Bruce on Surf's Up (album)

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

I've been thinking about this for a while and wondering if I'm right,  but it seems that men seem to like Bruce's songs more than women.  Mind you there aren't a lot of females on this board...   My daughter and I don't like Bruces songs, think they are sappy.  Mike, you stating what your wife thinks made me think of it again.  It's a massive generalisation I know, and probably wrong,  but I am surprised at all the love.    Mind you, I live in Australia where men are not especially open in the "emotions" department.  This generation seem to be a lot better though.  Again.... this is a massive generalisation, but true of most of my male friends.

Of course you like Bruce 

http://youtu.be/_f_p0CgPeyA

[Disney Boy (1985)]

I think Disney Girls (1957) is a masterpiece - and the lyrics are wonderful! - but i dislike almost every other song Bruce has ever written. Rather depressingly, i expect we're going to see Tears In The Morning and maybe even his awful Bluebirds cover on the forthcoming boxset, at least if Bruce has his way...

[Moon Dawg]

I've been thinking about this for a while and wondering if I'm right,  but it seems that men seem to like Bruce's songs more than women.  Mind you there aren't a lot of females on this board...   My daughter and I don't like Bruces songs, think they are sappy.  Mike, you stating what your wife thinks made me think of it again.  It's a massive generalisation I know, and probably wrong,  but I am surprised at all the love.    Mind you, I live in Australia where men are not especially open in the "emotions" department.  This generation seem to be a lot better though.  Again.... this is a massive generalisation, but true of most of my male friends.

Of course you like Bruce 




http://youtu.be/_f_p0CgPeyA

  A former girlfriend once described Bruce's music as "hideous" when I tried to make a case for "Disney Girls."

 Bruce and Rieley were oil and water-no mixing. When Rieley's ideas helped get the band back in the spotlight, the winds of change were not blowing Bruce's way.

 Moreover, Bruce thought SURF'S UP was a bit of con in terms of how Brian's involvement was presented to the public.

[filledeplage]

I've been thinking about this for a while and wondering if I'm right,  but it seems that men seem to like Bruce's songs more than women.  Mind you there aren't a lot of females on this board...   My daughter and I don't like Bruces songs, think they are sappy.  Mike, you stating what your wife thinks made me think of it again.  It's a massive generalisation I know, and probably wrong,  but I am surprised at all the love.    Mind you, I live in Australia where men are not especially open in the "emotions" department.  This generation seem to be a lot better though.  Again.... this is a massive generalisation, but true of most of my male friends.
[/quote
Of course you like Bruce  
http://youtu.be/_f_p0CgPeyA

 A former girlfriend once described Bruce's music as "hideous" when I tried to make a case for "Disney Girls."

 Bruce and Rieley were oil and water-no mixing. When Rieley's ideas helped get the band back in the spotlight, the winds of change were not blowing Bruce's way.

 Moreover, Bruce thought SURF'S UP was a bit of con in terms of how Brian's involvement was presented to the public.

That is an interesting era.  I don't know Rieley from Adam, notwithstanding what I've read about "embellished credentials." What I do know is often new managers zone in on a knowledge base, or a talent, and using their "new broom," sweep out that person, in order to establish a new power base.  I'm not sure things would have been different, regardless of who was at the helm.  At that point, the individual band members were working on their own material, and it was a height of creativity.  

Second, it was a time, when the college campus was the place to perform.  There was a captive audience, as it were, and particularly massive numbers of young people who could network word of these performances.  For example, I was wearing my alma mater shirt to a BB C50 NY show, and in the row behind me was a guy who introduced himself, and we immediately discussed a BB show at Boston College in 1972, that we both attended. Amazing that 40 years later, we had been at the same show.  Toni Tenille was there.  (I was very jealous.)  

So, in going from colleges to casinos, alongside their contemporaries, with various formats, and managers, it's important to remember that the manager is about power and control.  And if that manager, perceives a member as a threat, because of his or her experiential background, then there will be conflicts.  As they say, "new broom sweeps clean."

Rieley did not invent the trend of changing the performance venue; colleges and universities had auditoria, arenas, and student networking and new underground newspapers and media outlets, such as fm radio, at their disposal.  And, performers and promoters just plugged right into it.

[BillA]

I've been thinking about this for a while and wondering if I'm right,  but it seems that men seem to like Bruce's songs more than women.  Mind you there aren't a lot of females on this board...   My daughter and I don't like Bruces songs, think they are sappy.  Mike, you stating what your wife thinks made me think of it again.  It's a massive generalisation I know, and probably wrong,  but I am surprised at all the love.    Mind you, I live in Australia where men are not especially open in the "emotions" department.  This generation seem to be a lot better though.  Again.... this is a massive generalisation, but true of most of my male friends.
[/quote
Of course you like Bruce  
http://youtu.be/_f_p0CgPeyA

 A former girlfriend once described Bruce's music as "hideous" when I tried to make a case for "Disney Girls."

 Bruce and Rieley were oil and water-no mixing. When Rieley's ideas helped get the band back in the spotlight, the winds of change were not blowing Bruce's way.

 Moreover, Bruce thought SURF'S UP was a bit of con in terms of how Brian's involvement was presented to the public.

That is an interesting era.  I don't know Rieley from Adam, notwithstanding what I've read about "embellished credentials." What I do know is often new managers zone in on a knowledge base, or a talent, and using their "new broom," sweep out that person, in order to establish a new power base.  I'm not sure things would have been different, regardless of who was at the helm.  At that point, the individual band members were working on their own material, and it was a height of creativity.  

Second, it was a time, when the college campus was the place to perform.  There was a captive audience, as it were, and particularly massive numbers of young people who could network word of these performances.  For example, I was wearing my alma mater shirt to a BB C50 NY show, and in the row behind me was a guy who introduced himself, and we immediately discussed a BB show at Boston College in 1972, that we both attended. Amazing that 40 years later, we had been at the same show.  Toni Tenille was there.  (I was very jealous.)  

So, in going from colleges to casinos, alongside their contemporaries, with various formats, and managers, it's important to remember that the manager is about power and control.  And if that manager, perceives a member as a threat, because of his or her experiential background, then there will be conflicts.  As they say, "new broom sweeps clean."

Rieley did not invent the trend of changing the performance venue; colleges and universities had auditoria, arenas, and student networking and new underground newspapers and media outlets, such as fm radio, at their disposal.  And, performers and promoters just plugged right into it.

Interesting you mention the BC show - I wasn't there but my school's 1974 yearbook mentioned that concert as one of the big events that occurred over the six years that the class was at the school (along with a picture of the Beach Boys).     

[filledeplage]

I've been thinking about this for a while and wondering if I'm right,  but it seems that men seem to like Bruce's songs more than women.  Mind you there aren't a lot of females on this board...   My daughter and I don't like Bruces songs, think they are sappy.  Mike, you stating what your wife thinks made me think of it again.  It's a massive generalisation I know, and probably wrong,  but I am surprised at all the love.    Mind you, I live in Australia where men are not especially open in the "emotions" department.  This generation seem to be a lot better though.  Again.... this is a massive generalisation, but true of most of my male friends.
[/quote
Of course you like Bruce  
http://youtu.be/_f_p0CgPeyA

 A former girlfriend once described Bruce's music as "hideous" when I tried to make a case for "Disney Girls."

 Bruce and Rieley were oil and water-no mixing. When Rieley's ideas helped get the band back in the spotlight, the winds of change were not blowing Bruce's way.

 Moreover, Bruce thought SURF'S UP was a bit of con in terms of how Brian's involvement was presented to the public.

That is an interesting era.  I don't know Rieley from Adam, notwithstanding what I've read about "embellished credentials." What I do know is often new managers zone in on a knowledge base, or a talent, and using their "new broom," sweep out that person, in order to establish a new power base.  I'm not sure things would have been different, regardless of who was at the helm.  At that point, the individual band members were working on their own material, and it was a height of creativity.  

Second, it was a time, when the college campus was the place to perform.  There was a captive audience, as it were, and particularly massive numbers of young people who could network word of these performances.  For example, I was wearing my alma mater shirt to a BB C50 NY show, and in the row behind me was a guy who introduced himself, and we immediately discussed a BB show at Boston College in 1972, that we both attended. Amazing that 40 years later, we had been at the same show.  Toni Tenille was there.  (I was very jealous.)  

So, in going from colleges to casinos, alongside their contemporaries, with various formats, and managers, it's important to remember that the manager is about power and control.  And if that manager, perceives a member as a threat, because of his or her experiential background, then there will be conflicts.  As they say, "new broom sweeps clean."

Rieley did not invent the trend of changing the performance venue; colleges and universities had auditoria, arenas, and student networking and new underground newspapers and media outlets, such as fm radio, at their disposal.  And, performers and promoters just plugged right into it.

Interesting you mention the BC show - I wasn't there but my school's 1974 yearbook mentioned that concert as one of the big events that occurred over the six years that the class was at the school (along with a picture of the Beach Boys).     

You missed a great show!  Any chance of scanning that photo for the Smiley Boarders? 

Smarties doing that yearbook!   

[SamMcK]

Disney Girls (1957) and Deirdre are two Bruce songs I like very much, particularly the first after seeing it at the final Beach Boys concert (to date) at Wembley which was a very emotional experience. Just about everything else I don't really care about admittedly.

[markcharles75]

Disney Girls was surprisingly one of the songs that moved me the most (along with Add Some Music) of the reunion tour. I always liked the song but the perfomances I watched on youtube from the 50th shows always got me and were always great

[SamMcK]

I Just Wasn't Made For These Times was so great to hear as well, it really brought home that I was seeing Brian Wilson himself back with his band playing one of his greatest gems from one of the greatest albums ever 45 years on! I still find that hard to believe!

[hypehat]

Given my previous point as Bruce as formal pitch perfect factory line ballad man, the one thing that sticks in the craw is... Why hasn't he written a song in nearly 30 years?! His last outing on a BB's album was on BB85, right? (Or does One Summer Night count/there a song on SIP I have scrubbed furiously from my cortex?)

[I. Spaceman]

I wish Bruce would have rocked out with the BB's like he did on his early solo records. Those are the most rockin' albums associated with The Beach Boys.

[AndrewHickey]

Given my previous point as Bruce as formal pitch perfect factory line ballad man, the one thing that sticks in the craw is... Why hasn't he written a song in nearly 30 years?! His last outing on a BB's album was on BB85, right? (Or does One Summer Night count/there a song on SIP I have scrubbed furiously from my cortex?)

About fifteen years ago on the BBB board he said that he'd recorded an entire album's worth of demos at home, but that he couldn't be bothered doing anything with it. He said at the time that he might make a dozen or so CDR copies for a few people and then let them make copies for other people who wanted to hear it, but as far as I know he never did.

[bgas]

Given my previous point as Bruce as formal pitch perfect factory line ballad man, the one thing that sticks in the craw is... Why hasn't he written a song in nearly 30 years?! His last outing on a BB's album was on BB85, right? (Or does One Summer Night count/there a song on SIP I have scrubbed furiously from my cortex?)

About fifteen years ago on the BBB board he said that he'd recorded an entire album's worth of demos at home, but that he couldn't be bothered doing anything with it. He said at the time that he might make a dozen or so CDR copies for a few people and then let them make copies for other people who wanted to hear it, but as far as I know he never did.

YEah, sounds to me like he's all blow. He's going to do this/that. He was never going to set himself up to be booting his own stuff

[Camus]

It's funny how tastes differ, the only Bruce song on a BB album I like is Tears in the Morning, and the alternate mix that circulates is far better than the album mix IMHO.

[AndrewHickey]

Given my previous point as Bruce as formal pitch perfect factory line ballad man, the one thing that sticks in the craw is... Why hasn't he written a song in nearly 30 years?! His last outing on a BB's album was on BB85, right? (Or does One Summer Night count/there a song on SIP I have scrubbed furiously from my cortex?)

About fifteen years ago on the BBB board he said that he'd recorded an entire album's worth of demos at home, but that he couldn't be bothered doing anything with it. He said at the time that he might make a dozen or so CDR copies for a few people and then let them make copies for other people who wanted to hear it, but as far as I know he never did.

YEah, sounds to me like he's all blow. He's going to do this/that. He was never going to set himself up to be booting his own stuff

Oh yeah, I'm just saying that that's some kind of evidence that he's written *some* songs in the last couple of decades.

[Nicko1234]

i expect we're going to see Tears In The Morning and maybe even his awful Bluebirds cover on the forthcoming boxset, at least if Bruce has his way...

Nonsense.

Bruce has admitted that if he'd wanted to he could have had far more material on Beach Boys albums over the years but that he actually wishes that fewer of his songs had been included on albums. He has said, for example, that he wishes that Deirdre and Tears in the Morning hadn't been part of Sunflower.

Bluebirds was never intended to be a Beach Boys song and was only issued out of necessity/contractual obligation.

The idea that Bruce would fight for these songs on a compilation defies all logic.

[TimmyC]

Thanks for all the replies! Just wanted to clarify though that I was asking as much about vocal contributions as I was songwriting. In addition to writing deirdre and tears in the morning, bruce has the lead on at my window and is very prominent in Add some music (maybe one or two others as well?). So that's four songs on Sunflower where he's prominent, and only one (disney girls) on Surf's up. So again, not just compositionally, but vocally as well Bruce seems absent from Surf's Up, and I was wondering why that might be the case (and I now have an idea thanks to your input).

[Nicko1234]

Thanks for all the replies! Just wanted to clarify though that I was asking as much about vocal contributions as I was songwriting. In addition to writing deirdre and tears in the morning, bruce has the lead on at my window and is very prominent in Add some music (maybe one or two others as well?). So that's four songs on Sunflower where he's prominent, and only one (disney girls) on Surf's up. So again, not just compositionally, but vocally as well Bruce seems absent from Surf's Up, and I was wondering why that might be the case (and I now have an idea thanks to your input).

I think it's simply down to the fact that on Surf's Up they weren't really a group anymore and were individuals instead. The opening track is the only writing collaboration after all.

[I. Spaceman]

Thanks for all the replies! Just wanted to clarify though that I was asking as much about vocal contributions as I was songwriting. In addition to writing deirdre and tears in the morning, bruce has the lead on at my window and is very prominent in Add some music (maybe one or two others as well?). So that's four songs on Sunflower where he's prominent, and only one (disney girls) on Surf's up. So again, not just compositionally, but vocally as well Bruce seems absent from Surf's Up, and I was wondering why that might be the case (and I now have an idea thanks to your input).

As soon as Rieley came into the picture, Bruce wasn't into the way the band was being re-presented, and just came in to do his track. That's all it was, really.

[Myk Luhv]

Bruce has admitted that if he'd wanted to he could have had far more material on Beach Boys albums over the years but that he actually wishes that fewer of his songs had been included on albums. He has said, for example, that he wishes that Deirdre and Tears in the Morning hadn't been part of Sunflower.

I guess even Bruce knows the songs he brought to the group sucked. There you have it, folks; close the thread!

[Mikie]

Bruce has admitted that if he'd wanted to he could have had far more material on Beach Boys albums over the years but that he actually wishes that fewer of his songs had been included on albums. He has said, for example, that he wishes that Deirdre and Tears in the Morning hadn't been part of Sunflower.

Can't blame him for saying that! Good for him that he admitted it. Those two wimpy songs could have been replaced with a few others that rocked and given the band a little more cred in the Rock world. The harmonies were good, but c'mon, this is suppose to be an album from a Rock & Roll band, ain't it?? It's still in my top 3 BB albums (maybe even #1) but it coulda been even better, especially for a debut Warners album! 

[TimmyC]

Thanks for all the replies! Just wanted to clarify though that I was asking as much about vocal contributions as I was songwriting. In addition to writing deirdre and tears in the morning, bruce has the lead on at my window and is very prominent in Add some music (maybe one or two others as well?). So that's four songs on Sunflower where he's prominent, and only one (disney girls) on Surf's up. So again, not just compositionally, but vocally as well Bruce seems absent from Surf's Up, and I was wondering why that might be the case (and I now have an idea thanks to your input).

As soon as Rieley came into the picture, Bruce wasn't into the way the band was being re-presented, and just came in to do his track. That's all it was, really.

'nuff said. Close the thread.