Amazon (and iTunes!!!) samples are up

[AndrewHickey]

The samples sound a *LOT* better than anything we've heard before. Can't judge the songs from these snippets, but it definitely sounds like the tracks that had been made public were among the worst ones. I've gone from thinking this sounded like an utter embarrassment to thinking it'll be the best they've done since LA. Whether that means it'll actually be any good or not, I won't be able to tell until I hear the full songs, but just from the *sound* of the tracks, it's a lot closer to a more MORish That Lucky Old Sun or a more interesting Postcard From California than it is to the Imagination-ish/SIP sound suggested by Spring Vacation. The remixed That's Why God Made The Radio is a much nicer sound than the single mix, though I still don't think much of the song as a song.

The ones that jump out for me as being interesting are Isn't It Time, The Private Life Of Bill And Sue and Summer's Gone, all of which sound like they have real potential to be genuinely great. But it sounds like only Spring Vacation and maybe Beaches In Mind will be actively bad. I'm not all that keen on the retro-50s-nostalgia feel that seems to be all over the tracks, but that might not be a problem when we hear the full songs -- and I'd rather have them trying to imitate the music of their youth than desperately trying to sound like Katy Perry or whoever the young persons of the day are listening to now.

[EgoHanger1966]

Just noticed this -

The beginning of the sample of Summer's Gone reminds me of Stay Awake from the Disney album.

[Summertime Blooz]

Just noticed this -

The beginning of the sample of Summer's Gone reminds me of Stay Awake from the Disney album.

 

I was thinking of it as a latter day 'Caroline No', but your observation is spot-on

[I. Spaceman]

Do we know to what extent BW was involved in writing these tunes, if at all?  AGD?

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=That%27s_Why_God_Made_the_Radio&oldid=492612718

Wow, that must have been taken from The Record Room. That was quick.

[AndrewHickey]

Do we know to what extent BW was involved in writing these tunes, if at all?  AGD?

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=That%27s_Why_God_Made_the_Radio&oldid=492612718

Wow, that must have been taken from The Record Room. That was quick.

Not necessarily -- David Beard did a post on Examiner doing a track-by-track breakdown that included the writing credits.

[Justin]

....Must.....not......listen.........to...clips.....must....wait...for actual......album....

[Roger Ryan]

"Isn't It Time" - sounds a little bit like "You're Still A Mystery" and has the "dancin' the night away" line. Does anyone think this track might be a reworking of a couple of those mid-90s tracks?

[Rocker]

I think I'm gonna like that album.....

[Craig Boyd]

Wow. Sorta iffy in the middle but this is going to be one amazing album!

I really dig "Think About The Days", "Isn't It Time" (YEAH AL!), "Spring Vacation" I don't know why but I actually like this one, "The Private Life of Bill and Sue" The quirky BW instrumentation in the beginning is awesome, "Shelter" would be better if one of the real BB's did Foskett's part, "Pacific Coast Highway" Brian's voice makes this for me and "Summer's Gone" made me shut my eyes and it took me somewhere else for 29 seconds, only the the BB's.

The title track of course is good too but that's been covered elsewhere although it does sound like a new mix. "Daybreak Over The Ocean"(hard to tell if Mike's going for the psychedelic vibe or the clocktails in paradise vibe), "Beaches In Mind"(good beginning, lame chorus), "Strange World" (meh) and "From There To Back Again" aren't unlistenable to me but I don't feel like they are as strong as the others. But we'll only really know until we hear the full tracks because a Dave guitar solo or BW falsetto we didn't hear in these clips could easily elevate any one of these tracks.

I can't wait to get my best pair of studio headphones and the biggest joint I can roll for this record. Long overdue but soon will be time for the BB fanatics to receive the album they deserve. I'd love to see another record if they can do it. I know they have the material, it's just the whole age and time thing. Anyway, sounds like a great album. I hope this gets some national airplay even though I hate popular radio.

Daybreak is kinda like the (Love)child of Bluebirds Over The Mountain and the verses of Kokomo, it's really nice and chilled if somewhat unspectacular. As far as Mike songs go it's right up there with his best i'd say.

[Rocky Raccoon]

Overall, it sounds like it will be a nice listen.  Some stray observations:

"Strange World" sounds like it could be a potential next single, no?

The snippet of "From There to Back Again" reminds me a little bit of Elvis Costello's "New Lace Sleeves."

"Spring Vacation" is quite bland and those lyrics have Mike Love written all over them, and I don't mean that in a good way.

"Pacific Coast Highway" and "Summer's Gone" sound very much like they could have been on That Lucky Old Sun.

The chorus of "Shelter" reminds me of the verses of "Darlin.'"

"Beaches in Mind" sounds like it could have been a CSN Daylight Again cut.  Which I mean in a good way.

"Daybreak over the Ocean" sounds very Kokomo-esque, I don't know if that's good or bad yet, I'll have to wait to hear the whole thing.  But Mike's vocal sounds great on it.

The other snippets I don't have much to say about yet but I do really like "Think About the Days" and "Isn't it Time" so far.

[Rocker]

I'm kinda hooked on "Isn't it time". That really sounds promising to me

[myonlysunshine]

I'm liking what I'm hearing in these snippets. Looks like my expectations might be surpassed after all. The production still sounds like Joe Thomas, but it doesn't seem like the album is going to suffer from it too much. It's pleasant.

[DonnyL]

I'll appreciate this one for what it is, but I hope we get one more ...

Recorded on 4-track 1/2" tape w/ Hal Blaine, Carol Kaye, anyone from the wrecking crew still playing ...

Produced by ONLY BW, for better or worse, anything he says goes, engineered by Mark Linett through his UA board ...

Mixed to mono, no computers ... the guys have to record their vocals together around the same mic (ok, fine, Mike can have a separate mic, an RCA ribbon of course)

Now that's a 'rock & roll' album !

(A man can dream, can't he?)

[Craig Boyd]

My thoughts on each track snippet (excluding TWGMTR as i've already said elsewhere how much I like it)

Think About The Days - What an opener! Bruce's super high falsetto parts are soaringly beautiful, as are Brian's falsetto parts. Majestic and refined beauty.

Isn't It Time - Reminds of their best 80's work, great bass vocals from Mike and Al sounds on top form. I like the clunky mechanical feel of the backing track too.

Spring Vacation - Far exceeded my expectations. I had it earmarked as a possible weak point but it's light sunshine pop that sounds like it could get some radio play over the summer with the right push. The autotune on this one is obviously a stylistic choice but I can live with that.

The Private Life of Bill and Sue - The snippet of this one has me disappointed as I was excited about the title and subject matter. I don't mind Brian and the BB's when they go tropical but the title doesn't seem to fit the music here. Also that chorus melody seems overly familiar and i've only had a brief listen to it twice!  

Shelter - Another one that's got me a little disappointed. When I read the title I had imagined a MAD type ballad with sombre B-Dub vocals but it seems to be a fairly upbeat song with Jeff taking the lead in the chorus. If you're going to have Jeff sing lead on a Beach Boys album make him a bloody Beach Boy already! He's put enough time in over the years!  

Daybreak - Sounds much the same as the Mike Love solo version to my ears but that's entirely fine with me as i've always liked it. This will sit nicely in the middle of the album I think.

Beaches In Mind - This one's got me wanting to hear more, it sounds like it's going for the sunshine pop sound and coming much closer to success than the previous attempts at that on the album. Sounds like it has a really cool backing track too from what I could make out.

Strange World - Another one that's got me wanting to hear more. Great B-Dub vocal and the track itself seems to be a nod to 1965 without sounding overly retro.

From There To Back Again - Wow! Lush harmonies, a great ACJ lead and probably the most BB-sounding track so far.

Pacific Coast Highway - This sounds like it wouldn't be out of place on TLOS. Very nice and just as it cuts off at the end it sounds like it may head off into a different direction. Can't wait to hear this one in full.

Summer's Gone - Reminds me of Stay Awake from In The Key Of Disney. Lovely bassline and a fragile lead from Brian that sounds really sweet. I'm scratching my head as to what JBJ contributed to this one?  

I can't give a proper review of the album just yet but going by the clips it's most definitely a solid effort with only a couple of tracks that disappoint my ears.

[I. Spaceman]

Do we know to what extent BW was involved in writing these tunes, if at all?  AGD?

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=That%27s_Why_God_Made_the_Radio&oldid=492612718

Wow, that must have been taken from The Record Room. That was quick.

Not necessarily -- David Beard did a post on Examiner doing a track-by-track breakdown that included the writing credits.

This?:
http://www.examiner.com/article/that-s-why-god-made-the-radio

It doesn't have writing credits for each song.

[Mike's Beard]

It's only a first time listen from 30 seconds samples so my opinion my change down the line, but first impressions are,
The opener sounds terrific,
TWGMTR gets better with each listen,
The last two tracks sound pretty good.

The rest sounds like the result of a drunken one night stand between Imagination and Summer In Paradise, which Jimmy Buffett walked in on midway and decided to make it a threesome.

[southbay]

well, really, the only negative I have to say at this pont (I mean, after all with rare exception we just have snippets and so far I like the snippets)...Daybreak--couldn't they have replaced Adrian Baker's vocals?  I like that C. Love is on the album, would have been a great spot to add M. Jardine as well.   I just can't stand Adrian Baker's vocals. Ok, that's it...

[debonbon]

Who is singing From There To Back Again? I assume it's Al but it really doesn't sound like him to me, I've not heard his voice in recent decades.

[Craig Boyd]

Who is singing From There To Back Again? I assume it's Al but it really doesn't sound like him to me, I've not heard his voice in recent decades.

Sure is Alan! Great lead vocal by the sound of it.

[debonbon]

Yeah it does sound good indeed, just wasn't 100% sure. I hope he is prominent on the other tracks, couldn't hear him on the clips other than TWGMTR

[the professor]

My thoughts on each track snippet (excluding TWGMTR as i've already said elsewhere how much I like it)

Think About The Days - What an opener! Bruce's super high falsetto parts are soaringly beautiful, as are Brian's falsetto parts. Majestic and refined beauty.

Isn't It Time - Reminds of their best 80's work, great bass vocals from Mike and Al sounds on top form. I like the clunky mechanical feel of the backing track too.

Spring Vacation - Far exceeded my expectations. I had it earmarked as a possible weak point but it's light sunshine pop that sounds like it could get some radio play over the summer with the right push. The autotune on this one is obviously a stylistic choice but I can live with that.

The Private Life of Bill and Sue - The snippet of this one has me disappointed as I was excited about the title and subject matter. I don't mind Brian and the BB's when they go tropical but the title doesn't seem to fit the music here. Also that chorus melody seems overly familiar and i've only had a brief listen to it twice! 

Shelter - Another one that's got me a little disappointed. When I read the title I had imagined a MAD type ballad with sombre B-Dub vocals but it seems to be a fairly upbeat song with Jeff taking the lead in the chorus. If you're going to have Jeff sing lead on a Beach Boys album make him a bloody Beach Boy already! He's put in enough time in over the years! 

Daybreak - Sounds much the same as the Mike Love solo version to my ears but that's entirely fine with me as i've always liked it. This will sit nicely in the middle of the album I think.

Beaches In Mind - This one's got me wanting to hear more, it sounds like it's going for the sunshine pop sound and coming much closer to success than the previous attempts at that on the album. Sounds like it has a really cool backing track too from what I could make out.

Strange World - Another one that's got me wanting to hear more. Great B-Dub vocal and the track itself seems to be a nod to 1965 without sounding overly retro.

From There To Back Again - Wow! Lush harmonies, a great ACJ lead and probably the most BB-sounding track so far.

Pacific Coast Highway - This sounds like it wouldn't be out of place on TLOS. Very nice and just as it cuts off at the end it sounds like it may head off into a different direction. Can't wait to hear this one in full.

Summer's Gone - Reminds me of Stay Awake from In The Key Of Disney. Lovely bassline and a fragile lead from Brian that sounds really sweet. I'm scratching my head as to what JBJ contributed to this one? 

I can't give a proper review of the album just yet but going by the clips it's most definitely a solid effort with only a couple of tracks that disappoint my ears.

Brilliant critical analysis/reaction by Craig.  Shelter, perhaps because it's too explicitly a non-BB lead on the chorus, and the PLOBAS are the two that have not yet gripped me; I just don't care about Bill and Sue as people yet; it is corporate angst that drives them to seek an escape?  I see lots of disenchanted couples on vacation, and I am not interested in their interior lives. So this song had better offer some surprises to get me.  Shelter is going to have to do some acapella move or something unique to get me interested.

 Mike is solid lyrically and vocally on the enghanting Daybreak and Beaches.

I hear tons of radio play with all these songs!

I hear Bruce in Spring Vacation and Think About the Days and singing tone of parts with Brian. Go Bruce!. Al is huge--huge!--in FHTBA. Wow. that's a highlight.

Dave adding breaks and leads and bits here and there?  I don't know what guitar parts are old and which he added. We have not paid proper attention to the fact (we now know) that he added guitar parts to TWGMTR, that "your summer dream" feel, which is a major contribution.

PCH?  I can't wait to put this album in the car and just get on PCH and just drive util I have heard the album a 100 times, returning to the tune of Summer's Gone at sunset over Santa Monica Bay,  as I leave the ocean behind , take the 10, and head for home. . . .

Now we're all here to stay. . . . . .

I think we are going to be struck deeply in the heart by the total magnitude of this; we only see a distant wave, but it's surging gently and ever more powerfully.
Surfs up. . . .I think this is "it"

I'll bet the Boys are already planning a follow up; I can imagine that Capital is anxious to sign them to a big deal if this is as grand a success as I think. . .

[Craig Boyd]

Yeah it does sound good indeed, just wasn't 100% sure. I hope he is prominent on the other tracks, couldn't hear him on the clips other than TWGMTR

You can hear him on the Isn't It Time clip too. There's a list of the featured lead vocalists on one of the threads but I can't remember exactly where. Al's voice smothered in reverb and chorus is always a joy!  

[southbay]

Yeah it does sound good indeed, just wasn't 100% sure. I hope he is prominent on the other tracks, couldn't hear him on the clips other than TWGMTR

You can hear him on the Isn't It Time clip too. There's a list of the featured lead vocalists on one of the threads but I can't remember exactly where. Al's voice smothered in reverb and chorus is always a joy! 

very prominent Jardine on Isn't it Time

[Paulos]

Who is singing From There To Back Again? I assume it's Al but it really doesn't sound like him to me, I've not heard his voice in recent decades.

Debonbon, I'm assuming you haven't heard Al's very recent solo album A Postcard From California? Cos' his vocals are all over that...

[Manchini]

Al's auto-tuned vocals on "From There to Back Again" make it sound like Al Yankovic is singing it.  Of course I am a Weird Al fan, and an Al Jardine fan, and the song sounds great to me. But that's just my observation.