The Smiley Smile Message Board
Welcome,
Guest
. Please
login
or
register
.
1 Hour
1 Day
1 Week
1 Month
Forever
Login with username, password and session length
If you like this message board, please help with the hosting costs!
680749
Posts in
27614
Topics by
4068
Members - Latest Member:
Dae Lims
April 19, 2024, 11:50:33 AM
The Smiley Smile Message Board
|
Smiley Smile Stuff
|
Album, Book and Video Reviews And Discussions
|
1970's Beach Boys Albums
|
Sunflower
0 Members and 2 Guests are viewing this topic.
« previous
next »
Poll
Question:
Rate Sunflower
5
155 (73.8%)
4
45 (21.4%)
3
8 (3.8%)
2
0 (0%)
1
1 (0.5%)
0
1 (0.5%)
Total Voters: 193
Pages:
1
2
3
4
5
6
[
7
]
8
9
10
11
12
...
14
Author
Topic: Sunflower (Read 171986 times)
Alex
Smiley Smile Associate
Offline
Gender:
Posts: 2660
Re: Sunflower
«
Reply #150 on:
December 03, 2007, 08:57:49 AM »
Bruce's songs are kinda "schmaltzy" (for lack of a better term), and it took me many many listens to get used to them. Bruce does have a good voice and is a good musician, I love the harmonies on Dierdre and Tears in the Morning, but his schmaltziness can be too much for some ears. There are still some days when I skip over Bruce's songs. Sunflower would've been even better with Soulful Old Man Sunshine and Loop De Loop in place of BJ's songs (Dierdre and TITM are still better than Disney Girls, IMO). I personally don't care if some of the songs sound dated. I like the sound of stuff from that period of time. It's About Time sounds just like any other hippie rock song from the time, and I love it. Our Sweet Love is a blatant God Only Knows ripoff, but Steve Desper's stereo mix absolutely saves it. If anything, its Desper's work along with all the Beach Boy harmonies that make me like Sunflower so much. The only downfall is that Brian didn't contribute any lead vocals apart from Cool Cool Water and one line and the (faux??) French in At My Window.
«
Last Edit: December 06, 2007, 07:05:11 PM by ascrodin
»
Logged
"I thought Brian was a perfect gentleman, apart from buttering his head and trying to put it between two slices of bread" -Tom Petty, after eating with Brian.
https://givemesomeboots1.blogspot.com/
carl r
Smiley Smile Associate
Offline
Posts: 297
Re: Sunflower
«
Reply #151 on:
January 26, 2008, 01:07:38 PM »
Sunflower is a tricky one : some fantastic numbers on here... others which do nothing for me. Like Surf's Up it seems to get better - a lot better - towards the end. The BB often seemed to have a strangely anti-commercial commercial ethic. The efforts to draw in a proto-Manilow audience resulted in back-loaded albums as the syrupy ballads stack up. A weird combination of Dennis, then cheese, Dennis, then more cheese. It's like after "SMiLE" they still imagined they were playing the Pop Band board game but were actually kidding themselves. They Knew Too Much.
I'd say that this was the first album in the late 60s to actually contain weak Brian Wilson songs like "Add Some Music" - showing he was fallible, or simply keeping his best for other projects? Not sure anyone knows...
Anyway, when this album is good, the music is up there with the Beach Boys' best, as good as anything I've ever heard.
Hot - At My Window, Cool, Cool Water, It's About Time, All I Wanna Do, At My Window, Got To Know The Woman, Cool Cool Water, At My Window again.
Not My Tea - The rest.
Logged
Jonas
Smiley Smile Associate
Offline
Gender:
Posts: 1923
I've got the Beach Boys, my friends got the Stones
Re: Sunflower
«
Reply #152 on:
January 28, 2008, 01:13:10 AM »
Missin a few good numbers, imo...but to each their own!
Logged
We would like to record under an atmosphere of calmness. - Brian Wilson
--
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1IgXT3xFdU
Mahalo
Smiley Smile Associate
Offline
Posts: 1156
..Stand back, Speak normally
Re: Sunflower
«
Reply #153 on:
January 28, 2008, 01:50:24 AM »
This album is weird.....
I dig Slip on Through
I LOVE This Whole World
Add Some Music is too long and repetitive and hollow for me.......
Got To Know the Woman, Deirdre, Tears in the Morning do nothing for me..........
It's About Time is cool, I dig it......
All I Wanna Do is BRILLIANT.........can't get enough listens......my favorite Mike Love performance besides Meant For You
Forever is great
Our Sweet Love......eh, it works because it is Brian but it is so bland compared to their more creative works
At My Window.......a little weird, but they sing about a bird, so I like it
Cool Cool Water......a great
feel
in the Pet Sounds sense of the word, but the song sounds too dry compared to Da Da and Da Da's ingenious arrangement.........however Cool Cool Water serves it's purpose. Definitely cool. Always impressive, but doesn't sound quite right or fully developed. Beats the crap out of 90% of the rest of the BB catalogue....(Still prefer Da Da and Blue Hawaii though)
I still give it a 3......I think it is really overrated by BB fans, and not
on the whole
in the league of Pet Sounds and others.......however Despers work is UNREAL.........I'd give it a 10 just for his work...........
«
Last Edit: April 01, 2008, 08:56:18 AM by noname
»
Logged
carl r
Smiley Smile Associate
Offline
Posts: 297
Re: Sunflower
«
Reply #154 on:
January 28, 2008, 02:27:36 AM »
At My Window
is very very strange.
I have 2 possible explanations:
a) alien abduction
b) a visitation of the Holy Spirit
or perhaps a combination of the above.
Is the bird there simply to throw us off the scent?
Logged
Aegir
Smiley Smile Associate
Offline
Posts: 4680
Re: Sunflower
«
Reply #155 on:
January 28, 2008, 08:57:32 AM »
I can't help but wonder how At My Window would sound if Brian sung lead instead of Bruce. Bruce's voice makes it kind of like a cutesy kid's song, but I think with Brian singing lead it would end up sounding like another Busy Doin' Nothin' or I'd Love Just Once to See You... a man who is not "all there" singing about his life.
Logged
Quote from: runnersdialzero on April 05, 2012, 06:08:41 PM
Every time you spell Smile as SMiLE, an angel's wings are forcibly torn off its body.
Ebb and Flow
Smiley Smile Associate
Offline
Gender:
Posts: 599
Re: Sunflower
«
Reply #156 on:
January 28, 2008, 11:01:18 PM »
"At My Window" is such a sublime, beautiful song and underrated by a lot of people who say they love this record when for me it's one of the best on it. I think I'd probably prefer Brian singing it, just because I find his voice to be more soothing and less irritating than Bruce's. In a way I like that he only pops up for the backing vocals and the brief little passage in French, which never fails to give me chills.
Like most of the mid to late period stuff, Sunflower's an awesome, if flawed endeavor. One of my greatest wishes would be to listen to the original masters, track by track, just to hear how some of these beautiful songs were constructed. I hope someday we get the chance.
Logged
MBE
Guest
Re: Sunflower
«
Reply #157 on:
January 29, 2008, 12:18:02 AM »
Actually this is my favorite LP period. It sounds so good, they were at their peaks vocally, as songwriters, and producers. The songs all flow together and I wouldn't change a thing (except maybe the overly long fade of Tears).
Logged
mikeyj
Smiley Smile Associate
Offline
Gender:
Posts: 1825
Re: Sunflower
«
Reply #158 on:
January 29, 2008, 02:29:50 AM »
Quote from: MBE on January 29, 2008, 12:18:02 AM
The songs all flow together and I wouldn't change a thing (except maybe the overly long fade of Tears).
Yeah plus it is too quiet. But yeah I really have to disagree with some people. This album for me is the groups peak as a creative force. As MBE suggests, they were all at their peaks vocally, as songwriters and producers. Well maby not all at their peaks but as an overall entity the group was at it's peak. Basically every song on this album has something good to offer and I really can't pick out a bad track.
And for those who say "Bruce doesn't have a rock and roll bone in his body" etc.. well I agree. But then, not all of Brian's or Denny's or Carl's stuff is what I would call straight out rock and roll, but I still like it. I actually like some of Bruce's songs like "Tears...", "Deirdre", "Disney Girls", "The Nearest Faraway Place" etc.. And don't think that I'm saying that I love his songs and listen to them all the time, I just don't sit there screaming "STOP!!" when his songs are playing. They aren't THAT bad. As I say I like them at times and they certainly aren't as bad as some people suggest. His songs aren't mind-blowing in the way that some of Brian's and Denny's finest work can be but they are still pleasant enough. I'd sure rather listen to some of Bruce's songs than a lot of other garbage out there. I'm sure there are people who will strongly disagree with me and that's fine as everyone's entitled to their opinion of course.
Logged
carl r
Smiley Smile Associate
Offline
Posts: 297
Re: Sunflower
«
Reply #159 on:
January 29, 2008, 04:56:16 AM »
We can agree to differ, I reckon... as has been pointed out, the Beach Boys had different peaks, and they sounded differently each time. George W Bush is a fan - who knows, maybe he even reads this forum - something tells me he's not a fan of "Cabin Essence" or "Brian Fell Into The Trombone" or rants about smog ... but who knows? People can pick and choose between their different phases and albums, and there's no right or wrong, even if
I
don't like "Barbara Ann," it is still the Beach Boys. So, I don't see Sunflower as the highest point, but it is a very good album by any measure other than that applied to "Today" or "Pet Sounds" - or even "20/20".
And we will never know if Bruce would have been successful as a solo artist or not. Maybe he could have joined the Bee Gees ?
Logged
signum
Smiley Smile Associate
Offline
Posts: 67
Re: Sunflower
«
Reply #160 on:
January 29, 2008, 05:32:56 AM »
Sunflower is probably my favourite album (not just among Beach Boys albums), although sometimes I like Wild Honey about as much. Actually I love every album and track they released from "Today" to "Holland" except "Bull Session with the Big Daddy" so it's hard to decide best albums.
But every track on Sunflower is amazing. I always liked Bruce's songs too: the different styles are a good thing on Sunflower. The production is great: 1970 was in a great period anyway I think and I don't know why they had to make such inferior productions later on. Deirdre is beautiful, and the drums are amusing and I like the flutes. I don't care for the lyrics but then I rarely bother with them anyway. "At My Window" is a highlight, especially Brian's Spanish bit-he was writing amusing songs at this time. I like Mike's singing on this album: he only started to go wrong from "15 Big Ones" onwards I thought. And Cool, Cool Water is sublime-I'm very glad they dug that out. Personally I like the ending of "Tears In The Morning" but I do notice how it seems to end the same way as "The Nearest Faraway Place" or "Bluebirds": they all seem to have some musical effect in common. Plus if you examine it there is very little of "Tears In The Morning" really: it just repeats the same few notes of tune in different keys. It is still a good piece of music though.
Logged
smile-holland
Smiley Smile Associate
Offline
Gender:
Posts: 2131
The dream of Amsterdamee...
Re: Sunflower
«
Reply #161 on:
January 29, 2008, 05:58:06 AM »
Quote from: signum on January 29, 2008, 05:32:56 AM
"At My Window" is a highlight, especially Brian's Spanish bit-he was writing amusing songs at this time.
tiny detail, I know.... but it's French, not Spanish....
Logged
Quote
Rule of thumb, think BEFORE you post. And THINK how it may affect someone else's feelings.
Check out the
Beach Boys Starline
website, the place for pictures of many countries Beach Boys releases on 45.
Listening to you I get the music; Gazing at you I get the heat; Following you I climb the mountain; I get excitement at your feet
Right behind you I see the millions; On you I see the glory; From you I get opinions; From you I get the story
mikeyj
Smiley Smile Associate
Offline
Gender:
Posts: 1825
Re: Sunflower
«
Reply #162 on:
January 29, 2008, 06:07:49 AM »
Quote from: SMiLE-Holland on January 29, 2008, 05:58:06 AM
Quote from: signum on January 29, 2008, 05:32:56 AM
"At My Window" is a highlight, especially Brian's Spanish bit-he was writing amusing songs at this time.
tiny detail, I know.... but it's French, not Spanish....
I think people get confused because from memory it says that its Spanish in the twofer liner notes. Well it says it somewhere anyway.
Logged
smile-holland
Smiley Smile Associate
Offline
Gender:
Posts: 2131
The dream of Amsterdamee...
Re: Sunflower
«
Reply #163 on:
January 29, 2008, 07:20:31 AM »
in the 2-fer? Have to check that out...
Le moineau est venu
se poser a ma fenêtre
The sparrow has come
(and set down) at my window
....is that the correct translation?
Logged
Quote
Rule of thumb, think BEFORE you post. And THINK how it may affect someone else's feelings.
Check out the
Beach Boys Starline
website, the place for pictures of many countries Beach Boys releases on 45.
Listening to you I get the music; Gazing at you I get the heat; Following you I climb the mountain; I get excitement at your feet
Right behind you I see the millions; On you I see the glory; From you I get opinions; From you I get the story
signum
Smiley Smile Associate
Offline
Posts: 67
Re: Sunflower
«
Reply #164 on:
January 29, 2008, 11:17:02 AM »
Thanks very much. So it's French then. I read somewhere that it was Spanish, even before I heard the song. I know no Spanish, but a bit of French and for some reason I thought that Brian wasn't saying the French word "fenetre" (I don't know how to type the accent) because it sounded something like "foonetre" to me and so I thought "there's your Spanish" and left it at that!
Logged
SloopJohnB
Smiley Smile Associate
Offline
Gender:
Posts: 947
Re: Sunflower
«
Reply #165 on:
January 29, 2008, 12:35:47 PM »
Quote from: SMiLE-Holland on January 29, 2008, 07:20:31 AM
in the 2-fer? Have to check that out...
Le moineau est venu
se poser a ma fenêtre
The sparrow has come
(and set down) at my window
....is that the correct translation?
Your translation is correct, and the correct sentence with all the accents at the right places is:
"Le moineau est venu se poser à ma fenêtre".
...And even though I'm French, I had to listen to this part quite a few times before understanding what Brian was saying!
Logged
I don't know where, but their music sends me there
P
l
e
a
s
u
r
e
I
s
l
a
n
d
!!!!!!!
and a slice of
cheese
pizza
.
Mahalo
Smiley Smile Associate
Offline
Posts: 1156
..Stand back, Speak normally
Re: Sunflower
«
Reply #166 on:
January 29, 2008, 01:52:05 PM »
Quote from: mikeyj on January 29, 2008, 02:29:50 AM
This album for me is the groups peak as a creative force. As MBE suggests, they were all at their peaks vocally, as songwriters and producers. Well maby not all at their peaks but as an overall entity the group was at it's peak.
I agree that at this time they were as a group somewhat peaking in terms of involvement, ideas, teamwork, and vocal prowess......however there are lots of other tunes from this era that could have and should have IMO replaced the weaker tunes on this record....it would have made Sunflower better, more popular, and more meaningful. Why is it that this band kept so much of their best material off the record store shelves???
Quote from: carl r on January 29, 2008, 04:56:16 AM
And we will never know if Bruce would have been successful as a solo artist or not. Maybe he could have joined the Bee Gees ?
...or the Starland Vocal Band....
Quote from: noname on January 28, 2008, 01:50:24 AM
Got To Know the Woman, Deirdre, Tears in the Morning do nothing for me..........
........Agreed.
Logged
MBE
Guest
Re: Sunflower
«
Reply #167 on:
January 29, 2008, 03:14:55 PM »
Frankly I still think nothing should have been taken off. Really they could have made it a 2 LP set if they included, I'm Going Your Way, Back Home, Good Time, Loop De Loop, I Just Got My Pay, Games Two Can Play, Susie Cincinnati, Walkin, San Miguel, Lady, and Carnival. I think Break Away, Celebrate, and Cottonfields would have worked too but I doubt Capitol would have leased the cuts in the US at least. The only song I left out is When Girls Get Together, which I consider the only miss from this era.
«
Last Edit: January 29, 2008, 03:24:52 PM by MBE
»
Logged
Sheriff John Stone
Smiley Smile Associate
Offline
Posts: 5309
Re: Sunflower
«
Reply #168 on:
January 29, 2008, 04:41:57 PM »
Quote from: noname on January 29, 2008, 01:52:05 PM
....however there are lots of other tunes from this era that could have and should have IMO replaced the weaker tunes on this record....it would have made Sunflower better, more popular, and more meaningful. Why is it that this band kept so much of their best material off the record store shelves???
You know, Sunflower (I think it was first called Add Some Music) was originally REJECTED, and, supposedly, the weaker songs WERE TAKEN OFF.
When I first became a BB fan (1976), you couldn't find Sunflower in the record stores. I had to order it as an import and paid big bucks for it.
Logged
Mahalo
Smiley Smile Associate
Offline
Posts: 1156
..Stand back, Speak normally
Re: Sunflower
«
Reply #169 on:
January 29, 2008, 04:56:21 PM »
Quote from: Sheriff John Stone on January 29, 2008, 04:41:57 PM
Quote from: noname on January 29, 2008, 01:52:05 PM
....however there are lots of other tunes from this era that could have and should have IMO replaced the weaker tunes on this record....it would have made Sunflower better, more popular, and more meaningful. Why is it that this band kept so much of their best material off the record store shelves???
You know, Sunflower (I think it was first called Add Some Music) was originally REJECTED, and, supposedly, the weaker songs WERE TAKEN OFF.
Yeah, thats what they say....but they could've done a better job...imo
Logged
Dr. Byrds
Smiley Smile Newbie
Offline
Posts: 4
Re: Sunflower
«
Reply #170 on:
March 23, 2008, 10:17:42 PM »
I recently ripped this album from my original vinyl pressing and it re-affirmed my love for Sunflower. I love it all, even Bruce's numbers. Love the production, such crisp, powerful sound! Faves: Our Sweet Love, At My Window, Add Some Music, Cool Water.
But, I think Holland holds up a little better than this as a cohesive album, IMO.
Logged
Alex
Smiley Smile Associate
Offline
Gender:
Posts: 2660
Re: Sunflower
«
Reply #171 on:
March 30, 2008, 08:20:03 AM »
Quote from: MBE on January 29, 2008, 03:14:55 PM
Frankly I still think nothing should have been taken off. Really they could have made it a 2 LP set if they included, I'm Going Your Way, Back Home, Good Time, Loop De Loop, I Just Got My Pay, Games Two Can Play, Susie Cincinnati, Walkin, San Miguel, Lady, and Carnival. I think Break Away, Celebrate, and Cottonfields would have worked too but I doubt Capitol would have leased the cuts in the US at least. The only song I left out is When Girls Get Together, which I consider the only miss from this era.
Can't forget Soulful Old Man Sunshine, quite possibly the greatest non-SMiLE related unreleased (until Endless Harmony) song in their catalog.
Logged
"I thought Brian was a perfect gentleman, apart from buttering his head and trying to put it between two slices of bread" -Tom Petty, after eating with Brian.
https://givemesomeboots1.blogspot.com/
Ana-Lu
Smiley Smile Associate
Offline
Posts: 75
Re: Sunflower
«
Reply #172 on:
April 01, 2008, 08:24:53 AM »
I'd say there are 5 or 6 good tunes, the rest filler, some really unlistenable. Still, the photo of Mike Love in the toga is compensation.
Logged
mikeyj
Smiley Smile Associate
Offline
Gender:
Posts: 1825
Re: Sunflower
«
Reply #173 on:
April 02, 2008, 02:00:05 AM »
Quote from: Ana-Lu on April 01, 2008, 08:24:53 AM
I'd say there are 5 or 6 good tunes, the rest filler, some really unlistenable. Still, the photo of Mike Love in the toga is compensation.
Just out of interest, which songs are "good tunes" and which ones are "filler"... sorry to me I can't hear any filler (that is reserved for such titles as Denny's Drums, Boogie Woodie, Bull Session..., Our Favorite Recording Sessions, Cassius Love vs. Sonny Wilson etc..) so I'd be interested to hear what you deem "filler"?
Logged
Ana-Lu
Smiley Smile Associate
Offline
Posts: 75
Re: Sunflower
«
Reply #174 on:
April 02, 2008, 07:01:58 AM »
I was using the term "filler" in a more global sense rather than in a Beach Boys-centric way, i.e. to describe content that is half-baked, unfinished sounding, or just plain bad - or any combination thereof. And, you're right, LP/CD filler in most genres of music doesn't sink to the depths of "Denny's Drums" or "Bull Session with the Big Daddy." So we don't get hung up on the term, I'll revise my statement to say that about half of Sunflower is really great, and the rest half-baked or just plain bad (or a combination thereof).
I always thought you could get a single killer LP by combining the best of Sunflower and Surf's Up.
«
Last Edit: April 02, 2008, 07:03:05 AM by Ana-Lu
»
Logged
Pages:
1
2
3
4
5
6
[
7
]
8
9
10
11
12
...
14
Jump to:
Please select a destination:
-----------------------------
Smiley Smile Stuff
-----------------------------
=> BRIAN WILSON Q & A
=> Welcome to the Smiley Smile board
=> General On Topic Discussions
===> Ask The Honored Guests
===> Smiley Smile Reference Threads
=> Smile Sessions Box Set (2011)
=> The Beach Boys Media
=> Concert Reviews
=> Album, Book and Video Reviews And Discussions
===> 1960's Beach Boys Albums
===> 1970's Beach Boys Albums
===> 1980's Beach Boys Albums
===> 1990's Beach Boys Albums
===> 21st Century Beach Boys Albums
===> Brian Wilson Solo Albums
===> Other Solo Albums
===> Produced by or otherwise related to
===> Tribute Albums
===> DVDs and Videos
===> Book Reviews
===> 'Rank the Tracks'
===> Polls
-----------------------------
Non Smiley Smile Stuff
-----------------------------
=> General Music Discussion
=> General Entertainment Thread
=> Smiley Smilers Who Make Music
=> The Sandbox
Powered by SMF 1.1.21
|
SMF © 2015, Simple Machines
Page created in 0.898 seconds with 25 queries.
Helios Multi
design by
Bloc
Loading...