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Smiley Smile Stuff => General On Topic Discussions => Topic started by: Rocker on September 29, 2007, 03:34:36 AM



Title: Love you (production, etc)
Post by: Rocker on September 29, 2007, 03:34:36 AM
One of my favorite Beach Boys-albums, I just listened yesterday to this record and there are somethings I would to discuss. No matter what you think about the songs or performances, this album has one of the best sounds of any BBs-album, imo almost as great as "Sunflower" and "Surf's up", that's why I wonder how it was recorded and produced.
For example, I think the drums on "Honkin' down the highway" absolutely kick ass, so anyone know how they were recorded? What kind of mics and how were they placed?

It also seems that some singing was doubled (Dennis on "I'll bet he's nice") and some not (Carl's lead on "Let us go on that way") and that many of the background voices are only Brian, including the astonishing harmonies on "The night was so young". What were the reasons? Didn't the other BBs wanna participate on their new album? Carl and Dennis are more often heard than Mike and Al, so was it a fraction-thing? Why wasn't Mike on the backgrounds to "Let us go on..." (which again is only Brian) but is singing the middle-eight?

What about the mix? Did Carl do that and how many input did Brian have on that? I think the album is very well mixed. I would love if we can get very deep into the making and recording of this album.
Are there any session-tapes on bootleg? Do they even exist in the vaults?


Title: Re: Love you (production, etc)
Post by: Wirestone on September 29, 2007, 02:32:22 PM
I've never heard any sessions to the album.

I believe Mike wrote the bridge to GPLUGOTW (how's that for an acronym), which is why he sang it.

From what I've heard, Carl basically assembled the album from Brian's sessions. He was very respectful to the rough-hewn nature of the project, though -- he didn't polish much at all.


Title: Re: Love you (production, etc)
Post by: Andrew G. Doe on September 29, 2007, 02:40:47 PM
Um, actually Carl did quite a bit of polishing. Quite a bit...

There are tapes/CDRs of some of the vocal sessions around, and the band do sing a lot of bvs. Even on "Solar System", which sounds like a solo BW track.


Title: Re: Love you (production, etc)
Post by: Wirestone on September 29, 2007, 03:03:17 PM
Andrew: So what would this polishing entail? Just in terms of the instrumental presence, Carl doesn't play guitar a great deal. Most of the other instruments sound like Brian. So what did he add (or subtract)? Just wondering -- it certainly doesn't sound like your typical Carl production.


Title: Re: Love you (production, etc)
Post by: c-man on September 29, 2007, 06:09:34 PM
You can definitely hear Dennis singing on the backgrounds of GPLUGOTW (listen with headphones for the "Dear Lord...oh, Dear Lord", which I think is in the second verse). 


Title: Re: Love you (production, etc)
Post by: Magic Transistor Radio on September 29, 2007, 08:02:05 PM
I've never heard any sessions to the album.

I believe Mike wrote the bridge to GPLUGOTW (how's that for an acronym), which is why he sang it.

From what I've heard, Carl basically assembled the album from Brian's sessions. He was very respectful to the rough-hewn nature of the project, though -- he didn't polish much at all.

Man, I would love to hear sessions or even just backing tracks to these songs! The same with Friends. I really enjoy the creative drumming style on this album. A similar style of drumming is on Friends and a few other tracks. Which makes me wonder who is playing drums? I've heard that Brian played drums on Funky Pretty which also has this style of drumming. Dennis seems to have a bit more straight foward approach, at least on his own songs.


Title: Re: Love you (production, etc)
Post by: Wirestone on September 29, 2007, 08:07:53 PM
I always heard that Brian played drums on a lot of the tracks, but Dennis is on Mona, I believe, as well as Honkin Down the Highway and I Wanna Pick You Up (?). Ding Dang and Good Time don't count, either, being earlier recordings.


Title: Re: Love you (production, etc)
Post by: Magic Transistor Radio on September 29, 2007, 08:11:32 PM
I always heard that Brian played drums on a lot of the tracks, but Dennis is on Mona, I believe, as well as Honkin Down the Highway and I Wanna Pick You Up (?). Ding Dang and Good Time don't count, either, being earlier recordings.

A lot of 'Love You' tracks or BBs tracks? I'm sure you meant the album itself. I wonder if the same is true on 'Friends'


Title: Re: Love you (production, etc)
Post by: Sheriff John Stone on September 29, 2007, 08:18:37 PM
One thing I like about Love You is that, for me, Brian seemed to be in his element. That being, the two minute song.

I can appreciate some of Brian's "longer" tracks like "Add Some Music", "Cool Cool Water", "A Day In The Life Of A Tree", "Marcella", "You Need A Mess Of Help", and "Funky Pretty" - all cool tracks, great tracks - but Brian had a certain magic/talent, where he could fit so much into 1:55 - 2:30. And he did that masterfully on Love You, much like his earlier hit-making days.   


Title: Re: Love you (production, etc)
Post by: Jay on September 29, 2007, 08:26:26 PM
Are there any session-tapes on bootleg? Do they even exist in the vaults?
There are a few "alternate mixes" of some songs. There is also a version of Honkin' Down The Highway with Billy Hinche(spelling?) singing lead.


Title: Re: Love you (production, etc)
Post by: Andrew G. Doe on September 29, 2007, 09:00:01 PM
Carl's mix made the tracks, for want of a better word, 'brighter'.


Title: Re: Love you (production, etc)
Post by: phirnis on September 30, 2007, 12:20:32 AM
I'd love to hear the backing track of I Wanna Pick You up. Listen to those Switched-On Bach-like synthesizer touches in the second verse. Heartbreaking.


Title: Re: Love you (production, etc)
Post by: Rocker on September 30, 2007, 02:06:52 AM
I, of course, heard the piano demos and also the alt. version of "Honkin' down..." but I was wondering if any session tapes like for "Today!" (SOT) for example exist. Would be interesting to hear them.

@AGD: Which BBs sang on "Solar system", as, like you said, it really sounds liek Brian-solo?

Does a musicians-list exist? I always wondered if it's Carl's guitar on "The night was so young" or someone else's...


Title: Re: Love you (production, etc)
Post by: c-man on September 30, 2007, 06:31:15 AM
I, of course, heard the piano demos and also the alt. version of "Honkin' down..." but I was wondering if any session tapes like for "Today!" (SOT) for example exist. Would be interesting to hear them.

@AGD: Which BBs sang on "Solar system", as, like you said, it really sounds liek Brian-solo?

Does a musicians-list exist? I always wondered if it's Carl's guitar on "The night was so young" or someone else's...

In most cases, I doubt if "session tapes" as such exist, like they do for "Today!", because Brian was doing most of the instruments himself, one-at-a-time, assembly-line style, and in most cases if someone else played the guitar, for instance, it would've been an overdub and the only remaining take would be the final one.  That said, you might catch, for instance, someone saying something like "OK, Carl" at the start or at the end of a guitar o/d. 

I've always thought the guitars on "The Night Was So Young" and "Roller Skating Child" sound very Carl-like, whereas the guitars on "Honkin'" or "Let's Put Our Hearts Together", for instance, sound less Carl-like (and thus probably Billy or Eddie...Eddie definitely played the guitar on "Mona", according to Earle Mankey). 

Sonically, this album knocked me out right from the first time my (then 14-year old) ears heard it.  The opening punch of the first two cuts is just SO impressive!  And, oddly enough, I hadn't yet heard the entire "15 Big Ones" album (just the two singles).  As a matter of fact, other than "Endless Summer", "Love You" was the first BBs album I heard all the way through!  Imagine that!


Title: Re: Love you (production, etc)
Post by: Andrew G. Doe on September 30, 2007, 09:41:13 AM
@AGD: Which BBs sang on "Solar system", as, like you said, it really sounds liek Brian-solo?


All of 'em.  :)