"Friends" discussion thread

[hypehat]

Friends is a masterpiece. It's my 3rd fave after Smile and Pet Sounds, but I love it just as much as those two.

This guy...this guy is alright by me

the best is pet sounds, wild honey and smile sessions ..friends is at the bottom with holland and so tough lol

Jesus, Mary and Broseph! What's wrong with Holland and So Tough?!

[MarcellaHasDirtyFeet]

"Passing By","Anna Lee The Healer","Busy Doin' Nothin'","diamond head"...those are the only 4 good songs on that album ..so outta 1-10 it gets a 5.

Those are all my least favorite songs on the album. I really don't understand why Anna Lee is so well-loved. I just don't get it. However, I like the other group-written songs, especially Dennis' contributions.

You know that video of the boys performing Never Learn Not to Love on some TV show? Was there an attempt to plug that song as a single before the whole Manson thing blew up? It's just so powerful, and the lyrics fit the mood of the counterculture, imo. I love it. Forget about the scandal, it is a great song that competes with anything the Beatles did (obligatory "imho").

[Newguy562]

Friends is a masterpiece. It's my 3rd fave after Smile and Pet Sounds, but I love it just as much as those two.

This guy...this guy is alright by me

the best is pet sounds, wild honey and smile sessions ..friends is at the bottom with holland and so tough lol

Jesus, Mary and Broseph! What's wrong with Holland and So Tough?!

the only "good" songs on holland are "sail on sailor" and "funky pretty"
and so tough .."marcella" and "all this is that"...i'm a beach boys fan and i admit both albums were horrible.
sum of ur are so hardcore and such fanatics that u cnt admit the truth.

[Newguy562]

"Passing By","Anna Lee The Healer","Busy Doin' Nothin'","diamond head"...those are the only 4 good songs on that album ..so outta 1-10 it gets a 5.

Those are all my least favorite songs on the album. I really don't understand why Anna Lee is so well-loved. I just don't get it. However, I like the other group-written songs, especially Dennis' contributions.

You know that video of the boys performing Never Learn Not to Love on some TV show? Was there an attempt to plug that song as a single before the whole Manson thing blew up? It's just so powerful, and the lyrics fit the mood of the counterculture, imo. I love it. Forget about the scandal, it is a great song that competes with anything the Beatles did (obligatory "imho").

really y?
it's the melody and catchyness of the anna lee that attracts ppl
and i think it was ..even if it is charles manson's song i think dennis did an awesome version of it

[Mike's Beard]

Friends;
There are some very nice moments on the record but nothing really approaches greatness, except maybe the title track. I think Friends is a vast improvement over Wild Honey in the production values and a slight improvement in the overall consistency of the songwriting. For me, 20/20 is where the magic really came back.

[mammy blue]

20/20 sounds like a band trying harder to fit into the current rock landscape. Friends is pure Brian. It all comes down to personal taste. My five fave BB albums are all pre- group dominance, so that's where I'm coming from.

[D409]

"Passing By","Anna Lee The Healer","Busy Doin' Nothin'","diamond head"...those are the only 4 good songs on that album ..so outta 1-10 it gets a 5.

Those are all my least favorite songs on the album. I really don't understand why Anna Lee is so well-loved. I just don't get it. However, I like the other group-written songs, especially Dennis' contributions.

You know that video of the boys performing Never Learn Not to Love on some TV show? Was there an attempt to plug that song as a single before the whole Manson thing blew up? It's just so powerful, and the lyrics fit the mood of the counterculture, imo. I love it. Forget about the scandal, it is a great song that competes with anything the Beatles did (obligatory "imho").

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I0v2bVX8j4&feature=related
Carl behind the drums !

[MarcellaHasDirtyFeet]

"Passing By","Anna Lee The Healer","Busy Doin' Nothin'","diamond head"...those are the only 4 good songs on that album ..so outta 1-10 it gets a 5.

Those are all my least favorite songs on the album. I really don't understand why Anna Lee is so well-loved. I just don't get it. However, I like the other group-written songs, especially Dennis' contributions.

You know that video of the boys performing Never Learn Not to Love on some TV show? Was there an attempt to plug that song as a single before the whole Manson thing blew up? It's just so powerful, and the lyrics fit the mood of the counterculture, imo. I love it. Forget about the scandal, it is a great song that competes with anything the Beatles did (obligatory "imho").

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I0v2bVX8j4&feature=related
Carl behind the drums !

Alright, here's a question-- how much of that performance is actually "live?" I'm guessing just the vocals, right?

And to answer your question newguy: I think Anna Lee is lame, even for the Beach Boys. No drive, no edge at all. I can't think of the comparison to another artist that would put it in perspective. It's just so... amateurish compared to other BB songs. The vocals are spot on, sure, but not very interesting, imo. Very lightweight.

And I'm coming from a place of appreciating post-Pet Sounds more than the classic period.

[hypehat]

Friends is a masterpiece. It's my 3rd fave after Smile and Pet Sounds, but I love it just as much as those two.

This guy...this guy is alright by me

the best is pet sounds, wild honey and smile sessions ..friends is at the bottom with holland and so tough lol

Jesus, Mary and Broseph! What's wrong with Holland and So Tough?!

the only "good" songs on holland are "sail on sailor" and "funky pretty"
and so tough .."marcella" and "all this is that"...i'm a beach boys fan and i admit both albums were horrible.
sum of ur are so hardcore and such fanatics that u cnt admit the truth.

Nothing compared to Belles of Paris, right? 

[mammy blue]

And to answer your question newguy: I think Anna Lee is lame, even for the Beach Boys. No drive, no edge at all.

People concerned about "edge" and who equate a lack of edge with being "lightweight" are never going to understand an album like Friends. Or, for that matter,  the genre of soft pop and other great 60s groups like the Free Design, etc. Their loss.

[sockittome]

Friends represented a giant leap in production values over the previous two albums, but I find the songs (with the exception of the title track, and perhaps "Wake the World") to be pretty uninspired.  Especially on lyrics.  They might as well have been singing about Banana and Louie! 

[hypehat]

But that's exactly what I love about it! I love the fact that's it all about your friends, waking up, walking about the garden, chatting to the wife, doing more to the wife..... Such a relaxed thing!

[sockittome]

But that's exactly what I love about it! I love the fact that's it all about your friends, waking up, walking about the garden, chatting to the wife, doing more to the wife..... Such a relaxed thing!

Yeah, but what if your friends are a bunch of wanks, you hate waking up in the morning, and the wife is definitely not a morning person? lol!

[hypehat]

Play Love You at earsplitting volume? 

[phirnis]

And to answer your question newguy: I think Anna Lee is lame, even for the Beach Boys. No drive, no edge at all.

People concerned about "edge" and who equate a lack of edge with being "lightweight" are never going to understand an album like Friends. Or, for that matter,  the genre of soft pop and other great 60s groups like the Free Design, etc. Their loss.

Couldn't agree more!

Come to think of it, Friends is actually pretty close to the Free Design in some ways...

The record itself may seem "lightweight" at first but it still clearly incorporates all the expertise of a group and its mastermind who had worked on something as heavy and elaborate as Pet Sounds a couple of years before.

[Newguy562]

Friends is a masterpiece. It's my 3rd fave after Smile and Pet Sounds, but I love it just as much as those two.

This guy...this guy is alright by me

the best is pet sounds, wild honey and smile sessions ..friends is at the bottom with holland and so tough lol

Jesus, Mary and Broseph! What's wrong with Holland and So Tough?!

the only "good" songs on holland are "sail on sailor" and "funky pretty"
and so tough .."marcella" and "all this is that"...i'm a beach boys fan and i admit both albums were horrible.
sum of ur are so hardcore and such fanatics that u cnt admit the truth.

Nothing compared to Belles of Paris, right? 

u guys give me hard time 4 liking that song...but whats bad about mike love singing about paris?lol

[OneEar/OneEye]

I love me some Friends

[SMiLE Brian]

Friends is a masterpiece. It's my 3rd fave after Smile and Pet Sounds, but I love it just as much as those two.

This guy...this guy is alright by me

the best is pet sounds, wild honey and smile sessions ..friends is at the bottom with holland and so tough lol

Jesus, Mary and Broseph! What's wrong with Holland and So Tough?!

the only "good" songs on holland are "sail on sailor" and "funky pretty"
and so tough .."marcella" and "all this is that"...i'm a beach boys fan and i admit both albums were horrible.
sum of ur are so hardcore and such fanatics that u cnt admit the truth.

Nothing compared to Belles of Paris, right? 

u guys give me hard time 4 liking that song...but whats bad about mike love singing about paris?lol

A lot is wrong about liking Mike Love singing about Paris....

[Newguy562]

Friends is a masterpiece. It's my 3rd fave after Smile and Pet Sounds, but I love it just as much as those two.

This guy...this guy is alright by me

the best is pet sounds, wild honey and smile sessions ..friends is at the bottom with holland and so tough lol

Jesus, Mary and Broseph! What's wrong with Holland and So Tough?!

the only "good" songs on holland are "sail on sailor" and "funky pretty"
and so tough .."marcella" and "all this is that"...i'm a beach boys fan and i admit both albums were horrible.
sum of ur are so hardcore and such fanatics that u cnt admit the truth.

Nothing compared to Belles of Paris, right? 

u guys give me hard time 4 liking that song...but whats bad about mike love singing about paris?lol

A lot is wrong about liking Mike Love singing about Paris....

LMFAO.. Dnt Ya Love His Nasal Voice? lol

[hypehat]

Man, Mike Love singing terrible French puns/place names/food/landmarks is just not defensible. I have no idea.

[SMiLE Brian]

Man, Mike Love singing terrible French puns/place names/food/landmarks is just not defensible. I have no idea.

The lyrics sound like he is reading out of a world book encyclopedia.

[Newguy562]

Man, Mike Love singing terrible French puns/place names/food/landmarks is just not defensible. I have no idea.

The lyrics sound like he is reading out of a world book encyclopedia.

what you said is kinda crazy but at the same time.. it does sound like he's reading out of the world book encyclopedia lol