jmayer43
Denny's Drums
Posts: 47
Likes: 28
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Post by jmayer43 on Dec 20, 2023 16:25:32 GMT
Hey everyone! It was really great to see so many positive comments and reactions to the first episode of the Good Timin’ podcast last week, and I’m happy to share episode 2 with you all! On this episode, me and Reilly share our personal rankings of the Beach Boys studio albums and give our thoughts and opinions on each of them. (This episode covers our album rankings from #27 to #11; part 2 will cover our top 10) I hope you all enjoy and as always we appreciate your comments and feedback!
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Post by Kapitan on Dec 20, 2023 16:47:59 GMT
Looking forward to it. It's always fun to see lists from people coming from different eras. For example, I've noticed younger fans seem much higher on 85 than many older ones (I assume because a lot of 80s synth sounds have really come back and don't have the stigma they once did). So it'll be great to compare lists and hear opinions/reasoning. And everyone, as a nice companion to the new GT pod, take a trip down memory lane to a couple of somewhat similar previous efforts here on the board: The board's average ratings of each album (and each single), culled from those album- and single-of-the-week threads: thebeachboystoday.proboards.com/thread/434/reviewing-ratingsQuite a few members' tiered (and often fully ranked within tiers, too) lists, spurred on by a BBT episode: thebeachboystoday.proboards.com/thread/844/beachboystalk-album-ranking
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jmayer43
Denny's Drums
Posts: 47
Likes: 28
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Post by jmayer43 on Dec 20, 2023 18:18:12 GMT
Looking forward to it. It's always fun to see lists from people coming from different eras. For example, I've noticed younger fans seem much higher on 85 than many older ones (I assume because a lot of 80s synth sounds have really come back and don't have the stigma they once did). So it'll be great to compare lists and hear opinions/reasoning. And everyone, as a nice companion to the new GT pod, take a trip down memory lane to a couple of somewhat similar previous efforts here on the board: The board's average ratings of each album (and each single), culled from those album- and single-of-the-week threads: thebeachboystoday.proboards.com/thread/434/reviewing-ratingsQuite a few members' tiered (and often fully ranked within tiers, too) lists, spurred on by a BBT episode: thebeachboystoday.proboards.com/thread/844/beachboystalk-album-rankingIt is always fun to compare album rankings and see what albums others think highly of and which ones people don’t care for as much. It’s funny you say that about BB 85 because one of us is actually pretty high on that album and enjoys it a lot haha (similarly one of us seems to really enjoy a lot of the material from their first few years while the other isn’t as crazy about it) I hope you enjoy listening, interested to hear your thoughts on our rankings! And I will definitely take a look at those threads; I’m curious to see how they compare to me and Reilly’s rankings.
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Post by Kapitan on Dec 20, 2023 19:39:50 GMT
OK, you both chose the same one many of us do--so I'm not worried about spoilers here--in Summer in Paradise.To take a stab at who sings the high falsetto on "Still Surfin," Reilly guessed that might be Al. I think it's most likely Adrian Baker, who handled falsetto with the live band around that time and is in the credits on that album. I don't think Al had that kind of range by the 90s (and it doesn't really sound like him to me). Just my guess, though. Regarding that power ballad version of "Forever" that you guys both disliked so much ... it actually has its fans, at least when compared to the rest of that album! I believe kds and jk might be among those. Honestly I don't think it's as bad as a lot of the album, either. Not good, mind you, but in comparison to some of these songs like "Summer of Love" or the "Surfin" remake, I don't think AS bad. Dated, sure (and it was actually somewhat dated by the time it came out, feeling like a mid/late 80s power ballad released in mid 1992), but I'd say the video is the bigger catastrophe!
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jmayer43
Denny's Drums
Posts: 47
Likes: 28
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Post by jmayer43 on Dec 21, 2023 20:25:43 GMT
OK, you both chose the same one many of us do--so I'm not worried about spoilers here--in Summer in Paradise.To take a stab at who sings the high falsetto on "Still Surfin," Reilly guessed that might be Al. I think it's most likely Adrian Baker, who handled falsetto with the live band around that time and is in the credits on that album. I don't think Al had that kind of range by the 90s (and it doesn't really sound like him to me). Just my guess, though. Regarding that power ballad version of "Forever" that you guys both disliked so much ... it actually has its fans, at least when compared to the rest of that album! I believe kds and jk might be among those. Honestly I don't think it's as bad as a lot of the album, either. Not good, mind you, but in comparison to some of these songs like "Summer of Love" or the "Surfin" remake, I don't think AS bad. Dated, sure (and it was actually somewhat dated by the time it came out, feeling like a mid/late 80s power ballad released in mid 1992), but I'd say the video is the bigger catastrophe! I feel like you’re probably right about that falsetto part on Still Surfin’, I’ve heard Adrian Baker’s voice before and it does sound much more like him than Al or any of the others. And I am aware that there are some people that enjoy that version of Forever haha, I guess my biggest issue with it is that it’s taking what I think is one of the most beautiful and heartfelt songs in The Beach Boys discography (not to mention one of Dennis’s greatest songs) and just shitting all over it. To me Still Surfin’ and Summer of Love almost fall into the “so bad it’s good” category so while I think they’re both terrible I still get some amusement listening to them, but the Forever cover genuinely annoys me. The fact that that there are people out there that think that the Stamos version is the original (or worse, that it’s better than the original) is a scary though to me lol (also good god that video is awful haha) What did you think of the rest of me and Reilly’s rankings?
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Post by Kapitan on Dec 21, 2023 20:44:23 GMT
I realize I am probably in the minority here, but for me, often back-story or legacy and things aren't all that important in terms of rating a song or album. So while I know you had said something like the SiP version was disrespectful to Dennis's legacy or something--and believe me, I know a LOT of people agree with you--that doesn't really enter into it for me. (That said, I am also one of those rare serious BB fans who actually think Dennis is overrated, so take it with a grain of salt.) But again, I actually don't like that new "Forever," either. It's just not about Dennis or his legacy for me. Or the original, for that matter, which I think might be Dennis's most overrated song. (I can be very curmudgeonly about Dennis, or even more than that, about Dennis's really avid fans. I try to keep it to myself, but I fail.)
The ratings were interesting. I still have the final few albums of each of you to go, as I got sidetracked when I was listening yesterday. I largely agree with you in terms of both the earliest albums and the latest (pre-TWGMTR, anyway) albums being at the bottom. And unlike you guys, I actually don't just think of them as "least good," or like "I really like them, I just don't love them as much as the best ones." Those few albums, I truly just don't even like. I don't HATE them, but I don't like them and I never listen to them except when we're doing things like rating albums and such.
I don't think any of either of your choices so far really jumped out at me as absurd. I like some of the albums more or less than you guys did, but that's the nature of individual rankings. (Like I would have Love You much higher than Reilly did ... and honestly I didn't buy his explanation, either ["too much Brian"]--not that you can argue taste.)
I'll get through those final few and let you know if anything jumps out at me.
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Post by Kapitan on Dec 21, 2023 21:06:56 GMT
I think Reilly is misusing the term "New Wave" when he talks about 85. 80s pop, synth pop, yeah, but I don't know that it would generally be considered New Wave. Minor thing, but it jumped out at me. (And obviously this is irrelevant to the point.)
Edit - and Reilly prefers the Today version of "Ronda"? Yowza. Again, not the point of the album rankings, but that's a take I can't get behind. (The joking idea of an SiP version of "Rhonda" is terrifying.)
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jmayer43
Denny's Drums
Posts: 47
Likes: 28
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Post by jmayer43 on Dec 21, 2023 21:54:18 GMT
I think Reilly is misusing the term "New Wave" when he talks about 85. 80s pop, synth pop, yeah, but I don't know that it would generally be considered New Wave. Minor thing, but it jumped out at me. (And obviously this is irrelevant to the point.) Edit - and Reilly prefers the Today version of "Ronda"? Yowza. Again, not the point of the album rankings, but that's a take I can't get behind. (The joking idea of an SiP version of "Rhonda" is terrifying.) I view synthpop as being a sort of sub genre of new wave so I don’t think he’s necessarily wrong. New wave seems to be a pretty broad term (ex- Tears For Fears is a new wave synth band) and yeah I was a bit surprised by his Help Me Rhonda take, although he’s definitely not the first person who I’ve heard say that. I personally just don’t see how the Today version is any match production/arrangement wise to the Summer Days version, but I respect the hot take haha SiP Rhonda is something I’m scared to hear yet kind of want to hear just out of curiosity 🤣 better yet, imagine Rhonda with Salute to NASCAR production
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Post by Kapitan on Dec 21, 2023 22:09:56 GMT
I think of New Wave as more narrow, that almost jittery kind of post-punk pop (sometimes synth, but not always) from the late 70s especially, things like early Elvis Costello, Blondie, Devo, the Talking Heads. But again, not a big deal. If there is one way to remove all joy from music, it's arguing the boundaries of subgenres...
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Post by thestone744 on Dec 27, 2023 5:14:04 GMT
I think of New Wave as more narrow, that almost jittery kind of post-punk pop (sometimes synth, but not always) from the late 70s especially, things like early Elvis Costello, Blondie, Devo, the Talking Heads. But again, not a big deal. If there is one way to remove all joy from music, it's arguing the boundaries of subgenres... Hey, Reilly here. I will agree while I associate Elvis Costello, Talking Heads, etc. as top new wave artists (in fact Elvis Costello is one of my most favorite artists ever), I see the general synth pop bands (I.e. Culture Club) of the 80s still as new wave. Especially in terms of Culture Club, even though they weren’t pioneers of the genre they still fall under it with their use of synths, and Steve Levine was the producer. He was asked to produce the 85 album, and gave it a new wave synth sound. To your point though, Elvis Costello, Talking Heads, Style Council, etc. are the new wave acts I generally think of when someone says new wave. I was talking more in terms of production with the 85 album, and the producer himself and the heavy use of synths.
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Post by Kapitan on Dec 27, 2023 12:29:38 GMT
Hey Reilly, welcome to the board. Thanks for chiming in. It's been fun listening to your first few shows: good luck with the pod, and I hope you aren't a stranger here. We're always glad to have new members, especially for the kinds of chatting you guys are doing (lists, favorites, etc.)
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