Just wanted to add that I saw Mike and Bruce at the Paramount in Huntington and the show was quite good!

A particular highlight for me was hearing Feel Flows.. holy moley this song kicks ass live!  So if you have any reservations about seeing them, DON’T!!  The band was really tight and the show was a lot of fun.

Go see them!

The Al version of Cottonfields was released as a Capital single.

So my question still stands.. if they were able to put Cottonfields on the UK Sunflower, then could they have added Break Away as well?

But if they were able to add the Cottonfields single to the UK version of Sunflower, why not Break Away?  Both songs were Capital singles.

Does anybody know if the BB could have actually used Break Away (single or an alternate version) on their Sunflower album?  Or did Capital records still have the rights to the song?

The reason I ask is that I always reimagine Sunflower with Break Away on it.. it would have made an awesome album even better!

1. Today
2. All Summer Long
3. Summer Days and Summer Nights
4. Pet Sounds
5. Sunflower
6. Little Deuce Coupe
7. Friends
8. Shut Down volume 2
9. Love You
10. Surfer Girl


This is very very difficult.  The first 5 are a lock for me, but my next favorite 6-7 albums are basically a tie.

I think I just love them all equally.

Love at the end how they mention there might be a 1968 package next year.  Ya-hooo!!!

No doubt about it.. the Heroes & Villains alternate single mix!  Holy hell did that blow me away.  To this day it is the definitive version for me, and I think it blows away all other versions.  At the time I hadn't heard any booted Smile stuff so my jaw dropped during the Cantina section and the fade at the end of the song.. oh my God that fade!!!  Overall it has a special "edge" to it that I feel is lacking in the official released version from 1967.

I also immensely enjoyed the Good Vibrations sessions.

LOVED All Dressed Up For School!  How was this not finished and released?  Totally rocks and should have been a single!

How about..

All I Want To Do

followed by..

The Nearest Faraway Place


Always makes me laugh. 

This is tough, but I'll try..

River Song (the demo version with kickass guitar)
Forever (just beautiful)
Moonshine (epic song)
Holy Man (brilliant track.. so tragic that no BB vocals exist)
Only With You (the version where Denny sings the whole lead)
Pacific Ocean Blues (love the end part)
Slip On Through (love the shimmering vocals)
My Love Lives On (as a dad this gets me a bit teary eyed)
Lady (another pretty song)
San Miguel (great rocker.. how did the boys not release this?)
Wild Situation (another great track and makes me laugh a bit)
Tug Of Love (this could have been a great BB track)

This is too hard..




Oh and best Denny vocal..  Wouldn't it be Nice to Live Again

That was awesome.  What is that part with the high harmonies around the 1:45 mark?  Never heard that section before.

If you're looking for the last youthful pristine Brian vocals, I would say that the Sunflower album would be it..  for example on Forever and Cool Cool Water he sounds as beautiful as ever.  After this his vocals pretty much disappeared til the mid 70s with a return to form on MIU.

Despite any issues or rough patches with his "regular" singing voice though, I still maintain that his high register/falsetto singing has always been great throughout his career.  Just listen to Getcha Back, Heaven, and The First Noel, for proof.

I love just about everything in the catalogue.. but if I had to go with one it would be "That's not me".  I think it gets lost a bit amongst the other great tracks on Pet Sounds, and maybe some don't like it because it has a Mike lead, but I think it is absolutely perfect.

This song just kills me!  Especially the stereo version from the box set.. the guitar and bass really come to life.  It's just the boys playing on this one which makes it even better.  I also personally think it was one of the most heartfelt leads that Mike ever did.

And.. my favorite part..  the INSANE Brian falsetto whine bit that gets stuck in there.. oh my god that part just slays me every time.  How does he do that? 

Like all great things in life, no matter how wonderful they are sometimes you just need to take a mental break.  

Take coffee for example..  I love the stuff,  but if I go too overboard the thought of drinking it will make me want to gag.  But if I stay away for awhile, it will once again taste like the greatest stuff in the world when I come back to it.

The Boys will never get old for me, but it's nice to take a break every now and then.  So take a break.. Listen to talk radio, listen to Christmas music, listen to modern rock.. Whatever.  Pretty soon your BB addiction will be back and you will be craving those harmonies..

At that point throw on the 93 box set disc one or MIC disc one..  Let the melodies and harmonies wash over you.. Listen to that vintage Brian falsetto.. Your addiction will be back in full swing in no time.

So last night I was at a Van Halen show (which was excellent, Eddie was really on fire),  and it struck me how similar sounding their music could be to the BBs when those harmonies kicked in on certain songs.  It was very Beach Boys esque at times.

It got me thinking..  We know Eddie was influenced by Clapton and Page, but was he also into the Beach Boys?  Who arranges the 2 and 3 part harmonies in their songs?  Were they trying to imitate the Boys in this area?

I thought Mike and Carl looked their best with beards..  Brian and Dennis not so much.

 Brian has perfect hair for those short and moussed/ gelled hairstyles (early 60s and late 80s) while I thought Dennis looked his coolest in the early 70s with the long hair and sideburns.  Both without beards of course!

Just because Brian may have had a "rough" regular singing voice during this time period didn't mean his higher register/ falsetto wasn't smooth.


Just listen to the 76-78 time period.. Scratchy lead vocals but still provided crystal clear falsettos when called upon.

Brian sang the falsetto on Getcha Back.  Can we move on now?

There is no debate here.  It's Brian all the way..  He sounds nothing like Jeff.

Brian's falsetto never went away.  Period.

There are still plenty of signature Brian falsetto moments..

In Sherry she needs me..  "Baby if you don't stop crying I'll walk away.."  Sounds very close to 60s Brian

The "won't last forever" part on Winds of change

The end of Kona Coast

Soaring background on The night was so young


Definitely Getcha back (100% Brian)

His version of Carl's Heaven (lots of falsetto on this one)



Again not as powerful, youthful and pure as a 23 year old Brian, but still retains the old sound.

Maybe not soaring at the age of 73..  My point is that he still had a damn good falsetto in the 70s, 80s, 90s and even beyond when he chose to utilize it.  Again, not as powerful as it was in the 60s but still great.

I posted this in a prior thread about Brian's voice.. I want to dispel the myth that Brian lost his falsetto in the 70s.


One thing certain to me is that despite the hoarse 70s leads (from smoking, coke, laryngitis or other illness), Brian never lost his falsetto.

Just listen to the evidence..

74 California Feelin demo
75 In the back of my mind demo

Sherry she needs me
You've lost that lovin Feelin
In the still of the night
Airplane
The night was so young

Most of the MIU album

And then even after the brutal '79-82 years..
We get Getcha Back (strained but classic falsetto)
Little Children demo (crystal clear high notes)
Fat boys wah-wah-wahs
Brian's version of Heaven
Noelle on Christmas album (sick high note at the end)

Etc etc etc..

So even though the falsetto wasn't as youthful and powerful as it once was, Brian still possessed the soaring falsetto for all these years if he chose to use it.

I went to the Jones Beach show last night and here are my thoughts..

1.  The band was AWESOME.  Insanely good.. If you have any reservations about seeing the show.. Don't.. GO SEE THEM!

2.  Al sounds like he is still 25.  Simply amazing! 

3.  No offense to Jeff Foskett, but Matt Jardine sounds much better in the blend (to my ears).  His vocal on Don't worry baby was especially beautiful.  Even my wife said so during the song!

4.  Loved seeing Blondie..  Wild Honey seriously rocked.

5.  Brian seemed happy and relaxed and sounded very good, especially on the new stuff.

6.  Plenty of "Brianisms" throughout the show..  Introducing Darlin' he says "I wrote this for my brother Carl (cheers from the crowd) ..and then he died".  Introducing God only Knows he says "I wrote 400 songs and this is the best"

7.  Loved the Friends songs..  a very pleasant surprise

8.  Good vibrations rocked very hard

9.  Did I mention the band was insanely good?

All in all a wonderful experience, and thank you to my wife for an amazing Father's Day gift.


Go see this show!

Almost as many as Mike.

This mix of River Song really kicks ass.. Love the prominent guitar!  I might even like it better than the released version.

The beach boys had a ton of stuff laying around.. Take the best of Adult Child as a start and mix in some Dennis songs and you got something.  The center of this album would be "Holy Man" from Dennis.

Side one..

California Feelin'
Goin to the beach
Life is for the living
Lines
Stevie
San Miguel

Side two..

Sherry she needs me
It's over now
Tug of love
Everybody wants to live
Still I dream of it
Holy Man



This would be a great album.  Make Holy man the centerpiece with some beautiful harmonies and there you have it.

One thing certain to me is that despite the hoarse 70s leads (from smoking, coke, laryngitis or other illness), Brian never lost his falsetto.

Just listen to the evidence..

74 California Feelin demo
75 In the back of my mind demo

Sherry she needs me
You've lost that lovin Feelin
In the still of the night
Airplane
The night was so young

Most of the MIU album

And then even after the brutal '79-82 years..
We get Getcha Back (strained but classic falsetto)
Little Children demo (crystal clear high notes)
Fat boys wah-wah-wahs
Brian's version of Heaven
Noelle on Christmas album (sick high note at the end)

Etc etc etc..

So even though the falsetto wasn't as youthful and powerful as it once was, Brian still possessed the soaring falsetto for all these years if he chose to use it.