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680598 Posts in 27600 Topics by 4068 Members - Latest Member: Dae Lims March 28, 2024, 05:54:16 PM
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101  Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Dean Torrence on: February 22, 2008, 06:04:54 PM
I doubt this ever happened, but was Dean ever considered (or offered) to be a member of the Beach Boys in the late 60's or early 70's?  After Jan's accident and Brian not touring, it would seem that touring as a member of the BB's would have been a nice fit for him.  Personally, I think he could do a better falsetto than Bruce, although Bruce was a better musician.  Just curious. 
102  Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: 2006 Mike Love interview on: February 12, 2008, 07:35:07 AM
Just playing devil's advocate here, but what if Mike (and the others) went into the studio and gave Brian their 100% support for what ever Brian was doing? Weird or not.  Perhaps what Brian could have used was a stronger sense of support and team unity behind his ideas......thus a product may have surfaced sooner......grunting like pigs or not. Its fairly well known that Brian got very stressed out trying to get the guys to sing some of the Smile stuff. I mean lets face it, this is all on the heels of their biggest single to date - GV.

On the other hand I can see how they were confused and a little shocked about the new direction......."no,no,no....Al grunt like this....not like that."
103  Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: Dennis Wilson in Billboard on: February 06, 2008, 08:01:31 AM
I just listened to POB again yesterday and I have to agree with some of what was already said here.....tracks are great, but I wish the vocals were better.  By that I mean I wish Dennis's voice was closer to pre-1974 quality.  I feel that on some songs, even his gruff voice, which he worked well, sounds forced.  I love the album regardless, but as I'm listening to it, I can't get the thought out of mind of "how would this have sounded if...."  (his voice were better).  I know that is unfair and a bit selfish but it is only an opinion....oh well.  I do think his voice has a nice fit on River Song though.
104  Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: Awake on: February 06, 2008, 07:55:39 AM
I love this song too and I agree with MBE, his voice sounds great; reminiscent of the end of Forever (a cappella version). Sounds like his voice might be double tracked.  Also, it is a "demo".  Maybe he just woke up (no pun intended) and gave it a whirl.  I love it.
105  Non Smiley Smile Stuff / General Music Discussion / Anybody here like 'Yo La Tengo'? on: January 19, 2008, 04:54:27 PM
Does anybody on this board like (know of) Yo La Tengo?  I love their sound and they cover two Beach Boys songs that I know of ......

Little Honda and Farmer's Daughter.

Great harmonies and texture to their music.

Thoughts?
106  Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: \ on: January 07, 2008, 08:08:47 AM
Regarding Brian's mental state during the 67-72 period, I wonder how things might have been different if the Beach Boys (the other guys) were successful in terms of sales (more top 10 hits) during that period without him as "The Writer and Producer". 

I think one thing that probably affected him was that after he stopped being the leader or main creative force in the group post Smile, they weren't successful in terms of sales.  Did that put additional pressure on him? Guilt?  Or, would he have felt less pressure and maybe a bit more at ease mentally if they were successful.  Meaning they could all work together as a team "successfully" and not have feelings of  say..."Brian gets all the credit......." or "look guys we can't get a hit without Brian, come on Brian get in here and help..." floating around the studio.

Maybe not, but in general, I've always wondered how Brian would have reacted if the Boys were successful after his success as leader.  My guess is a bit of relief.  Curious to know how others feel.

107  Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: Don't Miss the Kennedy Center Honors Tonight on CBS @ 9PM on: December 27, 2007, 10:39:58 AM
If someone could please post on YouTube Brian's intro by Art and the video piece that would be fantastic..... Smiley

thanks in advance.
108  Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: Don't Miss the Kennedy Center Honors Tonight on CBS @ 9PM on: December 27, 2007, 10:32:07 AM
I found a link to the Hootie and co. doing I Get Around and California Girls on YouTube.   And a bit of the God Only Knows performance by Lyle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j0P_HC-6uk

109  Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: The final aborted Beach Boy's album on: December 24, 2007, 01:44:32 PM
Not sure if this has already been posted (maybe on the Beach Boys YouTube thread??) but thought I would post anyway.  It's an Australian Today Show interview from of Brian from 1995.  Brian discusses IGIJWMFTT release and Orange Crate Art and a little on the next Beach Boys record.  Brian sounds really optimistic about a hit record from the Beach Boys in summer of 1996.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsqaASroCTs

110  Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: Out In The Country on: December 23, 2007, 06:12:23 PM
I'm pretty sure its Al and Bruce.

It sort of sounds like Bruce on the second verse, but to me it sounds more like Al doing a "softer" octave .  If it was Bruce then it must have been one of Bruce's last recording sessions before he quit.  I thought he quit right after Surf's Up was in the can. 

I brought this up because a version is found on the 'Landylocked' disk yet it is the only track not recorded from the 90's or 80's. This is why I though it might have been re-recorded during the 90's [but with Matt doing a verse].  But, Brian's falsetto voice in the BG vox are his old [pre-75] quality.

Cheers
111  Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Out In The Country on: December 23, 2007, 09:48:40 AM
Question about this song.  I've heard that it was an outtake from the Holland period (72'-73').  However,  on the version I have, it sounds like it was recorded much later (in the 90's).  The first verse is Al, but the second verse sounds like Matt Jardine.  Are there two different recordings or is that not Matt on the second verse; perhaps Al doing a different voice.  Regardless, it's a great track. 
112  Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: Brian's mental history on: December 21, 2007, 07:48:09 AM
Yes I agree.  Sadly, it appears Landy doped him up good the second time around and he hasn't fully recovered from it yet.  Even during the first stint (1976) what few interviews he did he seemed more like a deer in the headlights. 

I love these late 70's and pre-Landy 80's interviews of him.  " I love Food "   too funny....  He seems very real.   I mean just listening to him in the Les Chan interview he seems very relaxed, open and friendly and this was in 81 when he was supposed to be burnt-up. 
113  Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: brian on howard stern on: November 30, 2007, 01:18:39 PM
I'm not sure I've heard Brian so candid and open as he is during this 30+ minute discussion since before the Landy days.  Howard doesn't exactly keep it to simple subjects either.  Brian even cracked a little humor here and there.  He seemed less hesitant, although he admits he's nervous.  Anyone know if he went into Howard's studio alone?  It sounds as though he did.  Great interview.
114  Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: Vocal peaks? on: November 07, 2007, 08:06:46 AM
As a group for me 68'-72' was their best stretch.  Individually their peaks in vocal range, clarity etc...

Brian: Smile-Friends
Carl: Sunflower / Surf's Up (This Whole World, Our Sweet Love, Long Promised Road, Feel Flows, 4th of July).
Dennis: 20/20 and Sunflower (Ceased to Exist, Slip On Through, Forever)
Al: Surf's Up/Holland period
Mike: Smile-20/20 (I too love his bass lines on Smile era stuff and love his bass line in Break Away)
Bruce: Sunflower/Surf's Up period
115  Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: Let's Put Our Hearts Together on: November 07, 2007, 07:53:21 AM
I actually listened to 15BO, Love You, MIU, and LA in a row yesterday.  I'd have to say, 15BO is by far a more painful listen than Love You (or any of the four).  What I like the least about Love You is the singing.  I kinda like the under-production, odd lyrics, and heavy use of the synth and even the rougher vocals at times, but on some tracks, I wish the singing could at least be in key.   Lets Put Our Hearts Together falls in the category of give the vocals a couple more takes and it probably would have benefited a lot.....both Brian and Marilyn.   I know some like this singing?? Not me. I don't have a problem with the lyrics (very Brian) or the backing track.   

On another note, I hadn't heard MIU in a while, and I was blown away on the just the difference in quality of Brian's voice between Love You and MIU.  So much better on MIU.  It's been said before, Match Point, not the greatest song, but man he is in rare late 70's form with his voice.  And on some of the background harmonies throughout the album he hits notes with such clarity that hadn't been heard since Surf's Up.  From there he went down hill again.  I wonder why his voice got so noticeably better between the two albums??  Was this the Stan and Rocky looking over his every move to keep him from smoking period?  What ever it was....it worked.
116  Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: Favourite obscure vocal part? on: October 15, 2007, 12:48:03 PM
I agree with so many of these already posted. 

"Find a ride!" from It's Ok (Dennis)

"Kiss a little bit fight a little bit, Kiss a little bit, whoa baby...."

I've always thought there were some great and 'obscure' background noises (voice effects) from the Smile era.  Wonderful's unreleased tag in particular.  "Oh pretty baby wont'cha walk with me Henry..."   and the associated background vocals for that piece.

Brian sounding like a kazoo on the (unused) tag of Vegetables.

I'd have to say the lyrics and delivery from 'Good Time' always make me chuckle.....

"My girlfriend Penny she's kinda' skinny, so she needs her falsies on......"  too funny and at the very end of the outro you can hear Brian say...."hey?" 

Lastly, I love Stevie....one of my favorite Brian leads with his rougher voice.  Such a great song, shame it wasn't released at the time.


117  Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: Brian's voice on: October 11, 2007, 09:52:49 PM
All of this falsetto talk reminds me of Eddie Kendricks, who was the falsetto singer for The Temptations. He was what I'd call a "regular heavy smoker". That is, he probably smoked a pack or two a day, but not nearly as much as Brian did. Eddie kept his falsetto for close to twenty years before his voice showed signs of damage. That just goes to show you that you can smoke heavily on a daily basis, but still keep most of your singing voice.

Hmmm. but Eddie didn't ingest grams of coke, urns of coffee, along with large amounts of alcohol, pot, etc on top of his 4-5 packs of cigarettes a day.  There's a big difference between the two. 

We're talking about upwards of 80-100 cigarettes a day.  Imagine how having approximately one cigarette every 7-10 minutes would feel (that's assuming Brian was awake for 12 hours a day). This is alarming when you think that it takes about 5 minutes to smoke one.....maybe longer.  The guy was basically breathing cigarette smoke for a year except for when sleeping.  No exercise, probably very little singing.  Think of the damage that would do to your breathing alone.
 
To me the best evidence arguing against a physical cause for the voice change is MIU. To me Brian's vocals on Matchpoint or Come out Tonight sound very much like his late 60s-early 70s vocals.
What?
118  Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: Brian's voice on: October 11, 2007, 09:53:59 AM
Cigarettes were the killer.  He was doing coke in fairly good quantities before 75' and his voice was fine.  As far as I know, he didn't start smoking intensively until 75'.  I think he was going for a manly voice.  It is well known that during the making of the Holland album, and after, he was obsessed with Randy Newman's Sail Away album.  It could be that he was looking for a Randy Newman style voice, which is rough and much deeper than his....more like Denny's voice. 

However, I've also wondered was he trying to damage his voice in spite of Mike Love et al. ?  or, Was he trying change it to please himself (i.e. achieve Randy Newman style)?  I wonder because after his voice changed, on record, he was still tasked with trying to do the old falsetto (e.g.  Kona Coast, In the Still of the Night, She's Got Rythym).  Why would you change it, only then to try and do the things you used to do?

I think this topic (including Denny's voice change) is very interesting because it completely changed the dynamics of the group (vocally and economically).  I can't help but wonder what would have been had his voice remained nearly the same, they went out on the road in 76' for a successful tour and then made Love You with his old voice and so on.  Who knows?
119  Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: Beach Boy's Story Coming to the Big Screen on: September 26, 2007, 09:09:08 AM
Just on looks alone, I have always thought two of the Baldwin brothers (Alec and Billy) could pull off playing Brian (Alec) and Dennis (Billy), especially Alec.  Unfortunately, now Alec is too old to play a young Brian.  Perhaps an older Brian. 

I just looked through "Catch a wave" by Peter Ames Carlin again yesterday and I still think they should use this great book for the movie. Only they should start with the rooftop-reunion (of course using the original footage) and not with the Landmark thing, and then fade back to the early days, just like Peter did in his book.

I agree.  By far the best book to use as a reference guide for a movie on Brian and his life.
120  Smiley Smile Stuff / The Beach Boys Media / Re: Brian Pics 72-74 on: September 17, 2007, 08:08:04 AM
In Carlin's Catch A Wave, he mentions that Brian sang the high parts on a cover of Help Me Rhonda by Johnny Rivers.  This was the spring of 75'.  I haven't heard this track except for the free 30 second clip on Amazon.com.   From what I could hear though his "high voice" sounds ok, but was starting to sound a little strained.

But even before that, Carlin noted that Brian was showing signs of strained vocals as early as the Surf's Up album - to the point where Carl would have to help or Desper would have to modify the tape speed.  However, he sounds pretty dam good on Til' I Die and the tag of A Day In The Life Of A Tree.

Does Brian sing background vocals on Cuddle Up?
121  Smiley Smile Stuff / The Beach Boys Media / Re: Brian Pics 72-74 on: August 31, 2007, 12:49:55 PM

Brian did deliberately destroy his voice in 1975. Late 1974 recordings show him to be singing as well as ever. By Back Home which was recorded in late 1975 his voice was gone. Why did he do this? His friends say he just hated his voice and was really self destructive at the time. In other words he wasn't thinking straight and has had to pay for his actions over the last 32 years.


Interesting.  Was Brian a cigarette smoker before 1975?  Carl must have been a light smoker as he smoked most of his teenage and adult life and was able to maintain his vocals (although I think he too experienced some changes or range reductions in the early 70's and mid-late 80's).

What were the late 74' recordings you referred to?
122  Smiley Smile Stuff / The Beach Boys Media / Re: Brian Pics 72-74 on: August 30, 2007, 01:13:17 PM
MBE,

Listening to  Brian's voice during the early 70's there is a substantial difference between say 71-72' (Surf's Up) and 75'-76' (15 Big Ones).  Was this intentional?  It has been said that Brian was at times somewhat embarrassed by his voice.  I recall hearing/reading somewhere that he wanted a more manly voice and that he intentionally smoked cigarettes by the packs per day to achieve this....not sure if this is true. 

I don't enjoy listening to 15 Big Ones in part because I am saddened by the abrupt change in his 'health' which as a listener hits you when you hear his voice on that record.  Same can be said for Dennis.  While they went on to make some decent records, to me, the Beach Boys would never be the same once Brian's voice changed...or at least they didn't sound the same.



 
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