The Smiley Smile Message Board

Welcome, Dennis!
My third favorite album ever. I love how happy, and silly, and coherent it all is. Always makes me feel better, and appreciate the little things when life is getting a bit rough.

12. Transcendental Meditation
11. Diamond Head - I really like this instrumental. This sounds so warm.
10. Passing By - Love this. Would love to have heard the lyrics Brian wrote slapped onto it. Were they ever recorded?
9. Little Bird - Groovy song!
8. Be Still - Love this. Obviously miles under Little Bird production wise, I still feel Dennis' voice is the most effective the less that is going on musically.
7. Anna Lee, the Healer - I love this song. A lot of fun to sing along to. Another of my favorite Mike leads.
6. Be Here in the Mornin - That's Al on the verses, right? He sounds great.
5. When a Man Needs a Woman - My girlfriend and I love singing this to each other. So fun!
4. Busy Doin' Nothin - Gotta love that Bossa Nova!
3. Wake the World - This song definitely makes me wish Brian and Al wrote together more. I only wish it were longer.
2. Friends - Wonderful single. Wonderful song.
1. Meant For You - Another favorite Mike lead. What a beautiful song all around. So serene.

Busy Doing Nothin’
When A Man Needs A Woman
Wake The World
Little Bird
Be Here In The Mornin’
Friends

Meant For You

Passing By
Anna Lee The Healer

Be Still

Transcendental Meditation
Diamond Head

When I first heard Friends, I loved 10 of the tracks equally, and didn't like Anna Lee The Healer and Transcendental Meditation. Now I think both of those are as great as the rest, especially TM, which I think is one of Brian's smartest and slyest moves ever. Busy/Diamond Head is one of the great song combos in album history. If I HAD to rate one track as lesser than the others, I guess it would be When A Man Needs A Woman. But this album is a masterwork, nearly equal with Pet Sounds.

I absolutely love Friends! It's my second favorite BB's album. The only songs I sometimes skip are Anna Lee, and TM. Everything else is brilliant.

1. Little Bird
2. Busy Doin' Nothin'
3. Friends
4. Wake the World
5. Passing By
6. When A Man Needs A Woman
7. Be Here In The Mornin'
8. Meant For You
9. Diamond Head
10. Be Still

11. Anna Lee The Healer
12. Transcendental Meditation

1. Friends - A really good, mellow song. Unlike several other songs on the album, it also works outside of the Friends context.
2. Wake the World
3. Be Here in the Mornin'
4. Meant for You - 38 seconds of something that you wish would go on for at least five minutes.
5. Busy Doin' Nothin' - Has all the ingredients for what should be a terrible song (a cheesy bossa nova beat, lyrics about doing nothing, no memorable melodies, a very unspectacular arrangement and no ambition whatsoever), and yet it somehow just works. And that's what makes it so brilliant.
6. Little Bird - Dennis at his coolest. Did he ever sound more mellow than he did here?
7. When a Man Needs a Woman - Funny.
8. Passing By - Cool. The Beach Boys' answer to 'Flying' by The Beatles.
9. Anna Lee, The Healer - Very Smiley Smile-ish.
10. Be Still - Sounds like an idea for a potentially good song...
11. Diamond Head - Nice mood, who cares that it's not going anywhere?
12. Transcendental Meditation - One of my least favorite Beach Boys songs and very much out of place on the album.

TM is the most thematically in-place song on the record. Sonically and harmonically, it is the most out-of-place. This is no accident. Brian wasn't a dumb guy. The atonality of the composition, and the placing as the finale, is entirely on purpose.

GREAT
Meant for you - Epic opening
Friends - "Let's be friends", unbelievably great
Wake the World - Brian isn't wasting time
Be Here in the Morning - That chorus with Carl and Brian!
Passing By - Forget all your problems, you are in heaven
Little Bird - Brian brings in the icing on Dennis cake
Busy Doin' Nothin' - Such a perfect vocal delivery
Transcendental Meditation - Great wtf moment

VERY GOOD
Anna Lee, The Healer - Not great lyrics by Mike
When A Man Needs A Woman - Great verses, but the chorus isn't that great.

GOOD
Be Still - Kinda boring
Diamond Head - Cool stuff

1. Friends
2. Busy Doin' Nothin'
3. Diamond Head
4. Wake the World
5. Transcendental Meditation
6. Meant for You
7. Little Bird
8. Anna Lee, the Healer
9. Be Here in the Mornin'
10. Passing By
11. Be Still
12. When a Man Needs a Woman

Wonderful album, there's only a small number of records that I like every bit as much as Friends. In a way this one always struck me as a "miniature Smile", even though it's much more unassuming and easy-going than most of the original Smile material.

1. Little Bird
2. Busy Doin' Nothin'
3. Friends
4. Be Here in the Mornin'
5. Diamond Head
6. Anna Lee, the Healer
7. Wake the World
8. Transcendental Meditation
9. When a Man Needs a Woman
10. Meant for You
11. Passing By
12. Be Still

Breezy, consistent, great album.  I find it tough to rank these tracks because many flow right into each other.  It's one of those albums that works wonderfully as a collective piece.

I'll have to raise the white flag on ranking this one - it's my Favourite BB album and I can't fault a single moment, including all the groovey little gaffs floating in from the background.

  Meant for you - thanks, Mike, for a loving vocal and a great demonstration of Mike's versatility

  Friends - gourgeous song, and I love the distorted guitar that gets a last minute look-in

  Wake the World - A petty quibble - this amazing piece is so brief.  BTW, is the single mix (DIA B-side) a mono mix, or a fold-down?

  Be Here in the Morning - so cool, especially the voice wall on "FULL", and Dennis on the tag, magic

  When A Man needs a Woman - one I avoided at first, but over the years I've come to appreciate it, especially the tricky little guitar riffs on the verses

  Passing By - a simple little song, but nudged into something bigger by Brian's vox

  Anna Lee - I love how this song's verses are like a first take or demo, but are matched to fleshed out chorus vocals and FAT picked bass

  Little Bird - amazing.  Took me some years to work out the Trout in a shinny brook lyrics tho'

  Be Still - not something I immediately warmed too, but over time, it's a gem (moody Dennis vocals and maybe an early showcasing of the style that attracted the  Captain to collaborate with him

  Busy Doin' Nothing - amazing

  Diamond Head - a great although late interlude, evocative stuff

  TM - I love TM, those saxes really blow and are especially cool on the fade
 

Friends - Best song on the Album. If there is a song that defines love, then this is the one that defines friendship.
Busy Doing Nothin’ - So chill, a great song to calm down to.
Little Bird - LOVE the vocals on this. A great first effort from Dennis and Steve.
Passing By - Great harmonies, it's like a musical stroll through the park.
Anna Lee The Healer - Their best song about TM.
Be Still
Meant For You
Wake The World
Be Here In The Mornin’
When A Man Needs A Woman
Diamond Head - Love the uke in here, very calm, tropical song.
Transcendental Meditation - Gives me a headache.

Agreed

Little Brid
Be Here In The Morning
Friends
Wake The World
Meant For You
Busy Doing Nothing
Passing By
Be Still
Anna Lee
Diamond Head
Transcendetal Meditation
When A Man Needs A Woman

Such a nice peaceful album. Bruce is full of it on this. Really one of the most calming albums one could ever hear and its important for that alone. Some great singing by them all too.

Gorgeous album -

I find ranking a little difficult, because really it depends on what mood I'm in to which I prefer at the time, and because I love all of the songs on this album

Busy Doin' nothing
Be here in the morning
Friends
Be Still
Little Bird
Anna Lee - delicious vocals
umm...

I'm trying to imagine Brian singing that Percy Sledge classic.

1. Friends
2. Be Here in the Mornin'
3. Wake the World
4. When a Man Needs a Woman
5. Transcendental Meditation
6. Passing By
7. Diamond Head
8. Meant for You
9. Little Bird
10.Anna Lee, the Healer
11.Busy Doin' Nothin'
12.Be Still

I'm surprised When A Man Needs A Woman doesn't rate higher with folks on this board.

That song is SO Brian. It's one of my favorite songs of all-time. The intro notes put an automatic smile on my face that lasts for the whole song. I just love it so much.


What is it people don't like about it?

what's phony about them? It's a father-to-be singing about his unborn child. that's about as real as it gets.

oh, and Matchpoint Of Our Love kicks ass btw

01.  Busy Doin' Nothing
02.  Friends
03.  Wake the World
04.  Little Bird
05.  When a Man Needs a Woman
06.  Be Still
07.  Transcendental Meditation
08.  Be Here in the Morning
09.  Anna Lee the Healer
10.  Meant for You
11.  Diamond Head
12.  Passing By

(Another) Great album!

At last, the final entry in the home spun/demo trilogy that pretty much nailed the coffin shut on the band's image as a viable commercial act.  Again, not a bad album at all to me, just too much of a (too) bland thing.  None of the tracks are overly inane or offensive to me but neither do any of them stand out as they are.

1. Little Bird - Good song, decent production, nice Smile nod without being an actual recycled idea
2. Wake the World - Fair enough
3. Diamond Head - Great atmpospheric track
4. Friends - Fair enough tho some of the lyrics are trite (no matter how heartfelt), especially for a single
5. Meant For You - Here, the use of a fragment really works tho people need to stop acting like its a masterpiece.  It ain't even a song!
6. Busy Doin' Nothin' - OK
7. Be Still - Another decent offering from Dennis. 
8. Be Here In The Mornin'
9. Passing By
10. When A Man Needs A Woman
11. Anna Lee The Healer
12. Transcendental Meditation

Corrected.
I suppose not being a parental type the song doesn't do much for me. The lyrics are a bit shakey and corney. Brian sings it fine, but not one I get into.

It's a wonderful little song, just happens to be my "least favorite" cut on an album that I think is fantastic from beginning to end. I agree it's very Brian, in fact I think the lyrics are very Love You-like.



Strangely enough, I think I remember that Bruce said he loved the Friends album a couple of years ago on the BBB board. Could be I'm confusing things but I don't really think so... Anyway, he obviously changed his mind about this one. I know Alan's quite fond of Friends, though.

I'm with you - I placed it second. I love the down-home feel and the lyric is well written.

I saw that. I'm with you pal!  ;)

I personally thoroughly enjoy this album only when played from the LP through speakers - it's one fo those albums io find doesn't hold up so well on cans.

It's also very much an album album - bar friends, take any of the tracks out of the sequence and they weaken considerably.

However, meet these two factors and you have a real stonker of a great album! Nothing falls flat from start to finish, and as such no track is a real standout, except maybe Friends. Or Little Bird. Or Passing By. Or Busy Doin' Nothin'...

My favorite BB album. Remaster PLEASE!

Busy Doin' Nothin'  :love
Wake the World
Friends
Be Here in the Mornin'
When a Man Needs a Woman
Meant for You
Little Bird
Passing By
Anna Lee, the Healer
Be Still
Transcendental Meditation
Diamond Head

I love how the 2-fer with 20/20 flows.

12.Transcendetantal Meditation - The only song on the album I really don't like.  I never listen to it.
11. Diamond Head
10. Be Still
9. Passing By - I think this song would benefit from lyrics.
8. Anna Lee The Healer - Even though I don't love the song, Mike again sounds great.
7. Busy Doing Nothing
6. Wake The World
5. When A Man Needs A Woman
4. Friends
3. Meant For You - Top 5 favorite Mike Love vocal.
2. Little Bird - One of my favorite Dennis Songs
1. Be Here In The Morning - Al sounds fantastic on this song. 

Little Bird
Busy Doing Nothin’
Wake The World
Be Here In The Mornin’
When A Man Needs A Woman
Meant For You
Friends
Transcendental Meditation
Be Still
Anna Lee The Healer
Passing By
Diamond Head

A masterpiece.

1. Anna Lee, The Healer- first heard it on an ultra-obscure low budget compilation when I hardly knew the band; it blew everything else on there away. I used to imagine this was the second (flop) single from the album. Does so much with so little.
2. Busy Doin' Nothin' -more objectively, perhaps, the best song on the album. Very cool.
3. Meant For You -What an amazing start to an album.
4. Friends
5. Be Still -highly underrated
6. Little Bird - loses marks for the na-na-na-na bit
7. Be Here In The Morning- kinds goofy but that's why we love it. Good low note from Murry.
8. Transcendental Meditation- transcends the album and can safely be played at a psychedelic disco.
9. When A Man Needs A Woman- ewww lyrics, ahhhh music
10. Wake The World- bit twee/McCartneyesque (but I still love it!)
11. Diamond Head - good but goes on a bit too long
12. Passing By- well, something has to come last.

Busy Doin' Nothin'
Diamond Head
Little Bird
Wake the World
Meant for You
Be Here in the Mornin'
Friends
Ana Lee the Healer
Transcendental Meditation
When a Man Needs a Woman
Passing By
Be Still

This is one of my favorite BB albums. Not the hippest album, but something only the Beach Boys could've done.

1. Be Here in the Morning
2. Little Bird
3. Wake the World
4. Friends
5. Anna Lee the Healer
6. Diamond Head
7. Busy Doin Nothing
8. Meant for You
9. When a Man Needs a Woman
10. Transcendental Meditation (has grown on me. Doesn't fit Friends, maybe work on WH?)
11. Be Still (beautiful but kind of boring. Might have fit better on Smiley)
12. Passing By

This one is hard. I love all the songs.

1) Be Here In The Morning
2) Wake The World
3) Anna Lee, The Healer
4) Little Bird
5) Busy Doin' Nothin'
6) Friends
7) Meant For You
8) Passing By
9) When A Man Needs A Woman
10) Be Still
11) Diamond Head
12) Transcendental Meditation


Love this album.

1)  Busy Doin' Nothin"
2)  Wake The World
3)  Anna Lee
4)  Passing By
5)  Friends
6)  When A Man Needs A Woman
7)  Meant For You
8) Diamond Head
9) Be Here In The Morning
10) Little Bird
11) Be Still
 

My second-favorite album, after Smile.


A+
Busy Doin' Nothin'
Friends
Be Here in the Mornin'

A
Wake the World
Meant for You
Little Bird
When a Man Needs a Woman

A-
Passing By

B+
Diamond Head
Anna Lee, the Healer

B
Transcendental Meditation
Be Still

1.busy doing nothing
2.passing by
3.friends
4.be here in the morning
5.little bird
6. be still
7.wake the world
8. meant for you
9.when a man needs a woman
10.annie lee the healer
11.Transcendental meditation
12.Diamond head

I find this record sadly uneven.

A+
Busy Doin' Nothin'
Passing By


A
Friends
Wake the World

A-
Meant For You   

B+
Little Bird
Be Here In The Morning
When A Man Needs A Man

B
9. Diamond Head

C-
10. Anna Lee, The Healer

F
11. Be Still
12. Transcendental Meditation

A cosy little album... I like almost every track!

12. Meant For You
11. Be Still
10. When A Man Needs A Woman
9. Little Bird
8. Be Here In The Morning
7. Transcendal Meditation
6. Anna Lee The Healer
5. Diamond Head
4. Passing By
3. Wake The World - This is a gorgeous tune, but I wish it were longer.
2. Friends
1. Busy Doin' Nothin'

I think you mean When A Man Needs A Woman...

They make things like you my son.  ;D

But it is.

But it is! Who says something needs to be of a certain length or structure to be considered a "song"? Fuck that crap - when you have something this beautiful, this much of, yes, a masterpiece, and this effective in such a short time, you've got yourself one damn fine song.

Also, I had no idea "Be Still" was disliked so much. Boring? Pffff.

1. Meant For You 9/10
2. Friends 10/10
3. Wake The World 9.5/10
4. Be Here In The Morning 10/10
5. When A Man Loves A Woman 8.5/10
6. Passing By 9.5/10
7. Anna Lee The Healer 8.5/10
8. Little Bird 9.5/10
9. Be Still 7.5/10
10. Busy Doin Nothin 10/10
11. Diamond Head 9.5/10
12. Transcendental Meditation 8.5/10

1. Meant For You - Short but pure sweetness. Mike at his best, vocally.
2. Wake The World - Absolutely amazing tune. Love that arrangement.
3. Busy Doin' Nothin' - Brilliant. Just Brilliant, Brian. Bossa Nova sunshine.
4. Friends - Lovely as a clear spring day. Oooh dem harmonies.
5. Little Bird - Great debut by Denny as a songwriter on record. Wow!
6. Be Here In The Morning - Love it to pieces. Silly and soothing.
7. Be Still - Underrated to all hell. Simply beautiful.
8. Diamond Head - Truly great. I dunno if he meant it or not, but it feels like Brian's tribute to cats like Les Baxter and Martin Denny and hey I love exotica, so yeah. Cool.
9. Anna Lee The Healer - Strange and delightful.
10. When A Man Needs A Woman - Very nice.
11. Passing By - On any other album this might be filler, but here it's a perfect mood piece.
12. Transcendental Meditation - Sticks out badly. A pretty decent tune, but its discordant vibe interrupts the soothing groove we had by this point listening to the album.


Sweet LP man. That the Boys managed to craft an album that's quiet and peaceful but not dull is quite an achievement.
Music for 1968 to cool out by.

.... sounds like classic BW humor to me...


1. Meant For You
2. Wake the World
3. Friends
4. Busy Doin' Nothing
5. Be Here In The Morning


6. Little Bird
7. When A Man Loves A Woman
8. Passing By
9. Anna Lee
10. TM
11. Be Still

All those songs are interchangeable in order, in that second group... what a great album... this is such great music- love, friendship, life, existence, meditaion- Music to live by- nothing violent or angry.


 



...and last
Diamond Head- this could be any band playing Hawaiin music, it doesn't sound unique to the BB's. I never put this on my Friends mixes.

You're right, there is not a bad song on the album. As for Diamond Head, I think that there are a few Brian flourishes on there, but no matter, it is beautiful and fits right in there. I love listening to it after being stressed out. It is very serene & comforting. Then, TM snaps you back into the real world. ;)

One of my all-time favorite albums, not just by the BBs but by anyone. Short, sweet and breezy. :afro
1. Busy Doin' Nothin' (best 'breezy' song ever, love the way Brian sings it, a song I play very often)
2. Friends (catchy, beautiful vocals, love the loud harmonica)
3. Be Here In The Morning (another catchy breezy waltz, great vocals, especially love Dennis' vocal at the end)
4. Diamond Head (if this song doesn't cool you off, nothing will...sorta counts as Brian solo since he's the only BB on it)
5. Little Bird (awesome early Dennis, gotta love Child Is Father To The Man at the end)
6. Meant For You (very pretty short tune)
7. Wake The World (catchy, dig the tuba)
8. Passing By (breezy and groovy samba ala Brian Wilson)
9. Be Still (mellow and heartfelt ala Dennis Wilson)
10. Transcendental Meditation (energetic, noisey, jazzy, unlike the rest of the album but quite fun)
11. Anna Lee, The Healer (the vocals are good, neat song, almost sounds like it could be a theme song for a TV show)
12. When A Man Needs A Woman (hahaha cute song)

1. Friends - 286.5 (4)
2. Busy Doin' Nothin' - 282.5 (11)
3. Wake the World - 260
4. Be Here in the Morning - 246.5 (4)
5. Little Bird - 242.5 (5)
6. Meant For You - 217 (5)
7. Passing By - 160
8. Anna Lee, the Healer - 156.5 (1)
9. When a Man Needs a Woman - 153
10. Diamond Head - 127
11. Be Still - 109.5
12. Transcendental Meditation - 99

My thoughts?  Despite Busy Doin' Nothin' taking by far the most first place votes, the title track outduels it.  I'm mostly happy with this list, but I'm dumbfounded how Little Bird didn't make the top three.

From Worst to Best:

12. Transcendental Meditation.
11. Anna Lee, The Healer.
10. Busy Doin' Nothin'.
09. Be Here In The Morning.
08. Meant For You.
07. When A Man Needs A Woman.
06. Passing By.
05. Wake The World.
04. Diamond Head.
03. Friends.
02. Be Still.
01. Little Bird.

Love this mellow and cozy album!

1. Busy Doin' Nothin'
2. Friends
3. Diamond Head
4. Be Here In The Morning
5. Wake The World
6. Meant For You
7. Little Bird
8. Passing By
9. Be Still
10. Transcendental Meditation
11. Anna Lee The Healer
12. When A Man Needs A Woman

1. Little Bird
2. Busy Doin' Nothin'
3. Diamond Head
4. Meant for You
5. Be Here in the Mornin'
6. When a Man Needs a Woman
7. Wake the World
8. Passing By
9. Be Still
10. Friends
11. Transcendental Meditation
12. Anna Lee the Healer

1 Wake The World--- I don't know why, but I LOVE THIS SONG.
2 Friends--- A bliss waltz singing about friendship. Very square in the context of '68, but a beautiful song in retrospect.
3 Busy Doin' Nothin--- An honest look into BW's life, with great instrumentation, and vocals by BW and his wife Marilyn.
4 Be Here In The Mornin'--- I love the harmonies and the ukulele.
5 Little Bird--- Denny's first song a BBs record, and it's a great song.
6 Meant For You--- Very serene and to the point.
7 When A Man Needs A Woman--- I love this song. Great chord progression.
8 Anna Lee--- Great harmonies, and minimal production. Cool song.
9 Be Still--- Emotional ballad, but a bit bland.
10 Diamond Head--- Paints a picture of relaxing by the beach.
11 TM--- OK song, with a great arrangement! Love the Bari Saxes!!!
12 Passing By--- I think this song is a bit annoying to be honest.

Ranking this was a LOT harder than I was expecting!

1. Meant for You (As long as it's the longer MIC version)
2. Busy Doin' Nothin'
3. Transcendental Meditation
4. Little Bird
5. Diamond Head
6. Wake the World
7. Friends
8. Be Here in the Morning
9. Anna Lee
10. Passing By
11. When a Man Needs a Woman
12. Be Still (Sounds more like an unfinished demo than an actual song!)

1. Be Still
2. Friends
3. Anna Lee, the Healer
4. Wake the World
5. Be Here in the Morning
6. Passing By
7. When a Man Needs a Woman
8. Meant  for You
9. Little Bird
10. Diamond Head
11. Busy Doin' Nothin'
12. Transcendental Meditation

Friends
Be Here In The Mornin
Busy Doin Nothin
Little Bird
When A Man Needs A Woman
Diamond Head
Meant For You
Passing By
Transcendental Meditation
Anna Lee, The Healer
Wake The World
Be Still

I absolutely Love this album. It has really helped me in many ways, and is according to last.fm My second most listened albums ever. The wierd thing about this album is that i  -really- can't point songs out. I Always listen to it from start til' TM, so I hope you get me when i say it's wierd to point out some songs. For me, they are just part of the whole friends-package I Always hear.

Anyhow, there är some songs that represent the low and High points in this Friends Packade. While the songs are fantastic (except tm), this list is most just a way of showing how big My smile is throughout the album:

1. Meant for you - Pure Magic. An excellent opener of what is the Friends album. Really sets the mood in a perfect way
2. Little Bird - Na Na Na Na Na Na Na! This really is the Highlight
3. Be Here In The Mornin' - Absolutely a blast to song along to. So fun!
4. Friends
5. Wake the World
6. Passing by - I Always tend to sing along the lyrics they chose not to sing  :-D
7. Busy doin' nothin'
8. When a man needs a woman
9. Anna Lee - At first, I didnt like this so much. Now its naturally a part of this sweet album. The harmonies are outstanding. (Side note: One that i know though they sung "Honor Lee")
10. Diamond Head
11. Be Still - I thought this was -really- nice att first, but i havet grown to dislike this a Little bit. Its Still ok, but it is the lowest point of the album I listen to.


12. TM - No. Not a chance. The only time I listen to this is when I forget its on. I Always skip this.
Im really fond of songs that doesnt last so Long, such as Meant for you. A perfect "Friends" would end with the Absolutely heavenly Walk On By. TM doesnt fit at all, and shouldnt be there

BE STILL IS THE WORST

For me as good as Pet Sounds:
1. Busy Doin' Nothin'
2. Passing By
3. Friends
4. Be Here In The Morning
5. Anna Lee, The Healer
6. Meant For You
7. Wake the World
8. Little Bird
9. Be Still
10. When A Man Needs A Woman

11. Diamond Head
12. Transcendental Meditation

1. Friends
2. Be Here In The Mornin'
3. Wake The World
4. Busy Doin' Nothin'
5. Anna Lee, The Healer
6. Meant For You
7. Passing By
8. When A Man Needs A Woman
9. Little Bird
10. Transcendental Meditation
11. Be Still
12. Diamond Head

1.   Busy Doin’ Nothin’
2.   Friends
3.   Meant for You
4.   Be Here in the Mornin’
5.   Be Still
6.   Wake the World
7.   Little Bird
8.   Passing By (Vocal instrumental)
9.   Diamond Head (Instrumental)
10.   When a Man Needs a Woman
11.   Anna Lee, the Healer
12.   Transcendental Meditation