The Private Life Of Bill And Sue - better choice?

[JimC1702]

How can you not like a song with a bass harmonica in it?   

[Les P]

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!

Totally agree about the story arc...that has bugged me too.  The story in the news announcer tag would have made for much more interesting verses (maybe written by someone with a knack for satire like Randy Newman).  And musically, it is just "Son of South American."  Plus I would have loved to hear Brian turned loose with "Love You" synths on this.   For such a great, timely concept, it seems a wasted opportunity.   But if I think of it as "the Beach Boys cover 'South American'," I can enjoy it more for what it is.   But it's still too long...I intend to do an edit on it one of these days.

[Sheriff John Stone]

I agree about the lyrics not really getting the point of the song across effectively. But, what could've done that was the ending radio broadcast. However, the way it was recorded, I can hardly make out what the guy is saying! Maybe I'm going deaf...

[Ron]

It's so strange hearing a song like this, again, from the 'Boys and Brian.  It has so much potential but doesn't quite get there, I blame the lyrics.  I think Brian's weakpoint his entire career have been the lyrics.  This song is well produced, well sung,... the backing vocals are interesting and have that Brian Magic, but the lyrics just don't quite do it.   I really enjoyed the Gershwin and Disney albums because the lyrics were so top-notch... but since they were all covers it muted it a little bit.  Of course we've all been treated to great Van Dyke lyrics over the years, so songs like "The Waltz" are fantastic to me.  Brian almost always brings his "A" game with the production and the vocal arrangements, but the lyrics are so hit and miss. 

I guess it's part of being a fan... the ability to see the potential but the dissapointment in not seeing it realized. 

[Sheriff John Stone]

It's so strange hearing a song like this, again, from the 'Boys and Brian.  It has so much potential but doesn't quite get there, I blame the lyrics. 

Agree, Ron. I don't know if I'm more disappointed or perplexed. Why wasn't more attention paid to this song, or, specifically the lyrics? There are plenty of other co-writers on this album, including Mike Love, who could've been called in to help this song.

[JimC1702]

I agree about the lyrics not really getting the point of the song across effectively. But, what could've done that was the ending radio broadcast. However, the way it was recorded, I can hardly make out what the guy is saying! Maybe I'm going deaf...

Yeah, the radio broadcast should definitely be louder.   I can only really understand them when listening with headphones.

[the professor]

It's so strange hearing a song like this, again, from the 'Boys and Brian.  It has so much potential but doesn't quite get there, I blame the lyrics. 

Agree, Ron. I don't know if I'm more disappointed or perplexed. Why wasn't more attention paid to this song, or, specifically the lyrics? There are plenty of other co-writers on this album, including Mike Love, who could've been called in to help this song.

Well, to chime in:  I agree with the several critical posts (most immediately Ron and the Sheriff) and would add that TPLOBAS is a delightful listen for all the musical reasons we identify, but it fails to be a great song because it is what used to be called a "novelty song" ; so it bears more kinship to "itsy-bitsy-tinny-weenie yellow pokka-dot bikini" than to Kokomo; we all love Johnny Carson, which is also a novelty song, but no one is demanding it in the set list (and it's just a cooler song than Bil land Sue any day); these songs are too specific, too bound to a particular moment in time. The satire on the vacuousness of reality TV is clear, and once you get it, you check out intellectually from the song and just cruise along until Shelter  comes in.  Situational, contemporary references are not eternal, so this song can only succeed  in the Jerry Shore, etc. cultural moment, which is over as a topic of critical concern.  To backpedal a little as I look out over the LA Freeways that leads to Burbank: Johnny Carson and his song are immortal--likely because he was real.

How will we know when the new single is coming out?  I guess we are all ears.  

byw: I see a Pet Sounds in mono as a new release on my Rhapsody account; has this been a topic?

[Ron]

That's an interesting point, to tie a song lyric to something as ingenuine as reality t.v. probably titanic's it from the start. 

Equally though I guess we need to all stop expecting every song to be incredible, I suppose on an album it's alright to do a few songs about nonsense. 

[the professor]

Yes, Ron. We scholars often talk about "Homer nodding," that is, when the great artists seem to get distracted and fail us in some way" but it's still Homer, we add.  Shakespeare has 152 sonnets; are there any clunkers there by the greatest poet in the language? Sure are. As a rhythmic satire, playful enough in the context of  great album, I can live with the song. (I have intentionally written that sentence with a dangling modifier to display my own, unlikely, lapse. . . .)

[Wirestone]

Joe Thomas: For example, on “The Private Life of Bill and Sue,” it’s very easy. Brian came in and had a verse. That’s a new song; it just came up. He said I’ve got this title about these two reality stars, Bill and Sue. And I go, well what it’s about? And he goes, it’s about their private life. And I go, what do you know about it? And he goes, Nothing. And I go, It’s a song about nothing. Oh! And he goes, Yeah, kinda. He goes, one day, these two reality stars get lost over Catalina Island while they’re vacationing, but the reason they got lost is because their show sucks now and the ratings are down and so they faked it all. And I was like, Great concept! The next thing he was like, we want a radio announcer at the end telling the story, and at the beginning it’s kind of sing-songy, like “Private Life of Bill and Sue,” can you dig what I’m telling you, blah blah blah. He came up with all of that. And then the chorus was something I came up with: California to Mexico. So that was just one of those where he had a great verse, I had a nice chorus and we put it together.

[TimeToGetAlone]

Gotta say I disagree that it's Bill and Sue's lyrics that bring it down.  Either as a song or as a performance it just isn't interesting to me musically.  If something like From There to Back Again or even Isn't It Time had Bill and Sue's lyrics, I would still love it.

[Micha]

It IS a song about nothing. The music sounds like a faint remembering of Harry Belafonte.