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Post by Deleted on Mar 19, 2020 1:59:10 GMT
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Post by Kapitan on Mar 19, 2020 12:14:56 GMT
I have to think about this one in terms of a ranking, but I can say that it was really exciting when it came out: this was the era of Brian's band supplementing the hits with deeper cuts and "artistic" music, and of course it was the recorded debut of that fantastic band. For fans who weren't around before this, I don't know that you can quite get what it felt like at that time.
Suffice to say it was not the pinnacle of Beach Boys; it wasn't like now, when honestly the two groups are pretty similar in quality (and material). This was an appearance of an amazing band I think some/many fans may have heard live, but pre-YouTube and pre-social media, most hadn't. Most had read about some great band Brian had. This was evidence.
I don't really care for live albums generally. But this was special. It really raised my hopes that there would be great Wilson music forthcoming, him finally having the right group of talents around him. Unfortunately the next new product turned out to be GIOMH, which we've discussed recently as having failed to take advantage of the asset that the band members' voices represented.
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Post by kds on Mar 19, 2020 12:15:54 GMT
Hands down, my favorite BW solo live release. It offers a good mix of hits, deeper tracks, and solo material. Brian's voice is in pretty good shape, and he's got that great band. Plus, a little humor with the snippet of the Barenaked Ladies song.
8
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Post by Kapitan on Mar 19, 2020 12:19:20 GMT
Hands down, my favorite BW solo live release. I should have probably added a basic and clear statement to my muddled remembrances. The quoted sentence goes for me, too.
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bellbottoms
Pacific Coast Highway
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Post by bellbottoms on Mar 20, 2020 12:48:44 GMT
It's been a little while since I've listened to this so I'll have to listen again soon. Going from memory, I'm giving it a 9 - not perfect, but really freaking awesome. Great track listing, Brian sounds so good (his performance of Please Let Me Wonder? just WOW), his band is outstanding, the audience is enthusiastic and appreciative, and actually Brian is giving them back the same energy. An absolute joy and pleasure to listen to - and my favourite version of Back Home out of all officially released versions of that song.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Mar 20, 2020 14:16:44 GMT
It turned out better than I thought it would.
Very good tracklist. Even though this was relatively early in Brian's solo career, and he was supposed to be the alternative to Mike's "traveling jukebox", there is a fair share of early hits on this album (though he avoided most of the surf & turf songs). I always liked "The First Time" (previously "In The Nighttime", a better title IMO), and this is a good version, especially the harmonies. I give Brian credit for attempting "This Isn't Love", though it's not really a favorite. I was happy to finally hear Brian record a version of "Be My Baby". bellbottoms, it's interesting you singled out "Back Home" as a favorite because it's one of my disappointments on the album. In the late 1970's when Brian performed "Back Home" with The Beach Boys, it rocked. The Roxy version/arrangement seems to drag to me. I could do without the Pet Sounds' instrumentals. "This Whole World" and "Til I Die" - wow - except Brian's vocals weren't up to the task.
Most of Brian's vocals are acceptable - as BW standards go. He appears more comfortable with the mid-tempo songs and ballads. As a solo artist, he never really rocked, and I never accepted him singing Mike's leads. It just never sounded right and this album was the first time that really stood out. But he was attempting some songs/vocals that we fans probably thought we'd never hear again such as "Please Let Me Wonder", "Kiss Me Baby", "Don't Worry Baby", and "Caroline, No". Those performances were the highlights of the album. Question: Were most of the lead vocals heard on this album actually recorded at the Roxy concert or were some/most re-recorded in the studio afterwards?
This album would also mark the first time in a series of BW solo albums that featured bonus tracks on alternate released versions. In this case the U.K. got three extra songs, and the 2001 re-release included three more.
Even though Brian's solo career (other than 1987-89) kind of launched with Imagination, this album felt more like the real beginning. He had a great band, he was performing live, and from all of the press reports at the time, he was ready to do something special in the studio. When did we hear that before? It wouldn't be the last time.
Like most BW solo albums, I listened to Live At The Roxy a lot when it first came out, only to seldom revisit it in the following years. I guess it's nice to have, if only for some of the songs that he was performing at that time. Hard to believe it's now twenty years old, having been recorded on April 7-8, 2000. Where did the time go? A 7.
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Post by Kapitan on Mar 20, 2020 14:31:26 GMT
Very good tracklist. Even though this was relatively early in Brian's solo career, and he was supposed to be the alternative to Mike's "traveling jukebox", there is a fair share of early hits on this album (though he avoided most of the surf & turf songs).
I saw this different (even at the time). To me, it wasn't that Mike's band was all hits and Brian's would be no hits. Rather it was just that Brian's band wouldn't be all hits, that he would incorporate some of the deeper and more allegedly artistic cuts that either hadn't been or hadn't been played or hadn't been played in arrangements that respected the originals.
I won't speak for anyone else, but at least I wasn't expecting Brian to disown his popular Beach Boys legacy.
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Post by Kapitan on Mar 20, 2020 14:42:22 GMT
I always liked "The First Time" (previously "In The Nighttime", a better title IMO), and this is a good version, especially the harmonies. I give Brian credit for attempting "This Isn't Love", though it's not really a favorite ... from all of the press reports at the time, he was ready to do something special in the studio. When did we hear that before? It wouldn't be the last time. Meant to comment on this, too.
I didn't and don't particularly like (or dislike, to be fair) the new songs, but I was glad there were new songs. I hadn't read or heard the press reports you mention about impending studio work, but I was very hopeful that if there were these two new songs, we might see these and more in studio sessions soon. Of course it would be another four years for that (and these songs weren't included).
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Mar 20, 2020 15:25:05 GMT
Very good tracklist. Even though this was relatively early in Brian's solo career, and he was supposed to be the alternative to Mike's "traveling jukebox", there is a fair share of early hits on this album (though he avoided most of the surf & turf songs).
I saw this different (even at the time). To me, it wasn't that Mike's band was all hits and Brian's would be no hits. Rather it was just that Brian's band wouldn't be all hits, that he would incorporate some of the deeper and more allegedly artistic cuts that either hadn't been or hadn't been played or hadn't been played in arrangements that respected the originals.
I won't speak for anyone else, but at least I wasn't expecting Brian to disown his popular Beach Boys legacy.
At that time (1999-2000), Carl had passed, Al was gone or on his way out, Brian was going solo, and it was viewed (at least this is how I remember it) that Mike's Beach Boys were going full speed ahead, concentrating heavily on, well, all hits. Now, you and I know that wasn't entirely true. Mike's band incorporated their fair share of post-1966, deeper material, too. But, I do think that was the public's perception. Still is, to a large degree, today.
I agree with you that, at the time, it was probably assumed or even publicized that Brian would be playing both the more artistic songs AND the hits. While I wanted to believe that Brian was finally going to be this real artist, I was also cynical and didn't always go along with the hype. Of course Brian was going to throw in SOME surfing and car songs. There had to be some "give the people what they want" approach.
In my above statement that you quoted, I did say "there is a fair share of early hits on the album (though he avoided most of the surf & turf songs)". Taking a quick look at the tracklist, you have "Don't Worry Baby", "Kiss Me Baby", "California Girls", "I Get Around", "In My Room", "Surfer Girl", "Please Let Me Wonder", "All Summer Long" - and appearing as bonus tracks, ""Barbara Ann" and Help Me, Rhonda". That's ten pre-1966 songs. Live At The Roxy might not have come across to many fans, probably long-time fans, as Brian playing the oldies, again because of the deeper tracks. But like I just noted above, it has enough. I'm curious how newer fans perceived the album.
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Post by kds on Mar 20, 2020 15:55:08 GMT
It turned out better than I thought it would.
Very good tracklist. Even though this was relatively early in Brian's solo career, and he was supposed to be the alternative to Mike's "traveling jukebox", there is a fair share of early hits on this album (though he avoided most of the surf & turf songs). I always liked "The First Time" (previously "In The Nighttime", a better title IMO), and this is a good version, especially the harmonies. I give Brian credit for attempting "This Isn't Love", though it's not really a favorite. I was happy to finally hear Brian record a version of "Be My Baby". bellbottoms, it's interesting you singled out "Back Home" as a favorite because it's one of my disappointments on the album. In the late 1970's when Brian performed "Back Home" with The Beach Boys, it rocked. The Roxy version/arrangement seems to drag to me. I could do without the Pet Sounds' instrumentals. "This Whole World" and "Til I Die" - wow - except Brian's vocals weren't up to the task.
Most of Brian's vocals are acceptable - as BW standards go. He appears more comfortable with the mid-tempo songs and ballads. As a solo artist, he never really rocked, and I never accepted him singing Mike's leads. It just never sounded right and this album was the first time that really stood out. But he was attempting some songs/vocals that we fans probably thought we'd never hear again such as "Please Let Me Wonder", "Kiss Me Baby", "Don't Worry Baby", and "Caroline, No". Those performances were the highlights of the album. Question: Were most of the lead vocals heard on this album actually recorded at the Roxy concert or were some/most re-recorded in the studio afterwards?
This album would also mark the first time in a series of BW solo albums that featured bonus tracks on alternate released versions. In this case the U.K. got three extra songs, and the 2001 re-release included three more.
Even though Brian's solo career (other than 1987-89) kind of launched with Imagination, this album felt more like the real beginning. He had a great band, he was performing live, and from all of the press reports at the time, he was ready to do something special in the studio. When did we hear that before? It wouldn't be the last time.
Like most BW solo albums, I listened to Live At The Roxy a lot when it first came out, only to seldom revisit it in the following years. I guess it's nice to have, if only for some of the songs that he was performing at that time. Hard to believe it's now twenty years old, having been recorded on April 7-8, 2000. Where did the time go? A 7.
I was able to find a Japanese release a few years ago that included all of the bonus tracks on one release.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Mar 20, 2020 21:27:00 GMT
Some photos of Brian promoting Live At The Roxy:
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Post by lonelysummer on Mar 21, 2020 1:17:59 GMT
To me, the "Brian Wilson is finally going on tour" era was when he finally surrendered to the oldies/play the hits manifesto. When the touring started, he had, what, maybe 3 songs from his latest album - Imagination - in the setlist? Nothing from Orange Crate Art, only one song from the 88 album. We were always being encouraged to believe he had some unbelievably great material waiting to be recorded; but the truth was, his career from this point on was going to be focused on playing the same hits Mike's band played. At least they were both looking deeper into the catalog; there are enough great songs in the BB catalog that they really never need to record another note. There's a reason Sounds of Summer, Endless Summer and Spirit of America were such big sellers.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2020 8:18:29 GMT
Listening to this album makes me wish I had been around to see Brian earlier in his solo concert career.
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Post by Kapitan on Mar 21, 2020 13:03:01 GMT
Listening to this album makes me wish I had been around to see Brian earlier in his solo concert career. It was very exciting, that's for sure. I first saw him in June 2001, not so long after this album.
What's amazing is even then, fans would talk about Brian being the weak link, Brian not being up to par vocally, Brian not being consistently engaged. But looking and listening back, he was so much better then than now it's not even close.
That then-new band was the truly exciting part, though. They were just head and shoulders above the Beach Boys band ... and most every band, frankly.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Mar 21, 2020 13:46:40 GMT
Listening to this album makes me wish I had been around to see Brian earlier in his solo concert career. I apologize for the video quality, but this is Brian on QVC promoting Live At The Roxy:
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