"Had to Phone Ya"

[Andrew G. Doe]

If you take "Everyone's In Love With You" at face value, it is not so bad. I wish that I could go back in time before I heard that it was about the Maharishi. It takes on a different flavor when you know the particulars.

I agree. When I first heard the song, and for a year or so after that, I liked it - including the lyrics - because I thought it was about an attractive girl who everybody fell in love with, but she never found love herself. Then, when Mike began introducing the song in concert, well, that changed everything.

There a number of well thought out, nicely arranged, good songs on 15 Big Ones. I always thought "It's OK" and "Palisades Park" could stand with a lot of Brian's stuff from his heyday. Even "That Same Song"; I think it's a well-written song, with an nice intro, verse, chorus, and a little tag. But, Brian can't bring it to fruition because of his vocal. Same with "Back Home"; it's a well-done song/track. Some like Brian's vocal, others might wince, but the song does get going.

There's Mike's "a bow, bow, bow" on "Chapel Of Love". The "Tallahassee Lassie" segment leaves you wanting for more. For such a short song, "TM Song" has a lot going on there; I like the melody on the "What time is it, how long has it been..." part. There's something wrong with "Blueberry Hill", but parts of it are cool.

Brian was still very creative in 1976. Think of all the stuff, really neat stuff that he did that year, including the Love You album. I'd still like to know more about what happened to him in 1978....and....Landy must've really whacked him out in 1983 because, creatively, he's never been the same.

Your last remark puzzles me, SJS, although I can empathise partly with the point you make. Well, let me challenge you: what about the best of the Paley sessions? About 'Melt Away', and the 'surf ballad segment' in 'Rio Grande' (which I am very partial to)? About 'TWGMTR' (the single, as classic as BW gets)?

I'll see that and raise you "Midnight's Another Day".

[brother john]

One thing I've been wondering though, why is it that the backing track is missing a drum OD?

Indeed... Its always been a favourite track of mine. The backing track would have been even better with drums.

[Sheriff John Stone]

If you take "Everyone's In Love With You" at face value, it is not so bad. I wish that I could go back in time before I heard that it was about the Maharishi. It takes on a different flavor when you know the particulars.

I agree. When I first heard the song, and for a year or so after that, I liked it - including the lyrics - because I thought it was about an attractive girl who everybody fell in love with, but she never found love herself. Then, when Mike began introducing the song in concert, well, that changed everything.

There a number of well thought out, nicely arranged, good songs on 15 Big Ones. I always thought "It's OK" and "Palisades Park" could stand with a lot of Brian's stuff from his heyday. Even "That Same Song"; I think it's a well-written song, with an nice intro, verse, chorus, and a little tag. But, Brian can't bring it to fruition because of his vocal. Same with "Back Home"; it's a well-done song/track. Some like Brian's vocal, others might wince, but the song does get going.

There's Mike's "a bow, bow, bow" on "Chapel Of Love". The "Tallahassee Lassie" segment leaves you wanting for more. For such a short song, "TM Song" has a lot going on there; I like the melody on the "What time is it, how long has it been..." part. There's something wrong with "Blueberry Hill", but parts of it are cool.

Brian was still very creative in 1976. Think of all the stuff, really neat stuff that he did that year, including the Love You album. I'd still like to know more about what happened to him in 1978....and....Landy must've really whacked him out in 1983 because, creatively, he's never been the same.

Your last remark puzzles me, SJS, although I can empathise partly with the point you make. Well, let me challenge you: what about the best of the Paley sessions? About 'Melt Away', and the 'surf ballad segment' in 'Rio Grande' (which I am very partial to)? About 'TWGMTR' (the single, as classic as BW gets)?

In the 1960's and much of the 1970's, Brian Wilson was composing and arranging music that, frankly, could only come from the mind of Brian Wilson. From "I Went To Sleep" to"This Whole World" to "My Solution" to "A Day In The Life Of A Tree" to "Mt. Vernon And Fairway" to "Child Of Winter" to "We Gotta Groove" to "Johnny Carson" to "Solar System" to "Mike Come Back To L.A.", these songs were "so Brian". They were so damn creative, original, quirky, spontaneous, and honest.

But, again, something happened when Brian was hospitalized in 1978, and, again, when Landy took him away in 1983. When Brian resurfaced he was different; you could see it in his eyes and hear it in his voice. Listen to his first solo song, "Let's Go To heaven In My Car". It's so generic, uninteresting, almost a "Brian Wilson by numbers" production. And, unfortunately, in my opinion, that trend continued. You mentioned "Melt Away", which is a perfect example of what I am referring to. I find the song to be incredibly overrated, nevermind the fact that Brian shouts the entire lead vocal, and, I think it was ripped off from Dennis Wilson's "Moonshine" and "Farewell My Friend".

All of those qualities that I listed above in referring to Brian's 1960's and 70's work seemed to have disappeared. I don't hear creative arrangements, humor, brilliance, quirkiness, and originality. I hear recycled riffs and themes. I think that Brian's diminished vocal performance post-1983 is not given enough weight in explaining why his later work does not reach the heights of his earlier work. But, I think the overwhelming reason - in my opinion and I know many others disagree - is the lack of creativity. It seems dulled, manufactured, and recycled. We could get into several reasons why that was/is - trying to get a hit record, trying to make Brian appear "normal", Brian's lost his talent, Brian not actually writing or arranging the material (I am very skeptical about Brian's contributions to certain songs including "TWGMTR"), etc. Do fans listen to Brian's solo records NEARLY as much as Beach Boys' albums? Are you fulfilled by Brian's solo work? Which Brian solo tracks blow your mind? Are there a lot of them? Does that explain my position any better? Sorry for the negativity....Merry Christmas, huh...

[Rotat]

If you take "Everyone's In Love With You" at face value, it is not so bad. I wish that I could go back in time before I heard that it was about the Maharishi. It takes on a different flavor when you know the particulars.

I agree. When I first heard the song, and for a year or so after that, I liked it - including the lyrics - because I thought it was about an attractive girl who everybody fell in love with, but she never found love herself. Then, when Mike began introducing the song in concert, well, that changed everything.

There a number of well thought out, nicely arranged, good songs on 15 Big Ones. I always thought "It's OK" and "Palisades Park" could stand with a lot of Brian's stuff from his heyday. Even "That Same Song"; I think it's a well-written song, with an nice intro, verse, chorus, and a little tag. But, Brian can't bring it to fruition because of his vocal. Same with "Back Home"; it's a well-done song/track. Some like Brian's vocal, others might wince, but the song does get going.

There's Mike's "a bow, bow, bow" on "Chapel Of Love". The "Tallahassee Lassie" segment leaves you wanting for more. For such a short song, "TM Song" has a lot going on there; I like the melody on the "What time is it, how long has it been..." part. There's something wrong with "Blueberry Hill", but parts of it are cool.

Brian was still very creative in 1976. Think of all the stuff, really neat stuff that he did that year, including the Love You album. I'd still like to know more about what happened to him in 1978....and....Landy must've really whacked him out in 1983 because, creatively, he's never been the same.

Your last remark puzzles me, SJS, although I can empathise partly with the point you make. Well, let me challenge you: what about the best of the Paley sessions? About 'Melt Away', and the 'surf ballad segment' in 'Rio Grande' (which I am very partial to)? About 'TWGMTR' (the single, as classic as BW gets)?

In the 1960's and much of the 1970's, Brian Wilson was composing and arranging music that, frankly, could only come from the mind of Brian Wilson. From "I Went To Sleep" to"This Whole World" to "My Solution" to "A Day In The Life Of A Tree" to "Mt. Vernon And Fairway" to "Child Of Winter" to "We Gotta Groove" to "Johnny Carson" to "Solar System" to "Mike Come Back To L.A.", these songs were "so Brian". They were so damn creative, original, quirky, spontaneous, and honest.

But, again, something happened when Brian was hospitalized in 1978, and, again, when Landy took him away in 1983. When Brian resurfaced he was different; you could see it in his eyes and hear it in his voice. Listen to his first solo song, "Let's Go To heaven In My Car". It's so generic, uninteresting, almost a "Brian Wilson by numbers" production. And, unfortunately, in my opinion, that trend continued. You mentioned "Melt Away", which is a perfect example of what I am referring to. I find the song to be incredibly overrated, nevermind the fact that Brian shouts the entire lead vocal, and, I think it was ripped off from Dennis Wilson's "Moonshine" and "Farewell My Friend".

All of those qualities that I listed above in referring to Brian's 1960's and 70's work seemed to have disappeared. I don't hear creative arrangements, humor, brilliance, quirkiness, and originality. I hear recycled riffs and themes. I think that Brian's diminished vocal performance post-1983 is not given enough weight in explaining why his later work does not reach the heights of his earlier work. But, I think the overwhelming reason - in my opinion and I know many others disagree - is the lack of creativity. It seems dulled, manufactured, and recycled. We could get into several reasons why that was/is - trying to get a hit record, trying to make Brian appear "normal", Brian's lost his talent, Brian not actually writing or arranging the material (I am very skeptical about Brian's contributions to certain songs including "TWGMTR"), etc. Do fans listen to Brian's solo records NEARLY as much as Beach Boys' albums? Are you fulfilled by Brian's solo work? Which Brian solo tracks blow your mind? Are there a lot of them? Does that explain my position any better? Sorry for the negativity....Merry Christmas, huh...

I know what you're saying. I think he lost a ton of the magic and creativity in the 80s that he had left in the late 70s. I am a HUGE fan of Brian Wilson '88 too.. I actually think it is quite an awesome record (Melt Away, Let It Shine, Rio Grande, Baby Let Your Hair Grow Long are all amazing tunes), but still I feel only about half or so of the record has that BW "magic" to it, and like you said, a lot of it is recycled and mostly not really stuff that is idiosyncratic that he's been doing in the 70s with Love You and whatnot. That was a definite "Too many cooks" situation and the production suffered and sounds sterile compared to what he could do before.

Andy Paley was good for him, but that album is saturated with collaborators (and Landy trying to intervene, though he did come up with good lyrics here and there). The lack of the other Beach Boys on the tracks might be part of the reason, since "In My Car" I think is quite awesome and is close to having that "magic" except the production is still not up to par compared to past glories.

(Then again who else who had fame in the 60s survived the 80s? Everyone sucked when the 80s came so it's a surprise the BBs and BW actually did do some good stuff.. Still I'm just observing and thinking out loud)

It's sad that Brian really hasn't done any of his own productions since '76/'77... I know that Brian can still be in control and I've read stories how Brian can still be a producer and do things his way. He still knows how to create magic in the studio, but for some reason something always holds him back these days. I wish someone would just put him in the studio, let him do his thing and just create stuff on his own. Obviously collaborators don't hurt, he's been using them for decades, even in his prime, but production-wise, I'd love to see another "Love You" come out. Or an album that he is completely in control and does things his way, with no input from anyone else. Maybe that's how he does things these days? I doubt it though.

[startBBtoday]

I think it's simple: age.

How many artists are as creative in their 40s, 50s and 60s as they are in their 20s and 30s?

I also think "Pacific Coast Highway" stacks up with anything Brian wrote from 1975 on, though.

[punkinhead]

If you take "Everyone's In Love With You" at face value, it is not so bad. I wish that I could go back in time before I heard that it was about the Maharishi. It takes on a different flavor when you know the particulars.

I agree. When I first heard the song, and for a year or so after that, I liked it - including the lyrics - because I thought it was about an attractive girl who everybody fell in love with, but she never found love herself. Then, when Mike began introducing the song in concert, well, that changed everything.

There a number of well thought out, nicely arranged, good songs on 15 Big Ones. I always thought "It's OK" and "Palisades Park" could stand with a lot of Brian's stuff from his heyday. Even "That Same Song"; I think it's a well-written song, with an nice intro, verse, chorus, and a little tag. But, Brian can't bring it to fruition because of his vocal. Same with "Back Home"; it's a well-done song/track. Some like Brian's vocal, others might wince, but the song does get going.

There's Mike's "a bow, bow, bow" on "Chapel Of Love". The "Tallahassee Lassie" segment leaves you wanting for more. For such a short song, "TM Song" has a lot going on there; I like the melody on the "What time is it, how long has it been..." part. There's something wrong with "Blueberry Hill", but parts of it are cool.

Brian was still very creative in 1976. Think of all the stuff, really neat stuff that he did that year, including the Love You album. I'd still like to know more about what happened to him in 1978....and....Landy must've really whacked him out in 1983 because, creatively, he's never been the same.

Your last remark puzzles me, SJS, although I can empathise partly with the point you make. Well, let me challenge you: what about the best of the Paley sessions? About 'Melt Away', and the 'surf ballad segment' in 'Rio Grande' (which I am very partial to)? About 'TWGMTR' (the single, as classic as BW gets)?

Surf ballad segment of Rio Grande, what part is this?

[punkinhead]

If you take "Everyone's In Love With You" at face value, it is not so bad. I wish that I could go back in time before I heard that it was about the Maharishi. It takes on a different flavor when you know the particulars.

I honestly thought Everyone's in Love with you was written for Brian, how everyone's in love with him and wanted him back...this and Had to Phone Ya had very different backing instrumentals, compared to the rest of the albums tracks (bedsides Al's Susie Cincinatti, obvious reasons why), I feel like EILWY and HTPY are a little more orchestral driven and the rest are synth driven (it's a wonder Brian didn't know how to use a synth during the 80s Usher Sessions!). I know Mike "arranged" EILWY, but Brian produced it, right?

[punkinhead]

If you take "Everyone's In Love With You" at face value, it is not so bad. I wish that I could go back in time before I heard that it was about the Maharishi. It takes on a different flavor when you know the particulars.

I agree. When I first heard the song, and for a year or so after that, I liked it - including the lyrics - because I thought it was about an attractive girl who everybody fell in love with, but she never found love herself. Then, when Mike began introducing the song in concert, well, that changed everything.

There a number of well thought out, nicely arranged, good songs on 15 Big Ones. I always thought "It's OK" and "Palisades Park" could stand with a lot of Brian's stuff from his heyday. Even "That Same Song"; I think it's a well-written song, with an nice intro, verse, chorus, and a little tag. But, Brian can't bring it to fruition because of his vocal. Same with "Back Home"; it's a well-done song/track. Some like Brian's vocal, others might wince, but the song does get going.

There's Mike's "a bow, bow, bow" on "Chapel Of Love". The "Tallahassee Lassie" segment leaves you wanting for more. For such a short song, "TM Song" has a lot going on there; I like the melody on the "What time is it, how long has it been..." part. There's something wrong with "Blueberry Hill", but parts of it are cool.

Brian was still very creative in 1976. Think of all the stuff, really neat stuff that he did that year, including the Love You album. I'd still like to know more about what happened to him in 1978....and....Landy must've really whacked him out in 1983 because, creatively, he's never been the same.

Your last remark puzzles me, SJS, although I can empathise partly with the point you make. Well, let me challenge you: what about the best of the Paley sessions? About 'Melt Away', and the 'surf ballad segment' in 'Rio Grande' (which I am very partial to)? About 'TWGMTR' (the single, as classic as BW gets)?

In the 1960's and much of the 1970's, Brian Wilson was composing and arranging music that, frankly, could only come from the mind of Brian Wilson. From "I Went To Sleep" to"This Whole World" to "My Solution" to "A Day In The Life Of A Tree" to "Mt. Vernon And Fairway" to "Child Of Winter" to "We Gotta Groove" to "Johnny Carson" to "Solar System" to "Mike Come Back To L.A.", these songs were "so Brian". They were so damn creative, original, quirky, spontaneous, and honest.

But, again, something happened when Brian was hospitalized in 1978, and, again, when Landy took him away in 1983. When Brian resurfaced he was different; you could see it in his eyes and hear it in his voice. Listen to his first solo song, "Let's Go To heaven In My Car". It's so generic, uninteresting, almost a "Brian Wilson by numbers" production. And, unfortunately, in my opinion, that trend continued. You mentioned "Melt Away", which is a perfect example of what I am referring to. I find the song to be incredibly overrated, nevermind the fact that Brian shouts the entire lead vocal, and, I think it was ripped off from Dennis Wilson's "Moonshine" and "Farewell My Friend".

All of those qualities that I listed above in referring to Brian's 1960's and 70's work seemed to have disappeared. I don't hear creative arrangements, humor, brilliance, quirkiness, and originality. I hear recycled riffs and themes. I think that Brian's diminished vocal performance post-1983 is not given enough weight in explaining why his later work does not reach the heights of his earlier work. But, I think the overwhelming reason - in my opinion and I know many others disagree - is the lack of creativity. It seems dulled, manufactured, and recycled. We could get into several reasons why that was/is - trying to get a hit record, trying to make Brian appear "normal", Brian's lost his talent, Brian not actually writing or arranging the material (I am very skeptical about Brian's contributions to certain songs including "TWGMTR"), etc. Do fans listen to Brian's solo records NEARLY as much as Beach Boys' albums? Are you fulfilled by Brian's solo work? Which Brian solo tracks blow your mind? Are there a lot of them? Does that explain my position any better? Sorry for the negativity....Merry Christmas, huh...

How does Moonshine and Farewell my Friend sound like Melt Away?
I actually thought Brian had never heard the POB album.

[Niko]

If you really wanna know the answer...you can get it in a few days 

[Andrew G. Doe]

I actually thought Brian had never heard the POB album.

Just because Brian's said he's never heard something doesn't mean it's true. 

[Micha]

Do fans listen to Brian's solo records NEARLY as much as Beach Boys' albums?

Well, that depends. I consider myself a fan and have listened to TLOS way more often than CATP, Holland, 15BO, Love You, and LA combined. I listen to any of the '65-'66 albums way more than TLOS, however.

If some random guy had recorded two albums in the 1960s and one of them featured only Brian and the other the full BBs on vox, it would be the latter I'd listen more to.

[CenturyDeprived]

I don't like 15 Big Ones at all, but Had To Phone Ya is a track I've always thought quite fondly of (along with It's OK). I love it with vocals, and hearing the backing track just makes me appreciate it that much more.

One thing I've been wondering though, why is it that the backing track is missing a drum OD?

Zachrwolfe - not sure I know which drum OD you are referring to... what part (or timecode) of the song is it?

[c-man]

I don't like 15 Big Ones at all, but Had To Phone Ya is a track I've always thought quite fondly of (along with It's OK). I love it with vocals, and hearing the backing track just makes me appreciate it that much more.

One thing I've been wondering though, why is it that the backing track is missing a drum OD?

Zachrwolfe - not sure I know which drum OD you are referring to... what part (or timecode) of the song is it?

The main drum part was overdubbed. When Mark mixed the instrumental track for MIC, he and Alan decided to leave it off and present the track only (interestingly, the strings were recorded live, then doubled).

[CenturyDeprived]

I don't like 15 Big Ones at all, but Had To Phone Ya is a track I've always thought quite fondly of (along with It's OK). I love it with vocals, and hearing the backing track just makes me appreciate it that much more.

One thing I've been wondering though, why is it that the backing track is missing a drum OD?

Zachrwolfe - not sure I know which drum OD you are referring to... what part (or timecode) of the song is it?

The main drum part was overdubbed. When Mark mixed the instrumental track for MIC, he and Alan decided to leave it off and present the track only (interestingly, the strings were recorded live, then doubled).

Hmm... interesting. I'm gonna give the "Had to Phone Ya" versions another A-B comparison listen.

I wonder how many of these MIC instrumental-only/vocal-only mix decisions that have omitted or changed parts of the song were done out of necessity (out of available elements), for some band political reason, or if the band (or Mark/Allan) just liked it better that way, and got approval on it?  An honest account, track-by-track for that information would make for some liner notes that I'd love to read

Another MIC different mix that has kinda bugged me a bit is the vocal-only version of "This Whole World", which seems to really dial down in volume Brian's "oooh-wooo-wooos" around 1:22. It's always been one of my fave parts of the song (in the song's full version), but it's waaay quieter in the MIC vocals-only mix, for reasons unknown to me.

[zachrwolfe]

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