The Beach Boys Live - The 50th Anniversary Tour

[Aegir]

I consider myself a Beach Boys completist (I even bought a Chris Farmer album once) but this seems so uunappealing to me that it's not even worth listening to once.

[LdC]

Listening to this now and despite what others have said, well, I love it. Its a good token of the concert and I am glad its out. Just heard Bruce on "Wendy", and now its Dave's turn ...WOW!

[the professor]

I consider myself a Beach Boys completist (I even bought a Chris Farmer album once) but this seems so uunappealing to me that it's not even worth listening to once.

Great Aegir, It's way way way better than the dissecting critique renders it; get it and rock out.

Trust the professor

[Waspinators]

I've been enjoying it quite a bit myself on Spotify, whether blasting it at home or through a tinny iPhone speaker at work. Some tracks do fall a bit flat instrumentally, but most sound OK to me (aside from the buried percussion). The autotune seems to be really enraging a lot of folks on here, but it doesn't bother me much. The only spots where it becomes a bit comical for me is a couple lines in DBD and "Come on and safari...". The C50 gig I attended had Brian noticeably autotuned and it was an absolutely breathtaking show regardless, so that kinda transfers over to the album. It's a fun live album with pleasant vocals for the most part, and a few "WOW" moments here and there. A few tracks, including Getcha Back, Wendy, and 'Dizzany' Girls are almost up there with the original studio cuts for me in terms of sheer enjoyability. Could've been done better, but I like it... strong 3 or a weak 4 for me.

[coco1997]

"Getcha Back," "Disney Girls," "Pet Sounds," and "All This Is That" are the highlights. I would've ditched "Isn't It Time" or "That's Why God Made The Radio" in favor of "Please Let Me Wonder" or "Cotton Fields." Brian's flown-in vocals on "Heroes and Villains" were bad enough, but is there any live singing happening on "TWGMTR"? Seriously, if they couldn't get their s*** together vocally for that song at any point during the tour, they should've left it off this record. Listening to those recordings is an audial insult.

I'm surprised Joe Thomas didn't auto-tune Mike's "Wheeeeeeeeennnnnnnnnnnnnnn" on "BTTYS."

[the professor]

"Getcha Back," "Disney Girls," "Pet Sounds," and "All This Is That" are the highlights. I would've ditched "Isn't It Time" or "That's Why God Made The Radio" in favor of "Please Let Me Wonder" or "Cotton Fields." Brian's flown-in vocals on "Heroes and Villains" were bad enough, but is there any live singing happening on "TWGMTR"? Seriously, if they couldn't get their s*** together vocally for that song at any point during the tour, they should've left it off this record. Listening to those recordings is an audial insult.

I'm surprised Joe Thomas didn't auto-tune Mike's "Wheeeeeeeeennnnnnnnnnnnnnn" on "BTTYS."

Yes, the Lost BB is the star of the album for sure, and I just love hearing Bruce and Dave together on GB--just play that tune over and over.  Only super low points for me are: Jeff on TLGIWK and Wendy; Brian on ASMTYD (he sounds like a ghost); Jeff on end of TWGMTR. Beyond that, it's rockin and great, despite the endless dissecting of some stern audiophiles, whose points may be technically true but whose critique is withered by the BB music , heard in toto, in my car driving through LA.

[coco1997]

Yes, the Lost BB is the star of the album for sure, and I just love hearing Bruce and Dave together on GB--just play that tune over and over.

It blows me away how much David sounds like Dennis; specifically, what Dennis would have sounded like had he not destroyed himself with drugs and alcohol. I really appreciate the distinct texture David's voice lends to "GB" and would love to hear his vocals showcased  on future BB/BW solo records.

[shelter]

It's a shame that this album isn't as purely "live" as it probably should've been. But like some guy from some band (can't remember which one) once said: "The live album might not sound exactly like the actual concert did, but it sounds just how we think it should have sounded". I can live with that, I guess.

Having said that, I really love this album. I think it's a very pleasant listening experience with a few really cool "deep cuts". Surprising highlight for me is Wendy, Bruce sounds superb on that.

[scooby1970]

When I first heard this album on my top-end stereo, I concentrated way too much on the sound quality. Once I'd ripped it to MP3 and put it on my iPod I listened to it over and over again for the music within, and now I'm really enjoying the entire two-CD set. Great song selection, some great singing and we should all be happy we have newly released material at this stage in the bands career.

Mark

[Rocky Raccoon]

While some songs definitely suffer from excessive pitch correction, others do not (even if they use it).  Overall despite being terribly flawed, it's still an enjoyable album and it's worth it as a souvenir of sorts if you attended one of the shows on the tour which is likely to be the last ever full fledged Beach Boys tour.  And some of the songs are very unique of their studio versions that I think makes this at least an essential purchase for the serious fan.  Three stars.

[bluesno1fann]

The album sounds too unnatural. My least favourite Beach Boys live album.
2 out of 5.

[Lonely Summer]

I watched the dvd for the first time tonight, now I'm listening to the cd, and my feeling about it is the same as many others here - way too much autotune. I think in another 10 or 20 years, we're going to look back upon the autotune era the same way we look now upon the synth-heavy 80's. It's nice to see and hear the guys together again, but that autotune just sucks all the naturalness, the warmth out of the recording, resulting in a very sterile sound. No way would I choose this recording over, say, Knebworth, where they still sounded like human beings, warts and all.

[Freddie French-Pounce]

No way would I choose this recording over, say, Knebworth, where they still sounded like human beings, warts and all.

I agree with you, but Mike has AT there too [Listen to Do It Again]

[LdC]

I am just watching the dvd and the sound on the cd sounds a lot better though I think at least some is the same concert ( Do it again for example)..Its such  a shame the dvd is not longer.

I still listen to the cd set quite a bit with Disney Girls being a favourite, though I do like the whole album.

[Mr. Wilson]

4/5 A fine record that is hurt by auto tune and sterile sound.. A fine memento to unbelievable  summer of seeing + hearing BB one last time before they hit the rocking chair.. With all the warts here its still a rockin set..

[slippingonthrough]

I was on Spotify and I clicked on this version Be True To Your School.   

JUST NO MIKE!

[job]

Lighten up Francis.  This is a great record.  I love it almost as much as their career-best live piece In Concert.  Add in Live at Knebworth and you've got the live best of the band from all angles & periods.

[Dudd]

That BW album update thread got me thinking about this album again, and how much of a train wreck it is. I've tried time and time again but I can't get into it. I've never managed to get through a single track. The AutoTune is so shamelessly excessive it completely robs the album of its honesty and any true charm it could have had.
I mean, I only just found out today they actually mixed in vocals from BWPS for Heroes and Villains, which blew my mind. It's unthinkable.
Thank goodness there are some good quality audience recordings about...

[beacharg]

I gave it a 3 just because of the rare tunes in it like California, Getcha Back, Pet Sounds, etc, but for a good and decent (and human!) listen I stick to the Japan show, which is great.

Just listen to the very first Mike's vocals on "Dont Back Now", I think that the audio of that song is from the Chiba song, and yet an unnecessary and grotesque autotune was added!

Joe Thomas should be fired from the BB world, once for all. What he did to the DVD is even worse.

[Freddie French-Pounce]

That BW album update thread got me thinking about this album again, and how much of a train wreck it is. I've tried time and time again but I can't get into it. I've never managed to get through a single track. The AutoTune is so shamelessly excessive it completely robs the album of its honesty and any true charm it could have had.
I mean, I only just found out today they actually mixed in vocals from BWPS for Heroes and Villains, which blew my mind. It's unthinkable.
Thank goodness there are some good quality audience recordings about...

It was figure out they weren't wasn't it? They don't even sound similar.

[KDS]

I gave this live record a 3/5.

I do think that the much discussed auto tune can be pretty bad, especially on Mike's lead vocals.  But, overall the songs are played well at least.

This is a decent live album that should have been great.  The three most glaring omissions take it down a peg for me too - Please Let Me Wonder, Kiss Me Baby, and IJWMFTT.  

[the professor]

Is that Japan show still on sale?

thanks


uote author=beacharg link=topic=15659.msg454818#msg454818 date=1402431539]

I gave it a 3 just because of the rare tunes in it like California, Getcha Back, Pet Sounds, etc, but for a good and decent (and human!) listen I stick to the Japan show, which is great.

Just listen to the very first Mike's vocals on "Dont Back Now", I think that the audio of that song is from the Chiba song, and yet an unnecessary and grotesque autotune was added!

Joe Thomas should be fired from the BB world, once for all. What he did to the DVD is even worse.
[/quote]