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Post by kds on Jan 10, 2023 14:46:44 GMT
That was a fun one to see. (Minor quibble/correction: I don't think those two were involved in any 50th events, but they performed that at the No Pier Pressure Vegas show that happened prior to the release of the album.) I thought Nate Ruess did a great job on No Pier Pressure, as well as on those songs he did live that show. Nate was easily my favorite non-BB guest on NPP. I did find it mildly disappointing that Hold On Dear Brother didn't survive to make it into the NPP Tour sets. Seems a shame for the band to learn the song for a one time performance.
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Post by Kapitan on Jan 10, 2023 14:55:28 GMT
That was a fun one to see. (Minor quibble/correction: I don't think those two were involved in any 50th events, but they performed that at the No Pier Pressure Vegas show that happened prior to the release of the album.) I thought Nate Ruess did a great job on No Pier Pressure, as well as on those songs he did live that show. Nate was easily my favorite non-BB guest on NPP. I did find it mildly disappointing that Hold On Dear Brother didn't survive to make it into the NPP Tour sets. Seems a shame for the band to learn the song for a one time performance. Yet it would have been a long-shot. Not written by Brian, not a hit. Probably not even a cult classic among big fans, really. And while Brian's band was beginning to have others sing a few songs--Darian with "Darlin" and Matt with "Don't Worry Baby" in particular, as well as Al and Blondie doing their tunes--obviously this is one that somebody else would have had to do. Probably Darian or Blondie. That said, it would have been cool to hear more.
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Post by kds on Jan 10, 2023 15:48:37 GMT
Nate was easily my favorite non-BB guest on NPP. I did find it mildly disappointing that Hold On Dear Brother didn't survive to make it into the NPP Tour sets. Seems a shame for the band to learn the song for a one time performance. Yet it would have been a long-shot. Not written by Brian, not a hit. Probably not even a cult classic among big fans, really. And while Brian's band was beginning to have others sing a few songs--Darian with "Darlin" and Matt with "Don't Worry Baby" in particular, as well as Al and Blondie doing their tunes--obviously this is one that somebody else would have had to do. Probably Darian or Blondie. That said, it would have been cool to hear more. I'd think they'd have had Blondie sing it, but he was already obligated to do Wild Honey, Sail Away, and Sail On Sailor on the NPP Tour. And, three songs seems to be the hard limit for Blondie (I still wonder if there's something contractual about that). Of course, they could have also included it any time in last several years. I'd have swapped out Wild Honey for it personally. Seeing Blondie do Wild Honey live was great at first. But, by the fifth time, I feel like it wore a little thin.
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Post by Kapitan on Jan 10, 2023 15:54:34 GMT
While I don't think they probably really considering it--admittedly pure speculation on my part--I also wonder whether Blondie just didn't really want to sing it because it's so challenging. I think he's still got those notes, but that song requires you to really sustain them and repeat them. They could have changed keys, or refigured it to sing different notes within the same key. But it wouldn't have the same effect without that soaring lead.
(Also, it occurs to me how stupid it was for me to say the singer would have probably been Darian or Blondie ... when it was a Blondie-sung song. I don't know how that escaped me at first.)
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Post by kds on Jan 10, 2023 18:09:30 GMT
While I don't think they probably really considering it--admittedly pure speculation on my part--I also wonder whether Blondie just didn't really want to sing it because it's so challenging. I think he's still got those notes, but that song requires you to really sustain them and repeat them. They could have changed keys, or refigured it to sing different notes within the same key. But it wouldn't have the same effect without that soaring lead. (Also, it occurs to me how stupid it was for me to say the singer would have probably been Darian or Blondie ... when it was a Blondie-sung song. I don't know how that escaped me at first.) That didn't stop Blondie from murdering O Holy Night on the Christmas Tour in 2018. Although, I wonder how much say Ricky, or maybe even Ruess, had in selecting Hold On Dear Brother. With them both our of the equation for tour setlists, then it might not have ever been considered.
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Post by Kapitan on Jan 10, 2023 18:11:47 GMT
I could have a LOT of choices for this topic, and I might sprinkle them in throughout the days ahead. My first choice is "Mona."
The first time I'd ever heard of the album Love You was the first time I saw the documentary Endless Harmony, I'm guessing around 2000. I can see and hear it as clearly now as ever, Brian circa '98 recounting "I'll produce an album if you want me to," the snippet of "The Night Was So Young" playing. What was this!? Another Brian-centric Beach Boys album from so late in their career? I had no idea.
But I wasn't totally sure what to make of the album itself. I loved it, but in a way I don't relate to as much now. I loved the weirdness. I was still enamored with the trope of tortured genius, of insane artist. So I liked "Solar System," I liked "Johnny Carson." I liked weird Brian, crazy Brian. So a song like "Mona," maybe the most traditional song on the album, did very little for me.
Through the years, though, I hear the unabashed joy in that song. Sure, it's only four chords repeated in an endless loop. Sure, the song lacks any of the heavenly (and complex) harmonies the group is known for. And sure, the lyrics are very Brian. But as time goes on, I love it almost for all the reasons I used to ignore it. It strikes me now as Brian finding joy in exactly the kind of simple pop music we know he obviously loved, and playing around with the newer technology of the day to bring it to life in a new context, a synth-Spector barrage of individually simple interlocking parts. Dennis gives his all, doing a convincing rendition of left-field lyrics that must have struck him as dopey.
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Post by kds on Jan 10, 2023 18:31:17 GMT
Mona is one of the few Love You tracks I've always liked. So, it always struck me as a bit odd that the track is usually rated pretty lowly, even among fans who love Love You.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jan 10, 2023 18:40:41 GMT
Thank you, Kapitan, for that explanation on your appreciation of "Mona". I know you have singled out that song over the years. I understand your reasons, and I share them. I like every (in some cases parts of every) song on The Beach Boys Love You including "Mona", but I must confess that "Mona" does not get to me like most of the other songs on that album.
I also think I'm going to sprinkle my songs throughout. Like the album portion we previously did, I don't have a lot of examples that immediately come to mind. Again, it's more of a gradual process over years and decades.
"Amusement Parks U.S.A." - I think because there are so many all-timers and powerhouses on Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!), "Amusement Parks U.S.A." takes an unjustifiable (is that a word?) back seat. And, it didn't hit me until I digested some of those more well-known and loved songs. But "Amusement Parks U.S.A." rocks! I've said it before and I'll say it again - it might be the most intense 2 minutes in Brian Wilson's music career - and, you can barely hear an electric guitar. Obviously the "Palisades Park"-influenced organ is in the forefront and drives the song, and drive it it does. There's not a lot of audible drums, just a rather simple beat, but it works. There's some sound effects, some goofy talking. I just love the vocals, both Mike's lead and the backgrounds. Brian is wild! He sounds like he's having a blast, a wild ride. The song is short, intense from beginning to end, it makes me feel like I'm taking a car ride and on the rolliecoaster. Let's take your car and mess around at the park all day, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da...
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Post by Kapitan on Jan 10, 2023 19:49:06 GMT
Thank you, Kapitan, for that explanation on your appreciation of "Mona". I know you have singled out that song over the years. I understand your reasons, and I share them. I like every (in some cases parts of every) song on The Beach Boys Love You including "Mona", but I must confess that "Mona" does not get to me like most of the other songs on that album. I could have been more brief and just said I came to appreciate it more because it's FUN! It rocks (in an older sense).
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Post by B.E. on Jan 11, 2023 0:09:40 GMT
First, I think I'll repost my examples from page 1 of this thread: As far as songs go, here are a few that I always liked but my appreciation for has only grown (and far beyond that of the fan consensus): - Your Summer Dream - Pom Pom Play Girl - Custom Machine - Here Comes The Night ( WH version) - All I Want To Do
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jan 11, 2023 12:37:23 GMT
Nothing earth-shattering with this one...
I've never been a fan of the Blondie/Ricky/Flame songs, and while I really like Blondie and Ricky's playing, I wish the group would've stuck to songs by the core/original members on Carl & The Passions and Holland. There is one song, however, that has grown on me over the years and that's "Here She Comes". I think it's a flat-out good song. The intro is different for a Beach Boys' song, the interplay of the instruments is perfect for the sound they were going for, I love the harmonies (both where they're placed and the performance), and even the lyrics are cool. Like "Sail On, Sailor", I would've preferred a Carl Wilson vocal over Blondie, but that's a BW-written song. With "Here She Comes", since it's a Ricky/Blondie-written song, I'm more apt to accept Ricky's vocal. It is Ricky isn't it?
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Post by Kapitan on Jan 11, 2023 12:59:45 GMT
With "Here She Comes", since it's a Ricky/Blondie-written song, I'm more apt to accept Ricky's vocal. It is Ricky isn't it? I think it's Blondie. But I wouldn't bet my life on that. My next tune is "Angel Come Home." I think I mentioned LA as a grower overall when we were discussing albums, and that goes for this song in particular. My reasoning starts with the same I used on that previous, album-centric post: the sort of then-contemporary soft rock style just did nothing for me, but while I can't say it's a style I gravitate toward in general, I do appreciate and enjoy how they worked within it here. Second, the verse melody, simple and diatonic as it is, is sneakily effective. The whole vibe to it is a slinky, sexy thing that suits Dennis's voice pretty well. Now, is it a 10, an all-timer? Not in my opinion, no. But it's a strong one, a 7-8. And considering I'd probably have called it a 3-4 circa 2000, that's quite an ascent.
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Post by B.E. on Jan 11, 2023 22:28:01 GMT
With "Here She Comes", since it's a Ricky/Blondie-written song, I'm more apt to accept Ricky's vocal. It is Ricky isn't it? I think it's Blondie. But I wouldn't bet my life on that. I believe Ricky sings the verses (1 and 2) and Blondie the solo lines in the chorus and the section (verse 3?) starting at 1:54.
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Post by B.E. on Jan 11, 2023 22:42:19 GMT
"Angel Come Home" has grown on me as well. Again, I liked it from the start, but I didn't think of it as being quite on the same level as my favorite tracks "Good Timin'", "Love Surrounds Me", and "Baby Blue". I now enjoy it just as much and, honestly, probably listen to it the most. I love it.
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Post by B.E. on Jan 11, 2023 23:32:37 GMT
Another grower for me is "You're So Good To Me". That's one that I always thought was a (very) strong album track, but I didn't think of it as being on (or near) the same level as the hits. I'd notice a lot of love for it from fans. Then later I realized that Brian was also very fond of it, too. As was Capitol, apparently. It was re-released as the b-side of "Sloop John B", it was included on Best of the Beach Boys, Vol. 1 (US and UK versions), it was included in the Lei'd concert and meant to be featured on the live album, and it was included on Endless Summer. It sort of became a non-hit "hit" - a popular track - didn't it? While on some objective level I still recognize it isn't "California Girls" or "Help Me, Rhonda", I've been enjoying it as if it were for a few years now. I just love that Brian, and the group, and that style of music. I never tire of it.
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