The Smiley Smile Message Board

Now this is a treasure. We expected greatness from WIBNTLA. But here comes this tune ... so incredibly simple, yet powerful. The first 30 seconds are about the most emotionally affecting music I've heard from the group. Just astonishing.

Perhaps the rest of the song doesn't live up to that opening, but still ... I've no words. The box is, interestingly enough, almost a follow-up to Dennis's POB/Bambu reissue. It shows how important he was to the band in the late 60s and 70s, and just how much magnificent music he contributed. Between WIBNTLA, Barnyard Blues, Mona Kani and this ... amazing. What depths to this band and these guys.

Funnily enough, it feels like we've about reach saturation point with Brian's stuff. As interesting as "Why" and "Where is She" might be, they're really just sketches. The lost masterpieces of BW's career are mostly issued (with the exception of a few Adult Child tracks and stuff from his solo career). But it also feels like we're just getting started with Dennis.

When asked about this new box set I referred to it as "Dennis's coming out party" and that's not an exaggeration. I agree about "My Love Lives On". Had he worked a little more on it, this could've been another "Forever".

BTW: "Could've Been Another Forever" is a song title waiting to happen.  :-D

Amazing song. Tears came from the first listen!

We really need a ''Poops/Hubba Bubba''/before POC era compilation of Dennis' work!!

It sounds like an early form of the POB era. Kind of like he is developing that sound. Of course I'm not talking post 1980, but I think Dennis adjusted to the 1974 voice change better than Brian. Here he sounds like he could have still salvaged his throat had he listened to the doctor and not used his voice for a while.  The 1974 tracks are interesting for Brian and Dennis vocally. Had they stopped smoking, drinking, and snorting at that point maybe they could have recovered?

Indeed. He gets the last word, too, before the BBC tracks start up. He just so clearly emerges as a dominant player in the band's creative evolution -- and I'm glad the powers that be finally allowed that case to be made so powerfully.

Yup.  This is the one that perked my ears up.  When they do his movie (someday), this'll be the closer.

To be fair, Dennis has always been well represented on rarities comps and the previous box set. Just not as well as this.

He only had five tracks on Good Vibrations - I don't think that was anything like enough representation. One of the main - arguably the only - failing of the previous box.

Yeah Dennis really has been screwed until now considering the quality of his work. The Brother Years,  Good Vibes box, Ten Years Of Harmony, all really didn't do enough. On the other hand, the UK box set Peter Reum did back in 1980 The Capitol Years was good about Dennis. Made In California is a major right step in seeing his art within the evolving framework of the group.

I think I like this song more than WINTLA, if I'm honest.

And even then, Carl had to push for what Dennis material did appear ...

In one of the other threads there's a link to an article claiming this time it was actually Mike who did so.

I doubt Mike fought exactly for more Dennis material. I guess he gave a hint that it would be a good idea to open the vaults and scrape the barrel.

I posted this in the other thread, but anyone know for certain that the vocal was indeed recorded in '74? That is, even though the '74 date of the initial session is listed in the credits, the track was also worked on in Oct. of '77, and it almost sounds to my ears like it's from that later date (i.e. the live audience vocals I have from Dennis in '74'75, and even the studio '76 vocals like Sea Cruise, seem a bit less "fractured"  than here). In fact, I thought someone else did note that the vocal was from '77.


Anyone confirm? Either way? :)


TIA,
Dave

My ears definitely say '77.

This track is listed as having had a session devoted to it in '77, according to AGD's website, so it's quite possible the lead vocal was recorded then.

Right. As I noted earlier...Oct. of '77.

Yeah, it just really has that Bambu era vocal quality to it.

I think this is actually one my small pet peeves with the set; I thought that we might be getting a more detailed sessionography with either roughed-in or exact dates where they exist. In the cases where a track was worked on or attempted over time, this would've been a godsend for the history and date buffs. Though, I also have to wonder, considering that some of the tracks were patched together, or involved various fly-ins (and, in the case of You're Still A Mystery...possibly even re-records), maybe the powers-that-be wanted to keep things, purposely, a little on the general/vague side? Single dates and such.

In the case of MLLO, that initial '74 date (which was actually August of '74) trumping the Oct. '77 date.

Gigs & sessions 1973 (http://www.esquarterly.com/bellagio/gigs73.html)
Gigs & sessions 1974 (http://www.esquarterly.com/bellagio/gigs74.html)
Gigs & sessions 1977 (http://www.esquarterly.com/bellagio/gigs74.html)

Any info (or guesses) as to when the vocal was done? I'm still going to bet the farm on the '77 date.



And I really don't want to lose the farm.

Well he does sound better on Barnyard Blues. Because of that I go for 1977 too.

I also think the vocs are late 70s. Dennis sounds too damaged for 1973-4. As for comparing 2 songs, I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, vocally, WIBNTLA is much stronger, as well as it has marvelous coda & cool guitar solo. On the other hand, MLLO is better melody-wise, very soothing & simplistic in a good way. So I think I like both songs equally for different reasons. That said, there's a song I like more than the aforementioned & that is "Barnyard Blues". As a fan of joyful & optimistic songs, I can definitively say that it's one of the best songs written by Dennis. Though I don't see much similarity with Brian's Barnyard, except for animal noises. And even that is questionable, since in Barnyard were featured mostly goat sounds, not hen or chicken.

I definitely prefer My Love Lives On over WIBNTLA. But then, I do and always have preferred melodic, quiet Dennis to rocky, raunchy, drugged-out Dennis. That's just me.

Saying that, I like WIBNTLA a lot more than I thought I would (apart from the — to my ears — self-indulgent widdly-widdly coda, which I'm fading out for my version of the track), and there's no denying that he did a hell of a great vocal on it — he sure could still sing back then. Perhaps I just prefer late 60s-early 70s Dennis to post-75 Dennis. And I'll always make exceptions to that for the likes of Baby Blue and Morning Christmas, and a few select POB/Bambu bits and pieces...

That song got my attention on first listen, wouldn't rare it like WIBNTLA but it's very beautiful.

Dennis had a knack for crafting perfect piano ballads, man he had soul

  Somehow I must be missing your point here. You're sayinig WIBNTLA is "rocky raundhy drugged out" ?   and I was under the impression that WIBNTLA is 70-71 which fits smack in the middle of your favorite period.  Or am I mis-interpreting your words? 

You got me, Mr Gas, i wasn't very clear there. It all makes sense to me, but I can see why it didn't to you!

What I meant was, if you put all of Dennis's stuff on a spectrum from quiet, piano-led ballads to full-on rockouts, you'll always find my preferences up at the end with the quieter, melodic stuff (Barbara, Baby Blue, Cuddle Up etc). Therefore, it's not surprising that I like MLLO more than WIBNTLA. On top of that general preference, I have found that broadly speaking, I liked Dennis's stuff less as it (and he) got more drug-fuelled and booze-soaked and his voice got worse. Wild Situation, Under The Moonlight and Time For Bed just don't do it for me like Celebrate The News, Slip On Through, or (now) WIBNTLA. They all have rocky elements, but I don't just consign them to a bin in my head marked 'Dennis's Rocking Tracks - ignore'. I have preferences within that category.

If I stop to think about it, the voice is a big issue for me with Dennis. One of the things that attracted me to the Beach Boys when I was five was the purity of the vocals, and so unsurprisingly, I like Brian on You've Touched Me, Orange Crate Art or Stevie waaaay less than I like him on She Knows Me Too Well or Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder). Similarly, although It's Not Too Late and Barbara are piano-led compositions, Dennis's damaged voice on the former moves it way down in my estimations compared to the latter. But for some reason, I prefer damaged Brian to damaged Dennis (although my preference would always be to listen to both of them before 1975). Dennis's voice in his later years REALLY turns me off. As it got worse, it acquired a quality that sounds to me like the keening of a lurching, injured walrus. Some find this soulful, or liken it to Dylan, and I don't seek to denigrate their opinions, but it just doesn't work for me at all (I've never been into Dylan either). No amount of people testifying how creative DW was in his final years can get me to warm to 'the staggering Walrus'. Even on DW tracks that a lot of Beach Boys fans rate, like River Song, I'm put off by the voice the moment Dennis begins singing. Perhaps as a result, I do find myself more interested in his instrumentals, whether these are tracks that were designed as such or just stuff he never got around to recording vocals for. Listening to the music and production, in the absence of the late-period vocals I find so off-putting, he was clearly a super-creative guy. And I can sense the compelling nature of and power in something like Holy Man. But paradoxically, I might like it less if Dennis had ever put a finished vocal on it...!

Finally, I don't know if you could say I have a 'favourite period' of Dennis's stuff — that puts it way stronger than I can feel comfortable with. You could say I have a 'preferred' era, I guess, but for the reasons outlined above, I tend not to play any of it very often. If it existed in finished form, and could be released, I would probably play some kind of Poops/Hubba Hubba album way more than I play POB or the Bambu material. But that's just me.

I'm not asking you to agree, as I know my views are not shared by many here on this issue, but does that make any more sense as a coherent opinion?

To my ears, it sounds like there could be a bit of 1974 Dennis in there too. Definitely not the late 60's/early 70's soulful Dennis. But also not quite the late 70's gruff voice/lost range Dennis either all the way through. The beginning sounds like it's likely 74 Dennis, joined fairly quickly by 77 Dennis.

Either way, great tune, great opening piano riff....pure Dennis. I do like WIBNTLA more though, but this is a gem too.

I'm in agreement with those who prefer it to WIBNTLA. This track is much better IMO.

Very well put.
This song has completely knocked me out. Ive listened to the box through once now and this is the real standout. I dont think ive ever been so moved by a song on first hearing.
I was walking as i was listening to it and it stopped me in my tracks, honestly.
Dennis just nails it, whatever "it" is. I didnt know it was possible to love Dennis any more. A truly stunning song and performance.
God bless Dennis Wilson.

I wonder how many other little gems are still in the vaults...?
As mentioned before, MiC is another big addition towards showing the real greatness of Dennis.

There is a lot of power to this song. Another fine example of his songwriting ability.

Listening to Dennis's voice is tough though as he had destroyed it to such an extent by this point.

So funny. I find his voice one of the most compelling things about the recording.

This is such a beautiful piece. Beautiful piano playing too. It's just... he's SO good, isn't he!

I will second the opinion that I like My Love Lives On even more than Wouldn't It Be Nice to Live Again.

I agree with the OP, incredible first minute or so, meanders a bit after that, great song for a movie soundtrack!

It seems to be the sleeper song on the set. Slightly underwhelming on first listen but it just gets better and better with repeated hearings.

Ya' know...this one really has me stumped, and I'm almost willing to reverse my original guess and say that this vocal *might* indeed possibly be from 1974 as well. Maybe even entirely so. The vocal at the the 1:46 mark of Barnyard Blues sounds just as "fractured, broken and charred" to me, and he does seem to have a *hint* of a different quality here than a few years later, so perhaps it's not a simple case of a straight line downward, deterioration-wise? Then again, if it is entirely (or partially) '77, I wouldn't be surprised at all either.

I honestly have no idea at this point, and I'm really looking forward to what C-Man might come up with. The powers-that-be seem to still be repeating the party line that it's a 1974 recording  -- despite those noted and additional '73 and '77 session dates -- so who knows?

Really is a beautiful demo though. Sounds like an utterly natural bookend.

Hopefully more of those piano/vocal Dennis tracks will find a release one day...

Some of the unbooted stuff on Disc 6 was really great and then Track 26 came on and blew me away!!!  Like Daniel posted earlier, it is probably the most moved I have ever been listening to a song for the first time.  The voice is so expressive and the piano in the background,  almost like a hymn.  Very direct lyrics, very Dennis.  I grabbed the Ipad and had to post to Facebook about how great the group are and how much of a genius Dennis was!  Thank you Dennis for leaving some wonderful treasures in the vaults for us to enjoy long after you were gone. :)

The Professor agrees, and they are both gold. In fact all the new material I have never heard before (both the light and the heavy) are playing endlessly in my head; what a gift, brand new BB music for the soul. Well, it's new to me, as I am not a bootleg master as some of you are. The religious aspects od MLLO noted by some are very strong, as Dennis seems to be able to channel so many different genres, including a very high Protestant, churchly, if you will, sonic grandeur .