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Post by Kapitan on Mar 15, 2019 17:57:39 GMT
Is it possible to really enjoy an album but regularly forget about its existence, and then upon recalling its existence, to forget one's appreciation for it? Because that's 20/20 for me.
Much of the criticism I've seen for the album has to do with its hodgepodge nature, that it's not a "proper" album. To that, I say pshaw. It is a collection of songs, which is exactly what an album is. Granted, it isn't a concept album, but who said albums had to be concept albums? I'm sick to death of concept albums, if you want to know the truth. (You probably didn't want to know the truth.)
The main thing I have against this album is that "The Nearest Faraway Place" makes me want to vomit in the elevators whose soundtrack it was meant to be. That song is the worst thing here by a mile. Always was, probably always will be unless my tastes REALLY change.
Probably no surprise by now that I'm not a big fan of the Dennis (or Manson) songs, either--though I have to admit I kind of like "Be With Me." It's got a seductive sort of slink to it, at least until everything starts bleating.
But everything else ranges from pretty good ("Do It Again," low on my list of favorites from among their hits) to spectacular ("Cabin Essence," "Time To Get Alone"). The twofer through which I first became familiar with the album also had some of my favorite bonus tracks, including "Break Away" and "Old Man River."
In the end, I rate 20/20 as probably middle of the pack Beach Boys albums. That's not a bad place to be.
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Post by beforkers on Mar 15, 2019 18:31:13 GMT
20/20 is the best Beach Boys album tho
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Post by Kapitan on Mar 15, 2019 18:34:03 GMT
It's their best album released in 1969, I'd grant that much.
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Post by beforkers on Mar 16, 2019 0:03:53 GMT
It's their best album released in 1969, I'd grant that much. replace 1969 with their whole career and you'd be right
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Post by Kapitan on Mar 16, 2019 0:04:28 GMT
It's lovely to be corrected. Thank you.
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Post by Do You Like Veggies? on Mar 16, 2019 1:58:03 GMT
beforkers please
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Post by sebevedomy on Mar 22, 2019 16:53:55 GMT
I love it, the album. Top Tenner, maybe Top Fiver for me. I don't think it was meant to be a hodgepodge, it just had no guiding light, was recorded at many studios and has some old songs so...it's a hodgepodge. Still I playlist the fuck out of those songs and don't listen to 20/20 as an album too often.
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Post by kds on Mar 24, 2019 3:53:51 GMT
You know what they say. Hindsight is....
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Post by Kapitan on Mar 19, 2021 14:24:38 GMT
Just listening to this 1976 Pete Fornatale interview with Dennis Wilson, this struck me: the 20/20 album that is so beloved here and now was Dennis's least favorite, and he had some harsh words for it. ("The only letdown of the Beach Boys' career ... embarrassment")
Cued up (4:09 ... appropriately):
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Post by Kapitan on Jan 13, 2022 18:31:13 GMT
Just listening to this 1976 Pete Fornatale interview with Dennis Wilson, this struck me: the 20/20 album that is so beloved here and now was Dennis's least favorite, and he had some harsh words for it. ("The only letdown of the Beach Boys' career ... embarrassment")
Cued up (4:09 ... appropriately):
This just occurred to me again, as EmCoco, Sheriff John Stone and I were talking about Brian's late '60s hospitalization. I think it's worth checking out if you haven't, just that minute and a half or so from where the video is cued up to begin. Dennis doesn't mention hospitalization, but it's clear that he is referring to Brian being unwell.
It's actually almost ironic in hindsight that one of the first albums to really showcase Dennis as a writer and singer (along with the previous year's Friends) is the one he picks as his least favorite, as "an embarrassment." I have to think it has more to do with his memories of the time than the album itself, though clearly I can't know that.
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