In The Key Of Disney

[grillo]

The Disney album is what it is, for better or worse its harmless.

Well put.
For some reason, even though I know NOT to expect ANYTHING, I secretly expect to be moved by some incredible thing that only BW could have created each time I buy a new BW album, but that just doesn't happen anymore and I guess I just need to deal with it...
Anyone know any good counselors? 

[Rocker]

Been a tough 23 years, huh?

Just on the BW front.
It's just the voice is SOOOO not good (in a bad way, not not good like Randy Newman which IS actually good) and the music seems really indie-popped out (also, obviously, not good) that I don't really even hear ANY BW element that I recognize or think sounds good.
In my mind I picture the band going in, recording some mid-sixties-style-yet-slightly-modern sounding tracks, working up some backing vocals and then Melinda carts BW in and props him in front of a music stand while the engineers cringe knowingly to one another and whisper "we'll fix it in the mix" while Jeff jots down all the places he's going to have to cover for BW's leads with his own double-tracked co-lead.
And that's the last FOUR albums (not including TLOS which BW supposedly had a hand in writing at least)

Plus, why'd it have to be Disney!? Why not Spector or Phil Collins or ANYbody that Brian has actually expressed some liking towards? I mean, I know why it had to be Disney, but come on man!

agreed.

That's interseting. AGD do you think that Brian doesn't have much input to this stuff ? BWRG sounded too inspired for just a phone-in from Brian. What about ITKOD ? If you got any infos....

[hypehat]

Look VERY closely - it's not AGD 

[Shady]

It's a trap

[theCOD]

Worse, it's a boring troll.

[SMiLE Brian]

Look VERY closely - it's not AGD 

It's bizzaro AGD!

[brother john]

Listen to Me is atrocious and pointless, and obviously done in about ten minutes.

Deep down in my soul I know that 'Heigh-Ho/Whistle While You Work' is also wrong in many ways, but wtf, I like it!

I'm incredibly impressed that so many of you people have actually heard any of the originals on this album apart from 'Bare Necessities', but then I suppose you've had to sit through them with your kids often enough, or maybe its just because most of you are American and Disney somehow is part of your social fabric, hell - part of your DNA! 

[Jim V.]

And in my opinion, releases like this (and I hope I'm wrong) won't add to the legacy of Brian Wilson.

I think that releases like this one are a major addition to his legacy. A rock legend that releases six (mostly very enjoyable) new studio albums in seven years time after decades of not being very productive, I'd call that an epic comeback. Sure, this album won't be "first purchase" material, but nobody expects a musician to release his most essential material when he's in his late sixties. Nobody expects that from McCartney, the Stones or Dylan, and nobody expects that from Brian Wilson. Everything new we're getting now is basically bonus material.

Well, you know the difference is that Dylan still got pretty much the same voice he've had for ages, Stones are the Stones, and Paul McCartney still has a great voice in my opinion. I'm not expecting brilliance in terms of songwriting from any of the acts, but the vocal quality is very important to me.

I just need to check in here and say for sure that Mr. Bob Dylan does NOT have the same vocal sound he's had for ages. He sounded one way from his self titled to Blonde on Blonde, then sounded kinda different on John Wesley Harding, sounding freakin' awesome in different way on Nashville Skyline, sounded like he had a cold on New Morning, and then sounded like something approaching his classic vocal sound on Planet Waves, Blood on the Tracks, and Desire. But every album since then he kept getting more nasal. By Oh Mercy he sounded like his throat was pinched, Time Out of Mind he sounded even more pinched (but it worked), and now these days he has something resembling a croak, NOTHING like classic Bob.

Mick Jagger, well, I don't think he ever had that special of a voice, so yeah, he sounds fine. And Sir Paul? Yeah he sounds pretty good, but just a cursory listen to his albums shows a MUCH deeper voice than the old days.

I agree that Brian would have more commercial success with his old vocals, but they aren't there anymore. Honestly, I think thats why the post Holland Beach Boys never had too much success with their new material. The only original material that really became "hits" of any kind were "It's OK" which had a classic BB summer sound, "Good Timin'" which was a classic BW ballad with great classic BB harmonies which many love, and "Getcha Back", which made Brian sound somewhere close to his old vocal glories. Then you got "Kokomo" of course, which was a Jimmy Buffett-lite type deal attached to an '80's Tom Cruise movie.

"If a famous and legendary actor got brain damaged, should he do more movies, even if it meant ridicule?"

"Most certainly not. No, I don't think an actor should do more movies in that case."

So you believe that the potential ridicule of the public should be given more weight than the desire of an individual to create art?

In some cases, yes. Like I said, if Brian could really concentrate on writing some killer songs, and have a different band perform it, I think that would not only add to his 'legacy', but it would spawn great reviews, which again would put Brian in a good place. I just think he should channel his strength to what he's still good at.

Well, wanna know what I think? Here's a great band he could write for: THE BEACH BOYS!

You got Al on a few tracks, Mike will do his few leads, and have Brian take the lead on a few nice ballads, maybe "Please Let Me Wonder" type stuff, which he still sounds AWESOME on. Trust me, I'm not a BW vocals apologist, but I think Brian sounds great on a relaxed ballad type sound, and I think a new Beach Boys album with all of them putting in hard work, and producing TOGETHER, because let's be honest, Brian probably doesn't wanna produce at age 70, would probably get some good reviews and decent sales, which I bet ya would make Mr. Brian D. Wilson quite happy.

[Peter Reum]

I love both the new tracks for different reasons. Heigh Ho my kids love, and Listen to Me is a nice polished vocal arrangement,what I'd expect from Brian doing Buddy. I think at this point Brian is making music for his family. My family appreciates that...

[Rocker]

Look VERY closely - it's not AGD 

Goddamnit !!
 

[rab2591]

Look VERY closely - it's not AGD 

goshdarnit !!
 

It took me a few posts to realize it wasn't AGD lol - I kept thinking how weird it was that he would voluntarily draw in horns on his avatar

[Autotune]

I think BW fans have been wandering the same old thoughts for decades now. The same discussions and comments arise every time a new release appears. A single person is prone to contradict himself within a very short time frame...
On a first listen Brian still has it; then it's not up to his legacy; then it's just that he has no interest in the project... Then someone says that he lost it 40 years ago. Then it's not that he lost it... he has it but keeps it to himself (and superfans in the know). Then the whole thing is fake: Brian sings indifferently to tracks he had nothing to do with, is heavily autotuned and a fake documentary is shot to show that he was at the helm. When the whole things begins to sound just right, we are reminded that the songs date  from 25 years back.

My toughts:
 there's lots of grey areas, indeed, we don't know many of the details. But keep in mind that the stuff that BW's band members do on their own pale in comparison to most of what they've done with the guy.

A collaboration with an indie musician would be BW singing dit dits to such hipster's songs.

For me, the real deal is a new collaboration with Mike Love. With Mike, it's Hawthorne CA 1961 all over again. It's the good and bad memories. It's Murry and it's Dennis. It's Judy Bowles and Al's folk attempts with a broken leg. It's aiming for a no. 1 hit. It's hanging out at the Which Stand while fearing and loving present and future. It's making room for his cousin's bass vocals and leads and his own 70 year old falsetto. It's competition and fear. It's rising up to the occasion even if something like "the shift" comes out. There's no fake there. A crappy song may come out of it, be it won't become any more real than that. It so real that it scares the crap out of everyone involved. It's so damn real that forces have been keeping it from happening for who knows how long.

[Jim V.]

I think BW fans have been wandering the same old thoughts for decades now. The same discussions and comments arise every time a new release appears. A single person is prone to contradict himself within a very short time frame...
On a first listen Brian still has it; then it's not up to his legacy; then it's just that he has no interest in the project... Then someone says that he lost it 40 years ago. Then it's not that he lost it... he has it but keeps it to himself (and superfans in the know). Then the whole thing is fake: Brian sings indifferently to tracks he had nothing to do with, is heavily autotuned and a fake documentary is shot to show that he was at the helm. When the whole things begins to sound just right, we are reminded that the songs date  from 25 years back.

My toughts:
 there's lots of grey areas, indeed, we don't know many of the details. But keep in mind that the stuff that BW's band members do on their own pale in comparison to most of what they've done with the guy.

A collaboration with an indie musician would be BW singing dit dits to such hipster's songs.

For me, the real deal is a new collaboration with Mike Love. With Mike, it's Hawthorne CA 1961 all over again. It's the good and bad memories. It's Murry and it's Dennis. It's Judy Bowles and Al's folk attempts with a broken leg. It's aiming for a no. 1 hit. It's hanging out at the Which Stand while fearing and loving present and future. It's making room for his cousin's bass vocals and leads and his own 70 year old falsetto. It's competition and fear. It's rising up to the occasion even if something like "the shift" comes out. There's no fake there. A crappy song may come out of it, be it won't become any more real than that. It so real that it scares the crap out of everyone involved. It's so damn real that forces have been keeping it from happening for who knows how long.

Interesting thought. And basically echoing what I said earlier. A Beach Boys reunion I think is where we'd get the "realest" Brian, if only because I don't think Mike, Al and Bruce will deal with him if it seems like he is being "used" again, like he was with Dr. Landy.

[buddhahat]

this is the only thing keeping me alive. i'm catatonically suicidally depressed but this ridiculous song has got me feeling good. brian's voice is the best on it. very distinctive - he's really coming into something cool i think with the gershwin album and this. i'm getting this Disney album before the Smile Sessions. if i have not ceased to be entirely, - ghost
†

Hang in there ghost. The smile sessions will have you back on track and I'm sure it won't be long now.

As for this disney song, I'm not sure what to make of it. It doesn't grab me in quite way the Gershwin stuff did. It feels a bit more glossy and I wonder how much of that may be down to trying to conform to the disney joe public, but I'll definitely reserve my judgement until I hear more. To be honest I have lower expectations for this and just hope it functions as a fun listen-with-the-kids album.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Look VERY closely - it's not AGD 

goshdarnit !!
 

Fishmonk = Sgt. Smile = Andrew G. Foe.

[Dunderhead]

Look VERY closely - it's not AGD 

goshdarnit !!
 

Fishmonk = Sgt. Smile = Andrew G. Foe.

I'm you Andrew, I am the secrets you keep bottled up inside. Join me. Join me Andrew and never be alone again. 

[Shady]

Credit where credits due.

Andrew G Foe is a genius creation

[hypehat]

Look VERY closely - it's not AGD 

goshdarnit !!
 

Fishmonk = Sgt. Smile = Andrew G. Foe.

I'm you Andrew, I am the secrets you keep bottled up inside. Join me. Join me Andrew and never be alone again. 

This is going to get odd.

[Mikie]

...........And Shady keeps encouraging him.   Genius creation, my ass.   "Post of the day."  "Post of the year."  "Best post ever."   Bull poo!!   You boys need to get off the effing computer and go find something constructive to do.   Seriously.

[Shady]

I'm not encouraging him , I just find the Andrew Foe thing funny..

I actually got a problem with everyone who's responsible for the closing of the smile thread.

I'd like to see them banned or at least get warnings

[Wirestone]

Interesting thought. And basically echoing what I said earlier. A Beach Boys reunion I think is where we'd get the "realest" Brian, if only because I don't think Mike, Al and Bruce will deal with him if it seems like he is being "used" again, like he was with Dr. Landy.

And you think his current band would?

[Dunderhead]

I'm not encouraging him , I just find the Andrew Foe thing funny..

I actually got a problem with everyone who's responsible for the closing of the smile thread.

I'd actually like to see them banned or at least get warnings

No one was really more responsible than anyone else. People on both ends of the "debate" are assholes an equal amount but always believe that they're the ones being wronged and it's not their fault. Someone right now changed their avatar/name to make fun of me, I changed mine to make fun of AGD. The whole atmosphere here is really pretty pathetic, a bunch of nerds wetting themselves because somebody has evaluated the whole TSS situation differently than them. It's been interesting changing the names up, it's good to keep people on their toes as it seems many posters here care less about the content of posts than they do about who's posting it.

[hypehat]

You're the one changing avatars to insult people and we're pathetic? Ok.

[Dunderhead]

You're the one changing avatars to insult people and we're pathetic? Ok.

We all are.

[hypehat]

Well, you really opened my eyes there.