Adult / Child

[punkinhead]

I love  Adult/Child ,but it would have tanked if it was released.  There was an interview with Carnie years back (likely from Endless Harmony or American Band)  in which she said her Dad  would  write these songs and one was about a cigarette.
It always made me wonder about the opening line of "Everyone wants to live". "The cigarette when you put it the water goes psssst , but  the truth is you shouldn't laugh,  if you start laughing you're just a coward."                                   

 The song doesn't make much sense ,but I like it.

the song doesnt make much sense to me either...but I think it was on the IJWMFTT doc.

[gsmile]

I love  Adult/Child ,but it would have tanked if it was released.  There was an interview with Carnie years back (likely from Endless Harmony or American Band)  in which she said her Dad  would  write these songs and one was about a cigarette.
It always made me wonder about the opening line of "Everyone wants to live". "The cigarette when you put it the water goes psssst , but  the truth is you shouldn't laugh,  if you start laughing you're just a coward."

I imagine that this is literally a scene that played out many times in Brian's life at the time.  Can't you just picture a slightly out of it Brian flicking a cigarette butt into the toilet and home and, then for no reason, laughing hysterically at it?  If you want to look deeper, you could also theorize that Brian possibly heard a voice saying he was a coward, as didn't he reference a similar sentiment on the Larry King interview?  Either way, the ridiculous opening put me off the song for years, until one day I discovered a fine little song actually followed.  Love the descending synth bass line, the chugging drums and those sky high harmonies on the chorus.  And plus, I now love the "cigarette" part, especially the "phhhst!"...who else writes songs like this?  It's gotta be Brian. 

I've also really liked Lines, even thought the ending sounds unfinished.  It's such a tasty, brief little ditty that I can't help but love it.  Also some of the chorus have that weird "sinister" sounds that pops up in Brian's songs from time to time.  I'd say that Lines in the "Johnny Carson" of the Adult Child; both have normal everyday lyrics that are paired with dark chord progressions.  In fact, Love You and Adult Child are brother and sister records, if you know what I mean.

[punkinhead]

I love  Adult/Child ,but it would have tanked if it was released.  There was an interview with Carnie years back (likely from Endless Harmony or American Band)  in which she said her Dad  would  write these songs and one was about a cigarette.
It always made me wonder about the opening line of "Everyone wants to live". "The cigarette when you put it the water goes psssst , but  the truth is you shouldn't laugh,  if you start laughing you're just a coward."

I imagine that this is literally a scene that played out many times in Brian's life at the time.  Can't you just picture a slightly out of it Brian friggin' a cigarette butt into the toilet and home and, then for no reason, laughing hysterically at it?  If you want to look deeper, you could also theorize that Brian possibly heard a voice saying he was a coward, as didn't he reference a similar sentiment on the Larry King interview?  Either way, the ridiculous opening put me off the song for years, until one day I discovered a fine little song actually followed.  Love the descending synth bass line, the chugging drums and those sky high harmonies on the chorus.  And plus, I now love the "cigarette" part, especially the "phhhst!"...who else writes songs like this?  It's gotta be Brian. 

I've also really liked Lines, even thought the ending sounds unfinished.  It's such a tasty, brief little ditty that I can't help but love it.  Also some of the chorus have that weird "sinister" sounds that pops up in Brian's songs from time to time.  I'd say that Lines in the "Johnny Carson" of the Adult Child; both have normal everyday lyrics that are paired with dark chord progressions.  In fact, Love You and Adult Child are brother and sister records, if you know what I mean.

What's that mean?  Brian friggin a cigarette in the toilet and home     

[runnersdialzero]

TIME TO TURN INTO A GIIIIIIIIIIIIIRRRLL

[gsmile]

What's that mean?  Brian friggin a cigarette in the toilet and home     

Oops, that should have read "flippin' a cigarette in the toilet at home."  This is what happens when I post without proof reading!

[Jason]

I was gonna say! "Fuckin' a cigarette in the toilet at home?"

I guess at least it was at home and not in a public can. That Brian Wilson, I heard he was crazy...but I had NO idea! 

[gsmile]

I've unintentionally taken this thread in a completely disturbing direction! 

[phirnis]

I was thinking about Adult/Child lately and while many fans seem to think of the album as tremendously weird it came to my mind that for BW it was probably quite a natural thing to do at the time. Maybe he had heard "A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night" (or just some Sinatra for that matter) and really felt inspired. It does seem like a great departure for the band that did "Surfin' USA". Most of Holland, however, didn't sound like "Little Deuce Coupe" either.

[Sammy]

anyone have any info on this record i bought recently?




on back: tracklisting

"This album is almost 100% Brian with help from Carl. Recorded in early 1977 this ablum (a typo on the back cover) features many previously unreleased tunes including: 'Life is For the Living', 'Deep Purple', 'Everybody Want's to Live', 'Lines', 'Baseball', and 'Still I Dream of it'.
As in the past, many tunes scheduled for this L.P. were slated for other albums, some released, others never seeing the light of day. A version of 'Shortenin Bread' appeared  on the Light Album. 'Help is on the Way' was originally picked for The New Album and Landlocked. The remaining songs on this album are familiar to the collector.
This album was Long overdue"

[Jason]

That's a vinyl pressing of one of the tape copies of the album that went around in the late 1970s. Granted, I've heard at least four different permutations of this album as sourced from these late 1970s cassettes - one with all tracks at the correct speed, one with several tracks (Deep Purple, It's Over Now, Shortenin' Bread, Lines, On Broadway) running sharp, one with band count-ins on Hey Little Tomboy and It's Trying To Say, even one with different vocals on Lines and Still I Dream Of It.

Those cassettes are a small goldmine that seem to have been forgotten...

[Andrew G. Doe]

anyone have any info on this record i bought recently?




on back: tracklisting

"This album is almost 100% Brian with help from Carl. Recorded in early 1977 this ablum (a typo on the back cover) features many previously unreleased tunes including: 'Life is For the Living', 'Deep Purple', 'Everybody Want's to Live', 'Lines', 'Baseball', and 'Still I Dream of it'.
As in the past, many tunes scheduled for this L.P. were slated for other albums, some released, others never seeing the light of day. A version of 'Shortenin Bread' appeared  on the Light Album. 'Help is on the Way' was originally picked for The New Album and Landlocked. The remaining songs on this album are familiar to the collector.
This album was Long overdue"

http://www.esquarterly.com/bellagio/unreleased.html

[Myk Luhv]

"Hey Little Tomboy" is one of the worst songs the Beach Boys ever did and it has absolutely no redeeming qualities. It is terrible musically and too sexist and heteronormative to simply ignore -- this goes for both the unreleased version from this album (with the completely tasteless talking sections) and the released cut.

[phirnis]

"Hey Little Tomboy" is one of the worst songs the Beach Boys ever did and it has absolutely no redeeming qualities. It is terrible musically and too sexist and heteronormative to simply ignore -- this goes for both the unreleased version from this album (with the completely tasteless talking sections) and the released cut.

Most boy/girl pop music is just as sexist and heteronormative, it's just dressed up in a more agreeable way.

[Rocker]

i really wanna hear "it's over now" at original speed.

suggestions on how to achieve?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI0UT3Ix5jk&feature=related

[Mikie]

Around the late 70's and early 80's, there were cassette tapes flying around in trading circles. The contents of these cassettes were later made available on vinyl bootlegs, right around 1985. These bootlegs of course preceeded CD's.  The albums included 'Landlocked', 'New Album', 'Adult Child', 'California Feeling', 'Christmas Album' (1977), 'Made In USA', 'Brian Loves You', and three or four 'SMiLE' 'releases'. There was also a second 'Adult Child' vinyl bootleg album that came out, different cover than above. There was a Honey's box set and Dennis' 'Bamboo' album. And the 'Hawthorne Hotshots' EP, and numerous bootleg singles. And three or four live albums on vinyl.

"The Beach Boys Collector's Series" on vinyl. Those were the days......

[Myk Luhv]

"Hey Little Tomboy" is one of the worst songs the Beach Boys ever did and it has absolutely no redeeming qualities. It is terrible musically and too sexist and heteronormative to simply ignore -- this goes for both the unreleased version from this album (with the completely tasteless talking sections) and the released cut.

Most boy/girl pop music is just as sexist and heteronormative, it's just dressed up in a more agreeable way.

Yeah, I know. The fact that Brian didn't even bother to make his sexism and heteronormativity "agreeable" though is why it's terrible; it's the difference between "Hey Little Tomboy" and, say, "The Little Girl I Once Knew" -- I find the former way more actively offensive than the latter.

[Menace Wilson]

"Hey Little Tomboy" is one of the worst songs the Beach Boys ever did and it has absolutely no redeeming qualities. It is terrible musically and too sexist and heteronormative to simply ignore -- this goes for both the unreleased version from this album (with the completely tasteless talking sections) and the released cut.

Most boy/girl pop music is just as sexist and heteronormative, it's just dressed up in a more agreeable way.

Yeah, I know. The fact that Brian didn't even bother to make his sexism and heteronormativity "agreeable" though is why it's terrible; it's the difference between "Hey Little Tomboy" and, say, "The Little Girl I Once Knew" -- I find the former way more actively offensive than the latter.

And then there's the pig snorting sounds on the "New Album" version. 

[Myk Luhv]

"Hey Little Tomboy" is one of the worst songs the Beach Boys ever did and it has absolutely no redeeming qualities. It is terrible musically and too sexist and heteronormative to simply ignore -- this goes for both the unreleased version from this album (with the completely tasteless talking sections) and the released cut.

Most boy/girl pop music is just as sexist and heteronormative, it's just dressed up in a more agreeable way.

Yeah, I know. The fact that Brian didn't even bother to make his sexism and heteronormativity "agreeable" though is why it's terrible; it's the difference between "Hey Little Tomboy" and, say, "The Little Girl I Once Knew" -- I find the former way more actively offensive than the latter.

And then there's the pig snorting sounds on the "New Album" version. 

Sounds about right for these working-class boys~

[Mr. Cohen]

I had never heard the pig snorting mix of "Hey Little Tomboy" until today: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsJOM1sDXlU  

I always thought that the other unreleased version didn't sound like something that they would actually try to release. At least this has some kind of synth sound on it and some whistling. I think the pig snorts were actually a good addition. It makes it more obvious that it's a joke. Plus, isn't that what SMiLE was supposed to sound like, if we're going by the An American Band movie? Animal noises and dinner table noises over piano tracks?

[phirnis]

"Hey Little Tomboy" is one of the worst songs the Beach Boys ever did and it has absolutely no redeeming qualities. It is terrible musically and too sexist and heteronormative to simply ignore -- this goes for both the unreleased version from this album (with the completely tasteless talking sections) and the released cut.

Most boy/girl pop music is just as sexist and heteronormative, it's just dressed up in a more agreeable way.

Yeah, I know. The fact that Brian didn't even bother to make his sexism and heteronormativity "agreeable" though is why it's terrible; it's the difference between "Hey Little Tomboy" and, say, "The Little Girl I Once Knew" -- I find the former way more actively offensive than the latter.

It is more actively offensive than "The Little Girl I Once Knew", no doubt about it, mostly perhaps because in 1965 Brian was moving towards overall sophistication, while his mid-seventies output was more about roughness and directness, so it's a different approach I guess. Personally I like "Hey Little Tomboy" a lot, even though I sometimes wonder why the group decided to put it on the M.I.U. Album...

[Andrew G. Doe]

"Hey Little Tomboy" is one of the worst songs the Beach Boys ever did and it has absolutely no redeeming qualities. It is terrible musically and too sexist and heteronormative to simply ignore -- this goes for both the unreleased version from this album (with the completely tasteless talking sections) and the released cut.

Most boy/girl pop music is just as sexist and heteronormative, it's just dressed up in a more agreeable way.

Yeah, I know. The fact that Brian didn't even bother to make his sexism and heteronormativity "agreeable" though is why it's terrible; it's the difference between "Hey Little Tomboy" and, say, "The Little Girl I Once Knew" -- I find the former way more actively offensive than the latter.

And then there's the pig snorting sounds on the "New Album" version. 

The pig snorts have nothing to do with The Beach Boys - they were added by someone for their website a few years ago.

[hypehat]

I hate 'Tomboy'. It's bloody disgusting. I hate Mike's vocals. I hate Brian's vocal. I hate the lyrics. I hate the voiceovers. I hate the instruments when there are no voiceovers. I hate the harmonies. I even hate Carl's vocal. I don't even hate 'Kokomo' as much as I hate this song.

Adult/Child on the whole, however, I love. Everybody Wants To Live is my top pick. Or It's Over Now. Brian's piano demos of that are heartbreaking.

[Mikie]

Lazy Lizzie is a better song than Hey Little Tomboy.  It's a little less perverted anyway......

[Menace Wilson]

"Hey Little Tomboy" is one of the worst songs the Beach Boys ever did and it has absolutely no redeeming qualities. It is terrible musically and too sexist and heteronormative to simply ignore -- this goes for both the unreleased version from this album (with the completely tasteless talking sections) and the released cut.

Most boy/girl pop music is just as sexist and heteronormative, it's just dressed up in a more agreeable way.

Yeah, I know. The fact that Brian didn't even bother to make his sexism and heteronormativity "agreeable" though is why it's terrible; it's the difference between "Hey Little Tomboy" and, say, "The Little Girl I Once Knew" -- I find the former way more actively offensive than the latter.

And then there's the pig snorting sounds on the "New Album" version. 

The pig snorts have nothing to do with The Beach Boys - they were added by someone for their website a few years ago.

Any idea why?  Conjures images of the BBs standing in a circle in a mud pit, encouraging a pig to try on women's clothes.     

[DonnyL]

the ADULT CHILD version of "hey little tomboy" is bitchin !