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Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: Mike's Best
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on: May 12, 2012, 09:07:57 PM
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I can buy the idea that Mike's commercial sense helped sell Brian's muse to the world, but as a songwriter on his own, he had nothing. If Big Sur is your masterpiece, clearly you're no Irving Berlin. I prefer Sumahama personally, but the pleasure is all guilty. As for Let The Wind Blow, surely the middle section - where at least 80% of its greatness lies - is Brian's. I can certainly believe Anna Lee, The Healer is his.
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Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: Albums with a Pet Sounds vibe?
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on: March 09, 2012, 09:16:16 PM
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Try High Llamas albums Gideon Gaye or Hawaii These are the High Llamas albums that most frequently get recommended, but for my money Sean O'Hagan's masterpiece (and his Pet Sounds-iest album besides) was the later Beet Maize and Corn. O'Hagan lost most of his fans with a series of albums after Hawaii which moved into Stereolab-style lounge-electronica territory, a style of music which is not my cup of tea in any case, and which I don't think he did particularly well even on its own terms (less well than Stereolab, with whom he collaborated). But then he came to his senses and recorded an album of gorgeous chamber pop very much in the Brian Wilson mould with perhaps a touch of Burt Bacharach. IMHO it knocks the more highly fancied Gideon Gaye and Hawaii out of the park, but because of what preceded it it's not as well known. The subsequent Can Cladders is also very good - last year's (year before's?) Talahomi Way less so, but still not bad. And I second all the endorsements earlier in the thread for Andy Partridge/XTC/Dukes of Stratosphear.
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Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: MIU .. wow underrated album
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on: February 21, 2012, 03:12:23 AM
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I think this record could have used some of the stuff that was left off, such as "Our Team" or maybe "Mike Come Back to L.A." (which I haven't heard of course but it sounds like it could be a fun tune). Leaving off Our Team and How's About a Little Bit of Your Sweet Lovin' can only have been acts of sabotage.
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Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: MIU .. wow underrated album
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on: February 19, 2012, 09:20:50 PM
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Its obvious brians voice sounds Great for the period. This much is true at least. If only he'd sounded that good on Love You. The material, unfortunately, is garbage. The only saving graces are Pitter Patter and My Diane, and I'll grant She's Got Rhythm and the two covers a pass when I'm in a tolerant mood. I remember reading once that there was a bootleg circulating which contained superior earlier mixes from before Ron Altbach (I assume) got to work with his airbrush. Does anyone know what I'm referring to, or how I can get hold of it?
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Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: What fans thought of BW 89 back in 89
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on: December 16, 2011, 01:37:35 AM
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The publicity that attended the release of the album was what got me into the Beach Boys. I was 16 at the time, and bought in short order Pet Sounds, BW88 and the six-album Capitol Years boxed set that was issued here in Australia at around the same time (the earlier Japanese issue featured The Brian Wilson Productions as a seventh album). I thought BW88 quite spectacular in parts, and I still retain an unfashionably favourable view of it. There's So Many in particular I have always found jaw-droppingly beautiful, and I've been consistently surprised to discover that no one else seems to think so. I think it equally as good as Melt Away, the one song here that gets its due. Rio Grande is another masterpiece, and again I've never understood why people don't get more excited about it. Of the rest, Walkin' the Line and Baby Let Your Hair Grow Long are agreeable; Litte Children and Night Time are disasters; Love and Mercy's potential is suffocated by sterile production and some wince-inducing lyrics; One For The Boys doesn't need to exist in a world that has Our Prayer in it; and Let it Shine and Meet Me in My Dreams Tonight are probably okay in their way, but they're not really Brian Wilson. I'd be quite a bit happier with the album if one of the duds had been dropped in favour of Being With The One You Love.
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Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: How Bruce Johnston devestated me musically.
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on: November 28, 2011, 08:42:38 PM
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If I thought more than a tiny fraction of the posters on this board agreed with the above two posts, I would never come here again.
Not a fan of Bruce. Don't like Deirdre, much. Don't like Tears in the Morning, at all (apart from the piano bit at the end). Hate Disney Girls. Hate Endless Harmony, She Believes in Love Again and anything post-1985, without even having to hear any of it. But I love The Nearest Faraway Place.
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Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: Thread for various insignificant questions that don't deserve their own thread!
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on: November 13, 2011, 03:42:01 AM
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Here's an insignificant question that doesn't deserve its own thread. Am I correct in thinking that Beach Boys albums from 1963 and 1964 (Surfin' USA, Surfer Girl, Little Deuce Coupe, Shut Down Vol 2, All Summer Long, Concert, Christmas Album) have never been reissued in mono? Or if they were, not on vinyl?
Also, while thinking this through I've been reminded of something. Around about 1990 or so, I bought a vinyl reissue of Shut Down Volume 2 on a very obscure label which had a name like "K2" or something, with which I've long since parted company. Does anyone know what I'm talking about?
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Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: Box Set delays in Australia?
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on: November 11, 2011, 10:03:00 PM
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I rang 78 Records in Perth on Thursday and the guy told me the record company had told him (after much badgering on his part) that the box sets had *finally* arrived in Australia that day, and were being sent out forthwith. Mine will apparently be in store on Monday or Tuesday.
100 copies for the entire country? Jesus.
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Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: Top 30 Beach Boys' songs
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on: November 09, 2011, 07:50:49 PM
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An updated aggregate top 30. God Only Knows looks unassailable at number one.
1. God Only Knows (300/13) 2. Don't Worry Baby (266/13) 3. Wouldn't It Be Nice (242/11) 4. Surf's Up (240/13) 5. Til I Die (205/11) 6. Please Let Me Wonder (173/9) 7. All I Wanna Do (165/11) 8. Surfer Girl (165/9) 9. Warmth of the Sun (164/9) 10. This Whole World (163/9) 11. Good Vibrations (159/9) 12. She Knows Me Too Well (153/9) 13. Time To Get Alone (143/8) 14. Wonderful (139/7) 15. Forever (138/9) 16. Heroes and Villains (130/8) 17. Kiss Me Baby (128/9) 18. Break Away (122/8) 19. Cabinessence (120/8) 20. Caroline No (120/7) 21. I Get Around (120/6) 22. I Just Wasn't Made for These Times (111/7) 23. In My Room (105/5) 24. Don't Talk (101/5) 25. Do It Again (99/7) 26. Let Him Run Wild (98/7) 27. Sloop John B (97/5) 28. The Night Was So Young (89/5) 29. California Girls (80/7) 30. Darlin' (74/5)
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Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: Top 30 Beach Boys' songs
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on: November 08, 2011, 11:21:34 PM
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Interesting that there are only three pre-Pet Sounds songs which aren't ballads - and none are placed higher than 19. I think Brianophiles are a bit too shy about showing some love for Surfin' USA, Fun Fun Fun, etc. I mean, I love Break Away, but is it really better than I Get Around?
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Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: Top 30 Beach Boys' songs
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on: November 08, 2011, 11:15:47 PM
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What the hell - I'll do it. So far we've got 13 (serious) lists. Where they've been listed in order, I've allocated 30 points for a first place down to 1 point for a 30th place. Where there's no order, I've given everything 15. If there's a tie, I've favoured songs that have been included in more lists, where possible. The numbers in parentheses are the total points followed by the number of lists they're included in. I'll do another update later if I get enough material to work with.
1. God Only Knows (233/10) 2. Don't Worry Baby (210/10) 3. Wouldn't It Be Nice (202/9) 4. Surf's Up (183/10) 5. Til I Die (161/8) 6. Warmth of the Sun (149/8) =7. Please Let Me Wonder (133/7) =7. This Whole World (133/7) 9. Surfer Girl (130/7) 10. Good Vibrations (125/7) 11. Time to Get Alone (118/7) 12. Forever (113/8) 13. Break Away (107/7) 14. Cabinessence (105/7) 15. Caroline No (105/6) 16. In My Room (105/5) 17. Kiss Me Baby (100/7) 18. All I Wanna Do (98/8) 19. Let Him Run Wild (98/7) =20. I Get Around (96/5) =20. Wonderful (96/5) 22. She Knows Me Too Well (95/6) 23. Heroes and Villains (92/6) 24. Sloop John B (82/4) 25. I Just Wasn't Made for These Times (77/5) 26. Do It Again (69/5) 27. The Night Was So Young (67/4) 28. Cool Cool Water (59/3) 29. California Girls (53/5) 30. Let The Wind Blow (53/4)
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Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: Top 30 Beach Boys' songs
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on: November 08, 2011, 10:11:02 PM
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Doubt I can top Syd Barrett's list on the previous page, but here goes. I feel a bit guilty that in paring it back to 30 the stuff I chopped tended to be "quirky" - With Me Tonight, Whistle In, Solar System, I'm Beggin' You Please. So is anyone going to take the effort to tally up everyone's results for a grand total?
1. 'Til I Die 2. This Whole World 3. Cool Cool Water 4. I Get Around 5. Can't Wait Too Long 6. The Warmth of the Sun 7. Let The Wind Blow 8. Wouldn't It Be Nice 9. God Only Knows 10. In My Room 11. Don't Worry Baby 12. Please Let Me Wonder 13. Good Vibrations 14. Celebrate The News 15. Fun Fun Fun 16. Dance Dance Dance 17. All Summer Long 18. Kiss Me Baby 19. California Girls 20. Caroline No 21. Cabinessence 22. Be With Me 23. Catch a Wave 24. Our Prayer 25. Little Bird 26. Do It Again 27. Surfer Girl 28. Friends 29. I Just Wasn't Made for These Times 30. Mrs O'Leary's Cow
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Smiley Smile Stuff / The Beach Boys Media / Re: Different LP slicks used in trade magazines
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on: October 22, 2011, 10:42:33 PM
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I would suggest they tweaked the covers to make them appear more striking in the context of a small picture in a large ad. Most of those covers had a lot of small writing on them and wouldn't have come across well when shrunk down to the size in which they appeared in the ads. I am quite sure they were never commercially available in this way.
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