gfxgfx
 
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
logo
 
gfx gfx
gfx
680597 Posts in 27600 Topics by 4068 Members - Latest Member: Dae Lims March 28, 2024, 04:30:21 PM
*
gfx*HomeHelpSearchCalendarLoginRegistergfx
gfxgfx
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.       « previous next »
Pages: [1] Go Down Print
Author Topic: There's something captivating about Murry's "Sunrays" recordings  (Read 2294 times)
joshferrell
Smiley Smile Associate
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 1634



View Profile
« on: June 29, 2015, 10:37:33 AM »

I have been listening to a Sunrays compilation and I must say that there are some captivating moments on it, the songs and the production are actually very well done, my favorite song is "Andrea".  one of the things that is alluring about this specific song is that, at least to my ears, I hear the beginning stages of "Break Away", which as we all know as co-written by Murry, and I'm starting to think that he may have produced it, because it sounds more like what he as doing with the Sunrays than what the Beach Boys ere doing at the time. It's funny because I hear all that "Syncopation" that Murry was talking about during the HMR sessions, the do-be-do-be type stuff,,,lol..it would have been interesting to hear an album from 1969 (or so) with Murry and Brian working together like they did with Break Away, that would have been an interesting album, with "Soulful Old man sunshine" on it, which has that "Break Away" sound. Even though the Sunrays are considered a "Generic Beach Boys" I must say that I actually like their stuff, and "I live for the sun" is a great song, but it's not the best on the cd IMO (for example "Still" and the song about the boy and his dog and especially "Andrea". what a song!)..if you get a chance to hear their cd give it a chance, if you like "Break Away" then I think you will like it..
Logged
Summertime Blooz
Smiley Smile Associate
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 1138



View Profile
« Reply #1 on: June 29, 2015, 11:39:49 AM »

I really like their album too. They made some good, if somewhat behind the times, music. Rick Henn had talent no doubt.
Logged

Please visit 'The American(a) Trip Slideshow' where you can watch the videos and listen to fan mixes of all the Smile songs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doOws3284PQ&list=PLptIp1kEl6BWNpXyJ_mb20W4ZqJ14-Hgg
JK
Smiley Smile Associate
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 6053


Maybe I put too much faith in atmosphere


View Profile
« Reply #2 on: June 29, 2015, 01:04:57 PM »

Rick Henn had talent no doubt.

I should imagine he still does. Check out this great interview from 2000 with Richard Henn: 

http://www.21st-centurymusic.com/ML210002.pdf
Logged

"Ik bun moar een eenvoudige boerenlul en doar schoam ik mien niet veur" (Normaal, 1978)
You're Grass and I'm a Power Mower: A Beach Boys Orchestration Web Series
the Carbon Freeze | Eclectic Essays & Art
Jason Penick
Smiley Smile Associate
*
Offline Offline

Gender: Male
Posts: 580



View Profile
« Reply #3 on: June 29, 2015, 02:34:19 PM »

I got a kick out of Murry bringing "I Live for the Sun" into the studio in L&M: "why don't you listen to what a real hit single sounds like, Brian?" One thing I noticed while listening to the track during the scene where Brian was flipping out was how propulsive the groove was on that song. There's some fairly solid pop songcraft going on with the Sunrays, even if it lacks the creative spark of the Beach Boys.
Logged

SUICIDE
It only makes things worse. You can't solve anything by killing yourself. I mean, things can only get better, but if you're dead, they may not. -- Brian Wilson
The Cincinnati Kid
Smiley Smile Associate
*
Offline Offline

Gender: Male
Posts: 802



View Profile
« Reply #4 on: June 29, 2015, 04:42:37 PM »

I've always liked their songs.  Never understood why I Live For the Sun didn't chart higher than it did.
Logged
joshferrell
Smiley Smile Associate
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 1634



View Profile
« Reply #5 on: June 29, 2015, 05:37:02 PM »

How about this for a theoretical lost album produced by Brian and Murry (although it would say the Beach Boys on the back)


Beach Boys "Break Away" 1969 (or 1970)
1. Break Away
2. just around the riverbend (with BB vocals)
3. Loop De Loop
4. Help is on it's way
5. Come to me (Honeys song with BB vocals)
6. Italia
7. I just got my pay
8. When girls get together
9. (Let's take a) Holiday (with BB vocals)
10. Carnival
11. Games to can play
12. Soulful old man sunshine
13.we're together again
14. Can't wait too long
15. Old man river
16. Goodnight My Love (Pleasant Dreams) (with BB vocals)
Logged
clack
Smiley Smile Associate
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 537


View Profile
« Reply #6 on: June 29, 2015, 06:04:48 PM »

I've always liked their songs.  Never understood why I Live For the Sun didn't chart higher than it did.
It came out in the summer of '65, when folk-rock was all the rage. Released in '64, it would have been top 20.
Logged
Shane
Smiley Smile Associate
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 620



View Profile
« Reply #7 on: June 29, 2015, 06:59:23 PM »

Just the other day, I was on a plane coming back from a vacation in Hawaii.  I popped my headphones into the airline-provided radio on board the plane.  They were doing a show on obscure surf music, and this one-off Rick Henn single from 1973 just blew my mind:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMxdXCL_hqQ
Logged
joshferrell
Smiley Smile Associate
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 1634



View Profile
« Reply #8 on: June 29, 2015, 07:28:17 PM »

Just the other day, I was on a plane coming back from a vacation in Hawaii.  I popped my headphones into the airline-provided radio on board the plane.  They were doing a show on obscure surf music, and this one-off Rick Henn single from 1973 just blew my mind:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMxdXCL_hqQ
yes that's a good song...
Logged
Mike's Beard
Smiley Smile Associate
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 4265


Check your privilege. Love & Mercy guys!


View Profile
« Reply #9 on: June 29, 2015, 11:44:21 PM »

The Sunrays put out some very good stuff, by the time they broke up they had moved into Pet Soundsesque territory.
Logged

I'd rather be forced to sleep with Caitlyn Jenner then ever have to listen to NPP again.
Autotune
Smiley Smile Associate
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 1699



View Profile
« Reply #10 on: June 30, 2015, 12:22:22 PM »

For me it's well-crafted pop, but that's it. The vocals, and vocal arrangements are well made (Henn is a very good musician, hands down) but somewhat over the top, and this brass-heavy, mid-60s, Batman Theme-like beat doesn't do it for me. The songs are probably better than the recordings. And I think whoever linked the Sunrays sound to "Breakaway" is onto something. The vocal arrangement is unusually busy and loaded, and sometimes seems to take over the role played by brass instruments on Sunrays recordings. Furthermore, the whole sound and ethos of such song is somehow departed from the rest of the boys' output and it has a similar flavor to some of the Rays' songs.
Logged

"His lyrical ability has never been touched by anyone, except for Mike Love."

-Brian Wilson on Van Dyke Parks (2015)
JK
Smiley Smile Associate
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 6053


Maybe I put too much faith in atmosphere


View Profile
« Reply #11 on: July 01, 2015, 05:04:08 AM »

I've always liked their songs.  Never understood why I Live For the Sun didn't chart higher than it did.

i could never understand that either. The pirate stations in the UK played it all the time. Can't remember ever hearing "Andrea" though...
Logged

"Ik bun moar een eenvoudige boerenlul en doar schoam ik mien niet veur" (Normaal, 1978)
You're Grass and I'm a Power Mower: A Beach Boys Orchestration Web Series
the Carbon Freeze | Eclectic Essays & Art
gfx
Pages: [1] Go Up Print 
gfx
Jump to:  
gfx
Powered by SMF 1.1.21 | SMF © 2015, Simple Machines Page created in 0.134 seconds with 21 queries.
Helios Multi design by Bloc
gfx
Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!