|
Post by Kapitan on Aug 3, 2021 17:38:15 GMT
OK, really the better subject for the thread would be "Make It Better," but that's not a Beach Boys tie-in, now is it?
The point is this: make a single change to any actual Beach Boys-related album to improve it as much as possible. This "one" change could mean: - Add a song - Drop a song - Swap a song (which includes both of the above, but counts as one transaction)
You may, if you'd like, also reorder the songs after making your one change without that counting as a second change.
Your change has to be in the realm of reality, too, but for the sake of having a little fun, I don't think we need to be sticklers. So adding a song that wasn't quite completed yet is fine, but adding some hypothetical masterpiece probably shouldn't be suggested...
Personally I'm most interested in what you think would make the single biggest difference--an album that maybe could go from decent to very good, for example--but feel free to add as many choices as you'd like.
|
|
|
Post by kds on Aug 3, 2021 18:41:16 GMT
A couple are pretty easy
Summer Days Summer Nights - Ditch I'm Bugged at My Old Man and replace it with The Little Girl I Once Knew Surf's Up - Swap out Take a Load Off Your Feet for Wouldn't It Be Nice (To Live Again) Holland - Jettison Funky Pretty in favor of We Got Love
There, now Pet Sounds is no longer the lone legit 10 in The Beach Boys catalog.
|
|
|
Post by Sheriff John Stone on Aug 3, 2021 18:44:18 GMT
Sunflower is a really solid album, a consistently good, some would say great album. But, there's always been one song on Sunflower that bothered me, a song that, for me, brings the album to a screeching halt. That song would be "Tears In The Morning". It's not a totally bad song. Parts of it are OK and Bruce sings it well. I just don't think it's good enough for Sunflower, especially when there were better songs that were rejected.
"Tears In The Morning" sounds too much like a Bruce Johnston solo effort; it's not Beach Boyish enough for me. Bruce already was "given" one song with "Deidre", and he is heard on "At My Window", too. I have no problem substituting "Tears In The Morning" with "San Miguel". Yes, there are already four (?) other Dennis Wilson-penned songs, but I don't care. Dennis was on a roll. "San Miguel" would've also added another Carl Wilson lead vocal; nothing wrong with that. Here's where I would put "San Miguel":
The Beach Boys - Sunflower
Side 1 1. Add Some Music To Your Day 2. San Miguel 3. Got To Know The Woman 4. Slip On Through 5. Cool, Cool Water 6. Our Sweet Love
Side 2 1. Forever 2. At My Window 3. This Whole World 4. Deidre 5. All I Wanna Do 6. It's About Time
|
|
|
Post by kds on Aug 3, 2021 19:46:15 GMT
I'm not certain what they could've put in their places, but removing the talk tracks from Shut Down Vol 2, All Summer Long, and Today would've made each of them much better albums.
At the very least, they could've put the talk tracks at the tail end of SDV2 and ASL like they did for Today.
|
|
|
Post by Kapitan on Aug 3, 2021 19:49:42 GMT
I haven't come up with my real improvement yet, but removing the "Our Favorite Recording Sessions" stinker from All Summer Long is certainly a priority for me. That album is almost SO, SO good! I can even take "Carl's Big Chance," which I don't especially like. It would have to be a song swap, because the album is already only 25(!) minutes long even with two minutes of OFRS. But I am not sure what was done (or could be considered for our purposes here) at the time.
It wouldn't be a 10 even with a great song incorporated. But it would sure be getting up there.
|
|
|
Post by kds on Aug 3, 2021 20:02:08 GMT
I haven't come up with my real improvement yet, but removing the "Our Favorite Recording Sessions" stinker from All Summer Long is certainly a priority for me. That album is almost SO, SO good! I can even take "Carl's Big Chance," which I don't especially like. It would have to be a song swap, because the album is already only 25(!) minutes long even with two minutes of OFRS. But I am not sure what was done (or could be considered for our purposes here) at the time.
It wouldn't be a 10 even with a great song incorporated. But it would sure be getting up there.
Carl's Big Chance is one of those harmless, short filler tracks from the early days that I can find some enjoyment in, even if it's not a track that I'd ever add to a playlist or play on its own. Yet, those talk tracks can just feel like an eternity when you're listening to the album in full. You'd think they could bang out a cover song or even another instrumental to fill the gap for ORFS if necessary.
|
|
|
Post by lonelysummer on Aug 4, 2021 3:49:12 GMT
I like the stupid talk tracks. It's something the Beatles never did. Unless you count their Christmas records. I understand the record biz of that era, I get the pressure the Boys were under to crank out several albums a year. They did really well under pressure. Later on, though, I can think of many BBs albums that could have been better if just a couple of minor adjustments were made. LA (Light Album) - can the disco track, and insert It's A Beautiful Day.
|
|
|
Post by kds on Aug 4, 2021 12:21:37 GMT
I like the stupid talk tracks. It's something the Beatles never did. Unless you count their Christmas records. I understand the record biz of that era, I get the pressure the Boys were under to crank out several albums a year. They did really well under pressure. Later on, though, I can think of many BBs albums that could have been better if just a couple of minor adjustments were made. LA (Light Album) - can the disco track, and insert It's A Beautiful Day. That's one of the reasons The Beatles albums tend to hold up a little better. And, good call on LA Light. Even had they used the single version of HCTN'79, it would've been far more tolerable.
|
|
|
Post by Sheriff John Stone on Aug 4, 2021 12:36:37 GMT
With those talk/comedy/skit tracks, it was a double whammy. Not only did those tracks take away from the quality of the album - and the group was battling The Beatles at the time - but there were other quality songs that were left in the can. For The Beach Boys Today!, they had a good song to take the place of "Bull Session With The 'Big Daddy'" which was "All Dressed Up For School". And, for the second tweak..."She Knows Me Too Well" should've closed that album.
The Beach Boys Today!
Side 1 1. All Dressed Up For School 2. Do You Wanna Dance 3. Please Let Me Wonder 4. Good To My Baby 5. Dance, Dance, Dance 6. In The Back Of My Mind
Side 2 1. When I Grow Up (To Be A Man) 2. I'm So Young 3. Don't Hurt My Little Sister 4. Help Me, Rhonda 5. Kiss Me Baby 6. She Knows Me Too Well
|
|
|
Post by lonelysummer on Aug 5, 2021 2:41:31 GMT
I wonder if the comedy/talk tracks helped fans to get to know the group members as individuals? Did the Beach Boys have any where near individual name recognition as the Beatles or the Monkees?
|
|
|
Post by Kapitan on Aug 6, 2021 17:31:28 GMT
I haven't really sat down with this idea yet (which is embarrassing since it was my idea), but I have to think that just adding "Time to Get Alone" to either Wild Honey or Friends is the easiest way to improve an album.
I don't think I'd remove a song from either one, just because they're so short as it is. (I'd probably add a couple and remove one in each case, if that was how we were playing.) So really it's just a matter of trying to fiddle with the track order with that song added in for best effect.
Both of those albums are really good, and I've always considered Friends in particular somewhere in my 4th-to-8th favorite range, probably. So it's not as if I'm starting with garbage. I've never understood how a song as good as "Time to Get Alone" took a couple years and albums to make it to release.
|
|
|
Post by Sheriff John Stone on Aug 8, 2021 13:36:34 GMT
I wonder if the comedy/talk tracks helped fans to get to know the group members as individuals? Did the Beach Boys have any where near individual name recognition as the Beatles or the Monkees? The problem was/is, IMO anyway, is that the guys sound dorky on most of those tracks. They certainly didn't sound cool or charismatic or funny or whatever.
|
|
|
Post by beachboystalkmatt on Aug 8, 2021 15:11:29 GMT
Cool topic!
I would trade “I do” for Sunny vs Cassius Clay. I think they are around the same time? All Dressed up for school with our favorite recording sessions. Sherry she needs me with bull sessions with big daddy. I’d drop I’m bugged at my old man and replace with little girl I once knew Drop transcendental meditation off of friends. I know it’s a short album so add something but sure what. Maybe I went to sleep from 20/20. Drop hey little tomboy from MIU and replace with California Feeling. Add we got love to Holland. Add the Dennis tunes to surfs up and maybe scrap student demonstration time.
|
|
|
Post by Kapitan on Aug 8, 2021 15:20:41 GMT
When I started being an online BBs fan, there was almost a consensus that Pet Sounds would be improved by dropping "Sloop John B" and replacing it with "The Little Girl I Once Knew" and/or finishing and using "Good Vibrations" (which had been begun but nowhere near finished at that time).
I'm curious, does anyone really think that anymore? I think "Sloop John B" has had its reputation really rise in those years. It was actually considered quite uncool circa 2000.
I wouldn't say Pet Sounds is inherently untouchable, but frankly I do think it's about as good an album as there has ever been, so I would leave it alone.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
Likes:
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2021 16:43:53 GMT
Cool topic! I would trade “I do” for Sunny vs Cassius Clay. I think they are around the same time? I believe so. I agree that would be a good choice!All Dressed up for school with our favorite recording sessions. Wasn't it discovered that All Dressed Up was Today-era? In that case, put that in place of Bull Session.
Sherry she needs me with bull sessions with big daddy. I’d drop I’m bugged at my old man and replace with little girl I once knew That would have held up the album a month or two, but I would rather go with that then mess with Pet Sounds. Little Girl just doesn't have the Pet Sounds vibe to me.
Drop transcendental meditation off of friends. I know it’s a short album so add something but sure what. Maybe I went to sleep from 20/20. Yes I completely agree! TM torpedoes the end of FRIENDS for me. If only I Went to Sleep was recorded by then. Or what about Been Way Too Long?Drop hey little tomboy from MIU and replace with California Feeling. Add we got love to Holland. Add the Dennis tunes to surfs up and maybe scrap student demonstration time. Or, Take a Load Off Your Feet.....
|
|