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Author Topic: My Beach Boys marathon!  (Read 9801 times)
Sheriff John Stone
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« Reply #25 on: September 12, 2008, 07:49:59 PM »

The "Whispering Winds" fade is one of the most beautiful vocal performances the Beach Boys ever recorded.

Agree, it's breathtaking, and I have a question about "Whispering Winds". Was that segment recorded during SMiLE or Smiley Smile. I ask because it's included on BWPS, which would be interesting if Brian actually included Smiley Smile stuff on BWPS. Some of the vocals on BWPS's "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow" were taken from "Fall Breaks And Back To Winter" though....
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Chris Brown
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« Reply #26 on: September 12, 2008, 08:12:41 PM »

The "Whispering Winds" fade is one of the most beautiful vocal performances the Beach Boys ever recorded.

Agree, it's breathtaking, and I have a question about "Whispering Winds". Was that segment recorded during SMiLE or Smiley Smile. I ask because it's included on BWPS, which would be interesting if Brian actually included Smiley Smile stuff on BWPS. Some of the vocals on BWPS's "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow" were taken from "Fall Breaks And Back To Winter" though....

I believe the vocals were recorded during Smiley, but the melody was used at the end of "Holidays" on Smile.  As you pointed out though, Brian had no problem pulling things from Smiley that weren't actually recorded for Smile. 
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TheLazenby
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« Reply #27 on: September 13, 2008, 11:54:30 AM »

I actually think "Mrs. O'Leary" is considerably better with the "Fall Breaks" vocals.  The original BB's version (with no vocals) just seems a tad repetitive and boring without them;  Purple Chick's remix had the right idea there. :-)
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« Reply #28 on: September 13, 2008, 02:25:51 PM »

I actually think "Mrs. O'Leary" is considerably better with the "Fall Breaks" vocals.  The original BB's version (with no vocals) just seems a tad repetitive and boring without them;  Purple Chick's remix had the right idea there. :-)

I agree, although who knows if Brian would have ended up overdubbing vocals onto "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow" at some point?  Obviously he became intent on destroying it and re-doing the "Fire" section as a candle, but perhaps the reason he brought them back together for BWPS was that he had originally intended to add vocals before he freaked out about it.
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TheLazenby
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« Reply #29 on: September 18, 2008, 11:38:37 AM »

Sorry about the lack of updates... I've been listening to albums, but I haven't been stopping to write reviews for them.

I'll have reviews for Friends, Stack-O-Tracks, 20/20, Live In London, Sunflower, Landlocked, Surf's Up, Carl and the Passions, and Holland up as soon as I can.
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TheLazenby
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« Reply #30 on: September 18, 2008, 07:25:39 PM »

Here's a couple... I'm still working to catch up, though.

===========

FRIENDS (1968)

When I first owned this album (a time during which, admittedly, I never got around to playing it before I pawned it off), it was in a 2-LP set with "Smiley Smile."  Though the liner notes went through the trouble of saying how similar the two were, I couldn't disagree more; this album is more in the homespun vein of 'Wild Honey,' though not as raw.  I also didn't like this album as much, because too many songs just struck me as far too mellow and cheesy.  "When A Man Needs A Woman" suffers most from the cheesiness factor, sounding like a lame Seventies pop song.  "Transcendental Meditation" is also far too lame for its own good, with its high, nasal vocals being particularly irritating.  The group's newfound interest in transcendental meditation can also be detected in the lyrics of "Anna Lee, The Healer," which is considerably more entertaining than "Meditation" but again just sounds a bit too silly, this time resembling a cross between a corny TV theme song and Neil Diamond's "Cherry Cherry."  (Come on, you know that piano part sounds familiar!)  You know, the more I think of it, the more I realize how much I just didn't like this album.  I just keep finding additional things I didn't care for; like "Diamond Head," which is just too strange and disjointed for its own good; and "Passing By," which ends side one on a weak, repetitive instrumental.  I do, however, feel the need to pick a couple notable songs out of the bunch, so I'll pick "Friends" and "Be Still."  "Friends," the topic of which is obvious from the title, grabbed my ear with its relatable lyrics; and the short-but-sweet "Be Still" from Dennis was dim and creepy, sounding surprisingly like an attempt at rewriting "In Heaven" from the film 'Eraserhead.'  (I know that's a particularly bizarre comparison, but I honestly do hear a similarity between the two - though of course, "Be Still" came first.)  Oh well, I suppose that I expected better after 'Wild Honey.'  It's not that it's a terrible album, it's just a bit too happy and poppy for my picky tastes.  The cheeriness of everything just comes off sounding forced.
MY SCORE: 5.5/10


STACK-O-TRACKS  (1968)

Probably the most out-of-the-ordinary album in the Beach Boys' standard catalogue, this album consisted entirely of the instrumental tracks of songs from other albums; and despite what one might think, given the elaborate nature of Brian's melodies, this really isn't an interesting album.  While there are some good parts, it just comes off as very uneven, with some of the tracks being just plain boring.  "Surfer Girl" is completely pointless without vocals, because it soon becomes apparent that the song suffers from the problem that plagues many of the Beach Boys' early tunes - it sounds very generic.  (Listen to it alongside the instrumental version of "In My Room" - you'll quickly realize that you can damn near sing one over the other.)  "Wild Honey" is another track that manages to be especially boring, because as one might've expected, it's just that same theremin riff ("WEEEEEE-OOOOOO!  WEEEEEEE-OOOOOOO!") over and over.  However, its close companion "Darlin'" actually works without the vocals, revealing a stand-out bassline that was buried under the harmonies of the original version.  Not surprisingly, the highlights of this album are mostly the backing tracks of "Pet Sounds" tunes, thanks to their crystal clear stereo mixes and impossibly elaborate arrangements.  Out of the three tracks culled from that album, "Sloop John B" is the best of the trio, being absolutely shimmering and beautiful even without its famously layered vocals.  Outside of the 'PS' tracks, "Little Honda" is surprisingly listenable (exploding impressively into stereo after a mono intro), sounding like it belongs as the incidental music over a thrilling cinematic race scene.  "Do It Again" isn't bad either, being awfully catchy despite being heard here FIRST, sans vocals, months before its full debut on the '20/20' album.  In the end, 'Stack-O-Tracks' isn't that great of an album, with only a handful of tracks being listenable; hardcore fans might like to check it out once, but one listen will probably be enough.  What good is a song known for its harmonies if the harmonies have all been wiped away?
MY SCORE: 5/10
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« Reply #31 on: September 19, 2008, 10:53:30 PM »

A couple more....

===============================================================

20/20  (1969)

I gotta admit... I started getting worried about my Boys at this point.  Those last couple albums were pretty awful.  But... despite the dark stories behind its production (involving both live sex AND murder - what an album!), "20/20" turns out to be a hell of an album that, I'm sure, was ignored by the American public.  Of course, the group was maturing quite a bit by now; the most obvious example being "All I Want To Do," in which Dennis informs us that he wants to DO IT WITH US, and he apparently WON'T take no for an answer!  (Not exactly "Surfer Girl," is it?  Well, there is that bit about the 'Woody'...)  This newfound maturity actually endeared itself to me; because as I've said before, I found the early Beach Boys albums to be a little *too* immature.  They're still aware of their roots, though - "Do It Again" seems to say 'Yes, we're still the Beach Boys and we can still sing about surfing and dancing;' though admittedly, the snippet of 'Smile's "Workshop" at the end is completely out of place and awkward.  "I Can Hear Music" is another return to roots, being a Phil Spector cover that beautifully emulates his echo-laden style.  There's also a nod to the styles of 'Wild Honey' in the form of "I Went To Sleep," the piano sound of which places the song very comfortably alongside the material from that earlier album.  We even get another instrumental, "The Nearest Faraway Place," which (surprisingly for a Beach Boys instrumental) ends up being completely AMAZING; it's just a shimmering, dreamlike, strangely familiar-sounding instrumental that everyone should hear at least once in their lives.  It's just that wonderful.  Of course though, the album has its downpoints, the most serious of which I'll get to in a moment; but for now, I should mention the inclusion of the two 'Smile' tracks "Our Prayer" and "Cabinessence."  "Our Prayer" absolutely does not belong tucked away at the end of an album, and as such, it sounds totally out of place; and obviously, there's the grave disappointment of it not bursting right into "Heroes and Villains!"  "Cabinessence" is less obtrusive, but even still, its rich lyrics and arrangement make it stick out like a sore thumb compared to the rest of the album.  Okay, 'Smile' issues aside, let's get to the big, big, big, BIG problem - "Never Learn Not To Love."  Why is this creepy-ass song a problem?  Well, there is that nagging fact that Charles Manson wrote it, and Dennis stole it, thus leading to Charlie trying to kill Dennis (which then led to Dennis beating the hell out of Charlie); and oh yeah, Charlie also became enraged at Dennis's pal Terry Melcher, a record producer, who by chance had moved out of his house, but Charlie's 'family' didn't know that when they went to kill Terry, and they found Sharon Tate instead...   Anyway, I don't give a damn about how nice the harmonies might be, or anything like that - the cold hard fact is that this song should never have been included on reissues of the album; or for that matter, the original album period.  Crazy Manson song aside (yes, I'm gonna try to wrap this up positively), I really liked this album.  Giving this a score's gonna be tough, however...
MY SCORE (IGNORING "NEVER LEARN NOT TO LOVE") - 9.5/10
MY SCORE (INCLUDING "NEVER LEARN NOT TO LOVE") - 7.5/10


REVERBERATION  (unreleased - 1969)

I'm going to pass on this one at the moment. Since it's basically little more than a very early version of the "Sunflower" album, I will return to it later on, as I want to discuss the 'prototype' albums separately.


BEACH BOYS '69 - LIVE IN LONDON  (1970)

Oh no, not another live album?  Well, this one was at least tidied up for release, so it shouldn't be near as painful as the last one.  The story behind this album is interesting, because at this point, the Beach Boys were much more popular in England than in America.  That said, almost as a reward to their faithful English fans, they turn in a *very* listenable show.  "Darlin'" is a high energy opener, though not particularly different compared to the album version; while it's nice to hear *decent* takes on "Wouldn't It Be Nice" and "Sloop John B", especially given the 'we're so high we just don't give a damn' renditions on the Michigan recordings.  I actually believe I read someone say online that they felt this version of "Sloop John B" to be the best; I don't really agree, because I find the almost mariachi-like horn section to be a bit intrusive.  As for the other numbers, the now-obligatory "California Girls" is just a strictly by-the-numbers rendition (with a bad edit in the intro to boot), but seems to go well alongside the nostalgic "Do It Again," which has a killer ending to it this time around.  Even the tricky "Good Vibrations" shines gorgeously, in an amped-up, pounding performance that the audience absolutely loves.  (Mike adds a hilarious ad-lib to the song as well, giving a VERY Prince-like monologue during the organ section!)  The energy of the audience is actually a highlight of the album; because unlike the now-disinterested Americans, these girls are STILL screaming for the boys as if it was still 1964.  The group seems to be on their game as well, with Mike interacting well with the audience.  Interestingly though, the boys don't seem to want to present themselves as "that surf band" again, because much of their classics have now been bumped from the setlist, making this album unique among their various live recordings.  The lack of the old material doesn't harm the enjoyment factor, however, 'Live In London' actually turns out to be a surprisingly entertaining and energetic album; though, sadly, it seems a bit too short, due to what was in reality a fairly brief set.
MY SCORE: 9/10


Incidentally, I found a copy of "Aloha From Hawaii" on someone's blog, so I'm gonna have to jump back and fill in the review for "Lei'd In Hawaii" at some point soon....
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« Reply #32 on: September 20, 2008, 10:09:00 PM »

Okay, here's the one I'm missing... and God, was it bad.  "Heroes and Villains" deserved so much better... :-(

=================================================

LEI'D IN HAWAII (unreleased - 1967)

Alright, so I finally got my hands on a copy of the bootleg "Aloha From Hawaii (And Hollywood)," which serves as the closest thing to the unreleased "Lei'd In Hawaii" album as we'll probably ever get.  That's probably a good thing; like "Live In Michigan" before it, this is NOT good material.  Far from it.  The group manages to start off with the weakest opener ever, a cover of "The Letter," which just sort of meanders on for a minute and a half before falling apart, with no real ending.  This is quickly followed up by "Hawaii" (which I've taken to calling "Ha-whiny"), which is less than a minute long and not worth the time.  "You're So Good To Me" also sounds like it's ended way too soon and is significantly lacking in percussion.  (I'm actually writing this review while I listen to the album, and I'm dreading having to sit through all of it - this is already getting uncomfortably close to that damn Michigan mess!)  This would be a great time to point out that, like with the previous unreleased live album, the Beach Boys were all under the obvious influence of weed, which is painfully clear on "Gettin' Hungry" (insert munchies joke here) where they seem totally unable to stay in time with each other.  Speaking of "Gettin' Hungry," you know that brain-bleeding organ sound that appears on that track?  It's on EVERY SONG here.  Okay, back to what I'm currently listening to - oh, it's the Beach Boys MURDERING "California Girls."  As with "The Letter," it just falls apart, without any proper ending.  As "Wouldn't It Be Nice" starts, I have to ask - where the *hell* was Dennis?  You hear someone hit a lone drum every now and then, but he seems almost completely invisible.  You know what, I'm not even gonna bother reviewing the rest of the album, though I'll suffer through it for the sake of completeness.  I'm just giving it a score now, because I know it's not gonna get better.  But hey, where else can you hear "God Only Knows" marred mid-song by Mike (I think) screaming at the audience for being enthusiastic?
MY SCORE: 1/10
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« Reply #33 on: September 22, 2008, 08:49:27 AM »

The "Whispering Winds" fade is one of the most beautiful vocal performances the Beach Boys ever recorded.

Agree, it's breathtaking, and I have a question about "Whispering Winds". Was that segment recorded during SMiLE or Smiley Smile. I ask because it's included on BWPS, which would be interesting if Brian actually included Smiley Smile stuff on BWPS. Some of the vocals on BWPS's "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow" were taken from "Fall Breaks And Back To Winter" though....

I think there are a few Smiley sections that show up on BWPS. H&V of course has the Sunny Down snuff bit as well other Smiley sections, Vegetables has a Smiley section if I remember correctly (I think the accapella "I know that you'll feel better" ending) and I think there are a few others like the Fall Breaks vocals and Whispering Winds bits that you point out. I like it that BWPS includes Smiley stuff as well as Smile bits. As others point out, Smiley Smile did improve on Smile in (albeit a very few) places!

Lazenby - Never mind what the Beach Boys were smoking when they recorded Smile Smile, were you on crack when you reviewed it?!

3.5???!!!!!



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TheLazenby
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« Reply #34 on: September 22, 2008, 12:14:47 PM »

Oh yeah, ever since I owned that album on vinyl, I've had a very deep hate for it.  It always just sounded like they took "Smile" masterpieces and barfed all over them.

And come on... "She's Goin' Bald"?  :-P
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« Reply #35 on: September 22, 2008, 12:36:23 PM »


I think there are a few Smiley sections that show up on BWPS. H&V of course has the Sunny Down snuff bit as well other Smiley sections, Vegetables has a Smiley section if I remember correctly (I think the accapella "I know that you'll feel better" ending)


RE Vegetables, wasn't it more a case of Smiley having a Smile (67) section as opposed to BWPS having a Smiley section?

Cheers
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« Reply #36 on: September 22, 2008, 01:15:47 PM »

(...)

LEI'D IN HAWAII (unreleased - 1967)

(...)

Speaking of "Gettin' Hungry," you know that brain-bleeding organ sound that appears on that track?  It's on EVERY SONG here. 

(...)

But hey, where else can you hear "God Only Knows" marred mid-song by Mike (I think) screaming at the audience for being enthusiastic?

Thou shalt not criticize the sacred Baldwin organ  Angry

...and it's Brian who yells "he's singing, cool it!"

End of rant. Oh, I forgot (but you might have guessed it): I'm a huge fan of the Hawaii shows.  Grin
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« Reply #37 on: September 22, 2008, 01:56:22 PM »

Oh yeah, ever since I owned that album on vinyl, I've had a very deep hate for it.  It always just sounded like they took "Smile" masterpieces and barfed all over them.

And come on... "She's Goin' Bald"?  :-P

I'm with Bruce Johnston on this one: She's Goin' Bald is Beach Boys humor at its best.
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« Reply #38 on: September 22, 2008, 05:32:47 PM »

Quote
SURFIN' SAFARI (1962)

First, I feel it necessary to point out here... THE BEACH BOYS WERE NOT SURFERS. That fact alone makes the first batch of Beach Boys albums particularly irritating, but it's forgivable once you realize that they obviously had a great talent for writing songs on the subject. The real irritation with this first album, though, is the fact that the songs all basically sound the same - same harmonies, same "TICK-a TICK-a TICK-a TICK-a" drumbeat from Dennis. While it's mandatory to give the album some credit for the hits it produced ("Surfin' Safari", "409"), the Beach Boys' first attempt at a long-playing commercial product just comes off as juvenile and childish. There's a song about trying to win a doll at the county fair, an ode to cold root beer, and a surf-style version of "Ten Little Indians." The only real lyrical gem is the gambler-slang filled "Heads You Win, Tails I Lose"; otherwise, the album just seems tame and a little embarrassing by the standards that the Beach Boys would eventually adopt. I suppose, as their debut album, it works as a curiosity item; it's just not particularly entertaining.
MY SCORE: 5/10

You left off the nadir...the Cuckoo Clock track! LOL

Quote
LITTLE DEUCE COUPE (1964)

Yep, the Beach Boys *definitely* recorded for Capitol - home of the famous American line of rip-off Beatles albums. That mentality is shown here - an album rush-released just a month after "Surfer Girl", shamelessly featuring FOUR songs rehashed from old albums. (Yes, even a couple from "Surfer Girl," which makes it that much more disappointing.) Thus, there's not a whole lot to review here; the songs that are actually new are basically just similar, repetitive slow numbers, usually discussing cars - take for example the unintentionally humorous "Ballad of Ol' Betsy," which finds the boys moaning about their beloved car which sadly (*cough*) is getting older. "A Young Man Is Gone" also finds the Beach Boys at their maudlin worst, being a surprisingly morbid acapella tale of James Dean meeting his end among "screaming tires and flashing fires." Spare me, please. Even the original version of "Be True To Your School," one of the several Beach Boys songs that would become a hit single in a totally different form, is painfully unimpressive and weak. The only thing saving this from a terminally low score is "No Go Showboat," which boasts a pleasantly complex melody and unique, ear-catching harmonies. Otherwise, this cheesy, cobbled-together album just doesn't deserve a listen.
MY SCORE: 4/10

Agreed. I actually probably would've scored it lower. Honestly, LDC is my least favorite BB album out of everything .
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« Reply #39 on: September 22, 2008, 05:46:16 PM »

I've been enjoying this so far, despite me disagreeing with most of what you're saying (Friends it one of my favorite BB albums, All Summer Long is my favorite pre-Pet Sounds album), but still good fun. I did something similar a while back while I was , ahem, "under the influence" and have my reviews saved to a Word Pad document. I think I may go back and re-listen to it in a "sober" frame of mind and see if and how my opinions differ.

Either way, I still love Smiley Smile, which was the first BB album I ever bought.
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« Reply #40 on: September 22, 2008, 06:26:20 PM »

Quote
LITTLE DEUCE COUPE (1964)

Yep, the Beach Boys *definitely* recorded for Capitol - home of the famous American line of rip-off Beatles albums. That mentality is shown here - an album rush-released just a month after "Surfer Girl", shamelessly featuring FOUR songs rehashed from old albums. (Yes, even a couple from "Surfer Girl," which makes it that much more disappointing.) Thus, there's not a whole lot to review here; the songs that are actually new are basically just similar, repetitive slow numbers, usually discussing cars - take for example the unintentionally humorous "Ballad of Ol' Betsy," which finds the boys moaning about their beloved car which sadly (*cough*) is getting older. "A Young Man Is Gone" also finds the Beach Boys at their maudlin worst, being a surprisingly morbid acapella tale of James Dean meeting his end among "screaming tires and flashing fires." Spare me, please. Even the original version of "Be True To Your School," one of the several Beach Boys songs that would become a hit single in a totally different form, is painfully unimpressive and weak. The only thing saving this from a terminally low score is "No Go Showboat," which boasts a pleasantly complex melody and unique, ear-catching harmonies. Otherwise, this cheesy, cobbled-together album just doesn't deserve a listen.
MY SCORE: 4/10

Agreed. I actually probably would've scored it lower. Honestly, LDC is my least favorite BB album out of everything .

I don't know. I totally disagree on Ballad Of Ole Betsy, I love that song and find it quite moving...the backing vocals get me every time!! Who cares if the lyrics are dorky? Don't Worry Baby is about a car too, but that is one the best ever songs by the Beach Boys.
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« Reply #41 on: September 22, 2008, 06:31:06 PM »

I've been enjoying this so far, despite me disagreeing with most of what you're saying (Friends it one of my favorite BB albums, All Summer Long is my favorite pre-Pet Sounds album), but still good fun. I did something similar a while back while I was , ahem, "under the influence" and have my reviews saved to a Word Pad document. I think I may go back and re-listen to it in a "sober" frame of mind and see if and how my opinions differ.

Either way, I still love Smiley Smile, which was the first BB album I ever bought.

I agree. It's always interesting to read other people's take on things. Sometimes I hear people say that Summer In Paradise and Still Cruisin' are their favourite albums and that they hate a lot of the early albums, which is totally cool but just the opposite of me. I too disagree with TheLazenby on like 75-90% of things but that would be kinda boring if we all agreed, right?

As for Smiley Smile, I agree... I hated it at first as it was so unexpected but now I love it. There are parts where I cringe (mainly parts of She's Goin' Bald and Gettin' Hungry) but generally I think it's a fantastic album, albeit a creepy one.
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« Reply #42 on: September 22, 2008, 07:31:11 PM »

I kind of suspected that was Brian's voice yelling during "God Only Knows", but I thought I would've been wrong - I was under the impression that Brian pretty much played his organ and kept his mouth shut during the Hawaii shows.

I suppose though that it's unfair to rate the album solely based on the live performances, considering they planned on releasing studio re-recordings with a fake audience instead.  I haven't listened to those yet.  (They're on the same disc, however.)
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« Reply #43 on: September 23, 2008, 12:49:22 AM »


I think there are a few Smiley sections that show up on BWPS. H&V of course has the Sunny Down snuff bit as well other Smiley sections, Vegetables has a Smiley section if I remember correctly (I think the accapella "I know that you'll feel better" ending)


RE Vegetables, wasn't it more a case of Smiley having a Smile (67) section as opposed to BWPS having a Smiley section?

Cheers


I just meant that, as far as I'm aware, that accapella "I know that you'll feel better" bit was an addition conceived during the Smiley sessions. Even though it's just a variation on the line as it existed in the Smile version, I'd still class it as a Smiley section, in the same way that I'd say the "la la la l' l' l' la la la la" bit of H&V was a Smiley addition, even though it's just the Boys singing a wordless version of the existing Heroes' melody. Wow, my posts just get nerdier and more anal with every passing day!

PS Lazenby, keep up the reviews. Even though I balk at your opinions, it is as somebody else points out, very refreshing to hear an alternative perspective on this music.


« Last Edit: September 23, 2008, 12:50:39 AM by buddhahat » Logged

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« Reply #44 on: September 23, 2008, 05:14:07 PM »

It's funny how different people can have different views on the same material. Hell, I LOVE the Baldwin sound... creepy sounding yet oddly satisfying for me.
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« Reply #45 on: September 24, 2008, 05:44:04 AM »

Within the Beach Boys fanbase there seems to very different types of fans. I wonder how much this has to do with the schizophrenic nature of the Beach Boys output. If you think about it there is the mass appeal, wholesome, ultra-conservative side of the early to mid-60s surf & cars Beach Boys. Then you have the weird, drugged-out, experimental, progressive, arty Beach Boys of Smile, Smiley Smile etc. Ideologically these two incarnations of the band are almost diametrically opposed, so it's no wonder fans come to blows on these message boards so often!
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« Reply #46 on: September 24, 2008, 06:32:20 AM »

Within the Beach Boys fanbase there seems to very different types of fans. I wonder how much this has to do with the schizophrenic nature of the Beach Boys output. If you think about it there is the mass appeal, wholesome, ultra-conservative side of the early to mid-60s surf & cars Beach Boys. Then you have the weird, drugged-out, experimental, progressive, arty Beach Boys of Smile, Smiley Smile etc. Ideologically these two incarnations of the band are almost diametrically opposed, so it's no wonder fans come to blows on these message boards so often!

...is the right answer. I know of no band (and even the Beatles don't qualify here) that is so mentally 'split', divided, in their output as the Beach Boys. Somewhere I read, long ago, a piece by a rock journo who referred to the BBs as the most complex band there ever has been. He was right. I was the type of BBs acolyte that tried to make a case for the group whilst I was in high school and at University. Literally hundreds of times, when music discussion was on the agenda, talk was about Genesis, Yes, ELP, Supertramp, the lot. Then I stoically chimed in with my declaration of the brilliance of Brian D. Wilson and his group. Yes, folks, I got ridiculed so many times that I eventually ended up as the mental vegatable that I am today. Oh, the ignorant bastards!

PS: dear Buddhahat, your use of the word 'schizophrenic' is wrong. Schizophrenia is a mental condition marked by bouts of depression, stupor, and severe delusions - but it is not what most people think, i.e. a 'dual personality'.
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« Reply #47 on: September 24, 2008, 05:10:59 PM »

Quote
Schizophrenia is a mental condition marked by bouts of depression, stupor, and severe delusions

which in a way STILL fits!
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