Great song - coulda been better!

[mikeyj]

Our Car Club would've been great with better lyrics.

How about Rabbit's Foot or whatever it was originally called?

[Peadar 'Big Dinner' O'Driscoll]

He came down, should be about a minute shorter

[Pretty Funky]

That said, we all have our preferences.

Yes we do Luther and I quite like it. Of course it's nowhere near one of my favourite Beach Boys tracks, but I still think it's a decent song. It's quite relaxing I think. I wish I could compose a song like that

A small story re the NFP track. In 1979-80 I was in a somewhat alternative music store when the track came on the stereo, I think from a compilation or movie soundtrack album. Two black T-shirt wearing Heavy Metal listeners stopped looking through the Black Sabbath albums and stood listening for the rest of the song and at the end walked up to the counter to ask who and what it was.
The song fits in well on the Surfs Up album IMO. While not a classical fan, I like it for its light contemporary feel. The piano used at the beginning should have been used througout IMO.


oops...20/20 album

[the captain]

The thing I dislike most about it is the style of the keyboard playing. Where Brian had a simple keyboard technique but arranged for interesting parts by other instruments, Bruce's keyboard style is full of the sort of little flourishes that really annoy me, especially when coupled with that electric piano sound that ruined the much of the next decade to my ears.

[Pretty Funky]

Agreed. But a lot may have been the style of the time.
One thing I must also comment on is just how crappy the keyboards sounded at the time compared with what they can do now.

[the captain]

Well of course, digital technology has made it possible for keyboards that are emulating other instruments to sound much, much better. But there are plenty of keyboard instruments from that era that everyone making digital keyboards now tries to emulate: Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzers, Hammonds, etc. A lot of those 60s and 70s keyboards sound great, I think. It's often just like anything else, how you're using them.

[Sheriff John Stone]

I first listened to "The Nearest Faraway Place" decades ago, before I ever read any of the books or liner notes (those were the days!). I thought it was a Brian Wilson composition. It wasn't until I looked at the record label did I realize it was composed by Bruce!

I like the song. And as I've said before, if "The Nearest Faraway Place" would've been written by Brian Wilson, the song would've been hailed as a work of art, maybe even a missing piece from SMiLE.

[the captain]

if "The Nearest Faraway Place" would've been written by Brian Wilson, the song would've been hailed as a work of art, maybe even a missing piece from SMiLE.

Certainly not by me.

[Wilsonista]

Amen, brother.

[Magic Transistor Radio]

if "The Nearest Faraway Place" would've been written by Brian Wilson, the song would've been hailed as a work of art, maybe even a missing piece from SMiLE.

Certainly not by me.

if "The Nearest Faraway Place" would've been written by Brian Wilson, the song would've been hailed as a work of art, maybe even a missing piece from SMiLE.

Certainly not by me.

He may have a point there. Personally I think its the best of the new material on 20/20 with the exception of Dennis' songs. TTGA and IWTS are better too, but they were Friends outtakes.

[Pretty Funky]

I'm not a fan of much by Bruce but I still think NFP is his best. 'Deidre' and 'Tears' get the Skip treatment.

Can we agree that 'I Write The Songs' could have been great....unrecorded?

[Aegir]

The problem with I Write the Songs is that Bruce does NOT write the songs that make the whole world sing. And neither did Barry Manilow. The only way that song would make sense is if it were a Beach Boys recording sung by Brian.

[shelter]

I like The Nearest Faraway Place... I like the melody... But it's certainly not a great work of art... It's elevator music, really.

[mikeyj]

A small story re the NFP track. In 1979-80 I was in a somewhat alternative music store when the track came on the stereo, I think from a compilation or movie soundtrack album. Two black T-shirt wearing Heavy Metal listeners stopped looking through the Black Sabbath albums and stood listening for the rest of the song and at the end walked up to the counter to ask who and what it was.

Haha. I wonder if those guys became Beach Boys fans?

[mikeyj]

The problem with I Write the Songs is that Bruce does NOT write the songs that make the whole world sing. And neither did Barry Manilow. The only way that song would make sense is if it were a Beach Boys recording sung by Brian.

Well, I just don't like that song much at all. Never been a big fan. How it ever won a grammy is beyond me. I would much rather listen to The Nearest Faraway Place any day.

[shelter]

The problem with I Write the Songs is that Bruce does NOT write the songs that make the whole world sing. And neither did Barry Manilow. The only way that song would make sense is if it were a Beach Boys recording sung by Brian.

Didn't he write it with Brian in mind?

[mikeyj]

The problem with I Write the Songs is that Bruce does NOT write the songs that make the whole world sing. And neither did Barry Manilow. The only way that song would make sense is if it were a Beach Boys recording sung by Brian.

Didn't he write it with Brian in mind?

I've heard that too (can't remember where unfortunately).. But I also remember Bruce stating that he was trying to say that he had the idea that God's presence was in men and women who write songs/create art.. so in other words hes sort of saying God writes the songs.. through other people I guess.. I dunno I think he said something to that affect.

[Rocker]

A small story re the NFP track. In 1979-80 I was in a somewhat alternative music store when the track came on the stereo, I think from a compilation or movie soundtrack album. Two black T-shirt wearing Heavy Metal listeners stopped looking through the Black Sabbath albums and stood listening for the rest of the song and at the end walked up to the counter to ask who and what it was.

Haha. I wonder if those guys became Beach Boys fans?

Maybe after hearing "All I want to do" from the same album?   

[Dancing Bear]

I like the song. And as I've said before, if "The Nearest Faraway Place" would've been written by Brian Wilson, the song would've been hailed as a work of art, maybe even a missing piece from SMiLE.

This reminds of a thread in the first major Beach Boys Message Board, ten years ago. Two or three fans praising Dennis' lead vocals in "All I Want to Do" to high heaven, saying he should have been the group's lead singer, what a great rock'n'roll performance etc. Then someone informed them that this was "MICHAEL EDWARDS LOVE" they were praising. I've never seen a thread die so abruptly. 

[Chris Brown]

The problem with I Write the Songs is that Bruce does NOT write the songs that make the whole world sing. And neither did Barry Manilow. The only way that song would make sense is if it were a Beach Boys recording sung by Brian.

Didn't he write it with Brian in mind?

The weird thing is that Brian has said that Bruce told him that he wrote it about him, but Bruce has since denied this.  I think the song being about Brian makes a lot of sense, and some of the lyrics certainly suggest it. 

[LostArt]

But I also remember Bruce stating that he was trying to say that he had the idea that God's presence was in men and women who write songs/create art.. so in other words hes sort of saying God writes the songs.. through other people I guess.. I dunno I think he said something to that affect.

I think this is probably it exactly.

The weird thing is that Brian has said that Bruce told him that he wrote it about him, but Bruce has since denied this. 

I think a likely explanation would be that Bruce told Brian pretty much what mikeyj says above, and Brian thought, yeah, that's how I do it.  It's about me.

[Dancing Bear]

maybe being in the same band as Brian Wilson for 7 years served as an inspiration for Bruce, but first line "I’ve been alive forever" make very clear what the final draft is about.

[Pretty Funky]

Sorry to bring up the NFA again Luther, but anyone have an idea on what album it would have been playing in that store. I know it was NOT 20/20 or any BBs compilation. I am 99% sure it was a movie soundtrack album as I seem to remember picking it up but now have no idea what it could have been.

One for AGD maybe?

[mikeyj]

Sorry to bring up the NFA again Luther, but anyone have an idea on what album it would have been playing in that store. I know it was NOT 20/20 or any BBs compilation. I am 99% sure it was a movie soundtrack album as I seem to remember picking it up but now have no idea what it could have been.

One for AGD maybe?

I'm not 100% sure, and I'm not 100% sure that this release is legit, but Im pretty sure it was released on that Instrumental hits cd from japan wasn't it? I'm only guessing though...

[Pretty Funky]

Could be the case. It was that kind of store.


BTW. Luther...this ones for you!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzN9mQIAKNg