The Smiley Smile Message Board

They deserve their own thread --

"Oh Mi Amor"

Chorus in Spanish. Credited to Brian alone. Features some Spanish guitar touches and strings.

I remember when I met you
In the summer of my life
Then I slowly got to know you
As the days and months went by

Oh mi amor
???
Oh mi amor
???
Oh mi amor
???
Yes and we'll be together
We'll be together
When you're near to me
I just gotta say

We went to places that I dreamed of
And my summer turned to fall
I can't imagine life without you
Life and love we have it all

(chorus)

You are my love
I love you forever
You are my love
I'll leave you never

Then one day my heart was broken
And my world just turned to stone
No more summer no more springtime
Now I'm left so all alone

(chorus)

-----

"Message Man"

Credited to Wilson/Bennett. Features Danny Hutton on backing vocals. A very, very Brian track (pounding, up tempo upfront piano). A real standout.

Message man message man
Thank you for your song
Moving us soothing us
Helping us along

Victory over hate
Love will never die
Love will never die
Love will never die

Message man message man
Made a summer of love
Perfect world perfect world
We've been dreaming of

A troubadour will always score
And bring the finest tune
To chase away your gloom
Dust off your dancing shoes

Think back, back to a time
When you were feeling fine
Till music took you beyond the above
Notes can make you remember
What it felt like to surrender to love
Surrender to love
Surrender to love

Message man message man
Pour a melody
Fill our cups tack em up
With endless harmony
Sound waves and ocean waves
Crashing against the door
You know you can't ignore
When something shakes your core

(chorus)

Rock and roll, rock and roll
It'll never die
It moved us like a hurricane
And really blew our minds
Beatles, Byrds and Rolling Stones
Their voice so strong
Helps us all along
It only takes a song to make it cool
To make it cool
Until it's cool
We'll make it cool
We'll overcome


I have to say -- I'm surprised these were used as bonus tracks. They're both definitely full album worthy.

Just listened to these the first time. Will post more when I've listened more. Tomorrow -- the Best Buys bonus tracks.

I'll be intrigued to hear these, having listened to the clips I think i'll probably like them more than a couple of songs on the album.

I have bought the CD+DVD version, and there are no bonus tracks. Can they be aquired separately? (I don't live in the US.)

As far as I know Andreas, the Best Buy version is only available to order for US residents and the iTunes version you have to buy the whole album again just for the bonus tracks.

I am going to go to Best Buy this afternoon to buy the CD/DVD, and the CD with the bonus tracks, and I still won't have the iTunes bonus tracks.  I refuse to buy the thing three times.  Is anyone here getting the iTunes version?  If someone would want to PM me to discuss and describe the iTunes bonus tracks, I would, in turn, discuss and describe the Best Buy bonus tracks. 

Just picked up the Best Buy version --

Good Kind of Love with Carole King is blah. It's just the album version with her vocals in place of Taylor's.

I'm Into Something Good sounds like a 15 Big Ones outtake, in the best way possible. A lurching, Spectorian cover.

Just Like Me and You is a fucking masterpiece. Some people will think it's a joke -- but it manages to reference a Day in the Life of a Tree! And it sounds like Today!

I honestly worry that the BW camp was too free with these bonus tracks -- Oh Mi Amor, Message Man and Just Like Me and You are all just as strong as TLOS album tracks -- and stronger than some. They could be the core of another album.

Got the Best Buy and freakin' LOVE "I'm Into Something Good" and "Just Like Me and You"...

I always thought Brian should do an oldies album - 15 Big Ones notwithstanding - to include stuff that you don't ever hear anymore, such as "Saturday Night At the Movies" by the Drifters.  The production on "I'm Into Something Good" is perfect - somewhat demented, plus Brian's vocal is raw but wonderful, and ... well, DAMN, it's spectacular... "I'm - in, I'm into some-thin, I'm - in, I'm into some-thin, I'm - in, I'm into some-thin, whoa!!!"

I would be quite interested in "discussing" the various bonus tracks.  I have the Best Buy CD myself but not the bonus tracks from iTunes.  Anyone want to "discuss" this with me??  :-)

LOL!  Discussion is usually a good thing.  I would like to discuss those iTunes bonus tracks as well. :angel:

I don't care much for "Oh Mi Amor", but "Message Man" is a nice song (as claymcc pointed out, a "very, very Brian track" - that sums up the song pretty well). Still, I don't think they're as good as the TLOS songs. They deserve to be "bonus tracks" - now, if only they had been included on all the CDs... (or at least the CD/DVD version)

Read all the verses ...

Just Like Me and You
(Wilson - ?)

When a man loses his woman
His days are numbered, it's true
He must feel sad and he must feel blue
Now isn't that just like me and you?

When a girl loses her lover
Her world is broken in two
She'll just have to wait for somebody new
Now isn't that just like me and you?

It's so sad (when she breaks up with you)
Makes me just want to cry (just want to cry)
She's waiting for
Her new love to come along
To come along
To come along

When a tree loses its branches
It's slowly dying, it's true
Once he was happy but now he feels blue
Now isn't that just like me and you?

(chorus)

When Rover lies near his master
It's unconditional love
That's why they call him man's best friend
Now isn't that just like me and you?

When a child reaches for mama
She's still a baby inside
Mothers all need to give their love
Now isn't that just like me and you?

(chorus)

Love "Oh mi Amor", especially the "will be together, will be together. When you're near to me...I just gotta say" part.

Message Man? It's a bit meh to me. Don't really care for it.

I'm really surprised "O Mi Amor" in particular didn't get slotted into TLOS -- it'd be a perfect followup to "Mexican Girl", and the huge more-Spector-than-Spector sound is so theatrical that it leads naturally into the movie theme of "California Role".  Plus, it's just a gem -- a classic Brian case of going right up to the edge of schmaltz but still making it feel real...

Cheers,
Jon Blum

All these bonus tracks/internet only tracks etc, etc...will make a nice addition to a Brian Wilson solo box set in 10-15 years!  Especially for folks like me who are too lazy and/or cheap to gather them up! ;D

Great. I'm still waiting for my stupid Amazon version (which I pre-ordered) with the lack of bonus tracks. Now I'm going to have to get the Best Buy version.    >:(

Yeah I love this song - it's a great new BW song. I love those weird synth breaks. I really wish this was on the album - I'd gladly swap this and Message Man for FYBMSG and Mexican Girl.

Presumably Message man was formerly Beatleman - one of the song titles that BW described in pre TLOS concert interviews?

Yeah -- I think it was "Message Man" first, then Brian referred to it as "Beatleman" in a subsequent interview. So now it's back to the original title.

To me "Message Man" sounds like an 80s-style Brian tune circa Sweet Insanity, and "Oh Mi Amor" like 90s-style circa Imagination.  I dig 'em both.

I'm in Brian-cheese heaven! 

Further proof that he's his own best lyric writer.  Message Man is bouncy and playful, sounding like a Love You outtake, with the "It only takes a song to make it cool" tag really choking me up for some reason!  Oh Mi Amor has a 15BOs vibe to it, with some great "downer" lyrics in the final verse.  When left to his own devices Brian never really opts for the Happy Ending does he?  Either way, great song and the lyrics gracefully skirt maudlin and honesty.  And call me crazy, but the vocal blend was so perfect and unobtrusive that I really felt like I was listening to a BB record.  Lovely.  The cover of "...Something Good" is fantastic!  So very Brian.  The backing vocals are very spirited and the therimin in the chorus sounds great!  Let's get real people, Brian needs to do a cover album!  Then his precious "Proud Mary" would finally be enjoyed by millions!   :lol (Ok more likely tens).  Just Like Me and You contains some of Brian's best "observational lyrics" since the Paley sessions.  Songs like this give me a strange glimpse of how Brian sees the world.  The verse about the dog lying next to master had me in stitches, but the second time around it sounded perfectly normal and somewhat touching!  Someone mentioned this one sounded like Today! and in parts I definitely hear that.  "It's so sad (When she breaks up with you) /  Makes me just wanna cry (Just wanna crryyyyyy!)"...that's crazy good and sounds more natural and Brian-esque than most of TLOS proper.  Don't get me wrong, I still love the new album but these bonus tracks feel like the real deal.

I agree though i'd keep those two and chop out some others. When gsmile says that these sound like the real deal I have to agree, all of the tracks are very 'Brian'.
To me, 'Message Man' sounds like something from the Paley sessions and Brian sounds very enthused, it sounds like the sort of thing he could toss out in five minutes in a good way, it sounds spontaneous and not laboured and there's so many cool melodic touches in it that make it a standout for me, love the outro too. Also the way he sings 'Message Man' is a bit like 'Market Place'.
'Just like me and you' is an odd one, the production is much more 'wall of sound' than anything else on the album and there is a quality to it which sounds like his writing from the late 80s, sort of reminds me of 'Being with the one you love or something', it has some odd chords, plus Brian does all the BVs too, I love the crazy keyboard solo!
'Oh Mi Amor' is less exciting but still good, melodically it reminds me a bit in the verses of 'Where has love been'.
These are the sort of tracks which make me know that Brian still has it, I could take an album of this sort of stuff any day, its quirky, its melodic, its fun.

I listened to TLOS several times (on my Best Buy disc) before I got around to the bonus tracks.  Into Something Good just knocked me out!  Just a foda GREAT cover!  Brian and Carol hit an oldies home run with this one IMO.  Found myself thinking that this really ought to get some serious airplay somewhere.

And speaking of airplay, listening to Morning Beat as I drove to work this morning watching the sun come up, I thought this Just HAS to be playing on the LA morning drive shows.  Simply just has to be.   

You probably can't tell by this post that I'm thrilled with this album ;)

It is a good cover.  Brian sounds like he's having a ball. Oh Mi Amor sounds like low grade Perry Como.  Really bad. Quite like Just Like Me And You, though I'd appreciate more variation in the melody.  Message Man sounds like he's messing around in search of something better - which didn't transpire...  I think I prefer the Good Kind Of Love outtake to the one on the album.  You know, I like the album on the whole and there are two or three great tracks on it, but - if you can overlook the actual sound - I think I still prefer BW88 - Rio Grande, Love and Mercy, Melt Away, There's So Many, Baby Let Your Hair Grow Long, etc

Part of the appeal of TLOS is that it is essentially the first studio album of new material featuring the Brian Wilson Band.
I've been waiting for something like this for a long time.

Frankly, I would buy a compilation album of BB HITs recorded in the studio by this band and Brian.  No question.

I'm absolutely loving Message Man. The more I hear it the more I love it. It just works for me the way all the best solo BW tunes do. I agree with Clay MCC that BW may be wasting Message Man and the Just Like Me and You as  bonus tracks. These are exactly the type of upbeat, slightly humorous feeling BW tracks I'd love to hear in a new album. I suspect I'm in the minority but I feel these are better than half the cuts from TLOS.

I completely agree too, I love it!

As I normally don't care too much for bonus tracks, I've bought the standard version of TLOS. So, is there a chance to buy these bonus cuts online or listen to them streaming somewhere?

If I didn't know that was Carole King singing on "I'm Into Something Good", I wouldn't recognize her; she sings so high, and, well, young. Carole King fans, is this her typical voice these days?

Not really. I saw her in concert in 2005/06-ish and her voice is still much like it was on Tapestry only with some slight rasp. Her vocals were still very expressive and conversational, much like her 70's singer-songwriter work. The vocal on Something Good, however, is a result of Wilsonesque multi-tracking very much like some of the vaunted demos of her 60's classics.

I completely agree. It's crazy.

I thought she only sang on "Good Kind of Love".

Then again, i thought she wrote that too, so what the hell do I know. :lol

Nope, she sings on that and as a duet partner on "I'm Into Something Good."

I was also surprised she sounded like that.

I can't get over Carole King's voice. How can it sound younger in 2008 than it did in 1971??

If anyone wants to discuss the iTunes and/or Best Buy bonus tracks, email me.

D

Does anyone know the credit details for the bonus tracks? At least one sounds, to my ears, more like a Paley era track than a recent effort. Are BW band members involved in all, as some of the backing vox are less characteristic. HAs Brian been recording with session musos on the side?

I just awoke from a sleep in which I dreamed Brian re-did "Message Man" as a hip-hop inspired R&B tune. I heard the song in my dream. It was, without question, the worst BW/BB song ever. By far. It also had new lyrics that hit new peaks (of valleys, I suppose) for awfulness. I am suddenly much more thankful for the real version and am afraid to ever go back to sleep for fear that I'll wreck another song.

I think Danny Hutton is on Message Man, the BVs on Oh Mi Amor and Just like me and you sound like all Brian to me.

While I loved "I'm Into Something Good" and "Just Like Me And You" at first listen, I have not been too keen on the iTunes bonus tracks.  Until yesterday.  I'll explain.  I was in my car, driving in the country, listening to That Lucky Old Sun on my car stereo.  I had put all of the bonus tracks (except for the Carole King version of Good Kind Of Love) on the mp3 player, so "I'm Into Something Good" started playing right after TLOS ended.  Well, I started playing around with the three band EQ on my car stereo, trying different things, and at one point I boosted the mids a bit, and brought down the highs, trying to simulate an AM radio signal.  Right then, "Just Like Me And You" started, and I was immediately transported to an earlier time, when AM radio was king, and it was glorious.  When "Oh Mi Amor" came on next, it was like I was listening to a different song than when I had played it previously.  I immediately got it.  The mix was pure Brian Wilson, the harmonies beautiful, and the lead vocal smooth.  The instrumentation was perfect for an AM radio.  Next came "Message Man", and while that one is not so '60s sounding, it sounded way better to my ears, too.  I had to play all of the bonus tracks again.  It was as if I was listening to 1960's era singles that I had never heard before.  The dude has still got it.  But I knew that already.  

Are you sure you don't mean "Good Kind of Love"?

That's what I said. ;) Hey, it was early in the morning for me.

Haha no problem. :) It just wouldn't have surprised me if I found out that there was ANOTHER bonus tracks version flying around somewhere!!

Ooh...that gives me an idea... ;)