Sound of Free or Wouldn't It Be Nice To Live Again...?

[lostbeachboy]

I love them both equally.. Both Pop gems.

[Niko]

Kind of a random comparison to be drawing here 

WIBNTLA by a mile. Man, I wanna hear the version with the unedited tag...the flute jam at the end is killer and makes me love the song even more every time I get to it, and it probably fades out at the right time for the song, but people who've heard it say it's really cool.

[rab2591]

Kind of a random comparison to be drawing here 

WIBNTLA by a mile. Man, I wanna hear the version with the unedited tag...the flute jam at the end is killer and makes me love the song even more every time I get to it, and it probably fades out at the right time for the song, but people who've heard it say it's really cool.

I used to skip the flute part, but I've really grown to dig it. Especially love those last lines "Do you think we can live again"

And I didn't know until today that the coda was cut short - was this a Dennis decision from long ago? Or did Mark and Alan decide to do this during the MiC period?

[Niko]

My guess is that's just what they decided on for MiC.

[retrokid67]

I wonder how many more songs like these are still left in the vaults?

[Niko]

Something from The Bedroom Tapes! Song to God maybe...

[Sound of Free]

I chose my name before I heard Wouldn't It Be Nice To Live Again, and I have to WIBNTLA the edge, even though I love Sound of Free. I think it needed one more verse or a chorus before the bridge.

I still think, however, that Sound of Free is Dennis' beat lead vocal ever.

[Gabo]

if you guys like Dennis check out David Marks and the Marksmen music. Equally underrated greatness!

[Disney Boy (1985)]

My guess is that's just what they decided on for MiC.

I asked this in a previous post. AGD said that the version on MIC is in fact Dennis' original edit. Still, yeah I'd love to hear the extended tag too...

[JasonK]

WIBNTLA fo sho.  I like Sound of Free, but it sounds kinda, IDK, unfinished to me.  Love the flute jam.  When it comes on I tell my kids it is Ron Burgundy and they laugh.

[Joel Goldenberg]

I also prefer WIBNTLA, but my estimation of Sound of Free could increase if a stereo mix could ever be released.

[Jon Stebbins]

if you guys like Dennis check out David Marks and the Marksmen music. Equally underrated greatness!

Good call Gabo! Here's a couple of cool ones...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oVG0PBKe8c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxHPPDJ8X2U

[Mike's Beard]

I'd go with Sound of Free, the backing track sound almost 'Spector like' in places and Mike's lyrics are far better than WIBNTLA somewhat 'moon in June' effort. Both are great songs though.

[Niko]

WIBNTLA, SoF and a piece of Ecology all have interesting, melodic guitar parts that sound related to each other, like the same person wrote them. I know Dennis played a decent guitar, but did he write/play the solos too? I don't think Carl wrote them, cuz they sound nothing like what Carl ever did elsewhere.

[pixletwin]

I like the lyrics to Sound of Free better. I think vocals are comparable. I do think Sound of Free is a bit repetitive but it's a short song so thats ok. WITBNTLA is a bit over long and the lack of a real guitar solo hinders it.

I suppose I like Sound of Free better... but only by a smidge.

[Emdeeh]

Both are gems and I'm still absorbing WIBNTLA. I love Carl's vocal on "Sound of Free."

[Disney Boy (1985)]

if you guys like Dennis check out David Marks and the Marksmen music. Equally underrated greatness!

Good call Gabo! Here's a couple of cool ones...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oVG0PBKe8c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxHPPDJ8X2U

Sheriff of Noddingham: 1:16 to 1:26 - nice!!

[bluesno1fann]

Both great songs but WIBNTLA was the obvious choice for me.

[sockittome]

WIBNTLA by a huge margin for me.  There are so many outstanding things about it, while I personally find Sound of Free to be pretty unremarkable. 

[retrokid67]

I didn't even answer the question.    I pick WIBNTLA (I've said it before that I feel bad for those who had to wait 42 years to hear it  , 2 years was bad enough for me) though both songs are great.  I like how the middle of Sound of Free sounds like River Song kind of.

[RangeRoverA1]

Nothing of the 2 is my favorite, but musically Sound of Free is a tad better. I dig the droning guitar solo on "WIBN..." & jazzy tag, let alone we deal with maybe Top-3 best Dennis vocs. That said, the song is melancholic & to me it's not sth. I would listen for long. Don't care for the lyrics, so not a judge here.