If there's a problem with Javimoya (which is often the case), try:

http://www.keepvid.com

Basically it's the same, but better. 

(...)

2. If one mentions African, Mexican, Asian, Arab and Native Americans, in my opinion the category “just Americans”, as your friend seems to call himself, doesn’t exist. A European American perhaps? Btw, chances are big that even if you’re “white”, you’re a mix of an-cestors with different European backgrounds, perhaps with a small percentage of Asian/African/Arabian blood as well (without knowing about it)?... ;

3. If there’s a “just” American, the closest category – no, the only ones that could carry that title – would be the Native American or American Indian. So unless the former friend in-deed IS a native American, he’s remarks on being a “just” or “real” American would be inappropriate;

(...)

Basically, you said what I was thinking. And this cultural diversity is widely considered to be one of the strengths of the US of A.

However...

(and first, I'd like to say that I'm waaaay far from being racist - I even often join anti-racist festivals or walks, and my ancestors come from various countries (Spain, Germany, Russia & Lebanon); I'm proud of my mixed origins)

... 3 or 4 months ago, I was walking in the street and a black person asked me for 5 euros. I had nothing in my pockets, so I politely said that I was sorry and that I didn't have any money. But then he said somthing like "you whites are all the same, foda you". I didn't reply anything and went on walking, and then he yelled "Foda France! Foda the white Frenchies who deserve to die!".

Then we talked about this with my friends, who were walking with me. We decided to press charges against this guy to see what would happen.

And basically, the policeman replied that it wasn't worth complaining and that I wouldn't get anything.

And the fact is that if the roles had been exchanged (me (=white person) insulting the guy (=black person)), I would probably have been imprisoned for a week and made the headlines.

Sadly, the guy who has written this email has a point (in France at least) - and trust me, I would love to say that he's wrong. 

Smile-holland also made an interesting point when he said that you should be proud of your country and not of the colour of your skin. I agree, but when this black person (who was French) says that he f*cks France, isn't there something wrong with it? (it's worth noting that he systematically associates "French" with "white")

And a last point: I'm against these "black TV channels" (and I'd be against a "white channel" if there was one); this is a form of bad "clannishness" ("communautarism"? not sure of the word) or "passive racism". People who watch these channels probably tend to stay within their "colour community"...These channels should be replaced with "anti-racist" channels, whose aim would be to "federate" people.

I'm sure I'll have many things to add to this interesting thread. I'm looking forward to some insightful discussion about this subject too! 

I think I had read somewhere that, in this interview, he had answered "I don't have Beatle hair, it's my OWN hair". 

But I don't know anything else about this interview... 

"A Young Man Is Gone", basically "Their Hearts Were Full Of Spring" with different lyrics...

Wow, good job!  Thanks for sharing these!

You're right that the politician reaches his or her goal, but my way of thinking is that it is a goal of escaping--hardly admirable!

I'd be more than happy to sit around and parse sentences all day, dissecting meanings. I say with pride that I am a geek about such things.

I am, too - but the media here take that to another level! 

And I agree totally when you say that it's a way to escape. This obviously isn't admirable, but unfortunately well-known politicians who actually are admirable can be counted on the fingers of a single hand...

I'll ask the dumb question then:

So does this mean Al's gonna be at the RFH shows in London?

Oh, man; how I hope so! 

[The issue is that it removes an actor in the mistake. It is a way to avoid admitting fault even while acknowledging there were mistakes.]

The issue is that it removes an actor in the mistake. It is a way to avoid admitting fault even while acknowledging there were mistakes. Rather than saying "I made a mistake by..." or "my chief of staff made a mistake by...," they're just saying "there were mistakes." It weakens the alleged apology or explanation.

I actually don't have a problem with the passive voice--it wouldn't exist if it were unnecessary. But I agree with those who believe in using it sparingly.

...So in the end, the politician reaches his goal - there's been a fault, but he's not said that he was responsible for it. He's seen as a honest person (he acknowledges there's been a mistake made) and at the same time he doesn't "weaken" himself.

In France we talk about politics a lot, and such a sentence can be discussed, analyzed, and printed on first pages just because of the different ways people interpret it... A bit boring sometimes. The same can happen with just a word in the middle of a sentence: we have lots of different words to express the same global idea, but with very subtle meaning differences; if a politician uses the "wrong" word, he'll be flamed for it for the month (or even years!) to come... 


Talking about France/USA differences, this came to my mind: because he/she has learnt philosophy at school, the average French person likes to think of him/herself as a philosopher. It's very common to hear a French person use rhetorical figures (especially rhetorical questions) during a normal conversation, whereas (from what I've seen) Americans usually don't use a lot of rhetorical figures...

Edit: that's something you have to be aware of if you're planning to go to France someday. I have fun stories about my American exchange student who was trying to answer my friends' rethorical questions, because she thought these were real questions! 

I personally don't see what's wrong with this sentence... But maybe it's because I'm so used to hearing it: politicians say that all the time...

...And also, as you may (not) know, Philosophy is compulsory in France... Teachers actually encourage us to use passive voice as a rhetorical figure

In my opinion, the main reason why advertising the Brian & Al shows as "the Beach Boys" would be wrong is that it would confuse people.

When you go to a "Beach Boys" (Mike & Bruce) show, you know you'll be seeing a bunch of guys in Hawaiian shirts singing old hits... Which means you don't want to go to a concert to see a big guy with a pull-over and a scarf singing not-so-well-known songs.

That said, Al & Brian deserve to be called "the Beach Boys" more than Mike & Bruce... And I think they could outvote Mike too. But as I said, what would be the point?

Just my 2 cents! 

P.S. I suppose you're going to see the show?

This reminds me of the sessions for the Today! album, in which you can hear Brian (and I think Al and Mike) singing a parody of "Dance Dance Dance"... With "revised" lyrics. It only lasts for about 5 seconds and the thing goes like "I gotta f*ck, right on the spot, my c*ck's really hot" or something. And Ebb And Flow already mentioned the "69" at the end of When I Grow Up.

Undoubtedly locker room humor, but it's fun to listen to! 

A little late on the topic, but here's my list:

1. Brian

...

2. Carl
3. Al & Bruce
4. Dennis
5. Mike

But really... I like them all. Brian is on top, but all the others are really in a tie. Ask me the same question tomorrow and my answer would probably not be the same.

Brian really was the master of pop ballads at the time. I agree with "Your Summer Dream"; it's often overlooked, even by real fans, but I love it.

That said, the Beatles were great at making ballads too. I'd like to add "In My Life" to your list though!

To Voxnut:

Well yeah, both songs are good, so why not buy the CD?

I guess it's not a question of a subtle frequency difference... Because then we wouldn't be able to hear it. But some things don't need a scientific explanation; in that case, I'd rather believe what I hear than believe in some strange curves and numbers...

...And even if I compared the frequencies, I suspect you'd tell me that the difference is because of the backing track (and that *would* be true), so you'd say that we'd need the vocals-only mix of the 2007 GOK... 

...And IF I managed to get the vocals-only mix and prove you that you're wrong, you'd probably just tell me that my audio editing software is part of a global conspiracy aiming to say that Bruce is God. And you'd leave the board. 

Seriously now, do you want me to PM my address for the can of Reddi-Whip? 

[P.S. Voxnut, I'm waiting for the can of Reddi-Whip you owe me.]

Okay, now... I've actually listened to the new, 2007, CD, released version of God Only Knows. And all I can say is that the "litigious" part we were having a cordial fight about is NOT here. We don't hear Bruce anymore.

Just buy the CD (the remake is "listenable", and the new Bacharach-Wilson song is really cool, so go for it) and see (and hear!) for yourselves.

But no one can honestly say that he can still hear the "Bruce" part in the outro.

Verdict: Bruce was indeed featured in the promotional video! 


P.S. Voxnut, I'm waiting for the can of Reddi-Whip you owe me. 

Here's how I discovered the 'Boys... (copy/paste from a similar thread on brianwilson-fans.com):

I guess there's been a strong parental influence: my dad is a big fan of the Beach Boys, but he's only interested in what they did from 1962 to 1966. He doesn't particularly like Pet Sounds , except for the well-known hits (that is to say “Wouldn't It Be Nice”, “Sloop John B.” and “God Only Knows”). I think that there are only 3 songs of the post-PS era that he likes: “Good Vibrations” (of course), “Heroes And Villains”, and “Cotton Fields” (because of its "country" style)...

Actually, I guess he doesn't know much about the post-PS era, and that the early beach hits remind him of his youth... 

On the other side, my mom doesn't like the 'Boys at all. She likes the music (and is consequently fond of "Let's Go Away For Awhile", "Summer Means New Love", and various backing tracks), but she always says that "their singing spoils the music", and that "they sound gay" (in the sexual meaning of the word, but I think you guessed it)!

Personnally, I like nearly everything they did from 1961 to 1989, and I don't think they sound gay at all...

My first strong encounter with the music of the 'Boys happened in 1991/1992. My dad had a Chrysler Voyager and at the time, in France, there was a TV spot for the Voyager that featured "Good Vibrations" as background music! (this actually is my very first musical memory)

From the age of 4 to the age of 9, I only was familiar with the "beach hits", and with Good Vibrations. My dad had been telling me about "that big guy with the falsetto voice", and that fascinated me. I don't know why, but the idea of a big man with a voice like that one was funny and interesting to me. Of course, I would eventually learn later that this man was called Brian Wilson...

Then, at the age of 10, I decided one day to play one of their CDs. It was the 1986 compilation "Made In U.S.A.", which still owns a special place in my heart today, since it has been the beginning of something essential in my life.

And then it happened. The shock. The revelation. For the first time, I was hearing “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”, “God Only Knows”, and, most of all, two incredible gems that fascinated (they still do, actually) me: “Heroes And Villains”, and “Caroline, No”.

I didn’t understand English at the time, but as Brian once said it, “the real thing is the music”. Imagine that: at the age of 10, without understanding the lyrics, without knowing anything about Brian and his life, I couldn’t help but cry when hearing “Caroline, No”! 

It might be very pretentious to say that but now, looking back, I am sure I was (and still am) waaaay advanced musically and emotionally speaking. For instance, I would play the intro of “California Girls” over and over, because I thought it was just so great! “Good Vibrations” was also one of my favourites. (At the time, my friends were still listening to music aimed at children...)

I had even developed a theory about the meaning of “Heroes And Villains”. I had guessed the meaning of the title (“Hero” = “Héros” in French), and I was persuaded that the “dark” chorus (“Heroes and villains, just see what you’ve done…) was supposed to evoke the “Villains” side, whereas the verses, that were full of joy, were supposed to represent the “Heroes” side.
That way, the alternation of the joyful verses and of the dark choruses was supposed to represent an endless “fight” between the Heroes and the Villains… (because if we follow my theory, the Villains' threat appears again at the end) (I still think this theory isn’t totally wrong. Any thoughts or comments on it?)

Then, at the age of 12, I became less interested in the Beach Boys. I only had that CD, and I knew all the songs by heart (except some of the last ones, like “Getcha Back”, which I used to skip), and hearing them tired me. 

And the “download-era” came. That was 4 years ago. I was looking for all the mp3s of the Beach Boys that I already knew, and during that search, I discovered other tunes that fascinated me (mainly “Pet Sounds” songs, like “Don’t Talk” or “IJWMFTT”). Among those tunes, there was one whose title intrigued me: “Cabinessence”. When I heard it for the first time, it made me feel strange. I thought the track was so weird, but I couldn’t help playing it over and over! 

That introduced me to “SMiLE”. I wanted to know where “Cabinessence” came from, and I found some mp3s on a British site (I think it was the SMiLE Odeon 2nd edition). More intriguing song titles were on their way. “Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow”, “Child Is Father Of The Man”, “Do You Like Worms”, “I Love To Say Da Da”… Fabulous music. And that's where I began being interested by the "story behind the music"...

Then everything went very fast. I learned everything about the ‘Boys, I bought “Pet Sounds” (so in fact I "knew" SMiLE before knowing Pet Sounds...), the “Today/Summer Days” two-fer (two highly underrated albums!), the “30 years” Box Set, many DVDs (live shows, An American Band, Endless Harmony...)...

Today, I own their complete official discography (from “Surfin’ Safari” to “Stars And Stripes Vol. 1), virtually all hard-to-find (yet released) albums (“Lost & Found!”, “Endless Harmony Soundtrack”…), Brian’s complete solo discography (from his 1988 album to “What I Really Want For Christmas”)… I also have many rarities and rare songs.

A day isn’t complete if I don’t listen to the Beach Boys. They’ve become an essential part of my life… Too bad there aren’t a lot of younger fans of the Beach Boys (and there are even less in France)!

So here's my story.

And, even though I'm sure that I would still like the music without knowing the story behind it, the Beach Boys' story is certainly a plus and enhances some of the feelings you can get from a song. For example, listening to 'Til I Die, knowing what Brian was and had been going through, is way more heartbreaking than just listening to it.

And, in my opinion, their story is by far the most interesting of all the stories I know about other bands!

This is a great topic... Thanks for reading and keep the replies coming!

I'm proud to say that I can hit that note too... When my voice is at its "best" (usually around 3 to 8 pm on a regular day), I can sing the "ghost harmony" (in the '71 Surf's Up, at the second "columnated..."). Hell, I can even sing the last "for meeee" of the "opera section" of Bohemian Rhapsody! (not for long though...!)

I'm really proud of my vocal range... I can sing Mike-esque bass vocals as easily as some of Brian's or Carl's most difficult high-pitched parts! 

Has anyone else noticed that "A Thing or Two" sounds awfully like "Do It Again"?

Oh yeah...I remember a thread I started back on the old Wheeler board about  recycling melodies (i.e Little Children= Mountain of Love, Island Girl =one of the Pretenders' tunes that I can never remember the name of).

Rocker recently said somewhere on this board that there was a similarity between Island Girl and Everyday by Buddy Holly. And in my opinion it's quite true. 

I really like almost everything Al has done. Walkin', Lookin' At Tomorrow, the California Saga, Susie Cincinnati, Loop de Loop, Island Girl... Even California Calling and Take A Load Off Your Feet! 

Oh yeah, that "almost everything" means that I don't particularly like his job on the MIU album. I can "tolerate" it, but I don't like it much.

...although "Island girl" sounds much like Buddy Holly's "Everyday" to me.

I had never made the connection, but you're right!  The choruses are really similar...

With this link you can just play the video... But here http://www.megaupload.com/?d=3IYGK2V0 you can save it on your computer 

Hmm, I guess the whole discussion and argument was done in an humorous way, wihtout any anger, hatred or lack of respect... At least this is how I perceived it. Everyone respects other people's opinions.

FYI, the discussion went on on this topic: http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php?topic=3488.0.

Basically, the final sentence is "wait and hear"... 

P.S. By the way, I don't think Mark Linett eye-witnessed the making of the promotional video...

What's the story on that Barnyard with lead vocals?

It sounds like the backing track with bv's that you can find nearly everywhere, mixed with the vocals of the "Humble Harv" demo (the "Heroes & Villains demo" on the Endless Harmony CD), speed-corrected of course. This is how I had made my Barnyard mix... Since then, I've heard similar versions, on the FastEddie mix and on the Purple Chick mix (I think). The song featured in this video might come from one of them. 

Thanks a lot! 

On this site (http://pages.cthome.net/tobelman/page05.htm), I found this picture:



Does anyone know if this was used as a cover for a Beach Boys disc? A compilation, or maybe a bootleg? Thanks! 

nice, is there a bigger version of this?

http://www.tshirtwatch.com/blog/2006/11/13/autumn-reeser-wants-you-to-smile/