  I'm surprised so many dislike it (or disliked it, past tense).  The lyrics are little novelty...but as a fan, I don't care.  It'll be a fan's song...not a single.

I agree, Isn't it Time does sound fresh.  It's a cool little pocket symphony production.  "Dance the night away" is a little canned -- a reflex lyric, but again...I can't be bothered with hating it.

For me, on paper Spring Vacation utterly sucks, but the reality is I love it and did from the moment I heard it. It got stuck in my head.

Now Beaches in Mind, that does utterly suck.

Having said that, I think that Isn't it time is the better single.

My opinion is you're wrong.  That's a fact. 

Your opinion then is that your opinions are fact?

no, I think he's saying that it's a fact that his opinions are what they are.

ah JEEZ.

I would have chosen Shelter or even FTTBA. But definitely not Bill & Sue. I see that song as a huge missed opportunity to have a really meaningful dig at reality TV. It's not a true clunker but it's probably the worst cut on the album.

Isn't It Time is fine, OK, quite catchy and features most of the Boys taking a go at a lead vocal at differing points. I dislike the vocal processing they've chosen on the album track and would love a remixed single with different/less vocal effects. I don't see it being a huge hit but if I might just buy it.

Whether it would be a viable single or not, I do like "Bill and Sue" a lot.  I find the chorus to be infectious and it's one of my favorite tracks on the CD.  I think it could have the wide appeal of "Kokomo", given the same exposure.

I really, really don`t think so. Nowhere near as catchy and it could never be a hit single. The lyrics are really poor as well.

As things stand I think Spring Vacation would have been the best choice but hopefully the new version of Isn`t it Time will be an improvement.

Shelter needed some time to grow on me, so I don't think that would be hit single material. FTTBA is in a way like songs like Til I Die, Surf's Up and I Just Wasn't Made For These Times: beautiful, but they'll never play that kind of stuff on daytime radio.

How can you not like a song with a bass harmonica in it?   :)

Totally agree about the story arc...that has bugged me too.  The story in the news announcer tag would have made for much more interesting verses (maybe written by someone with a knack for satire like Randy Newman).  And musically, it is just "Son of South American."  Plus I would have loved to hear Brian turned loose with "Love You" synths on this.   For such a great, timely concept, it seems a wasted opportunity.   But if I think of it as "the Beach Boys cover 'South American'," I can enjoy it more for what it is.   But it's still too long...I intend to do an edit on it one of these days.

I agree about the lyrics not really getting the point of the song across effectively. But, what could've done that was the ending radio broadcast. However, the way it was recorded, I can hardly make out what the guy is saying! Maybe I'm going deaf...

It's so strange hearing a song like this, again, from the 'Boys and Brian.  It has so much potential but doesn't quite get there, I blame the lyrics.  I think Brian's weakpoint his entire career have been the lyrics.  This song is well produced, well sung,... the backing vocals are interesting and have that Brian Magic, but the lyrics just don't quite do it.   I really enjoyed the Gershwin and Disney albums because the lyrics were so top-notch... but since they were all covers it muted it a little bit.  Of course we've all been treated to great Van Dyke lyrics over the years, so songs like "The Waltz" are fantastic to me.  Brian almost always brings his "A" game with the production and the vocal arrangements, but the lyrics are so hit and miss. 

I guess it's part of being a fan... the ability to see the potential but the dissapointment in not seeing it realized. 

Agree, Ron. I don't know if I'm more disappointed or perplexed. Why wasn't more attention paid to this song, or, specifically the lyrics? There are plenty of other co-writers on this album, including Mike Love, who could've been called in to help this song.

Yeah, the radio broadcast should definitely be louder.   I can only really understand them when listening with headphones.

Well, to chime in:  I agree with the several critical posts (most immediately Ron and the Sheriff) and would add that TPLOBAS is a delightful listen for all the musical reasons we identify, but it fails to be a great song because it is what used to be called a "novelty song" ; so it bears more kinship to "itsy-bitsy-tinny-weenie yellow pokka-dot bikini" than to Kokomo; we all love Johnny Carson, which is also a novelty song, but no one is demanding it in the set list (and it's just a cooler song than Bil land Sue any day); these songs are too specific, too bound to a particular moment in time. The satire on the vacuousness of reality TV is clear, and once you get it, you check out intellectually from the song and just cruise along until Shelter  comes in.  Situational, contemporary references are not eternal, so this song can only succeed  in the Jerry Shore, etc. cultural moment, which is over as a topic of critical concern.  To backpedal a little as I look out over the LA Freeways that leads to Burbank: Johnny Carson and his song are immortal--likely because he was real.

How will we know when the new single is coming out?  I guess we are all ears.  

byw: I see a Pet Sounds in mono as a new release on my Rhapsody account; has this been a topic?

That's an interesting point, to tie a song lyric to something as ingenuine as reality t.v. probably titanic's it from the start. 

Equally though I guess we need to all stop expecting every song to be incredible, I suppose on an album it's alright to do a few songs about nonsense. 

Yes, Ron. We scholars often talk about "Homer nodding," that is, when the great artists seem to get distracted and fail us in some way" but it's still Homer, we add.  Shakespeare has 152 sonnets; are there any clunkers there by the greatest poet in the language? Sure are. As a rhythmic satire, playful enough in the context of  great album, I can live with the song. (I have intentionally written that sentence with a dangling modifier to display my own, unlikely, lapse. . . .)

Joe Thomas: For example, on “The Private Life of Bill and Sue,” it’s very easy. Brian came in and had a verse. That’s a new song; it just came up. He said I’ve got this title about these two reality stars, Bill and Sue. And I go, well what it’s about? And he goes, it’s about their private life. And I go, what do you know about it? And he goes, Nothing. And I go, It’s a song about nothing. Oh! And he goes, Yeah, kinda. He goes, one day, these two reality stars get lost over Catalina Island while they’re vacationing, but the reason they got lost is because their show sucks now and the ratings are down and so they faked it all. And I was like, Great concept! The next thing he was like, we want a radio announcer at the end telling the story, and at the beginning it’s kind of sing-songy, like “Private Life of Bill and Sue,” can you dig what I’m telling you, blah blah blah. He came up with all of that. And then the chorus was something I came up with: California to Mexico. So that was just one of those where he had a great verse, I had a nice chorus and we put it together.

Gotta say I disagree that it's Bill and Sue's lyrics that bring it down.  Either as a song or as a performance it just isn't interesting to me musically.  If something like From There to Back Again or even Isn't It Time had Bill and Sue's lyrics, I would still love it.

It IS a song about nothing. The music sounds like a faint remembering of Harry Belafonte.