No Pier Pressure (board member reviews)

[Fire Wind]

Holiday ?  I took positive action. Cancelled the Amazon £18.99  and walked in TODAY , bought in a real, live record shop for £12.99. De luxe.   If crtic had read my item , it referred to previous purchases, just as late.

Yeah, same here.  Walked into Fopp, paid £13 for the deluxe.  I see Amazon have now lowered it to £12.99, though it's temporarily out of stock.

[RiC]

Holiday ?  I took positive action. Cancelled the Amazon £18.99  and walked in TODAY , bought in a real, live record shop for £12.99. De luxe.   If crtic had read my item , it referred to previous purchases, just as late.

Yeah, same here.  Walked into Fopp, paid £13 for the deluxe.  I see Amazon have now lowered it to £12.99, though it's temporarily out of stock.

By the way, NPP is number 14 on amazon and rising! Maybe it'll be number one this week?

[Justin]

Anyone else besides me holding out until listening to it on release day?

There's something very special and satisfying about purchasing an archaic Compact Disc from an actual store, popping it in the car CD player, and listening to the album from start to finish.  That's my plan, at least.

Yup---I went this long without a full listen to any of the samples clips posted and looking forward to sitting down and taking the whole album in for the first time in one sitting.  It worked well with TWGMTR looking forward to NPP.

[Debbie Keil-Leavitt]

At last, jewel cases in my hot little hands from Target!  Love the rich sound of the cd after the various online listens.  Right now I don't have much to add to what's already been said so well by several people.  What a treasure.

[mikeddonn]

Holiday ?  I took positive action. Cancelled the Amazon £18.99  and walked in TODAY , bought in a real, live record shop for £12.99. De luxe.   If crtic had read my item , it referred to previous purchases, just as late.

Yeah, same here.  Walked into Fopp, paid £13 for the deluxe.  I see Amazon have now lowered it to £12.99, though it's temporarily out of stock.

I did the same.  Was holding one in my hand in HMV for £12.99.  Got my phone out and, using the app, cancelled the Amazon order which wasn't due for another several days!

The vinyl has been delayed until June here in the UK.  Anyone know why?

[Sam_BFC]

Listening for first time now on Spotify (didn't have time to go in to town today what with Easter Monday football, so will be at the mercy of Amazon for the hard copy).

Tracks 3 and 5 early favourites.

I'll tell you something else too, Brian's vocal is far more 'tastefully' mixed on this version of Our Special Love.  I really liked the first version, but it's very cool to have this version.

[Debbie Keil-Leavitt]

Holiday ?  I took positive action. Cancelled the Amazon £18.99  and walked in TODAY , bought in a real, live record shop for £12.99. De luxe.   If crtic had read my item , it referred to previous purchases, just as late.

Yeah, same here.  Walked into Fopp, paid £13 for the deluxe.  I see Amazon have now lowered it to £12.99, though it's temporarily out of stock.

By the way, NPP is number 14 on amazon and rising! Maybe it'll be number one this week?

Great news - onward and upward!  Amazon has given me a delivery date of 13th or something - thank heavens I ordered copies from damn near everywhere, so at least have a cd in hand already (and lots more with the various bonus tracks for friends in other countries who are so kind to send me purchases I can't access from the US).

Happy times...

[orange22]

I am not posting this to be cruel to Brian or his collaborators. However, after reading some of the overwhelmingly positive discussion on this board before hearing the album for the first time today, I am sincerely disappointed.

What I see as the largest flaw is what I would deem as the overuse of guest vocalists. There are far too many of them for my tastes, and I don't feel that they musically, thematically or even (if I may be so bold) spiritually vibe with what Brian is about. If I'm honest, and sad to say, I feel that these collaborations are based more on more of a monetary than artistic basis.

I also find a lot of the production choices to be poor. The vocal reverb in particular is overbearing.

As for the songs themselves, there are a few things that caught my ear, but nothing that really grabbed me.

With the combination of the above thoughts, the simplest way I can describe my feeling about the album is "generic." It doesn't feel to me like a Brian Wilson (never mind a Beach Boys) album. I feel it is far weaker than That's Why God Made the Radio, an album that I really enjoy despite recognizing that it is not a masterwork. For me, this album will go down as another Gettin' in Over My Head, and one that I don't see myself playing very often.

[the captain]

I respectfully disagree completely about the guest vocalists. I thought they added the exact kind of diversity of experience that Wilson's solo albums have always lacked. And what's more, realistically, his range just isn't what it used to be, his tone when out of his new comfortable range isn't what it used to be, his enunciation isn't what it used to be. None of that is an insult, and I enjoy some of his singing quite a bit. But he's getting up there.

For me, the guests added energy. Ruess in particular was a grand slam. Jardine and Musgraves were great. I'm warming to Chaplin's verse.

Maybe this belongs in the "controversial opinions" thread, but I hope BW keeps putting out music, but keeps giving away vocal parts.

[ESQ Editor]

http://www.examiner.com/review/brian-wilson-no-pier-pressure-deluxe-edition-overview

[orange22]

captain, I would not disagree that adding voices other than Brian's helped TWGMTR. I think my problem is that these are just one-offs, which to me is why they feel like something of a cash grab.
If you want more diversity, why not have Darian, Nick or Scott take a lead? That is something that I would personally love.

And let me add that I do not consider Al or Blondie to be "guests" in the same method as the others; I did not mean to refer to them in my post above.

[the captain]

captain, I would not disagree that adding voices other than Brian's helped TWGMTR. I think my problem is that these are just one-offs, which to me is why they feel like something of a cash grab.
If you want more diversity, why not have Darian, Nick or Scott take a lead? That is something that I would personally love.

I wouldn't mind them taking leads, either. That's fine. I love Darian's voice in particular. But it doesn't matter to me whether it's them or guests, assuming I like the work the guests did. Guys from his backup band would be guests, too. It's not a band of equals, it's a solo album. And in the future, it could be whatever. I don't care.

As for a cash grab, I don't see any harm in that unless I dislike the results (which I don't). What's wrong with commercial success? Mr. Wilson certainly has never indicated he was trying to avoid such a thing. He always talks about wanting hits.

[mikeddonn]

I'm loving the diversity the guest artists bring to the table.  My wife and I listened in the car on the way home from buying the CD.  I have heard it about 5 times since I got in and was telling my wife how much I love it.  When I mentioned some of the songs she mentioned how she knew the ones I was talking about even though we'd only had a quick listen in the car.  She also enjoyed it because to her all the songs sounded different.  As a non Beach Boys obsessive she tends to think all Brian's songs sound the same. So the guests certainly were a positive for her and probably quite a few other people out there.  I also feel the same.  It doesn't sound like other people trying to make a Brian record sound like a Brian record.  It's not Brian by Numbers. It sounds like Brian doing something fresh and taking a chance like he's always done on his best work.

[The LEGENDARY OSD]

captain, I would not disagree that adding voices other than Brian's helped TWGMTR. I think my problem is that these are just one-offs, which to me is why they feel like something of a cash grab.
If you want more diversity, why not have Darian, Nick or Scott take a lead? That is something that I would personally love.

And let me add that I do not consider Al or Blondie to be "guests" in the same method as the others; I did not mean to refer to them in my post above.

Cash Grab?? Be disappointed, disapprove of the production, not like the way the whole thing sounds, but cash grab? There is only one Beach Boy who would be well known for that and he fortunately has nothing to do with this album.

[Summertime Blooz]

captain, I would not disagree that adding voices other than Brian's helped TWGMTR. I think my problem is that these are just one-offs, which to me is why they feel like something of a cash grab.
If you want more diversity, why not have Darian, Nick or Scott take a lead? That is something that I would personally love.

And let me add that I do not consider Al or Blondie to be "guests" in the same method as the others; I did not mean to refer to them in my post above.

"Cash grab" is pretty harsh. I would just go with something along the lines of more commercially viable. Anyways, I think what you're not considering here is that bringing in some current big names opens the possibility for BW to get exposure with a younger demographic; to grow his audience. Darian, Nick, and Scott might sound great taking some leads away from Brian, but they just don't have the amount of name recognition that's going to bring any new fans into the fold. I think that's an important part of this whole strategy with the guest singers.

[phirnis]

...
What I see as the largest flaw is what I would deem as the overuse of guest vocalists. There are far too many of them for my tastes, and I don't feel that they musically, thematically or even (if I may be so bold) spiritually vibe with what Brian is about.
...

I kind of agree with this. The only collaboration that feels totally natural to me is the one with Zooey Deschanel.

[D409]

First listen...nothing rises much above the level of "nice", and the whole thing seems to be overshadowed by the collaborators, i.e. not enough Brian in the mix.
I'm glad he's still alive and well and making music, but "That Lucky Old Sun" was probably his last great album.

[Micha]

Sounds like that ol' prankster Brian was just giving Musgrave the business asking her to do take after take until the notes were just right. I'll bet he wasn't even recording her; just sitting in the booth laughing his ass off, saying "Let's try it one more time" over and over again.

I could absolutely imagine that!

[Matt Bielewicz]

Holiday ?  I took positive action. Cancelled the Amazon £18.99  and walked in TODAY , bought in a real, live record shop for £12.99. De luxe.   If crtic had read my item , it referred to previous purchases, just as late.

Yeah, same here.  Walked into Fopp, paid £13 for the deluxe.  I see Amazon have now lowered it to £12.99, though it's temporarily out of stock.

I learned from my experience with ordering MiC from Amazon UK (where I live). I ordered from them, but went for a 'belt and braces' approach and also ordered from Amazon Germany, where the release date was earlier. I got my set several days before release date in the UK or the States, even allowing for the 'within-EU' shipping from Amazon Germany. And then I cancelled the Amazon UK order, as it still wasn't even close to shipping.

This time round, because the release unfortunately fell over a long public holiday weekend in both Germany and the UK, I decided to go for the belt and braces approach again, but this time, in addition to an Amazon UK order at £17.99, I went into about the only remaining real record shop left in the UK, Fopp (like several other posters) yesterday morning for 10am when they opened (despite it being another public holiday here), and grabbed the so-called 'Deluxe Edition'* right off a rack by the door for £12.99. By 11am I was home and listening, and had cancelled my Amazon order, which still hadn't even shipped yet because of the public holidays.

I absolutely HATE waiting for an Amazon order to come, and wondering which day it might be. Bricks and Mortar record stores still rule — if you can find one.

Aside from all of the retail-related complaints, I already like the album much better than I thought I would. The sheeny, glossy, ice-hockey hair production is not my favourite and never will be, but there's no denying that this is a spirited set of recordings that Brian was really into making and performing. I think there's some tracks here that will stand with his best work. But I'm still absorbing and getting to know it as a complete album, so I'm not going to say anything more at this point. I already slammed Sail Away on this board when I was recovering from a nasty virus and then wished I hadn't after giving it a few more listens when I was feeling better (although I still wish Sloop John B wasn't referenced so overtly), so I'll refrain from further comment just yet.






* What is with this sucky 'Deluxe Edition' record company nonsense-speak? What exactly is 'luxury' about the NPP 'Deluxe Edition'? I understood when there was a 'vanilla' version of an album and another for three times the price produced in limited edition goldspun fabric, autographed by the artist in their own blood and featuring handwritten session records, alongside real platinum vinyl versions of the album with instrumental backing tracks, variant mixes and rarities — now THAT'S what I call a Deluxe Edition — but for NPP all the versions that are being sold in record stores worldwide come in the same standard CD jewel cases and the only presentational difference is that the 'standard' version of the album omits some of the best tracks. I'd call the 'Deluxe' edition of the album the standard one, and the 'standard' one the 'incomplete' version. I wouldn't touch the 13-tracker with a barge-pole. Who would miss out on 'I'm Feeling Sad' and (in the UK, at least) the 1975 version of 'In The Back Of My Mind' and the 2005 'Love and Mercy'?

[job]

First listen...nothing rises much above the level of "nice", and the whole thing seems to be overshadowed by the collaborators, i.e. not enough Brian in the mix.
I'm glad he's still alive and well and making music, but "That Lucky Old Sun" was probably his last great album.

TLOS was not a great album.  This is finally an accessible, great BW album.  Makes sense because most of it was written for the BB.  Brian always writes much more dynamic, accessible stuff when he has The Boys in mind...if only for their voices.

[MyDrKnowsItKeepsMeCalm]

* What is with this sucky 'Deluxe Edition' record company nonsense-speak? What exactly is 'luxury' about the NPP 'Deluxe Edition'? I understood when there was a 'vanilla' version of an album and another for three times the price produced in limited edition goldspun fabric, autographed by the artist in their own blood and featuring handwritten session records, alongside real platinum vinyl versions of the album with instrumental backing tracks, variant mixes and rarities — now THAT'S what I call a Deluxe Edition — but for NPP all the versions that are being sold in record stores worldwide come in the same standard CD jewel cases and the only presentational difference is that the 'standard' version of the album omits some of the best tracks. I'd call the 'Deluxe' edition of the album the standard one, and the 'standard' one the 'incomplete' version. I wouldn't touch the 13-tracker with a barge-pole. Who would miss out on 'I'm Feeling Sad' and (in the UK, at least) the 1975 version of 'In The Back Of My Mind' and the 2005 'Love and Mercy'?

I agree with this 100%. I don't understand it either.

[Outtasight!]

Not a review, just an initial reaction. I'm on my 4th listen through and I still have no firm opinion. The album as a whole is starting to pull into focus but I've not got a handle on it yet. With me this is usually a good thing. By the 10th time through I should have formed my view.

The whole damned thing just clicked today. I listened grinning from ear to ear and then felt very emotional with the Last Song. That's why I listen to Brian Wilson, I get strong emotional connections to the music. He's done it again. It's different from anything else he's done, jezuz those chorus' are massive! Fun stuff, introspective songs, sad songs of regret, it's  all here and I'm glad I got into it. Brian sounds great and Al's never sounded cooler. Lovely stuff. If I have a criticism it would be that runaway dancer breaks the flow of the album. I like it but I'm not sure it fits. Ho hum small gripe....I'm going in again!

[Debbie Keil-Leavitt]

Well, I just put my Amazon download on to play in the background as I worked, since it arrived early this morning.  This was after finally getting my intense listen to the cd from Target on my funky r&r speakers and my headphones.  All of a sudden it hit me as I was busy working, songs I wasn't "prepared to like because they weren't my genre" like Runaway Dancer, evoked a smile after the first few notes because I knew what was coming and it would make me feel good.  The smile never left.

Several have said it here.  Let this record work it's magic on you.  Brian knows how to heal with the music, even when he throws you by dragging you out of your comfort zone.  He's been doing that with me since the mid-sixties and it still works.  Relax.  It's all good.  Brian lived through a bigger hell than most of us can imagine and he knows this.  Go with it for a minute and see what happens.

[D409]

First listen...nothing rises much above the level of "nice", and the whole thing seems to be overshadowed by the collaborators, i.e. not enough Brian in the mix.
I'm glad he's still alive and well and making music, but "That Lucky Old Sun" was probably his last great album.

TLOS was not a great album.  This is finally an accessible, great BW album.  Makes sense because most of it was written for the BB.  Brian always writes much more dynamic, accessible stuff when he has The Boys in mind...if only for their voices.

Then someone should've banged heads together to have made this a Beach Boys album !

[the professor]

Professor's first reaction--mid term report but not final grades: What ever happened is at the top, yes likely because its Al and Dave. Tell me why, sail away, the right time, somewhere quiet (BB music obviously). These are the most BBish for obvious reasons, including the work of real BB on them. They are my favorites so far.
On the Island is as significant as Ms. DeC is significant as an artist.
GYHTBT is a bopper, if one needs a bopper throughout the day.
R-Dancer is not as earthy as the live version.
Saturday Night, like Our Special Love, is a delight: open bright, sweet--yes a bit of the Bay City Rollers feel, but it's fun.

In short, I love listening and gravitate toward the philosophical depth and the historical value of the real BB material. I wish it were a total Brian-Al-Dave album, and you know what I really wish it were. Will play it all day.