MiC Song/Tracklisting Discussion Thread

[Jim V.]

I'd love to hear more of those tracks eventually; apparently Brian and Michael put down quite a few tracks at those sessions.

Right on man. My question is, what was the point of those sessions? They weren't "Beach Boys" sessions were they? Unlike say, something like "Stevie" which only may have been Brian and Dennis, but I'm pretty sure was logged as "The Beach Boys". Were they for Mike's solo album? I'm leaning towards that since the Looking Back With Love version of "Be My Baby" originates from those sessions.

Whatever this stuff was intended for, I really dig it too. I prefer their version of "Why Don't They Let Us Fall In Love" to The Ronettes' version, and "River Deep, Mountain High" rocks too. Shame maybe they couldn't have corralled that stuff together with stuff like "Stevie" and "Sweetie" and a few other things and gotten a decent early '80s album out.

[Wrightfan]

I'm probably most excited about Brian's solo demo of "California Feelin'".  I've always liked that song and was disappointed just slightly that they "Anthology 2'd" the group version of the song.  So it's nice that we'll have a (presumably) untouched demo available on this set as well.  I'm curious about the wording on the "Don't Worry Baby" outtake as well.  An alternate version of the song could be a revelation as for years this was one of those session tapes that went missing.  But the phrasing of the description worries me slightly and I wonder if we are going to get a brief sound bite of say the chorus or something with some studio chatter both preceding and tailing it.

Based on the iTunes listings, it will be longer then the released version. Guessing the beginning of the session and then the take (or takes.)

[Jason]

I'd love to hear more of those tracks eventually; apparently Brian and Michael put down quite a few tracks at those sessions.

Right on man. Man question is, what was the point of those sessions? They weren't "Beach Boys" sessions were they? Unlike say, something like "Stevie" which only may have been Brian and Dennis, but I'm pretty sure was logged as "The Beach Boys". Were they for Mike's solo album? I'm leaning towards that since the Looking Back With Love version of "Be My Baby" originates from those sessions.

Whatever this stuff was intended for, I really dig it too. I prefer their version of "Why Don't They Let Us Fall In Love" to The Ronettes' version, and "River Deep, Mountain High" rocks too. Shame maybe they couldn't have corralled that stuff together with stuff like "Stevie" and "Sweetie" and a few other things and gotten a decent early '80s album out.

These were technically Brian/Michael sessions, recorded at Michael's WAVES home studio in Santa Barbara and produced by Brian. Be My Baby did form the basis for the Looking Back With Love version - outtakes of that version clearly feature Brian counting off on the track, and the keys are played by him as well. I don't think the July 1980 sessions were ever intended to be for the Looking Back With Love album, as those sessions never commenced until June of 1981. But they apparently did take the sessions quite seriously, as they put down at least a half-dozen tracks, some of which (Bucks and Children of the Night) Michael had recorded on his own as early as May of 1980.

[Nicko1234]

My thoughts on the tracklisting...

Disc One: I think the songs on this disc are generally well chosen (a few like Our Car Club, Betsy etc. are debatable perhaps) and it is kind of an alternative Endless Summer. Any casual fans should enjoy this disc but the fact that Back Home is the only unreleased track means that is is something of a disappointment. It`s a real shame that other rare songs or early versions were not included for whatever reason.

Disc Two: The music on this disc is mostly genius (though Then I Kissed Her should definitely be included ahead of Salt Lake City) but the problem for the compilers is obviously that the Pet Sounds and Smile sets had drained the well dry. One or two unreleased songs from Party wouldn`t have gone amiss.

Disc Three: This disc has a few more rarities with the early version of Meant for You highly anticipated and Sound of Free an excellent inclusion. I can`t help but feel greedy for more though. There are so many alternate versions from this era (eg. Big Sur) and it`s a shame a few more didn`t make the cut.

Disc Four: I think the selections on this disc are a little more debatable. The alternate mixes for Rock and Roll Music and It`s OK are very welcome, it`s good to have a genuinely unreleased song in Goin to the Beach and It`s a Beautiful Day is a well chosen rarity. And Wouldn`t it be Nice to Live Again is the standout of course. Don`t Go Near the Water is an odd choice as an opener though and Brian`s Back is a bizarre inclusion. To not have any 15 Big Ones outtakes, Adult Child songs, Carry Me Home, The 45 mix of Cuddle Up etc. is a disappointment to me.

Disc Five: I strongly feel that this should have been all live recordings. It wouldn`t have been difficult to cut ten songs from the previous discs and having an entire CD of live stuff would have been much more coherent. The fact that there is a gap between 1975 and 1993 is also a major oversight. Soul Searchin` and You`re Still a Mystery are great inclusions but I think rare things like the single mix of Somewhere Near Japan and Rock and Roll to the Rescue would have added value for the completists.

Disc Six: This is obviously by far the most interesting disc and has an impressive lot of unbooted stuff. I wish they hadn`t included the Smile backing vocals or the Good Vibrations sections but other than that this is faultless.

[Nicko1234]

These were technically Brian/Michael sessions, recorded at Michael's WAVES home studio in Santa Barbara and produced by Brian. Be My Baby did form the basis for the Looking Back With Love version - outtakes of that version clearly feature Brian counting off on the track, and the keys are played by him as well. I don't think the July 1980 sessions were ever intended to be for the Looking Back With Love album, as those sessions never commenced until June of 1981. But they apparently did take the sessions quite seriously, as they put down at least a half-dozen tracks, some of which (Bucks and Children of the Night) Michael had recorded on his own as early as May of 1980.

I think Adam said that Bucks was the most impressive of these tunes so a shame it didn`t make the cut.

[SonicVolcano]

My thoughts on the tracklisting...

Disc One: I think the songs on this disc are generally well chosen (a few like Our Car Club, Betsy etc. are debatable perhaps) and it is kind of an alternative Endless Summer. Any casual fans should enjoy this disc but the fact that Back Home is the only unreleased track means that is is something of a disappointment. It`s a real shame that other rare songs or early versions were not included for whatever reason.

Disc Two: The music on this disc is mostly genius (though Then I Kissed Her should definitely be included ahead of Salt Lake City) but the problem for the compilers is obviously that the Pet Sounds and Smile sets had drained the well dry. One or two unreleased songs from Party wouldn`t have gone amiss.

Disc Three: This disc has a few more rarities with the early version of Meant for You highly anticipated and Sound of Free an excellent inclusion. I can`t help but feel greedy for more though. There are so many alternate versions from this era (eg. Big Sur) and it`s a shame a few more didn`t make the cut.

Disc Four: I think the selections on this disc are a little more debatable. The alternate mixes for Rock and Roll Music and It`s OK are very welcome, it`s good to have a genuinely unreleased song in Goin to the Beach and It`s a Beautiful Day is a well chosen rarity. And Wouldn`t it be Nice to Live Again is the standout of course. Don`t Go Near the Water is an odd choice as an opener though and Brian`s Back is a bizarre inclusion. To not have any 15 Big Ones outtakes, Adult Child songs, Carry Me Home, The 45 mix of Cuddle Up etc. is a disappointment to me.

Disc Five: I strongly feel that this should have been all live recordings. It wouldn`t have been difficult to cut ten songs from the previous discs and having an entire CD of live stuff would have been much more coherent. The fact that there is a gap between 1975 and 1993 is also a major oversight. Soul Searchin` and You`re Still a Mystery are great inclusions but I think rare things like the single mix of Somewhere Near Japan and Rock and Roll to the Rescue would have added value for the completists.

Disc Six: This is obviously by far the most interesting disc and has an impressive lot of unbooted stuff. I wish they hadn`t included the Smile backing vocals or the Good Vibrations sections but other than that this is faultless.

What is the 45 mix of Cuddle Up? How different is it from the album cut?

[The Shift]

My thoughts on the tracklisting...

Disc One: I think the songs on this disc are generally well chosen (a few like Our Car Club, Betsy etc. are debatable perhaps) and it is kind of an alternative Endless Summer. Any casual fans should enjoy this disc but the fact that Back Home is the only unreleased track means that is is something of a disappointment. It`s a real shame that other rare songs or early versions were not included for whatever reason.

Disc Two: The music on this disc is mostly genius (though Then I Kissed Her should definitely be included ahead of Salt Lake City) but the problem for the compilers is obviously that the Pet Sounds and Smile sets had drained the well dry. One or two unreleased songs from Party wouldn`t have gone amiss.

Disc Three: This disc has a few more rarities with the early version of Meant for You highly anticipated and Sound of Free an excellent inclusion. I can`t help but feel greedy for more though. There are so many alternate versions from this era (eg. Big Sur) and it`s a shame a few more didn`t make the cut.

Disc Four: I think the selections on this disc are a little more debatable. The alternate mixes for Rock and Roll Music and It`s OK are very welcome, it`s good to have a genuinely unreleased song in Goin to the Beach and It`s a Beautiful Day is a well chosen rarity. And Wouldn`t it be Nice to Live Again is the standout of course. Don`t Go Near the Water is an odd choice as an opener though and Brian`s Back is a bizarre inclusion. To not have any 15 Big Ones outtakes, Adult Child songs, Carry Me Home, The 45 mix of Cuddle Up etc. is a disappointment to me.

Disc Five: I strongly feel that this should have been all live recordings. It wouldn`t have been difficult to cut ten songs from the previous discs and having an entire CD of live stuff would have been much more coherent. The fact that there is a gap between 1975 and 1993 is also a major oversight. Soul Searchin` and You`re Still a Mystery are great inclusions but I think rare things like the single mix of Somewhere Near Japan and Rock and Roll to the Rescue would have added value for the completists.

Disc Six: This is obviously by far the most interesting disc and has an impressive lot of unbooted stuff. I wish they hadn`t included the Smile backing vocals or the Good Vibrations sections but other than that this is faultless.

I think the good quality tracks you've highlighted as not being included point to the fact that there's more than sufficient material for another package of this nature in the future, as long as this one sells well.  We know there're even at least a couple or three TSS omissions to make it tastier to a wider audience.

[smilethebeachboysloveyou]

Disc Two: The music on this disc is mostly genius (though Then I Kissed Her should definitely be included ahead of Salt Lake City)

I disagree completely.  "Salt Lake City" is an outstanding production and a great rock and roll song; it's one of the best tracks on Summer Days (and Summer Nights!!), even if the lyrics aren't the best.  "Then I Kissed Her," on the other hand, in spite of the change in lyrics, is one of the few Beach Boys cover songs from this time period that I don't feel Brian sufficiently made his own.  I prefer Spector's original, honestly.

[Nicko1234]

I disagree completely.  "Salt Lake City" is an outstanding production and a great rock and roll song; it's one of the best tracks on Summer Days (and Summer Nights!!), even if the lyrics aren't the best.  "Then I Kissed Her," on the other hand, in spite of the change in lyrics, is one of the few Beach Boys cover songs from this time period that I don't feel Brian sufficiently made his own.  I prefer Spector's original, honestly.

Irrespective of quality, Then I Kissed Her was a number 4 hit. It is one of the group`s signature tunes in the U.K. so should be on a career retrospective.

[MBE]

Piano is louder in the intro and fade. Makes it a lot less prone to noisy static on vinyl.

[The Shift]

I disagree completely.  "Salt Lake City" is an outstanding production and a great rock and roll song; it's one of the best tracks on Summer Days (and Summer Nights!!), even if the lyrics aren't the best.  "Then I Kissed Her," on the other hand, in spite of the change in lyrics, is one of the few Beach Boys cover songs from this time period that I don't feel Brian sufficiently made his own.  I prefer Spector's original, honestly.

Irrespective of quality, Then I Kissed Her was a number 4 hit. It is one of the group`s signature tunes in the U.K. so should be on a career retrospective.

If it's a contest between the two, I'd go for SLC every time. It's a terrific track, one that the SoT set really opened up my ears to. The backing track rocks, and the fade is classic Brian, one of the best he's done.  And those backing vocals…

Then I Kissed her surpasses the original in my opinion, and for my partner and me it's actually "our song".  But it ain't an original and doesn't really say as much about Brian's artistic development and progression as SLC.

SLC is also such a feel good, burst-out-of-the-sunshine blast of joy – it's Fun Fun Fun Central for the teen generation – while TIKH's mood is so… end of childhood, let's take on some responsibility and tether ourselves to each other for better-or-worse-probably-worse-end-of-innocence-etc.

[Nicko1234]

If it's a contest between the two, I'd go for SLC every time. It's a terrific track, one that the SoT set really opened up my ears to. The backing track rocks, and the fade is classic Brian, one of the best he's done.  And those backing vocals…

Then I Kissed her surpasses the original in my opinion, and for my partner and me it's actually "our song".  But it ain't an original and doesn't really say as much about Brian's artistic development and progression as SLC.

SLC is also such a feel good, burst-out-of-the-sunshine blast of joy – it's Fun Fun Fun Central for the teen generation – while TIKH's mood is so… end of childhood, let's take on some responsibility and tether ourselves to each other for better-or-worse-probably-worse-end-of-innocence-etc.

In that case there are quite a few hits that needn`t have been included...

[smilethebeachboysloveyou]

I disagree completely.  "Salt Lake City" is an outstanding production and a great rock and roll song; it's one of the best tracks on Summer Days (and Summer Nights!!), even if the lyrics aren't the best.  "Then I Kissed Her," on the other hand, in spite of the change in lyrics, is one of the few Beach Boys cover songs from this time period that I don't feel Brian sufficiently made his own.  I prefer Spector's original, honestly.

Irrespective of quality, Then I Kissed Her was a number 4 hit. It is one of the group`s signature tunes in the U.K. so should be on a career retrospective.

Ah, I forgot that it was a hit in the UK.  I still think "Salt Lake City" is a superior song, but it makes a bit more sense that people would want to see "Then I Kissed Her" on MiC now.

[The Shift]

If it's a contest between the two, I'd go for SLC every time. It's a terrific track, one that the SoT set really opened up my ears to. The backing track rocks, and the fade is classic Brian, one of the best he's done.  And those backing vocals…

Then I Kissed her surpasses the original in my opinion, and for my partner and me it's actually "our song".  But it ain't an original and doesn't really say as much about Brian's artistic development and progression as SLC.

SLC is also such a feel good, burst-out-of-the-sunshine blast of joy – it's Fun Fun Fun Central for the teen generation – while TIKH's mood is so… end of childhood, let's take on some responsibility and tether ourselves to each other for better-or-worse-probably-worse-end-of-innocence-etc.

In that case there are quite a few hits that needn`t have been included...

True… an I'm among those who wish the hits had all been presented in alternative forms, especially given the fact that this set comes on the heels of last year's 50BOs and GHs releases. Though that's a minor gripe and I'm delighted with what we're getting regardless.

[SonicVolcano]

Also looking forward to the new/alternate mixes of It's OK and Rock And Roll Music. I hope the latter is similar to the 'hot mix'.

[c-man]

Also looking forward to the new/alternate mixes of It's OK and Rock And Roll Music. I hope the latter is similar to the 'hot mix'.

It is...clashing guitars & the extra verse.

[coco1997]

It is...clashing guitars & the extra verse.

What can you tell us about 'Barnyard Blues,' c-man?

[c-man]

It is...clashing guitars & the extra verse.

What can you tell us about 'Barnyard Blues,' c-man?

It's funky, with a  "down-homey", quasi-Little Feet vibe, and really cool lyrics. 

[coco1997]

It's funky, with a  "down-homey", quasi-Little Feet vibe, and really cool lyrics. 

 

[KokoNO]

I'd love to hear more of those tracks eventually; apparently Brian and Michael put down quite a few tracks at those sessions.

 I prefer their version of "Why Don't They Let Us Fall In Love" to The Ronettes' version

 

No, you don't!

 

Blasphemy.

[SonicVolcano]

Also looking forward to the new/alternate mixes of It's OK and Rock And Roll Music. I hope the latter is similar to the 'hot mix'.

It is...clashing guitars & the extra verse.

Awesome

[c-man]

"Where Is She":  I hope you all have clean floors, 'cause your jaws will be spending a lot of time there.   

[coco1997]

"Where Is She":  I hope you all have clean floors, 'cause your jaws will be spending a lot of time there.   

Sounds like this song will be replacing "Got To Know the Woman" on my custom "Sunflower" tracklist.

[Wrightfan]

"Where Is She":  I hope you all have clean floors, 'cause your jaws will be spending a lot of time there.   

Man, I'm getting really pumped about this song. Hearing people talk about it and seeing that it's longer then I thought.

Hate to bother but is Back Home (1970) the same as the bootleg or are there differences?

[c-man]

"Where Is She":  I hope you all have clean floors, 'cause your jaws will be spending a lot of time there.   

Man, I'm getting really pumped about this song. Hearing people talk about it and seeing that it's longer then I thought.

Hate to bother but is Back Home (1970) the same as the bootleg or are there differences?

Pretty much the same.