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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Apr 8, 2020 13:36:54 GMT
Sheriff, I agree with your point that the album feels a little long with 16 songs on the deluxe edition. However, I also feel that the three extra songs (which are for some reason inserted right into the middle of the album) are better than several of the songs that made the final cut of the proper album. For me, the easiest cuts would be Runaway Dancer, Guess You Had to Be There, and The Last Song. I actually liked The Last Song when the album was first released. However, when I hear it now, it just sounds like a forced attempt at another Southern California or Summer's Gone. I even like the Peter Hollins track over these. Speaking of guests, how in the world was Saturday Night not released as a single? Nate Ruess's voice graced several big hits from 2012-2014 with his band fun and even a collaboration with Pink. Yet, Nate's song, which is IMO easily the best to feature a non Beach Boy, is buried on the tail end of the album. Runaway Dancer, I agree, ought to go. But I'd keep the other two you omit. If I were cutting two more, they would probably be Somewhere Quiet (just ... why?) and Hollens.
Saturday Night is nothing if not a single.
kds, I see your point that the extra songs on the Deluxe Version are pretty good and it's difficult to exclude/cut them. Like I said above, I rarely if ever advocate cutting songs, but 51:03 is a lot of music for a single sitting, unless you view the No Pressure Deluxe Version as a double album (the vinyl version is 2 lps BTW). I'll admit that I'm stuck on this one. I hate to lose any of these songs. I think we can agree that "Runaway Dancer" would be the first to go, and if push came to shove, I'd probably go with The Kapitan and delete "Our Special Love" (but Brian's vocals are so great on it) because the song is a little weak(er). So, if you cut "Runaway Dancer" and "Our Special Love", you make room for two of the Deluxe Edition tracks.
I think you have to keep "The Last Song". It's too important a song to delete. It's an opus and it is the best album closer. While I think Joe Thomas had a lot to do with the production, it does sound like the song might be important to Brian, especially the lyrics.
I realize that there was no way ""Guess You had To Be There" was going to be cut, but, honestly, the song leaves me cold, too; it's a little repetitive. Kacey Musgraves is very popular in country music, and she does have a nice voice, but the combination of her and Brian just doesn't seem to work for me.
I'm going to work on a 13 track No Pier Pressure My Edition.
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Post by kds on Apr 8, 2020 13:47:11 GMT
I really don't even think that 51:03 is too long of a run time for an album. I just think that on 16 songs there are too many voices, too many different styles, a little much. I posted it earlier in this thread, but here's my ideal NPP
My ideal NPP would probably be:
This Beautiful Day Whatever Happened Half Moon Bay The Right Time Don't Worry I'm Feeling Sad Run James Run Tell Me Why One Kind of Love Saturday Night Sail Away
Bonus Tracks:
On the Island Our Special Love Guess You Had to Be There Somewhere Quiet The Last Song ........ Runaway Dancer (I guess)
It's 11 songs (I even included Run James Run). Other than Nate Ruess, there are no non BBs, that's the one song featuring a guest vocal that's just too good to cut (although I'm really liking On the Island lately).
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Apr 8, 2020 14:24:48 GMT
Here's a tracklist I came up with. It's a more streamlined version, but it still retains a couple of the guest artists. 13 songs at 39:57
Brian Wilson - No Pier Pressure
Side 1 1. The Right Time 2. Saturday Night 3. Somewhere Quiet 4. Sail Away 5. Half Moon Bay 6. One Kind Of Love
Side 2 1. On The Island 2. This Beautiful Day 3. Don't Worry 4. Whatever Happened 5. I'm Feeling Sad 6. Tell Me Why 7. The Last Song
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Post by kds on Apr 8, 2020 14:46:32 GMT
Here's a tracklist I came up with. It's a more streamlined version, but it still retains a couple of the guest artists. 13 songs at 39:57
Brian Wilson - No Pier Pressure
Side 1 1. The Right Time 2. Saturday Night 3. Somewhere Quiet 4. Sail Away 5. Half Moon Bay 6. One Kind Of Love
Side 2 1. On The Island 2. This Beautiful Day 3. Don't Worry 4. Whatever Happened 5. I'm Feeling Sad 6. Tell Me Why 7. The Last Song
That's a pretty good selection.
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Post by Kapitan on Apr 8, 2020 14:54:43 GMT
I'll take up that challenge and put an alternate version together, too. If only there were 11 more "Runaway Dancers" to flesh it out...
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Post by B.E. on Apr 8, 2020 16:32:37 GMT
Personally, I'm glad to have the Target Deluxe edition. There's not a song I'd rather not have (particularly among the deluxe/bonus tracks). If I were to give NPP a trim, then I'd cut "Half Moon Bay", "Our Special Love", and "Runaway Dancer". Obviously, "In The Back Of My Mind" and "Love and Mercy" aren't part of either the standard or deluxe versions of the album. I consider the former a gift and the latter, roughly, 100x better than the IJWMFTT version and a worthy companion of the original.
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Post by kds on Apr 8, 2020 16:50:29 GMT
Personally, I'm glad to have the Target Deluxe edition. There's not a song I'd rather not have (particularly among the deluxe/bonus tracks). If I were to give NPP a trim, then I'd cut "Half Moon Bay", "Our Special Love", and "Runaway Dancer". Obviously, "In The Back Of My Mind" and "Love and Mercy" aren't part of either the standard or deluxe versions of the album. I consider the former a gift and the latter, roughly, 100x better than the IJWMFTT version and a worthy companion of the original. I also have the Target version, for which I think I spent an additional $3 on the release date for two tracks I never listen to. I would equate the ITBOMM demo with a gift also, one of those gifts I used to get from my aunt at Christmas that I would either just stash away somewhere or try to take back for a credit. Nice version of L&M though. I wish they'd have also included Brian's cover of Paul McCartney's Wanderlust that was done around that time.
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Post by Kapitan on Apr 8, 2020 16:56:29 GMT
OK, here's my NPP, though I'm not thrilled with it, by any means. Personally if I were the label and this were handed to me, I'd give it the Sunflower treatment and ask for some improvements. As much as I don't like "Runaway Dancer" and to a lesser extent the Hollens song, they were relatively uptempo for an album that sorely could use that. There is just too much slow-mid tempo going on, not quite ballads but not quite rockers, just pleasant enough songs that are too samey.
How's that for an endorsement? Sure to sell a million copies.
1. This Beautiful Day 2. Saturday Night 3. Guess You Had to Be There 4. Tell Me Why 5. On the Island 6. Whatever Happened
7. Half Moon Bay
8. Run James Run 9. Sail Away 10. The Right Time 11. Don't Worry 12. One Kind of Love 13. The Last Song
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Post by B.E. on Apr 8, 2020 17:00:08 GMT
I also have the Target version … I wish they'd have also included Brian's cover of Paul McCartney's Wanderlust that was done around that time. I'm not sure that would have been an option. The tribute album had just been released.
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Post by kds on Apr 8, 2020 18:00:34 GMT
I also have the Target version … I wish they'd have also included Brian's cover of Paul McCartney's Wanderlust that was done around that time. I'm not sure that would have been an option. The tribute album had just been released. I couldn't recall when The Art of Paul was released, but you're right, it would've likely been pretty frowned upon to include a track from a recently released tribute album on a deluxe BW album.
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Post by kds on Apr 8, 2020 18:02:52 GMT
OK, here's my NPP, though I'm not thrilled with it, by any means. Personally if I were the label and this were handed to me, I'd give it the Sunflower treatment and ask for some improvements. As much as I don't like "Runaway Dancer" and to a lesser extent the Hollens song, they were relatively uptempo for an album that sorely could use that. There is just too much slow-mid tempo going on, not quite ballads but not quite rockers, just pleasant enough songs that are too samey.
How's that for an endorsement? Sure to sell a million copies.
1. This Beautiful Day 2. Saturday Night 3. Guess You Had to Be There 4. Tell Me Why 5. On the Island 6. Whatever Happened
7. Half Moon Bay
8. Run James Run 9. Sail Away 10. The Right Time 11. Don't Worry 12. One Kind of Love 13. The Last Song
Despite my dislike for GYHTBT, this is a pretty good album. I like the idea of putting Saturday Night on the front end.
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Post by Kapitan on Apr 8, 2020 18:07:21 GMT
For me, an uptempo single generally works well second song first side, or first or second song second side. I don't know why, it just does! (I debated having Sail Away there, and Saturday Night kick off Side Two, as well.)
And GYHTBT turned out more important than I'd care for it to be on its own merit, just based on the lack of uptempo songs or songs with a solid beat, as mentioned before.
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Post by kds on Apr 8, 2020 19:09:00 GMT
For me, an uptempo single generally works well second song first side, or first or second song second side. I don't know why, it just does! (I debated having Sail Away there, and Saturday Night kick off Side Two, as well.)
And GYHTBT turned out more important than I'd care for it to be on its own merit, just based on the lack of uptempo songs or songs with a solid beat, as mentioned before.
That makes sense. One thing I don't think has come up yet, we're now over five years removed from NPP, and there doesn't seem to be a follow up coming anytime soon (even before COVID-19 shut the industry down). So, it could go down as the final album released by Brian Wilson. Overall, I'd say it wouldn't be a bad way to call it a studio career. Although, truth be told, I'd love nothing more than for his studio career to come full circle with another Beach Boys album on par with TWGMTR.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Apr 8, 2020 19:16:02 GMT
For me, an uptempo single generally works well second song first side, or first or second song second side. I don't know why, it just does! (I debated having Sail Away there, and Saturday Night kick off Side Two, as well.)
And GYHTBT turned out more important than I'd care for it to be on its own merit, just based on the lack of uptempo songs or songs with a solid beat, as mentioned before.
That makes sense. One thing I don't think has come up yet, we're now over five years removed from NPP, and there doesn't seem to be a follow up coming anytime soon (even before COVID-19 shut the industry down). So, it could go down as the final album released by Brian Wilson. Overall, I'd say it wouldn't be a bad way to call it a studio career. Although, truth be told, I'd love nothing more than for his studio career to come full circle with another Beach Boys album on par with TWGMTR. Speaking of COVID-19 and its effect on the industry, I know it sounds strange how COVID-19 could possibly be a positive, but countless musicians/songwriters - like Brian Wilson - could hunker down in a/their studio and do some serious writing and recording. I mean, they literally have nothing else to do musically, they have all the time in the world, and what better way to direct their energies.
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Post by Kapitan on Apr 8, 2020 19:17:08 GMT
I've thought a lot about that: was this the end of Brian Wilson's studio career? Maybe it warrants its own thread, I don't know. But it's kind of ironic that someone known for his studio brilliance and an aversion to live performance seems to be going out with half a decade (and counting) of touring with no new studio product.
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