Show 69: Allphones Arena - Sydney, AU 8/30/12

[mabewa]

Thanks for that Jon.. The setlist points out why I was angry that Brian was flat or whatever "early". He was great on Do it Again and sang backing on all the following songs till his part in Sufer Girl. Then sang Your so Good to me brilliantly!

See, I thought "You're So Good" was one of his weaker vocals, actually -- he was barking it more than singing it, it didn't seem as easy as at the TLOS and Gershwin shows.  "Isn't It Time" was the first lead where I thought he really nailed it.

He did pretty well with You're So Good to Me in Nagoya--he was singing it pretty expressively.  Seems like it might be a bit tough song to sing, though.

[STE]

Another Add Some Music - unfortunately we were sitting about two seats from the other video (the back of my head makes the odd appearance in the other one)!

http://youtu.be/UHpeKFrRQqw

Thank you for "Let Him Run Wild"!!!  Amazing!

http://youtu.be/HOsiSL8GYP8

[EgoHanger1966]

Another Add Some Music - unfortunately we were sitting about two seats from the other video (the back of my head makes the odd appearance in the other one)!

http://youtu.be/UHpeKFrRQqw

Thank you for "Let Him Run Wild"!!!  Amazing!

http://youtu.be/HOsiSL8GYP8

That was epic!!! Too bad we didn't get that in the USA. I know Al really likes the song and you could tell he was into it. Not sure about how Brian felt though!

[RickD]

Beat me to it!

Finished uploading overnight

Let Him Run Wild

http://youtu.be/HOsiSL8GYP8

[RickD]

Another Add Some Music - unfortunately we were sitting about two seats from the other video (the back of my head makes the odd appearance in the other one)!

http://youtu.be/UHpeKFrRQqw

Thank you for "Let Him Run Wild"!!!  Amazing!

http://youtu.be/HOsiSL8GYP8

. I know Al really likes the song and you could tell he was into it. Not sure about how Brian felt though!

I asked about that and was told Brian loves the song, just didn't like his vocal - as long as he doesn't have to sing it

[EgoHanger1966]

The camera work for the jumbo-trons is absolutely stunning. You could pretty much release that feed straight to DVD. Makes the camera work I saw at my gig prehistoric!

[Justin]

Oh that is surely a beauty!

The camera work for the jumbo-trons is absolutely stunning. You could pretty much release that feed straight to DVD. Makes the camera work I saw at my gig prehistoric!

That will probably be what will end up happening (hopefully):

there are three DVD productions in the works ... this is going to be spectacular. Also the video feed within the venue from Marc's crew was fantastic.

[Shady]

Sounds great, the band did an amazing job..

Not a huge fan of Scott's vocals though

[Jonathan Blum]

Couple of details gleaned from the pre-show dinner and drinks...

*  Dave *is* playing the lead on "Beaches in Mind" (though he's kinda flattered that people think his stuff can be mistaken for Skunk Baxter).  Didn't get a chance to ask him about "Strange World"
*  He's also singing on "Radio" itself, at the very least -- he might have been on other tracks too, but the conversation changed direction before we could get a complete list
*  As mentioned above, Mike gave him "Getcha Back" because he'd written it imagining Dennis on lead (though obviously it was too late for that)
*  Apparently Brian's early arrangements generally gave Dave and Dennis the same part -- neither one of them was a strong singer at first (Dave's voice was still breaking, of course), so Brian liked to double the part
*  Bruce still hasn't heard the finished album.  (He didn't seem in any hurry to -- he referred to it as "a bunt")
*  The album has sold about 150,000 copies
*  Bruce is also very down on the LA Light Album -- he couldn't get why I was praising it, until I let him know I really understood the effort involved, in taking a project that really isn't working and trying to pull it off against the odds
*  OTOH, he loves Smiley Smile, and says it's the trip Smile was meant to be.  Not keen on Brian's studio re-recording, but loved the live performances!
*  He doesn't know whether the re-recorded "She Believes In Love Again" will make it onto the box (and the confusion between 50 Big Ones and the box set continues, BTW -- I don't think the band themselves really know what Capitol is doing with it; and fair enough, they've been a bit busy these past six months).  But if it doesn't "maybe I'll leak it"...
*  Very much not happy with the stereo remixes (even of Pet Sounds).  Apparently the Mark Linett stereo "God Only Knows", the one on "Sounds of Summer", still includes Carl's lead track on the coda which Brian mixed out in favor of doing a second part himself.  (I'm not sure about that, but I was hardly going to contradict him!)
*  He says Australia is "the best country in the world" (we chatted a bit about me moving down here) -- thanks to one of his sons marrying a certain woman in Perth, he may yet rack up some more frequent-flyer miles
*  Apparently he's a die-hard science fiction fan -- that's all he read when he was growing up!

Cheers,
Jon Blum

[TonyW]

*  He says Australia is "the best country in the world" (we chatted a bit about me moving down here) -- thanks to one of his sons marrying a certain woman in Perth, he may yet rack up some more frequent-flyer miles

That one floored me when Bruce told me!! The funny thing was he described her as "the sensible one"!!!  

I must admit it like to be a lawyer on the pre-nup or divorce ... (as long as the mother in law is not involved)!!  

[TonyW]

Hey Jon, were you there when Bruce sang the alternate lyrics to Disney Girls? I missed that one. Apparently he thought they were too dark so he changed them.

[Jay]

Did anybody have the guts to make any mention of the 1978 Australian tour? 

[Jonathan Blum]

Hey Jon, were you there when Bruce sang the alternate lyrics to Disney Girls? I missed that one. Apparently he thought they were too dark so he changed them.

...No, never heard that bit!  Anyone?

Cheers,
Jon Blum

[Rocker]

Did anybody have the guts to make any mention of the 1978 Australian tour? 

There's a short snippet of it at the end of this interview with the boys (I don't think the interview was posted before):

http://au.tv.yahoo.com/sunrise/video/-/watch/30456730/the-beach-boys-50-years-on/

[Rocky Raccoon]

Here's an interview video with the Boys:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-08-30/beach-boys-get-around-again/4234490?section=sport

Did Bruce forget to put on pants? 

[Rocky Raccoon]

Beat me to it!

Finished uploading overnight

Let Him Run Wild

http://youtu.be/HOsiSL8GYP8

Good performance by the band but I don't like Scott's voice on it, he's really straining to hit those notes.  I would have preferred if Brian sang it (but in a lower key like he did on the "Imagination" album).

[the professor]

Couple of details gleaned from the pre-show dinner and drinks...

*  Dave *is* playing the lead on "Beaches in Mind" (though he's kinda flattered that people think his stuff can be mistaken for Skunk Baxter).  Didn't get a chance to ask him about "Strange World"
*  He's also singing on "Radio" itself, at the very least -- he might have been on other tracks too, but the conversation changed direction before we could get a complete list
*  As mentioned above, Mike gave him "Getcha Back" because he'd written it imagining Dennis on lead (though obviously it was too late for that)
*  Apparently Brian's early arrangements generally gave Dave and Dennis the same part -- neither one of them was a strong singer at first (Dave's voice was still breaking, of course), so Brian liked to double the part
*  Bruce still hasn't heard the finished album.  (He didn't seem in any hurry to -- he referred to it as "a bunt")
*  The album has sold about 150,000 copies
*  Bruce is also very down on the LA Light Album -- he couldn't get why I was praising it, until I let him know I really understood the effort involved, in taking a project that really isn't working and trying to pull it off against the odds
*  OTOH, he loves Smiley Smile, and says it's the trip Smile was meant to be.  Not keen on Brian's studio re-recording, but loved the live performances!
*  He doesn't know whether the re-recorded "She Believes In Love Again" will make it onto the box (and the confusion between 50 Big Ones and the box set continues, BTW -- I don't think the band themselves really know what Capitol is doing with it; and fair enough, they've been a bit busy these past six months).  But if it doesn't "maybe I'll leak it"...
*  Very much not happy with the stereo remixes (even of Pet Sounds).  Apparently the Mark Linett stereo "God Only Knows", the one on "Sounds of Summer", still includes Carl's lead track on the coda which Brian mixed out in favor of doing a second part himself.  (I'm not sure about that, but I was hardly going to contradict him!)
*  He says Australia is "the best country in the world" (we chatted a bit about me moving down here) -- thanks to one of his sons marrying a certain woman in Perth, he may yet rack up some more frequent-flyer miles
*  Apparently he's a die-hard science fiction fan -- that's all he read when he was growing up!

Cheers,
Jon Blum

Great information. The professor had long said that Dave is playing Beaches in Mind and in singing on Radio, so I am glad to get a little support on this from the man himself. Baxter is only playing that fuzz-pedal  or wah-wah fills here and there. Now this song ought to be re-done, no, to fill it out with more of "something"? I love rocking out to it (after I write this I'm off to Redondo to play the album in car and ipod while watching the waves), but many consider this a weak cut. What would beef it up?

I can't see BJ calling the album a bunt; he is so enjoying the work and is performing fantastically all over it; perhaps he means that the BB still have a few home runs in them and this was somewhat tentative in what to present and the final track selection, etc.

Lastly, any mention of "the next BB album"?

Great work, Jon, thanks.

[the professor]

Sounds great, the band did an amazing job..

Not a huge fan of Scott's vocals though

a good experiment with LMRW, but it's karaoke again. poor scott is trying his best; rearrange the song for brian down low--do same for DWB, please. 

[Justin]

He sort of gets lost in the mix a bit when he reaches for the higher falsetto notes "...I'm gonna take you overrrr!" Would've been good if he got backed up by Jeff or something just to beef that section up. 

Still though, the guys and the band sound fantastic.  Hope it stays in the set for the remainder of the tour....

[Zargo]

He sort of gets lost in the mix a bit when he reaches for the higher falsetto notes "...I'm gonna take you overrrr!" Would've been good if he got backed up by Jeff or something just to beef that section up.  

Still though, the guys and the band sound fantastic.  Hope it stays in the set for the remainder of the tour....

Could hear him fine in Melbourne... Had to admire the vocal, it was clear he was pretty close to testicle explosion.

[Jonathan Blum]

Lastly, any mention of "the next BB album"?

Nobody seems to know *what's* going to happen down the road.  Probyn's not optimistic about another Beach Boys tour, but he did say he's expecting to be back in Australia with Brian fairly soon...

Cheers,
Jon Blum

[Alan Smith]

He sort of gets lost in the mix a bit when he reaches for the higher falsetto notes "...I'm gonna take you overrrr!" Would've been good if he got backed up by Jeff or something just to beef that section up. 

Still though, the guys and the band sound fantastic.  Hope it stays in the set for the remainder of the tour....

Could him fine in Melbourne... Had to admire the vocal, it was clear he was pretty close to testicle explosion.

Scott T is that close to nailing it; I think he just needs to relax and go with it- Brian's original vocal is passionate and gorgeous, but also confident and almost effortless like so much of Brian's singing from '63 to '67 -  it's a big ask for any singer to ape, let alone when "the guy" is a few metres stage-right from you.

[Lowbacca]

To my ears his "Ballad of 'Ole Betsy" is much better than his "Let Him Run Wild". I don't care much for the recent LHRW version I've seen in YouTube clips. 
His "Ballad of 'Ole Betsy" is stellar, though...

[STE]

I have heard Scott sing LHRW with the M&B band and he nailed it 200%.
Maybe he had a bad cold or sore throat.  You'll see.

[Autotune]

I think Totten is superb on LHRW, which is, BTW, one of the toughest songs to sing in the entire catalogue. I admire him as a musician and think that he has not been given enough credit yet for is amazing job as a band leader.

Nevertheless, I am not a fan of band members singing spotlight leads ln this tour.