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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Sept 17, 2021 12:02:54 GMT
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Post by Kapitan on Sept 17, 2021 12:13:39 GMT
Cool, glad he's up to something.
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Post by The Cincinnati Kid on Sept 17, 2021 12:15:11 GMT
Cool, glad he's up to something. There's been talk elsewhere about how much of it Brian is actually playing.
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Post by kds on Sept 17, 2021 12:17:57 GMT
Well, it's......something I guess.
To be 100% honest, this interests me probably only slightly more than the RPO album.
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Post by Kapitan on Sept 17, 2021 12:22:10 GMT
Cool, glad he's up to something. There's been talk elsewhere about how much of it Brian is actually playing. While listening to that "God Only Knows," I wondered that, myself. But I have to admit, I don't really care much. Not because I'm going to love it regardless, but because I don't really care regardless. Muzak piano renditions aren't that interesting. As I read the article, I thought maybe he was singing, too, which would make it slightly more interesting. (Slightly.)
I'd rather see official release of piano demos--like the Love You ones--than this, to be honest. Oh well, six more years and we will get those, I assume.
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Post by kds on Sept 17, 2021 12:40:40 GMT
I also wonder if this release means that the documentary and soundtrack for Long Promised Road won't be out anytime soon.
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Post by Kapitan on Sept 17, 2021 12:55:27 GMT
I don't know about that: didn't the recent Ben Wilson (I think that's his name?) interviews about it indicated news on that front was coming soon?
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Sept 17, 2021 13:22:22 GMT
I'm really starting to hesitate posting on some of these Brian Wilson topics. I want to be positive but usually ending up being critical. OK...negative.
So, I guess we should grateful that we got yet another offering from Brian, but my immediate thought when I read about this? Product. Second thought? That Brian played some piano on this album, just so they can say, "oh, yeah, Brian definitely played the piano on the album...". Third thought? Just another NEW BW release that has everything to do with 50-55 year-old music from a very different Brian Wilson. Fourth thought? I don't know if I'll even buy this album. If I do, I can see myself playing it once and filing it away. Fifth thought? That photograph. When I first saw it, I thought the negative was reversed because of the part in Brian's hair. But, then there's the wedding ring on the correct finger/hand, and the buttons on the shirt are on the correct side. So, I guess, on that particular day, Brian parted his hair on...the other side.
Time for me to meditate...
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Post by Kapitan on Sept 17, 2021 13:29:00 GMT
Fourth thought? I don't know if I'll even buy this album. If I do, I can see myself playing it once and filing it away. I doubt I'll buy it. I think kds was right in comparing it to the orchestral album: it's a novelty, especially if it isn't Brian actually playing. But even if it is, I mean, OK. Brian isn't really a great pianist. Sure, he's the composer, and there is something cool about a composer playing his own music, but in the sense I said above, which is a novelty.
The songs are great. Some people would really enjoy it, and I hope they buy it. I hope it does well. But it's not especially interesting to me.
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Post by B.E. on Sept 17, 2021 13:29:45 GMT
Cool, glad he's up to something. There's been talk elsewhere about how much of it Brian is actually playing. Unfounded cynicism, IMO. Alan Smith has since posted the credits at EH, which mention each person involved in recording, mixing, etc, and solely list Brian as pianist. Karmafrog has also said that someone close to the project confirmed it was 100% Brian performing. And, listening to the entire track...that doesn’t sound beyond Brian’s abilities nor does it sound like a “perfect” performance from a studio pro. Do fans think Brian can’t, or wouldn’t, overdub a melody line? Do fans not remember “This Isn’t Love”?
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Post by Kapitan on Sept 17, 2021 13:35:53 GMT
There's been talk elsewhere about how much of it Brian is actually playing. Unfounded cynicism, IMO. Alan Smith has since posted the credits at EH, which mention each person involved in recording, mixing, etc, and solely list Brian as pianist. Karmafrog has also said that someone close to the project confirmed it was 100% Brian performing. And, listening to the entire track...that doesn’t sound beyond Brian’s abilities nor does it sound like a “perfect” performance from a studio pro. Do fans think Brian can’t, or wouldn’t, overdub a melody line? Do fans not remember “This Isn’t Love”? Hope you're right. Doesn't affect my interest, but obviously it's a better look to be authentic.
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Post by B.E. on Sept 17, 2021 13:39:43 GMT
As for me, I’m quite interested in this (somewhat surprisingly, considering he’s not singing, too). I’m interested to hear his interpretations and piano ability circa 2021. I’m interested to hear him perform, because it’s him (and his music). I get that everyone has their own expectations and wants, but I’m glad to report that I think I’m going to enjoy this for what it is. It occurred to me last night that I might end up liking this more than if he had sung. This is different. And, frankly, he might not have succeeded, vocally, especially considering he’d be competing, on some level, with his former voice ingrained in our mind.
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Post by Kapitan on Sept 17, 2021 14:06:29 GMT
As for me, I’m quite interested in this (somewhat surprisingly, considering he’s not singing, too). I’m interested to hear his interpretations and piano ability circa 2021. I’m interested to hear him perform, because it’s him (and his music). I get that everyone has their own expectations and wants, but I’m glad to report that I think I’m going to enjoy this for what it is. It occurred to me last night that I might end up liking this more than if he had sung. This is different. And, frankly, he might not have succeeded, vocally, especially considering he’d be competing, on some level, with his former voice ingrained in our mind. I like your attitude and envy your interest. Personally, I just struggle to imagine piano-only interpretations that are particularly interesting from BW, and that "God Only Knows" supports my hesitation. To be clear, there's nothing wrong with it. It sounds nice. But it just isn't anything I can imagine listening to very often, or with a lot of interest.
It's just one song, though. For all I know, I'll end up loving something else from it. It's possible. And I'd like that to be the case. Realistically, though, my favorite thing about Brian Wilson's music is his gift for vocal harmony arrangements. Then probably his melodies (though they might come before his harmonies ... it's close). Then his interesting arrangements. Two of those three things are hampered or impossible in a piano-only context. So sure, the melodies will be there, but in a format that excludes a lot of what I love about his music.
Maybe the arrangements will be creative or interesting enough to be exciting or surprising or somehow interesting. That isn't the case with "God Only Knows," but it could be elsewhere.
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Post by Kapitan on Sept 17, 2021 14:12:17 GMT
One positive thing about the album I should say: it could be a really great way to dig into the guts of Wilson's songs. Sometimes on the originals or other fully fleshed-out versions, it can be hard to determine what exactly is going on: there are drums, there are horns, there are strings, there are basses, guitars, pianos, organs, and of course voices.
By arranging for and performing on piano, it will likely be much easier to take apart the music, to do harmonic analysis. To not get lost in production flourishes or extraneous bits or misdirection, and instead really hear the bones of the song--from the composer himself. So that's great.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Sept 17, 2021 14:15:42 GMT
And another thing...a sixth thought! Interesting timing for a new release. For much of the last eighteen months, Brian has been quarantining in his house. We did see/hear him sing a couple of songs at the piano (including "Happy Birthday" to Nancy Sinatra ), but there was no news of any new recordings. So, a few weeks ago, a bunch of BB/BW diehards shell out a hundred dollars for a boxed set, and lo and behold, we have barely digested that set when we get the news of yet another new release (actually it's scheduled for November). Nothing like stealing a little thunder. Considering it took Brian a little over a week (days?) to record his parts for these songs, it makes me wonder why At My Piano wasn't done, I don't know, a year ago. Pandemic-related reasons? It might've been a nice little release while we were waiting, in our rooms , for Feel Flows.
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