Love You: Was It the Last Great Album of BB?

[Summer_Days]

Many of Brian's songs would work well as instrumentals, including 'Solar System'. The music beneath the vocal is really really good, but I still prefer it as it is. The lyrics make me smile, especially as one who has been really into astronomy since he was a boy, which IIRC it was the same with Brian. Really fits beautifully on this album, filled with themes of childhood and adolescence. This song would not have graced the album nearly as well if it was an instrumental instead.

[Blue]

I love "Solar System," but I knew I would when I looked at the title, because I love anything to do with outer space. The vocal and lyrics work for me. Very funny, quirky lyrics.

I don't think it would work as an instrumental, unless you mean replace the vocal melody with another instrument. Without a lead melody, the song would become boring and meandering, I think. If any of the songs on Love You were stripped of their vocals and re-purposed as instrumentals, I think "Let's Put Our Hearts Together" might work best, for whatever reason. Just a thought that struck me when considering the question.

[CenturyDeprived]

I love Solar System, and even though it gets a LOT of hate, I think it's a sweet little song.  It's odd, quirky, and silly, but well-intended and charming. I get that it's not a GREAT tune, but I think it's fun to listen to, and I never skip it when listening to this album.

[SMiLE Brian]

The backing track is prime-era BW!

[bossaroo]

it's easy for folks to slag on Solar System simply for the lyrics, it happens with a lot of the Beach Boys catalog... but it's always been the music not the lyrics that make Brian's songs so special.

Solar System is a great example. similar to This Whole World, it traverses several keys in the first few lines. playing through the chords can offer new appreciation of a song

http://www.surfermoon.com/francis/love_you.html

[RangeRoverA1]

"Solar System" is cool with voice. Without, it would be nice background music to complement doc about Solar System, maybe? It's got interesting chords, great use of synths (unlike RSC, DD & TNWSY with annoying riffs). It could benefit from being tiny bit faster. But at the same time, it's right as is. I like it less now due to frequent listens.

I don't think there are any synths on TNWSY. I hear keyboards and guitar, and I think that's it. Maybe somebody could correct me.

It's possible RR means "I'll Bet He's Nice", one of the best uses of the synth in the entire history of the synth.   

I didn't mention it, did I? Regarding synths & keyboards, isn't it the same thing? Till now, I lived with thinking it is (technically?non-technically?). That said, the annoying riff I meant in TNWSY is definitely not synths. It's Hawaiian-style guitar & it IS annoying. Sounds like whining/ crying. I stand by *that* argument but stand corrected re instrument specifics.

[bossaroo]

while you may find it annoying, others might think it makes the song.

take Brian Wilson for instance. I'm quite sure he didn't insert that guitar lick just to annoy listeners


and when you describe it as crying, you're absolutely right! the song itself is a cry. same reason steel guitars played in a certain way became the standard accompaniment in sad country music.

[Jay]

"Solar System" is cool with voice. Without, it would be nice background music to complement doc about Solar System, maybe? It's got interesting chords, great use of synths (unlike RSC, DD & TNWSY with annoying riffs). It could benefit from being tiny bit faster. But at the same time, it's right as is. I like it less now due to frequent listens.

I don't think there are any synths on TNWSY. I hear keyboards and guitar, and I think that's it. Maybe somebody could correct me.

It's possible RR means "I'll Bet He's Nice", one of the best uses of the synth in the entire history of the synth.   

I didn't mention it, did I? Regarding synths & keyboards, isn't it the same thing? Till now, I lived with thinking it is (technically?non-technically?). That said, the annoying riff I meant in TNWSY is definitely not synths. It's Hawaiian-style guitar & it IS annoying. Sounds like whining/ crying. I stand by *that* argument but stand corrected re instrument specifics.

Oops. I misread your original post. Sorry about that. 

[RangeRoverA1]

while you may find it annoying, others might think it makes the song.

I generally dislike TNWSY. It's among the worst in the BBs catalog imo. What the others think is 2ndary. But we'll discuss the song when its respective discussion takes place.

[Wata]

The Tenth Discussion
Theme: All Things 'The Night Was So Young'
Main Question: Why did Brian write a song about love affair with someone who's not his wife?


I've heard that this is a song about Brian's love affair not with Marilyn. It always puzzles me why Brian was urged to put songs with such 'gossip' lyrics onto his albums.

Anyway, the song itself is quite beautiful, and probably one of the best songs on this album. The lyrics are nice, too.


Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsuGBZJ-nrA

[JK]

It has a great Four Seasonsish chorus. But what a sad song! As you say, W, one of the best on the album. 5.   

[bossaroo]

one of Brian's best songs, period. and a real diamond in the rough that was the late 70s. TNWSY was a return to form.

beautiful chord changes, powerful harmonies, sweet instrumentation, and a bittersweet longing in the lyric and the music.

as RangeRover pointed out, the bending or sliding guitar in the verse gives a crying effect to a song that is really a cry in itself.

can't say enough about this one. it's just gorgeous

[Summer_Days]

Sublime, truly exceptional stuff. Yes, absolutely the best track on the album. I've heard people complain about Carl's vocals on this one, but c'mon, a good Carl vocal doesn't always have to be sweet, smooth and romantic. Carl was a seriously gifted singer, and a great singer is a great interpreter of the lyrics and theme of the song. With that in mind, he frickin' knocked it out of the park, which he often did, whether the tune called for honey or sandpaper. The man always delivered, even in crappy songs.
When I first heard 'The Night Was So Young I was gobsmacked, over the moon, it hit me almost as hard as a Pet Sounds hit me, and that is quite an achievement especially for Brian at this stage in his life. No matter what was going on, Brian Douglas Wilson could (and can) still turn it on. It is songs like this that ensures The Beach Boys will always be my favorite band in the universe.

As for writing it about an affair, I never thought about that. This song could be telling a true story or it could be fiction, or even a mix of both. Whichever, it still stands as an unbelievably incredible tune.

5

[The LEGENDARY OSD]

one of Brian's best songs, period. and a real diamond in the rough that was the late 70s. TNWSY was a return to form.

beautiful chord changes, powerful harmonies, sweet instrumentation, and a bittersweet longing in the lyric and the music.

as RangeRover pointed out, the bending or sliding guitar in the verse gives a crying effect to a song that is really a cry in itself.

can't say enough about this one. it's just gorgeous

 

[Forrest Gump]

take Brian Wilson for instance. I'm quite sure he didn't insert that guitar lick just to annoy listeners

That's because he didn't. Try the mixdown producer.

[Forrest Gump]

The Tenth Discussion
Theme: All Things 'The Night Was So Young'
Main Question: Why did Brian write a song about love affair with someone who's not his wife?


I've heard that this is a song about Brian's love affair not with Marilyn. It always puzzles me why Brian was urged to put songs with such 'gossip' lyrics onto his albums.




Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsuGBZJ-nrA

D. K.

[RangeRoverA1]

Well we get to the baddie. As said before, this & DD =2 rank tracks. But since TNWSY is standard song, it's not short, it makes it worse. Carl couldn't save it even if he sang it with 1980s improved voice. Boring melody aside, I dislike the "heavenly" melancholic harmonies in refrain. You know, that go "oooohh". I wouldn't say it's sad but there's emo-like vibe in the chorus - not fan. About lyrics, the entire psychological thing trying to get into smb.'s brains & read their mind is stupid, really. What if that girl is icily cold? It's kinda like teenager dreams, written from young chap's perspective. Doubt adults think like that.
I think "Johnny Carson" fits in its place, if you resequence it that way, switch these 2 songs & the other in the album, it would be interesting.

[Wata]

Well we get to the baddie. As said before, this & DD =2 rank tracks. But since TNWSY is standard song, it's not short, it makes it worse. Carl couldn't save it even if he sang it with 1980s improved voice. Boring melody aside, I dislike the "heavenly" melancholic harmonies in refrain. You know, that go "oooohh". I wouldn't say it's sad but there's emo-like vibe in the chorus - not fan. About lyrics, the entire psychological thing trying to get into smb.'s brains & read their mind is stupid, really. What if that girl is icily cold? It's kinda like teenager dreams, written from young chap's perspective. Doubt adults think like that.
I think "Johnny Carson" fits in its place, if you resequence it that way, switch these 2 songs & the other in the album, it would be interesting.

Then you wouldn't like the Four Seasons, right?

Well, switching Johnny Carson with TNWSY is an interesting idea. I'll listen to Love You that way tomorrow.

BTW, why aren't TNWSY and DD 1 rank tracks for you? It seems you don't like them at all, then is there any reason why you give them a 2 instead of 1?

[RangeRoverA1]

Smb. in "Rank the tracks" threads used that word to mean "bad quality". I found it there. You should read it then "This & DD= 2 bad tracks".

Btw, what's this Four Seasons mention? Did they do song like TNWSY?

[Wata]

Smb. in "Rank the tracks" threads used that word to mean "bad quality". I found it there. You should read it then "This & DD= 2 bad tracks".

Sure. It's kinda idioms.

To RR's question: JK referred to the Four Seasons on his review on TNWSY on this thread above. I'm referring to that.

[Kid Presentable]

Rank is a slang term for bad, in the way that you might say about old food that you discover in the refrigerator, "this smells rank!"

[clack]

The chorus has a most unBrian-like structure.

We get the initial, Brian-signature transcendent surge of "Is somebody going to tell me...", but then that surge immediately crumbles into "why she has to hi-i-ide", or "why she has to lie-i-ie".

It's as if the song is continuously poised for emotional liftoff, only to be dragged back down. It's very effective, one of Brian's best.

[Blue]

"The Night Was So Young" is definitely my favorite song from Love You, probably the best song on the album... I feel that's a common opinion. The harmonies on the chorus are beautiful, and the lyrics paint a great picture in my head. When I listen to it I imagine an open window, a barely-palpable breeze floating into a hot room, in the middle of the night. I actually like listening to it when I wake up in the middle of the night, because it feels so fitting. The lyrics actually remind me a bit of "Kiss Me Baby," with the song's protagonist lying awake thinking about the problems in his relationship with someone.

I didn't think of it as a true story, but I don't have any objection to such personal lyrics, if it is true.

[Wata]

The Eleventh Discussion
Theme: All Things 'I'll Bet He's Nice'
Main Question: How do you guess how Brian feel about Marilyn when he wrote it?

I've heard that this song is written about Marilyn's love affair with another guy. It's very interesting that Brian described him as 'as nice as me'. That might mean that Brian respected the guy, or he's afraid of hurting Marilyn by blaming him. In either way, at least I think it's true that the guy was someone who Brian can't/don't dislike.

Musically, IMO, this is the second greatest song off this album after The Night Was So Young, and is given richer production than that song. Would've been good choice for B side to a single.

Now, you can discuss anything about I'll Bet He's Nice. What Do You think about this song? Looking forward to seeing your interesting opinions.

https://youtu.be/V0juu940iJI

[Steve Latshaw]

The bridge is one of the greatest Brian's ever written, with one of the best Carl Wilson leads.  I love the trade off lead vocals with the three Wilson brothers.  And the tag (complete with Bruce) is classic.  With a little polish, this would have fit perfectly on Sunflower.