|
Post by kds on Mar 7, 2023 16:29:03 GMT
As I hinted in the Shout Box, I'll start a thread to pick the "best" and "worst" song of each Beach Boys solo album. As with the Beach Boys albums thread, the "best" and "worst" is completely up to the listener.
I'll start on Monday, March 13, at 11am EDT.
I will cover the officially released studio albums from the five primary Beach Boys - Mike Love, Brian Wilson, Al Jardine, Carl Wilson, and Dennis Wilson.
I will do the albums one member at a time, starting with Dennis, and going chronologically from when each member made his solo debut.
1. Dennis Wilson 2. Carl Wilson 3. Mike Love 4. Brian Wilson 5. Al Jardine
The Christmas albums released by Brian and Mike were covered in their own threads. To avoid repeating myself (or to spare us from listening to Christmas music during non Christmastime, a personal pet peeve), I'm just going to copy and paste the results of those threads when it's time to cover those albums.
I will be out of town April 30 - May 7, so the thread will go on a brief hiatus then.
|
|
|
Post by carllove on Mar 8, 2023 14:24:53 GMT
Glad you are starting with Dennis, since his solo work is my favorite of the boys. I think I pretty much already know what I'm going to pick, but will cue up POB this week for one last listen prior to voicing my opinion. Are you going with the original POB release only? No 30th Anniversary? Not like it probably matters, though there are times when "Mexico" is my favorite track on the latter release.
|
|
|
Post by kds on Mar 8, 2023 14:28:12 GMT
Glad you are starting with Dennis, since his solo work is my favorite of the boys. I think I pretty much already know what I'm going to pick, but will cue up POB this week for one last listen prior to voicing my opinion. Are you going with the original POB release only? No 30th Anniversary? Not like it probably matters, though there are times when "Mexico" is my favorite track on the latter release. At least for now, I'm just sticking with the POB album proper. Maybe I'll revisit the Bambu stuff once we're through.
|
|
|
Post by carllove on Mar 8, 2023 16:45:54 GMT
Glad you are starting with Dennis, since his solo work is my favorite of the boys. I think I pretty much already know what I'm going to pick, but will cue up POB this week for one last listen prior to voicing my opinion. Are you going with the original POB release only? No 30th Anniversary? Not like it probably matters, though there are times when "Mexico" is my favorite track on the latter release. At least for now, I'm just sticking with the POB album proper. Maybe I'll revisit the Bambu stuff once we're through. Thanks kds! Looking forward to it!
|
|
|
Post by kds on Mar 8, 2023 16:58:51 GMT
Also, in the interest of consistency, just as I included the CD bonus track Male Ego when we did Beach Boys '85, I will include the three bonus tracks when it's time to discuss Brian's NPP album. I figured since Male Ego and the three NPP bonus tracks were available from the time of release, they deserve to be in the discussion.
But, and maybe you can argue this is inconsistent, I will not be including the bonus disc of Beach Boys remakes from Mike's UTL album.
|
|
|
Post by kds on Mar 13, 2023 13:55:02 GMT
So, since we're talking about less than 20 proper studio albums from Dennis, Carl, Mike, Brian, and Al, I've decided that I'm going to see a separate entry for Bambu for Dennis.
|
|
|
Post by kds on Mar 13, 2023 15:28:58 GMT
Welcome to the first of the Best / Worst Solo Albums thread. Dennis Wilson's lone proper solo album - Pacific Ocean Blue. We will discuss this until Thursday, March 16, 2023 at 11am EDT.
Dennis Wilson - Pacific Ocean Blue (1977)
Best Worst River Song 4 What's Wrong 1 2 Moonshine Friday Night 1 Dreamer 1 Thoughts of You 1 Time You and I Pacific Ocean Blues Farewell My Friend 1 Rainbows End of the Show 1 4
|
|
|
Post by kds on Mar 13, 2023 15:53:05 GMT
Best - River Song - I'm not as in love with this album as a lot of the Beach Boys fanbase, but I'll say the opener really pulls me in. I think it might be a Top Ten BB solo song.
Worst - End of the Show - Picking a worst is tough because I feel the quality of this album is fairly even. To say that I was considering as many as six songs is not really a detriment to the album. Although, that said, while I feel the quality is even, I think a lot of it is fairly middle of the road. On my listen this morning, the closer probably did the least for me.
|
|
|
Post by Kapitan on Mar 13, 2023 17:52:13 GMT
I'm having a hard time because I think of this album in batches: some of my favorites, a few in the middle, and some that I don't much like. But getting real separation within those groups is tough: most of it, I just don't feel very strongly about. As I've often said, this isn't a particular favorite of mine. It mostly ranges from "I kinda like it" to "I don't much like it," but without outlier tracks on either end.
Best: What's Wrong The group of contenders for best included "River Song," "What's Wrong," "You and I," "Pacific Ocean Blues," and "Rainbows." As a rule, they're the songs with a bit of momentum to them and/or more interesting melodies, not the slower ones with what I hear as tortured vocals. I like this one because it has a sleazy, funky feel to it that I think works. I also think that kind of music fits his wrecked voice more than those ballads.
Worst: End of the Show "Thoughts of You" and "Friday Night" were in the mix. The rest are in a middle ground where I often like a part here or there--like if a horn section kicks in, as they do on occasion--but basically don't like them.
|
|
|
Post by kds on Mar 13, 2023 19:16:16 GMT
I mentioned this in the Nebraska thread, but I really think POB is a "mood" album. If in the right frame of mind, I'd find it very enjoyable. But, for the most part, I prefer POB in small does rather than a full listen. I also feel this way about Pink Floyd's Endless River album.
|
|
|
Post by lonelysummer on Mar 13, 2023 20:09:00 GMT
Best: River Song. No question about it. Loved it from the first time I heard it on Ten Years of Harmony. One of Dennis' best ever songs. Worst: Friday Night: this is where the album starts to lose me. I just don't care for it.
|
|
Emdeeh
Pacific Coast Highway
Posts: 520
Likes: 532
|
Post by Emdeeh on Mar 14, 2023 3:35:17 GMT
I really like "What's Wrong" and "Pacific Ocean Blues," but "River Song" is a total stunner and my top pick from POB. "Farewell My Friend" is awesome too. As for the least song, there are several that blend together towards the middle and end of the album, but none of them are stinkers. I'll go with "End of Show." Overall, I love this album.
|
|
|
Post by carllove on Mar 14, 2023 14:43:05 GMT
Oh I love this album so much! What a talent Dennis was. I can literally feel what Dennis is feeling from the way he emotes the vocals of his songs.
Best: River Song. This song is divine. Lush with Dennis' piano intro reminiscent of "Tiny Dancer" and the gospel choir. Dennis' solo vocals soaring into the song with "Ooh mighty river, I would love to be like you..." My favorite part - The melancholy "It breaks my heart to see the city". Dennis at his best vocal wise. Then the song picks up a bit of funky, soulful grove at the end. I love that it is followed by "Only With You", which is another great song. "You and I" starts out sounding like a Steely Dan song before the vocals come in and I think the intro to "Friday Night" sounds a bit like Pink Floyd.
Worst: "End Of The Show".I actually like this song - it's just that Dennis sounds like he is slurring his words as he is singing and he is off key more than usual. Unlike his older brother, Dennis evidently did not have perfect pitch.
|
|
|
Post by Sheriff John Stone on Mar 14, 2023 18:54:46 GMT
Ah, Pacific Ocean Blue...Not only my favorite Beach Boys' solo album but one of my favorite albums, period. The songs, the arrangements. That voice. Dennis's voice was as shot - or worse - than Brian's at that time but Dennis somehow got it to work, work for the songs he was writing. Pacific Ocean Blue sounds as fresh today as it did 45 years ago when I first heard/bought it. The album out-blood on the tracks'd Blood On The Tracks. Dennis laid it all out there. And Brian heard it. Can you say "Melt Away"? And to think it was the only album Dennis Wilson ever released. It still pops up in the occasional Best Album or Most Underrated Album polls.
BEST SONG: This is impossible. All the heavy - and I mean heavy - hitters including "You And I", "River Song", "Moonshine", "Farewell My Friend", and "Rainbows". It's almost a tie between "End Of The Show" (so great) and "Thoughts Of You", but I'll go with "Thoughts Of You". What an arrangement. The instruments he used. The atmosphere. I get so many visuals. Three minutes of pure emotion. And the range of Dennis's vocals; his voice worked perfectly. A tour-de-force. Only Brian in his prime could touch it.
WORST SONG: There are only two songs that I think are "less" than the rest - and I still appreciate them - and they would be "What's Wrong" and "Friday Night". "Friday Night" tries so hard and does reach a really neat place. I love the intro and the sound, but it plods slightly. I guess if I'm forced to I would choose "What's Wrong". Dennis tries to rock a little but there is one problem. It doesn't rock. "What's Wrong" is the one song where I think Dennis's voice isn't suited for the material. And the song? Meh.
|
|
|
Post by Kapitan on Mar 14, 2023 19:16:17 GMT
Well, we almost canceled each other out perfectly, Sheriff. So close.
|
|