The Private Life Of Bill And Sue - better choice?

[AM Radio]

I think this song would have been a better choice for the 2nd single rather than Isn't It Time.  

IIT does have a good beat plus catchy verse/chorus.   It's biggest asset is that it gives just about everyone a vocal spotlight at some point. The new mix might change my mind but I think IIT might have been better as a third release.  

TPLOB&S is a better written tune and has a catchier hook.  With some tinkering to the end, it could make for a very listenable and memorable hit.  It's very similar to South American - which Brian should have released ahead of the Your Imagination single for the same reasoning.  I think that SA would have given him more airplay back then especially when it is so difficult for older acts with new material to find a place on today's radio.

[Wah Wah Wah Ooooo]

respectfully but completely disagree.  Isn't It Time is a better choice as a single simply because it's a great song, and Private Life, well, isn't.  It's the only song on the new album I consistently skip over. Even Beaches In Mind is better, IMO.

[STE]

Oh no.
For me it's the worse track on the new album. So bad in many ways.  So dull.
The verses are probably the worse that Brian ever wrote.   The chorus (written by Joe) is much better but still doesn't save the song.

And listen to how poorly Brian phrases some lines:
- no one knows just why we CA'..  we see their faces EVERYWHE'
- at the line at the grocery STO'
- we watch them on a tv SCREE'.. their lives are like a movie SCE'
- sometimes life can be so STRA'... maybe we just are looking for a CHAN'

Bruce is amazing on it, however.

[EgoHanger1966]

Hell no!

[EgoHanger1966]

And listen to how poorly Brian phrases some lines:
- no one knows just why we CA'..  we see their faces EVERYWHE'
- at the line at the grocery STO'
- we watch them on a tv SCREE'.. their lives are like a movie SCE'
- sometimes life can be so STRA'... maybe we just are looking for a CHAN'

 

Honestly, I don't see "hit potential" for any song on the new album, because what station is gonna play the Beach Boys new single? But anyway, "From There To Back Again" could be a good single choice. It's not kitchy, it's not retro. It's honest, it's pure, it has heart.

[Summertime Blooz]

It's not one of the better records on the album, but it sounds good listening to it poolside on a sweltering Summer day (or Summer night!) . It would not be a good single though IMO, and neither would FTTBA. Isn't It Time might be a good choice if they do something to fix Brian's opening of the song- I read that they're making other changes to it before it's release.

[Runaways]

bad single, especially in this radio age.  The only tune that would have a remote chance of getting mainstream radio attention is IIT.

[Austin]

Bill and Sue is...okay. Isn't It Time sounds like it's close to being very good, and sonically would fit in better on contemporary music stations.

[Sheriff John Stone]

I think this song would have been a better choice for the 2nd single rather than Isn't It Time.  

I wouldn't go that far, but, upon repeated listens, "The Private Life Of Bill And Sue" has grown on me while "Isn't It Time" has faded a bit.

"Spring Vacation" was the song, the missed opportunity. It should've been the lead off single in, well, the spring!

[The Shift]

PLoB&S is definitely an album track, not a 45.

Won't hear a word said against it, mind, though I have my own opinions about it – I'd like to see it expanded for one thing – but a single it will never be.

[Letsgoawayforawhile]

I think they chose Isn't it time as a single, because it's really radio friendly.
It sounds like a song you'd hear any big pop star singing on nowadays. Ukulele is super hip right now.

[Smilin Ed H]

"I wouldn't go that far, but, upon repeated listens, "The Private Life Of Bill And Sue" has grown on me while "Isn't It Time" has faded a bit."

Me too, but they're among my least favourite tracks.  If only Spring Vacation had decent lyrics...

[Micha]

I think this song would have been a better choice for the 2nd single rather than Isn't It Time.

NO!!!
I disagree, and even disrespectfully. The worst song on the album to me.

It's the only song on the new album I consistently skip over.

Me too.

The verses are probably the worst that Brian ever wrote.

Absolutely. Mike Love never wrote lyrics that bad. And he wrote "Everyone's in love with you" about the Maharishi. TPLOBAS has the worst BB lyrics ever. The melody lines are ridiculously bad too.

Hell no!

Nothing to add to that.

(cringes)

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

Isn't It Time a much better cut. Good beat, everybody gets to shine on vocals, lyrics that are more universally acceptable to the general public. Hell, I think "It's It Time" should have been a lead single. They seem to have an easier time performing it that "TWGMTR", so perhaps we could have avoided those off-key late night appearances, yeah?

[Chocolate Shake Man]

Count me in among the group that considers this song the worst on the album.

[AndrewHickey]

Personally, I'd put Bill & Sue in the four best songs on the album, along with Isn't It Time, Shelter (the real grower for me -- didn't think much of it on first listen at all) and From There To Back Again. Isn't It Time and Shelter are the only ones that sound anything like singles though, and Isn't It Time is far catchier. I do think it's a shame that Jeff's vocal on the bridge is so weak, though -- it's the one song where I can see what the people who hate his vocals mean.

[Justin]

"Bill and Sue" is too sleepy of a track for it to make a dent in the airwaves (ha what airwaves?).  Everything about "Isn't it Time" screams single, especially with the clear and pronounced sing-along chorus. 

[EgoHanger1966]

The thing is, he never really says anything about reality television. The song doesn't say anything about anything, actually. In it's 4 minutes, there isn't a story arc. Whoever fleshed out the lyrics (Joe I guess) could have done a better job. In the end, the message is that people watch pointless television shows. I knew that!

[Autotune]

For it to be a single, it would have to be heavily edited. The instrumental interludes are too passive, nothing occurs for like 15 seconds. It's ok as an album cut, though.

[Rocker]

I like TPLOB&S very much and think it's a cool song. But "Isn't it time" has single written all over it. Except for the middle part I think it's fantastic.  I don't have anything against using a middle part but that one just sounds so cliché whatsoever (can't put it in words right now).

[Phoenix]

Now that the album has had enough time, I have to say, "Isn't It Time" and "From There To Back Again" are definitely my two favorites and of those two, "Isn't It Time" is much more radio friendly, which means I think it's the best choice (and the album's best chance) for a single.

[davywheatdyke]

I second that emotion, Private Life has a chorus and harmonies up there with BW's best. OK the lyrics are naff and the newsreader at the end is a bit cringeworthy, but it is an ace song. Isn't It Time is also brilliant. Shelter would also be a good single. Who would have thought the BB would ever do any good songs again, after hearing the title track I feared the worst, in my view there are 4 excellent songs on the album that could have been singles  (also counting Strange World).

[Summertime Blooz]

I still think Daybreak Over the Ocean, because of it's Kokomo similarity, is the song that more easy-listening station would be the most likely to latch onto and play. If the goal for a single is to get airplay to promote the album, I think that is their best bet for a third single.  Not to be a Negative Nellie, but I would be surprised if I ever hear Isn't It Time on the radio. Never heard TWGMTR on the radio either.

[AM Radio]

I second that emotion, Private Life has a chorus and harmonies up there with BW's best. OK the lyrics are naff and the newsreader at the end is a bit cringeworthy, but it is an ace song. Isn't It Time is also brilliant. Shelter would also be a good single. Who would have thought the BB would ever do any good songs again, after hearing the title track I feared the worst, in my view there are 4 excellent songs on the album that could have been singles  (also counting Strange World).

Yes, the chorus has a really good hook that has grown on me and it should be the main focus. I would remix the ending to delete the news announcer sfx and have the chorus continually repeat as it fades out instead.  The verses are ok - they are intentionally generic but I would mix in a montage of news announcer sfx over the instrumental interludes, using different voices that are speaking about current/real celebrity couples without actually naming them - I think they would fit better here and give those breaks more purpose to the narrative.

[Melt Away]

The chorus of this song is so annoying. Sure, "Isn't it time we dance the night away" isn't the most genius thing but it's catchy and not annoying like bill and sue.