The Beach Boys Love You

[Jason]

Yes, there is a use of synthesizers. But that doesn't automatically make it "electronic music". Brian Wilson isn't thought of as an electronic music pioneer. The real electronic music fiends out there would scoff at such an idea. The theremin was an electronic instrument, but it was meant for classical use. The first synthesizers were meant for classical use. Electronic music is a form of CLASSICAL music. 20th/21st Century classical music. Along with minimalism and musique concrete and percussion and avant-garde.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

Look man, in 1976 you had your real instruments, your modular synthesis, and your Milton Babbit.  Since Milton wasn't on Love You, it's down to real instruments and Modular Synthesis.  While yes, the Synths are powered by electricity, so are rhodes pianos, electric guitar amps, and the like.  So no, there are no "electronic" elements to Love You at all, anymore than there are on Pet Sounds with it's exotic use of guitars and electric organs.

[Rerun]

Yes, there is a use of synthesizers. But that doesn't automatically make it "electronic music". Brian Wilson isn't thought of as an electronic music pioneer. The real electronic music fiends out there would scoff at such an idea. The theremin was an electronic instrument, but it was meant for classical use. The first synthesizers were meant for classical use. Electronic music is a form of CLASSICAL music. 20th/21st Century classical music. Along with minimalism and musique concrete and percussion and avant-garde.

Why are you quoting "electronic music" like I wrote that?  I think you may just be debating with yourself.  I didn't say that Love You was some techno masterpiece.  Reread what I posted initially about prefering the piano-based demo...

[Jason]

I'm with H, Milton Babbitt is an example of an electronic music pioneer. Have you ever listened to his work with the RCA Mark II Electronic Music Synthesizer? Damn thing was built over fifty years ago but made some futuristic sounds that even sound in line with modern-day electronica sounds.

[Jason]

Why are you quoting "electronic music" like I wrote that?  I think you may just be debating with yourself.  I didn't say that Love You was some techno masterpiece.  Reread what I posted initially about prefering the piano-based demo...

You said something about the "crazy electronic" I'll Bet He's Nice on Love You. I read that as you saying it was a form of electronic music. If I'm mistaken in my approach, I apologize. Techno isn't electronic music.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

I'll Bet He's Nice probably has the most organic touch on the album, other than Uh, Ding Dang and the non-contemporaneous Good Time.

[Rerun]

Why are you quoting "electronic music" like I wrote that?  I think you may just be debating with yourself.  I didn't say that Love You was some techno masterpiece.  Reread what I posted initially about prefering the piano-based demo...

You said something about the "crazy electronic" I'll Bet He's Nice on Love You. I read that as you saying it was a form of electronic music. If I'm mistaken in my approach, I apologize.

Well, at least Glenn Greenberg knew what I meant.  I'm not even sure what it is you guys are talking about, really.  I refered to the Love You one as electronic merely for the fact it uses synthesisers.  That's not even my point, anyway.  Brian on his piano is better than the produced one with Carl coming in for the bridge.  I believe this even though Brian's voice is rubbish.  The whole song just has a lot more energy and is plugging away.

As far as Love You goes, other than the fact Brian wrote the songs, I don't think he or Dennis should have been featured on the tunes.  When you have three other great singers in Al, Carl, and Mike, it just seems like a waste.

[Jason]

Well, at least Glenn Greenberg knew what I meant.  I'm not even sure what it is you guys are talking about, really.  I refered to the Love You one as electronic merely for the fact it uses synthesisers.  That's not even my point, anyway.  Brian on his piano is better than the produced one with Carl coming in for the bridge.  I believe this even though Brian's voice is rubbish.  The whole song just has a lot more energy and is plugging away.

I agree with you.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

I agree the song could have used a little more rhythmic intensity. 

It's always so interesting to hear Brian's piano versions of later, fully realized productions, because Brian's piano version always have the same right hand pounding thing going on, either full block chords or rocking broken chords, and sometimes that gets carried over to the final production, sometimes it doesn't, like on IBhN.  That reminds me, I still need to get ahold of the audio of Brian playing "This Whole World" on piano in the hotel room...  That's not a hint or anything.

[c-man]

In my opinion, "Love You" is early electronic pop, in the sense that it preceeded all those synth bands of the early '80s.  Not that all of them heard it and were inspired by it, of course.  But Brian was one of the first to use synthesizers that heavily, including the Moog bass, and also to use electronic drums (on songs like "Let Us Go On This Way", "Roller Skating Child", and "Johnny Carson"...some of the other cuts have real drums, some played by Dennis). 

Someone once said,  I think on the BlueBoard, that electronic drums didn't exist in '76, but if you take a look at David Leaf's book, published in early '78, that's how he describes the drums on "Love You".  And, my God, just LISTEN  to 'em! 

Anyway, Gary Wright was another pioneer of this type of approach.  And, probably before him, there was Todd Rundgren (and Utopia).   And others, of course.  But Brian was one also, even if he didn't try to be.   

C-Man

[Jason]

In my opinion, "Love You" is early electronic pop, in the sense that it preceeded all those synth bands of the early '80s.  Not that all of them heard it and were inspired by it, of course.  But Brian was one of the first to use synthesizers that heavily, including the Moog bass, and also to use electronic drums (on songs like "Let Us Go On This Way", "Roller Skating Child", and "Johnny Carson"...some of the other cuts have real drums, some played by Dennis). 

Someone once said,  I think on the BlueBoard, that electronic drums didn't exist in '76, but if you take a look at David Leaf's book, published in early '78, that's how he describes the drums on "Love You".  And, my God, just LISTEN  to 'em! 

Anyway, Gary Wright was another pioneer of this type of approach.  And, probably before him, there was Todd Rundgren (and Utopia).   And others, of course.  But Brian was one also, even if he didn't try to be.   

C-Man

Love You is early electronic pop? What about the pioneering efforts of Bruce Haack or Raymond Scott or Milton Babbitt or even Perrey & Kingsley? These guys were all doing their work in the 50s and 60s (Perrey & Kingsley in the 60s). Their stuff is electronic pop at its heart, despite electronic music being a classical form. Computer music, even.

Love You isn't the album that influenced all the synth pop pioneers. Look no further than Suicide's first album. It was nothing to do with their instrumental setup either. It was two men, a keyboardist and vocalist, with a drum machine.

[Reverend Joshua Sloane]

Enough with the Suicide man!



 

[Jason]

Hey man, I'm just setting a few things straight. I don't hear anything remotely synth pop about Love You.

[the captain]

I've got to agree. Synth-dominated, sure, but not quite synth-pop or electronic pop. It's pop songs, largely built the same way that Brian built most of his earlier songs...just arranged with synthesizers as dominant instruments.

[mike8902]

I give it a 4. I think it falls a little short of a masterpiece, but it's pretty damn close. The instrumentation is brilliant as are the chord changes. The lyrics are hillarious.  I like Brians scruffy voice on this you can tell he gave it his all. The only song I don't like on it is Love is a Woman.. I get creeped out when Mike Love starts singing.

[mike8902]

Brian's one hell of a producer.

[Chris D.]

I give it a 4. I think it falls a little short of a masterpiece, but it's pretty damn close. The instrumentation is brilliant as are the chord changes. The lyrics are hillarious.  I like Brians scruffy voice on this you can tell he gave it his all. The only song I don't like on it is Love is a Woman.. I get creeped out when Mike Love starts singing.

Good summation.  I didn't like "Love is a Woman" much at first, but it's grown on me.  So I pretty much agree with you.

[Jason Penick]

Love You  is a great record with plenty of charm, but its faults are unavoidable-- to me at least.


"Let Us Go On This Way" -- Interesting way to start off a Beach Boys album.  Insistant.  Still, I never need to hear this again.

"Roller Skating Child" -- This one works for me, big time.  Great arrangement, harmonies.  Fun!  Brian singing "Rol-ler Ska-ting Childdd!" at the end just cracks me up everytime.  A 300 lb teddy bear!

"Mona" -- You could give me a recording of Dennis singing the phone book and I would dig it.  Thankfully this catchy Spectoresque novelty is a great deal more fun than that.  "Listen to 'Be My Baby', like I did 63,456,452 times!" says Brian.

"Johnny Carson" -- Now this one is bloody genius.  Name one other major artist cracked enough to pull something like this off while actually getting you to sing along with it.

"Good Time" -- Rightfully left in the can in 1970, this was ultimately given to Spring to record while the Boys' version was extracted some 5 years later.  One of the most overrated songs in their catalog, with lyrics about as abysmal as a head cold (and a dopey hook to boot).

"Honkin' Down the Highway" -- Another catchy rocker with godawful lyrics in the vein of cuts 1, 2 and 3.  Great drum sound, horrid synths.  Pure adolescent energy, as put forth by men in their 30s.

"Ding Dang" -- It's short.  It rocks.  I can take it or leave it.

"Solar System" -- Novelty number.  Fails to make much of an impact, on me at least.  Nice harmonies, more awful synths.

"The Night Was So Young" -- Even more overrated by Beach Boys fans than "Good Time".  It's a better song overall, but folks talk about this like it's on the level of Pet Sounds or something.  Clearly it's just not that good, save for the lovely bit of vocal harmonies on the "is some-body gonna tell me..." part.  The little electric guitar filagree that responds to each line of the verse annoys the bejesus out of me.

"I'll Bet He's Nice" -- Another good but not classic 70's Beach Boy ballad.  Loses points for the line "I'll bet he's nice.  I'll bet he's twice..."  I'll bet he plays dice and eats rice too.  Good God, where was Tony Asher when they needed him?

"Let's Put Our Hearts Together" -- Lovely duet between Brian and his lady Mar.  Just lovely.  A touching song, suitable for performance at any wedding.  I was in tears the first time I heard this!

"I Want to Pick You Up" -- Dennis is the perfect choice to sing this one.  His voice, and Brian's, are ragged but just so right for it.  The "pat pat pat her on the butt" has the same effect as the end of "Roller Skating Child" for me, except the closing harmonies "she's going to sleep/ little baby go to sleep" take this song out of the realm of the absurd, and into something more tangible and real.

"Airplane" -- Interesting song, structurely speaking.  Uniquely Brian Wilson, as are all songs on this record.  Unfortunately it sounds like little more than a demo to these ears.  The live version with Charles Lloyd (1977 CBS convention for example) shows how much better this could have come out had they cut it with a full band.

"Love Is a Woman" -- Even die hard Love You fans don't seem to love this one.  Wretched melody, awful vocal and retarded lyrics doom this to the bottom of the Beach Boy Barrel.


4 stars

[Andrew G. Doe]

Brian's one hell of a producer.

Carl, too... 

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

LOL...since he did most of the work.

I can see why you feel The Night was So Young is overrated. God, I hate Carl's vocals on this. Probably the only time I'll ever say THAT about a song.

[RobtheNobleSurfer]

 

No love for The Night Was SoYoung?

Anyone?

Excuse me while I go cry....

[Chris D.]

No love for The Night Was SoYoung?

Anyone?

Excuse me while I go cry....

Right here.  I love every song on the album and think it's the best thing they released.

[Mitchell]

Respect.

[I. Spaceman]

No love for The Night Was SoYoung?

Anyone?

Excuse me while I go cry....

Right here.  I love every song on the album and think it's the best thing they released.

Boo-yah. Agree, though I put it after SMiLEY.

[Chris D.]

No love for The Night Was SoYoung?

Anyone?

Excuse me while I go cry....

Right here.  I love every song on the album and think it's the best thing they released.

Boo-yah. Agree, though I put it after SMiLEY.

Works for me.  In many ways the same album, 10 years apart.