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Author Topic: No Pier Pressure - 4 Months Later  (Read 34485 times)
mikeddonn
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« Reply #150 on: August 20, 2015, 01:15:54 PM »

I'm with El Mole' on "Sail Away" -- it's one of those songs which makes that whole Beach Boys thing feel effortless!

Cheers,
Jon Blum

I love "Sail Away" too, there's a lot going on in that song!
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« Reply #151 on: August 22, 2015, 01:04:31 PM »

NPP is a nice little easy listening album.  No world beater, but always pleasant to hear.  Didn't care for the She and Him tune or performance.  Also didn't like the Kacey Musgraves track, it is too sing-songy and the vocal is way too in your face.  I REALLY like Whatever Happened, being an old coot and all, find it quite wistful.  Didn't really notice the lack of a bridge until someone noted it on here.  I do have the distinct feeling that this album was probably mostly arranged and fleshed out by others....don't have a real problem with that, as I just don't have that high of expectations of Brian at this late date.  But did really enjoy most of the songs Brian sang leads on and was pleased by his participation vocally in some of the guest artist tunes, though with the exception of Our Special Love, which to me sounds like maybe the greatest boy band song ever written and I don't mean that in a negative sense.  That song really should be covered by a boy band immediately.  Oh, must also say I don't consider Blondie, Al and Dave to be guest artists in my comments.  Saturday Night sounds like it should have been in some cheesy eighties movie...I guess it is ok for what it is attempting to do, but don't care for it.

I think my personal measurement metric for the guest artist songs is, "would this sound like a Brian tune if Brian were singing it?".  I couldn't really say that about On the Island or Saturday Night.  Though I actually liked Runaway Dancer a lot (go figure), but I was never in to dance music much so it sounded "newer" to me than it does to others likely.

Also for the most part really like Bri's vocals on this album.  He still struggles with singing in the lower register, but by now I guess you just have to accept the sour with the sweet, as this seems to be something that isn't going to change at this late date.

Still really wonder though why this couldn't have easily been a BB's album.  How hard could it have been in this day and age to get Mike and Bruce et al vocals on most of these songs?  Maybe by the time they split all the money it just wouldn't make sense.  Does Brian even make a profit on these solo albums?  Not that it matters I guess, he's plenty rich anyway.
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« Reply #152 on: October 14, 2015, 11:16:48 AM »

Now six months on and it's a great album. I wanted to hear Guess You Had To Be There today so I punched it up on the ipod and ended up listening to most of the album again as I always do when I go for just one track. Way too many good songs and I am not tired of it in the least. Still my favorite Brian 'solo' album.
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« Reply #153 on: October 14, 2015, 11:36:04 AM »

I started this thread at the four month mark.  I honestly didn't notice that the six month mark has come and gone. 

I haven't been listening as often as I did during the summertime.  Of course, new albums from Ghost and Iron Maiden are taking up some of my time.  But I'm still enjoying some of the tracks.  Just listened to Sail Away the other day. 

They played the 13 track version of NPP at the Barnes and Noble in Tyson's Corner, VA during the Brian Wilson signing last month.  I enjoyed that.  And I'm glad I have the 16 track version. 

I still really like 14 of the 16 tracks (Runaway Dancer and Guess You Had to Be There are the exceptions). 

I think the real test will be how often I listen to it next spring and summer, when I tend to do most of my BW/BB listening (I know.  I know.  I'm contributing to the summer stereotype). 
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« Reply #154 on: October 15, 2015, 03:04:31 PM »

Played it quite a bit during such summer as we had - the 13 track version, as I think that works best... or in my case, the 12 track version, which works even better. It's definitely a grower.
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« Reply #155 on: October 15, 2015, 04:50:14 PM »

I enjoyed the album a lot when it came out but put it aside for the past few months. Not sure why. But I played it in the car a couple times this week and still think it's excellent. (Ok, I usually skip the one with Peter Hollens and also "Sail Away", which sounded too familiar the first time I heard it, and I don't like Brian's "In the Back of My Mind" at all).

Listening to "Don't Worry" today, when Brian sings "I'm going out of my way to live in the now and not yesterday", I had a thought regarding the album as a whole. Brian says he only listens to oldies radio, not the latest stuff. So maybe he thinks the elements of the album that sound like adult contemporary or smooth jazz from a few decades ago are actually "in the now and not yesterday"? I offer this thought only semi-seriously and repeat that I really enjoy the album.

On a related note: According to the first lyrics site I looked at today (lyricsmania.com), the opening lines of "Don't Worry" are:
Quote
Well, it's been building up inside of me
For oh, I don't know how long...
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« Reply #156 on: October 16, 2015, 05:22:12 AM »

Played it quite a bit during such summer as we had - the 13 track version, as I think that works best... or in my case, the 12 track version, which works even better. It's definitely a grower.

Just curious which track you left out, Andrew.
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« Reply #157 on: October 16, 2015, 05:24:21 AM »

I enjoyed the album a lot when it came out but put it aside for the past few months. Not sure why. But I played it in the car a couple times this week and still think it's excellent. (Ok, I usually skip the one with Peter Hollens and also "Sail Away", which sounded too familiar the first time I heard it, and I don't like Brian's "In the Back of My Mind" at all).

Listening to "Don't Worry" today, when Brian sings "I'm going out of my way to live in the now and not yesterday", I had a thought regarding the album as a whole. Brian says he only listens to oldies radio, not the latest stuff. So maybe he thinks the elements of the album that sound like adult contemporary or smooth jazz from a few decades ago are actually "in the now and not yesterday"? I offer this thought only semi-seriously and repeat that I really enjoy the album.

On a related note: According to the first lyrics site I looked at today (lyricsmania.com), the opening lines of "Don't Worry" are:
Quote
Well, it's been building up inside of me
For oh, I don't know how long...

Larry,

I'm with you on the demo version of In the Back of My Mind.  I also have the Target version and when I do play the album in full, I usually stop after The Last Song.  The live version of L&M is nice though. 

But listening to the two bonus tracks to me breaks up the flow of the record.  It would be like listening to Pet Sounds followed by a rough demo of Surfin and a live version of In My Room. 
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« Reply #158 on: October 16, 2015, 07:06:10 AM »

Played it quite a bit during such summer as we had - the 13 track version, as I think that works best... or in my case, the 12 track version, which works even better. It's definitely a grower.

Just curious which track you left out, Andrew.

"On The Island". I detest the female vocal with a passion normally reserved for "Barbara-*******-Ann". The epitome of "bored shitless". Don't tell me it's in the vein of Astrud Gilberto or whatever, I don't like it, it offends my ears and I don't have to play it, much less like it.  Grin
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« Reply #159 on: October 16, 2015, 07:23:05 AM »

I'm still diiggin' it.  Not as often.  But I've been busy.  A great album still.  One of Brian's best solo lps and [for my tatstes] overall WAY better than anything connected to the Boys, collective or solo, since 1973 [except for POB, Smile and BWPS...and maybe TLOS...haven't decided yet but the decision making process has its own rewards]

Yes it has lesser tracks.  Those will vary ears to ears.  It's always been that way.  I NEVER liked their version of Louie Louie.  Closer to the original but then why bother?  The Kingsmen had just reinvented the song.  Richard Berry did 'it' better than the Beach Boys.  WAY better.  Oh you disagree?  THAT is the point.  I like the guests on NPP.  I like how Brian basically puts them into the 'act' and THEY do it his way.  I wish he'd give those in his own band more leads and spotlights.  Surely THEY deserve it too.

Everyone with talent should get to be an honorary Beach Boy [even the ladies] and get to work with Brian and a Brian Wilson song.  The arrangements are almost always magical.  Heck...look how long he managed to make Mike Love sound good.
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« Reply #160 on: October 16, 2015, 07:30:37 AM »

Ugh, I hate this version of "...Back of My Mind". What for record it? it should've been left unheard, for himself. I mean, any musician plays guitar/ piano/name instrument every day, just because they like doing it, for fun, whatever tune came to mind. It might be one of those days he played this song casually and somehow smb or Brian taped it. are we sure to hear raw unprepared performance? He was clearly not in the best vocal shape.
This and Musgraves duo still leave me cold. On the whole, the album's still going strong. except that I like "Whatever Happened" less.
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« Reply #161 on: October 16, 2015, 07:47:57 AM »

Played it quite a bit during such summer as we had - the 13 track version, as I think that works best... or in my case, the 12 track version, which works even better. It's definitely a grower.

Just curious which track you left out, Andrew.

"On The Island". I detest the female vocal with a passion normally reserved for "Barbara-*******-Ann". The epitome of "bored shitless". Don't tell me it's in the vein of Astrud Gilberto or whatever, I don't like it, it offends my ears and I don't have to play it, much less like it.  Grin

Fair enough. 

I feel the same way about Guess You Had to Be There, but I'm just not into country pop. 
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« Reply #162 on: October 16, 2015, 08:25:10 AM »

Six months later and I'm still beyond disappointed. I really wanted to like the record. Sadly it has taken a place among the worst the band as a group or solo has to offer. I never thought I'd say that twice about a Brian record.
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« Reply #163 on: October 16, 2015, 08:54:47 AM »

Six months later and I'm still beyond disappointed. I really wanted to like the record. Sadly it has taken a place among the worst the band as a group or solo has to offer. I never thought I'd say that twice about a Brian record.

What was the other one, BWPS?
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« Reply #164 on: October 16, 2015, 09:05:52 AM »

Outside of BWPS, Brian's best solo album.
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« Reply #165 on: October 16, 2015, 09:43:50 AM »

Six months later and I'm still beyond disappointed. I really wanted to like the record. Sadly it has taken a place among the worst the band as a group or solo has to offer. I never thought I'd say that twice about a Brian record.

If it does not float your boat so be it but among the worst? What album did you listen to? Brian sings way better on NPP than on ANY of his work since his voice disappeared in '74. All the guests worked out stellar. What did you want another Brian album of covers with the Pet Sounds treatment ? Al also sounds great and is all over it plus a new Blondie co-lead...this album blows away anything but TLOS or POB for solo work by any of the guys.

Musgraves own work as well as she and him are now on my iPod thanks to NPP. I really like both of those gals. I do not get why a fair amount of fans have issues with those tracks. I wish Taylor had gotten some leads when she was in the band.

Smile Brian, I get what you are saying but I still consider TSS the definitive Smile hence I stand by this being my favorite "Brian" record.
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« Reply #166 on: October 16, 2015, 09:48:44 AM »

I totally agree that it's the best BW solo album of newly written material!
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« Reply #167 on: October 16, 2015, 10:22:18 AM »

Six months later and I'm still beyond disappointed. I really wanted to like the record. Sadly it has taken a place among the worst the band as a group or solo has to offer. I never thought I'd say that twice about a Brian record.

If it does not float your boat so be it but among the worst? What album did you listen to? Brian sings way better on NPP than on ANY of his work since his voice disappeared in '74. All the guests worked out stellar. What did you want another Brian album of covers with the Pet Sounds treatment ? Al also sounds great and is all over it plus a new Blondie co-lead...this album blows away anything but TLOS or POB for solo work by any of the guys.

Musgraves own work as well as she and him are now on my iPod thanks to NPP. I really like both of those gals. I do not get why a fair amount of fans have issues with those tracks. I wish Taylor had gotten some leads when she was in the band.

Smile Brian, I get what you are saying but I still consider TSS the definitive Smile hence I stand by this being my favorite "Brian" record.

Paul,

Not speaking for The Real BB.  But I think the guests are a matter of personal preference.  I don't much care for the Musgraves track because I'm not a fan of country / pop.  Same reason I don't care for Shania Twain, Faith Hill, Sugarland, etc. 

I also don't much like the Sebu track because it's a little too close to EDM for my taste.  Brian Wilson's voice over a dance beat?  That's OK.  I'll skip to Whatever Happened. 

I do like the She & Him track.  And I didn't expect to, but I like Our Special Love. 
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« Reply #168 on: October 16, 2015, 10:36:06 AM »

My position has thawed somewhat towards the album, however only the first track and right time make it onto any playlists. I still feel it's totally dispensable and just achingly MOR.

 Not as bad as I first thought but not good by any stretch of my imagination
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« Reply #169 on: October 16, 2015, 10:38:11 AM »

Six months later and I'm still beyond disappointed. I really wanted to like the record. Sadly it has taken a place among the worst the band as a group or solo has to offer. I never thought I'd say that twice about a Brian record.

Can't agree with that while GIOMH still exists. Granted that was largely composed of either remakes or tracks of some antiquity, but then NPP isn't 100% new either and is infinitely preferable. If pushed, I'd rank Brian's solo studio outings thusly:

1  TLOS
2  OCA
3  BWRG
4  NPP
5  Brian Wilson
6  ITKOD
7  Imagination
8  IJWMFTT
9  WIRWFC
10 GIOMH

The #1 here is some way ahead of the pack, just as #10 lags badly. The rest are closely grouped.

To my mind, BWPS is a very, very special case and stands somewhat apart from his main canon. #1 in a listing of its own.




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« Reply #170 on: October 16, 2015, 10:38:41 AM »

Right. Personal taste. I typically do not like much of anything country either and usually can't stand dance music but this album just really works for me. It was so unexpected and refreshing. Coupled with the Love and Mercy film 2015 was another great year to be a Brian fan.

NPP also has the best sleeve cover since what... Holland?
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« Reply #171 on: October 16, 2015, 10:47:31 AM »

Six months later and I'm still beyond disappointed. I really wanted to like the record. Sadly it has taken a place among the worst the band as a group or solo has to offer. I never thought I'd say that twice about a Brian record.

Can't agree with that while GIOMH still exists. Granted that was largely composed of either remakes or tracks of some antiquity, but then NPP isn't 100% new either and is infinitely preferable. If pushed, I'd rank Brian's solo studio outings thusly:

1  TLOS
2  OCA
3  BWRG
4  NPP
5  Brian Wilson
6  ITKOD
7  Imagination
8  IJWMFTT
9  WIRWFC
10 GIOMH

The #1 here is some way ahead of the pack, just as #10 lags badly. The rest are closely grouped.

To my mind, BWPS is a very, very special case and stands somewhat apart from his main canon. #1 in a listing of its own.






Geez, AGD, didn't recognise it was you with the change of avatar!

 I agree on the BWPS point and my ranking is as thus

1. TLOS
2. IJWMFTT
3. Imagination
4. OCA
5. BW
6. NPP
7. BWRG
8. WIRWFC
9. ITKOD
100. GIOMH

 1 and 2 are way way above the rest (although IJWMFTT is very much a compilation, albeit a re-recorded one)
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« Reply #172 on: October 16, 2015, 10:47:43 AM »

Right. Personal taste. I typically do not like much of anything country either and usually can't stand dance music but this album just really works for me. It was so unexpected and refreshing. Coupled with the Love and Mercy film 2015 was another great year to be a Brian fan.

NPP also has the best sleeve cover since what... Holland?

I do love 14 of the 16 tracks.  Just those two do nothing for me.   And yes, I love the cover art.  IMO, there really isn't enough really good cover art in the BB/BW universe.  
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« Reply #173 on: October 16, 2015, 09:00:03 PM »

If it does not float your boat so be it but among the worst? What album did you listen to? Brian sings way better on NPP than on ANY of his work since his voice disappeared in '74. All the guests worked out stellar. What did you want another Brian album of covers with the Pet Sounds treatment ? Al also sounds great and is all over it plus a new Blondie co-lead...this album blows away anything but TLOS or POB for solo work by any of the guys.

Musgraves own work as well as she and him are now on my iPod thanks to NPP. I really like both of those gals. I do not get why a fair amount of fans have issues with those tracks. I wish Taylor had gotten some leads when she was in the band.

I listened to the same album you did. It's called an opinion. I know that it's not a popular one around here, but que sera, sera. I also couldn't fathom another album of covers from Brian after two in a row.

The tracks with Al, David, and Blondie were about the only ones on the record I liked along with One Kind of Love and This Beautiful Day. But when I say that the other songs just went beyond not moving me, it's not me trying to be edgy or shocking. I haven't felt so cold at the end of a Brian record since GIOMH or the Disney album (as BWPS is irrelevant from where I sit). I wanted to love the record, especially after all the stuff I read about it before it was released.

The high points on NPP are HIGH, no doubt...but the lows? Runaway Dancer came on and I felt like the beginning of the first Black Sabbath LP..."WHAT IS THIS THAT STANDS BEFORE ME?!?" Total momentum killer; the worst original song to ever come out under Brian's name. That song just dragged the rest of the program down with it. I'd rather listen to Smart Girls on repeat than subject myself to Runaway Dancer again; at least the former has camp value. And as good as the Al/David/Blondie tunes were, there was a lot of treading through monotony to get to them. It was like that breath of fresh air on GIOMH to hear Desert Drive...only this time instead of hearing more than a stack-o-Brian, it was a good song that brought the breath of fresh air on NPP.

GIOMH was incompetent; NPP just bored me for the most part. All of the songs sound the same and just run together. Half of the time I could barely tell that the songs changed. Sure, the vocals are better; it's just a shame that the rest of the material wasn't as good. It's also a shame that such a great set of vocals all around were wasted on a lot of lousy songs. "Among the worst" is also an opinion. Your mileage may vary. It's in the same company as Keepin' the Summer Alive, Gettin' in Over My Head, In the Key of Disney, and Country Love from where I sit. Who knows? Maybe I'll change my mind eventually (I used to damned near loathe Holland and now it's one of my favorites).

I also did write a small review on here in the reviews section. It explains a bit better how I feel about the album.
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« Reply #174 on: October 19, 2015, 05:30:34 AM »

RBB,

I agree 100% about Runaway Dancer.  To put that song at track #2, sandwiched between This Beautiful Day and Whatever Happened, was a huge mistake IMO.  Because of that song and Guess You Had to Be There, it's unlikely that I'm going to sit and listen to the album in its entirely too often.  And that's a shame, because I really like the other material. 

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