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Post by Kapitan on Mar 20, 2023 20:08:37 GMT
Hmm...bad lyrics? I like the lyrics on all of the songs here. Slick, hook-filled album? To me, it sounds like a stripped-down affair. We will just have to disagree on those lyrics. I think they're largely atrocious. And the slickness. I don't see what being stripped down has to do with being slick or not. Something can be simple/stripped-down in terms of arrangements, but still slick. And this is very much of that era, very slick/polished. It's the sounds involved I'm talking about, the sound of the drums, the sound of the guitars, etc., the mixes.
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Post by jk on Mar 20, 2023 20:16:55 GMT
Most memorable: "What You Gonna Do About Me".
Least memorable: "Seems So Long Ago". That sax!
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Post by kds on Mar 20, 2023 20:23:29 GMT
Hmm...bad lyrics? I like the lyrics on all of the songs here. Slick, hook-filled album? To me, it sounds like a stripped-down affair. I think Carl wanted to do something simpler, more basic than what the Beach Boys typically did. It's not a hard rocking affair, though, except maybe in comparison to what the group had been doing in recent years (LA, KTSA). Best - I suspect it's gonna be unanimous for Heaven. If the Beach Boys had recorded it, it would be a song everybody knows. It's just a beautiful song and Carl of course sings it beautifully. But I had Hold Me on in the car the other day, and it's a killer recording. Simple song, but it's got a great groove to it. This is the one song on the album that I think sounds best on the album compared to the live versions, where I think they tried to rock it just a bit too hard. It's not that kind of song - it's a midtempo groove, more r & b than r & r. Bright Lights continues on in a similar groove. Worst - Hurry Love is a pretty ballad, but IMO it goes on a bit too long. I'm not hearing a stripped down album on CW. I think the production is pretty much in line with what The Beach Boys were doing in the late 70s and KTSA.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Mar 20, 2023 22:31:17 GMT
Carl was a great guy and a great artist, but, I'm sorry, Carl Wilson is boring. And, it's hard to believe something so boring could come out of a Beach Boy. Those guys sooooooo needed a confidante, a manager, a knowledgeable advisor - anybody! - to say, hey, this is or isn't good. To me, there's only one good song on the album and it's a great one - "Heaven", which gets my vote for BEST SONG.
The rest of the songs are forgettable and are lumped into a group of songs I never listen to. My vote for WORST SONG goes to "The Grammy". Of all things to take a shot at and waste a song singing about. The Grammys? Who cares. Was Carl trying to be a rebel or a protester, and was he trying to seek attention for his album. If he was it didn't work.
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Post by lonelysummer on Mar 21, 2023 3:26:20 GMT
Hmm...bad lyrics? I like the lyrics on all of the songs here. Slick, hook-filled album? To me, it sounds like a stripped-down affair. We will just have to disagree on those lyrics. I think they're largely atrocious. And the slickness. I don't see what being stripped down has to do with being slick or not. Something can be simple/stripped-down in terms of arrangements, but still slick. And this is very much of that era, very slick/polished. It's the sounds involved I'm talking about, the sound of the drums, the sound of the guitars, etc., the mixes. It's not a garage band sound; everything is recorded professionally. I think it's a great sound. Those drums really kick!
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Post by lonelysummer on Mar 21, 2023 3:28:15 GMT
Most memorable: "What You Gonna Do About Me". Least memorable: "Seems So Long Ago". That sax! WYGDAM would have been my #2 choice. Even better when Carl and his band performed it live. Okay, what is it about sax that so many BB fans hate? Sax was a cornerstone instrument in early rock and roll - Fats Domino, Little Richard, Bill Haley, countless others.
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Post by Kapitan on Mar 21, 2023 10:59:57 GMT
We will just have to disagree on those lyrics. I think they're largely atrocious. And the slickness. I don't see what being stripped down has to do with being slick or not. Something can be simple/stripped-down in terms of arrangements, but still slick. And this is very much of that era, very slick/polished. It's the sounds involved I'm talking about, the sound of the drums, the sound of the guitars, etc., the mixes. It's not a garage band sound; everything is recorded professionally. I think it's a great sound. Those drums really kick! The distance between us grows with each post. I hate how it sounds. It's weak and immasculated.
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Post by B.E. on Mar 21, 2023 13:35:14 GMT
Most memorable: "What You Gonna Do About Me". Least memorable: "Seems So Long Ago". That sax! Okay, what is it about sax that so many BB fans hate? Sax was a cornerstone instrument in early rock and roll - Fats Domino, Little Richard, Bill Haley, countless others. How it’s used makes all the difference. There are worlds between how it was used in early rock and roll, how Brian used it, and how it came to be used in the late 70s and 80s. (Correct me if I’m wrong, though, as I’m no expert.) And you specifically question why BBs fans criticize that style of sax, but I can’t think of any such examples during their most popular extended period among fans, ‘62-73. So, why would you think BBs fans would dig it?
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Post by Kapitan on Mar 21, 2023 14:00:56 GMT
Okay, what is it about sax that so many BB fans hate? Sax was a cornerstone instrument in early rock and roll - Fats Domino, Little Richard, Bill Haley, countless others. How it’s used makes all the difference. There are worlds between how it was used in early rock and roll, how Brian used it, and how it came to be used in the late 70s and 80s. (Correct me if I’m wrong, though, as I’m no expert.) And you specifically question why BBs fans criticize that style of sax, but I can’t think of any such examples during their most popular extended period among fans, ‘62-73. So, why would you think BBs fans would dig it? You're not wrong. In the early years, saxes were often almost more like rhythm section instruments, either in small groups playing the chords, or playing the riff. If they solo'd, it was usually a pretty brief, basic blues solo. I think many, many rock fans of my generation associated sax in pop music with the kind of yacht rock, pop rock sax parts, longer, jazz-influenced solos...usually atop beds of twinkling electric pianos or keyboards, vaguely Latin aux percussion, a lot of major 7ths and add9 chords, and to be crass, not much balls. That's the kind of presentation here. It doesnt actually bother me: Joel Peskin (who played for Frank Zappa, Dennis Wilson, and the Beach Boys in the '70s) did fine for the style. Not my favorite style, but fine. But that it is an entirely different thing than early rock and roll is true. Plus, what was present in early rock and roll is irrelevant to what people "should" like or not. Hell, complex vocal harmonies were not present in early rock and roll: should we dislike the Beach Boys? EDIT: it's also worth noting that the hipsters of the generation after me really embraced a lot of those soft-rock sounds again; the generation that rediscovered and worshipped Phil Collins after mine hated him like the devil himself. It's all just a matter of trends and tastes, and not very important.
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Post by lonelysummer on Mar 21, 2023 18:58:45 GMT
I knew discussion of this album would get heated. Ever since I first went online in 1997, I've read comments from fans ripping both of Carl's solo albums. It suprised me, as I recalled both albums getting generally positive reviews when released (there's always exceptions, of course). I've always loved these albums, and nothing has changed my mind.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Mar 21, 2023 19:32:33 GMT
I knew discussion of this album would get heated. Ever since I first went online in 1997, I've read comments from fans ripping both of Carl's solo albums. It suprised me, as I recalled both albums getting generally positive reviews when released (there's always exceptions, of course). I've always loved these albums, and nothing has changed my mind. By the time Carl's two solo albums were recorded/released, my days of reading various rock & roll publications had mostly come to an end. And, of course, these were pre-internet days. So, I don't remember reading ANY reviews of the albums. I wouldn't be surprised if magazines like People or Us Weekly included a sentence or two (mostly positive fluff, certainly not critical), but I'd be curious what the specific music magazines printed, if anything. Even though "Heaven" from Carl Wilson and "What You Do To Me" from Youngblood got some TV exposure, didn't the albums disappear without a whimper? And I like Youngblood a lot BTW...
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Post by Kapitan on Mar 21, 2023 19:39:39 GMT
I knew discussion of this album would get heated. Ever since I first went online in 1997, I've read comments from fans ripping both of Carl's solo albums. It suprised me, as I recalled both albums getting generally positive reviews when released (there's always exceptions, of course). I've always loved these albums, and nothing has changed my mind. I wouldn't call it "heated" at all! I don't think most of us care enough about them to get heated about them. There are just different opinions about them, just as is the case with Smiley Smile, Love You, BB85, BWPS, and many, many other albums!
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Post by jk on Mar 21, 2023 20:29:21 GMT
Most memorable: "What You Gonna Do About Me". Least memorable: "Seems So Long Ago". That sax! WYGDAM would have been my #2 choice. Even better when Carl and his band performed it live. Okay, what is it about sax that so many BB fans hate? Sax was a cornerstone instrument in early rock and roll - Fats Domino, Little Richard, Bill Haley, countless others. I'm sure they don't hate "sax", LS. It's just that I can't warm to the way it's used in "SSLA". The sax solo in "Kokomo", on the other hand, fits the song perfectly! Brian, of course, made magnificent use of the sax family in his '60s productions. As for classic rock-and-roll sax, I love it! Indeed, my favourite instrumental of the early 1960s is Duane Eddy's "Peter Gunn" with Steve Douglas blasting up a storm...
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Post by lonelysummer on Mar 22, 2023 4:25:43 GMT
Someone had to ask, so here ya go.
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Post by lonelysummer on Mar 22, 2023 4:28:41 GMT
i have more for Youngblood, but trying to stay on topic, lol. Attachments:
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