The Best Album is Friends

[MBE]

Friends is a really cool album. It's not my favorite but it's really nice and mellow. One of their best vocal eras I think. I never heard any of them sing better.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

I adore Friends with a passion. When I first heard it, it blew my mind because I'd been under the impression that Brian's production skills/will had petered out after Smile, and then suddenly I'm listening to this gloriously produced, beautifully played/sung epic of peacefulness.

[runnersdialzero]

Fishmonk, really a nice review of "Friends" !
"Passing by" is very cool, it reminds me of the Beatles' "Flying" from Magical Mystery Tour with less psychedelic effects.

Except "Passing By" destroys "Flying".

imo.

[busy doin nothin]

I adore Friends with a passion. When I first heard it, it blew my mind because I'd been under the impression that Brian's production skills/will had petered out after Smile, and then suddenly I'm listening to this gloriously produced, beautifully played/sung epic of peacefulness.

I had the exact same reaction when I first heard the album.  Very well put.

I'm not sure exactly what is the source of the impression so many people have (and I once did as well) that Brian did nothing after shelving Smile, but Wild Honey and Friends are sensational, wonderful, irrefutable proof that it is not true.

[sockittome]

As I've stated over in the albums section of this board, I think Friends is very strong musically, but on the lyrics it's rather bland.  The vocals are top-notch, but the subjects of the songs are uninteresting to me.  I think it would be a real kick to hear an instrumental only version of the album (or instrumental with backing vocals).

MEANT FOR YOU is a cool intro to the album, although it sounds like a Smiley Smile leftover with the organ accompaniment.  The fade out reminds me of the snippet of WALK ON BY in the bonus tracks, and how it was faded just as you get into it, but that is all they had recorded of WOB.  MFY would have worked better for me if they had resolved the wordless ending on a sustained chord, setting the stage for FRIENDS.

FRIENDS, the song, is incredible, though.  A real mind-blower.  I wouldn't change a thing about it.  Somehow the simplistic lyrics work great with the psychedelic structure of the tune. 

WAKE THE WORLD is another great song that's very atmospheric, very much like COUNTRY AIR. 

BE HERE IN THE MORNING is where my interest level starts to drop off and remains at a low for the rest of the songs.  As I've stated above: great song structures, blah lyrics.  And I'm sorry but BHitM is just plain silly to me!

Well, sorry to be so critical, and I'm not saying that Friends is bad, but as a Beach Boys fan my standards are very high!

[sockittome]

Oh, one more thing (and it's positive)!

I think Friends has the best cover of all time.  The art on the front cover is so reflective of the music on the album and of that time period.  The photo on the back cover is excellent as well.

It's too bad that 20/20 (which is an album that's more my cup of tea) had such an uninspired design, even with the gatefold.

[Dunderhead]

20/20 is my least favorite later-day BB album. There's good songs on it but it doesn't really have it's own mood or feeling.

[Rocker]

20/20 is my least favorite later-day BB album. There's good songs on it but it doesn't really have it's own mood or feeling.

I agree. It starts very promising though. Three charting singles in a row. Side B  is the weak side, although the songs are good, they don't fit together very well.

[Dunderhead]

The Nearest Faraway Place is not very good, compared to Diamond Head, Passing By, Let's Go Away For Awhile, and Pet Sounds it sounds like the soundtrack to a bad movie.
TTGA and IWTS are both excellent, Be With Me is fantastic, and I Can Hear Music is a beautiful performance from Carl. The SMiLE tracks are of course terrific, but they just feel out of place.
20/20 took something like twice as long to record as Smiley Smile, Wild Honey, and Friends combined. When people say the boys were out of material after SMiLE, they're thinking of 20/20. It feels like an attempt to put something out to appease Capital and make some money. If I could delete any one album from the BB canon, it would probably be 20/20.

The other tracks feel very Beatles inspired. Music was getting into a really rockist mode, and it feels like Dennis was really picking up on it with All I Want to Do, or Got To Know The Woman (from Sunflower) but that stuff is much less interesting than some of his other productions. Bluebirds and Cottonfields are passable efforts that don't really stand out on their own, and NLNTL is an okay song without a great melody.

What's really missing is Break Away, that's a really fantastic song. None of the bands original studio albums is a double LP or an EP, but it feels like the band would have been better off releasing an EP with Break Away, I Can Hear Music, Be With Me and maybe Al's Cottonfields.

[hypehat]

You're seriously saying if ANY album, from the ENTIRE catalogue could be deleted, you'd pick 20/20? Wow. This is a band with some seriously crap records under their belt...

The first few tracks kick ass, losing speed with Bluebirds Over The Mountain, which is rubbish. Some nice licks, but the sing-songy wishy washy lyrics don't do it for me. Be With Me is obviously incredible. As is All I Want To Do, saved by Mike's vocal. I honestly can't listen to Faraway Place all the way through, although it's more of an arrangement problem than anything musical - The solo piano version on the Olympia concert is nice in it's faux-BW chord changes etc.

Inspired by the recent thread on the pair, BW's produced Cotton Fields isn't pop gold like Al's, but once it clicked with me it's my favourite. Something about all the echo on BW's piano and the guitars.

Everything else is of course brilliant - Never Learn Not To Love is the greatest 60's production BW never did (Dennis or Carl?). I like ending with the Smile tracks, but then that's probably just because I like Smile tracks. They make sense, i guess - the album is getting bigger and more ornate as it progresses, so they fit into that.

And it WAS a odds and sods collection to get rid of the last album in their contract with Capitol, so they could head to pastures new.

[Mahalo]

20/20 is my least favorite later-day BB album. There's good songs on it but it doesn't really have it's own mood or feeling.

AMEN to that! It has wretched to- bland- good to- mind blowingly awesome trax, but I really dislike that album...

[Dunderhead]

The Beach Boys have recorded such a huge amount of material there are some of us who think every little fragment should have been pressed to vinyl, but editing is just as important to the band's overall legacy. That's what makes Sunflower a great album, merciless editing. 20/20 is an album without an artistic edge, it's an album that didn't feel necessary, an album made just because it was harder not to make an album.

The Beatles have been more aggressive with their catalog, more careful about what they label as a "Beatles LP". I mean some sources actually list things like "Stack O' Tracks" as part of the main discography. If there ends up being a series of reissues next year, Brother Records should take the time to clearly define the BB Canon and edit it a little more artfully.

[Bicyclerider]

I like the album but to call it the "best album" baffles me (though its just my opinion-not looking for a fight).  Pet Sounds, Sunflower and Today (despite some filler) beat it by a mile.  I also think Wild Honey is better.   It's just not consistent-some of the songs are weak-like Transcendental Meditation, Be Here in The Morning and When a Man Loves a Woman  and Brian's vocals are pitched a little too high for my taste.  I think they were low on material-it has a very short running time and thats with two instrumentals padding it out.  Dennis and Brian make some nice contributions, but they needed more material and Carl hadn't started writing yet.

I was surprised that someone said Friends didn't have its' own mood or feeling - to me it's all about mood and a laid back feeling, a chilled out vibe but with beautiful harmonies and arrangement.  It's not about "hits" or rock dynamics, it seems to reflect Brian's mood and muse at the time rather than a competitive "got to have a hit" or keep up with the Beatles style production.  That's why the two instrumentals fit perfectly and are not filler at all.  I absolutely love Be Here in the Morning and When a Man Loves a Woman - the latter being about Marilyn of course.  I have to admit Transcendental Meditation is weak, it does disrupt the mood - the song should have been more laid back to reflect what meditating is actually like.

there was additional material that could have been included - but most likely the songs were not finished at the time the album was due.  You're as Cool as You Can Be (love to hear that - great title), Our Happy Home, We're Together Again, Old Man River, and the track of I Went to Sleep were done before the album release, although We're Together again was worked on more later (I believe the string overdubs).  We're together Again and Old Man River would have worked nicely on the album, and I Went to Sleep would have been a perfect choice (it describes what most listeners did on hearing the album!).

[smile-holland]

<...>  I absolutely love Be Here in the Morning and When a Man Loves a Woman - the latter being about Marilyn of course.  <...>

When a Man Loves a Woman is about Marilyn...?  wow... last thing I expected from Percy Sledge was that he wrote that song with her in mind...


 

[Mike's Beard]

20/20 is a great album. The only crap song is "Bluebirds over the Mountain" which has awlful lyrics and a wretched lead from Mike. The heavy metal guitar solos are out of place on it too. Slot "Breakaway" in it's place and you have a masterpiece.

[punkinhead]

to me, 20/20 was the white album of the Beach Boys....random songs from everyone.
A lot of random music styles into one record.
If only we received a double album (not concert) by the guys.
I wanna say a comeback double LP, but somepeople would think instantly 15 Big Ones.
To me, a double album from 74-75 would have been great, a comeback LP with songs from everyone.
If there wasn't enough to fill the album, just throw on some rare concert songs like Jumpin' Jack Flash or Wishin' You Were Here

[bgas]

If only we received a double album (not concert) by the guys.
I wanna say a comeback double LP, but somepeople would think instantly 15 Big Ones.
To me, a double album from 74-75 would have been great, a comeback LP with songs from everyone.
If there wasn't enough to fill the album, just throw on some rare concert songs like Jumpin' Jack Flash or Wishin' You Were Here

There were plenty of songs; in 74-75 we got Endless Summer, Wild Honey&20/20, Friends&Smiley Smile, Spirit Of America, The Golden Years Of The Beach Boys ( Mail Order), and American Summer( RCA Music Service).
Double LP, not Concert;  comeback LP's with songs from everyone named Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson,Bruce Johnston, Al Jardine and a host of others, like( but not limited to)Roger Christian, Gary Usher , Doc Pomus, Noel Sherman and Chuck Berry.

[sockittome]

to me, 20/20 was the white album of the Beach Boys....random songs from everyone.
A lot of random music styles into one record.

And there are tons of Beatles fans who think the white album is their greatest (although I'm not one of them!) 

Yes, 20/20 is a hodgepodge of (mostly) leftovers with a few clunkers, but for me there are more high points than Friends.  Usually, when I listen to the twofer I will skip ahead to Do it Again after Wake the World, and then it depends on what mood I'm in as to whether or not I skip anything on 20/20.

[Rocker]

I like "The nearest..." very much and would call it on of the sronger tracks on the album. I believe though that the track sequence is one big problem. Here are some things I would change:

- take off "Cabin essence". "Prayer" would be okay but CE just doesn't fit. I just have this idea to follow "Prayer"with "Bluebirds...". That would sound cool
 
- I really dislike the intro to "All I want to do". I like the song but that intro just turns me off, so I would try to coe up with a better one

- "I went to sleep" and "Time to get alone" should be parted by anotehr song or two (that goes for Dennis' songs too)

- "Cottonfields"..... I don't know. Al's version is far superior to Brian's but maybe it could stay on the album in this version

- "Break away" and "Celebrate the news" should be on there

- Take off "Never learn not to love" and use it as a b-side only

- if "California slide" was done during these sessions then put it on !!

- "I can hear music" should've been the opener to side 2


IIRC Desper wrote in his book, that the BBs had to go on tour befor they could really "finish" the album.

BTW here's the original "Bluebirds ove rthe mountain" for everyone who's interested:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwlIe-F-nak

[Mike's Beard]

Take off "Never Learn Not to Love"? Really?? That's a fantastic song!

[Rocker]

Take off "Never Learn Not to Love"? Really?? That's a fantastic song!

Don't like it too much. The vocal arrangement is very good and the overall production. But all in all I don't think it's more than a filler. There are better ones

[oldsurferdude]

As I've stated over in the albums section of this board, I think Friends is very strong musically, but on the lyrics it's rather bland.  The vocals are top-notch, but the subjects of the songs are uninteresting to me.  I think it would be a real kick to hear an instrumental only version of the album (or instrumental with backing vocals).

MEANT FOR YOU is a cool intro to the album, although it sounds like a Smiley Smile leftover with the organ accompaniment.  The fade out reminds me of the snippet of WALK ON BY in the bonus tracks, and how it was faded just as you get into it, but that is all they had recorded of WOB.  MFY would have worked better for me if they had resolved the wordless ending on a sustained chord, setting the stage for FRIENDS.

FRIENDS, the song, is incredible, though.  A real mind-blower.  I wouldn't change a thing about it.  Somehow the simplistic lyrics work great with the psychedelic structure of the tune. 

WAKE THE WORLD is another great song that's very atmospheric, very much like COUNTRY AIR. 

BE HERE IN THE MORNING is where my interest level starts to drop off and remains at a low for the rest of the songs.  As I've stated above: great song structures, blah lyrics.  And I'm sorry but BHitM is just plain silly to me!

Well, sorry to be so critical, and I'm not saying that Friends is bad, but as a Beach Boys fan my standards are very high!

BHITM and F were even better live-Carl and Al both really getting the job done very well.

[punkinhead]

If only we received a double album (not concert) by the guys.
I wanna say a comeback double LP, but somepeople would think instantly 15 Big Ones.
To me, a double album from 74-75 would have been great, a comeback LP with songs from everyone.
If there wasn't enough to fill the album, just throw on some rare concert songs like Jumpin' Jack Flash or Wishin' You Were Here

There were plenty of songs; in 74-75 we got Endless Summer, Wild Honey&20/20, Friends&Smiley Smile, Spirit Of America, The Golden Years Of The Beach Boys ( Mail Order), and American Summer( RCA Music Service).
Double LP, not Concert;  comeback LP's with songs from everyone named Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson,Bruce Johnston, Al Jardine and a host of others, like( but not limited to)Roger Christian, Gary Usher , Doc Pomus, Noel Sherman and Chuck Berry.

are you basically/sarcastically saying that their comeback albums are the old one re-released   ...sure, it's nice, I have a couple on vinyl. But I want something new. I think I posted a double LP tracklist that had more than enough tracks (outtakes from previous albums from the 70s).

[rab2591]

Friends is one of my favorites, too. A while back a friend and I were hanging out, he was cruising the internet on my computer, and I thought, what a great time to introduce him to some great Beach Boys material...what album should I put on? - So I thought through many albums, Pet Sounds? No, too personal. Today!? No, too many ballads. Love You? . Then It hit me: Friends! The most lovable/chill album the Beach Boys ever created

I put that album on and my friend, who listens to virtually nothing but heavy-rock music, said that he really liked the album and loved its mellowness. It's, in my opinion, the most accessible Beach Boys album ever made.

Also, Bruce Johnston is entitled to his opinion, but like many of you I don't understand his criticism of Friends.

[bgas]

If only we received a double album (not concert) by the guys.
I wanna say a comeback double LP, but somepeople would think instantly 15 Big Ones.
To me, a double album from 74-75 would have been great, a comeback LP with songs from everyone.
If there wasn't enough to fill the album, just throw on some rare concert songs like Jumpin' Jack Flash or Wishin' You Were Here

There were plenty of songs; in 74-75 we got Endless Summer, Wild Honey&20/20, Friends&Smiley Smile, Spirit Of America, The Golden Years Of The Beach Boys ( Mail Order), and American Summer( RCA Music Service).
Double LP, not Concert;  comeback LP's with songs from everyone named Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson,Bruce Johnston, Al Jardine and a host of others, like( but not limited to)Roger Christian, Gary Usher , Doc Pomus, Noel Sherman and Chuck Berry.

are you basically/sarcastically saying that their comeback albums are the old one re-released   ...sure, it's nice, I have a couple on vinyl. But I want something new. I think I posted a double LP tracklist that had more than enough tracks (outtakes from previous albums from the 70s).

Oh man, did I leave off the Smiley again? 
I've just got to get better at that...