A couple of things.

1) I strongly doubt Buffett was referring to a double-tracked vocal as "the trick," considering it's been common practice in pop music for about 40+ years. There is nothing unusual about it whatsoever, and while I try as hard as I can to never, ever, ever hear any Jimmy Buffet music, I'm sure he's been doing it most of his career. I wouldn't be surprised if there actually was no "trick," to be honest--it sounds like the sort of thing you say to an interviewer that's B.S. "Hey, he even showed me his trick to making hits...but I can't tell you. It's a secret." Please...

2) Brian's lead on "She Knows Me Too Well" sounds double-tracked to me. In fact, I'd bet Jimmy Buffett's life on it. And so, sorry, mikeyj. it isn't "without any overdubs."

3) Yes, Brian definitely still uses falsetto. It just sounds about 100x worse than his youthful falsetto, with a grainy, almost hollow timbre (as is common in older people...sorry, but nature fucks us all eventually) and sketchier pitch. His pitch is shaky regardless, as any live boot or GIOMH will prove. But even when he's hitting notes in falsetto, it still isn't anywhere near his old tone. Part of the way he "solves" the problem is overdubbing the hell out of it. Instead of double-tracking, he's quadruple-tracking parts (according to himself, as far back as OCA) in order to make them sound fuller. Same concept as double-tracking, but adding more depth, and simple to do thanks to (no longer particularly modern) technology.

4) And yes, his studio albums feature a lot of tactful assistance from those members of his band who can still sing well consistently, especially on those higher parts.

5) Reminder: Jimmy Buffett is really, really bad.

You've got a couple of typos in your link there, Matt.

I like the song, especially the chord on "me" at about 1:02 (and thereafter when that bit comes up). Cool guitar tone on the solo, too, and I like the diminished chords at the end of the solo.

Nice, reminded me of a Macca-type feel!

Thanks: that was very much what I had in mind when writing it.

Interesting note: while it originally was written with different lyrics as a Macca-style "character song," the rewritten lyrics (and the middle music segment) were written literally while I was on a walk. So all the references were literal, if not quite that extreme. The rain, the house into which I could clearly see, not wanting to walk to 56th street ... all factual. But no, I didn't crouch in someone's shrubs and peek in their windows!

I've posted what may be my favorite song I've ever written on my myspace. The song is "Go Back to the House," and it's a piano-based, midtempo number about, well, ... listen to the words. It's a little creepy, despite the nice melody.

myspace.com/thebeaumondes

This isn't new: the recording dates partly from 2005 and (vocals) mid-2007. I hope you like it and am happy to hear your thoughts.

Ok, after reading this entire topic carefully, am I to understand that the versions of Soul Searchin' and Still a Mystery that exist in the collectors network are not the same versions that The Beach Boys originally overdubed their vocals to? I think it was Mr. Doe that mentioned that Mark Linett "created" these versions.

To answer that question, yes. I can't answer your second question. I've never heard what Andrew described as the Don Was tracks, and didn't even realize there were two sets until the other day.

I'm confused. What's difficult about playing "Soul Searchin'" onstage? It's got, like five chords in it. An extremely straightforward -- in the best way -- rock 'n' soul tune. Coulda been a terrific statge number

It could have been terrific on stage, but I just don't think the '97/'98 band would've done such a good job. Even Brian's band can't recreate the great (wall-of-)sound of that song, which surpirses me every time I hear them doing that song.

I'm with Mr. Carlin: I don't see what there is not to do a good job with on "Soul Searchin'." It's probably among the easiest songs Brian Wilson has written, a very typical 50s style chord progression. Nothing even remotely vocally challenging for the Beach Boys.   

I still stand behind Smart Girls as an intentionally humorous song. It is better than a good deal of the sh*t on SI. There isn't a single "great" song, but several are ok. The production throughout causes violent vomiting.

My impression was C.

I don't see what the big deal is, he just wish he had more affection from his hometown fans. He doesn't seem to be making a big deal out of it. Leave it to a blogger with a chip on his shoulder to put it in negative light.

It isn't a big deal, I just think the writer was venting on behalf of fans who find it annoying when an athlete who has been publicly praised for YEARS already, despite just being a first-semester college freshman, and who is undoubtedly on the road to certain millions, whines about something so silly--as if the commoners should be grateful to a blue- chip athlete for gracing them with his presence. For me, it's not a BBs or anti-Mike thing. It's the example of how insane our money-sports can be, and how it affects those involved. (And I am a very big bball fan, including of Love's game--he's a brilliant player.)

When I first heard it, I assumed it was Brian, too. The Sunflower/Surf's Up twofer was my ... third? Beach Boys album (Pet Sounds, Smiley Smile), and since I had heard so little and knew from stories he had been deteriorating, I just didn't know otherwise. I figured, 'wow, that's him now.' I was disappointed to realize it was Reiley.

 

Mu understanding is that Don Was cut the new versions for the BB record and that the Boys were dubbing vocals over the Was tracks.  Why would someone take those vocals and fly them into the W/P tracks? probably the same reason why Steve Desper created the long version of Til I Die, perhaps?  It was rumored that Was when he heard the results thought that Brian's and Andy's backing tracks were much stronger than the tracks he rpoduced. Therefore, if I were Don Was, I would probably  wanted to hear how the BB voices would have sounded over the original tracks.  Of course by that time, the project was probably dead.

That definitely does make sense--just wondering if anyone knew whether it was official purposes, unofficial (as you speculate), etc.

I agree with you on the previous thread, though, that the Paley sessions are among the best work Brian has done since generally disassociating himself from the band. I don't think those songs are all brilliant, by any means. But they're generally pretty good. They're catchy. They're fun. And if the band had taken part, the results of an album of such stuff would have been their best in more than 20 years, I think--since Holland.

The band did reunite in the studio, and recorded vocals to "Mystery" & "SS", with Don was nominally in control and providing new (i.e. non-Wilson/Paley) instrumental tracks.

...

BTW, the booted versions of "SS" & "Mystery" are the BW-produced BB vocals (but not all of them) flown in over the BW/Paley tracks, apparently by Mark Linett... I think ...

Andrew, was the band recording those vocals over the BW/AP instrumental tracks, just using the latter as a scratch-pad and with the intention of the Was-produced tracks being added? Or were they using Was tracks? If so, it strikes me as really odd for the vocals to be put over the BW/AP instrumental tracks when they weren't recorded over or for them. Why would Mark (or anyone) do that?

And lastly, when you say "BW-produced BB vocals (but not all of them," do you mean 1) Mark (or whomever) pulled only some of the total vocals that were recorded onto those BW/AP tracks, or 2) not all the boots of those are the BW-produced BB vocals? Or 3) not all are the BW/AP tracks? Sorry if I'm making the questions more confusing than the answers. I've always been curious about this last attempt at a decent piece of work, and I'd love to get whatever can be clarified, clarified.

No, I honestly didn't expect a stone cold classic, but "How Could We Still Be Dancin"? Come on.

I really like HCWSBD. It is among my favorites on the album. I would've preferred a spirited lead vocal from Brian on it to the Elton one, but I'm OK with that, I guess.

As for the "superstar guesting" in general, I wish they'd never bothered. Overwhelmingly, across pop musical genres, I think they're ridiculous, usually doing neither artist justice. Usually it's some has-been Clive Davis is trying to resurrect paired with some horrific cheesy adult contemporary popster (I'm looking RIGHT AT YOU, Prince and Sheryl Crow).

=A Day In The Life.......I LOVE IT....can't get enough listens.....beautiful sound painting of a tree...

Thats funny because I always thought it was a beautiful metaphor for Brian's degenerating condition.

That is how most people interpret it. But remember, it's a Rieley lyric. Brian's condition may be more in our heads than the writer's intent. (but maybe not. ask Rieley.)

I thought the McCartney duet was among the worst few songs on the album. Terrible, really. A poor song with a poor performance from BW.

And if the album was thusly tweaked... well, can you imagine how bad it sounded originally ?

I try not to imagine that. I like some of the material from that album. I like some of the tracks. But there are spots--and yes, especially vocally--that are atrocious. Really bad. Demo quality. And I know I'm not telling you anything you don't already know, considering your many previous posts and reviews on this album's "quality."

ahahahahahahahhahaahhahahahahahahahahhaha

[GIOMH]

My understanding is that  few, if any, of the vocal tracks on GIOMH were auto-tuned or ProTooled. Maybe the track cut in 2002.

Sorry I have to be a bother, but I think this requires stepping in. (It might not, and if I'm wrong, correct me.) "ProTooled" doesn't really make sense. Usually when that term or ones like it are used on this and other boards, the poster means digitally changing the audio to correct pitch, rhythm, etc. But Pro Tools is just the software through which the music CAN be processed, but also through which it is often recorded, mixed and can be mastered. My understanding is that Mark L. has been using ProTools for all of Brian's stuff with this band: Smile, GIOMH, Xmas, the singles, etc. But using ProTools doesn't imply any kind of correction. And you can do those sorts of pitch correction or other enhancements outside of and without ProTools.

I believe all the music on GIOMH was "ProTooled" in that it was all done on ProTools. Whether Mark or anyone else did pitch correction or other editing is a different issue.

Apologies if I'm wrong, and it wasn't recorded or mixed on ProTools. And apologies if nobody else cares about this issue at all. I just get tired of a multifaceted piece of software being used synonymously for one of its possible features.

When you use spellcheck in Microsoft Word, nobody says "oh, that document was MS Worded." See what I mean?

[a Mike Love Smile]

A Joe Thomas Smile would have been ridiculous, like a Mike Love Smile. Terrifying thought.

A Smile with twelve tracks on the level of Good Vibrations? I wouldn't mind having it in my collection.  

Hey, if that's what you want to pretend it would've been...

Supposedly Brian's vocals were autotuned on GIOMH...

Obviously not enough of them.

A Joe Thomas Smile would have been ridiculous, like a Mike Love Smile. Terrifying thought.

I bet they'd be ecstatic if he took MIU or L.A. on the road to perform in its entirety.

But Brian's probably never heard either one yet...

That Beefheart song is on the album; track #24.  You have to click on the link "See all 24 tracks on this disc" to see all the tunes.  I missed that at first too.

Ah, thanks. That seemed very strange.

I love that (Beefheart) song, btw.

IMO, the best of the Beach Boys' music trumps the best of the Beatles' music.....but vice versa, the worst of the Beach Boys' is worse than the Beatles' music....

And that was pretty much my point. (Well, actually I said the best BBs competes with the best Beatles--they're neck and neck to me)

Well, Pepper, I love straight through. Every song.

And the others, covers, sure, but damn good ones most of the time. Yellow Submarine I'll grant you. But I stand behind my points.