Is it fair to stack these up to Pet Sounds or Smile?
I just find these albums (above) to be so inconsistent that they are hard to listen to. Take Surf's Up. The song is incredible, but the rest of the album is not so good to terrible.
I recently got the Dennis Wilson LP and I like it a lot. It's really spooky to me. Maybe becuase I know he was hangin with Manson for a time and doing mountains of drugs.
Is it fair to stack these up to Pet Sounds or Smile?
I just find these albums (above) to be so inconsistent that they are hard to listen to. Take Surf's Up. The song is incredible, but the rest of the album is not so good to terrible.
I recently got the Dennis Wilson LP and I like it a lot. It's really spooky to me. Maybe becuase I know he was hangin with Manson for a time and doing mountains of drugs.
I had Holland, Surf's Up and Sunflower before, but sold them. I grabbed another copy of Sunflower the other day and I like it this time.
I should give SU and Holland another go.
I found that I have to look at these as very distinct from Pet Sounds. I usually like how you can watch a group/artist progress over albums. For example the progression from Rubber Soul through Sgt Peppers is clear and seems almost logical. However, Pet Sounds came out of nowhere. I mean I like the early stuff, the same way I like the early Ventures. But then you get to Summer Days and Today and other than a few Specteresque tracks...then Pet Sounds comes out of nowhere. Then dude just falls apart during/after Smile and you get glimpses here and there afterwards, but that's pretty much it.
I had to come at these later LPs as if I was listening to something other than (Brian???s) Beach Boys.
It's also hard for me to like Mike Love knowing all the crooked ass shit he pulled.
the key to the later beach boys is to focus o nthe brothers who picked up the slack.. namely Carl and Dennis
Surfs Up is MADE by carl's songs, Feel Flows and shit i cant remember the other one... both are excellent.. obviously student demonstration time is RETARDED...
hell i even like "beach boys Love You" and fuckin "Here Comes The Night"
I had Holland, Surf's Up and Sunflower before, but sold them. I grabbed another copy of Sunflower the other day and I like it this time.
I should give SU and Holland another go.
I found that I have to look at these as very distinct from Pet Sounds. I usually like how you can watch a group/artist progress over albums. For example the progression from Rubber Soul through Sgt Peppers is clear and seems almost logical. However, Pet Sounds came out of nowhere. I mean I like the early stuff, the same way I like the early Ventures. But then you get to Summer Days and Today and other than a few Specteresque tracks...then Pet Sounds comes out of nowhere. Then dude just falls apart during/after Smile and you get glimpses here and there afterwards, but that's pretty much it.
I had to come at these later LPs as if I was listening to something other than (Brian???s) Beach Boys.
It's also hard for me to like Mike Love knowing all the crooked ass shit he pulled.
"Sail on Sailor" from 'Holland' pretty much blows away most any single track on any of the other LPs you listed. It also pretty much bankrupted the group as they spent a TON of money importing their entire recording studio to Holland. Why? I don't know. But I love that LP.
if the only beach boys record you dig is pet sounds you really don't actually like the beach boys... my 2 cents
There's SOMETHING I like on all their records up through the late 70s... heard one or two Carl solos I couldn't get with at all but that was about it...
Knowing the story behind the music, why each phase sounds the way it does, is key to appreciation...
i'm sure some sort of box set would cover similar territory, but the 2x1 cd's of 'friends / 20/20' and 'smiley smile / wild honey' have a few cool extra tracks, especially 'good vibrations (early sessions)' which gives you various takes on the all-time classic, some of which sound equal if not superior to the one that first came out imo, plus 'walk on by,' 'can't wait too long,' and 'break away,' a greatly underappreciated follow-up single to 'good vibrations.'
i'm surprised that no one's mentioned 'smiley smile' or 'wild honey' yet. what are people's takes on these records? for me, all of these lp's, save 'pet sounds,' juxtapose the extraordinary with the ordinary, making b. wilson's story all the more human. failure. 'going nuts.' not being able to confront pressure and the expectations of others. i saw him live for the 'smile' tour. dude is not all the way there anymore and prolly hasn't been for a while, comes off as being mildly retarded himself. nevertheless, he's a genius in terms of composition...but not in terms of lyrics.
Take Surf's Up. The song is incredible, but the rest of the album is not so good to terrible.
c'mon, side 2 of that record is pure genius all the way through... "til i die" is one of the best songs i've ever heard in my life by anyone and carl's song "feel flows" is beautiful as hell, w/ crazy analog synthe...
i honestly listen to side 2 of that record over and over and enjoy it way more than pet sounds, but that's just me...
re: smiley smile... great LP, but way too uneven... it's def. an amazing record, but somehow it just doesn't stack up.. i feel weird typing this, as i used to listen to that record constantly, but something about it doesn't quite do it for me these days...
re: smiley smile... great LP, but way too uneven... it's def. an amazing record, but somehow it just doesn't stack up.. i feel weird typing this, as i used to listen to that record constantly, but something about it doesn't quite do it for me these days...
Smiley Smile feels like what it is, a slap-dash of remnants from the Smile project with a couple of finished songs that are pretty great. It's interesting and it takes me back to the late 80s when my friends and I were first 'discovering' this phase of the Beach Boys, but I don't get much more out of it than that.
Take Surf's Up. The song is incredible, but the rest of the album is not so good to terrible.
the version of this from the Smile sessions with just brian alone and a piano is truely one of the greatest moments in recorded music ... the released version pales in comparison
re: smiley smile... great LP, but way too uneven... it's def. an amazing record, but somehow it just doesn't stack up.. i feel weird typing this, as i used to listen to that record constantly, but something about it doesn't quite do it for me these days...
Smiley Smile feels like what it is, a slap-dash of remnants from the Smile project with a couple of finished songs that are pretty great. It's interesting and it takes me back to the late 80s when my friends and I were first 'discovering' this phase of the Beach Boys, but I don't get much more out of it than that.
Considering what it is (a group-approved retake on Smile mere months later) I think its outstanding... in fact some of the versions are definitive IMO
Comments
All good.
GREAT
GREAT
GREAT
and
GREAT
Though the early 70s releases get a lot of hype I've never sat down and given them the time they deserve... someday...
Can't remember if I've heard the Dennis album or not...
I just find these albums (above) to be so inconsistent that they are hard to listen to. Take Surf's Up. The song is incredible, but the rest of the album is not so good to terrible.
I recently got the Dennis Wilson LP and I like it a lot. It's really spooky to me. Maybe becuase I know he was hangin with Manson for a time and doing mountains of drugs.
Where is "Holland" in this list?
I had Holland, Surf's Up and Sunflower before, but sold them. I grabbed another copy of Sunflower the other day and I like it this time.
I should give SU and Holland another go.
I found that I have to look at these as very distinct from Pet Sounds. I usually like how you can watch a group/artist progress over albums. For example the progression from Rubber Soul through Sgt Peppers is clear and seems almost logical. However, Pet Sounds came out of nowhere. I mean I like the early stuff, the same way I like the early Ventures. But then you get to Summer Days and Today and other than a few Specteresque tracks...then Pet Sounds comes out of nowhere. Then dude just falls apart during/after Smile and you get glimpses here and there afterwards, but that's pretty much it.
I had to come at these later LPs as if I was listening to something other than (Brian???s) Beach Boys.
It's also hard for me to like Mike Love knowing all the crooked ass shit he pulled.
Surfs Up is MADE by carl's songs, Feel Flows and shit i cant remember the other one... both are excellent.. obviously student demonstration time is RETARDED...
hell i even like "beach boys Love You" and fuckin "Here Comes The Night"
"Sail on Sailor" from 'Holland' pretty much blows away most any single track on any of the other LPs you listed. It also pretty much bankrupted the group as they spent a TON of money importing their entire recording studio to Holland. Why? I don't know. But I love that LP.
I dig this LP too
Roller Skatin' Child is AWESOME.
Is that the one with the Johnny Carson tune? I swear to God that's the most retarded song I've ever heard in my life.
No way! That is a personal fave!
"Joh-nny, Car-son"
if the only beach boys record you dig is pet sounds you really don't actually like the beach boys... my 2 cents
Analog synth madness like woah.
SG
I should say "retarded" in a Rodd Keith sort of way.
There's SOMETHING I like on all their records up through the late 70s... heard one or two Carl solos I couldn't get with at all but that was about it...
Knowing the story behind the music, why each phase sounds the way it does, is key to appreciation...
You may be right. But I'm trying to see what haedz think. Hence this thread.
Yup.
This cannot be reiterated enough... !!
I posted this on Waxidreadz know the deal. I'm sure someone on here can send you the mp3's if you want to hear before you buy
i'm surprised that no one's mentioned 'smiley smile' or 'wild honey' yet. what are people's takes on these records? for me, all of these lp's, save 'pet sounds,' juxtapose the extraordinary with the ordinary, making b. wilson's story all the more human. failure. 'going nuts.' not being able to confront pressure and the expectations of others. i saw him live for the 'smile' tour. dude is not all the way there anymore and prolly hasn't been for a while, comes off as being mildly retarded himself. nevertheless, he's a genius in terms of composition...but not in terms of lyrics.
I mistakenly sold this to a local store for cheap, I'm a dunny.
I mistakenly sold this to a local store for cheap, I'm a dunny.
DOH!
this reminds me i've been working on a re-edit of a track on here for some time now.. i gotta wrap that up...
c'mon, side 2 of that record is pure genius all the way through... "til i die" is one of the best songs i've ever heard in my life by anyone and carl's song "feel flows" is beautiful as hell, w/ crazy analog synthe...
i honestly listen to side 2 of that record over and over and enjoy it way more than pet sounds, but that's just me...
re: smiley smile... great LP, but way too uneven... it's def. an amazing record, but somehow it just doesn't stack up.. i feel weird typing this, as i used to listen to that record constantly, but something about it doesn't quite do it for me these days...
Smiley Smile feels like what it is, a slap-dash of remnants from the Smile project with a couple of finished songs that are pretty great. It's interesting and it takes me back to the late 80s when my friends and I were first 'discovering' this phase of the Beach Boys, but I don't get much more out of it than that.
the version of this from the Smile sessions with just brian alone and a piano is truely one of the greatest moments in recorded music ... the released version pales in comparison
spine tingling shit
Dubious read me like a book...outside of a few random songs and the Pet Sounds album, the Beach Boys never did it for me.
Considering what it is (a group-approved retake on Smile mere months later) I think its outstanding... in fact some of the versions are definitive IMO