The Make It Good Appreciation Thread

[bluesno1fann]

There doesn't seem to be too much love for this misunderstood song, which resides on CATP. It's not exactly a favourite of mine, but I think it's time people started singing it's praises. Though it could have been better lyrically (Dennis's singing:  ), it's overall a brilliant experiment. It's always nice to hear the Beach Boys try something different, like country (Cottonfields), Hard Rock (All I Want To Do), Roots Rock (Much of CATP), or even Disco (Here Comes The Night, single version). Make It Good is definitely not your average Beach Boys track, but once you understand the song, it's excellent. A real dream-like song.

Oh, and I'd like to dedicate this thread to Gabo, who I know is totally going to love this thread!

[phirnis]

Impressive production but everyone was trying a little too hard on this one. Excessive is the word here.

[CenturyDeprived]

Impressive production but everyone was trying a little too hard on this one. Excessive is the word here.

+1. I want to love this song, but I have a hard time quite understanding the intention of some of it.  I'm certain Dennis was trying to be very sincere, but some of the orchestral sweeping parts just seem overly dramatic, and the song ultimately is puzzling to me.  I can't say that of any other of his songs.

That said, I'd love to hear more from people who dig the song. Sometimes hearing new insight can open my ears to things I've missed or misunderstood.

[Nicko1234]

There doesn't seem to be too much love for this misunderstood song, which resides on CATP. It's not exactly a favourite of mine, but I think it's time people started singing it's praises. Though it could have been better lyrically (Dennis's singing:  ), it's overall a brilliant experiment. It's always nice to hear the Beach Boys try something different, like country (Cottonfields), Hard Rock (All I Want To Do), Roots Rock (Much of CATP), or even Disco (Here Comes The Night, single version). Make It Good is definitely not your average Beach Boys track, but once you understand the song, it's excellent. A real dream-like song.

Oh, and I'd like to dedicate this thread to Gabo, who I know is totally going to love this thread!

What is there to understand? It`s not exactly a quadratic equation...

It`s an ok song but not one of Dennis`s best efforts.

[retrokid67]

dreamscape is probably one of the best ways to describe it.  it feels like the song is going somewhere.

[Mike's Beard]

It's a rubbish song that ruins an otherwise great album. I wish they'd used WIBNTLA in it's place or better yet convinced Brian to take a crack at a full band version of Sweet Mountain.

[metal flake paint]

Found a vinyl copy of CATP at the Chapel Street Bazaar circa 1990. Mesmerised by the atmospheric brilliance of Make It Good upon first listen.

[Andrew G. Doe]

I believe someone once referred to this as a "pseudo-Wagnerian soundscape" which was "affecting but also mildly irritating because it doesn't get anywhere", and by crackey, they nailed it.

Oh, wait... that was me.  

[CenturyDeprived]

It would be more than mildly amusing if someone at a record pressing plant got "Make it Good" mixed up with "Make it Big", leading to "Make it Good" winding up on "Still Cruisin'", while "Make it Big" sneaks onto CATP. Coffee would be spit out by listeners far and wide.

[Disney Boy (1985)]

I think this would have remained better as an in-joke on another thread - as it was prior to today - rather than being made into an actual thread, especially as we've all gone to such pains to clam down the hysteria which resulted following previous Dennis-song appreciation threads.

Regardless... I love Make It Good. Loved it the first time I heard CATP and never had an inclination of the animosity it attracted until I joined this board. It's not a song, it's a poem with orchestral backing. Clearly not a lot of people's cup of tea - but it certainly moves me...

[bluesno1fann]

Regardless... I love Make It Good. Loved it the first time I heard CATP and never had an inclination of the animosity it attracted until I joined this board. It's not a song, it's a poem with orchestral backing. Clearly not a lot of people's cup of tea - but it certainly moves me...

Yeah, agreed. That's how I see it. I was quite shocked too when I found out.

There doesn't seem to be too much love for this misunderstood song, which resides on CATP. It's not exactly a favourite of mine, but I think it's time people started singing it's praises. Though it could have been better lyrically (Dennis's singing:  ), it's overall a brilliant experiment. It's always nice to hear the Beach Boys try something different, like country (Cottonfields), Hard Rock (All I Want To Do), Roots Rock (Much of CATP), or even Disco (Here Comes The Night, single version). Make It Good is definitely not your average Beach Boys track, but once you understand the song, it's excellent. A real dream-like song.

Oh, and I'd like to dedicate this thread to Gabo, who I know is totally going to love this thread!

What is there to understand? It`s not exactly a quadratic equation...

It`s an ok song but not one of Dennis`s best efforts.

It's not easy to describe, but it's to understand how Dennis was going with it.

[halblaineisgood]

.

[Disney Boy (1985)]

I believe someone once referred to this as a "pseudo-Wagnerian soundscape" which was "affecting but also mildly irritating because it doesn't get anywhere", and by crackey, they nailed it.

Oh, wait... that was me.  

Sometimes not really going anywhere is quite nice...

[phirnis]

In general, I like that particular time frame in BB history because it's incredibly strange. CATP was the group's attempt at an early-70s rock sound and DW's material doesn't seem to fit in at all - which I think is great, because it's a remarkable thing to do for a group's drummer to come up with music like that when the rest of the guys were essentially trying to be The Band. It's something you don't expect even on an album that would've been an unusual set of songs anyway. That's what I really really like about CATP, even though it's clearly no Pet Sounds.

[Fire Wind]

I rather like it, so long as I pay enough attention to it during the short time that it's on.  It needs attention.  But even at my best, I don't feel quite as moved as it sounds.

If it doesn't go anywhere, it's because it's already there and that's the problem. We're hearing a grand climax, but without experiencing the journey to it, thus the moment can feel unearned.  And then it's over before you know it and you can just move on, a grand thing seeming slight.  Problem of length, I guess.

[Sheriff John Stone]

I love "Make It Good"; I think it's a very good song. I don't find it fragmentary or incomplete. It has a direct vocal intro, a peak, and a typical (but nice) Dennis fade. It's not as good as "Cuddle Up", and that's part of the problem - the sequencing and proximity to "Cuddle Up". They should've separated the two Dennis songs better, one song on Side 1 and one song on Side 2.

[smilethebeachboysloveyou]

I believe someone once referred to this as a "pseudo-Wagnerian soundscape" which was "affecting but also mildly irritating because it doesn't get anywhere", and by crackey, they nailed it.

I don't feel it needs to get anywhere that it doesn't--it works perfectly in the context of the CATP album as the firs of the last three beautiful songs (the only part of that album that achieves anything like unity).  Admittedly I almost never listen to it without listening to "All This is That" and "Cuddle Up" immediately afterwards, but I still love the song.

[SMiLE Brian]

What's next, a Denny's drums thread?

[bluesno1fann]

What's next, a Denny's drums thread?

Now that song was filler rubbish! I don't think Make It Good deserves to be compared to that!

[Mike's Beard]

I prefer Denny's Drums.

[SMiLE Brian]

I think both tracks are filler.

[Disney Boy (1985)]

I think both tracks are filler.

Not liking a song doesn't automatically make it filler. Dennis (and Daryl Dragon) clearly, audibly put a lot of work into creating Make it Good - whether you like the results or not is another story, but filler it ain't...

[SMiLE Brian]

Considering what Dennis had in his song bag at the time, it's filler.

[Andrew G. Doe]

I think both tracks are filler.

Apparently extracted from his then-solo album.

[halblaineisgood]

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