"Friends" discussion thread

[Jason]

Ok so I went to sleep and we're together again could qualify for inclusion depending on your criteria.

Here's a question for AGD or similar board boffins: There is an incredible backing track only version of We're Together Again on (iirc) the Leiid in Hawaii boot. It has a slide guitar part mixed quite prominently and as a result ends up sounding like a mix between George Harrison and Therapies Son http://therapiesson.bandcamp.com/ (worth checking out Smile/Ram era Paul MccCartney freaks!). I want to know if this backing track was laid down during the Friends sessions?

Technically, both versions of We're Together Again were tracked after the Friends sessions, May 27 and May 29, 1968.

Brian is always changing his favorite Beach Boys album - he's said, on various occasions, Friends, Love You, Pet Sounds, Smile, Carl and the Passions "So Tough" (no bullshit), and now Summer Days.

[bossaroo]

Friends is a very nice album that hangs together well (until almost the end) but it doesn't have any great songs on it. If I were to pick out my favourite 50 BB songs then I doubt any from Friends would make the cut.

7 out of 10.

I'm confused how any Beach Boy fan could not consider songs like "Friends", "Little Bird", and "Busy Doin Nothin" absolutely great, but to each their own.

[Shady]

Friends usually wavers in and out of my top 5 BB albums..

It's extremely chill so you got to be in a certain mood to listen to it..

Brian, Dennis and Mike really shine on it. Vocally it might be their best album

[ghost]

Friends is a very nice album that hangs together well (until almost the end) but it doesn't have any great songs on it. If I were to pick out my favourite 50 BB songs then I doubt any from Friends would make the cut.

7 out of 10.

What about.... FRIENDS??

For a long time, Brian said 'Friends' was his favorite Beach Boys album. 'Love You' was also a popular choice for him. Haven't heard anyone ask him lately, but I know he's really proud of the 'SMiLE' music once again, as well he should be.

Lately he seems to be quite fond of Summer Days, which I think is probably his least interesting choice ever (great album though).

LAME. I hate to say it but thank Jeff Foskett for that bland choice of favorite album. Summer Days is Brian's favorite Beach Boys album? YEAH RIGHT, WHAT A LIAR. He's just tired of explaining to Jeff why he actually prefers Love You & Friends over anything else. I bet Brian's favorites go something like Love You, Friends, Wild Honey, Smiley Smile, Pet Sounds, Today, All Summer Long.

[LostArt]

One of the best Beach Boys albums ever. Every song on there has the experimental element of Smiley Smile but it is full of the honesty and beauty of Pet Sounds....and thus, I think it is a close representation of the feeling SMiLE would have brought.

The whole album is like an entire day/lifetime rolled into one album. It has the concept of sunrise (Wake The World), along with the concept of conception (When a Man Needs A Woman), the concept of living peacefully with friends in nature (Anna Lee, TM, Little Bird, Friends), the concept of love (Meant for You, Be Here In The Mornin), and the instrumentals make it flow along nicely. It is a well rounded Beach Boys album with contributions from almost everyone in the band.

Some don't like it, as you mention. Even Bruce Johnston thinks it sucks...what a tremendous shame. I think it's a pretty spectacular album.

no need to say "even" bruce johnston... the guy clearly has no taste since he thinks so poorly of most of what we love of brian's work through the years...

it's like... whatever bruce. bad mouth your own band's albums, good going, why did we let you in the band anyway? talk about flaunting around on thin ice already. who the hell is bruce johnston and when did he crown himself grand determinator of which beach boys albums are good?

friends is more music that bruce himself could never make. when bruce writes a song it falls into two categories - sentimental slush and cheap tacky rip offery.

And yet Bruce loves Smiley Smile.  Weird.

[The Demon]

One of the best Beach Boys albums ever. Every song on there has the experimental element of Smiley Smile but it is full of the honesty and beauty of Pet Sounds....and thus, I think it is a close representation of the feeling SMiLE would have brought.

The whole album is like an entire day/lifetime rolled into one album. It has the concept of sunrise (Wake The World), along with the concept of conception (When a Man Needs A Woman), the concept of living peacefully with friends in nature (Anna Lee, TM, Little Bird, Friends), the concept of love (Meant for You, Be Here In The Mornin), and the instrumentals make it flow along nicely. It is a well rounded Beach Boys album with contributions from almost everyone in the band.

Some don't like it, as you mention. Even Bruce Johnston thinks it sucks...what a tremendous shame. I think it's a pretty spectacular album.

no need to say "even" bruce johnston... the guy clearly has no taste since he thinks so poorly of most of what we love of brian's work through the years...

it's like... whatever bruce. bad mouth your own band's albums, good going, why did we let you in the band anyway? talk about flaunting around on thin ice already. who the hell is bruce johnston and when did he crown himself grand determinator of which beach boys albums are good?

friends is more music that bruce himself could never make. when bruce writes a song it falls into two categories - sentimental slush and cheap tacky rip offery.

You nailed it.  It's hard to imagine why the author of "The Nearest Faraway Place" would hate friends.  It's a bit like Brett Michaels calling Whitesnake tasteless.

For my money, Friends is a great album.  The three post-Smile LPs Brian helmed all show that he could make some of his best music by not competing, as he put it.  Unfortunately, his personal issues from the Smile era and before lingered, so we never got more of that stuff.  The deep effects of the subtlety on Smiley Smile, Wild Honey, and Friends speaks volumes about Brian's talent.  You feel like you're hearing his version of the Residents' Not Available: albums made for no one but him.

[Shady]

I still get angry picturing Bruce in his living room dressed like a surfer dad talking sh*t about smile..

The guy was born uncool

[ghost]

Bruce Johnston: "My World Fell Down" was better than that Smile sh*t.

fake quote don't kill the guy

[phirnis]

LAME. I hate to say it but thank Jeff Foskett for that bland choice of favorite album.

 

Lame, yes. I have to say normally I couldn't care less what anyone's favorite album from their own catalogue was... BUT, Brian mentioning Friends and Love You as his favorite records initially made me listen a little closer to these two and today they're probably my favorite albums by anyone.

[ghost]

LAME. I hate to say it but thank Jeff Foskett for that bland choice of favorite album.

 

Lame, yes. I have to say normally I couldn't care less what anyone's favorite album from their own catalogue was... BUT, Brian mentioning Friends and Love You as his favorite records initially made me listen a little closer to these two and today they're probably my favorite albums by anyone.

Exactly. Brian has largely stopped secretly promoting his esoteric song catalog choices in favor of the corporate wife/managers/foskett approved answers. I get the honest to god feeling that if Brian Wilson were to write up a set list for a live show of himself it would be NOTHING like what it is. Look at the video of him and Danny Hutton from the mid 90s. He's STILL on the Ding Dang trip! A Brian Wilson set list would be something like: You Never Close Your Eyes [you've lost that loving feeling], be my baby, fragments of little children, ding dang, passing by, intro to california girls, wahala lu lei part of worms, barnyard, i love to say dada/cool cool water. And it would be amazing.

[ghost]

Some people here like my brother oldsurferdude hate on Mike Love for milking the Beach Boys cash cow so shamelessly. Well, I say Mike does it all in good humor. He's a tuned in dude in his own way - ever heard David Lynch speak about the infinite source of energy within us accessed by TM? he can really make a good rap out of it. If Mike Love has been doing the same thing as David Lynch for ten years longer [Lynch got TMed in 1977] then....

Mike Love... David lynch.... BROTHERS in psychedelic soul? Ommmm bop

But Mike Love is not the only one. Brian is just as much of a corporate tit milker. All his album choices have been carefully orchestrated attempts to make lots of money by marketing something in an effective way as to sell UNITS. Brian Wilson is a very unusual mind, I don't think the man conceives of albums like TLOS at all left to his own whims. That's more of a Scott-"e" ghost written album to me, Brian going along with it because he likes hanging with Scott and thought it was a cool way to pass the time. I am not sure what to think of the view that TLOS is on par with Pet Sounds. Curious perspective...

[ghost]

Anna Lee The Healer is an amazing track. The drums/bass/piano/vocals sound incredible. Recall (everyone) your first impression of this period of Brian's work. Do you recall how it all seemed very easy going, hazy, passing by like clouds? Strange little songs that just existed in their own world? That you tuned into as great escape?

Friends sounds like 1968. The green of the album cover, the stereo of the album [although I wish there were a vintage BW mono mix - is there?], the post-lsd stoned lyrics, the traces of counter culturism all over it, allusions to maharishi mahesh yogi, charles manson, exotica, new age spirituality. Friends is where The Beach Boys were at after Smiley and Honey, they took another trip together. Friends reached a very chill place in the mind - it is thought of by many fans as a record to hear while soothing out of an 'intense experience'. It's a good vibe.

 

[ghost]

However Friends is not as dabstract & daring as Smiley Smile. On Smiley they did exotica - Little Pad, Good Vibrations, With Me Tonight [hawaiin kahuna exotica, dig it] but in an acidmind way, the edits are all bizarre things which if you experienced in a dream would wake you up with ecstatic shivers. abrupt jarring edits thought carefully placed as brian masterfully did them catch the mind a split second off guard and trick you into a new awareness, it doesn't lull you into a sleep, it trips you into a new mind. wahala lu lei wahala lu la keeni waka pula, watch brian smile in 2004 as he sings this on the dvd. what does it mean? ask TOE BELL MAN.

[drbeachboy]

I love that Transcendental Meditation ends the Friends album. Brian's ironic twist that the TM floating album ends with a soothing named song that when listened to, jolts you right back into reality. Genius, really!

[Aegir]

Friends is the album that turned me from a Beach Boys fan into a Beach Boys fanatic. "I only hope that you come here alone", the sound of that vocal, amazing. Meant for You, Friends, Wake the World, Be Here in the Morning, When a Man Needs a Woman... if that isn't the greatest start to an album I don't know what is.

[ghost]

I wonder if Carnie or Wendy ever had gender identity issues growing up?

[ghost]

When was Carny conceived? She might be the Smile baby, what Brian lost the seed-genius of Smile for. Her name means Carnal i.e., Brian losing the purity of his vision to carnal lusts excited by Marilyn.

[drbeachboy]

I wonder if Carnie or Wendy ever had gender identity issues growing up?

Not once in my entire life have I ever wondered that issue.

[drbeachboy]

When was Carny conceived? She might be the Smile baby, what Brian lost the seed-genius of Smile for. Her name means Carnal i.e., Brian losing the purity of his vision to carnal lusts excited by Marilyn.

Her name is a shortened version of Carnation. More of a Flower Child thing, me thinks.

[ghost]

When the two get together uh huh huh huh huh ha huhhhhhhhh

pretty soon i'll put mike love on my knee
and his little eyes will be lookin at me
and i'll tell himmmmmmmm

when a man needs a woman
they make things like you mike love

 

[ghost]

I wonder if Carnie or Wendy ever had gender identity issues growing up?

Not once in my entire life have I ever wondered that issue.

I mean, if they heard dad's song "When A Man Desperately Wants To Have A Son And Oh God Please Not Two Daughters That Will Make Me Look Like A Big p*ssy"

[phirnis]

...
But Mike Love is not the only one. Brian is just as much of a corporate tit milker. All his album choices have been carefully orchestrated attempts to make lots of money by marketing something in an effective way as to sell UNITS. Brian Wilson is a very unusual mind, I don't think the man conceives of albums like TLOS at all left to his own whims. That's more of a Scott-"e" ghost written album to me, Brian going along with it because he likes hanging with Scott and thought it was a cool way to pass the time. I am not sure what to think of the view that TLOS is on par with Pet Sounds. Curious perspective...

Like many fans I have my own doubts re: BW's involvement in his latter-day solo work and still there are a couple songs on TLOS that sound like pure Brian to these ears, such as "Good Kind of Love" (my personal favorite) and the "hidden track" rendition of the title theme (which is very reminiscent of a certain song called "Ding Dang" I think). There are other songs that just don't seem to speak to me at all, especially "California Role" with its dull unimaginative lyrics...

I don't know, maybe he was fully involved in it all. I'm always willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Still, my very favorite solo record of his remains the first one because it sounds just as passionate as a genuine BW album should.

[drbeachboy]

Recording for Friends began in February and Carnie was born on April 29th, so Brian may not have known what the sex of the baby was going to be when he wrote and recorded the song.

[ghost]

Recording for Friends began in February and Carnie was born on April 29th, so Brian may not have known what the sex of the baby was going to be when he wrote and recorded the song.

It's well known that Brian wanted a son and later thought that having had two daughters instead made him less of a man at least by Murry's definition of things. He couldn't sire sons. Lol, Murry is like an ancient Arab patriarch.

[Amanda Hart]

Recording for Friends began in February and Carnie was born on April 29th, so Brian may not have known what the sex of the baby was going to be when he wrote and recorded the song.

Right, he was just a dude anticipating a baby. Plus, it is way easier to use a rhyming scheme with "boy" and "son" then with "girl" and "daughter."

FWIW, I absolutely love Friends, it goes right after Pet Sounds for me. I love the vibe and there isn't one song I want to skip, which is why I rank it above Sunflower.