Rank the released NPP songs

[the captain]

Just so history has some almost first impressions (or at least early ones) to laugh at later.

1. Saturday Night.
Nate Ruess's clear, bright voice is exactly why I want modern-day Wilson albums to include other singers. It's not that I don't believe Wilson himself can sing anymore--certainly he can--but even in his prime, one of the Beach Boys' main charms was the diversity of vocals, the right voice at the right time in the right part. With all due respect to the man, I think Wilson would sound pretty bad on this lead. He's just not punchy enough. Al would be better, but still not quite vigorous enough. (I'd have taken Darian here, though. Happily.) Besides the lead, I just think this is a really good song, something I think might have been a hit once. '70s, maybe.

2a. The Last Song.
I was concerned this was going to be underwhelming with the various mentions made of it in the past year or so. After all, I found what I consider its TWGMTR soulmate, "Summer's Gone," by far the least interesting or rewarding of the album-ending trilogy. But I think this is a great pop ballad. The arrangement is really nice, actually. Really nice. I'm guessing there is major credit to Mr. Mertens, here, but whoever did the strings, kudos. The bass has its moments, the organ is subtly nice. The harmonies, the background voices, well, it's a Brian Wilson song, isn't it? Beautiful. Whatever cheese there is, I'm more than willing to accept on its own terms. And I'm a sucker for la-la-las. And you know what else? Performance and arrangements aside, I think it's just a really well written song.

2b. I Guess You Had to Be There.
Let me be clear, I am a huge fan of Kacey Musgraves. I think she's one of the very best songwriters on planet Earth right now. She's an absolutely delightful lyricist--the kind of winking wit that makes for the best country music--and a solid harmonic crafts(wo)man. "Follow Your Arrow," "Dandelions," It Is What It Is," her new "Biscuits" … for someone with one album and a few singles, her catalogue is already impressive. So it's a little ironic that for the most part I'm not in love with these lyrics. Granted, nostalgia in general turns me off. But as simple as the song's construction is, I think it's really well done. I think the refrain is great with its interplay between leads, harmonies, and background harmonies. For a song that sounds to be just I-V-IV-V throughout, there is a lot going on.

4. Sail Away.
Yeah, I mentioned not being a nostalgic kind of person. It's not easy being me. This one is the most overtly, self-consciously "Brian Wilson." I don't think it's "Kona Coast" or anything, but it's definitely dancing along a line I prefer not to approach so closely. But a couple paragraphs ago I mentioned accepting cheese on its own terms, so I have to do the same with nostalgic near-self pastiche, right? And to be fair, maybe pastiche (even near pastiche) isn't fair. Whatever "Sail Away" is, it is a good job of it. It was well sung. It sounds great. The vocal interplay is great: I'd like to hear an a cappella mix.

5. The Right Time.
When I first heard it, the word "inoffensive" kept coming to mind. That doesn't seem like a glowing review (and I guess it's not). The other word was "professional." Again, negative connotations, I suppose. But increasingly I just think it sounds like a nice album track. (Yes, that's odd for a leadoff single.) I enjoy it well enough, especially the refrain.

6. I'm Feeling Sad.
I'm not sure exactly where I'll end up on this one--or anything else, really. My opinions change over time all the time, and that's fine by me. I'm not running for office, I can flip-flop.  I enjoy this song, for the most part. Historically I've always enjoyed the simple, slice-of-life BW tunes more than the polished ones, but for whatever reason this time around I seem to be feeling exactly opposite. (Maybe I'm old enough to relate to adult contemporary!) I could have gone for some of the background singers doing the ascending middle BW vocal in one spot. It's a weird thing to think, but it's really what stands out to me when I listen to this one. For some unknown reason, this is also the first one to make me think I can't wait to have and listen to the whole album whenever I want, no more of this revisiting radio streams and hearing DJs and watching Youtube. Is this relevant at all? Is my opinion beginning to be shaded by that increasingly frustrating experience? ("Frustrating experience" being a first-world problem: having to listen to pre-release songs by your favorite songwriter in a just barely less than ideal format.)

7. Runaway Dancer.
If only that sax were gone… Maybe it's that I grew up in the sax-laden '80s, maybe it's that I played sax in school. Maybe it's that sax should be left in jazz or as a background harmony instrument in 1950s rock n roll or R n B. I really like this song and recording more and more, except that damn thing. If it were a synth, maybe, especially if there were some kind of contrapuntal part over it. Then we'd have something. And Brian Wilson really wants my approval on this sort of decision.

8. On the Island.
What little of a song this is, it sounds nice enough. A bit hazy, something that while only a couple minutes long could probably go on a few hours if it were turned down and one were sufficiently intoxicated. I'm not (yet). I kept wanting something else to happen. Nothing else did. (The lead guitar sounds cool. Is that M. Ward, I wonder? Or David? Or someone else?)

9. Our Special Love.
Still some great vocal arranging and wonderful singing. Even a nice song. But still too much like a Christian college a cappella group my mom might like. If only the beat box and bass were replaced. Or the "nothin but nothin." Or the "doesn't matter where we are…" octave lead. I wish there were a nice instrumental track--nothing obtrusive, just a bed--were here instead. And again, Brian really cares what I want. I'm important.

[RangeRoverA1]

Ok, I gave the record enough listens to finally do this. Here we go:

1. Sail Away - such a happy, feel-good song! I like the marching rhythm & the harmonies are just out of this world.
2. Runaway Dancer - it didn't take me any time - I loved it right away! It so fits for New York. It has city life vibe. It is a very tastefully done dance number. I like Sebu's voice.
3. Don't Worry - I don't see how is this Motown, but it's my huuuge favorite. Synth brass, guitar twangs are 2 of the best elements in any song. Feel the groove.
4. Saturday Night - frankly, I don't think Nate is that great a singer, but he fits like a glove here. Brian as usual, had the best ear to pick a singer for this song. Music is too catchy to overlook.
5. Tell Me Why - very beautiful in every way, it is slow, but never did it bore me in the end. Al sounds fantastic!
6. What Ever Happened - most of all, I was impressed by arrangement. Again, very tasteful, there's nothing out of place. And the melody is oh-so pleasant.
7. Our Special Love - a bit of a downer, but I like an a cappella approach. It is fresh & has good aesthetic value, at least for me. It does sound boys' band-ey during the "Standing my waaaay!" shouty line. And so?
8. I'm Feeling Sad - accordion & "pa-ba-doo-ba' will do. Oh, & I llove the final "I'm feeling saaad!" It was more like "I'm feeling happy", very positive.
9. Half Moon Bay - to my surprise, I liked this one. It is music for ruminations.
10. One Kind of Love - great intro! Great chorus.
11. On the Island - big fan of Zooey, she had good chemistry w/ Brian, if I may say that, during the call & responses.
12. Somewhere Quiet - I never mind remakes, so this one was welcome. In fact, I think it serves better with vocals. The original seemed undercooked. Always nice to hear Al.
13. This Beautiful Day - I love this idea to open with a shortest song, they did it with "Think about the Days". Only now it's stronger & the outro in major is great.
14. The Last Song - nice; ironically, the lalas don't bug me as they do usually (I find them corny). It starts too long.
15. Guess You Had to Be There - it doesn't have AT, right. It's her voice I don't like. Sure, no amount of any pitch correction/reverb can change a voice to another, so much so it sounds like a different person? Thus,,, Pretty melody, tho.
16. The Right Time - initially, I was superfan, but now that I heard the whole thing a many a time, it goes downwards. Mind you, I still like it, meaning that's how good this album is that even the last song is good for you.

Grand total: 8 stars.

[Eric Aniversario]

Revisiting this thread. Here's a repost of my review in the larger thread. Rankings at the end.
OK, so by now I've listened about 20 times....at home, in the car, hiking, etc.  Here are some thoughts after this self-imposed NPP flooding.

Overall, it's a great album!  Great to hear some new original songs from Brian.  There's a lot to absorb here.  So many different sounds, textures, moods, etc to enjoy here.  I haven't read many of the board member reviews, but I imagine the favorites are far from unanimous, and that certain songs may be quite polarizing.  Here's my take on the individual tracks (I chose to review the 18-track version because that's what I have).

This Beautiful Day A great opener, albeit with some shakiness in some of Brian's high notes.  But that's part of the charm.  I can't help but compare to "Think About The Days"...and this kind of pales in comparison, unfortunately.

Runaway Dancer I imagine that this is one of the most polarizing songs on the album.  It's great to hear Brian trying something completely different and unexpected.   The result is decent, but perhaps not my cup of tea.  I enjoy many genres of music other than the Beach Boys (although the Beach Boys are far and away my favorite band).  I enjoy dance music.  But to be honest, if I had heard this on the radio with someone else singing Brian's part, I would have really thought nothing of this song.  I imagine that most of us here would not have even noticed this song if it was by another artist.

Whatever Happened This is where I really start to warm up to the album.  Beautiful lead by Al.  Reflective, wistful lyrics that I can relate to.  Gorgeous background vocals.  Gold.

On The Island In just four tracks, Brian has taken us all over the place sonically, and I love that.  This track is a pleasant song with a pleasant vocal.  Light and fun, and not meant to be much more than that.  A pleasant interlude to lighten the mood a bit.

Half Moon Bay It took me a few listens to take notice of this.  Absolutely beautiful.  A standout track for me.

Our Special LoveThis is going to be a very slow grower for me.  By far my least favorite on the album.  There is just something about when Peter's voice(s) come in and there's the high voice and the low voice tandem singing that really sounds horrible to me.  Brian's parts do not work well with Peter's parts, and the whole song just seems like a jumbled mess.  There are some nice background vocal moments toward the end.

The Right TimeWhat a relief to hear this after OSL.  This is my favorite track on the album.  I just feel very relaxed and feel good about life when I hear this.  David Marks' guitar melds so well with the overall feel of the song, and Al's lead is just about perfect.  Brian's parts work very well, and it all comes together great!

Guess You Had To Be There My overall favorite when I first heard it, it's still in my top 3 for sure.  Kacey has a voice that conveys sweetness, innocence, joy, and reality all at once.  The lyrics take kind of a weird negative turn toward the end, which kind of detracts from the overall happy feel of the song.  Still not sure what this song is supposed to be about.

Don't Worry I love this song!  It's an odd blend of early-to-mid-80s movie soundtrack fluff, mid-70s David Cassidy, and of course Brian!  The background "Don't Worry"s toward the end remind me of "January" by David Cassidy.  The horns, real or not, sound great and add excitement to the song.

Somewhere Quiet Great to hear SMNL with lyrics.  Still trying to absorb the meaning of the lyrics.  There is one discordant lyrical moment that stands out:  "I wanna take you somewhere quiet, so I can hear just how Ifeel".  [Or something like that...I'm not near the lyric booklet or the CD right now].  It stands out because the listener expect to hear, "so I can hear just how you feel.  Overall, a nice track.

I'm Feeling Sad I'm not sure if Brian purposely went for a "lazy" slurred feel to his vocal, but it definitely works.  The vibe is that of a man in his 70's who is bored and sad, and that is probably what he was going for.  Brian sounds very old and sad and bored, probably the oldest he's every sounded, but for this song, that's a good thing!  Classic Brian, albeit an older version of Classic Brian.

Tell Me Why Another soaring moment for Brian & Al.  Solid song, solid vocals, a heartfelt melancholy moment...one of several on this album.

Sail Away I'm just as glad as anyone to see Blondie back in the mix, especially with Brian & Al.  But I have to say that the lyrics are a bit clumsy and awkward and somewhat contrived.  But anything to bring Blondie back!  Glad to have him here.  And always great to have Al.  Al has become what Carl was in the 80's and 90's.  Someone who can make a middling song sound a lot better with just his vocal presence.

One Kind Of Love This one will probably be a somewhat slow grower for me.  Out of the "just Brian" songs, definitely the one that stands out the least, at least to my ears.

Saturday Night Great Brian Pop with a very able vocalist.  Brian's parts work well with Nate's parts and are practically seamless.

The Last Song Some nice moments here, probably a little too sad after hearing several melancholy songs.  The soaring "la-la-la" parts remind me of late 80's and early 90's power ballads, something that can't be said of many BB/BW songs.

In The Back Of My Mind Why this wasn't on MiC is anyone's guess...this is great!  It reminds me of the early seasons of American Idol, when someone would audtion in front of Randy, Paula, and Simon.  At first, the unassuming, non-pop-star looking auditioner would offer some OK singing, which got progressively better, then ended with a bang!  I can hear Paula cheering, Randy throwing out nonsense compliments, and Simon reluctantly giving praise.  Who knew that mid 70's Brian had this in him?  I think he could have even done better with a few more tries.

Love & Mercy Nice to have this on CD by itself without Walking Down The Path Of Life.

Ranking the tracks, so far in my listening experience:

1. The Right Time

2. Guess You Had To Be There (#2-8 very fluid, love them all about the same)
3. Tell Me Why
4. Half Moon Bay
5. Don't Worry
6. Whatever Happened
7. I'm Feeling Sad
8. Saturday Night


9. On The Island
10. Somewhere Quiet
11. Sail Away

12. The Last Song
13. This Beautiful Day
14. One Kind Of Love

15. Runaway Dancer

16. Our Special Love

[RangeRoverA1]

If I go by the 18-track version, this is final draft:

1. Sail Away
2. Runaway Dancer
3. Don't Worry
4. Saturday Night
5. Tell Me Why
6. What Ever Happened
7. Our Special Love
8. I'm Feeling Sad
9. Half Moon Bay
10. One Kind of Love
11. On the Island
12. Somewhere Quiet
13. Love & Mercy - coz I like it, why so near the bottom? I prefer the debut album version; great arr. there.
14. This Beautiful Day
15. The Last Song
16. Guess You Had to Be There
17. The Right Time
18. In the Back of My Mind - super-duper megaloawful.

[rn57]

1. One Kind Of Love
2. What Ever Happened
3. Sail Away
4. I'm Feeling Sad
5. Somewhere Quiet (best lyrics on NPP IMHO - yes, close to Tony Asher standard)
6. The Right Time
7. Guess You Had To Be There
8. This Beautiful Day
9. The Last Song
10. Tell Me Why
11. Don't Worry
12. Half Moon Bay
13. On The Island
14. Saturday Night
15. Runaway Dancer
16. Our Special Love

[Summertime Blooz]

Whatever Happened
Somewhere Quiet
The Right Time
Half Moon Bay
Don't Worry
I'm Feeling Sad
Runaway Dancer
On The Island
Our Special Love
This Beautiful Day
Tell Me Why
One Kind Of Love

Saturday Night
Guess You Had To Be There
Sail Away
The Last Song

The first 12 would make for a really super album. The last 4 I would be OK with never hearing again.

[Alan Smith]

I'll rank the album tracks sans the boni tracks.  Having said that, getting one's grubby mitts on something like this version of In The Back Of My Mind, without having to shell for an anniversay box set is a bit of alright, so it's an album highlight pour moi.

Subject to daily/weekly/annual change:

16)  On the Island - although Zee-D for once delivers a listenable vocal, and although I often have a drink in my hand (thus can easily relate to the lyrics), this is too fluffy and slight for my liking - I guess back in the day, it may well have turned up as the B-side of whatever track was pulled as the single.

15)  Our Special Love - musically I like this less than On the Island, however, I can't deny some to a fair bit of marveling at the technical feat performed here.  Also, Peter Hollens sings well, and seems a charming fellow, so nudges ahead in my book.  I also find the production marginally at odds with the rest of the album

14) Somewhere Quiet - f*** me, perhaps this is the worst track on the album, but it has the musical chops of the original song, which I quite like.  I don't really understand why Brian decided to go here, unless he and Joe are executing a plan to rerecord SDSN by stealth (they have 2 in the can now, can't wait to hear the remake of Bugged At My Old Man (instrumental)).  Again, a B sider at best.

I'm pretty happy with the rest and imagine the list will be pretty organic as I continue listening over the coming years.

13) The Last Song - giving this one a little more time

12) I'm Feeling Sad - definitely a grower

11) One Kind of Love - lovely

10) Guess You Had To Be There - guess you did, but quite a jaunty lively number, impossible not to clap or click along to this one

9) Tell Me Why - good stuff, and Al blowing us away as usual

Saturday Night - yeah, this is good stuff; I know nothing about this Nate Ruess man, but what a great performer

7) Whatever Happened - this one is less convincing with each play, but hey, the neo holy trinity of Bri, Al & Dave can do little wrong

6) Runaway Dancer - "How can u luv this song, but h8 the other sh*t we, your teenagers, like, like?", is the question said teens have posed to me. To date, I have no answers, just excuses.

5) Don't Worry - Sounds like a Style Council album track.  Great!!!

4) Half Moon Bay - love it, a beautiful and evocative interlude

3) The Right Time - very little differentiating the top rankings, ear-worm city!

2) This Beautiful Day - a lovely opener, and love the outro, a little bit Pete Townshend to me - wish Brian and Joe would throw in a few more of these flourishes/links in

1) Sail Away - whoa-a whoa, whoa!

[RangeRoverA1]

I think you should teach your teenagers some manners, cussing is bad, ya know. Otherwise, good open-minded review. I knew that you will like modern stuff.