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Author Topic: Brian's role in the live band during the "Brian's Back" era (76-78)  (Read 8677 times)
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« Reply #25 on: November 21, 2020, 11:46:33 AM »

Those points could have been a factor, and I also think the title itself may have been appealing as something to put out into the disco scene whose lyric content overall was a majority of songs that mentioned dancing the night away. "Night Fever" being perhaps my favorite example although there are many.

But it's the formula aspect of this BB's track that really sours me. It's like they made a list of all the elements of a disco production and threw them all into this track, but it came out sounding like a collection of disco sonic trademarks homogenized into one long-ass track. Listen to it and it's literally every disco sound or sonic gimmick thrown into that mix, including the infamous bongo/conga drum break with the monkeys shrieking. I refer to productions like this as "Diet Pepsi" productions. Or the difference between Burger King and a real burger in terms of food comparisons.

I still come back to the lack of songwriting despite having multiple writers in the band as an issue. It's the same thing that dogged them after Kokomo became a fluke soundtrack hit. The songwriters in the band could never follow that up, in fact they could barely eke out a full album of original material without relying on the same remake and cover formula yet again. It's surprising to me how little original material came from the songwriters in the band minus Brian or Dennis at those times they needed original hit-quality material.
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« Reply #26 on: November 21, 2020, 02:49:13 PM »

Those fucking monkeys...the rest of the song could be Pet Sounds quality but that section would ruin anything
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« Reply #27 on: November 21, 2020, 06:31:23 PM »

There was a 12 inch single of the Kinks' "(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman", and the bass drum is definitely up in the mix there, but the track still rocks. It doesn't sound radically different from other Kinks recordings of that era. Ray Davies said he took Mick Avory's tom tom away, just had him play snare, bass and hi-hat through the song. I think it's a great performance.
There was a disco mix of the Rolling Stones' "Miss You"; i never bought the 12 inch, but here in the NW, it seems to be the standard version now.
Wings did "Goodnight Tonight", a very percussive track, but it didn't sound like a sell out to disco. Paul McCartney was likely to come up just about any kind of song in those days - i guess "Silly Love Songs" could be called disco, too.
HCTN turned off a lot of BB's fans because it sounded like a formula disco record, with no traces of the BB's sound other than the vocals. It's not a bad record, though. The single version was all they needed to include on LA. That would have made it their best album since Holland.
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« Reply #28 on: November 22, 2020, 11:22:15 PM »

That version of Surf’s Up sounded like Pink Floyd. Badass. I have a confession...I’ve never liked Carl’s vocal on the album. I would’ve loved if this was the version released
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« Reply #29 on: November 23, 2020, 08:08:01 PM »

I'll be that guy and say that HCTN-disco has always been one of my favorite BBs tracks. I agree with criticisms that it unbalances L.A. (though I loved it at the time) but I think it kicks ass.

It's a much edgier track than I think people give it credit for. Consider the wooshy disco-lite of Bruce's previous entry "Pipeline" or the Celebration album (shudder). It could have easily been THAT. Instead you get one of Carl's grittiest vocals, an awesome sax solo, some truly spectacular b vox, and some relatively gritty and/or WTF elements (the ominous falsetto that underpins the progression, the urgent clavinet, the chimpanzee freaking out, the weird-ass "uh-ohs"...I mean that bit was Lindsey-worthy).

I love me some HTCN disco and although I hear the criticisms it seems like they don't do what's good about the track enough credit.
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« Reply #30 on: November 23, 2020, 08:08:42 PM »

I'll be that guy and say that HCTN-disco has always been one of my favorite BBs tracks. I agree with criticisms that it unbalances L.A. (though I loved it at the time) but I think it kicks ass.

It's a much edgier track than I think people give it credit for. Consider the wooshy disco-lite of Bruce's previous entry "Pipeline" or the Celebration album (shudder). It could have easily been THAT. Instead you get one of Carl's grittiest vocals, an awesome sax solo, some truly spectacular b vox, and some relatively gritty and/or WTF elements (the ominous falsetto that underpins the progression, the urgent clavinet, the chimpanzee freaking out, the weird-ass "uh-ohs"...I mean that bit was Lindsey-worthy).

I love me some HTCN disco and although I hear the criticisms it seems like they don't do what's good about the track enough credit.

And meanwhile, down the street Brian was cutting his deconstruction of "Drip Drop Motherf**kers" which is also one of my favorite BBs tracks.
« Last Edit: November 23, 2020, 11:54:24 PM by adamghost » Logged
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« Reply #31 on: November 23, 2020, 08:23:08 PM »

I think HCTN, along with Student Demonstration Time for that matter, would have been received far better (at least nowadays) if they were only released as singles. In both cases the songs could be perceived as interesting curios in Beach Boys history, acting as examples of them wholeheartedly embracing contemporary trends and styles (i.e. songs as political rallying cries and extended disco dance anthems), without having the notoriety of taking up space on albums in which they're very ill-fitting.
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« Reply #32 on: November 25, 2020, 06:26:13 AM »

adamghost, I feel the same way about HCTN. It's an incredible record. Carl and the boys' vocals are outta sight. Such a tight production.
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« Reply #33 on: November 25, 2020, 09:26:15 AM »

adamghost, I feel the same way about HCTN. It's an incredible record. Carl and the boys' vocals are outta sight. Such a tight production.

Yay!
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« Reply #34 on: November 25, 2020, 03:44:41 PM »

do we know who is actually singing on the background of HCTN disco version?
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« Reply #35 on: November 25, 2020, 03:48:54 PM »

I guess I should've read the entire thread
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« Reply #36 on: November 26, 2020, 01:03:10 AM »

The original HCTN is a stunning song. I love disco and I want to like HCTN '79 and I even agree that it's a good production but in the end it just doesn't do it for me. It sounds forced and desperate and to me it reeks of creative bankruptcy. Totally agree that they should've written a new song instead.
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« Reply #37 on: November 26, 2020, 10:33:02 AM »

Or they could have done a disco version of "Drip Drop!"
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« Reply #38 on: November 26, 2020, 11:52:07 AM »

Or they could have done a disco version of "Drip Drop!"

With Brian's "mother-f**s" line mixed out of the album and 7" mixes, but left in the 12" club dub mix! With reverb added, and repeated a couple of times throughout!
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« Reply #39 on: November 26, 2020, 10:37:13 PM »

"Matchpoint of Our Love" could have made a semi-decent disco song I think.
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« Reply #40 on: November 27, 2020, 12:51:30 AM »

I think it should’ve been the single personally.
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« Reply #41 on: November 27, 2020, 08:09:35 AM »

I think it should’ve been the single personally.

Truthfully, had it been a properly-promoted single, it could have been at least a moderate hit. Same with "She's Got Rhythm". Of course, the record company didn't give a rat's ass about them by then, so they threw out "Peggy Sue" as the single, probably because "Rock And Roll Music" had been a hit for them, and this was another golden oldie cover, so why not.
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« Reply #42 on: November 27, 2020, 08:17:58 AM »

I think it should’ve been the single personally.

Truthfully, had it been a properly-promoted single, it could have been at least a moderate hit. Same with "She's Got Rhythm". Of course, the record company didn't give a rat's ass about them by then, so they threw out "Peggy Sue" as the single, probably because "Rock And Roll Music" had been a hit for them, and this was another golden oldie cover, so why not.


But it's a great version of the Buddy Holly classic. I'm not surprised that it wasn't a big hit, but I love that recording
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« Reply #43 on: November 27, 2020, 10:50:59 AM »

It's funny because "Come Go With Me" actually was a substantial hit...three years later!

Had they put it out in '78 with "Matchpoint" as a follow-up, sure...coulda worked.

The Beach Boys actually DID have a hit in '78...with "Almost Summer", but Celebration did the final recording. Many blown opportunities in '78 it would seem.
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« Reply #44 on: November 29, 2020, 06:03:15 PM »

To get back to the original topic, anyone with an interest in this subject needs to hear the Seattle show from 12/13/77.  Brian is playing bass fairly well and is singing a lot of parts for better or worse.  Sometimes he nails his vocal part, sometimes his voice just isn't there anymore, and sometimes he decides to sing something completely different from the part you'd expect him to sing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQ5VGqcQEwI
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« Reply #45 on: November 30, 2020, 09:19:46 AM »

Thanks again for the responses -

Question: How many of the concerts from 76-78 have soundboard recordings? Not sure if the band would approve this, but some Brian's Back era live recordings coming out via copyright extension would be fantastic.
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« Reply #46 on: December 18, 2020, 09:46:27 AM »

I’m going to respond really late and thank everyone for this info. I also like the disco HCTN, though I definitely think the single and album versions (not the 12” single) should have been no longer than 5 minutes at the most.

Shane, I’ll have to listen to that SB soon.

thr33, I think there’s a handful on YouTube. I may be wrong though, some might be ARs, but I just can’t remember.

adamghost, agreed fully. Couldn’t they have tried to negotiate where the two labels could have split profits for the single, and each company could have had it on an album (MIU and the soundtrack)? Also, I think I’ve seen your “was here” stickers around, if there are not two Adam Marslands.  Wink
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« Reply #47 on: December 19, 2020, 02:54:17 AM »

Hey, yup, those are my stickers, from my long-ago road warrior period. Nice to see they at least had some staying power!
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