Sunflower

[Matinee Idyll]

Criminey!

These ain't just the words of an aussie drongo... It's About Time is absolutely fantastic... the most convincingly rocky the Beach Boys ever got in the studio, instrumentation is fabulous, The harmonies jaw dropping eg. "another WOOOOOOOOOORLLLLLD!"  Holy crap!  How can you not like that!?  Shoulda been a big single.

Kicks the f*** out of Add Some Music, and some of you like that, and not this... Silly, silly.

[I. Spaceman]

Add Some Music is amazing, too. Both of those songs are incredible. The whole damn album is.

*knocks all your heads together like the Three Stooges*

[Matinee Idyll]

Ian, if it was just the middle 8... maybe opening the album like "Meant for You" then I'd say it was amazing.

As it is, it's a fucking gem (middle 8 - "Music is in my soullll...) wrapped in dog poop (everything else).

* slaps Ian upside the head *

[the captain]

Criminey!

These ain't just the words of an aussie drongo... It's About Time is absolutely fantastic... the most convincingly rocky the Beach Boys ever got in the studio, instrumentation is fabulous, The harmonies jaw dropping eg. "another WOOOOOOOOOORLLLLLD!"  Holy crap!  How can you not like that!?  Shoulda been a big single.

Easy. It's garbage.

I used to be a famous star yap yap blah blah fvck me. Jesus.

[I. Spaceman]

*kicks both of you in the nuts*

[the captain]

Ow.

[I. Spaceman]

Will someone else who knows how great both those damn songs are help me out here?
Thanks in advance.

[Matinee Idyll]

* Backs Ian into a corner *

Nope, you're on your own mate...

He says "artist" Luther, not "star"...

[the captain]

He says "artist" Luther, not "star"...

That doesn't help. In another band, someone would have said, "Man, these lyrics are ridiculously bad."

But it was the Beach Boys...Hell, Al and Carl probaby thought they were great. I'd rather hear some Riely enviro-trash than that.

OK, maybe not.

[I. Spaceman]

Nope, you're on your own mate...

For the moment.

[Matinee Idyll]

Ha, Run Ian!

Go round up your goons!

Luther... I think thems fine lyrics, they serve their purpose...  C'mon, it's about the delivery... Carl could be singing the dictionary around this time and he'd smoke it. 

He and Denny were on fire vocally on Sunflower.  Absolutely.

"OH THE CREATION!"

http://www.reasontorock.com/tracks/its_about_time.html

Just found this website, read that, and believe.

"This recording is a beautiful incarnation of the rock aesthetic. It is a true collaborative work, with multiple songwriters and musicians working together seamlessly (and with little input from Brian Wilson, the often-alleged “genius” of the group). The words are meaningful and expressive, but clearly rely on rock instrumentation and vocals to achieve their impact. The recording is wonderful, with every note, instrument and sound contributing to the overall, unified effect. A sense of liberation, of release from constraints, is expressed by both words and music. The basic 4/4 rock beat serves as a sturdy foundation for the overlaid rhythmic complexity delivered by multiple drums, instruments and vocals. Electric instruments are used to provide a unique sound to the piece, with the detailed sounds of the notes mattering more than the symbolic values recorded by musical notation. And the whole recording achieves an artistic effect that far transcends traditional elements of a song."

[I. Spaceman]

That review applies to the entire album.

[the captain]

Just found this website, read that, and believe.

You found that on the internet? Then it's gotta be true...

It fvcking sucks. One of the worst BB songs ever. Carl singing well doesn't make words less awful.

[I. Spaceman]

Utter heresy.

[the captain]

"Brian Wilson, the often-alleged “genius” of the group"

No, this is heresy.

[Matinee Idyll]

Pfft... you're not one of them "I'll only like it if Bri was involved" Beach Boys fans are you Luther?

Well Bri does backing vocals, happy?

What I find funny is that everyone is singing "Nono", "no", "no no" "no"...

The Bri chimes in with "Ohhh yeah." 

Always makes me smile that bit.

[the captain]

Pfft... you're not one of them "I'll only like it if Bri was involved" Beach Boys fans are you Luther?

No. But neither am I one of those, "I'm going to act as if Brian weren't CLEARLY the most talented member, just to be different and spite others," either.

[the captain]

I should note, my love for Holland ought to prove my position. I'm not a Brian-only fan.

[Matinee Idyll]

Bri was the most talented member.

Until Denny took over the reigns around "20/20" time, and he didn't give them up until he died.

That's not some anti-Bri attitude, I love the big guy... It's just what I believe.

I love Holland too.  Onya Luth

[the captain]

Dennis was too limited in scope; his music was sometimes nice, but it feels like 2 or 3 songs being rewritten over and over again.

And he hardly took over at 20/20, or hung on till he died. I didn't notice him dominating the travesty of 15BO, or the Brian-laden Love You, or the sh1tty MIU. Or the awful KTSA. Dennis became pretty good by the late 60s, but the truth is, he stayed that way through the late 70s, and he was done soon after, unable to hold even the croaky notes Brian was offering up.

Anyway, that's it for me today. Be back to bicker later. A pleasure, as always.

[Matinee Idyll]

Well, if the other band members had allowed him, he coulda saved all them albums you mentioned...  Look at the gold on LA, he was writing stuff that good all through the 70's...  Personally, POB is ten times the album Love You is to my ears.  He reaches depths I can't hear on Love You...  We can only dream of a Denny led mid 70's BB album...

Hell, from Friends on his was some of the most consistently great and varied music on the albums he was ALLOWED to contribute to...  Yes, a couple of duds... but many absolute gems.

[I. Spaceman]

Dennis was too limited in scope; his music was sometimes nice, but it feels like 2 or 3 songs being rewritten over and over again.

And he hardly took over at 20/20, or hung on till he died. I didn't notice him dominating the travesty of 15BO, or the Brian-laden Love You, or the merdaty MIU. Or the awful KTSA. Dennis became pretty good by the late 60s, but the truth is, he stayed that way through the late 70s, and he was done soon after, unable to hold even the croaky notes Brian was offering up.

Anyway, that's it for me today. Be back to bicker later. A pleasure, as always.

WTF?
WHO CARES IF HE COULD SING LIKE HE DID IN THE 60's???!!!
POB is a masterpiece, man. And his songs have as much variety as Brian's.
Speaking of Brian, there's a man who LITERALLY writes the same songs over and over.
He abdicated the BB songwriting because he held the same opinions of their later material that you do, Luther.

[Matinee Idyll]

I do  remember a song of Brians... "Keep an Eye on the Warmth of the Sun"... err.

[Jeff Mason]

<trumpet blare in background the cavalry theme>

ENOUGH OF THIS LYRIC BASHING!

It was 1970 -- show me a band that didn't succumb to such "serious" lyrics at some point.  But in this case, it isn't pure cliche, as at that time in BB history, it could have been a serious view of Brian's retreat or of some member's enlightenment perhaps.  I wouldn't call them inspired lyrics but surely not as bad as you point out.  But the way that they are sung!  Man, Carl just wails!  There are no musical flaws anywhere on IAT.  And the drums are awesome!  Try to find a drums only boot that I have heard (no idea where my copy is now) that rules too.  And Carl on guitar solo?  I've died and gone to heaven.

And Add Some Music -- come on, this is pure Beach Boys, and I bet that Brian had a lot of lyrical input.  Sounds like his words. 

How anyone can bash Add Some Music and It's About Time and praise Solar System is beyond me.  If you like one, you should like the other.  Lyrics are peer.

[Matinee Idyll]

I think the lyrics are a serious view of Dennis' enlightenment...

I used to be a famous artist (BB's out of touch), "Struggling to express myself" - the other BB's not encouraging Denny to write so much, and being viewed merely as a sexual object of the group.  He used to blow his mind on drugs until he realised that the way for him to write songs was in 'knowing me'... rather than seeking some higher being.

It's all there in plain english, fantastic lyrics... sound great when sung.