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

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

This seems to be Wilson and Thomas' follow-up to Imagination, with Beach Boys vocals. Interesting.

So is this just an unfinished album with new overdubs?

[Les P]

I don't think we should talk about "poor Al", the man hardly writes any tunes. Just look at his first solo record and what's on it!

A valid point.  I'm more referring to his comments in interviews about some of his songs he hoped would be on the album or in the show, and none have come to pass.

[Sheriff John Stone]

This seems to be Wilson and Thomas' follow-up to Imagination, with Beach Boys vocals. Interesting.

After hearing three songs and after seeing the writing credits, it appears that way. And, didn't I read in a recent interview with Brian that he wrote some of these songs with Joe Thomas around the time of Imagination? If Brian didn't re-record four BB tracks for Imagination - Sherry She Needs Me, Keep An Eye On Summer, Let Him Run Wild, and My Solution -  maybe a couple of these "new" songs would've appeared on that album.

I like what I'm hearing though, and Imagination is my favorite BW solo album anyway...

[Rocker]

I don't think we should talk about "poor Al", the man hardly writes any tunes. Just look at his first solo record and what's on it!

A valid point.  I'm more referring to his comments in interviews about some of his songs he hoped would be on the album or in the show, and none have come to pass.

I guess we'll get "Lookin' at tomorrow" at some show sooner or later. And "California saga" probably as well.

[Andrew G. Doe]

This seems to be Wilson and Thomas' follow-up to Imagination, with Beach Boys vocals. Interesting.

So is this just an unfinished album with new overdubs?

No.

[Mark H]

SV sounds a lot better than the previous snippet made us believe.  Love the chorus, listened to it a few times now

Definitely a Imagination vibe there but tbh I'm just happy to be getting a new album from the band together, so if it takes J Thomas' involvement then so be it.

Can't wait to give it a spin all the way through.

Many thanks for the link AGD

[drbeachboy]

I wonder if QVC will give us some better quality snippets to hear when they sell the new CD on Wednesday evening?

[FatherOfTheMan Sr101]

I LOVE THINK ABOUT THE DAYS.
IT'S SMILE LIKE, NOT KIDDING.

And, SV is not nearly as bad as I worried.

Amazing feeling, a Good beach boys album in my lifetime!

[Les P]

I don't think we should talk about "poor Al", the man hardly writes any tunes. Just look at his first solo record and what's on it!

A valid point.  I'm more referring to his comments in interviews about some of his songs he hoped would be on the album or in the show, and none have come to pass.

I guess we'll get "Lookin' at tomorrow" at some show sooner or later. And "California saga" probably as well.

I hope so.  I'd much prefer to hear "California Saga" than "Then I Kissed Her."

[send me a picture and i'll tell you]

TATD sounds like Stairway to Heaven.

SV sounds like Smart Girls.

TWGMTR sounds like Goin On.


 


And they're all great!

[Jim V.]

Brian's vocals sounded great on Imagination and from "Think About The Days" and "Spring Vacation", he sounds great on this new album, so if anything, I'm all for Joe producing Brian's vocals, if it is indeed his work. The autotune gets to be a bit much, but whatever.

[Old Rake]

Brian's vocals sounded great on Imagination and from "Think About The Days" and "Spring Vacation", he sounds great on this new album, so if anything, I'm all for Joe producing Brian's vocals, if it is indeed his work. The autotune gets to be a bit much, but whatever.

There is a slathering ton of the damn stuff, isn't there?

[Exapno Mapcase]

Maybe Bon Jovi supplied the tight leather pants then left the room...  I trust Andrew on this (and on many other things except his questionable taste in football teams).

[Yorick]

I don't think we should talk about "poor Al", the man hardly writes any tunes. Just look at his first solo record and what's on it!

A valid point.  I'm more referring to his comments in interviews about some of his songs he hoped would be on the album or in the show, and none have come to pass.

Ok, I understand your point as well 

[Sound of Free]

I know his full name is Michael Edward Love, but why is Mike all of a sudden using the E?

[Wirestone]

The whole band probably recorded a number of things -- Al certainly had a few tunes, and Bruce was working on his BB85 remake. But I suspect very strongly that the deal the entire time was exactly this. A BW-written and (co) produced album.

Mike gets some credits because he's the other power player in this. Everybody else is just happy to be along for the ride (does anyone think that Al would storm out if the song he already released on his solo album isn't on the group's album? ... I didn't think so).

I'm delighted. Not necessarily because Joe is credited on nearly everything, but because it means that most of this album was written and tracks as a BW project, with Joe and Jeff along for the ride. That gives it a lot more potential artistic coherence than a slapped-together bunch of tracks from each of the guys.

There is an argument to be made for a more Sunflower-y type of album, and I would enjoy hearing that. But it would take serious time to make, and the guys would have to be around each other a lot. It seems one of the reasons this project worked so smoothly is that most of the tracks were ready, Brian had the parts, and they just banged it out.

[FatherOfTheMan Sr101]

Ok, everyone stop bitching about production...


BRIAN IS SINGING FALSETTO AGAIN. HOLY sh*t.

[the professor]

just called QVC about ordering the album; they have no item # yet but will tomorrow; QVC orders start when the show starts at 4pm LA time on wednesday.  They were thus not sure yet if the album will ship right away or at a later date, so I think we do not know if buying the album at QVC gets us the album sooner or if the motivation will have to be to get whatever the bonus is.

In an ideal dream, a new BB album has songs written, recorded and sung by all the BB al a Sunflower, Friends, etc. If this is more their singing over Brian songs, with some BB musical accompanyment, such as Dave's playing, then I will not have gotten all I want, but I wil judge the record by whether it's any good, first and, second, if I can hear all the contribution sof each BB, as we can, for sure , on TWG.

But also I will hope it's a hit, achieves critical acclaim, and also have the BB own stamp of pride and satisfaction.  If is "works," I would expect a follow up soon with more of my ideal dream actualized.

[stack-o-tracks]

Spring Vacation makes me so happy.  

SHOULD HAVE BEEN THEE SINGEL

[myonlysunshine]

Songwriting=good. Production=bad. I really like both tracks, especially Think About the Days, but I'm left wondering how good these songs could sound with better production.

[AndrewHickey]

Personally, other than one or two tracks I've never been very keen on Al or Bruce's songwriting anyway, so I'm happy enough that it's a Brian album with the others only contributing vocals (and some lyrics and one song from Mike) -- that part of it seems right, to me.
I do find the fact that Joe Thomas' name is all over the thing slightly more worrying, but a good half the songs on Imagination were decent to good, so that could still be OK. The credits for Peterik and Bon Jovi are frankly scary, though.

Either way, the tour we're getting is great, so I'm happy no matter what the album's like.

[Summertime Blooz]

Can anybody tell me what they're singing in the chorus just before "ain't life funny"? Something about money? I've listened to it multiple times, and I just can't figure it out.

[Andrew G. Doe]

"Easy money"

[Heysaboda]

arghh

(gnashes teeth)

June 5th is 22 freakin' days away!

[Jim V.]

Brian's vocals sounded great on Imagination and from "Think About The Days" and "Spring Vacation", he sounds great on this new album, so if anything, I'm all for Joe producing Brian's vocals, if it is indeed his work. The autotune gets to be a bit much, but whatever.

There is a slathering ton of the damn stuff, isn't there?

Yeah, while I can't say I've listened to the radio enough to hear what's going on lately, but this seems like they are using it quite a bit more than anything I've heard. I know many of the better bands out there today use it, but I don't think they use it like The Beach Boys are, where some parts sound nearly Daft Punk-esque.