The Smiley Smile Message Board

I know it's just a matter of opinion, but I do love reading everyone's opinion , but I was wondering, over the years, the songs written or released or performed in concerts that seem forced, feel free to use the whole BB/BW catalog/career....I recall a lil while ago that AGD said he felt Mexican Girl (from TLOS) felt forced, and I was just wondering why and if anyone else feels this way about other tunes.


Just thinking off the top of my head, performing Hawaii on the Lei'd in Hawaii shows is kinda of forced/obligatory, even though it sounds fantastic...prolly why only one verse was sung.

most of the '80's concerts if you ask me.....

good call, lots of songs to choose from: Buzz Buzz, Lady Liberty, Merry Minute.

Oh Darlin from KTSA. Awkward attempt to reference God Only Knows in a far inferior song with underdeveloped melody and backing track.

Summer in Paradise. A rocking tune (especially live) that's all but strangled by the parade of cliches and song title references in the lyrics.

I'm So Lonely. Brian attempts to write a melancholy song but is really not feeling it that day. (Well, the bridge is decent.)

Make it Good. Sound and fury, signifying nothing.

Pretty much anything written by Jardine solo.

I'll venture one that always gets me, it's one of my favorite BB songs (obviously), but from the first time I heard it I hated part of the second verse to "Good Vibrations," the line "when I look in her eyes, she goes with me to a blossom world." It doesn't rhyme like the first does, but more importantly it always felt like a forced psychedelic lyric, something Mike couldn't really acheive. (Not that Tony's lyric is any better.) The rest of the song is great, obviously, but that line always felt really forced.

California Calling..... How She Boogaloo'd It....and, although I like Slip On Through, it's still Dennis channelling 'Darlin'.

Boogaloo is spot on. Incredibly forced, and just an awful song all round.

TD -- I can't believe you feel that way about "blossom world." I always thought it was kind of awesome.

I'll go out on a limb and add Disney Girls, just because I never understood where Bruce found that extra syllable.

WHAT? I love Dis-a-ney Girls!

You know what?  This is a great question, because if I was fishing for one word to describe WHY so much of the Beach Boys' catalog post '70 fails to satisfy, "forced" would be a great word.  Because if you think about it, there's nothing really offensive about doing something that's retro and fun, if that's really what you are FEELING, but so many of the Beach Boys' stuff is so self-conscious  ('what do people want us to do?') that it kind of ruins any fun you might have with it.  "Summer In Paradise" and "Student Demonstration Time" are both great exhibits for this kind of thing, epitomizing the approach in two different eras.

Part of the reason, say, "It's OK" works is it sounds so effortless and natural.  It's just as dumb as, say, "Kona Coast" or "Summer Of Love" but it doesn't sound as contrived for some reason.

Most anything post 1965 that was trying to go back to the formula, starting with Do It Again. Some exceptions would be Sumahama, Keeping the Summer Alive and Kokamo.

That Same Song is one of the worst songs ever written. It can't be the same guy that wrote Pet Sounds.

All BB solo efforts except for POB and TLOS.

Help Me Rhonda sessions :)

I would think things like that would feel forced because of the need for money

You really want to hear rushed? Listen to Brian's demo of Mona. Throughout the whole song, it's like his voice and fingers playing the piano are in a race to outdo each other.

Brian's Back, California Calling, most of KTSA and what follows...

California Calling sticks out.

Make It Good.....?

i understand Make it Good, it's like Denny has all this energy and what's to pour it into something, it's more of a great track than a song....it's more of just a thought....

it's a great warmup track for a solo career though......wonder why he didnt utilize Darryl Dragon during POB/Bambu?

I appreciate Make it Good; I love the orchestration. There's just not much of a song there. And Dennis tries so very hard, but there's little that's profound or meaningful in the song. Thus, forced. I'd contrast it with something like "Be With Me" or "River Song," both of which are huge productions but actually complement and support melodies and lyrics with some heft.

Part of the reason, say, "It's OK" works is it sounds so effortless and natural.  It's just as dumb as, say, "Kona Coast" or "Summer Of Love" but it doesn't sound as contrived for some reason.


I never thought of It's OK as being dumb. At all! Ever!!

It would be ok if the lovester wasn't singing lead. It's natural alright-sounds like a real lamb bleating, :o

Rock And Roll To The Rescue

Smart Girls

Concert Tonight

and, um... Rio Grande (despite brilliant sections... must be the main theme).

Susie Cincinnati on 15 Big Ones feels forced to me. The single version with the lead guitar is superior, and it tries too hard to rock and comes up short. Not terrible, but forced in my opinion.

I find the production of that one unbearable. It hurts on the headphones.

How many versions/mixes exist of Susie? At times I've loved this but others I'd agree, yes, it feels forced.

I always thought R&RTTR was a good song live (right after they released it that is)

I'm curious about this too.  As a side note, when they played it live it really smoked.

Make It Good?

"Look at me
Funny face
That's not you
A wrinkled nose
A tear
You're crying

Oh
Rest your head
Cry on me
Don't be afraid
I'll stay with you
I know you'll make it
And you'll make it good
And you'll make it good
And you'll make it good

All of my life
I haven't known much
All I know
Is what I feel
And what I feel
And what I feel
Love
I'm in love
Love
Love

Ooo"

Sounds pretty direct and purposeful to me. Brings to mind a shy or sad or unsure girl being consoled and showered with some guy's love and him just crying out how her love fulfills him!

A sentiment like that works wonderfully in the straight line-type scheme that Dennis wrote/arranged the song in!

Gorgeous stuff IMHO!

1970 45 B-side mix (Add Some Music To Your Day A-side)
1970 45 B-side promo mix with engine sound effects (Add Some Music To Your Day A-side)
1974 45 B-side mix (Child Of Winter A-side)
1976 15 Big Ones/45 A-side (Everyone's In Love With You B-side)

Regarding "That Same Song", when I listen to the version on 15 Big Ones I cringe. I never liked the goofy arrangement at all. Then I saw it performed with the Double Rock Baptist Choir on the "It's OK" NBC special and my jaw dropped. From that point on I really began to believe that a good arrangement and production on a song could make anything sound amazing. Watching Brian get into the performance is also worth its weight in gold.

Imagine instead what we know as 15 Big Ones, the album kicking off with River Song and including performances like the TV version of TSS!!!

How would these be rated in terms of "great mix" ----> "this one really sucks"

Honestly, besides the 1970 promo mix they sound virtually the same. The promo mix is a lot punchier than the other mixes. Add Some Music To Your Day in its promo mix is not as heavy on the reverb.

"Beaches in Mind".

Some thoughts... Carl's songs from KTSA sound very forced and/or uninspired. As do most (no, not all) of his songs, imo. I probably love the guy most of all the boys but let's be honest, he was the least brilliant songswriting Wilson.

Saturday Morning in the City sounds almost desperate in it's attempts to be jolly and uplifting, but doesn't really convince.

Some of you may disagree, but I don't think Mike's songs (I mean ones he composed) ever sound forced. Some may sound like sh*t or blatantly commercial, but not forced. I guess he really feels like writing a song whenever he opts to.

I know may will disagree: It's about time.

Spring Vacation. It's absolutely horrifying.

Keepin' the Summer Alive.

  1) "A Thing or Two"   Do it right baby/outa sight baby?  
  2) "Some of Your Love"  Let's go back to high school with a song that could curdle milk (Conversely, I like "Child of Winter")
  3) All of Brian's tunes for BB85. The flow and ease just aren't present for me.
  4) "It's A Beautiful Day"  This one tries a little too hard but doesn't quite deliver.
  5) "Amusement Parks USA"  Channeling stuff they'd left behind on SURFIN' SAFARI.



  "Make It Good" may be rather formless but the aching romanticism and huge sound always touched my heart.  

I agree; it's always sounded out of place as a Sunflower track because of that.

I'll add "Student Demonstration Time", "Meet Me In My Dreams Tonight" and a lot of the What I Really Want For Christmas album.

Make it Big

 ::)

Dance Dance Dance just feels like a reprise of I Get Around with worse lyrics.


I think Got to Know the Woman sounds far more forced (and generic) than It's About Time.

'Sail On Sailor' sounds to me like somebody singing a shopping list. I've never believed that vocal even though the song itself rocks.

Pretty much the entire 15 Big Ones album.  :afro
 

Here Comes the Night (disco version)

Night Time


Originally it did rhyme: "She goes with me to a blossom world we find." Brian cut off the last two words.

>:[

Always thought 'dont go near the water' sounded a bit forced like they were purposely tryin to go all mother earth on us. Great harmonies towards the end though which makes the song bearable

A lot of BW 88 feels forced to me: Baby Let Your Hair Grow Long, Let It Shine, Meet Me in Your Dreams Tonight, Rio Grande...

A lot of oddball BW stuff: Country Feelins... pretty much all of Sweet Insanity....

disco Here Comes the Night (the quintessence of forced)... California Calling... Camp California...

Dream Angel, South American, Sunshine

A couple more that just came to mind:

Bluebirds Over the Mountain

As much as I hate to say it, Make It Good feels "constructed" to me in ways that I have a hard time getting past. "Cuddle Up" walks right up to the line, then kisses it on the lips, and is transcendent
 
The Peggy Sue remake, Winds of Change, Endless Harmony

I for one actually quite love "That Same Song". I know I'm in the minority on that one.

Does it count if an arrangement feels forced? If so, for me, although I love the Gershwin and Disney albums, I always felt it was a little on-the-nose to crib Pet Sounds and SMiLE-style arrangements so explicitly. I'm thinking about the instrumental "I Got Plenty o Nuttin", for instance, basically lifting the WIBN set-up almost wholesale. Or the SOS "Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes" or the "Vege-tables" opening to "Heigh Ho". Instances like that could make you think he's got no ideas left, and is just going to regurgitate the same thing over and over.

Waves of Love...the rest of Al's solo album is great, though.

Belated but sincere thanks for this. I'm pretty sure I have the 1970 promo mix somewhere on vinyl… just need to set up the deck that I bought back in January and haven't had time to attend to yet!

Our Sweet Love
Our Sweet Love
Our Sweet Love

mediocre attempt to recreate God Only Knows style tune.  Probably one song that doesn't feel genuine to me.

I just went back to this thread because I had to add my thoughts...

WILD HONEY.

The song itself isn't bad, and in fact has a pretty rocking little track to it, but I think it's the worst (and most "forced") vocal Carl Wilson ever put on tape.  The live versions featuring Blondie Chaplin are even worse. The lead vocal is so forced and grating that I cannot ever listen to this song. 

Starting to feel the same way about that song.

The Waltz. A very awkward collaboration between Brian and VDP. It sounds like Brian has never even read the lyrics before never mind has any connection with them.

You're right, though I don't find Blondie's performance as bad as Carl's studio vocal.

I never heard the greatness in this song, and it sounds so out of place on the Sounds Of Summer comp.