Friends vs. Sunflower

[sockittome]

Friends.

'Tears in the Morning' and 'Got To Know A Woman' really ruin Sunflower for me.

Friends is a classic for me. Every song (yes, including TM) is amazing. I don't know what Bruce was thinking when he said this album should've peaked at #126,000 on the charts....SMH.

I agree that Tears In The Morning (released version) is abominable. But, have you heard the alternate version? It's so much better than what got released, it's not even funny.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45WwGS_tke0

They really should have released that version.  I can't put my finger on it, but there is something more energetic in that one.  Something a little more Beach Boys sounding in there.  It coulda worked.

Btw, I don't hate this song like some other people seem to, but it is certainly not one of my favorites.  It's got some decent instrumentation and backing, but not much else.  Just Bruce trying to cram too many syllables into some of the lines.  And it's just a little too repetitious for me.  It ain't a Dylan tune, for cryin' out loud!

[Phoenix]

Friends.

'Tears in the Morning' and 'Got To Know A Woman' really ruin Sunflower for me.

Friends is a classic for me. Every song (yes, including TM) is amazing. I don't know what Bruce was thinking when he said this album should've peaked at #126,000 on the charts....SMH.

I agree that Tears In The Morning (released version) is abominable. But, have you heard the alternate version? It's so much better than what got released, it's not even funny.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45WwGS_tke0

Wow!  What a difference! 
Another poor choice on the band's part 

[Jason Penick]

Vote for Friends, but "Tears in the Morning" is one of my three or four favorite songs on Sunflower.

[Disney Boy (1985)]

I just can't get into "Lady". I'd say it's good, really, but then I listen to it and I'm bored within the first minute or so.

Achieving a level of tender vulnerability that Brian couldn't match? It's way too overproduced and schmaltzy to hold such a title. Listen to something like "Please Let Me Wonder" and tell me it's anywhere near that in terms of the description given.

And is the lyric really "I love her so/I love to grow"? Dennis is better than a line like that ^_^

Lady? Overproduced?? Are we listening to the same song here? It's so stripped back and minimulist - the entire song consists almost entirely of Dennis' vocal, a drum machine, and some very subtle orchestration - and that's it. And the lyrics are simple, yes, but effectively so. A more detailed, clever lyric simply wouldn't work or fit with the surrounding track.

Maybe overproduced wasn't the right word. The strings are just overbearing and brimming with teh cheese, to me.

No faults with simple lyrics, but that line is just kind of goofy. "I love her so/I love to grow"? Dennis was trying to be all... y'know... meaningful.

Personally I would say they're the exact opposite of cheese but hey ho... Can see i'm not going to change your mind here.

YOU CAN'T TALK TO ME LIKE THAT.

Er... you're being ironically angry there, right?

[Newguy562]

Sunflower High Points : (This Whole World,All I Wanna Do,Forever,Cool Cool Water)

Friends High Points : (Passing By,Busy Doin Nothin,Anna Lee, Diamond Head)

This is a toughy lol..I guess I'll have to go with Sunflower..I'm just basing this off of the high points...but as an album Sunflower totally dominates the over-rated (within the Smiley Smile community) Friends album as well.

[buddhahat]

Vote for Friends, but "Tears in the Morning" is one of my three or four favorite songs on Sunflower.

I love Tears too. Fits much better than Gotta Know The Woman imo.

[phirnis]

Sunflower for me. Friends is fantastic but Sunflower always blows me away.

For me it's just the other way around. Sunflower is indeed fantastic and sound-wise it's probably one of the greatest pop albums ever released. Still, there's something about Friends that makes me like it even a tad bit better...

[rab2591]

Sunflower for me. Friends is fantastic but Sunflower always blows me away.

For me it's just the other way around. Sunflower is indeed fantastic and sound-wise it's probably one of the greatest pop albums ever released. Still, there's something about Friends that makes me like it even a tad bit better...

Couldn't agree more. Songs like 'Slip on Through', 'This Whole World', 'At My Window', 'Deidre', 'Cool Cool Water' are some of the best in The Beach Boys catalogue. But as an album it lacks the cohesiveness that Friends has...and that cohesiveness is why I love it so much. I don't even see Friends as a collection of different songs, it's almost like a symphony that I want to hear all the way through.

Whereas whenever 'Tears in the Morning' or 'Got To Know A Woman' come on I press the 'next' button as fast as I can....and that really ruins the vibe of the album for me.

[phirnis]

Yes, as an album Friends holds together amazingly well. Personally I don't even think there are too many standout songs other than the title track and maybe "Wake the World" and "Busy Doin' Nothin'". It's clearly one of those rare occasions where the whole is indeed more than the sum of its parts and I like the fact that it flows so very perfectly without there being any obvious link tracks or smooth transitions. It's a very unpretentious album and still it maintains the genuine artistry of both Pet Sounds and Smile.

[Emdeeh]

I'm not a fan of "Tears," either. However, I've found that inserting "San Miguel" in its place on my personal iTunes playlist works wonderfully for this DW fan!

[joe_blow]

Man, I love Deirdre.

Don't hit me!

Bruce's best song, possibly because of the co-write by Brian. Regardless, d00d wasn't a bad songwriter to me, although I understand why folks aren't into his stuff. "Deirdre" feels like an essential track to Sunflower, though.

Probably my two favorite BB albums. I'll give the slight nod to Friends. Deirdre according to the mike adjuster was 5% Brian. Had BJ allowed the great suggested lyric of "...my friend Bob, he has a job...", I might have given the edge to Sunflower.

[drbeachboy]

Sunflower for me. Everyone shines as both singers and composers. For me, Sunflower ranks as their second best album; just befind Today and in front of All Summer Long.

[Mike's Beard]

Am I the only one who thinks "Busy Doin' Nothing" is one of the lesser tracks off Friends?

[EgoHanger1966]

Am I the only one who thinks "Busy Doin' Nothing" is one of the lesser tracks off Friends?

Probably! 

[Newguy562]

Am I the only one who thinks "Busy Doin' Nothing" is one of the lesser tracks off Friends?

Hmmm wow really? :/ it's one of the best post smile bb songs..(definitely considered a gem)

[Don Malcolm]

Regarding the alternate version of "Tears"...I wonder if this is a question that Mr. Desper might be able to shed some light upon. To my ears, the alternate version is much more concise: Bruce's lead seems stronger, and the arrangement is more cohesive and less cluttered. My conjecture would be that someone didn't think it had enough "Beach Boy" in it, so it was reworked to have a lot more backing vocals.

As for the Friends vs. Sunflower comp, put me down for Sunflower. Twice as much Dennis, plus several truly top-notch (as in arguably "top 30 BB songs" from BW ("This Whole World," "All I Wanna Do"). That said, I really enjoy Friends...it's the Love You of the 60s.

[drbeachboy]

Am I the only one who thinks "Busy Doin' Nothing" is one of the lesser tracks off Friends?

Most likely.

[sockittome]

Am I the only one who thinks "Busy Doin' Nothing" is one of the lesser tracks off Friends?

No.

That's one of the ones that puts me to sleep.  Not so much the tune itself and the arrangement.  That part is actually pretty catchy.  It's the lyrics.  There had to be more interesting things to sing about, I'm sure.

[MBE]

Regarding the alternate version of "Tears"...I wonder if this is a question that Mr. Desper might be able to shed some light upon. To my ears, the alternate version is much more concise: Bruce's lead seems stronger, and the arrangement is more cohesive and less cluttered. My conjecture would be that someone didn't think it had enough "Beach Boy" in it, so it was reworked to have a lot more backing vocals.

As for the Friends vs. Sunflower comp, put me down for Sunflower. Twice as much Dennis, plus several truly top-notch (as in arguably "top 30 BB songs" from BW ("This Whole World," "All I Wanna Do"). That said, I really enjoy Friends...it's the Love You of the 60s.

I like this version better and I always have but to have Sunflower era harmonies from the group does make the original released version cool. I hate the piano outro though. Other than that one minute I would say Sunflower is a perfect record.

[Magic Transistor Radio]

I will say Friends. I like Friends more then Pet Sounds as well.

[EgoHanger1966]

Am I the only one who thinks "Busy Doin' Nothing" is one of the lesser tracks off Friends?

No.

That's one of the ones that puts me to sleep.  Not so much the tune itself and the arrangement.  That part is actually pretty catchy.  It's the lyrics.  There had to be more interesting things to sing about, I'm sure.

The lyrics are essential to the awesomeness of that tune. You get a glimpse into Brian's life at that point - he had his house up on the hill, his friends, and enough money to be able to not have to do much of anything most of the time. It's like the listener is Brian's best friend and you have this amazing one sided conversation with him. He gives you directions to his house! Or how cool is it when he tries to find his friend's number, but he can't, so he stares at the phone until he remembers it!

[Magic Transistor Radio]

Am I the only one who thinks "Busy Doin' Nothing" is one of the lesser tracks off Friends?

No.

That's one of the ones that puts me to sleep.  Not so much the tune itself and the arrangement.  That part is actually pretty catchy.  It's the lyrics.  There had to be more interesting things to sing about, I'm sure.

The lyrics are essential to the awesomeness of that tune. You get a glimpse into Brian's life at that point - he had his house up on the hill, his friends, and enough money to be able to not have to do much of anything most of the time. It's like the listener is Brian's best friend and you have this amazing one sided conversation with him. He gives you directions to his house! Or how cool is it when he tries to find his friend's number, but he can't, so he stares at the phone until he remembers it!

Very creative lyrics, and music as well. I love the percussion to this song!