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Post by Kapitan on Jun 26, 2023 21:03:13 GMT
"Friends" would have been among my next few songs, for sure. But it doesn't crack my Top 10 of this batch. Wild Honey has long been an album I think of as having "Darlin" and not a lot else, but then every time I'd listen I'd be reminded how many other cool songs there are. I could've had one or two more from that one easily. I ended up with one more from Friends than Wild Honey, but it could have gone the other way.
Poor little Smiley Smile got very little love from me. But when you remove the two hands-down best songs from consideration, that's going to have an effect! What's more, some of those other songs are ones I love ... but in different versions. ("Wind Chimes" and "Wonderful," to be specific.) I did almost vote in "Vegetables," though.
This is another of those batches where I've got a solid 15 songs in my Top 10.
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Post by B.E. on Jun 26, 2023 22:54:50 GMT
Yeah, I also find it surprising that "Friends" only has 2 votes so far, as does "Busy Doin' Nothin'", yet "With Me Tonight" has 6! To be clear, I'm guilty on all fronts, so I understand how that could be, it's just that I expected to be in the minority not the majority! "With Me Tonight" was a big Smily Smile favorite for me from first listen, but there's really not much to it. There's a heck of a lot more going on with both "Friends" and "Busy Doin' Nothin'". And, of course, "Friends" was a single, and the title track, so it's a bit more popular. I seriously considered dropping "With Me Tonight" from my top 10, but I guess it's still hanging on. But I'm not as (super) high on it as I used to be.
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Post by Kapitan on Jun 26, 2023 23:21:11 GMT
There's a heck of a lot more going on with both "Friends" and "Busy Doin' Nothin'" [then with "With Me Tonight"](I modified the quote with the bolded for clarity on the reference.) The thing is, "With Me Tonight" is absolutely gorgeous. Beautifully sung and, simple as it is, just wonderful. That's no offense to those other to you mentioned. Just apples and oranges. (For the record, I voted for two of the three, but not "Friends.")
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Post by kds on Jun 27, 2023 12:14:37 GMT
"Friends" would have been among my next few songs, for sure. But it doesn't crack my Top 10 of this batch. Wild Honey has long been an album I think of as having "Darlin" and not a lot else, but then every time I'd listen I'd be reminded how many other cool songs there are. I could've had one or two more from that one easily. I ended up with one more from Friends than Wild Honey, but it could have gone the other way. Poor little Smiley Smile got very little love from me. But when you remove the two hands-down best songs from consideration, that's going to have an effect! What's more, some of those other songs are ones I love ... but in different versions. ("Wind Chimes" and "Wonderful," to be specific.) I did almost vote in "Vegetables," though. This is another of those batches where I've got a solid 15 songs in my Top 10. I'm like this with both Wild Honey and Friends. I've said before that The Beach Boys released several "whole > sum of their parts" albums during this late 60s / early 70s era, and these are two of them. I really enjoy both albums front to back, but when picking a Top 10, once I got past Darlin', Friends, Little Bird, and Let the Wind Blow, it became a little more challenging.
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Barco
Denny's Drums
Posts: 41
Likes: 72
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Post by Barco on Jun 27, 2023 20:12:15 GMT
My top 10 represents well my thoughts on this three album streak. Smiley Smile is my favorite of the bunch, I think Wild Honey is very good and Friends is nice/OK. At the current moment, however, the lyrical content of the last two don't really move me as they once did and I definitely can see this on my ten picks. So, as always, this list just represents how I'm feeling today
In order of appearance because I couldn't rank them:
Vegetables Little Pad - Honestly thought this song would get more votes. Beautiful With Me Tonight Wind Chimes - I actually like this version a whole lot more than the complete Smile one. Whistle In Wild Honey Country Air Darlin' I'd Love Just Once To See You Wake The World
There are some I left out but that could have made it like Fall Breaks and Back To Winter, Aren't You Glad, I Was Made To Love Her, Let The Wind Blow, Busy Doin' Nothin'... maybe Meant For You and Friends as well.
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Post by jk on Jun 27, 2023 21:02:52 GMT
Wonderful to see "Wake The World" getting so much love.
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Post by B.E. on Jun 28, 2023 0:14:56 GMT
Little Pad - Honestly thought this song would get more votes. Beautiful It's always been a 10 to me. Wind Chimes - I actually like this version a whole lot more than the complete Smile one. Agreed!
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Post by B.E. on Jul 2, 2023 13:11:12 GMT
Thanks for participating. 10 voters cast 100 votes.
Top 10 Songs of 1967-1968
Darlin' (9 votes) Wake the World (9 votes) Aren't You Glad (8 votes) Let the Wind Blow (8 votes) Country Air (7 votes) With Me Tonight (6 votes) Wild Honey (5 votes) Here Comes the Night (5 votes) I Was Made to Love Her (4 votes) I'd Love Just Once To See You (4 votes) Little Bird (4 votes)
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Emdeeh
Pacific Coast Highway
Posts: 520
Likes: 532
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Post by Emdeeh on Jul 2, 2023 14:46:11 GMT
It's a testament to how great the music of this era is when "Wonderful" gets no votes.
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Post by Kapitan on Jul 2, 2023 15:15:36 GMT
It's a testament to how great the music of this era is when "Wonderful" gets no votes. For me that's entirely due to the version in question. Personally I've never really loved the Smiley Smile version, even though I think the song itself is brilliant. Amazing chord progression, amazing melody. But it's the Smile version(s) all the way for me. The version here was exciting when it was the only one I knew, but always more flawed.
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Post by lonelysummer on Jul 3, 2023 4:46:00 GMT
Thanks for participating. 10 voters cast 100 votes. Top 10 Songs of 1967-1968Darlin' (9 votes) Wake the World (9 votes) Aren't You Glad (8 votes) Let the Wind Blow (8 votes) Country Air (7 votes) With Me Tonight (6 votes) Wild Honey (5 votes) Here Comes the Night (5 votes) I Was Made to Love Her (4 votes) I'd Love Just Once To See You (4 votes) Little Bird (4 votes) I didn't vote for it, but I'd Love Just Once to See You is a magical little tune. Little Bird is also a nice little tune I didn't vote for. I think 1967-68 ranks right alongside 1964 in terms of quality.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jul 3, 2023 11:22:00 GMT
Thanks for participating. 10 voters cast 100 votes. Top 10 Songs of 1967-1968Darlin' (9 votes) Wake the World (9 votes) Aren't You Glad (8 votes) Let the Wind Blow (8 votes) Country Air (7 votes) With Me Tonight (6 votes) Wild Honey (5 votes) Here Comes the Night (5 votes) I Was Made to Love Her (4 votes) I'd Love Just Once To See You (4 votes) Little Bird (4 votes) I think 1967-68 ranks right alongside 1964 in terms of quality. I have mixed feelings about that, but I'm coming from a diehard's point of view, as are you. And then there is the history.
During this period (1967-68), Brian was true to his muse. He was still very creative and writing/producing music that HE WANTED TO. I'm still not exactly sure how the band felt about it, but I do know how the fans felt about it, and to a lesser extent, the record company. In the end, everybody followed Brian Wilson...right off a cliff.
The Beach Boys' days of having big hit albums (Top Ten) came to an end. "Darlin'" did a lot for Wild Honey's success, and that's the way it should work, but I wonder how much Wild Honey hurt the subsequent album, Friends. The Beach Boys' run of hit singles (Top Ten) came to a screeching halt. Some people view "Darlin'" (peaked at #19) and "Wild Honey" (peaked at #31) as successful singles, but just a year or two previously they would've been considered disappointments. Also, it has been documented how the band's live audience decreased and how they played to dwindling crowds. In the end, while there were several reasons (I'm not ignoring this), the Beach Boys were dropped by their record company and faced bankruptcy. Yes, the 1967-68 music was different, it was good, it was creative, it was still "Brian", but it was probably more significant for what it wasn't. It wasn't the type of music that many people wanted, not at that specific, particular time in music history. If the 1967-68 music was as good quality-wise as the 1964 music, would any of the above happened?
The years have been kind to the 1967-68 music - BUT JUST THE MUSIC. It HAS become more praised and more accepted. Mostly by Beach Boys' fans. Mostly by diehards. But, still, the effects? The history? Did the band ever really recover...in many ways? Did Brian Wilson ever really recover...in many ways? With Brian it is more complicated, I realize that. The Beach Boys' days as "the best" or "the most popular" were over. Because of Endless Summer there would be the fluke hit album ( 15 Big Ones) and the massive crowds (which they slowly but surely lost). There would be the fluke hit record ("Kokomo") but mostly disappointments. Hey, it is what it is. The music of 1967-68 is what Brian came up with. That's what he wanted. That's what we got. I'm sure Brian - and many fans - wouldn't want it any other way. I guess.
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Post by kds on Jul 3, 2023 12:49:24 GMT
As much as I enjoy some of the songs from that 1967-68 period, I really don't think the best material from that period can compete with the best from 1964.
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Post by Kapitan on Jul 3, 2023 12:55:09 GMT
As much as I enjoy some of the songs from that 1967-68 period, I really don't think the best material from that period can compete with the best from 1964. Other than some of what is omitted from this list-- Smile--I agree. There are some really cool songs, some personal favorite songs, from these two years. But if I step back and am honest with myself, they don't compete with the best of '64 (or '65, or '66).
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Post by kds on Jul 3, 2023 12:57:42 GMT
As much as I enjoy some of the songs from that 1967-68 period, I really don't think the best material from that period can compete with the best from 1964. Other than some of what is omitted from this list-- Smile--I agree. There are some really cool songs, some personal favorite songs, from these two years. But if I step back and am honest with myself, they don't compete with the best of '64 (or '65, or '66). Yeah, to me, as much as I like some of the material from 67-73, the 1963-66 era is their peak IMHO.
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