Interesting development, given that Bruce gave a shout out to what I thought are a rather obscure electronic group ('Knower') in this interview from the other week
www.mixcloud.com/rileypromo/artist-spotlight-podcast-series-bruce-johnston/

I'd also be curious to hear the original Runaway Dancer.
If they exist, I'd also be interested in the Lana Del Rey version of Last Song, and Frank Ocean on Our Special Love.
Metropolis with Jeff Beck was another title mentioned during the making of NPP, as well as a Blondie sung "new track" He Come Down.

Related point, there could be interesting outtakes from TWGMTR, and anything in between these two albums.

I don't mind that one. When I first heard the NPP version, it seemed a little less processed to me than the first version.
I think I read a story that this song was once intended for Frank Ocean before being significantly reworked.

I thought Mike sounded very strong most of the time, only a little shaky on Kiss Me Baby.

Highlights for me were It’s Ok, Hearts (though I wish they’d sing it a little slower) and finally seeing Christian Love who does have a good voice along with the family connection which does add extra weight for me. Also really pleased they did Til I Die because when they did it in May 2015 some fuckwits ruined it for me talking, laughing and pouring champagne for themselves during the whole thing 

I thought the second set was stronger than the first, might just be me but first set didn’t feel fully tight.

I love Brian E on most songs but dare I say it Jeff’s absence wasn’t entirely unnoticed.

There was a political moment where Mike implied an American politician (AOC?) wanted to ban air travel which then led on to a Brexit comment that I didn’t quite understand but Bruce certainly enjoyed it 

Blows my mind really that with all that history Mike and Bruce are still out there doing it and sounding pretty pretty good.

To compare to my most recent Brian gig which was near the end of last year in Toronto, the lows were obviously lower then (namely the Pet Sounds portion) however the first part of that gig remains hard to beat for me in terms of recent live shows...that said last night didn’t really have any lows to speak of.

I don't see this song as Psychedelic but more of a Sunshine Pop song with tons of delay and a crunchy keyboard texture. Things on Smile, Smiley Smile, 20/20 and even GV's have more of a classic Psych vibe than All I Wanna Do. It is closer to what the Turtles were doing but with an added production gauze that makes it trippier than the composition really is. Take all that away and Mikes vocal is pretty straight, the song pretty simple. Give Carl credit for pulling together an interesting mix that takes it to an artistic level that is unique in the Beach Boys canon.

Yes, Jon, I think it's really largely about the sonic trippy textures as well as the mix. I adore the sound of how near the end of the fadeout, the lyrics "my moon and the stars shine nightly" start to get out of sync from the song (I see this as a trippy artistic decision, although I suppose it's possible it was just a goof that sounds cool). I guess it's more just very interesting sonic textures and a mixing/production gauze that is fascinating.

It seems there's a whole generation of musicians who are gradually growing to see this song as a forerunner to modern psychedelic bands like My Bloody Valentine, Tame Impala, Slowdive, etc, and I definitely see a through-line too. It's unbelievavbly modern-sounding in certain ways, and it's particularly peculiar/baffling that The BBs never ever did another song that remotely sounds like it, in my opinion.

It's like they just reached into the future and gifted the world with a forerunner to a modern sound for one brief moment, then went back to 1969 and kept making music that sounded totally different from it.

I agree that the track is warped in a really good way, probably happy semi-mistakes in over-wetting and over-delaying and creating a very cool sonic traffic jam that if you've taken acid is probably familiar. Glad they left it weird and didn't try to clean it up. There is such a happy euphoric feel that then devolves into uncertainty and semi-cacophony. BTW I do hear Brian in the vocal mix for sure. I guess I have difficulty with this being thought of as pioneering psychedelia due to the fact that the composition just isn't and the fact that it was released quite a few years after the psychedelic genre had been defined and perfected and even moved on from by those who did it best. All I Wanna Do is either post-psychedelia impressionistic residue, or as you said it's pioneering something else entirely, like maybe surrealist synthy bliss rock. Anyway, great track, and it fascinated me the second it hit my ears back in the 70's.

That's an interesting and I feel accurate assertion with regards to its context and genre.

I think "pioneering surrealist synthy bliss rock" is the most accurate description I've ever heard for this song  

Also would be a suitable description for the Cigarettes After Sex album, of which All I Wanna Do is surely a precursor if not a direct influence, to add to upthread references of the likes of  Tame Impala etc.

It just dawned on me that there is a great fuzz guitar part that is buried in the mix during the chorus.

I'd never noticed that until Scott Totten decided to emphasise it for recent live performances...very cool that he did that though I personally like that it isn't too prominent in the studio version.

I went last night.  Posted this on the other forum also, though I note Ninten has slightly difference opinion on one or two points:

The first portion of the show was excellent.  Brian very strong on opening number California Girls and sang well and on pitch for most of the show though there was some of the odd slurring and phrasing during Pet Sounds.  But really my head was swimming during that first portion and it is quite unbelievable to say that.  12 years since my first BW gig.

Darian so good on Darlin'.  Rob very very impressive I thought.  Blondie's voice has aged so well and he is just a boss as he knows.  Al as good as always.  The band's harmonies were tight and beautiful.

Oh and great sound and a great venue.

Would prefer that the show the on 21st which I'm due to attend remains a greatest hits show as advertised...
Will have to live what we are given I suppose.

Hi Nola
Please remind or provide a link to restaurant scene reference in Rolling Stone

I’ve been having similar thoughts though I have been thinking “The Beach Boys 1968 - Through The Good Times And The Tears”...perhaps is a little too long

I’m sure we could come up with several cool potential titles between us

What is that pulsey sound from around 00:48 to 00:52 on Strange World? Is that a synth?

Surely TLOS fits this criterion also?
Oxygen, Goin Home etc
Although Mr B did do much of those lyrics

I'll always have some sort of affection for the oasis music I grew up with.

What I've found odd is Noel criticising Brian for not "even" writing his own lyrics or words to that effect; my immediate response to that is did Noel "even" produce his own classic recordings?

A lot of them he did, yes.

I was under the impression that he was only ever a "co producer", during the classic oasis era at least.

Yes. Which means he produced those songs.

Guitarfool does a far better job of expressing what I was trying to get at:

I'd also suggest based on the reality of the situations and history that Brian had what none of the others had in that he was a truly self-contained artist when he was cutting those classic Beach Boys records from 63-67. He wrote, performed, produced, AND arranged those records.

I was under the impression that he was only ever a "co producer", during the classic oasis era at least.

I'll always have some sort of affection for the oasis music I grew up with.

What I've found odd is Noel criticising Brian for not "even" writing his own lyrics or words to that effect; my immediate response to that is did Noel "even" produce his own classic recordings?

Not sure what others think, but despite the...struggle on display in the interview here, I think the Diane Sawyer interview is scarier.  Is it going to far to say that there is the odd glimmer of Brian's impending recovery on show here?

I think Ike is very good.  Something that no one else seems to have picked on (or perhaps it is just opinion with which no one will agree) - there is a certain not classical but... formal quality to his voice which I wouldn't normal associate with the Beach Boys catalogue and for me this sticks out a little bit in his lead vocals in particular.  I still enjoy his singing and I don't necessarily think this makes him a less suitable guy for the job.

Interesting and likely accurate TWGMTR vocal breakdown Hey Jude.
One additional Mike moment to these ears could be during the Bill & Sue almost-acapella refrain which features a prominent bass vocal for about 6 notes.

About Strange World: I love that song, it always however seemed a slight shame that during (I think) the "county fair" part Brian is doing the lead, and behind him is what sounds like another Brian (and a bit of Jeff at the end) repeating the "strange world" line...would have been cool if a little extra care was taken to get Bruce or Al on that part and similar ones.

I guess I may be being overly judgmental about that vocal part, it just struck the wrong nerve one evening.

For what it is worth, while it is clear to see that Mike got that "da heroes, da heroes..." part from the original vocal sessions, I think his "reimagining" of this part for those live shows did impart a...goofy/cheesie quality not so present in those original sessions.

Hope you and family stay safe Billy

Rick5150 & KDS.
Two extreme fans on the board
Good to know
Just got tickets to see them in London in December.
Have to confess not ever got in to VH though.
Gary has a great voice, in fact Nuno Gary and Pat all sound great singing together.  I wonder what those guys think of our Beach Boys...they're into harmony for sure and parts of the III Sides album has a significant Lennon/McCartney/Martin influence. I think Everything Under the Sun is great though I get people find it a bit...self indulgent.

Hi all

I would like to ask about the main broken chord guitar part on Sloop John B.

It is quite easy to figure out how this part goes over the main root chord (usually Ab) and also the Eb chord.
However I have found it difficult to figure out what is played over  what I think would be the Db and Bbm chords I.e the two bars before the "(well I) feel so broke up..." bit.

I think I have described that right.

What do people play for that part?
It's hard for me to figure out from the instrumental mix though the other bars are quite clear to make out.

Ta

Regarding SOS, despite the above, remember during C50 Brian did seem to relish *roaring* the "damn the thunder" line !

I'm wondering if Brian's just bored with Pet Sounds?  Asking cause I just saw this video from the soundcheck from this very tour
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1d-k31-sn-s
and go to about the 2:15 mark and let it play for a bit..

so the voice is still there, esp. when he's relaxed and he's still into it. Also, his keyboard is definitely audible.

Billy,

So cool to see BW singing that snippet of HCTN and talking about the disco version with Al.  Thanks a lot for posting.

rab is there a link anywhere to your 'The Beach Boys LOVE'?

What do you mean about using synths to emulate BlackHole? Isn't that particular track made up of just a collage of samples from BBs session material?

It would be fun to get a separate topic going for the L&M soundtrack, in particular identifying the original session source where BBs samples have been used and how they've been transformed.

Hi Smile Brian
What do you mean regarding rewrite of Getcha Back?
Ta