Runaway Dancer available for purchase on itunes

[FatherOfTheMan Sr101]

A perfect song. I love everything about it.

It's a dream come true, Brian is truly in control and you can hear it. He's happy. He's got poppy amazing basslines.

This is like an orgy of R.A.M and BDubs harmonies.

I love it I love it I love it.

This needs to be everywhere, please. Radio. TV. Movies. Everwhere. I love the lyrics too, they tell a cool modern tale.


EDIT: Adult Contemporary? My favorite part of this song is Brian is ignoring his age. MAKE THE MUSIC YOU WANT DUDE THIS AMAZING.

[Shady]

I absolutely love this song 

A huge risk for Brian but it pays off. Whoever created that beat deserves credit too, so catchy.

[tony p]

I must be in the minority but this to me is forgettable

If I wanted to hear cheap, tacky ‘dance/techno’ type beats, id just turn on the radio and listen to any of the countless disposable songs that’s played everyday

Is this what passes for a BW tune in 2015?

Disappointing.

[FatherOfTheMan Sr101]

I wonder if the same thing was said when Love You came out.

[ForHerCryingSoul]

I wonder if the same thing was said when Love You came out.

"Ugh, Love You has way too many synths...  It's not authentic.  That's not Brian Wilson!"
In all serious though, Love You is one of my favorite albums, next to SMiLE.  Runaway Dancer reminds me of Love You's synths.

[branaa09]

Brian Wilson once again, blowing minds! Pet Sounds in 1966, Smile would have to in 1967 and then Love You in 1977! Now it's 2015 and he's doing it once more! It would be bizarre to hear this on today's hit radio knowing it's him from way back when! It better hit the charts and knock off all the untalented pop music!

[the professor]

Canonicity is impossible to determine on day one of a piece of art. Looks like we have to invoke Longinus again: the truly sublime is that which please "all and always," transcending time. How long ago was Love You? In that many years from now RD can be evaluated properly.

[zachrwolfe]

‍

[joshferrell]

wow this song is really cool,,,kind of a smooth jazz type feel to it,,,

[stack-o-tracks]

Ehhhhhh, I know we're all excited for new Brian Wilson music, but this is definitely not one of the better songs Brian Wilson has written/recorded in his 53 or 4+ years of musicianism.


I don't want to be that guy, but this shi'ts really lacking in the hooks & harmonies department.


Not even Setenddate Love and the Mythical Room could save this travesty.


PS: Anybody thinking this song will "blow up", be "popular" or "played on the radio", is delusional and completely out of touch.










Again, I'm not trying to be "that guy", but just remember you heard it here first when this atrocity crashes and burns.


Love & Mercy,


stack-o-tracks

[Summertime Blooz]

Ehhhhhh, I know we're all excited for new Brian Wilson music, but this is definitely not one of the better songs Brian Wilson has written/recorded in his 53 or 4+ years of musicianism.


I don't want to be that guy, but this shi'ts really lacking in the hooks & harmonies department.


Not even Setenddate Love and the Mythical Room could save this travesty.


PS: Anybody thinking this song will "blow up", be "popular" or "played on the radio", is delusional and completely out of touch.










Again, I'm not trying to be "that guy", but just remember you heard it here first when this atrocity crashes and burns.


Love & Mercy,


stack-o-tracks

Everybody's entitled to their own etc. However...no way would I say this song is lacking in the  hooks and harmonies department. I don't even understand how someone would come up with that assessment, but I guess we all hear things a little differently. Anyway, this album seems like it should be diverse enough to have a little something for everybody, and I don't even think that this song will end up being among my favorites when all is said and done. But I am enjoying it quite a bit for now.

[stack-o-tracks]

I dunno, man, jus listen to Sebu's "Safe And Sound" and then compared that to the "ya it's been the talk of the town" that's repeated several times in this new tune.


It just don't do it for me. Not trying to be controversial or whatever or anything at all, really, but yeah.


Maybe it works for a prechorus, but for the number of times that "ya its been the talk of the town" bit plays throughout the song, it's just not on the same level as the choruses or hooks that put Brian Wilson on the level that he's on. unless that part ain't the hook? But what do i know? I'm just some Brian Wilsinfidel.


the sample of "Runaway Dancer" seemed kinda cool, but the whole thing's kinda repetitive, lacking that je ne sais quois that Brian Wilson songs generally have.....

[brother john]

I have to say, that IMHO this is absolute drivel. It has nothing in common with Love You. It is totally bland and inconsequential.

Has this been posted? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgQQKnT0hv4

Sorry, but Ugh.

[SinisterSmile]

I've only heard the live version, but it's not doing anything for me. I want to like this song, but I just don't.

It feels flat and awkward, it goes nowhere.

[kwebb]

It has nothing in common with Love You.

The two are similar in how people react to them. Love You is an album that people either really love or really hate, and Runaway Dancer seems to be getting similar reactions from people.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

It has nothing in common with Love You.

The two are similar in how people react to them. Love You is an album that people either really love or really hate, and Runaway Dancer seems to be getting similar reactions from people.

Agreed. I happen to love it, personally, but it seems to be a love it/hate it track. To be honest, I can't see why, because I happen to dig it so much. :/

[The Shift]

Haven't listened t it enough yet but if Our Special Love is the descendant of TWGMTR, then this is descendant of '85, particularly Passing Friend…

[brother john]

It has nothing in common with Love You.

The two are similar in how people react to them. Love You is an album that people either really love or really hate, and Runaway Dancer seems to be getting similar reactions from people.

The reactions may be similar, the music is not.

[phirnis]

I have to say, that IMHO this is absolute drivel. It has nothing in common with Love You. It is totally bland and inconsequential.

Has this been posted? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgQQKnT0hv4

Sorry, but Ugh.

I think it has a lot more in common with Here Comes the Night 1979, even though it's not a remake. Or make that a cross between HCTN79 and the Jimmy Buffett collaboration. I wouldn't call it absolute drivel, that's way too harsh I think, but like I said before, it sounds way too slick for my personal taste.

Love You was the high point of a long development. A song like I'll Bet He's Nice is not that different from Funky Pretty or the arrangement/production of Sweet Mountain.

[Wylson]

I have mixed feelings. I like that Brian is trying something a bit different. And I like the intro.

But the beats are so bad, it sounds like one of those bad Bee Gees songs from the 90s. im just really surprised this is how Brian wants his music to sounds, drum loops and synth sounds that could have come directly from one of those games when you make your own dance song.

And the comparisons with Love you... I guess they both have synthesisers, but what else?

As someone else said above, people saying that this will be on the radio probably don't listen to current music. Take a listen to Hot Chip or someone like that and see the difference.

[Niko]

Haven't listened t it enough yet but if Our Special Love is the descendant of TWGMTR, then this is descendant of '85, particularly Passing Friend…

....did brian have anything to do with Passing Friend?

[MarcellaHasDirtyFeet]

I like this song more with each listen. I'm not trying to come up with comparisons, because it isn't really comparable to anything, after all. It's a Brian Wilson song arranged in a modern pop style, and that's a unique enough combo to work for me! If I had to compare it to anything, I'd say this is like "Isn't it Time" in that it's a  radio-friendly, smooth pop song with a strong back beat and a modern polish, although the similarities end there.

Not the world's most interesting electronic beat, but it does what a Brian drum beat usually does-- only what's absolutely necessary (unlike much of his other recent work, which uses more of the drum kit than he did in his hey day). The harmonies sound like Brian to me, especially where they shift into the higher range at the actual "Runaway, runaway dancer" part in the chorus. Are those synth horns in the intro/backing track, or the real thing?

The sax grew on me as well. The whole song has gelled together the more I've listened. Not a grower, just a great groove.

I wonder how this board's appreciation of "Runaway Dancer" breaks down age-wise. I'm 30 and I don't listen to much modern pop music, but I'll tell you this-- Brian did a lot better writing a dance song than any of my half-baked attempts! Haha which isn't all that surprising, now, is it?

[FatherOfTheMan Sr101]

People seem to be assessing the song in very different ways.

This type of music is not to be looked at under the same light as traditional Brian.

For example, here I am looking almost exclusively for a BASSLINE. In today's cars, that us youngins drive, you find likely that the bass is cranked all the way up. This is awful for most music, but listen to that bass! I can hear it already shaking the whole street on the drive off campus.

Harmonies. They're for atmosphere here, then they kick it up for the chorus.

As for hook, it should be incredibly basic.

"Yeah it's been the talk of the town... Runaway Dancer..."

If it hasn't been stuck in your head, you aren't even letting it take you over.

Don't look at this and say "this is awkward because a 72 year old is trying to be hip"

Look at this as "FatherOfTheMan showed this to his buddies who like the dirtiest bass and simple hooks and they even went and bought it"

It's gonna be a big one, and that's good because it's straight up, simple and clean BDubs music. I hear him all over it.

[FatherOfTheMan Sr101]

It has nothing in common with Love You.

The two are similar in how people react to them. Love You is an album that people either really love or really hate, and Runaway Dancer seems to be getting similar reactions from people.

The reactions may be similar, the music is not.

From a purely musical standpoint: the basslines and structure... The instrumentation... It actually IS a lot like Love You.

[Alan Smith]

Haven't listened t it enough yet but if Our Special Love is the descendant of TWGMTR, then this is descendant of '85, particularly Passing Friend…

....did brian have anything to do with Passing Friend?

Very little to nothing at all most likely, but I can appreciate where J-Man is going with that comment, I think.  I find snippets of the melody and chord structure reminiscent (purely by coincidence, I dare say) of PF.