Anti 'Middle Of The Road' thread.

[Aegir]

I'd imagine, if there was a new Beach Boys album, it would be most similar to 15 Big Ones and MIU.

[Sheriff John Stone]

...but I'm still disappointed that the R&R album idea has been sidetracked yet again.

Me too. However, it's still on the table for a possible Beach Boys' project. There's still time.

Sheriff, everything involving any of the surviving members is a "potential BBs project" to you!
Just kidding! But if a reunion really does happpen, it better be more like the Reiley era (or at least the '93 tour and aborted Paley/Was sessions) and less like the Kokomo/SIP era.

How about a little bit from every era! Have ALL of the guys bring their songs to the studio.

But, you're right, I'm always looking forward to a new Beach Boys' project. With these guys, I believe in the strength in numbers theory. I mean, look at the Beach Boys' solo albums. You want another Looking Back With Love? How about Going Public, Vol. 2? How does that Postcards From California sound to you? I'm not a solo Brian Wilson fan (do most music fans prefer a solo Brian?). Even the late, great Carl Wilson fell short as a solo artist. No, I'll take The Beach Boys over solo projects any day. ANY DAY!

[Wirestone]

The problem is, these days, defining what the "Beach Boys" are. Mike, Brian, Al and Bruce aren't the Beach Boys. They are Mike, Brian, Al and Bruce. I might be interested in hearing what such a quartet produces, but I wouldn't call them the BBs.

And I understand that Mike tours with the name. I'm even sort of okay with it these days. But keeping the touring legacy alive is different than an album. Just IMHO.

[Runaways]

Runaways:  too old for disney but too young for gershwin.


Good music is good music regardless of when it was written/created.  Look forward to it.

indeed the point of what i was saying

[phirnis]

I'd imagine, if there was a new Beach Boys album, it would be most similar to 15 Big Ones and MIU.

If they could pull off an album similar to M.I.U. in both quality and style, I'd be very happy with that.

[The infamous Baldwin Organ]

Me too.

In my personal opinion, there are too many talented people involved for such a project to be terrible; being 'middle of the road' is probably the worst thing they could do with that.

I also think considering the current environment of both touring bands playing album tracks, and how enthusiastic fans are for the post '66 material, the parties involved MAY being willing to try something a little less formula. I'm not expecting them to record anything new at all; even if they did I don't think anyone would take too much of a risk in something like this, but some risk; I'd say maybe.

[Sheriff John Stone]

In my personal opinion, there are too many talented people involved for such a project to be terrible; being 'middle of the road' is probably the worst thing they could do with that.

I also think considering the current environment of both touring bands playing album tracks, and how enthusiastic fans are for the post '66 material, the parties involved MAY being willing to try something a little less formula. I'm not expecting them to record anything new at all; even if they did I don't think anyone would take too much of a risk in something like this, but some risk; I'd say maybe.

I totally agree with your post.

When talk first started (a year or so ago) about a possible reunion, I honestly didn't think there was much, if any chance of a new album, for all of the obvious reasons. BUT, since then, some "out of the ordinary" things have been happening. First, as you mentioned, johnnyhypothesis, Mike & Bruce have been more open to the back catalogue instead of just the hits, becoming more artistic if you will. Next, Al has recorded a solo album, so, even though the album won't be the second coming of Pet Sounds, I would think Al has grown a bit as a recording artist. We know that David Marks has also been recording new material; from wjhat I've heard it is good. Now you have Brian going back to the studio to record some things that nobody expected, so that's gonna stretch him out, at least a little dontcha think?

On top of all of that, from what we've been reading in interviews, apparently some of the relationships are being mended. I mean, at least on paper, things appear to be a little more positive than they were in the years immediately following Carl's passing. In reality, Al's and Brian's immediate recording projects will be over in about a year. Maybe enough "recording momentum" will be built up to go right into a Beach Boys' project.

[Shady]

I am very excited, not so much for the Disney thing but for the Gershwin material

The idea of Brian or anything Beach Boys related coming out is just really exciting for me.

I like the anticpation, buying the CD and all the buzz that comes with it.

You should be excited OP

[nobody]

I'd be happy to watch a secret recording. A video camera taped above Brian's piano. Him working on those Gershwin pieces. Fiddling about. Tinkering away. The occasional Ding Dang and Shortenin' Bread. Sandwich breaks. Prank calls to Mike Love. A Thousand Times better than the overproduced, sterile album will be.

[Andrew G. Doe]

When talk first started (a year or so ago) about a possible reunion, I honestly didn't think there was much, if any chance of a new album, for all of the obvious reasons. BUT, since then, some "out of the ordinary" things have been happening. First, as you mentioned, johnnyhypothesis, Mike & Bruce have been more open to the back catalogue instead of just the hits, becoming more artistic if you will.

In the last year ? Doesn't float with me: check this UK setlist from fall 2004 -

1. Do It Again
2. Bluebirds Over The Mountain
3. Surfin' Safari
4. Catch A Wave
5. Hawaii
6. It's OK
7. Dance, Dance, Dance
8. Do You Wanna Dance?
9. Little Honda
10. Surfer Girl
11. Kiss Me Baby
12. Please Let Me Wonder
13. Getcha Back
14. You're So Good To Me
15. Don't Worry Baby
16. Wendy
17. Then I Kissed Her
18. Darlin'
19. When I Grow Up (To Be A Man)
20. Duke Of Earl
21. Come Go With Me
22. Why Do Fools Fall In Love
23. Still Cruisin'
24. Little Deuce Coupe
25. 409
26. The Little Old Lady From Pasadena
27. Shut Down
28. I Get Around
29. In My Room
30. Their Hearts Were Full Of Spring
31. Everyone's In Love With You
32. The Warmth Of The Sun
33. All This Is That
34. 'Til I Die
35. You Still Believe In Me
36. Disney Girls
37. I Can Hear Music
38. Sail On Sailor
39. Summer In Paradise
40. Cottonfields
41. God Only Knows
42. Kokomo
43. Good Vibrations
44. California Girls
45. Sloop John B
46. Wouldn't It Be Nice
47. Rock And Roll Music
48. All Summer Long
49. Help Me Rhonda
50. Barbara Ann
51. Surfin USA

ENCORE:
52. Back In The U.S.S.R.
53. Fun, Fun, Fun

Mike & Bruce have always been open to a less hits-orientated setlist, but if they did that at a state fair or casino, they'd be run out of town on a rail. And before you say, 'ah yes, but that's just for the Brits...', this was the setlist in Lancaster PA, May 2005.

1. California Girls
2. Do It Again
3. Surfin' Safari
4. Catch A Wave
5. Hawaii
6. Dance, Dance, Dance
7. Do You Wanna Dance?
8. Little Honda
9. Surfer Girl
10. Don't Worry Baby
11. You're So Good To Me
12. Darlin'
13. The Warmth Of The Sun
14. Wendy
15. Getcha Back
16. Then I Kissed Her
17. Duke of Earl
18. Come Go With Me
19. Why Do Fools Fall In Love?
20. Their Hearts Were Full Of Spring
21. In My Room
22. 'Til I Die
23. All This Is That
24. When I Grow Up (To Be A Man)
25. California Dreamin'
26. Disney Girls
27. God Only Knows
28. Sail On Sailor
29. I Can Hear Music
30. Still Cruisin'
31. Little Deuce Coupe
32. 409
33. The Little Old Lady From Pasadena
34. Shut Down
35. I Get Around
36. Good Vibrations
37. Sloop John B.
38. Wouldn't It Be Nice
39. Help Me, Rhonda
40. Barbara Ann
41. Surfin USA

Encore:
42. Kokomo
43. Fun, Fun, Fun

[The Heartical Don]

  I see your point, Andrew. Fun, Fun, Fun and Kokomo are just that tad more adventurous, exactly what we were hoping for. Epochal.

[TdHabib]

RE: AGD

I wouldn't say they were always open those kinds of setlists, their sets from say 1998-2003 weren't adventurous by any stretch of the imagination. My own personal opinion is that they saw Brian's setlists (his 2002 one is bar none the best set I've ever seen any BB related act do in the last 30 or so years).

[Wirestone]

And you have the peculiar -- but real -- situation of Brian inspiring Mike and Bruce to experiment a bit more on setlists while his become much more standard over the same time period. We're now at a point where Brian has the slightly more conservative show. Ah, BB land.

[Jason]

Where is it documented (and yes, I want PROOF) that Michael doesn't give a damn about everything that wasn't a hit? Michael wasn't the only one who was up against a wall as far as the issue of giving people what they want. Wasn't it Jim Guercio who said that when he first met the band and suggested adding more oldies to the setlist, it was a unanimous agreement on the part of the band, who were tired of playing new material to unappreciative audiences? Carl was the bandleader. You do the math. This goes back to the 70s, when Carl was the man in charge. Michael just happens to get the bad rap for it because he's Michael.

[Dancing Bear]

I flew up to Seattle to see the group in concert and the place was a third full and they weren’t playing any of their old stuff. They were playing a 10-minute medley of their hits. I said, ‘We’ve got to stop right here.’ We had lengthy discussions. Dennis was very supportive, Mike was very supportive and Carl was very supportive, too. Blondie wasn’t too happy about it, so he left. We rehearsed. Carl and I sat down and went through all these tunes. I agreed to run the band with Carl. We put the band together and that was the huge comeback in 1974. … After about a year we became the opening act and blew the following acts off the stage.

Yeah, Guercio isn't totally acurate here: the oldies weren't SO absent from their setlists then and Blondie had other reasons to leave. But he does speak about Carl and Dennis welcoming the changes in the setlist and teh benefits they brought. Unless he's a closet Mike Love apologist, that's not something he would make up.

[Dancing Bear]

I see your point, Andrew. Fun, Fun, Fun and Kokomo are just that tad more adventurous

Epiphany time: BRIAN adding Kokomo to his setlist would be adventurous. 

[Paulos]

I'd imagine, if there was a new Beach Boys album, it would be most similar to 15 Big Ones and MIU.

Ugh, I can think of nothing worse. Well, maybe SIP and KTSA. And BB85. These are albums that i wish could be unrealesed.

[Wirestone]

Brian and band could actually do a kinda cool version of Kokomo. I'd want BW to rearrange it, though.

[Aegir]

They should do the Spanish version, because Brian actually sang on that.