The Smiley Smile Message Board

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaA_-53H1LI

I dig it.

Tres cool - both the song and Brian's contribution.

How did this collaboration come to be? Didn't hear about it prior to now (or the band, for that matter), it's totally different than the type of stuff Brian usually shows up on nowadays. Purty cool.

Here's a hint - they're currently both on Capitol...  :old

Haha, makes sense.  :drum

Mmm. It's okay. I'm not really sure what Brian brings to it that any one else couldn't have, though. But that's just my opinion.

I agree that Brian is turning up on a lot of stuff that the average Beach Boys' fan wouldn't immediately imagine he would be interested in collaborating on. I like that, as a principle. It's good to shake things up a little, and not just be involved in productions covered in Leslied guitar, bass harmonica and vibes for the rest of time.

Having said that, though, I'm not sure any of the collaborations I've heard so far massively float my boat. They're all OK, quite interesting, but just kind of... there. For me the acid test is: having heard the tracks with Brian on, am I moved to investigate any of his collaborators' other stuff? Or am I only listening initially because Brian's on it, and then failing to want to find out more after that? Because nothing we've heard so far has really grabbed me by the throat and made me rush out to buy everything else by that artist. Which is what I tend to do when I hear something I massively like.

Like I say though... I like the idea that he's putting himself with all these different kinds of artists (even if the motivation is, at least in part, that they're all other Capitol-connected artists in some way). It could lead to something really cool, even if I don't feel it quite has yet, from the collabs we've heard so far...

You can look at it a bit like a revival of the kind of collaborations he did with other artists in the early 60s. He hasn't done that kind of thing for decades. I like that.

I sense a gameplan unfolding. Time will tell if it's a good one, but that there actually is one is comforting.

From the band's website:

“Any Emotions” came to feature Brian Wilson after [Zach] Dawes played bass on a session for the Beach Boys guru’s new album; the final result finds Wilson magically imbuing the track with his trademark voice and haunting melodicism. “Brian and I had a good rapport after the first session I did for him,” Dawes says. “When I asked him to work with us, he gave more than any of us had anticipated, I guess that’s why he’s Brian Wilson – it still feels a little surreal.”

I just had another thought: what if these collaborations that are gradually coming out are the out-takes from the No Pier Pressure collaboration process? I don't mean necessarily that these are tracks that might have made the album at one time, and were cut. Maybe they never got that far. I'll try to explain...

I was wondering after the post above why none of the collaborator tracks we've heard so far have (to me) been that stunningly amazing. They all strike me as competent and quite interesting, but lacking a spark that makes them truly great. (Maybe that's just me, though). Then the thought occurred to me: if you'd decided that for your next album, you were going to try to collaborate with as many artists as possible (I don't know if that WAS Brian's thinking for this project, but bear with me)... then you'd want to keep the best results for your eventual album, wouldn't you? The collaborations that worked out the best would be the ones to go on No Pier Pressure.

So maybe BW put himself out there over the course of the last two years, and worked with all sorts of artists. If he did that, the odds are that the results were going to be better with some musical collaborators than others. Some collaborations would maybe lead to nothing of consequence at all. Others would just be OK, and yet others might capture some 'lightning in a bottle'. If so, then it stands to reason that the 'lightning' would be held back for Brian's eventual album — but there would still be all these other tracks around.

A bit like how there are always loads of tracks in play when most bands put together an album, but gradually, as work progresses, they decide what's going on the album and what isn't. Some of the stuff that isn't is never released (or only makes it out on a career retrospective boxed set decades later), some of it is hived off for use in film soundtracks or other works, some of it is used for B-sides (or, these days, iTunes bonus tracks and the like). Some of it, which is actually really good but it turns out doesn't fit the overall tone of the album as it grows into being, is held back for future albums (like Good Vibrations, I guess...!).

So back to the original point: perhaps the collaborations that are slowly emerging of late are some of the tracks resulting from a great flurry of artist collaborations over the past couple of years, and these are the ones that Brian felt shouldn't go on NPP for whatever reason. That makes sense to me. Although it might not be the reason at all, as I'm only speculating...

Whatever actually IS going on, clearly there has been some kind of massive collaborative musical and songwriting process going on between BW and lots of other musicians over the past couple of years. As Andrew says, whatever the results turn out to be, it's great that the big man is still doing this kind of thing after all these decades. I am hungry to know more, even if the collaborations I've heard so far have merely washed over me somewhat.

Great sounding group, and a good track. Yes, Brian's contribution is small and probably mostly for name value, but it definitely says something that hip young indie bands would care to have that name on their record. By all means Brian and the BBs should cash-in on this hipster renaissance - their music just screams to it. I'm almost surprised it's taken this long.

That is a very good song and Brian's contribution really adds to the song.

Pretty surreal to hear Brian on a track like this. He's finally getting to do the rock songs he's always wanted.

Diggin this! Brian sounds great!

Many thanks Woodstock. Fascinating track with Brian's great vocal being a perfect fit. The man is guesting more and more these days. Could he be making up for lost time? :listening

Agree, and finally something brand new that I like. My only complaint is it could have used a better ending. It was too abrupt and could have used a Wall of Brian's as a fadeout.

It's neat that these things keep popping out of nowhere. As far as the song structure and vocals go, it's my favorite of the collabs I've heard. Not a fan of the production/synthy drum beat, though. I'd love to hear it stripped down - the melody kind of reminds me of John Lennon's "Woman".

I gotta give it up. Great feature by Brian here, even if it's relatively minor. I was critical of his vocals on "Our Special Love" (holy autotune!), but he fits like a glove on this track. The "so happy" bit reminds me of Animal Collective.

Really impressed. Very original tune and Brian's vocals work really well on it. Thanks for posting!

Wow. I love this. I wish BW would do more guest appearances w/ indie bands instead of collab'ing with Elton John and other "legends."

I knew I heard a Beatles/Lennon melody in there, but couldn't put my finger on it. :)

I loved it.  Period.

Thanks for sharing, Woodstock. :)

I quite enjoyed the number.  Brian sounded great; his voice fit the piece rather well, I thought.

A bit more of an acoustic drumkit sound would have pleased me (still waiting for that BB85 "Stripped Down" remix with real drums, too), but otherwise?

Yeah, count me a fan of the collaboration.   :hat

In his solo career, there have been a few moments where I've felt genuinly sad for the way Brian's voice has changed since he was young...but I think from BWPS onwards, he's progressively gotten better at using his 'matured' voice. All his vocals on TLOS and TWGMTR were very strong - but on these last 3 singles (Falling Apart, Our Special Love and Any Emotion), his voice sounds just as good as it ever did, though in an entirely different way. It's like he's not only strengthened it, but found out what to sing to really bring out the same magic you'll hear in Don't Worry Baby or more recently Pacific Coast Highway. All he's doing in Falling Apart and Any Emotion is lending some vocals, but no one else could sound like he does on these tracks...because he's Brian Wilson. Seriously, how much better are the tracks just because of the addition of his voice?

I have the highest hopes for No Pier Pressure - it just seems like everything is lining up for the best case scenario to become reality.

Love it. One of his bvs - along with Adios, MacArthur Park and Delirious Love

I was thinking "Beautiful Boy".

That made me "so happy, so happy, so happy, so happy...."

Loved it.  Nice to FINALLY hear Brian in a true modern setting.  Goes to show that his musical presence is still completely applicable in today's current sound.  I hope "Pier Pressure" has some moments like this.

Agree… and add Hand on my Shoulder, Nature is the Law, Crabby Patty to that list!

Ah yes, Hand On My Shoulder, from Anton Fig "Figments" album. With Blondie Chaplin lead vocal. Great song (and CD for that matter)

Quite nice. I liked it. More natural sounding than the last few. It made me so happy. ;)

Sounds like Godley & Creme, or at least something from the school of Trevor Horn. Is that a Caroline No sample? Genuinely nice track, even without Brian's contributions.

In a way you're right, but it's nice to hear "our" Brian in such a for him very unusual track! :)

The music video's a bit silly, but yeah, this one caught me by surprise - really rather loving it.

This song is right up my alley. Holy sh*t.

Yeah. Like, if you could have Brian do a few simple background vocal parts on your song, wouldn't you jump at the opportunity? I totally would. It's Brian sounding nice. Can't complain.

Naw. I'd tell Brian he doesn't do rock & roll vocals as good as his cousin Mike Love and would kindly but firmly refuse his services.

:lol :thumbsup :lol :thumbsup

I never knew Brian sang BG vocals on MacArthur Park

I would like it a lot better without the Autotune.... (that's the reason why I've stopped listening to new pop music on the radio).

Recent Jimmy Webb album Still Within The Sound of My Voice - Webb essentially covers a lot of his own original songs. Brian guests on that track.

I'm not a big fan of duets / guest appearances and like most of them, this sounds a bit forced to me but it's still a nice pop song, very pleasant. :)

oh okay cool, thanks... I'll have to check it out

Really like that song...

7" vinyl: http://www.myplaydirect.com/mini-mansions/any-emotion-7/details/44161257?feature-name=featured&feature=32809084

Reminds me quite a bit of a modern 'Guess I'm Dumb'.

Exactly.  I just hope none of these artists he's guesting with hope/assume that these tracks will draw new fans from the Brian fan base.  I dig them all, but I've had absolutely no interest in exploring their other work.  If anything, I listen and wish that there was more Brian and less the other guy.  If these artists are admirers who jump at the opportunity to work with Brian on a track, awesome.  If they hope something more will come of it, I feel bad.

I would say that out of the "new" 3 artists, I am interested in getting to know Mini Mansions the most.  I plan on getting their first album.

Well, I alerted a much younger fan of Brian's about this new release, and he already had Mini Mansions recordings, so there could well be a cross-over audience that isn't necessarily prone to post on this Board.

I enjoyed the song. Don't love it, don't dislike it, either. Definitely more a "feel song" than my kind of more traditionally arranged song, but it's cool. It was good enough that I bought it, anyway. I had no real response to Brian's response lines throughout, but I really like the ending. (The other parts of it I like are probably more appropriately discussed in the new music thread in the non-Beach Boys forum than here.)

Here's an article on it:


http://www.rollingstone.com/music/premieres/mini-mansions-any-emotions-colin-hanks-brian-wilson-20150113

If you could go back in time, take the song and have its arrangement put more back in line with what the BBs were doing in '72, and massed their harmonies in place of what's here (particularly at the end...), you'd have had a song that could comfortably fit between "Only With You" and "Funky Pretty" on Holland.

This is excellent, and perhaps the best of the recent Brian-collaborates-with-young-artists-who-just-happen-to-be-on-Capitol-or-work-with-people-he-duetted-with-on-NPP. I'm really interested to know what the new album will sound like now.

I'm liking it too… liking all three collabs this far. No one loses really: Brian gets some cred with the young set, the bands get some attention by association, we get to broaden our palette and their fans get a taste of genius.

I thought this thread was going to be about Charles' son, Mini.


But Mini Manson is a blackjack dealer, not a musician, so that wouldn't make any sense.

Wow, this is a really great song... not the best song in the history of ever, no, but I have a feeling I'll have listened to this a couple dozen times before the weekend is over! Anything new with Brian Wilson, especially something of this quality, is very welcomed and is good for the soul. I must say, too, this song makes me want to check out the rest of Mini Mansions music, and I think I shall...

I'm playing the LP (The Great Pretenders) for the 3nd time in a row now and have already fallen in love with it - in its entirety. The BW-assisted track in the middle seems like an extra-bonus.  :3d

They're really quite a great band, aren't they? I'm looking forward to what else they can do in the future. Another collaboration with Brian wouldn't hurt!

This is great. I love that he is truly just contributing—not trying to steal the show. Adding some great harmony support and experimenting with some new sounds that blend super well.