"Pet Sounds - Classic Albums" Blu-ray/DVD Due on September 23rd

[HeyJude]

This release was mentioned previously in the thread on the BBC "Pet Sounds" documentary from a few months ago, but I thought I'd start up a new thread since the program is actually a "Classic Albums" series documentary.

I thought it would be a good reminder that this is due on Blu-ray and DVD this Friday, September 23rd.

Perhaps we can also use this thread for reviews/thoughts/questions about the release.

[the professor]

That series is 100% great and detailed and scholarly; I think of the Doors's LA Woman and "Dark Side" for example, so I hope we get detailed interviews with all the BB about this one. Looking forward to this; thanks Jude.

[rab2591]

Thanks to you both for posting about this. I'll definitely have to check it out.

Some information from the BBC website:

It features exclusive interviews with all surviving members of the band - Brian Wilson, Bruce Johnston, Mike Love, Al Jardine and David Marks - and with lyricist Tony Asher and Brian’s colleagues and collaborators. Rare archive footage and rare studio outtakes allow viewers to eavesdrop on some of the most important recording sessions in music history. Together with examination of the original multi track recording tapes, the film documents the making of this landmark album that cemented The Beach Boys reputation as a leading force to rival The Beatles, and Brian Wilson as a song-writing genius. It is directed by Martin R. Smith for Eagle Rock Film Productions.

[Pretty Funky]

First review is in and it's a good one!

http://americansongwriter.com/2016/09/beach-boys-pet-sounds/

[the professor]

On this review and faith in the series I just ordered it but not the blue ray, since it's only an hour and I can't imagine it being that different? These shows are so much fun and so informative. Goodbye YBR by Elton is another I like, and the Sex Pistols too, if I recall correctly.

best to all

[Pretty Funky]

Official clip. I like Brian hearing the playback...."There they are.......The Beach Boys!" 

https://youtu.be/7k_NHM3G_Cw

[RubberSoul13]

SO glad this is getting done finally...The Doors, Elton John, Queen, Pink Floyd...so many incredible sets that taught me a lot about the music at the time.

[the professor]

Friends, it's difficult to speak into the phone and to write because the professor is in tears in hearing that great moment when Brian Wilson asks for the vocal parts and says there they are, The Beach Boys. How many if you are we weeping at that moment at that moment of love and harmony and unity. I'm going to play it over and over again in this clip and I'm so happy that I have bought this. I consider hearing Brian Wilson say that as one of the happiest moments of my life. I think they all want to be together again despite everything and I hope that they will.

[HeyJude]

It has arrived!

[HeyJude]

So, I've watched the full hour-long doc and the 30 minutes of bonus footage. Overall, it's a fine piece. It's the sort of thing you'd see as a bonus disc in a multi-media PS boxed set. It's hard not to be too analytical, and also bring in uber-fan knowledge and all of that, but overall I'd give this a solid B grade.

On the plus side, they got all five main BBs (including David Marks) in this. Brian seems pretty "up" in his interview. Any time you get to hear the multi-tracks pulled apart, it's pretty cool. I'm actually surprised how *dry* the stuff sounds on the multi-tracks when Mark Linett was playing the material back. I'd love to hear some super-dry remixes of this stuff as just an *alternate* way to hear this material. To hear individual instruments pulled back in something we get to hear on a lot of these "Classic Albums" docs. But often with the BBs, we hear the vocals isolated, and of course we have the backing tracks and whatnot on the PS boxes. But to hear just the drums or just the stand-up bass on a song, it's actually really interesting and I was surprised how, in *some* cases, there is much less echo printed onto the multi-track than I would have thought.

Beyond the five BBs, I thought the other interviews were mixed. Mark Linett speaking to the multi-tracks is of course always going to be interesting. The insights of engineer Bruce Botnick were very interesting and were some of the only bits in this doc that I hadn't heard before. The couple of British journalist were there, I guess, because this is a British production? They weren't bad; they just sorted of offered somewhat inert observations that I think any BB scholar could have offered.

The big "WTF" moment is the copious amount of interview clips with Helen Shapiro. Huh? Yes, the singer from the 60s famous for touring with the Beatles and also in at least one instance the Beach Boys. I can't say she offered anything but correct and kind observations, and she seems like a nice, well-spoken woman, but who in producing this thought, "You know who we need for a Pet Sounds documentary? Helen f**king Shapiro!"  The only new bit she really offered was that Bruce offered to bring her back to LA and produce her, but she couldn't because she had just gotten engaged.

In terms of the documentary's form, about the first 15 or 20 minutes of the 60 minutes is taken up with yet *another* quick encapsulated history of the band. Weirdly, even though David is in the film, the film never explains how he joined and then left the band. He actually speaks as much to stuff that happened after he left the band, and he does offer some good insights.

So there's only about 40 minutes spent on the album. In terms of tracks, they cover WIBN, I'm Waiting for the Day, Sloop John B., God Only Knows, Hang on the Your Ego/I Know There's An Answer, God Only Knows, and sort of Here Today thought not really in any specific way. "That's Not Me" plays a bit over the credits. "Caroline, No" is covered in a bonus footage bit.

The two instrumentals are briefly played in the background but not really discussed. "You Still Believe In Me" and "Don't Talk" are never mentioned as far as I can recall.

There's a bonus segment on "Good Vibrations" as well as some other extraneous bits that do feel very much like deleted segments from the film. Probably would have worked just as well by cutting them back into the main film.

I would have loved to see even more bits of pulling apart the multi-tracks.

No particularly new stories or insights; it's mostly the stuff we've heard many times before. Reminds me of John Carpenter talking about the "Halloween" movie; I think they're all out of anecdotes and new ideas.

Brian praises Tony Asher quite a bit. They don't really go into Mike having any animosity towards Brian using an outside writer; Mike seems to just kind of bluntly say over and over how he liked Asher's lyrics.

Nobody was able to explain very well what specifically Mike didn't like about "Ego." It sounds kind of like just once he was told the song was a vague reference to LSD, he wanted it changed.

Probably more I could go over, but that's all for the moment. Still a solid pick-up; I still think Brother needs to do their own video releases with even more substantial material.

[Rocky Raccoon]

I love this documentary.  A Beach Boys documentary that's all about the music, who would have thought? 

[the professor]

I am still waiting for mine but I want to thank Hey Jude for the commentary and of course his analyses are always very insightful and very useful. I did wonder about that woman Helen Shapiro, and I would much rather hear Brian or any of the Beach Boys saying anything or just sitting there smiling or singing or talking or remembering or anything rather than her or someone associated with the project natttering on.

[GhostyTMRS]

Within the first 5 minutes, Brian is shown at the piano talking about his father and playing a bit of Murry's unpublished song "His Little Darlin' and You" which, as I had long suspected, is the same melody as "Just Like Me and You" from the That Lucky Old Sun CD. That was the confirmation I've been looking for for the past year. Mystery solved .

[PS]

Agree with HeyJude's thorough assessment. Favorite moment is when Mark plays one of the unused embedded backing tracks for the "God Only Knows" chorale (familiar to us as an alt version) and tells Brian how much he likes it and Brian looks at him with that Brian face of his and says rather quizzically,  "I didn't use that?"....

And the professor's moment of "There they are...the Beach Boys" brought a tear to me as well in context. The sweetness and innocence of this man who's been through it all and back again.

Biggest surprise for me was all the new extra Firehouse dream footage in the GV bonus at least I've never seen before. Startling to see anything new at this point from that era. Is that Paul Jay Robbins shooting the 8mm camera and rolling down a hill in slo mo at what looks like the Laurel Way area? What do we actually know about that 16mm fire sequence promo footage in terms of assistants, who shot it, who edited, etc.?

[Rocky Raccoon]

It was cool that they had the full Good Vibrations promo but I wish they had also included the album promo with the monster masks and the Sloop John B promo with the swimming pool.  Also I would have liked to see the full UNICEF performance of God Only Knows which was shown in excerpt in the documentary.  But I'm just nitpicking.

[the professor]

Just saw it: grade of B, and HeyJude was right in every detail. I sort of zone out when the Brits are explaining things I have known since I was 10.

Best part is seeing Brian so happy and excited. . . . he loves his band. . .still so moving.

Poor Tony did not look so good, so I feel for him, as he must be ill, which is sad.

Al got lots of credit (which I had never seen in detail) on the piano for SLB arrangement (or its origins), which was instructive.

All the good parts of the doc were people explaining things on instruments, which I always find thrilling.

Also, I would hate for anyone to think PS was the first time Brian (and Mike and Usher) ever got introspective. It was not all car and surf songs before PS. Sometimes that transition get overstated.

[The Cool One]

Hey, in 0:02 in the trailer of youtube appears an very little excerrpt of wouldn´t it be nice in Twien, the dvd includes the full clip?

[HeyJude]

I don't know if we can assume anything about Tony Asher. He looked a little less "clean cut" I suppose than interviews from like 20 years ago, and certainly didn't dress up for his interview, but keep in mind he's three years *older* than Brian. He's now 77 years old.

[CenturyDeprived]

I don't know if we can assume anything about Tony Asher. He looked a little less "clean cut" I suppose than interviews from like 20 years ago, and certainly didn't dress up for his interview, but keep in mind he's three years *older* than Brian. He's now 77 years old.

Side question: Is Tony the earliest-born outside collaborator who collaborated and wrote songs with Brian Wilson on a Beach Boys song? I can't think of anyone else from the 1930s or earlier (except Landy and Murry).

[Rocky Raccoon]

Hey, in 0:02 in the trailer of youtube appears an very little excerrpt of wouldn´t it be nice in Twien, the dvd includes the full clip?

No, they just show excerpts as a sort of visual accompaniment.  Doesn't bother me that they didn't include the full performance of that.  I've seen that on bootleg, it's pretty awkward watching Al mime to Brian's voice.  The only clip shown in its entirety is the Good Vibrations firehouse promo in the bonus features.

[the professor]

Jude, you are correct and I should not assume anything about Tony. I suppose I was just accustomed to seeing him an older documentaries. Thank you for your very gracious correction. I do very much like him and his work and hope the best for him. I watched the documentary only once but I had been anticipating wanting to see it several times but there is just nothing I really wanted to see over and over again except that wonderful moment with Brian. I must conclude that this is not one of the best Productions ironically since the subject matter was among the best in all of musical history.



ote author=HeyJude link=topic=24420.msg591416#msg591416 date=1474992191]
I don't know if we can assume anything about Tony Asher. He looked a little less "clean cut" I suppose than interviews from like 20 years ago, and certainly didn't dress up for his interview, but keep in mind he's three years *older* than Brian. He's now 77 years old.
[/quote]

[Pretty Funky]

Purchased and watched yesterday. I have a couple of these 'Classic Album' programs and this is worthy for the series.

This was the first time I have seen Al play a piano. I also chuckled during the (I think) 'Hang On To Your Ego' discussion Mike made a comment followed by Al saying in effect " I learn't about big egos real fast".

I will watch the bonus material later but I give it a B plus. As already mentioned, the so called 'live' clips with the wrong leads let the grade slip. If possible I would personally would have used C50 or Brian 'Pet Sounds' solo show clips interspersed for a better effect.