Al Jardine's opposition to Somewhere Near Japan

[TimmyC]

I know this isn't the point of the thread, but what an awesome, awesome, awesome song and recording. Although this isn't saying much, it's clearly the last great thing they did until That's Why God Made the Radio.

[Rotat]

I know this isn't the point of the thread, but what an awesome, awesome, awesome song and recording. Although this isn't saying much, it's clearly the last great thing they did until That's Why God Made the Radio.

I totally agree.. I avoided this album like the plague for a long time until I recently came to this board and saw people praise this song left and right. I was shocked at how amazing this song really is. Even that guitar part in the beginning is so sublime, although I've heard people call it "cheesy", as well as the production. The production on this song is MILES ahead of anything on BB '85 as far as I'm concerned. I'm really surprised this wasn't a hit..

Gotta say I love "Still Cruisin'" the song too. A bit cheesy but catchy as hell and great harmonies. I don't think that album is anywhere near as bad as people say it is (except Wipe Out).

[CenturyDeprived]

I know this isn't the point of the thread, but what an awesome, awesome, awesome song and recording. Although this isn't saying much, it's clearly the last great thing they did until That's Why God Made the Radio.

I totally agree.. I avoided this album like the plague for a long time until I recently came to this board and saw people praise this song left and right. I was shocked at how amazing this song really is. Even that guitar part in the beginning is so sublime, although I've heard people call it "cheesy", as well as the production. The production on this song is MILES ahead of anything on BB '85 as far as I'm concerned. I'm really surprised this wasn't a hit..

Gotta say I love "Still Cruisin'" the song too. A bit cheesy but catchy as hell and great harmonies. I don't think that album is anywhere near as bad as people say it is (except Wipe Out).

+1.

I love the Still Cruisin' album.  Much prefer it to BB '85 (which I sorta kinda like anyway).

In My Car, Make it Big... pretty much the whole thing (sans Wipeout) is pretty rad in a totally 80s kind of way. I mean, I actually like The Fat Boys, but I don't want to hear them on a BB LP in the middle of other non-jokey songs.

The harmonies in Island Girl (when the lyric "Island Girrrl" is sung by the band) give me the chills, because they *really* sound near-identical to BB '60s harmonies to my ears. I can't think of many BB songs post early 70s that have that "special" BB harmony sound.

[southbay]

I read it/hear it as a guy whose heart is breaking over his girl's (in Phillips' case, his daughter's) problems, in this case specifically drugs. It's not condemning her, or saying "yeah, let's all get wasted, stoned, blasted, etc". I guess Al's interpretation of those lyrics must be very different from mine.

Yeah, but the lyrics do include some very knowing winks towards all things drugs... I mean come on, tripping on some Chinese junk. I think it is more of a love song than a drug song, but the references are loud and clear.

She wasn't tripping, she was drifting...

[SurfRiderHawaii]

Before I get taken to task again, yes drug references.  Not positive ones. Been a long time since I listened to the song all the way thru. Here are the BB version lyrics.

Late last night I got an S. O. S.
The fairy tale girl's in deep in distress
She says I don't know where I am
But it's near Japan

My engine's all burned out
My crew has all bailed out
I don't know where I am
But it's somewhere near Japan

And she said
"Rescue me"
I'm somewhere in the
China Sea
I think I'm sinkin' fast
This call is probably my last
I'm throwin' out a life line
And I'm doin' it for old time's sake
Though I know you're gonna break my heart
One more time

Late last night I got an S. O. S.
The fairy tale girl's in deep in distress
She says I don't know where I am
But it's near Japan

My engine's all burned out
My crew has all bailed out
I don't know where I am
But it's somewhere near Japan

And she said "thank you dear"
I think she sounded quite sincere
And when she turned to go
She said "I crave adventure don't you know"

And now she's driftin' on some Chinese junk
Her world is spinning and her hope has sunk
So I close my eyes
And somewhere near Japan
The spinning stopped and the world stood still
I broke her fall and I always will
Strung out in no man's land
Somewhere near Japan
Rescue me

[Robbie Mac]

I know this isn't the point of the thread, but what an awesome, awesome, awesome song and recording. Although this isn't saying much, it's clearly the last great thing they did until That's Why God Made the Radio.

I totally agree.. I avoided this album like the plague for a long time until I recently came to this board and saw people praise this song left and right. I was shocked at how amazing this song really is. Even that guitar part in the beginning is so sublime, although I've heard people call it "cheesy", as well as the production. The production on this song is MILES ahead of anything on BB '85 as far as I'm concerned. I'm really surprised this wasn't a hit..

Gotta say I love "Still Cruisin'" the song too. A bit cheesy but catchy as hell and great harmonies. I don't think that album is anywhere near as bad as people say it is (except Wipe Out).

+1.

I love the Still Cruisin' album.  Much prefer it to BB '85 (which I sorta kinda like anyway).

In My Car, Make it Big... pretty much the whole thing (sans Wipeout) is pretty rad in a totally 80s kind of way. I mean, I actually like The Fat Boys, but I don't want to hear them on a BB LP in the middle of other non-jokey songs.

The harmonies in Island Girl (when the lyric "Island Girrrl" is sung by the band) give me the chills, because they *really* sound near-identical to BB '60s harmonies to my ears. I can't think of many BB songs post early 70s that have that "special" BB harmony sound.

That's because that intro was Brian, Carl and Al.

[CenturyDeprived]

I know this isn't the point of the thread, but what an awesome, awesome, awesome song and recording. Although this isn't saying much, it's clearly the last great thing they did until That's Why God Made the Radio.

I totally agree.. I avoided this album like the plague for a long time until I recently came to this board and saw people praise this song left and right. I was shocked at how amazing this song really is. Even that guitar part in the beginning is so sublime, although I've heard people call it "cheesy", as well as the production. The production on this song is MILES ahead of anything on BB '85 as far as I'm concerned. I'm really surprised this wasn't a hit..

Gotta say I love "Still Cruisin'" the song too. A bit cheesy but catchy as hell and great harmonies. I don't think that album is anywhere near as bad as people say it is (except Wipe Out).

+1.

I love the Still Cruisin' album.  Much prefer it to BB '85 (which I sorta kinda like anyway).

In My Car, Make it Big... pretty much the whole thing (sans Wipeout) is pretty rad in a totally 80s kind of way. I mean, I actually like The Fat Boys, but I don't want to hear them on a BB LP in the middle of other non-jokey songs.

The harmonies in Island Girl (when the lyric "Island Girrrl" is sung by the band) give me the chills, because they *really* sound near-identical to BB '60s harmonies to my ears. I can't think of many BB songs post early 70s that have that "special" BB harmony sound.

That's because that intro was Brian, Carl and Al.

Yep, and that intro rules - but I'm referring more to the harmonies that come in at around 0:44 with the repeated lyric "Island Girrrl" (which I assume is the whole band including Brian, Carl, Al, Mike, and Bruce?) Even other recordings from the preceding 15-20 years (the ones that have Brian in them too) don't quite seem to have that quite same level of BB harmony magic (to my ears). Maybe it's just the word "girl" being sung that's so reminiscent of that lyric/phrasing on older BB songs like Surfer Girl. Either way, it's just an amazing part.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Brian's only on the intro and the outro - his (sparse) vocal contributions to this and "Make It Big" were added at the last moment, as was "In My Car", which Bruce described to me as "a big surprise".

[Rotat]

That's because that intro was Brian, Carl and Al.

Yep, and that intro rules - but I'm referring more to the harmonies that come in at around 0:44 with the repeated lyric "Island Girrrl" (which I assume is the whole band including Brian, Carl, Al, Mike, and Bruce?) Even other recordings from the preceding 15-20 years (the ones that have Brian in them too) don't quite seem to have that quite same level of BB harmony magic (to my ears). Maybe it's just the word "girl" being sung that's so reminiscent of that lyric/phrasing on older BB songs like Surfer Girl. Either way, it's just an amazing part.
[/quote]


Yup that's what struck me about some of those songs. I know exactly what you mean about Island Girl. That does feel like a pure BB harmony sound on the entirety of that song and I love Carl's vocal.. Same with "Still Cruisin".. "Somewhere.." has a great blend and trade off between vocalists as well. It's a shame Summer in Paradise and nothing else really came of them after this, because there's a lot of potential going on these songs.

Much much more than the BB 85 production debacle. Good songs on there I'll admit, but people tend to look at this as the bottom of the barrel garbage material when the best material on it is better than just about anything on KTSA or BB 85 easily.

I like "In My Car" quite a bit too. Has a bit of a spacy quirky 80s sound and Brian's voice sounds pretty damn good on it.

[CenturyDeprived]

Brian's only on the intro and the outro - his (sparse) vocal contributions to this and "Make It Big" were added at the last moment, as was "In My Car", which Bruce described to me as "a big surprise".

I think In My Car has to be the best Brian-penned Beach Boys song of that entire decade (not that there are many to choose from). Or maybe 2nd to Goin' On. I think In My Car is a really underrated track, with very Brian-esque unexpected changes. There was an awesome Youtube video of Brian performing (rehearsing) In My Car at some sort of odd Landy-fied home surroundings, with some of Landy's minions around him. Last I checked, the video was still there on Youtube, but with muted audio as to comply with a copyright claim

Was In My Car written for a commercial or something similar, and then it wound up being on the Still Crusin' record as a last-minute afterthought?

[Phoenix]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBpJjAppTP0

[Sheriff John Stone]

My favorite version of "In My Car" is the one Brian "performed" on the 1989 Endless Summer TV series. It always reminded me a late 1970's Sparks arrangement, something Ron Mael would come up with.

When it first came out, I liked the Still Cruisin' version, but it's kinda worn off a little bit; I don't care for the shoutiness and the production.

[Zargo]

live 1990 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5Ad2p1p388

Thanks. Nicer vocal here from Bruce than on the studio version.

[Lonely Summer]

Some years ago I asked this exact very same question to one of the Beach Boys.
He was surprised to hear about this and confirmed that Al has no issues at all with SNJ, but one song Al really didn't want to perform was "Summer in Paradise".

Then we had ice cream.

That's odd, because SIP was in the setlist for several years - unlike most other new material in the 80's/90's.

[southbay]

My favorite version of "In My Car" is the one Brian "performed" on the 1989 Endless Summer TV series. It always reminded me a late 1970's Sparks arrangement, something Ron Mael would come up with.

When it first came out, I liked the Still Cruisin' version, but it's kinda worn off a little bit; I don't care for the shoutiness and the production.

Yeah, well it sounded nothing like that at the actual concert...

[Lonely Summer]

My favorite version of "In My Car" is the one Brian "performed" on the 1989 Endless Summer TV series. It always reminded me a late 1970's Sparks arrangement, something Ron Mael would come up with.

When it first came out, I liked the Still Cruisin' version, but it's kinda worn off a little bit; I don't care for the shoutiness and the production.

Yeah, well it sounded nothing like that at the actual concert...

That live version by Brian isn't nearly as overproduced as the album version. This was back when everyone wanted those Phil Collins Exedrin Headache Number 9 drums on their records. The drums were so loud, made it hard to me to tell who was singing lead on what part.

[Jim V.]

Brian's only on the intro and the outro - his (sparse) vocal contributions to this and "Make It Big" were added at the last moment, as was "In My Car", which Bruce described to me as "a big surprise".

I'm glad they added Brian to "Make It Big" and "Island Girl". He really adds so much of that special something to those songs. Obviously these aren't primo Beach Boys songs, but "Make It Big" is a classic '80s pop song, and "Island Girl" is a nice little tune from Al.

I've really grown to like "In My Car" after all these years. I guess maybe I thought it was super '80s cheese, but it is a really nice uptempo song. And I like that Brian sings in a bit of a higher register.

But I have to ask, Andrew, what did Bruce mean by a "surprise"? Like a pleasant surprise? Or surprised by how bad it was? Or just that Brian gave them a song?

[Andrew G. Doe]

Judging by his expression and tone of voice, a mixture of both.

[RangeRoverA1]

Interesting discussion, but those who insist on drug references (esp. Mr. Doe) are totally misguided. And here's why: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junk_(ship)
As you see from that article, "junk" is a water mean of travel (Chinese, keep in mind). So, considering the full line goes "And now she's drifting on some Chinese junk", the said definition fits right into the context. Don't know about other words, but I always thought the song has nothing to do with drugs. Still think so.

Re Summer In Paradise: I think Al dislikes it either because of bad memories (since those were times when he & Mike didn't talk well) or really corny self-referential lyrics. Just a hunch.

[J.G. Dev]

Interesting discussion, but those who insist on drug references (esp. Mr. Doe) are totally misguided. And here's why: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junk_(ship)
As you see from that article, "junk" is a water mean of travel (Chinese, keep in mind). So, considering the full line goes "And now she's drifting on some Chinese junk", the said definition fits right into the context. Don't know about other words, but I always thought the song has nothing to do with drugs. Still think so.

Junk is also slang for heroin......As Mike would say, it's a double entendre.

[Mendota Heights]

Some were near Japan, but most people were not.

[Mr. Wilson]

I thought Chines junk was a reference to an old Chinese boat. Could have sworn ive heard that phrase In a movie.. It never occurred to me it was a drug phrase cause I didn't think the BB would go for that.. And I am aware of the high quality heroin from china...  So whatever that all means..

[Andrew G. Doe]

A junk is indeed an old Chinese boat. It's also a slang term for drugs in general, ergo Chinese junk can also refer to opium or heroin. The intentional use of the phrase "strung out" shortly thereafter reinforces the drug inference.

Also, let us not forget the song's origin.   

[Amanda Hart]

I can't believe there is an argument over this. John Phillips was a really good songwriter, and he was also a heavy drug user. Here he's using drug slang to color the story and give it depth in a wink-and-a-nod kind of way. The song is really clever, lyrically.

[Andrew G. Doe]

I think the very obvious references tend to escape the following people:

1 - those whose first language isn't English...
2 - those who don't understand (or claim not to... ) drug slang...
3 - those whose general knowledge doesn't extend to Chinese maritime history 101...
4 - those who plain don't want to understand because I made the original point re: drug references in the song.