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Author Topic: Rank the tracks #14: Friends  (Read 28068 times)
Letsgoawayforawhile
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« on: December 27, 2012, 12:55:06 PM »

Welcome, Dennis!
My third favorite album ever. I love how happy, and silly, and coherent it all is. Always makes me feel better, and appreciate the little things when life is getting a bit rough.

12. Transcendental Meditation
11. Diamond Head - I really like this instrumental. This sounds so warm.
10. Passing By - Love this. Would love to have heard the lyrics Brian wrote slapped onto it. Were they ever recorded?
9. Little Bird - Groovy song!
8. Be Still - Love this. Obviously miles under Little Bird production wise, I still feel Dennis' voice is the most effective the less that is going on musically.
7. Anna Lee, the Healer - I love this song. A lot of fun to sing along to. Another of my favorite Mike leads.
6. Be Here in the Mornin - That's Al on the verses, right? He sounds great.
5. When a Man Needs a Woman - My girlfriend and I love singing this to each other. So fun!
4. Busy Doin' Nothin - Gotta love that Bossa Nova!
3. Wake the World - This song definitely makes me wish Brian and Al wrote together more. I only wish it were longer.
2. Friends - Wonderful single. Wonderful song.
1. Meant For You - Another favorite Mike lead. What a beautiful song all around. So serene.
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EgoHanger1966
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« Reply #1 on: December 27, 2012, 01:10:28 PM »

Busy Doing Nothin’
When A Man Needs A Woman
Wake The World
Little Bird
Be Here In The Mornin’
Friends

Meant For You

Passing By
Anna Lee The Healer

Be Still

Transcendental Meditation
Diamond Head
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I. Spaceman
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« Reply #2 on: December 27, 2012, 01:21:25 PM »

When I first heard Friends, I loved 10 of the tracks equally, and didn't like Anna Lee The Healer and Transcendental Meditation. Now I think both of those are as great as the rest, especially TM, which I think is one of Brian's smartest and slyest moves ever. Busy/Diamond Head is one of the great song combos in album history. If I HAD to rate one track as lesser than the others, I guess it would be When A Man Needs A Woman. But this album is a masterwork, nearly equal with Pet Sounds.
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The Dumb Angel
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« Reply #3 on: December 27, 2012, 01:23:09 PM »

I absolutely love Friends! It's my second favorite BB's album. The only songs I sometimes skip are Anna Lee, and TM. Everything else is brilliant.

1. Little Bird
2. Busy Doin' Nothin'
3. Friends
4. Wake the World
5. Passing By
6. When A Man Needs A Woman
7. Be Here In The Mornin'
8. Meant For You
9. Diamond Head
10. Be Still

11. Anna Lee The Healer
12. Transcendental Meditation
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shelter
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« Reply #4 on: December 27, 2012, 01:27:40 PM »

1. Friends - A really good, mellow song. Unlike several other songs on the album, it also works outside of the Friends context.
2. Wake the World
3. Be Here in the Mornin'
4. Meant for You - 38 seconds of something that you wish would go on for at least five minutes.
5. Busy Doin' Nothin' - Has all the ingredients for what should be a terrible song (a cheesy bossa nova beat, lyrics about doing nothing, no memorable melodies, a very unspectacular arrangement and no ambition whatsoever), and yet it somehow just works. And that's what makes it so brilliant.
6. Little Bird - Dennis at his coolest. Did he ever sound more mellow than he did here?
7. When a Man Needs a Woman - Funny.
8. Passing By - Cool. The Beach Boys' answer to 'Flying' by The Beatles.
9. Anna Lee, The Healer - Very Smiley Smile-ish.
10. Be Still - Sounds like an idea for a potentially good song...
11. Diamond Head - Nice mood, who cares that it's not going anywhere?
12. Transcendental Meditation - One of my least favorite Beach Boys songs and very much out of place on the album.
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I. Spaceman
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« Reply #5 on: December 27, 2012, 01:41:39 PM »

TM is the most thematically in-place song on the record. Sonically and harmonically, it is the most out-of-place. This is no accident. Brian wasn't a dumb guy. The atonality of the composition, and the placing as the finale, is entirely on purpose.
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Domino
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« Reply #6 on: December 27, 2012, 01:45:37 PM »

GREAT
Meant for you - Epic opening
Friends - "Let's be friends", unbelievably great
Wake the World - Brian isn't wasting time
Be Here in the Morning - That chorus with Carl and Brian!
Passing By - Forget all your problems, you are in heaven
Little Bird - Brian brings in the icing on Dennis cake
Busy Doin' Nothin' - Such a perfect vocal delivery
Transcendental Meditation - Great wtf moment

VERY GOOD
Anna Lee, The Healer - Not great lyrics by Mike
When A Man Needs A Woman - Great verses, but the chorus isn't that great.

GOOD
Be Still - Kinda boring
Diamond Head - Cool stuff
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phirnis
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« Reply #7 on: December 27, 2012, 01:57:10 PM »

1. Friends
2. Busy Doin' Nothin'
3. Diamond Head
4. Wake the World
5. Transcendental Meditation
6. Meant for You
7. Little Bird
8. Anna Lee, the Healer
9. Be Here in the Mornin'
10. Passing By
11. Be Still
12. When a Man Needs a Woman

Wonderful album, there's only a small number of records that I like every bit as much as Friends. In a way this one always struck me as a "miniature Smile", even though it's much more unassuming and easy-going than most of the original Smile material.
« Last Edit: December 27, 2012, 01:58:10 PM by phirnis » Logged
TimeToGetAlone
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« Reply #8 on: December 27, 2012, 02:12:33 PM »

1. Little Bird
2. Busy Doin' Nothin'
3. Friends
4. Be Here in the Mornin'
5. Diamond Head
6. Anna Lee, the Healer
7. Wake the World
8. Transcendental Meditation
9. When a Man Needs a Woman
10. Meant for You

11. Passing By
12. Be Still

Breezy, consistent, great album.  I find it tough to rank these tracks because many flow right into each other.  It's one of those albums that works wonderfully as a collective piece.
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Alan Smith
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« Reply #9 on: December 27, 2012, 02:58:28 PM »

I'll have to raise the white flag on ranking this one - it's my Favourite BB album and I can't fault a single moment, including all the groovey little gaffs floating in from the background.

  Meant for you - thanks, Mike, for a loving vocal and a great demonstration of Mike's versatility

  Friends - gourgeous song, and I love the distorted guitar that gets a last minute look-in

  Wake the World - A petty quibble - this amazing piece is so brief.  BTW, is the single mix (DIA B-side) a mono mix, or a fold-down?

  Be Here in the Morning - so cool, especially the voice wall on "FULL", and Dennis on the tag, magic

  When A Man needs a Woman - one I avoided at first, but over the years I've come to appreciate it, especially the tricky little guitar riffs on the verses

  Passing By - a simple little song, but nudged into something bigger by Brian's vox

  Anna Lee - I love how this song's verses are like a first take or demo, but are matched to fleshed out chorus vocals and FAT picked bass

  Little Bird - amazing.  Took me some years to work out the Trout in a shinny brook lyrics tho'

  Be Still - not something I immediately warmed too, but over time, it's a gem (moody Dennis vocals and maybe an early showcasing of the style that attracted the  Captain to collaborate with him

  Busy Doin' Nothing - amazing

  Diamond Head - a great although late interlude, evocative stuff

  TM - I love TM, those saxes really blow and are especially cool on the fade
 

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wantsomecorn
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« Reply #10 on: December 27, 2012, 04:04:46 PM »

Friends - Best song on the Album. If there is a song that defines love, then this is the one that defines friendship.
Busy Doing Nothin’ - So chill, a great song to calm down to.
Little Bird - LOVE the vocals on this. A great first effort from Dennis and Steve.
Passing By - Great harmonies, it's like a musical stroll through the park.
Anna Lee The Healer - Their best song about TM.
Be Still
Meant For You
Wake The World
Be Here In The Mornin’
When A Man Needs A Woman
Diamond Head - Love the uke in here, very calm, tropical song.
Transcendental Meditation - Gives me a headache.
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« Reply #11 on: December 27, 2012, 04:50:30 PM »

I love how happy, and silly, and coherent it all is. Always makes me feel better, and appreciate the little things when life is getting a bit rough.

Agreed

Little Brid
Be Here In The Morning
Friends
Wake The World
Meant For You
Busy Doing Nothing
Passing By
Be Still
Anna Lee
Diamond Head
Transcendetal Meditation
When A Man Needs A Woman

Such a nice peaceful album. Bruce is full of it on this. Really one of the most calming albums one could ever hear and its important for that alone. Some great singing by them all too.
« Last Edit: December 28, 2012, 03:46:06 AM by Mike Eder » Logged
Wild-Honey
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« Reply #12 on: December 27, 2012, 06:27:22 PM »

Gorgeous album -

I find ranking a little difficult, because really it depends on what mood I'm in to which I prefer at the time, and because I love all of the songs on this album

Busy Doin' nothing
Be here in the morning
Friends
Be Still
Little Bird
Anna Lee - delicious vocals
umm...
« Last Edit: December 27, 2012, 06:30:44 PM by Wild-Honey » Logged
I. Spaceman
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« Reply #13 on: December 27, 2012, 08:00:51 PM »


When A Man Loves A Woman
 

I'm trying to imagine Brian singing that Percy Sledge classic.
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Tord
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« Reply #14 on: December 27, 2012, 08:32:05 PM »

1. Friends
2. Be Here in the Mornin'
3. Wake the World
4. When a Man Needs a Woman
5. Transcendental Meditation
6. Passing By
7. Diamond Head
8. Meant for You
9. Little Bird
10.Anna Lee, the Healer
11.Busy Doin' Nothin'
12.Be Still
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bossaroo
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« Reply #15 on: December 27, 2012, 08:59:32 PM »

I'm surprised When A Man Needs A Woman doesn't rate higher with folks on this board.

That song is SO Brian. It's one of my favorite songs of all-time. The intro notes put an automatic smile on my face that lasts for the whole song. I just love it so much.


What is it people don't like about it?
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bossaroo
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« Reply #16 on: December 27, 2012, 09:26:54 PM »

what's phony about them? It's a father-to-be singing about his unborn child. that's about as real as it gets.

oh, and Matchpoint Of Our Love kicks ass btw
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Smilin Ed H
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« Reply #17 on: December 28, 2012, 02:08:53 AM »

01.  Busy Doin' Nothing
02.  Friends
03.  Wake the World
04.  Little Bird
05.  When a Man Needs a Woman
06.  Be Still
07.  Transcendental Meditation
08.  Be Here in the Morning
09.  Anna Lee the Healer
10.  Meant for You
11.  Diamond Head
12.  Passing By

(Another) Great album!
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« Reply #18 on: December 28, 2012, 02:42:36 AM »

At last, the final entry in the home spun/demo trilogy that pretty much nailed the coffin shut on the band's image as a viable commercial act.  Again, not a bad album at all to me, just too much of a (too) bland thing.  None of the tracks are overly inane or offensive to me but neither do any of them stand out as they are.

1. Little Bird - Good song, decent production, nice Smile nod without being an actual recycled idea
2. Wake the World - Fair enough
3. Diamond Head - Great atmpospheric track
4. Friends - Fair enough tho some of the lyrics are trite (no matter how heartfelt), especially for a single
5. Meant For You - Here, the use of a fragment really works tho people need to stop acting like its a masterpiece.  It ain't even a song!
6. Busy Doin' Nothin' - OK
7. Be Still - Another decent offering from Dennis. 
8. Be Here In The Mornin'
9. Passing By
10. When A Man Needs A Woman
11. Anna Lee The Healer
12. Transcendental Meditation
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MBE
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« Reply #19 on: December 28, 2012, 03:47:41 AM »


When A Man Loves A Woman
 

I'm trying to imagine Brian singing that Percy Sledge classic.
Corrected.
I suppose not being a parental type the song doesn't do much for me. The lyrics are a bit shakey and corney. Brian sings it fine, but not one I get into.
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phirnis
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« Reply #20 on: December 28, 2012, 05:12:36 AM »

I'm surprised When A Man Needs A Woman doesn't rate higher with folks on this board.

That song is SO Brian. It's one of my favorite songs of all-time. The intro notes put an automatic smile on my face that lasts for the whole song. I just love it so much.


What is it people don't like about it?

It's a wonderful little song, just happens to be my "least favorite" cut on an album that I think is fantastic from beginning to end. I agree it's very Brian, in fact I think the lyrics are very Love You-like.


...
Such a nice peaceful album. Bruce is full of it on this. Really one of the most calming albums one could ever hear and its important for that alone. Some great singing by them all too.

Strangely enough, I think I remember that Bruce said he loved the Friends album a couple of years ago on the BBB board. Could be I'm confusing things but I don't really think so... Anyway, he obviously changed his mind about this one. I know Alan's quite fond of Friends, though.
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EgoHanger1966
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« Reply #21 on: December 28, 2012, 07:26:07 AM »

I'm surprised When A Man Needs A Woman doesn't rate higher with folks on this board.

That song is SO Brian. It's one of my favorite songs of all-time. The intro notes put an automatic smile on my face that lasts for the whole song. I just love it so much.


What is it people don't like about it?

I'm with you - I placed it second. I love the down-home feel and the lyric is well written.
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bossaroo
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« Reply #22 on: December 28, 2012, 10:15:48 AM »

I saw that. I'm with you pal!  Wink
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« Reply #23 on: December 28, 2012, 10:49:57 AM »

I personally thoroughly enjoy this album only when played from the LP through speakers - it's one fo those albums io find doesn't hold up so well on cans.

It's also very much an album album - bar friends, take any of the tracks out of the sequence and they weaken considerably.

However, meet these two factors and you have a real stonker of a great album! Nothing falls flat from start to finish, and as such no track is a real standout, except maybe Friends. Or Little Bird. Or Passing By. Or Busy Doin' Nothin'...
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« Reply #24 on: December 28, 2012, 11:16:49 AM »

My favorite BB album. Remaster PLEASE!

Busy Doin' Nothin'  Love
Wake the World
Friends
Be Here in the Mornin'
When a Man Needs a Woman
Meant for You
Little Bird
Passing By
Anna Lee, the Healer
Be Still
Transcendental Meditation
Diamond Head

I love how the 2-fer with 20/20 flows.
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