I love Cuckoo Clock!

This album sounds rather sloppy, but what do you expect from a bunch of teenagers in 1961-62? I find that the sloppiness gives it some charm.

OK, when you're doing these, you have to take into account that the White Album was a double album and, thus, should be compared to not one, but *two* Beach Boys albums.

Similarly, Smile had enough material for ~1-1/2 albums, maybe more, so maybe you could compare it to 2 Beatles albums. Or maybe do Smile & Smiley Smile vs 2 Beatles albums (and mix and match the 2 BB albums since they were "almost" the same album).

I personally wouldn't bother including "minor" albums like Party!, Christmas album and Yellow Submarine. Same with concert/live albums.

Finally, the BB had a year's head-start over the Beatles in turning out albums, so I'd exclude Surfin' Safari.

The biggest problem, of course, is that the BB released more albums in the same amount of time that the Beatles did.

Here's my list. I will use only the Beatles' UK discography. "Excess" BB albums without Beatles analogs will be left without a match and with an *, and that's the case with one Beatles album, too.

(Spring 1963) Surfin' U.S.A. - Please Please Me
(Fall 1963) Surfer Girl - With The Beatles
*Little Deuce Coupe
(Spring 1964) Shut Down Volume 2 - Hard Day's Night
(2nd half of 1964) All Summer Long - Beatles For Sale
*Today!
(Summer 1965) Summer Days - Help!
(Late 1965-early 1966) Pet Sounds - Rubber Soul
(mid-1966 to mid-1967 "High Psychedelic Era") Smile/Smiley Smile - Revolver/Sgt Pepper
* not sure what to do with Magical Mystery Tour
(1968-ish "Immediate Post-Psychedelic Era") Wild Honey/Friends vs 'White Album'
(1969) - Let It Be vs 20/20
(1970) - Abbey Road vs Sunflower

The material on Let It Be was recorded prior to Abbey Road, so I've put it in the 1969 category instead of 1970. But the last 2 pairings you could easily switch around.

Wow, I'd never heard this song before, but just checked it out on Youtube. A shame it was never released at that time!

But I think it would have sounded better on 20/20 than Sunflower, though I release it was too late for 20/20.

Am I the only one that gets all teary over this one? The opening flutes make me break down. Even when I was a teen when it first came out, it always had that effect on me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvEuEyFHqi0

Can't think of any other movie theme songs that do that to me.

Just realized the Jackson 5 got into the act, too:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xg2vMrDzoXM

Interesting, but I do like the released version better.

Happy B-day Mike!

And good to hear your father is still around at the rip old age of 95!

^
You're forcing me to get off topic.

One of the most mesmerizing things ever:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAN7HByXXxY

On another forum there was a long Beatles-vs-BB discussion going on, so I signed up and started "contests" starting at the top of this page:
http://www.musicbanter.com/pop/49280-beatles-vs-beach-boys-62.html

And just as a footnote, that is one helluva hectic schedule they had in those days! Hardly had any days off! I think I would be constantly exhausted if I did that.

Shows and Sessions

Thanks! Just bookmarked that page.

I also just discovered what they were doing on my birthday!

Thanks! Somehow I missed the Wiki article on it.

I only got it back on Wikipedia a few days ago so if you searched for it prior to then, you wouldn't have found it. There's a possibility Google hasn't archived the revived article yet as well.

Yeah that would be it. As recently as a couple days ago I noticed there was no link to a page for it on the page for Summer Days. So I didn't bother looking for it by itself.

Y'know I admit I got lost on AGD's site. Saw this page here:
http://www.esquarterly.com/bellagio/60ssingles.html

But I didn't see anywhere where it says the recording dates???

Thanks! Somehow I missed the Wiki article on it.

Does anyone know what month(s) this song was recorded?

An inquiring mind needs to know!

Don't forget this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YFk4b6yeX4

[Love to me is blue-eyed and blonde]

I've finally gotten around to figuring out the rest of the chords for Magnolia Simms. Here goes...

The chords in the verses are actually just straightforward C-Dm-F-G-C (though I'm tempted to think there's an Am7 between the C and the Dm on the words "me," "pie," etc.). However, if you're playing guitar, it sounds a little more "right" if you capo up 3 and play it as A-Bm-D-E-A. Also, it's a bit easier to reach the 2 "end notes" in the refrain that way (those 2 "end notes" are C and G played on the 2 high strings on the 5th fret up from the capo). So I'll write the chords in "Capo up 3" mode.

A____________Bm________________
Love to me is blue-eyed and blonde
D_________E_________A___
Oh, that's sweet Magnolia
A_______________Bm_____________
Apple pie on the window still warm
D_________E________A____
That's my sweet Magnolia

Refrain
Am_____________A_____(hold chord + 2 end notes)
Walking under a sky that's so blue
Am___________A___(hold chord + 2 end notes)
After rain has fallen
Am___________________A___(hold chord + 2 end notes)
When she's walking so close by my side
Am_________F#m____Bm________E7__(hold chord)
My troubles seem to just run and hide

(repeat verse chords)
(la-dee, da-dum, etc.)

Refrain
Am__________________A_____(hold chord + 2 end notes)
Well, walking under a sky that's so blue
Am___________A___(hold chord + 2 end notes)
After rain has fallen
Am___________________A___(hold chord + 2 end notes)
When she's walking so close by my side
Am_________F#m____Bm________E7__(hold chord)
My troubles seem to just run and hide

A________________Bm__________
Magnolia Simms is my little doll
D______E_______A_____
I can't live without her
A_________________Bm_____________
For if she goes my world will just fall
D_________E_______A____
Stay with me, Magnolia

The nifty feature of the song are the first words of each (odd numbered) line of both the verses and the refrain ("Love," "App-," in the verses; "Walk-" and "Aft-" in the refrain): They're actually all the same notes, but just listening to it, the notes in the refrain *sound* like a different note because the underlying chord is the relative minor. Nice little trick which sets the listener on edge a bit.

Fun song to play on the guitar, too!

I knew there was a Monkees song I was forgetting. Agreed, great tune.

My personal favorites:

Leaves That Are Green
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwOgXWOX-iE

For Your Love
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2LSSgQMc2E

Fixing a Hole - instruments only
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pt4ZE9atfo

Then there's this little-known band called the Beach Boys who did songs like When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgTRU-UVLwA

Then there is what I consider The Masterpiece of All Harpshichord Pop songs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wA-9Joq549E

EDIT: Can't forget Sunshine Superman! (though the harpsichord is only in the intro)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTuPbJLqFKI

Posts: 11,973

Why am I not surprised?

^
I want one of those buttons!!!! Is that a real button, and if it is, where can I get one?? 

[here]

The Explorer's Club is a bit overboard (no pun intended) IMO. They might as well be a tribute band. Haven't heard the others.

This guy here does a great combination of BB covers and original BB-inspired original stuff.

Has anyone had the experience of listening to "The Warmth of the Sun" both with, and then without, listening to the talking track that comes before it, and noticing that listening to the talking track beforehand seems to change the mood of TWOTS somewhat?

At first glance it seems like the talking tracks on their first albums were largely fillers, to let the listeners enjoy a bit of BB frivolity as a break from the music, but in this case I think it actually adds something to the flow of the music on that first side of the album.

If you listen to the talking track beforehand, the silliness/goofyness of the guys joking around lightens up the mood, so that when TWOTS follows it I find myself more relaxed. If I listen to TWOTS in isolation, the song seems more sad than relaxing. I don't know if it was Brian's intention to have this goofy track actually *add* to the flow of the music (I would doubt it, maybe), but at least to me, it does have that effect.

It reminds me a bit of Todd Rundgren's "Sounds of the Studio" on his Something/Anything album, where the goofy talking track is immediately followed by "Breathless" and then "Carousel" and the whole sequence actually works quite well.

Or, is it just me? 

Am I the only one who doesn't really like the heavy bass (or is it bass keys on an organ?) in the 2nd section of H&V? (the part starting around 0:44) It's not just this mix, it was on the Smiley Smile mix and others I've heard. It seemed a little less pronounced in the SS version.

That section, to me, works fantastic as a sort of "Baroque pop" segment, but with a loud bass it seems to drown out the really interesting voices-harpsichord combo. It would be interesting to hear a mix without the bass altogether.

Sorry if this is a bit off-topic. Great mix otherwise.

Paul Simon in the middle of an unfinished "Still Crazy" on the Dick Cavett show:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjtOa8d_BHU

EDIT: More here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOLbV5gSIqI