The Smiley Smile Message Board

Featuring Peter Hollens

Obviously an oborted "No Pier Pressure" track, it's really good

Available on itunes UK/Europe or from a friend  ^-^

Yes, just PM me if you want it

Wow, I was NOT expecting THAT. I can totally picture Frank Ocean singing on this. Robo-Brian is in full force though. Still like it regardless.

Thanks, Shady!

My thoughts as well.  At times Brian sounded good, but most of time it sounded like the beginning of Shelter.

The robot is in full force but I love it. Gets better with every listen.

Going offline, hope all who wanted got it!

Shady is indeed da man.

I really wish the vocals had a more natural sound.

Will have to give the song a few more listens before judging it though.

Who is Peter Hollens? Is he less threatening than Frank Ocean?

I would actually have liked to hear Frank Ocean more than Peter Hollens. I think he would have fit the vibe of the song better. Brian really does sound amazing on those harmonies. His voice has gotten so much sweeter these last couple of years.

An a capella-ist.

I love how they spend a ton of time autotuning the vocals, but can't align a slight timing issue ("except for here...")

Other than that, I like it. Different for BW. Definitely has a nice little Pop/R&B thing going on.

And if this is the scraps from the project, color me excited for the actual album.

Possibly the least threatening human being on this planet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NmKp5A8i3M

I'm interested to hear the collaboration just because, well, BW. (Wish I were in the UK, as it's not avail yet here.) But I'm not especially excited about Hollens going into it. Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised, though.

Oh wow that's nice...and this is an OUTTAKE? I do wish Frank Ocean had been on this but this sounds cool regardless. Never heard of Peter Hollens but he has a nice voice. I actually like the production a lot for the most part...I just wish there was a bit more separation, but it's no biggie.

What are the writing credits?

http://acappellablog.com/interview/acb-interview-peter-hollens (http://acappellablog.com/interview/acb-interview-peter-hollens)

This says Brian wrote it.

Joe Thomas & Brian Wilson

I like it. I hope the albums like this or even better. That would be great.

Sounds like a mid-90s R&B song (think Az Yet), but I think the auto-tune works because of the production. I think it's awesome that Brian's branching out to a more modern style without it sounding corny or forced.

Really like the song.

Yeah it sounds like a 90's boy-band tune. 
I think I got diabetes from all those sugary-harmonies!

Obviously ?

Well, in the fact it appeared on someone else's album, i imagine

Yep. Not particularly excited about this fellow. I guess he is clean and harmless enough. 

I will give the song a go. It would be quite good if the Frank Ocean version appears at some stage.

Yep, that's what I was getting at

Slowely but surely getting through pm's sent overnight, everyone should have the MP3 link now

And for that we thank you  :)

But imagine if the Beach Boys did sing this. I think that would've sounded great. It's a very nice and beautiful arrangement. But as with some of Brian's solo stuff, when it is tried to sound Beach Boy-y it usually is sounding more like some bands trying to get the cliché Beach Boys-idea ("I got rhythm" comes to mind). But with the Beach Boys this would probably sound magic. Just remember "Think about the days"

For those in Europe it is on Spotify:

http://open.spotify.com/track/63C74sXSFFjmX64ZgD75X8

Don't care for this guy's performance but the song is nice and Brian sounds good. Ah well.

First off, I can't quite get over how much the part beginning around 1:20 (lie awake / nothin' but nothin' could ever stand in our way) reminds me of "Spring Vacation" when it goes "we used to get around / get up and hit up all the hot spots in town." I'm dealing with it the best I can.

Now, do we know the full credits on this recording, or more details about the history of the song? I ask because... [time for some admittedly, purely wild speculation]

It sounds to me like Peter Hollens remixed a song Brian Wilson had recorded. The vocals sound like about 15% Brian, a few obvious lead lines and some prominent background parts, but in many, many places, it's tough to hear whether he's there. And further, the most prominent falsetto parts don't really sound like either guy, and to me sound almost like ... Jeff. Possible? There are other midrange parts as well that don't especially sound like either guy, most often in the parts that could easily have been background vocals on a track not intended to be a Peter Hollens (semi-) a capella song, but rather a full band arrangement of a Brian Wilson song. This might be 100% wrong, but that's the impression I get: that BW shared recordings he wasn't going to use and Hollens added his own leads, that beat, took the fragments of BW leads and other backgrounds he wanted, and discarded the backing track and other parts he didn't. (This as opposed to a true collaboration.)

So does anyone know more definitively what happened with this?

U.S., too.

http://open.spotify.com/local/Peter+Hollens+%26+Brian+Wilson/Peter+Hollens/Our+Special+Love/225

All I have to say after hearing this track (thanks Shady!) is BRING ON "NO PIER PRESSURE"!!  Holy cow, Brian sounds amazing. On first listen I hear a lot of similarities to "The Like In I Love You" from the Gershwin project, as well as the aforementioned similarity to "Spring Vacation".  Still, I quite like it.

Songs can appear on multiple albums simultaneously. Given the nimber of collaborations on the new album, why would another one be a surprise? I'll go out on a limb and guess this is a NPP album track.

This doesn't working in the U.S., it's just a link to the track being stored locally on your computer. Thanks, though!

Sorry about that. My mistake.

Really nice track.

For me it got better with each listen... at first I found it a little too clean and too produced for my taste. But it's a good song and after listening to it a couple of times its merits began to show. Sounds like a classic BW solo track, too.

Its BW doing what he does best! 8)

Thanks, Shady, for your, uh, help.

It's kinda like a 90's R&B song.

It kinda is, you're right. ;D All4One would rock this!

(http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/500/101747017/Peter+Hollens++Brian+Wilson+1.png)

can someone help me out with this? thanks

My exact thoughts.

It's a song that really needs a few listens.

Not a huge fan of Hollens voice but we can't chance that  ;D

Great teaser for the album harmony wise. They sound a lot like TWGMTR.

the new album is going to be great. it cannot come soon enough.

On mine, it's blanked out. A PM would be... less frustrating. Thanks.

Check yo Facebook 8)

Pissing Me off to. Facebook or here please Billy!

Thanks guys!

I listened to it for the first time since yesterday and now I really like it.  Go figure.  :lol

Where can I hear this? I can't even find it on iTunes.

Sorry guys, but I don't like it. The auto-tuned robot vocals are so horrible. It's disgusting really. An insult to an artist with the history of Brian. Geez..

Would love to hear this track! :)

Me too.  I sent you a message, Shady, but I don't know if it went through.

Just gave it a listen. I think auto tune is helping Brian on this track more than hurting.  I love it!  Brian's voice sounds so humble and sincere, sort of like a huge "thank you" to his fans that have supported him this entire time. He sounds tired, which honestly improves the song.

I greatly appreciate the sharing of this tune.  That being said, no sir, I don't like it.  I mean, the harmonies sound nice, but robo Brian combined with the other dude who's voice bore's me to tears AND what sounds like a boy band tune production just aren't hitting the spot for me.  I'm still hopeful that Brian's album can be enjoyable, but this style of tune is what I was afraid of when they started throwing out all of the guest artist's that were going to be featured on it.  I generally loathe the "classic artist with a bunch of contemporary guests" type album.  Still, I will let my ears decide when the album is released.

Lovely tune. Brian sounds quite nice. I'm assuming there's some Matt Jardine in there. I'm not going to deal with the "A" word because it becomes a red herring in these discussions. The song is good or bad, and this one sounds good to me. A little out of context without an album around it, though.

Also -- you will notice this is not a remake of "Summer Means New Love," as suggested somewhere earlier on this board.

That's what I thought, and glad to know it's not.

Genuinely, non cynically, unironically loving this.

I'm pretty excited to be able to hear this song sometime in the near future.  ;D





Does it have the "Wild Honey/Carl & The Passions" vibe our mullet man Joe Thomas had mentioned a while back?

:o! This is wall of holy-shite-Brian-Wilson-is-Back harmonies...I know, some you think that Mike Luhv's 'Still Surfin' from SiP is the hard-on of all heavenly surf music, but DAMN did Brian hit one out of the park with this.

Whether it'll be on NPP or not, it proves that Brian is working his ass off on everything he's been involved with lately.

rab2591 hopes that, even with the unfortunate absence of Mike 'Maharishi Guru Extraordinaire' Love and Bruce Johnston, people will still see the existential beauty in No Pier Pressure......who am I kidding, #SiPforlifebitches.

Well said , rab

This is a great Brian song that deserves a few listens to really appreciate it.

You can tell he worked hard on it

Since we're all in the Peter Hollens fan club now, check out this video he did of "Fields of Gold". 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=615q8Xldr14

Seems like a very gentle soul to me.  He and Brian probably hit it off pretty good. 

‍

It's a solid track, but I really don't like the production, which (as many have already pointed out) is way too clean for my personal taste.

Still, Brian sounds great and the harmonies are really nice and soothing.

It's OK but really not my style of music overall. The whole thing sounds a bit forced and slick and I agree about it sounding a bit like a 90s boyband production.

Anyway, I'm sure it's very fine for what it is, just not something I'll find myself coming back to very often.

After some repeated listens, I've decided the song has way too much Peter Hollens, and not enough Brian Wilson. Understandable since it's on a Peter Hollens album, but still. Not something I'll listen to much after the novelty of it being a new Brian Wilson song wears off, and I can almost guarantee it'll be the same for the rest of the people currently praising it.


There are parts that really sound like Carl, Mike & Bruce should be singing, and that bums me out a bit.

Brian's vocals are way over-processed, and that's cool, I guess, he sings the hell out of it and sounds good, but is the Brian Wilson who was such a perfectionist in the studio 50 years ago satisfied with the almost robotic sounding vocals on these last couple albums? Why's this song and That's Why God Made The Radio have to sound so fake (for lack of a better adjective) when the Gershwin and Disney albums sounded so much more organic?

But still, if this song is any indication, No Pier Pressure is gonna be FUCKIN' EPIC for us BW fans.

One final thought: why's the album cover gotta suck so bad?

The Disney album, especially Can You Feel the Love Tonight, sounded more processed

I liked his recordings of the various LotR/Hobbit film songs as well.

Do you think they ever met? I wonder.

Give me an ungentle soul with some personality. 

Boy, I wish I could listen to this track. Sounds interesting.

EDIT: Well, I can now listen to it as soon as my boss goes home for the day! I luv this board.

You know, I have to say that even though I'm not a huge fan of the backing track for "Our Special Love" I gotta say that I'm kinda glad it's not the "Brian by numbers" sound that it seemed his band had been using in the studio from GIOMH through ITKOD. I feel like even as good as TLOS or BWRG were, they seemed like pastiche. Whereas even though TWGMTR may have seem overproduced, I think it IS probably truer to Brian's taste these days then that other stuff. So I am interested to see how NPP sounds. I suspect it will very likely sound much more organic than "Our Special Love", which truly does have a '90s r&b feel.

Anyone else hear Al in the "dit dit"'s in the bridge?

Given the 90's R&B feel, is it safe to say this is a revamped Imagination outtake?

I actually wish that this were more similar to the Imagination album in terms of the vocals.

Brian isn`t audible enough in the harmonies on the new song for my tastes and his lead vocals don`t sound natural enough. I think the songwriting sounds promising for the new album though...

Great harmonies and a solid song, but this autotune is ridiculous. Maybe when obvious autotune was at its peak like 5 years ago, you could kinda accept it.  But Brian sounds like a computer. HE SOUNDS LIKE STEPHEN HAWKING WHEN SAYS "OUR SPECIAL LOVE CAN BE FOUND ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD", AND YOU KNOW IT'S TRUE! Please, tell them to turn this autotune crap off before they send the new album to the presses. It doesn't improve the performance.

Autotuner is still a prominent stylistic element on many new and credible songs/albums. Not that this was the thinking here, but it's hardly out of fashion or outdated.

Can some kind person in the know or in a position to find out, what was the reason behind Frank Ocean being removed from the song? Was it related to the reaction to the idea of his being on a song, or creative friction in the studio?

Yes, the Stephen Hawking effect is huge on the radio. Sure, people use it and will continue to do so, but not to sound like Siri.

Listened to it a few more times - I'm really liking the vocal blend in the beginning of the song, probably the best mix of a cappella harmonies from any of Brian's solo songs.

I could see the first 52 seconds of this song being a great little interlude piece placed before any 'Life Suite' section songs (if there will be songs of that nature on this album)....Not at all that I dislike the rest of the song, just an idea.

I'm glad to see Brian branching out with different styles (the 10 second Zooey song clip, this R&B style), really makes me anxious for some samples to be put up on iTunes already!

Also -- you will notice this is not a remake of "Summer Means New Love," as suggested somewhere earlier on this board.
[/quote]


To my ears the beginning harmony section is the same melody as "Summer Means New Love"

Ray wrote this a while back, somewhat of a description of Summer Means New Love:


To me, our Special Love doesn't sound like a 'Life Suite'-esque song at all. So I highly doubt this song is the remake.

I've come to accept robo Brian and am now at peace.  Love his vocals here and wish, like others naturally, that it was a Beach Boys track.  I won't be joining Peter Hollens' fan club any time soon-- or any of the yahoos in that BBC GOK vid either.  That said, I'll take a collaboration over no Brian at all.

Gotta agree with this.  Bring back the BW '88 and even the somewhat sterile Imagination production.  We know what Brian Wilson is suppose to sound like.

Let's hope this 'guests' type album works as well as it did for J.C. Fogerty recently, even though his 'guests' did sing mostly Fogerty classics.

I think I'm to the point where I'll buy the song because BW is on it, but won't put it on any of my playlists.

Apparently this is from 2012 according to Spotify. Not sure if we can call it a "No Pier Pressure outtake"??

Not a bad tune though!

Pretty sure that is just a mistake. Spotify has plenty of dates wrong and other issues of accurate cataloging.

I started to like this track much better when I realized that there are no instruments.  Everything, down to the drum sounds, is made with the human voice.  Pretty cool, actually.

Yeah, I thought that was pretty badass

I'd love to hear this.

That's a fairly strange comparison, since the Beach Boys themselves kind of originated the boy band sound.  Saying it sounds like a 90's Boyband is like saying it sounds like the Beach Boys. 

I kept trying to get it to play yesterday and was having some trouble, and in the meanwhile noticed the album date went from 2011, to 2012 while I was messing around.  So I think they don't know what they're doing. 

I'd like to reiterate what somebody pointed out earlier in the thread too... there's a really interesting melody bit about half way through that's EXACTLY like the "Get up, and hit up... all the Hot Spots in Town...." bit from "Spring Vacation".  It's such an interesting little rhythm (certainly the best part of Spring Vacation) that it undoubtedly must have came from Brian, in both instances, or was purposely stolen by Peter when he arranged the song (if he did, and Brian didn't). 


Another thing I woudl like to just go ahead and start... can somebody guess at what the lyrics would have been for Frank Ocean's shitty rap that he claimed he did on this song originally?  I'm sure he would have sounded nice on this song, but rapping?  God awful. 

Possibly a more charitable way of looking at this -- I'm really struck by the way that this track is in many ways the direct opposite of the band-led sound Brian's been going for over the past couple of decades.  The intro and outro being based round a sung moving chord progression, with no attempt to arrange it for anything more rhythmic either in voice (di-dits etc) or instrumentation, is a place Brian's only come from a couple of times in decades...  "Think About The Days", the "From There" coda, "Rhapsody In Blue"... before that, "One For The Boys"... and that's basically it since his heyday.

I miss the band-oriented approach of things like "Lucky Old Sun", but if something like this is the upside of that, count me in!

(The downside would be how easily I can picture the Hollens-sung sections fitting into "Imagination", as a sort of MOR R&B number.)

Cheers,
Jon Blum

"Bet you wish it really didn't matter
All along you never really had her
She's your everything, makes you wanna sing
Ooo-Ooo-ooo-ooo"

Song was cheesy as fudge, but this part at the end totally gave me goosebumps.  A beautiful melody, and damned if those aren't simple and direct BW lyrics!  Too bad Frank's take isn't getting released, I could totally hear how parts of this song were geared in his direction, although Peter did a serviceable, if not memorable job.  Overall, a thumbs up to Brian and all involved and I hope the melodies are as lilting as this one on the new album!

I'd be shocked and amazed if those weren't Brian's lyrics, as those match his normal rhyming scheme, and Joe Thomas by his own admission is better writing music than lyrics.

Eh if Frank Ocean wrote a verse it would have likely been many times more lyrically complex than the rest of the song. You know Rap is not just what you heard on Smart Girls right?

Yeah, Frank's one of the more lyrically deft guys around in hip hop, and he's not really a 'typical' rapper in the traditional sense either.

I frankly don't hear it in the group's original 60s and 70s music. Maybe their image up until All Summer Long had somewhat of a basic impact on the original idea of the boy band thing but even in this regard I think there were others who were much more of a blueprint for that (like the Beatles with their distinctive personalities, for example, or later on, the Bay City Rollers).

It's now up in the US on Spotify as well.

It is for sale on amazon, itunes etc in the US.

Frank Ocean claimed that he did a shitty rap on this song?

You guys realize Frank ocean is a rapper about to the same extent BW is a bassist, right? Singer, producer, songwriter, sometimes raps.

My apologies if any credible source said his contribution was a rap--it's possible--but it wouldn't be the assumption otherwise.

This was Frank's verse...

Frank Ocean

That's Brian, he don't sound like a robot
Brian and no Frank is like Brian and no Scott
On That Lucky Old Sun, yeah, that's my favorite
For Ocean hearing it was like a wave hit
Listen to that Brian a capella, uh-huh
Guaranteed to rock ya fella, uh-huh
Y'know I gots love for management and Melinda
With them Brian is always a winna
So Brian, come and surf the Ocean
It's a notion, it's emotion, it's devotion

Right and when he does rap it is as far from the stock image of a rapper as it is possible to get. Is there an awareness that he has written and performed way more introspective love songs than he has rapped?

Stop ruining the overly simplistic stereotypes that make the board/world go round.

Why is it strange to point out similarities? Now if he had compared it to Marilyn Manson or Rob Zombie, that really would have been a strange comparison.

Thank you for your apology; Mr. Ocean himself (which AGAIN, I've said is very talented) said he rapped on it.  I appreciate your apology though, it's nice when somebody like you is wrong and you admit it before hand :)

I would love to hear the Frank Ocean version, without the shitty rap.  How in the hell he thought a rap would fit on this is beyond me. 

I think it went something like this

"oooh-oooh-oooh that's right Shorty
Me and B-dubb smokin' blunts and buying 40's
B-dubb like the 20's on my carz
I met Mike Love once at a Shomarz"

Eh.  Needs a little work, but I like the part about the 'wave hit', he should change it to something about hitting bongs. 

here's a sample of some of Frank's actual rapping skills, from "Blue Whale". 

"And if I ever have a daughter
I wonder what I could call her?
Nine months after I f*** on the beach
I guess I call her Karma"

He's so.... so.... so stereotypical. 

Or, here, this is a really brilliant line from his song "Novacane"

"Sink full of dishes pacing in the kitchen, cocaine for breakfast, yikes
Bed full of women, flip on a tripod, little red light on shooting
I'm feeling like Stanley Kubrick, this is some visionary sh*t"

or the hook is particularly inspiring.

"Novacane, baby, baby, Novacane, baby, I want you
f*** me good, f*** me long, f*** me numb
Love me now, when I'm gone, love me none
Love me none, love me none, numb, numb, numb, numb"


I can see why you guys think he's so different than all the steretypical rappers.  He's a little worse. 

I find it hilarious that many here make judgements about music that they haven't heard yet.

Frank Ocean rapping on a Brian Wilson track? "BURN THE TAPES" or they automatically conclude that it's sh*t without hearing one fucking second of it.

Mike:"Okay Frank, explain these lyrics… 'Over and over the Novocain flies uncover the f*** fields, Over and over the f*cker uncovers the wheat wheat wheat wheat wheat wheat fields…'."

I'd like to hear anything BW thinks we should hear. And then decide whether I like it.

So, the Backstreet Boys and Nsync sounded like The Beach Boys? I personally beg to differ.

Me too. Strongly.

Ron, your jokes don't work outside walmart.

It is pretty hilarious that you select Novacane as an example of his lack of ability or fitting to your really quite embarrassing idea of what rappers are. Novacane is unequivocally one of the great songs of the last decade, particularly for R&B. It is unsurprising that you can't understand the context or environment in which the song takes place, seeing as you still have an image of mentally impaired 40 drinkin Boyz in the Hood left over from when you no doubt last spent some mental energy on the genre.

It is a song first about an emotionally numbed and artificial environment, particularly referencing the genre and culture which informs it. You might have missed for instance the fourth line:  

"Every single record auto-tuning, zero emotion, muted emotion.
Pitch-corrected, computed emotion."

The song is an attempt to express desperation, isolation and a deep emotional feeling that is constantly being diverted by sex without love or care, and numbed by medication and drugs. It is also in a genre sense about how R&B and Rap got stuck in a certain artistically dull and thoughtless way. The song is, from its performance to the production to the amazing hook a supremely emotional and complex work about the need to be numb; artistically, personally and culturally. I am sure I won't have to explain that swearing or coarse subject matter says nothing at all against a work's complexity or as you are implying the artist's intelligence. Your criticism is about on the level of pointing at a nude work and saying "That Michelangelo made trash!" More palatable people like Lou Reed spent much of his career addressing these issues, just in a different genre.  

And as for this:


"And if I ever have a daughter
I wonder what I could call her?
Nine months after I f*** on the beach
I guess I call her Karma"

Eh seems a pretty clever knock at cause and effect and how living only for momentary pleasure is not a great way to go about things.

How untypical a "rapper" he is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNBD4OFF8cc

A gay guy singing a beautiful song about the first time he fell in love with a man.

Fantastic post.

Well said.

O hadn't heard, or didn't recall, Ocean saying he'd rapped. Hence the prepology (tm). I stand behind my general point, though, which is the constant repetitions of boring stereotypes on this board (about EVERYTHING). Not calling you out specifically here, just speaking generally. One of those would be popular young black musician as "rapper," with the immediate leaps into caricatures. Ocean raps, sure, but, well I've already commented on the label.

Anyway, I am curious what you mean by "somebody like [me]." Should I be offended? Or did you mean brilliant, witty, and more handsome than he looks?

Don't let it offend you, just consider the source.  If ignorance is bliss, he's pretty damn happy.

people making assumptions as people always will do!

hell, Frank Ocean is as unconventional a rapper as you can get. He sings far more than he raps and he produces excellently. A perfectionist like Brian was in his heyday. Any collaboration between them is at least interesting even for those who hate rap or what they believe to be rap.

Oh I'm not going to be offended regardless. It's a message board. But as for the source, I like Ron. He's contributed great stuff in the general music forum. Just curious if that was one-way admiration, I guess.

Anyway, blah blah off topic, so to get back on: I've listened to the new tune a lot. I think it's a lot more Hollens in performance and production, and maybe arrangement. (I'm sticking to my baseless guess--so another prepology!--that Hollens just remixed and supplemented whatever BW had/sent him.) But it's pleasant and has nice harmonies, especially from a guy who seems like a church youth group leader.

Ron and Frank Ocean are interesting topics indeed. Regarding the song in question, I guess we have to get used to this hyper-processed Brian sound. That the vocal conveys sweetness and feeling notwithstanding the layers of effects is a merit of the singer. I like the song. It's not Brian-by-the-numbers as a poster said before, but a fresh-sounding recording that still nods at the classic Beach Boys harmonies, good melody, hooks... A couple observations: the pre-chorus sounds indentical to Spring Vacation (not that there's anything wrong with it), the sections during which Holland sings prominently sound pretty generic in every way, compared to the rest of the song; there's a boy-group quality to some of it that stylistically owes nothing to any previous BW product and -again- sounds like generic patchwork. And not BW stock patchwork (a Shortenin' Bread riff or a "rockin' and rollin'" vocal for instance) but something from a different hand and sensibility. Now, if the alternative is the Pet Sounds production cliches of recent albums (clip-clops, sleighbells, etc.), I'd rather have this for a change.

Despite my lukewarmness, I agree. I'll take an ambitious failure over a safe success. Not that I think boy band cheese is exactly ambitious, but the unusual blend of sounds and hopes for what else could be yet to come...

Pretty sure that Frank Ocean never commented on the BW project at all. One of the Rolling Stone pieces about the record-in-progress mentioned a rap, but I don't think anything was recorded.

FWIW I bought the track on amazon. When I imported it into iTunes, it lists the composer as solely "Joe Thomas"....

Itunes says Joe Thomas and Brian Wilson.

Don't like the song. Brian sounds real smooth, though. I don't mind the autotune.

Looking for info, I found this little bit: a video is apparently forthcoming.

"'I reached out to artists I haven’t worked with before. I’m excited to have a song on the album with Brian Wilson.' Hollens noted that a week after we spoke he would fly from his home in Eugene, Oregon to Los Angeles to record a video with Wilson, of Beach Boys fame.

"The album features seven songs from Hollens’s catalog and six new releases. In addition to “Our Special Love,” an original song written by Wilson, the album features collaborations...[irrelevant stuff]"

http://acappellablog.com/interview/acb-interview-peter-hollens

A lot of my friends my age (17-21) seem to really enjoy it.  Most of them have little to no prior knowledge of Brian Wilson.  I think that says something.

I played this to my sister who grew up with the boy bands of the 90's and she said that she liked it, she said it was different for him but was a great song...so yeah maybe that is a good sign for younger people getting into him..

I love it. Could have been a great Beach Boys song😔

BW Music - Modern Singer.....

HEAVEN. Yes please. I need an album like this.

Dunno anything about "less threatening than Ocean" or "give me ungentle soul with some personality", but I liked it from the start onwards. I never care about the autotune in any song as long as it's good for me. I won't say that it blew me away, but it's not disposable, either. I was glad to hear the stack of Brian harmonies & Peter has a very nice voice. Their duo sounds kinda like a 50/50 collab, which says much. Wonder will this song end up on Brian's album.

Are they a stack of Brian harmonies?

Brian and Peter both, although Brian is a bit buried too much IMHO. But, if you listen on good quality headphones, he's all over the place.

(http://i62.tinypic.com/vxdt88.png)

HELLO EVERYBODY I'M PETER HOW ARE YOU TODAY.

I can't imagine sorting through a bunch of pics, landing on that one, and going: "That's it! That's the one. PRINT IT."

My thoughts now after listening to this song over a few days:

• I really like the intro-- both Brian's lead and the vocal stack.
• I find myself listening intently to that intro, but hitting skip once the Hollens/BoyzIIMen section starts.
• The intro/outtro and the main BoyzIIMen section are like two totally different songs
• The BoyzIIMen section reminds me of Chicago's attempts at the R&B sound, and oddly that's the only aspect of it that makes this part palatable for me
• The vocal percussion sounds real enough that my brain interprets it as really lo-fi, tinny actual percussion

I think I'd like to take the Brian/harmony intro, chop the rest of the song off, and use the intro as a Think About the Days type lead-in to another BB or BW song.  Can't figure out what that song would be, though.

I was played this track when I was in LA  last month; produced by Brian

Well there you go, that refutes my aptly named baseless speculation. Thanks for that information. And I find it surprising (in a good way), just because as a few others have noted as well, it lacks some obvious brianisms, which I think hints at real excitement and engagement. Regardless of my lukewarm feelings about this one--enjoy it like candy--I think it bodes well for whatever he's been doing the past year or two.

I really enjoyed this one and the fact that Brian produced it makes me think that he truly has put a lot into the new songs on the new upcoming album.

I have to admit I was surprised when I first heard it ; especially as I didnt realize the whole damn thing was acapella;  there are some Brianisms in this track , just not obvious .  I like it.

the song is available on Rhapsody music--hearing it for the first time now. I wish it were the BB in toto, but it's a nice Brian vocal and a sweet song. The professor kinda loves it.

Ray, do you know if Al is in those harmony stacks anywhere?

I don't know ; I didnt ask.  He could be , especially on the intro/outro ; there are so many parts and layers, but I honestly don't know on this one...

It's a deceptively simple track. Lots going on, and some lovely phrasing from Brian. I do find myself wishing that there was a version with a BW-produced instrumental track and all lead vocals (with slightly less processing). But overall, it bodes incredibly well for "No Pier Pressure." Bring it on.

i like this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EMqY_-DfLk  :-D

I like Brian's opening bit, but after that I find it unlistenable.

I still can't get enough of this track.  Sure, parts are way too much 90s R&B/Boy Band/N*Sync/Boyz II Men/All 4 One sounding but damn if I don't love it regardless.  And it is simply astonishing that it is all a capella.

Boy II Men were tops.

I agree.  This is semi-off topic but ages ago I can across an interview that, I believe, was on the old Pet Sounds site.  Al was being interviewed and asked what contemporary groups, or contemporary harmonies, they liked and he name-checked Boyz II Men.  I believe the interview was from '97, anyone remember it?  Would love to read it again!

1st part was very minor BW, but even minor Brian is pretty good. The rest I found to be ghastly -- 90's boy band stuff is not to my taste. Cutting this from NPP was a good call.

There's definately something to be said for that... I'm a bit bored with the clip clops as well, so it's good to see something different. 

Apparently Frank's original verse was a rap about homosexual sex on the beach so I don't think it would have fit well on the song anyways. 

Are you trying to be funny? I....I really have no fucking clue what this is about?

Ron thought that Frank Ocean was a "stereotypical" rapper because he didn't understand his lyrics, so now Ron's making jokes about Ocean's sexuality + the lyrics he didn't understand.

Go back a page or so and you'll find that if I criticize Frank's skills as a rapper, I get lectured about how he's gay and the rap is about gay sex so it's fine.  


My point remains: the guy, rapping, isn't right for a Brian Wilson song.  It's just not a fit.  If he would have sang, it would have been a fit, but he rapped, so Brian didn't release the song.  Brian hates rap.  He's said this.  

The lyrics in question are "f*** me good, f*** me long, f*** me numb".  That I didn't understand he was talking about a guy fucking him I don't think is really germane to the conversation, my point REMAINS that the guy isn't really a fit for a Brian Wilson song. 


I said he's pretty stereotypical.  Apparently he's not, because when he raps about sex in a vulgar way, it's interesting and new because it's homosexual sex he's rapping about.

Idiocy. 

Still not understanding his lyrics.

It's not about being gay. It's a comment on how emotionally numb the rap culture has become.

He's on your side.

Idiot.

Agreed^. The name calling needs to stop, but I agree. Not warning you since you were baited, but this stops now.

And Ron, make sure you know what you're talking about before you refer to someone else's views as 'idiocy'.

No, the fact that it's a guy rather than a girl is what's not germane to the conversation.  If that's your issue, then that's only reinforcing other peoples' point.

What other people corrected you on was that these lyrics were not about the sort of gangsta celebration you were painting them as, and that the key word in the bit you're quoting is the punchline:  "numb".

Regards,
Jon Blum

Have you seen a NPP tracklist?

If not, I'm not sure why folks would assume this was an outtake. As stated a few pages back, songs can appear on more than one album.

Listen to Frank Ocean's song Swim Good from 2011. Anyone with an open ear for contemporary rap and a fondness for personal/melancholy lyrics should be able to find something worthwhile in that song. In terms of overall sentiment I don't think it's too far away from stuff like 'Til I Die.

Ron please listen to the song I linked which was the reason why I mentioned his sexuality. The song is called Thinkin About You and is a beautiful love song completely opposite to the picture you unfairly painted of him as being an aggressive, 40 drinking sort only capable of simplistic, nasty vulgarity. His being openly gay IS actually interesting and new because both R&B and Rap (particularly Rap) have had a long issue with homophobia. To be out and embraced by the genre and culture is a step forward artistically for differing views and precisely opposite to the image you have of the form as lacking in sophistication and unsuited to some love song BW wrote.

Novacane specifically references sleeping with women so if one was wishing to apply a biographical view they could say quite rightly that such behaviour for a gay man is just one more artificial, emotionally disconnected thing he has been positioned into doing by a culture that can't tolerate the full complexity of his humanity. There has been a conversation happening within Hip Hop for a fair time about how the most commercially successful kind of Rap is that which coincides precisely with the view of black people as ignorant, violent and lacking basically any identifiable humanity. The Rap that is most ignorant has tended to be the Rap that is easiest to sell. Novacane is in (perhaps just a small) part the view from the inside of that problem. Talented people are profiting from the stereotype but to truly be a part of it they have to disconnect all of the human things that don't tally with that view. It is vulgar because it speaks of and to a vulgar reality. It is also a personal story and expression of how isolated and terrifying it is to be inside of that life.

 I wasn't saying you missed the point because you didn't know he was gay. I was saying you missed the point because you failed to understand the bare minimum of the context or meaning to the lyrics you posted. Novacane is also not a rap song, clearly. If your problem is simply that he said some naughty words then I definitely can't help you, as much great art that examines sexuality, love and despair are already removed from your experience for being inappropriate. I can show you a dozen great Rap songs (actual Rap songs not R&B like Novacane) by various people that suggest the genre is perfectly suited to be on a pop love song. I can further present material by Frank Ocean that is lyrically, thematically and emotionally complex. If you want to see why your stereotypes are all askew cool, but you will have to discard your bias which is disallowing you from seeing the evidence to the contrary.

I need to hear. Please direct me.

let's go back to your childhood

Back to the song "Our Special Love," I am surprised that there isn't anything posted on Brian's twitter account about it.  He had it for the "Falling Apart" song.  I would have thought that a song he actually wrote would be mentioned.

Makes me think they don't really want to be associated with this version and another version may be on the NPP album.

Sounds crazy, yes, but it's about as crazy as not promoting a song you wrote in any way.

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(hides everything under the bed)

How long do you reckon that'll last?

Wonder what compelled this so called "petet hollens" to join the board...

All the flattering praise I assume  ;D

He's the real deal...email matches his official one, and he's active on Twitter.

Welcome to the board, Peter!

Very cool. Maybe he'll tell us what it was like working with brian.

Hey guys, Yes really dorky a cappella singing me.   I really appreciate the honest critiques.   It's so refreshing to get honest feedback from verteran music listeners.  I always do my absolute best to make my music be something that all demographics will enjoy, and I will strive to better my craft so that it can be appreciated by all ages.  Truly appreciate it no matter what. 

I decided to sign up to just let you know what Brian has meant to my family and myself.   I grew up in a house where music was constantly playing, and if it wasn't jazz or classical music, it was always Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys.   I look up to him more than anyone else, and he's one of the reasons not only myself, but members of my team got into music.  I hold him in the utmost respect and esteem.   I couldn't honestly say enough amazing things about him.   The Beach Boys were my father's favorite groups, and he recently passed from brain cancer two years ago, and I hope more than anything that he knows somehow, that I was able to work with Brian.  I know from my own experience, that no one is ever good enough to collaborate and work with him, but I just wanted you to know where my heart was and all the effort I tried to put forth into this song with him. 

Everything you hear on the track was created by just the human voice and mouth, and I think no matter what it's something awfully special (no pun intended)

I'm a new father myself and I'm already playing my favorite Brian tunes for him and will pass along the love and respect for him and what he has been able to bring to the world.   

With all that being said you can stream the song here for free from Spotify, http://open.spotify.com/track/63C74sXSFFjmX64ZgD75X8 - And just know being able to work with him was a dream come true to me!

best to you all,

Peter

Thanks for the background, it must have been a ridiculous treat for you! Did you work on any others tracks with him, and what was the recording process like with that collaboration?

Thanks for joining and commenting, Peter. And congratulations on making vocal pop music with the master.

I think I speak for everyone (though that's a risky statement) when I say any anecdote about the history, process etc of writing, arranging, recording and producing the track--or heck, what you got for lunches!--would be welcomed (with ravenous appetites)..

Thanks, Peter! And congratulations on becoming a new dad  :)

Cheers for taking the time to share that, Peter, and...

... ditto that.  ;)

Welcome to the board, Peter!

Welcome to the bear pit Peter and kudos for dipping your toes in the water. I haven't heard he track yet - holding back for the arrival of the CD expected any day … I hope enough folk but it to keep you in Rolls Royces for there's of your days.

Ditto the anecdote appeal… did you get to share studio space with the deity himself or was it all done via file transfers?

Whatever, many congrats … looking forward to listening!

Great post, Peter.

I can't imagine, as a fan how special it was to record with Brian.

The song is incredible, you did a magnificent job on the track. I've listened to the rest of the record and it's great, congratulations.

Thanks so much for taking the time to post on here.

A very classy post.

Cut to five years from now, with Peter at 8,000 posts and engaged in rabid debate over Pet Sounds echo chambers ...

Stranger things have happened.

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Beautiful post, Peter--and a beautiful song. The Sunflower-era Beach Boys would have taken this to more extravagant harmonic heights, but I don't know if they could have written it with the aching melancholy and self-resignation that makes it so poignant. Clearly "Summer's Gone" will not be the last high point for Brian Wilson. Congratulations and thanks for being part of that ongoing legacy!

Lovely post indeed. :)

Welcome to the board, Mr. Hollens - and many thanks for this lovely 1st post & insight!

I'm enjoying the song.

Very cool in principle that the whole thing was done with just the human voice, although I often find the drum and bass parts a little clinical sounding on these types of recordings.

The overall intricacies of the vocal parts are just outta site though and I think perhaps this is something folk may take for granted when Brian Wilson is involved as we've come so accustomed to it.

Some really pretty things happening melodically as well.

Would love to read more about the track from Peter!

Cheers to you, Peter. It's a great track that many fans would have sold their soul to collaborate on. Best of luck with your album.

I've developed a love for this song. Maybe it's just that new appeal, but I've listened to it 4-5 times a day so far.

Can confirm. Did sell soul. Didn't get collab. Cried.

thanx Pete, nice song  :smokin

Admirable try, Pete. It's very uplifting to hear a new BDW song that is well-composed and recalls most of what he learned about vocal harmony from the Four Freshmen. I can tell there is a real song here. It's a piece that's actually interesting, and at its best, almost reminds me of 'Black Widow' and similar songs from that crop.

This is what's depressing. You guys can like it, sure, nothing wrong with that, but whoever it is that's keeping the autotune on is going to feel validated if they ever happen to read these posts. And that's not fair for anybody who wants to hear Brian Wilson's voice not being decimated by absurdly poor engineering.

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HOW DARE HE OBORT MY SPEICAL LOVE

Edit: This post was edited.

Was that you or the robot you, Runners?  :3d

I finally listened to the track in youtube.

The intro and harmonies are beautiful. The actual tune is forgettable and banal.

This is nice, if a little 'Jeffy'.

I do wonder that if there was no Brian involvement if this is the sort of ting I would be listening to, - probably not. Impressive that instruments and percussion are all generated vocally.

Beautifully arranged harmonies, if a little Jeffy...

i think it's Matt on the high notes, not Jeff

Really? That's interesting. It has a distinct Fosketian sound to me, but I don't know Matt's voice so maybe you're right. 

Well, given that BW wrote the tune, there wouldn't be a song if there wasn't Brian involvement.

Same.

I really love it, can't get the song out of my head.

That is an excellent and perfectly logical point of course, and one that I'd overlooked. Maybe I meant that it doesn't sound like Brian Wilson song, but then nothing really does any more.

Just received the CD and skipped straight to the Bw track. Very good, liking it straight away. Lots of TWGMTR vibe there, unsurprisingly, and as many others have stated primarily Spring Vacation on a couple of moments. But I also hear surprisingly, a little of Everyone's In Love With You and, very notably, the opening bar is Forever-laden backing vocals. Ever the recycler!

But this is great stuff. Son of the TWGMTR album.

This commentary worries me.    Haven't heard the song yet.    the description sounds like hip hop rap music.  didn't Brian once refer to this genre as crap music?    sure hope BWs new album is BW music and not that sort of product.    Afraid it might make GIOMH sound like Pet Sounds.  There is an ocean of rap out there for those who want it.  Go swim in it.  It ain't  Beach Boys music, Fat Boys not withstanding.  Taking an alka seltzer and going to bed.   Bring on Lawrence Welk.  Two step side step.   RIP MW!!!

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Perhaps.  Please excuse the old fart rant.  Watching martin melcher produced Doris day movie at present.    Thinking about Bruce and terry and melody and yesteryear art and values.  come to think of it, Martin was a thug.   maybe there is a place for gangsta in the world of beachboys

Does it have detailed track information that you could share with us?

Will check when unshackled from this place of workness.!

Typical of some of the ridiculous posts on this board of late.

Brilliant parody.

I kind of feel the same way... it's a little musaklite for me, but I enjoy hearing Brian singing so high... even if it's touched up.  I just like that he doesn't give a sh*t that he's not supposed to be singing in that key anymore. 

As for Peter, to be honest if you listen to some of the other stuff on the record, the Brian song is unfortunately one of the weakest!  I wish Brian would have sang some of the OTHER songs with him...

Cripes, I thought this was the strongest track on the CD.!

John,

Were you able to check the credits on the track?

Matt (and all),

Apologies for the delay; was distracted by my lad's health issues at the weekend. Will have a stab tonight.

No Problem, I hope he/she is doing better!

Okay, en fin!

Our Special Love
Producers: Brian Wilson and Joe Thomas
Engineers: Bill Hare, Frank Pappalardo, Wesley M. Seidman and Peter Hollens
Edited by: Russell Kamp
Mixed by: Bob Clearmountain
Published by: BriMel/Primary Wave (BMI)
Written by: Brian Wilson/Joe Thomas

Thanks John!

Well, if anyone thought that Clearmountain mixing would mean less fiddly business with BW's vocals .... here's your answer.