No Pier Pressure (board member reviews)

[HeyJude]

I'm kind of done noodling with it and re-writing; I'll spend another month taking free time to keep adding and subtracting. So here is my full review of "No Pier Pressure":

http://beachboysopinion.blogspot.com/

Also, I've got a Facebook page for the Beach Boys Opinion Page blog if anyone wants to check it out and "like" it if possible just so I know somebody out there is reading: http://www.facebook.com/beachboysopinion

Hey Jude, you know Dave's parts on both those songs, some of which (intro and outro of TRT) were detailed by Carrie Marks here. He's not so hard to distinguish as you say. But, then again, I make that effort above all others to hear  and savor him. I think you underestimate the emotional aspects of Whatever happened, and you heartlessly miss the majestic beauty of Somewhere Quiet. In fact, you seems emotionally cold to the poignancy of the  entire record--willfully so.  But otherwise, a well-paced review.

Oh sure, I know for the most part where Dave’s guitar parts are because we’ve heard some more in-depth explanation. My point was only that, if you just listened to these tracks with no additional reports or liner notes, Dave’s parts wouldn’t be immensely noticeable to the typical listener. Those who are intimately familiar with Dave’s playing would be able to pick the parts out. But, especially when there is more than one guitar player credited on a track, it’s not easy to pick Dave’s parts out. The tracks aren’t like Harrison busting out a slide guitar solo or something. 

As to the rest, I can only say that music typically hits me with quality composition and then emotion, in that order. Brian’s music has hit me with more emotion and evoked more emotion than most other writers I’ve listened to. But I don’t get hit by the emotion and then deduce the song’s quality so much as I stand in awe of a great composition which then impacts me immensely emotionally. I’m sure I tackle this stuff more analytically than some folks do; I don’t mind writing or reading that sort of angle. I don’t mind balancing out some of the reviews that are unflinchingly positive across the board, with, in some isolated cases, a seemingly implicit decision to NOT ever actually say anything overtly negative about any track (and “not my favorite track” doesn’t count).

But let me also be clear. I tackled this album as objectively as I possibly could. I didn’t set out to make sure to say X number of negative things about X number of tracks. I’m totally prepared to call an album flawless if it warrants that.

But I do appreciate you and anyone actually reading my review and offering thoughts and any kind words. Truly. 

[Paul J B]

Now that a couple of months have passed I've had more time to listen to other solo work by Brian as well as TWGMTR and compare his singing with NPP and NPP wins for sure. Brian's singing on NPP is his best of his entire solo career. Any awkward moments or sour notes are absent from Brian on NPP. That has never been the case. Even BWRG has a few awkward spots. I think it was Ray Lawler that said Brian worked his butt off on this and I don't doubt it. There really is a marked difference in Brian's singing on NPP. He sounds older in spots but also sounds natural, confident and relaxed.

I also think the entire album is Brian's best solo album period. I have listened to it over and over and am not tired of it in the least. I love the guest vocalists, I love that Blondie is on it, I love Al and Matt's falsetto, I love all the different genre's of music that somehow flow together perfectly. I think the production quality is great and think Joe and Brian really nailed it this time.

To think we would get Brian's best singing on a solidly terrific album and what appears to be a feature film that gets Brian right in 2015......pinch me.

[Fire Wind]

My thoughts:

Blondie sings 'I still can feel the hope that fills my heart'.  This should be 'filled', in my opinion. 

Other than that, I agree, Brian's best solo album.

[KDS]

I agree that vocally, this is Brian's strongest album. 

As far as ranking the albums, I'm ranking NPP a very close second to TLOS.  Although I will say that each time I listen to NPP, it gets a little closer to TLOS, and I like it a little more each time.   

[El Molé]

The album has held up well with repeated listens, though I can't help but think that it could have been improved by better sequencing and track selection. Generally speaking the standard version flows very well and feels cohesive, but is weaker for the absence of Somewhere Quiet and I'm feeling Sad. I'd have included both of those tracks at the expense of one or two others and sequenced it slightly differently.

Brian and Al's vocals are excellent and Matt blends in extremely well to make these the best sounding vocals on any Brian solo album bar his first (and even then I'm unsure). Sail Away is absolutely outstanding and to me has become a latter day Beach Boys classic. Somewhere Quiet is also a brilliant track and has completely defied the odds in turning out better than the original instrumental.

If I had the time and skill (I certainly don't have the latter) I'd edit some of the tracks to make them a little and I'd think the album would hang together better. After taking out Runaway Dancer and Our Special Love, adding in Somewhere Quiet and I'm feeling Sad, I'd then aim to reduce some of the repetition of the Right Time chorus and extend the first verse if possible, along with condensing Last Song  (taking out the single voiced "La La La" bit). If I could shorten Tell Me Why a bit I'd also do that. I think those small changes would make a big difference.

It feels pretty close to a five-star album to me, but just falls a little short overall.

[Sam_BFC]

Does Tell Me Why win the prize for best tag on the album?

[Mendota Heights]

Does Tell Me Why win the prize for best tag on the album?

Yes.

[Tony S]

Love Tell Me Why.....best track of many outstanding tracks on this release, imho.

[dellydel]

I'm still constantly listening to this and always enjoying it!  A few days a week I wake up with one of the songs from this album playing in my head. 

Right now I'm particularly digging all the high notes Brian hits in One Kind of Love.  Really amazing vocals on that one.  And the vocal breakdown in I'm Feeling Sad.  Love Brain's falsetto whine in there.  I feel like it's been forever that his falsetto whine has been used as background vocal that others sing over.  (at least I think it's Brian.... hehe)

So, is the album really not getting a second push to coincide with the movie?  Does anyone know for sure?  No more singles?  No getting "Guess you had to be there" to country stations?  No "One Kind of Love" as a single to go with the movie, since it's in the movie?  No "Saturday Night" single!?!  Cuz it would be a shame if the album is dead already, promotionally speaking. 

In my head I can see such a great, tasteful music video for One Kind of Love, just Brian on a piano, occasionally flanked by a chorus. 

[phirnis]

I have my issues with this album but Tell Me Why is indeed fantastic.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

One Kind of Love is so damn beautiful...

[the professor]

Yes Billy, I agree. In fact the album brings so much calm and pleasure and emotion. I listen everyday, whether I am playing it physically or not.  It stands up well to Radio, and its fun to play them back to back. It will be great to hear a new BB album next year to see how it stands up (or so I hope).  Billy, will the song be nominated for an Oscar?


quote author=♩♬ Billy C  ♯♫♩ link=topic=20243.msg520276#msg520276 date=1432999964]
One Kind of Love is so damn beautiful...
[/quote]

[jet without wings]

Overall I like the album a lot. At this point in his career, this is a tremendous piece of work by this amazing artist.  Thank you Brian.
The Right Time and Sail Away are, in my opinion the two strongest tracks on the record and how great to hear Blondie. Geez I have been playing that song a lot. The Nate Ruess and and Zooey collaborations are again in my opinion the two best.  Nate's vocal on Saturday Night is outstanding.  Finally God Bless Al Jardine for your vocals on this record, you sound great

Jet without wings

[NHC]

50 years ago I decided I would try to write some words for Summer Means New Love.  After all, it was a beautiful instrumental, and music and English were two of my best subjects, so why not?  How hard could it be. Well, I never wrote any words for it.  But no problem, I just needed to be patient and wait for Brian. Half a century later - - - - what a great song Somewhere Quiet is.

[Cyncie]

I still find random songs from this going through my head. It's holding up very well to repeated listens. I wish Brian's tour was coming somewhere do-able for me, but it's not. Ah well, I have the SoundStage DVD as consolation.

[Sangheon]

The album has held up well with repeated listens, though I can't help but think that it could have been improved by better sequencing and track selection. Generally speaking the standard version flows very well and feels cohesive, but is weaker for the absence of Somewhere Quiet and I'm feeling Sad. I'd have included both of those tracks at the expense of one or two others and sequenced it slightly differently.

Brian and Al's vocals are excellent and Matt blends in extremely well to make these the best sounding vocals on any Brian solo album bar his first (and even then I'm unsure). Sail Away is absolutely outstanding and to me has become a latter day Beach Boys classic. Somewhere Quiet is also a brilliant track and has completely defied the odds in turning out better than the original instrumental.

If I had the time and skill (I certainly don't have the latter) I'd edit some of the tracks to make them a little and I'd think the album would hang together better. After taking out Runaway Dancer and Our Special Love, adding in Somewhere Quiet and I'm feeling Sad, I'd then aim to reduce some of the repetition of the Right Time chorus and extend the first verse if possible, along with condensing Last Song  (taking out the single voiced "La La La" bit). If I could shorten Tell Me Why a bit I'd also do that. I think those small changes would make a big difference.

It feels pretty close to a five-star album to me, but just falls a little short overall.

Yes, I think this album could be better by an alternate sequence too. Anybody has thought it?
Sail Away and Runaway Dancer, Don't Worry are outstanding. And Don't Worry and Somwhere Quiet, I'm Feeling Sad seems like just a bonus track.
And Runnaway Dancer is great track but I feel more Beach Boys if The Right Time is next to This Beautiful Day.
And, If Whatever Happened and Tell Me Why, The Last Song are on the last three sequence, it would turn a Life Suite like the last three tracks on TWGMR.
So, here is my selection.

1 This Beautiful Day
2 The Right Time
3 Saturday Night
4 On The Island
5 Half Moon Bay
6 Our Special Love
7 Runaway Dancer
8 One Kind Of Love
9 Sail Away
10 Guess You To Be There
11 Whatever Happened
12 Tell Me Why
13 The Last Song

Bonus Track
Don't Worry
Somwhere Quiet
I'm Feeling Sad

Anyone thought an alternate tracklist?

[marcusb]

The album has held up well with repeated listens, though I can't help but think that it could have been improved by better sequencing and track selection. Generally speaking the standard version flows very well and feels cohesive, but is weaker for the absence of Somewhere Quiet and I'm feeling Sad. I'd have included both of those tracks at the expense of one or two others and sequenced it slightly differently.

Brian and Al's vocals are excellent and Matt blends in extremely well to make these the best sounding vocals on any Brian solo album bar his first (and even then I'm unsure). Sail Away is absolutely outstanding and to me has become a latter day Beach Boys classic. Somewhere Quiet is also a brilliant track and has completely defied the odds in turning out better than the original instrumental.

If I had the time and skill (I certainly don't have the latter) I'd edit some of the tracks to make them a little and I'd think the album would hang together better. After taking out Runaway Dancer and Our Special Love, adding in Somewhere Quiet and I'm feeling Sad, I'd then aim to reduce some of the repetition of the Right Time chorus and extend the first verse if possible, along with condensing Last Song  (taking out the single voiced "La La La" bit). If I could shorten Tell Me Why a bit I'd also do that. I think those small changes would make a big difference.

It feels pretty close to a five-star album to me, but just falls a little short overall.

Yes, I think this album could be better by an alternate sequence too. Anybody has thought it?
Sail Away and Runaway Dancer, Don't Worry are outstanding. And Don't Worry and Somwhere Quiet, I'm Feeling Sad seems like just a bonus track.
And Runnaway Dancer is great track but I feel more Beach Boys if The Right Time is next to This Beautiful Day.
And, If Whatever Happened and Tell Me Why, The Last Song are on the last three sequence, it would turn a Life Suite like the last three tracks on TWGMR.
So, here is my selection.

1 This Beautiful Day
2 The Right Time
3 Saturday Night
4 On The Island
5 Half Moon Bay
6 Our Special Love
7 Runaway Dancer
8 One Kind Of Love
9 Sail Away
10 Guess You To Be There
11 Whatever Happened
12 Tell Me Why
13 The Last Song

Bonus Track
Don't Worry
Somwhere Quiet
I'm Feeling Sad

Anyone thought an alternate tracklist?

I was just messing around with a tracklist similar to yours. I think they just put out as much as they could on this album, with no regard for making a proper "album". Which is fine.. this isn't Pet Sounds no matter how you cut it. Otherwise we'd be getting new songs as a bonus track on future reissues and compilations.

[Awesoman]

One Kind of Love is so damn beautiful...

I never quite got what the big deal is with this sing.  It's alright, but they're sitting on a goldmine with "Guess You Had To Be There". 

[dellydel]

Anybody know how the album has done so far sales-wise?

Since Love & Mercy has come out, it's been floating all over the Amazon top 100, must've moved a decent amount of units over the past few weeks?

[rn57]

50 years ago I decided I would try to write some words for Summer Means New Love.  After all, it was a beautiful instrumental, and music and English were two of my best subjects, so why not?  How hard could it be. Well, I never wrote any words for it.  But no problem, I just needed to be patient and wait for Brian. Half a century later - - - - what a great song Somewhere Quiet is.

I'd say SQ has the strongest lyrics on the album.

[Sheriff John Stone]

Yes, I think this album could be better by an alternate sequence too. Anybody has thought it?
Sail Away and Runaway Dancer, Don't Worry are outstanding. And Don't Worry and Somwhere Quiet, I'm Feeling Sad seems like just a bonus track.
And Runnaway Dancer is great track but I feel more Beach Boys if The Right Time is next to This Beautiful Day.
And, If Whatever Happened and Tell Me Why, The Last Song are on the last three sequence, it would turn a Life Suite like the last three tracks on TWGMR.
So, here is my selection.

1 This Beautiful Day
2 The Right Time
3 Saturday Night
4 On The Island
5 Half Moon Bay
6 Our Special Love
7 Runaway Dancer
8 One Kind Of Love
9 Sail Away
10 Guess You To Be There
11 Whatever Happened
12 Tell Me Why
13 The Last Song

Bonus Track
Don't Worry
Somwhere Quiet
I'm Feeling Sad

Anyone thought an alternate tracklist?

NPP is fun to sequence. I have an alternate tracklist. This is one I made for the car:

01  This Beautiful Day
02  I'm Feeling Sad
03  The Right Time
04  Saturday Night
05  Whatever Happened

The Island Suite:
06  Somewhere Quiet
07  Sail Away
08  Half Moon Bay
09  On The Island
10  One Kind Of Love (Just driftwood floating on the sea...)

11  Runaway Dancer
12  Don't Worry
13  Our Special Love
14  Guess You Had To Be There
15  Tell Me Why
16  The Last Song
 

[petsoundsnola]

One Kind of Love is so damn beautiful...

I never quite got what the big deal is with this sing.  It's alright, but they're sitting on a goldmine with "Guess You Had To Be There".  

Concur.  Also, why am I not hearing Saturday Night all over the radio right now?

[curth]

I'm wondering why none of the guest artists are performing any of the NPP songs they sang on in any of their own concerts? They do have song writing credits, so technically they would be performing songs they've written. You'd think they would love telling their audience, "this next song is one I co-wrote with Brian Wilson", a great big feather in their cap.

One Kind of Love is so damn beautiful...

I never quite got what the big deal is with this sing.  It's alright, but they're sitting on a goldmine with "Guess You Had To Be There".  

Concur.  Also, why am I not hearing Saturday Night all over the radio right now?

[Sangheon]

I was just messing around with a tracklist similar to yours. I think they just put out as much as they could on this album, with no regard for making a proper "album". Which is fine.. this isn't Pet Sounds no matter how you cut it. Otherwise we'd be getting new songs as a bonus track on future reissues and compilations.

yes, this isn't Pet Sounds. I'm not going to make a "Perfect album". It's just a fun.
So, I should thank brian for still making his "new album", not release as a bonus track on some compilations.
(But even though he releases new songs on compilations, I probably will still make these alternate tracklists  )

[Sangheon]

NPP is fun to sequence. I have an alternate tracklist. This is one I made for the car:

01  This Beautiful Day
02  I'm Feeling Sad
03  The Right Time
04  Saturday Night
05  Whatever Happened

The Island Suite:
06  Somewhere Quiet
07  Sail Away
08  Half Moon Bay
09  On The Island
10  One Kind Of Love (Just driftwood floating on the sea...)

11  Runaway Dancer
12  Don't Worry
13  Our Special Love
14  Guess You Had To Be There
15  Tell Me Why
16  The Last Song
 

Good selection! I had no idea that put I'm Feeling Sad as the second track. But very fabulous!
I got a similar impression to your altenate Sunflower tracklist! (start from Add Some. I love it too.)