"Something Better"

http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=2CB7214C72E95F69

"Sleeping is Fun."

http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=7F1364C5540815E7

Just finally got around to buying it. Brilliant. Brian sings wonderfully and the band rocks.

I was definitely late in coming to those early albums. I heard about and got Pet Sounds first, then the stuff that came just after (through about Surf's Up), then worked slowly backward from PS and forward from SU. I've got to say...I still don't like the early albums much. There are great, great songs here and there, but I'd take pretty much any album from Today through Holland before anything pre-Today.

That said...it's worth it to buy them if and when you have a few spare dollars. You can always find something cool, be it a chord change, a song, a harmony, a tone. Whatever.

Mike Love is an idiot, and that is still more proof of it (as if we needed it). Fucking embarrassment.

I recorded it at home this a.m.

http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=0863B5A805838BAF

Hands down, the worst thing he ever did was "Freedom". What a jingoistic piece of manure (in the context of a rallying song for Americans post-Sept. 11th, 2001; plain bad out of that context). The fact that he stuck the song at the end of the already horrid "Driving Rain" as a bonus track was the final nail in that album's coffin.

AMEN. It was absolutely one of the worst songs I've ever heard. I absolutely hated it. It struck me as a shallow (even for Paul) paint-by-numbers piece of trash. Granted, considering the money to be made at the time (I saw a lot of bumper stickers, t-shirts and the like around then), I guess he wasn't alone.

The first recording that's really us, as the previous ones were homemade demos of just me. Have a listen and see what a difference someone talented performing can make! The song is called "Sleeping is Fun," and it was originally written and played live and in sessions for an unfinished album by my old band, Ellen Kay. This is the same drum, organ and bass track as that band's (same drummer and keyboardist in my new band, I should note), albeit pretty heavily remixed. All old guitars and vocals were removed entirely. I added all new vocals, new acoustic guitar, new electric guitars and piano.

I'd like to know what you think.

www.myspace.com/thebeaumondes

"Something Better" is still "processing," according to the site. Damn myspace! I can't even delete it and re-upload, as it has to appear before the delete function works. Hopefully it will be there soon.

Check my myspace site, www.myspace.com/thebeaumondes , to hear my new demo, "Something Better." Myspace has been giving me trouble the past few days--awfully slow--but it ought to be there soon. You'll find a nice BW surprise.

It's just a drunken me doing everything, not my whole band. Soon, I hope, that will be rectified.

Let me know what you think.

Minnesota Public Radio.

YES!!!

Well, I'm from Minneapolis, and I think we have three of the best stations I've ever heard: our pop station, news station and classical station are all great.

Minnesota Public Radio.

Kevin Love, a 6-9 power forward considered by some to be the second-best basketball player in the high school class of '07, announced today his intention to sign with UCLA for his college ball.

Sunday was my birthday. While I don't feel I drank all that much, I was getting various different drinks (including shots) from different people. Ugh. Monday wasn't any treat for me. Something about beer, wine, whisky, tequila and who-knows-what that just doesn't mix well.

Before I checked the link, my sarcastic side was ready to answer with a simple "yes."

Now...no, not by much. Great to see and hear.

Dude, I was referring to BW present day - I obviously don't think those are his best vocals ever. Cmon man.  BW circa early '70's and before is a totally different animal. 

I still think BW never sang that good in concert consistantly.  Not just in nailing the parts, but also in tone.    After seeing him once or twice, THEN hearing the CD.. it was like "wow - how come he never sings this good when I see him?"  Needless to say I've seen him many times since and it's never been THAT good. (Not to say his performences weren't good)

I knew what you meant. I just don't think Brian's vox--even for present-era--were very good on Roxy.

www.myspace.com/thebeaumondes

My new band. Just a few homemade (solo) demos masquerading as the band at the moment. But just wait.

[Imagination]

I always thought Brian re-recorded most, if not all of his leads for the Roxy CD - I've never heard him sing that well in concert.   Especially songs like This Whole World and Don't Worry Baby.

Do you know how sad that is?

Why ? I thought everyone realised that long ago, like when the CD was first released... or even earlier, when there was a post on the old Cabinessense board from a band member stating categorically that Brian's keyboard was plugged in on the 1999 tour, and that he was playing it, it was just mixed low. The video from the balcony of the Boston gig proved that if he was playing, he was playing the same chord all night. Same thing with the teleprompters - originally we were told from 'inside' that they were just used for song titles, not the lyrics.

Or earlier still, now I think on it - first time I saw the Imagination video, it was obvious that there was extensive overdubbing (on "In My Room" I hear at least ten voices, including two Brians) and that the closeups and cutins were filmed later. I've no problem with this - standard practise - but I do have a problem with being told something different when the truth is obvious. What Brian has achieved since 1998 is miraculous enough without the window dressing of obfuscation and downright lies. Brian deserves better.

I don't think your post addresses what I was talking about at all, Andrew. What I was calling sad was that Brian's vox on that disc were the best that poster had ever heard from him. I thought so because, first of all, Brian once was one of the most miraculously gifted pop singers ever, and second, because I think the Roxy performance isn't a very good Brian vocal, sweetened or not. I can say I thought he was MUCH stronger in the Minneapolis SMiLE performance, for example.

I always thought Brian re-recorded most, if not all of his leads for the Roxy CD - I've never heard him sing that well in concert.   Especially songs like This Whole World and Don't Worry Baby.

Do you know how sad that is?

www.myspace.com/thebeaumondes

My new band (although the recordings uploaded so far are just my old ones...)

Remember when you helped name my new band The Beau Mondes? (Or whatever you wanted to name it...)

Well, we exist now. Kind of. Check out the myspace page, which will be updated to include actual new music instead of my old home recordings soon. Check it out, join us, be our friends, send us checks.

www.myspace.com/thebeaumondes

The Beau Mondes

Shouldn't that be beaux mondes if you're going plural with this? - or should it just be the Beau Monde  (fashionable elite???)
How about "the Pendantics!!!!"

Shut up, Pete.   

And Joe, Pete is right as to the meaning: fashionable elite...which we are anything but on all counts. Well, we're elitists, but undeservingly so. And we're wholly unfashionable. All around, a perfect name. (Although most of my friends hate it. Luckily, I hate them.)

Well here's a Beatles-interview. At 4 mins. Paul mentions "Beach Boys" twice as his favorite american group.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9aWvUzhypk&search=beatles

Best line, in answering the charge that Day Tripper is about prostitutes and Norwegian Wood is about a lesbian, Paul saying "We were just trying to write songs about prostitutes and lesbians, that's all."

Maybe you could clear up John's comment about Eleanor Rigby for me. When asked what the inspiration was, John answered by saying "two queers." I doubt John had any input in writing the song so I think I must have missed a joke here.

I took it to be a follow-up joke on the earlier thing I said was the funniest line. I think John was just trying to be funny, not an actual reference to anything specific. Like "not only will I not clear up your misunderstanding from earlier, but I'm going to add to it."

The game is over and we have a winner, based on my thoughts, some friends' thoughts, some of these posts and, quite frankly, name availability based on some Google searches, etc. The band is...

The Beau Mondes

We'll get a myspace page up with some demos, anyway, in the near future. Thanks for all your comments. If you don't like the name, f*** off.

Every Thelonious Monk composition.