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Post by kds on Jun 8, 2023 13:16:58 GMT
I have to say that leaves me unimpressed. I don't think he sang it very well at all. But what's more, I don't get the point of doing a cover song that isn't closely identified with one of these Beach Boys singing lead. If they were going to do one that Mike or Bruce sings, that makes more sense. But this one doesn't have a lot to do with anybody in the band. It would be like if they chose to do "Cottonfields" and had Keith Hubacher sing it. I mean, they could ... but why? They did get a bump from the inclusion of that song in Stranger Things last year, so it makes sense to include it in the setlists IMO.
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Post by Kapitan on Jun 8, 2023 13:32:32 GMT
I guess, but don't you think it should be a Beach Boy singing it, not "the new guy on drums"? Heck, have Christian Love sing it, at least!
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Post by kds on Jun 8, 2023 13:56:56 GMT
I guess, but don't you think it should be a Beach Boy singing it, not "the new guy on drums"? Heck, have Christian Love sing it, at least! I think they're just passing the baton from Coswill to this new guy, as Coswill used to handle California Dreamin'.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jun 8, 2023 17:05:38 GMT
I'm surprised the band is still performing "California Dreamin'". I could see playing the song in the late 1980s. It was then a new BB recording, a semi-hit, the video was featured on MTV, it's a great song and well-done by the Beach Boys, and it was a good opportunity to feature Al and Carl who were always lacking with lead vocals in concert. But that was 35 years ago and it's not new anymore. As Kapitan pointed out, Al and Carl are gone, and let's be honest - how many people attending the concerts today even know the Beach Boys covered it. Simply, it's just not necessary.
The live version CAN rock a little, but I've heard some slightly ragged performances through the years, too. But, most of all, and you can always say this - with so many other original, familiar and maybe more desirable songs to perform in concert, why stick with "California Dreamin'"? If you wanna give the drummer or anybody else in the band a lead vocal, there are several other BW/Beach Boys' originals to choose from. Several!
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Post by Kapitan on Jun 8, 2023 17:09:03 GMT
What's more, the current Beach Boys also do a few of those songs Mike Love covered as a solo artist: California Sun and Rockaway Beach, for example, along with the covers they're known for like Then I Kissed Her, Sloop John B, Barbara Ann, California Dreamin, Rock n Roll Music, Do You Wanna Dance. Almost a quarter of their set lists are covers.
Sometimes it seems Mike wants the band to be a summer-music cover band more than the Beach Boys themselves.
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Post by lonelysummer on Jun 8, 2023 20:39:33 GMT
Gosh, you guys are just so hard to please! I'm gonna make a comparison here that some will appreciate, some won't. One of my favorite live bands in the 90's/00's was Paul Revere and the Raiders. What songs were they known for? Hungry, Kicks, Good Thing, Indian Reservation, Just Like Me. When I saw the band live, they did those songs, and they did them great, but their show also featured a lot of "party rock" covers - Mony Mony, Good Lovin', You Really Got Me, Heard it Through the Grapevine, Rock Around the Clock. In 2001, they did a cd in honor of Vietnam veterans, and it included songs like Fortunate Son, Run Through the Jungle, For What it's Worth, California Dreaming. I enjoyed hearing their versions of those songs. Sure, it would have been cool to hear the band play some deep cuts from Raiders albums - Louie Go Home, Louise, Burn Like a Candle, Time After Time...but I accepted that the crowds at fairs and casinos were a general audience, not 100% Raider fanatics. I've seen Peter Noone and his current Herman's Hermits band do the same thing - they do all the big Hermits hits - Silhouettes, A Must to Avoid, Dandy, a Kind of Hush, Henry VIII, Mrs. Brown - and they add in other songs of the era like Love Potion #9, Ferry Cross the Mersey, Bus Stop. California Dreaming was a hit for the Beach Boys in 1986, so it makes sense to perform it for that reason, and because it's a classic song everyone loves. Maybe someday us BB freaks can rent a theater and hire the band to do 2 hours of deep cuts - The Night Was So Young, My Diane, All This is That, With Me Tonight, maybe a full set of Dennis songs. And then we'd be complaining "but they left out Feel Flows, This Whole World, Good Timin' and Help Me Rhonda!"
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jun 10, 2023 13:20:04 GMT
Gosh, you guys are just so hard to please! California Dreaming was a hit for the Beach Boys in 1986, so it makes sense to perform it for that reason, and because it's a classic song everyone loves. Just for information purposes, "California Dreamin'" peaked at #57 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, though it did reach #8 on the Adult Contemporary chart. I'll say again (then I'm going to drop it) that I like The Beach Boys' version of "California Dreamin'" a lot. On a recent thread, I voted it as one of the band's best songs of the 1980s, ahead of many originals. It's one of Terry Melcher's best productions with the group, and features outstanding vocal performances from Al, Carl, and the group. And, finally, the song itself/the Mamas & The Papas recording is an all-timer. I just think there are better original BB songs to feature/perform in concert in 2023. But it's OK. I can live with it. Nuff said.
That being said, I have had few problems with The Beach Boys' setlists through the years. They tried to include as many hits as possible to please the overwhelming majority of fans in attendance. The did sprinkle in a few deeper tracks through the years. And, if you check the old setlists, they usually featured a few new songs in conjunction with the release of their new albums.
Really, the only time I had any problems with the setlists has been fairly recently. I just don't like Mike Love sprinkling in those boring - and not very good - solo songs into the sets. And I don't think it's just me who feels that way. There is a distinct feeling of bringing the shows to a halt when Mike stops the proceedings to feature his songs. Yes, The Beach Boys did that in the past - a few Carl Wilson solo songs come to mind. But, at least those songs and performances were good.
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Post by lonelysummer on Jun 10, 2023 20:01:00 GMT
Gosh, you guys are just so hard to please! California Dreaming was a hit for the Beach Boys in 1986, so it makes sense to perform it for that reason, and because it's a classic song everyone loves. Just for information purposes, "California Dreamin'" peaked at #57 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, though it did reach #8 on the Adult Contemporary chart. I'll say again (then I'm going to drop it) that I like The Beach Boys' version of "California Dreamin'" a lot. On a recent thread, I voted it as one of the band's best songs of the 1980s, ahead of many originals. It's one of Terry Melcher's best productions with the group, and features outstanding vocal performances from Al, Carl, and the group. And, finally, the song itself/the Mamas & The Papas recording is an all-timer. I just think there are better original BB songs to feature/perform in concert in 2023. But it's OK. I can live with it. Nuff said.
That being said, I have had few problems with The Beach Boys' setlists through the years. They tried to include as many hits as possible to please the overwhelming majority of fans in attendance. The did sprinkle in a few deeper tracks through the years. And, if you check the old setlists, they usually featured a few new songs in conjunction with the release of their new albums.
Really, the only time I had any problems with the setlists has been fairly recently. I just don't like Mike Love sprinkling in those boring - and not very good - solo songs into the sets. And I don't think it's just me who feels that way. There is a distinct feeling of bringing the shows to a halt when Mike stops the proceedings to feature his songs. Yes, The Beach Boys did that in the past - a few Carl Wilson solo songs come to mind. But, at least those songs and performances were good. Those are called the "beer run songs" - time to head to the concession stand. As I just posted on another thread, I fear Mike and Bruce are heading back to the safe and stale old playlists now. I was hoping the release of the SOS boxset would get them to attempt a few of those songs live, as they did for Feel Flows. Funky Pretty, All This is That, the Trader, Sail on Sailor...how about the full California Saga? And I always have to wonder how many more years these guys have. The schedule they keep is brutal, and it can't be easy on 80 year olds. By the time my dad turned 80, he wasn't going anywhere other than the bank and the grocery store. I don't know how they do it.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jun 10, 2023 21:33:08 GMT
Just for information purposes, "California Dreamin'" peaked at #57 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, though it did reach #8 on the Adult Contemporary chart. I'll say again (then I'm going to drop it) that I like The Beach Boys' version of "California Dreamin'" a lot. On a recent thread, I voted it as one of the band's best songs of the 1980s, ahead of many originals. It's one of Terry Melcher's best productions with the group, and features outstanding vocal performances from Al, Carl, and the group. And, finally, the song itself/the Mamas & The Papas recording is an all-timer. I just think there are better original BB songs to feature/perform in concert in 2023. But it's OK. I can live with it. Nuff said.
That being said, I have had few problems with The Beach Boys' setlists through the years. They tried to include as many hits as possible to please the overwhelming majority of fans in attendance. The did sprinkle in a few deeper tracks through the years. And, if you check the old setlists, they usually featured a few new songs in conjunction with the release of their new albums.
Really, the only time I had any problems with the setlists has been fairly recently. I just don't like Mike Love sprinkling in those boring - and not very good - solo songs into the sets. And I don't think it's just me who feels that way. There is a distinct feeling of bringing the shows to a halt when Mike stops the proceedings to feature his songs. Yes, The Beach Boys did that in the past - a few Carl Wilson solo songs come to mind. But, at least those songs and performances were good. Those are called the "beer run songs" - time to head to the concession stand. As I just posted on another thread, I fear Mike and Bruce are heading back to the safe and stale old playlists now. I was hoping the release of the SOS boxset would get them to attempt a few of those songs live, as they did for Feel Flows. Funky Pretty, All This is That, the Trader, Sail on Sailor...how about the full California Saga? And I always have to wonder how many more years these guys have. The schedule they keep is brutal, and it can't be easy on 80 year olds. By the time my dad turned 80, he wasn't going anywhere other than the bank and the grocery store. I don't know how they do it. Yes, I think they probably will. Stale? I don't know about that. But, safe, yeah, probably. I wouldn't expect many new projects/products to promote, well, for the rest of the band's career. In a couple of years, we'll get a "Brian Is Back" boxed set, but they're already performing "Rock And Roll Music" and "It's OK". I can't see them delving into Love You or M.I.U. Album. The only "Beach Boy" who might release a new solo album would be Mike, but does he really wanna go there - in his mid-80s? Hopefully, Mike will soon be letting go of those solo songs that he's been shoehorning into the set. So, yes, I would expect pretty much a Greatest Hits setlist going forward, and there's plenty of hits to choose from. But, what's wrong with that? I think performing deeper or more obscure songs would sound a little awkward without Brian, Dennis, Carl, or Al around to sing them - and with all these new guys (who ARE these guys anyway? ). A very large percentage of The Beach Boys' current live audience doesn't want to hear them anyway, not the ones I'm seeing at the concerts.
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nater414
Denny's Drums
Posts: 23
Likes: 35
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Post by nater414 on Jun 11, 2023 14:09:04 GMT
First post here. Been on SS and EH for a while, and have been reading this forum for a while, and thought this would make a nice introductory post.
REVIEW OF 6/2/23 ILLINOIS SHOW:
I can't even find the words to explain what a great show 6/2 in Waukegan, IL was. Mike and Bruce were absolutely the stars of the show, and the night was a great celebration of the band's legacy. The current lineup of musicians sounds phenomenal. Jon Bolton's drumming has so much energy and passion. Mike sounded great, as did Bruce, who had more leads than usual (five!). I'm definitely a fan of John W's guitar playing. He played all the iconic lead and solo parts flawlessly. I really love Ike and Christian's voices--- I think they sing the Brian and Carl parts respectively better than anyone! I'm certainly in the camp of thinking Christian sounds a lot like Carl! When I close my eyes during GOK, there are some moments I'd swear it was Carl. I'm going to list out the setlist and add my thoughts in context.
Pre-Show Video by Noven Jasi: Always gets people excited and in the right mood. I love his editing. Great combination of iconic beloved clips and rare footage/pics. Surfin Safari : Now this is the opening number. I kind of prefer DIA as the opening song, but this works very well too. Great energy. Immediately, I noticed the band was playing LOUD with great energy. Definitely a rock band kinda feel that reminds me of the Knebworth recordings. Catch/Hawaii: Standard affair for the most part. Jon B plays the Hal Blaine sixteenth-note timbale part on the rims of his drums which sounded AWESOME! It's OK: Mike & Christian trading leads. Very fun. I'm glad this has stayed in the set, as it's one of my personal favorites. Do It Again California Sun Rockaway Beach:This ROCKS! I love it! Glad it's still in the set! Surfin USA: Great surf guitar from John W. Jon B played with the same excitement Dennis used to bring to the song. Surfer Girl: First Bruce vocal spotlight of the night on the bridge. Harmonies sounded beautiful. The quasi-political intro is unnecessary (regardless of your views) and it actually received some boos. Was over quick enough though, not the end of the world. Getcha Back Wendy: SUCH AN UNEXPECTED TREAT! My first time hearing this one live! Bruce sounded awesome! Loved hearing this gem. When I Grow Up: Always makes me cry hearing this one in person. The sentiment of "Won't Last Forever" sung by guys in their 80's is very poignant. Darlin: Jon B's first lead vocal of the night. He kicks ass on the mic!! He has a lot of soul and rock flamboyance. Great range. Be True To Your School In My Room Don't Worry Baby:Great Ike lead vocal. Car Medley- LDC/409/SD/Honda/IGA: Interesting to hear a reworked Car Medley after all these years. Honda works well in the mix. I'll forgive it being a bike song in the car medley because it's such a fun song. The transition between Honda and IGA sounded really cool, they now play a surf instrumental kinda break between them which was awesome. Intermission California Dreamin: Another fabulous lead vocal from Jon B. California Girls Sloop John B: Bruce singing Brian's verses and Mike singing his. WIBN Dance Dance Dance: Keith's bass playing shines here. Then I Kissed Her: Ike lead. Randy playing the castanets. Please Let Me Wonder: Definitely the highlight of the night. Bruce sounded amazing. Easily one of the best songs in the catalog and the band absolutely did it justice. Pisces Brothers : A touching tribute. I dig this song a lot. Nice change of pace. God Only Knows: Excellent Christian Love vocal. Good To My Baby: Another great gem that I'm thrilled has stayed. Help Me Rhonda: Christian Love lead vocal. Rock & Roll Music Do You Wanna Dance: Another Bruce lead! He paid tribute to Dennis at the end! Kokomo: Always a crowd pleaser. Good Vibrations: Always mind blowing. Barbara Ann: Fun extended solo section with wailing guitar and M&B dance moves! Fun Fun Fun: Perfect way to end the night. Jon B essentially plays the show out with a super impressive drum solo--- the guy is a beast on the drums!
- Awesome to hear five leads from Bruce, you're usually lucky to a few! His energy and enthusiasm is contagious. He always gets the crowd up on their feet and dancing. His keyboard was very prominent on Hawaii, Be True, Darlin, and GV. More subtle in the mix for the other songs. As always, he spends as much time clapping and walking around as playing the keys. He killed it on his leads though. His pitch is very impressive! - Ike is a great MD. I could see him watching everybody constantly. And he looked very proud when they pulled off new bits. (Like the new Car medley structure or the revamped GOK bridge, which now has better keyboard sounds) - Mike is a great showman. He really crafts perfect setlists. This setlist gave you all the desired hits with plenty of deeper cuts like Wendy, Please Let Me Wonder, Rockaway Beach, Good To My Baby, It's OK and Then I Kissed Her. - I probably sound like a broken record, but I'll say it again: Jon B and John W killed it on their respective instruments, and as much as I'll always miss Scott and John C, the new lineup injects a lot of life and energy into the band. - The guitar parts all sound very authentic, with three guitarists being able to cover different parts. Ike's rhythm guitar is very driving whereas Christian's is more relaxed. It reminds me of Carl and Dave's interlocking rhythm parts on the early records. Add John W's great leads on top and you've got an awesome sound! - Timmy B is definitely one of the band's MVPs. He covers so many parts it's remarkable! You'd swear the guy has four arms hahaha!
It was such an enjoyable show. Really neat setlist and every musician on stage was giving it their all. Mike sounded like his iconic self and Bruce always kept the energy up.
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Post by Kapitan on Jun 11, 2023 14:30:02 GMT
Hey, nater414, great intro post. Welcome to the board. That is really interesting Bruce has so many leads. I'm glad to hear it, too. And I agree with you about Ike's voice: the best of the high-parts singers. He's a fantastic musician, I hope he continues holding the band to a high standard.
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Post by B.E. on Jun 11, 2023 14:31:30 GMT
It’s nice to see you here, nater. Welcome!
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jun 11, 2023 18:38:58 GMT
Five leads from Bruce and the most surprising part of that? None of them were for "Disney Girls".
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Post by lonelysummer on Jun 11, 2023 19:49:00 GMT
Five leads from Bruce and the most surprising part of that? None of them were for "Disney Girls". I have seen the Beach Boys in concert a dozen times, and never seen them do "Disney Girls".
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Post by B.E. on Jun 16, 2023 21:46:44 GMT
According to All Summer Long at SSMB:
Not surprising, but it’s now (apparently) confirmed.
EDIT: And if it hadn’t been posted here as well, here’s a post reportedly made by John on Facebook a few weeks ago:
I ‘bolded’ the above. Pretty odd.
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