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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Mar 14, 2023 19:41:44 GMT
Well, we almost canceled each other out perfectly, Sheriff. So close. At least we're consistent. We've ALWAYS disagreed on the merits - or lack of in your case - of Pacific Ocean Blue.
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Post by jk on Mar 16, 2023 11:40:20 GMT
Here you go. I've decided on "What's Wrong" for "least memorable", purely and simply because this cool slice of boogie follows the sublime "River Song" and changes the mood.
"Most memorable"? Difficult, but I've opted for "End Of The Show", which I see has got the thumbs-down more than once. That instrumental sixth, heard just after 1:08, must be one of the most mournful sounds in all pop. (Another is Levon and Richard's call-and-response in The Band's "Whispering Pines".)
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Post by kds on Mar 16, 2023 13:09:30 GMT
Christ on a stick, we're only one week into this thing, and I might have to delay the posting of Bambu.
It's like my job doesn't even care that I'm trying to run a poll of best and worst tracks from the Beach Boys solo catalog.
I'll happen today, but probably not at 11am as I'd hoped.
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Post by B.E. on Mar 16, 2023 13:54:16 GMT
Then I better get my votes in! Best - "Farewell My Friend" - In some ways, I probably should have gone with "Thoughts of You" or "Time" as those back-to-back tracks are as much responsible for my love of the album as "River Song", "Pacific Ocean Blue", and "You and I". I really could have gone with any of these, but in addition to being a favorite I think there's a strong case for "Farewell My Friend" being the best track on the album. Worst - "Dreamer" - I like it enough that it doesn't detract from the album at all (there's some cool things going on), but it's a notch below the rest, IMO. I also considered "End of the Show", but I think it functions well as the closer even if it doesn't standout on its own. Bruce's falsetto part was a really nice touch. Sorry for the last minute votes, kds .
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Post by kds on Mar 16, 2023 15:05:21 GMT
OK, so a couple meetings got cancelled, much to my delight. Thank you to the eight posters who voted for Pacific Ocean Blue.
Here are the results
Best
River Song - 4 What's Wrong - 1 Thoughts of You - 1 Farewell My Friend - 1 End of the Show - 1
Worst
End of the Show - 4 What's Wrong - 2 Friday Night - 1 Dreamer - 1
What's Wrong and End of the Show each got votes for both best and worst.
Now, Pacific Ocean Blue is the only officially released album from Dennis Wilson, but the sessions for the Bambu album were released as bonus material on the POB deluxe reissue. So, Bambu will be tackled next, and FYI, those songs can be found on Spotify (and probably other platforms) in the POB Reissue.
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Post by kds on Mar 16, 2023 15:57:43 GMT
So, I'm only an hour late. Here it is. Bambu will be up until Monday, March 20 at 11am EDT.
Dennis Wilson - Bambu - The Caribou Sessions (1978-79)
Best Worst Under The Moonlight It's Not Too Late 1 1 School Girl 1 Love Remember Me 2 Love Surrounds Me Wild Situation Common 2 Are You Real He's A Bum 1 Cocktails I Love You Constant Companion 2 1 Time For Bed 1 Album Tag Song All Alone Piano Variations On Thoughts Of You
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Mar 16, 2023 16:59:12 GMT
Here are the results Best River Song - 4 What's Wrong - 1 Thoughts of You - 1 Farewell My Friend - 1 End of the Show - 1 Worst End of the Show - 4 What's Wrong - 2 Friday Night - 1 Dreamer - 1 What's Wrong and End of the Show each got votes for both best and worst. This one stings. In many ways, to me anyway, "End Of The Show" epitomized Pacific Ocean Blue more than any other song. The end of a relationship, the end of a love affair, the end of a marriage, the end of the album. The end of a solo career?
I mentioned above how Pacific Ocean Blue provides so many visuals, and "End Of The Show" is near the top of the list for that, too. I can't help listening to the song and picturing Dennis standing with Karen Lamm-Wilson. Maybe they are on the beach, maybe on a mountainside, maybe on The Harmony. They are looking into each other's eyes, but they're also looking into the sky, maybe into the clouds, maybe into the stars. "Here we are, with our dreams in the sky. It's wonderful to know we're alive at the end. It's over." Dennis sings, "It's wonderful to know we're alive." This is Dennis Wilson and Karen Lamm-Wilson. Think about the way they lived. That's very heavy. Very heavy. In some ways they made it, in other ways they didn't. "Thank you very much for everything you've ever wanted. Thank you very much for everything you've ever needed. It's over..." Wow. It still gets to me.
I always thought "End Of The Show" was Dennis's "Caroline, No", and not just because it was the last song on the album complete with sound effects. It's the conflicting ending. The honesty. The resignation. The love he lost but will never forget - or get over. Yes, Brian, like Pet Sounds, there's a lot of love on Pacific Ocean Blue. And Dennis? Thank you very much for everything I ever needed with Pacific Ocean Blue. Memories ARE real.
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Post by kds on Mar 16, 2023 17:17:39 GMT
To be fair, I don't think End of the Show is necessarily a bad song. I really don't think there are any "bad" songs on POB. But, I just don't really a ton of greatness on the album either. I think it's good overall, but can be a bit of a slog to listen to in full. I think a little Dennis goes a long way.
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Emdeeh
Pacific Coast Highway
Posts: 520
Likes: 532
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Post by Emdeeh on Mar 16, 2023 19:48:10 GMT
Bambu is tougher to pick from for me. Unlike POB, which is a much stronger album, this one has more ups and downs. I might feel differently if it had been completed back in the day.
Best: A near-tie between "Under the Moonlight" and "It's Not Too Late." I'll give the nod to INTL on account of Carl's wonderful wailing on the chorus -- "No, no, no ... it won't be long."
Least: Several to choose from, but I'll go with "Constant Companion," because I really, really DO NOT like disco. YMMV.
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Post by Kapitan on Mar 16, 2023 20:01:59 GMT
Bambu is tougher to pick from for me. Unlike POB, which is a much stronger album, this one has more ups and downs. I might feel differently if it had been completed back in the day. While I definitely like this a LOT less than I do POB, it might end up easier for me because there is a more clear delineation between the (few) songs I like, and the (majority) that I don't. I do wonder, though, how it would have turned out had Dennis held it together and completed the album.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Mar 17, 2023 13:30:26 GMT
Very rarely have I been disappointed with Dennis Wilson's songs, but Bambu includes a few of them. It is a definite step down from Pacific Ocean Blue.
One of the biggest ironies with Dennis Wilson is that, despite his sometimes gregarious personality and daring lifestyle, musically, he was not really a rocker. Dennis's songwriting - both quantity and quality-wise - tends to fall more with ballads and romantic songs. He didn't write or sing many faster, rock & roll songs, actually giving some of them to others to sing. There is barely any rock & roll on Pacific Ocean Blue. Maybe Dennis's diminishing vocal abilities (due to substance abuse) dictated that somewhat, but I really believe Dennis's forte' was the ballad. Bambu, on the other hand, has its share of rockers...and I don't think they are very good. I find them plodding and not suited to Dennis's voice. The mix is muddy and the vocal performances are - taking a page from the solo Brian - too shouty. There are a few high quality ballads that would've been the highlight(s) of a released Bambu. Dennis still retained the talent for writing those. But, overall, sadly, Bambu is disappointing.
BEST SONG: "Love Remember Me" - It's become more emotional and significant since Dennis's death. It would've fit nicely on Keepin' The Summer Alive, somewhere around "Livin' With A Heartache" and "Goin' On".
WORST SONG: "Wild Situation" or "He's A Bum". Both harsh, plodding...they go nowhere. I guess I'll vote for "He's A Bum".
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Post by kds on Mar 17, 2023 13:55:40 GMT
A couple of listens to Bambu have reminded me why I hadn't listened to Disc 2 of my POB reissue since the day I bought it.
Best - School Girl - A nice little rocker.
Worst - There were a couple contenders here, but I even took Time for Bed over the disco-ish Constant Companion.
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Post by Kapitan on Mar 17, 2023 14:40:00 GMT
OK, here are my picks.
Best: Constant Companion. I don't necessarily like this song, but at least it's a song. Something happens. There is some rhythm to it, there's a melody, there's a real arrangement. I don't fall asleep during it. Yes, yes, I'm not a big fan of Dennis Wilson generally, but this album especially makes me feel I finally understand what the barbiturates of the '70s were like. It's so boring. Add terrible singing to that, and, well, it's not my favorite album... Others that are in the better category for me are Under the Moonlight, Love Surrounds Me. That's about it.
Worst: It's Not Too Late. This one requires an explanation, because it's not really the worst in some ways. After all, we've got those unfinished tracks lacking vocals, or the mess that is Wild Situation, etc. But this one has what strikes me as the worst Carl Wilson vocal ever, a chorus for which the word that comes to mind is--and I'm sorry about this--caterwauling. If Carl didn't want to release Soulful Old Man Sunshine because of one "shunshine," I can't imagine he'd have been happy about this seeing the light of day. It's just a shame. Could have been much better, though that chorus doesn't strike me as all that good regardless. But that performance. Ouch. But really I dislike almost everything other than the few named in the "best" section. This album is so overrated among Dennis fans, it's ridiculous (in my opinion, anyway...but hey, I'm the guy who champions the likes of "Feet," so feel free to reject my opinion entirely).
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Mar 17, 2023 17:48:49 GMT
OK, here are my picks. Best: Constant Companion. I don't necessarily like this song, but at least it's a song. Something happens. There is some rhythm to it, there's a melody, there's a real arrangement. I don't fall asleep during it. Yes, yes, I'm not a big fan of Dennis Wilson generally, but this album especially makes me feel I finally understand what the barbiturates of the '70s were like. It's so boring. Add terrible singing to that, and, well, it's not my favorite album... Others that are in the better category for me are Under the Moonlight, Love Surrounds Me. That's about it. Worst: It's Not Too Late. This one requires an explanation, because it's not really the worst in some ways. After all, we've got those unfinished tracks lacking vocals, or the mess that is Wild Situation, etc. But this one has what strikes me as the worst Carl Wilson vocal ever, a chorus for which the word that comes to mind is--and I'm sorry about this--caterwauling. If Carl didn't want to release Soulful Old Man Sunshine because of one "shunshine," I can't imagine he'd have been happy about this seeing the light of day. It's just a shame. Could have been much better, though that chorus doesn't strike me as all that good regardless. But that performance. Ouch. But really I dislike almost everything other than the few named in the "best" section. This album is so overrated among Dennis fans, it's ridiculous (in my opinion, anyway...but hey, I'm the guy who champions the likes of "Feet," so feel free to reject my opinion entirely).We finally arrived at a mutual meeting place re Dennis Wilson's music.
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Post by Kapitan on Mar 17, 2023 17:58:15 GMT
That you should ignore my opinion?
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