New album info (as it rolls out...)

[Runaways]

I've never heard Bruce's song. But an album of Brian/mike? 

[Chocolate Shake Man]

"The label picks the songs" and this new She Believes in Love Again are more proof that forces have always been at work to hold these guys down.

[Ron]

Bruce's just talking, I wouldn't put too much stock in it.  They dropped DIA off the album even though it's great, so obviously they're only going to let new songs on there.

And all this talk about people watching, who cares?  Just do what you normally do.

[FatherOfTheMan Sr101]

Did everyone miss "Johnston says that Brian Wilson composed "a little suite" for the set as well."

OMG YES.

[Lowbacca]

Did everyone miss "Johnston says that Brian Wilson composed "a little suite" for the set as well."

OMG YES.

"Old news".  Amazing nonetheless.

[Shady]

Did everyone miss "Johnston says that Brian Wilson composed "a little suite" for the set as well."

OMG YES.

That got me really excited

[Chris Brown]

Did everyone miss "Johnston says that Brian Wilson composed "a little suite" for the set as well."

OMG YES.

That got me really excited

Me too - all along I was hoping for a Brian/Mike-centered album, and it appears as if that's just what we're going to get, with Al and Bruce limited to a song apiece.  They really do seem to be doing it right this time around - who would have thought? 

[FatherOfTheMan Sr101]

I'd like to see a "Rio Grande" styled suite from Brian, just to show at 50 years, he can still do it!

[Fro]

"The label picks the songs" and this new She Believes in Love Again are more proof that forces have always been at work to hold these guys down.

I would hope that the label would be realistic and realize the best sales are probably going to be from an accessible, limited-schlock, critically-acclaimed album.

This needs to be something that casual fans, long-term fans, hipsters, etc all enjoy, and that an 18-34 year old isn't going to totally cringe at.

[Chocolate Shake Man]

"The label picks the songs" and this new She Believes in Love Again are more proof that forces have always been at work to hold these guys down.

I would hope that the label would be realistic and realize the best sales are probably going to be from an accessible, limited-schlock, critically-acclaimed album.

 

I'll have to remember that one the next time I'm at the dentist.

[Wirestone]

I think of the Bruce news this way.

Brian has been working on this album for most of the past year. He's arranging, he's (co) producing, he's singing. He's busy.

Mike came in somewhat later, but he's clearly working on lyrics and maybe contributing songs as well. He'll have some serious leads, too.

Al is singing lead (presumably) on several tracks and has a half-dozen tracks in his back pocket that he can push for inclusion.

Dave has guitar work to contribute.

So, harmony vocals aside, what does Bruce have to do? He's not really essential as a lead voice, and his keyboard skills aren't needed either. I just figure that when he got into the studio with the band, he took on this new version of his old tune as a side project. It was something to occupy his time.

And that being said, if he could come up with a real full-on harmony version of the song, with a little more Beach Boys of a sound and a little less 80s schmaltz, it could be really nice.

[Rocker]

As long as the remix and/or reworking and/or re-recording of "She Believes In Love Again" bumps something else off the tracklist, which I don't see as likely at all, then I'm not opposed. I'd prefer it to be a bonus track, but if it makes the album, meh. Didn't some Wilson kid take a song about some Rhonda lady and put it on two albums in a row because he felt he drastically improved upon the original?

Well, Brian wanted to make a single version of "Rhonda". Now guess who told Brian it would be a good idea to include the no. 1 sngle on the new album as well. It was someone calling himself Johnston. But it was a different thing back then and his suggestion I share. But not now, not "She believes in love again" on a new Beach Boys album. Bruce must've written other stuff in the last twenty years that he can bring in. Even if it's just another old doo wop song he played around with like "One summer night"

[Jim V.]

Interestingly, before we've heard anything about the new album and it's songs, say at the beginning of the reunion talk I'd have said that Mike and Bruce will go the nostalgia, oldie, re-record way. Don't get me wrong, I think Bruce seems like a nice guy but I'm not surprised that he wants to go that route. I'm much more surprised Mike doesn't.

I gotta say though, in Bruce's defense, rerecording "She Believes in Love Again" is probably more of an artistic decision, seeing as though its not like its a big hit. He probably just thought he could get it "right" this time. And he has the right to do that, if the rest of the band thinks that's ok too. Would one assume that in the nearly 20 years since Summer in Paradise and now he would have a new song to offer? Sure. But if he wants to rerecord a song from their 1985 album, then that's his prerogative. We have to remember, that this is the same guy whose album, Goin' Public consisted of quite a bit of redone material. And his track on Keepin' the Summer Alive was a song from like 1971 or 1972. So it seems to be pretty obvious the guy either doesn't compose enough material that stands up to his own standards or he just doesn't really compose much at all.

On the other hand, if they were rerecording "Help Me Rhonda", "Fun, Fun, Fun" and "Surfer Girl", then it would be obviously just be them trying to appeal to a nostalgic, oldies audience. Which I don't think "She Believes in Love Again" will do.

[Eric Aniversario]

So the label picks the songs?  I say just include them all!  Release 50 songs!  I'll pay for a 4-cd boxed set of new material!

[Lowbacca]

So the label picks the songs?  I say just include them all!  Release 50 songs!  I'll pay for a 4-cd boxed set of new material!

That's not how you make money. 

[J.G. Dev]

"Everyone had fake judo fights over the years, but no one got hurt. It was pretty easy."

There's your album title...."Fake Judo Fighting"

[Iron Horse-Apples]

My perfect album title would be "Don't f*** With The Formula"

William Hill offered me odds of 1000/1

[ArchStanton]

My perfect album title would be "Don't f*ck With The Formula"

William Hill offered me odds of 1000/1

That would be pretty incredible, on many levels.  Especially if the album eschewed the formula.

[Mr. Cohen]

The new album is going to be called - "Joemama Thomas-arama: A New Take on TM with Mike & Friends".

[Autotune]

Interestingly, before we've heard anything about the new album and it's songs, say at the beginning of the reunion talk I'd have said that Mike and Bruce will go the nostalgia, oldie, re-record way. Don't get me wrong, I think Bruce seems like a nice guy but I'm not surprised that he wants to go that route. I'm much more surprised Mike doesn't.

I gotta say though, in Bruce's defense, rerecording "She Believes in Love Again" is probably more of an artistic decision, seeing as though its not like its a big hit. He probably just thought he could get it "right" this time. And he has the right to do that, if the rest of the band thinks that's ok too. Would one assume that in the nearly 20 years since Summer in Paradise and now he would have a new song to offer? Sure. But if he wants to rerecord a song from their 1985 album, then that's his prerogative. We have to remember, that this is the same guy whose album, Goin' Public consisted of quite a bit of redone material. And his track on Keepin' the Summer Alive was a song from like 1971 or 1972. So it seems to be pretty obvious the guy either doesn't compose enough material that stands up to his own standards or he just doesn't really compose much at all.

On the other hand, if they were rerecording "Help Me Rhonda", "Fun, Fun, Fun" and "Surfer Girl", then it would be obviously just be them trying to appeal to a nostalgic, oldies audience. Which I don't think "She Believes in Love Again" will do.

I have no problem with a new version of SBILA. Nevertheless, it's strange that Probyn was not aware of the song in the interview he gave. In  it, he mentioned in detail Bruce working out a banjo part with a musician, I think.

[Ron]

Bruce is a musician, he probably has a few different songs he's working on, I wouldn't sweat it too much.  We'll know what we know when we know

[Runaways]

I imagine the suite is gonna be the nice creative push ala cwtl mad in tlos

[Chocolate Shake Man]

So, so far Mike thinks it sounds like '65 era, Al thinks it sounds like Pet Sounds, and Bruce thinks it sounds like Sunflower. This "sounds like" business is quite the useful exercise...

[Wirestone]

Interestingly, before we've heard anything about the new album and it's songs, say at the beginning of the reunion talk I'd have said that Mike and Bruce will go the nostalgia, oldie, re-record way. Don't get me wrong, I think Bruce seems like a nice guy but I'm not surprised that he wants to go that route. I'm much more surprised Mike doesn't.

I gotta say though, in Bruce's defense, rerecording "She Believes in Love Again" is probably more of an artistic decision, seeing as though its not like its a big hit. He probably just thought he could get it "right" this time. And he has the right to do that, if the rest of the band thinks that's ok too. Would one assume that in the nearly 20 years since Summer in Paradise and now he would have a new song to offer? Sure. But if he wants to rerecord a song from their 1985 album, then that's his prerogative. We have to remember, that this is the same guy whose album, Goin' Public consisted of quite a bit of redone material. And his track on Keepin' the Summer Alive was a song from like 1971 or 1972. So it seems to be pretty obvious the guy either doesn't compose enough material that stands up to his own standards or he just doesn't really compose much at all.

On the other hand, if they were rerecording "Help Me Rhonda", "Fun, Fun, Fun" and "Surfer Girl", then it would be obviously just be them trying to appeal to a nostalgic, oldies audience. Which I don't think "She Believes in Love Again" will do.

I have no problem with a new version of SBILA. Nevertheless, it's strange that Probyn was not aware of the song in the interview he gave. In  it, he mentioned in detail Bruce working out a banjo part with a musician, I think.

He didn't say banjo, I think. Just a musician. And if Bruce was just cutting a backing track, especially one for a substantially different version of the song, I'm not sure it would be that recognizable.

[HeyJude]

So, so far Mike thinks it sounds like '65 era, Al thinks it sounds like Pet Sounds, and Bruce thinks it sounds like Sunflower. This "sounds like" business is quite the useful exercise...

Yes, exactly. I mentioned this somewhere in another thread. Even when people can accurately guage or rate music, this is way too subjective to mean anything. The "sounds like" business is indeed nearly useless.

If one of them came out and said "it sounds kind of like Judas Priest", then that would be helpful a bit. But comparing their stuff to their other old albums, it's not very helpful.