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Post by Deleted on Apr 30, 2020 10:34:15 GMT
This week's album is In the Key of Disney, a cover album of disney classics by Brian Wilson released in 2011.
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Post by kds on Apr 30, 2020 12:14:21 GMT
I can't really go any higher than 5. This is a contractually obligated album, and it sounds like one at times. It might have been a label / Disney decision, but I think they skewed too new for their choices of Disney songs (even though Colors of the Wind happens to be a highlight). I think had they attempted to give the Brian Wilson treatment to more songs from the older Disney classics, it could have been a fun album.
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Post by Kapitan on Apr 30, 2020 12:27:53 GMT
Critics of BWPS said at the time it sounded like a Disney album put together by disciples of Brian Wilson, with him singing over it.
This album is the epitome of that idea to a comical degree. It's not bad at all. Very professional. In fact it might be the most professional-sounding album Brian Wilson ever had. The arrangements are good, the singing, even Brian's singing, is good. It's good. Everything is ... professional. A business transaction.
But this morning, listening again to refresh my memory, more than once I forgot that I was listening to it. The album fades into the background as things like coffee, birdsong, construction outside, the sports page, and pretty much everything else overtake it for my attention. One problem is that however well performed, "Kiss the Girl" isn't "Cabinessence" and "Colors of the Wind" isn't "Heroes and Villains," you know?
I'm not a fan of corny kids' songs, and especially of those latter-day (which to me means 80s and after) movies to begin with. Then there's something so muzak about doing them "in a rock and roll style" (says someone who doesn't understand what makes rock and roll). "The kids will go bananas for it!"
Just so meh. I just don't care. Never did, don't now. But it's actually pretty good, in its own way. So I can't totally pan it.
5 for its professionalism.
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Post by B.E. on Apr 30, 2020 18:18:55 GMT
Well, I enjoy it a little more than you guys, but my opinions certainly aren't radically different. Unlike many other Beach Boys-related releases, the quality control is high. I'm glad it exists.
Favorite Songs: -Baby Mine -When You Wish Upon A Star -Kiss The Girl -Colors Of The Wind -The Bare Necessities
6/10
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Post by Kapitan on Apr 30, 2020 18:55:32 GMT
Well, I enjoy it a little more than you guys, but my opinions certainly aren't radically different. Unlike many other Beach Boys-related releases, the quality control is high. I'm glad it exists. The bolded part is one worth noting. And I agree. It's not inspired, it's not exciting. But it is well done and polished.
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Post by kds on Apr 30, 2020 19:54:43 GMT
Well, I enjoy it a little more than you guys, but my opinions certainly aren't radically different. Unlike many other Beach Boys-related releases, the quality control is high. I'm glad it exists. The bolded part is one worth noting. And I agree. It's not inspired, it's not exciting. But it is well done and polished. That's true. I think, like the Gershwin album, the source material just doesn't interest me as much. I especially don't need to hear Brian doing Can You Feel the Love Tonight, which I tend to view for Elton John the same way some Beach Boys fans view Kokomo.
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Post by Kapitan on Apr 30, 2020 19:56:03 GMT
Gershwin resonates more with me, whether from the material (which I do prefer) or my perception of Brian's interest (which is that he had more of it). But there is definitely some degree of similarity in the overall situations.
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Post by kds on Apr 30, 2020 20:07:08 GMT
Gershwin resonates more with me, whether from the material (which I do prefer) or my perception of Brian's interest (which is that he had more of it). But there is definitely some degree of similarity in the overall situations. It probably does with me to a certain degree. While I never play either album in full, I'll tend to revisit Gershwin tracks from time to time. I can't say the same for Disney.
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Post by Kapitan on Apr 30, 2020 20:16:23 GMT
To be honest, I listen to Disney tracks when a) they come up on shuffle (which in my iTunes means there is a 0.1% chance of at any given shuffle-playing moment), or b) when we discuss it on this board. That's pretty much it.
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Post by The Cincinnati Kid on Apr 30, 2020 20:34:10 GMT
It's fine. Much like Kapitan, I don't really listen to it unless it's being discussed or I think to myself, hey I haven't listened to that in a long time. None of the tracks particularly interest me, even Colors of the Wind. 6/10.
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Post by lonelysummer on May 1, 2020 1:45:41 GMT
Not a favorite. By this point, it just felt like they had Brian cranking out albums just to have something new out (boy, that's sure changed). But while the Gershwin project made sense to me (I remember the first time I read about Brian's love of "Blue" - early Joni Mitchell album? - Musician magazine, spring 1985), the Disney thing just felt like "he isn't writing any new songs, so let's just rush out ANYTHING". He does sing very well on the album; it's nicely produced, but it's not one I ever seen on the shelf and say "I need to hear this today". BTW, still waiting for that rock and roll album.
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Post by Kapitan on May 1, 2020 12:22:03 GMT
But while the Gershwin project made sense to me ... the Disney thing just felt like "he isn't writing any new songs, so let's just rush out ANYTHING". It did feel that way, but that wasn't the case. They were both planned at the same time and part of the same deal, one for Brian (Gershwin) and one for the label (Disney). I think, but would not swear on it, that the Disney idea was specifically the label's idea. But it was what it took to get Gershwin done, as I remember it.
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bellbottoms
Pacific Coast Highway
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Post by bellbottoms on May 1, 2020 12:32:52 GMT
I agree with pretty much everything that has been said about the Disney album. It's well executed, but I don't really care about Disney songs. I know Colors of the Wind is considered by most to be the best song off the album, but that song has never done anything for me. I do like Kiss the Girl, and I think I put it on a BW playlist at some point, but it's been awhile since I've listened to it. I'll go with 6, because on the rare occasions that I do listen to the album, I appreciate how good it sounds.
Between this one and the Gershwin album, I'll take Gershwin hands down.
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Post by kds on May 1, 2020 12:32:58 GMT
But while the Gershwin project made sense to me ... the Disney thing just felt like "he isn't writing any new songs, so let's just rush out ANYTHING". It did feel that way, but that wasn't the case. They were both planned at the same time and part of the same deal, one for Brian (Gershwin) and one for the label (Disney). I think, but would not swear on it, that the Disney idea was specifically the label's idea. But it was what it took to get Gershwin done, as I remember it. I'm pretty sure that's the case, and I'd also be willing to bet that Disney was at least somewhat involved in the song selection too.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on May 1, 2020 15:16:22 GMT
Before In The Key Of Disney was released, "Heigh-Ho/Whistle While You Work" came out as a special preview to the album. I thought, "Whoa, this is pretty good...", and I kind of looked forward to the rest of the album. Unfortunately for me, very little of the album resembled the creativity and FUN of that track. Now, I'm no Disney movie fan and I'm not very knowledgeable about the various songs that appeared in the movies. I have some familiarity but no in depth knowledge. I guess I was expecting more of the older, classic Disney songs and less of the newer, modern songs (from Elton John, Tim Rice, Randy Newman, Alan Menken, etc.). That being said, maybe if you did the math, a sufficient amount of older Disney songs WERE USED, and I can't really name other older, classic songs that weren't used. I'm sounding very wishy-washy here, but do you know what I mean? The album just sounded a lot more contemporary than sentimental, and I was expecting BW sentimentality.
However(!), I was very pleasantly surprised by the music and especially Brian's vocals. I actually like many of the arrangements of these songs (do I hear some Phil Spector on "Kiss The Girl"), and as far as the vocals, damn, you'd think Joe Thomas was lurking something in the shadows. Seriously, how did Brian pull off those lead vocals? Two things...first, the vocals on In The Key Of Disney are the BEST vocals of ANY Brian Wilson solo album. And second, on some of the tracks, maybe "Colors Of The Wind", "Can You Feel The Love Tonight", "Baby Mine", and "Stay Awake", you get a glimpse of what a 70 year-old Brian Wilson might've sounded like naturally had he not ruined his voice in 1974-75. I was/am amazed at how well he sang on such an insignificant album so late in his career.
Do I pull this album out often? No, not really. Do I like it? Yes, I do; there's not a clunker on the album. Brian probably did not have free reign in choosing the songs, much like WIRWFC. There were 11 songs on the album (too few, especially for a concept/compilation album), 13 with bonus tracks (about right though I would've shot for 15). And, again, it's a joke and an insult to the original album when those special issues (Target, Amazon, etc.) come out. In The Key Of Disney is a dark horse. I'm assuming it tanked. Who knows what it meant to Brian; I don't think he performed any of it live. But, I think Brian's interest or affinity for the Gershwin music/project was overrated and over-hyped, too.
I've made several Brian Wilson "solo years" comps over the years, usually changing them with each new release. And on the most recent "Best Of The Solo Years" comp, I included three songs from In The Key Of Disney. So, I'll go with a strong 6, docked one point for the song selection and the number of tracks.
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