BBC Radio 2 Play "Saturday Night" 24/03

[Sie W]

Ken Bruce just played Saturday Night at 10:55 UK time, caught me out as was driving at the time and just started humming  along as if I knew the song already, then it hit me!!!  I hope the show can be played back off the BBC Radio 2 website at some point, cant check as on my phone at the moment!

[FatherOfTheMan Sr101]

Excellent! Nice catch man, I'll check the sites asap!

[Sie W]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05mpzxn


1hr 26 mins  25 seconds in

[WesB8302]

Wow.  The last 3 songs that have been released/leaked have just been fantastic.  The ending of Saturday Night seems to be a bit of a let down, maybe it would have been better had they repeated the chorus one more time and faded out.  Honestly, of the ones we've heard thus far, "Right Time" is my least favorite, and even it's a good song.  But Runaway Dancer, Sail Away, and now Saturday Night have all three knocked my socks off.  I can't wait to get NPP!

[coco1997]

Really loving this track. I can see this being a big hit.

[Matt H]

Really loving this track. I can see this being a big hit.

Agreed, I think this one could be a big hit!

[The Shift]

This is the dog's bollocks. Best track heard yet from this album, by a long chalk. Standout.

[Zeb]

Better get the lawyers ready.  Uncomfortable similarity to Greatest American Hero theme song. 

[bonnevillemariner]

I like the song, but I'm not hearing a lot of Brian.  That's really my only concern about this album.  I want to hear Brian Wilson on a Brian Wilson album.  The guest-heavy tracks are just bonus tracks to me-- and that includes that Blondie verse on "Sail Away."  I dig the symbolism of having him on the album and singing on that verse, but aside from the symbolism he really brings nothing to the table. 

[job]

I like the song, but I'm not hearing a lot of Brian.  That's really my only concern about this album.  I want to hear Brian Wilson on a Brian Wilson album.  The guest-heavy tracks are just bonus tracks to me-- and that includes that Blondie verse on "Sail Away."  I dig the symbolism of having him on the album and singing on that verse, but aside from the symbolism he really brings nothing to the table. 

You mean other than writing and arranging them???

[Empire Of Love]

Brian is a song writer, producer, arranger, musician, and vocalist.  I am hearing a lot of Brian Wilson on this album so far.  Think of the Santana revival albums.  For Brian, the studio is his voice, his guitar. As for the vocals, apparently he wanted us to hear Blondie here and Al there and himself over there.  Same way he wants us to hear the bass harmonica here and the accordion there.

Sail Away bleeds Brian Wilson, as well as the others.  You just need to be more open to what it means to hear Brian Wilson.

EoL

[bonnevillemariner]

I like the song, but I'm not hearing a lot of Brian.  That's really my only concern about this album.  I want to hear Brian Wilson on a Brian Wilson album.  The guest-heavy tracks are just bonus tracks to me-- and that includes that Blondie verse on "Sail Away."  I dig the symbolism of having him on the album and singing on that verse, but aside from the symbolism he really brings nothing to the table. 

You mean other than writing and arranging them???

Yeah, I don't really care much about or notice writing and arrangement.  I guess that makes me music dumb.  Joe Biden could have arranged that number and I wouldn't know any better.  I want to *hear* Brian.  So yeah, I mean other than writing and arranging.

[bonnevillemariner]

Brian is a song writer, producer, arranger, musician, and vocalist.  I am hearing a lot of Brian Wilson on this album so far.  Think of the Santana revival albums.  For Brian, the studio is his voice, his guitar. As for the vocals, apparently he wanted us to hear Blondie here and Al there and himself over there.  Same way he wants us to hear the bass harmonica here and the accordion there.

Sail Away bleeds Brian Wilson, as well as the others.  You just need to be more open to what it means to hear Brian Wilson.

EoL

Think if Brian had limited his involvement in the Beach Boys' formative years to writing, producing, and arranging.  Do you really think all those kids were listening and thinking, "Dang that's some sweet arranging"?  It was the sound, and Brian's voice was a major factor there.  I hear more Brian Wilson in the Explorers' Club stuff and Jeff Foskett's solo stuff than I hear in most of Brian's stuff.

[job]

WOW.  That makes it 5 for 5 of full tracks the I've heard and love from this record!  Each one is better than the last.  This really sounds like an excellent Beach Boys record would sound.

[Rich E P]

Far and away my favourite song that has leaked out thus far (and I am really enjoying the others).  Takes me back to the Vegas show.  Nate was the standout guest.  Wait until you hear the full Hold On, Dear Brother.  You will pee your pants or cry or whatever it is you do when you are completely blown away.  This song could be a hit.  Love the banjo.  Killer production.  Backing vocals on the chorus is the sound of the summer waves washing the wax out of your ears.  Brian, you are gift that just keeps on giving!  Thanks for bringing such joy at a time when I really need it!

[job]

I like the song, but I'm not hearing a lot of Brian.  That's really my only concern about this album.  I want to hear Brian Wilson on a Brian Wilson album.  The guest-heavy tracks are just bonus tracks to me-- and that includes that Blondie verse on "Sail Away."  I dig the symbolism of having him on the album and singing on that verse, but aside from the symbolism he really brings nothing to the table. 

You mean other than writing and arranging them???

Yeah, I don't really care much about or notice writing and arrangement.  I guess that makes me music dumb.  Joe Biden could have arranged that number and I wouldn't know any better.  I want to *hear* Brian.  So yeah, I mean other than writing and arranging.

Yes you do or you wouldn't have cared about or noticed the Beach Boys.  The voices are just another instrument in the arrangement. 

[SloopJohnB]

My favorite song from NPP so far. The chorus is unbelievably catchy, and Nate's clear voice complements the melody and arrangement nicely. I think it would perform really well as a single.

[rab2591]

Brian is a song writer, producer, arranger, musician, and vocalist.  I am hearing a lot of Brian Wilson on this album so far.  Think of the Santana revival albums.  For Brian, the studio is his voice, his guitar. As for the vocals, apparently he wanted us to hear Blondie here and Al there and himself over there.  Same way he wants us to hear the bass harmonica here and the accordion there.

Sail Away bleeds Brian Wilson, as well as the others.  You just need to be more open to what it means to hear Brian Wilson.

EoL

Agreed 100%. One thing I love about Brian is that he is willing to say "Someone else would sound better on this song" - he's done it his whole life in the studio...it's what makes him the artist that he is. Nate Ruess sounds incredible on this song, and honestly I can't see this song being as powerful if Brian had taken the lead.

PS this sounds nothing like the Greatest American Hero theme song.

[bonnevillemariner]

Yes you do or you wouldn't have cared about or noticed the Beach Boys.  The voices are just another instrument in the arrangement. 

You make a good point.  I suppose the facet of his arrangement that I appreciate the most (inordinately more than the others, I guess) is the vocals.  I think one of the reasons I don't care much for later Beach Boys work is Brian's reduced presence in the vocal stack.

[Debbie Keil-Leavitt]

I did catch all the ads and Nate Reuss on "The Voice" last evening as well.  The lead singer on this song is getting face time on national TV in the US as well, so it's all good.

As far as it coming up again here that "only the vocals matter" - do you people truly never consider the fact that if someone hadn't written the song, that no one would be singing it?  Seriously?  Never mind the whole arranging/mixing etc. parts of the recording process.  How would you be hearing anything if the recording process never took place?  I guess we sometimes need to get back to the fundamentals.

[bonnevillemariner]

I did catch all the ads and Nate Reuss on "The Voice" last evening as well.  The lead singer on this song is getting face time on national TV in the US as well, so it's all good.

As far as it coming up again here that "only the vocals matter" - do you people truly never consider the fact that if someone hadn't written the song, that no one would be singing it?  Seriously?  Never mind the whole arranging/mixing etc. parts of the recording process.  How would you be hearing anything if the recording process never took place?  I guess we sometimes need to get back to the fundamentals.

My point is that I prefer Brian Wilson songs with Brian on lead (or heavy on the harmonies, a la "Right Time") over Brian Wilson songs with guests on lead.  The vocals are a bigger deal than many people think.

[Wirestone]

Well, Brian sings lead on the verses of Runaway Dancer; sings a verse, bridge and chorus on Sail Away; and as you noted is heavy in the backing vox for Rught Time -- so it's difficult to say he's not present vocally on the album, right?

[The Shift]

Listen to this song with headphones on… it is subtley saturated with Brian's voice.

[bonnevillemariner]

Well, Brian sings lead on the verses of Runaway Dancer; sings a verse, bridge and chorus on Sail Away; and as you noted is heavy in the backing vox for Rught Time -- so it's difficult to say he's not present vocally on the album, right?

I said I didn't hear a lot of Brian on "Saturday Night" on the couple times I was able to listen to it.  This grew into a larger gripe about the guests, none of which I care much for yet aside from Al.  In fact, the more I listen to "Sail Away" (my fav so far of the NPP songs we've heard), the more I really don't like Blondie's vocal on that first verse.

[startBBtoday]

I like the song, and with Nate's inclusion, I do believe it could have been a hit. I think the production will preclude it from being one, however.

I'm not sure if it's the way Brian prefers his songs to sound or if it's Joe Thomas' influence, but the production and possibly arrangement of this album sounds neither modern nor "retro." It feels caught in an early 2000s adult contemporary or family-film soundtrack vibe. It's too clean and sterile.

I think an epic sound like Fun's production or more of a stripped down "California Sage" feel would have worked and potentially put this on the charts.

I will listen to this album and really enjoy it, and if working with Joe Thomas gets Brian Wilson albums completed and on shelves, then I have to appreciate it. But, for example, the guitar solo is this song is so inoffensive, it's offensive.