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Post by Kapitan on Dec 20, 2021 12:29:48 GMT
In May 1980, the Beach Boys released their second single from the then-recently released album Keepin the Summer Alive, a collaboration between Carl Wilson and Randy Bachman titled "Livin' With a Heartache."
The B-side was Al Jardine's and Brian Wilson's "Santa Ana Winds."
Neither song charted anywhere.
Please discuss and rate "Livin' With a Heartache" and "Santa Ana Winds."
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Dec 20, 2021 12:52:56 GMT
I really like "Livin' With A Heartache". I think it's a very well-written and performed song. Carl was on a great run with his singing and "Livin' With A Heartache" is a showcase for his talents. It does sound a little like a solo song, and it's slightly long (the single version was edited I believe), but it's a different-sounding Beach Boys' song, and I wish they would've pursued that direction more.
So, "Santa Ana Winds" finally sees the light of day. It finally got on an album and a B-side! Seriously, it's a good song, even though Al (or somebody) tried to sabotage it. Was that spoken word intro really necessary, and what's up with Mike's high, nasal vocal? I think the ultimate, final version of this song could've turned out better, though it does get going.
This shoulda/coulda been a strong single. There's a lot of music here and two lead vocals by the Beach Boys' best singers at the time. It wasn't necessarily Beach Boys-sounding music, which is ironic because both of these songs, which don't really sound like "summer", are released as a single for an album called Keepin' The Summer Alive. However, this single was a fine representation of a more mature Beach Boys "sound" entering a new decade. I guess it didn't matter either way as very few people heard it. That must've been frustrating for the guys because these were two good songs. I almost want to go with an 8 as I like this single, but I'll settle for a strong 7.
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Post by Kapitan on Dec 20, 2021 13:44:22 GMT
I like "Livin' With a Heartache," too. It very much reminds me of the "urban cowboy" music of that era: Eddie Rabbit, Kenny Rogers, etc. (I'd take it 10 times out of 10 over the country pop they released just over 15 years later on their self-cover album.) It's good but not great.
"Santa Ana Winds?" I hate almost all spoken word parts of pop songs, so it gets off to a bad start for me. But I enjoy the song itself. I have to second Sheriff John Stone's complaint/comment about Mike's tone, though. It's that cartoon voice of his that I could do without. It isn't my favorite production, with the strings feeling to me a little out of place on this country-folk sort of song that would've fit in the Holland aesthetic more than the Johnston treatment. But it's got Al Jardine singing, it's got some good, simple harmony singing--and at the end, it's even got some more interesting vocal parts (including an audible Carl).
I'll give the single a 6. Solid effort, not a home run. But it deserved better than its fate.
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Post by Kapitan on Dec 20, 2021 14:10:10 GMT
By the way, it occurred to me this morning that the first couple phrases of the melody of "Santa Ana Winds" are "When the Saints Go Marching In." ("Fire wind / oh desert wind" = "oh when the saints / go marchin' in.") It's one of those things that you can't un-hear!
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Post by kds on Dec 20, 2021 14:21:52 GMT
Livin With a Heartache is well sung. But, to me, that's about it. I agree with Sheriff that it sounds like a Carl solo song. But, I'm not saying that as a compliment as I find the bulk of Carl's solo material to be utterly disposable save for the vocals.
The B side here is far better. I don't think the spoken word bit either, especially since it sounds so odd and rushed at the intro. Al, we don't need an explanation of the song. We're good. I do agree that the production / arrangement hampers it a bit. It's sad that a band that was so well known for great sounding material was, by this point, making a habit of releasing very questionable productions.
Edit - I'm going with a 5. If Santa Ana Winds were the A Side, I might give it a six.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Dec 20, 2021 14:39:42 GMT
I find a lot of Carl Wilson-composed Beach Boys' songs, how should I say (I want to be kind), less than fulfilling. I'm not as big a fan as most of his Surf's Up songs, and while his L.A. (Light Album) songs are pleasant enough, they also tend to be slightly boring. Actually, "Keepin' The Summer Alive", while I like it, isn't a favorite either. However, I thought he turned it up a notch with "Livin' With A Heartache". Maybe it was Randy Bachman's contribution/influence, but it came across to me as a contemporary, mature song, something The Beach Boys were not able to pull off post-1975, other than Dennis Wilson's contributions.
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Post by lonelysummer on Dec 20, 2021 21:09:11 GMT
I love pretty much everything Carl wrote; have that cd Long Promised Road (no, not THAT one) that was compiled for the Carl Wilson Foundation. Brad Elliot was selling them at $50 a shot, with the money supposedly going to the foundation (but later on it came out that Brad may have just pocketed the money himself). Anyway, that was where I first heard "Livin' With a Heartache", and I loved it right away. I do have the 45 as well, and yes, they did lop off a minute from it. It feels incomplete without that last verse; but it's a strong song, sort of hinting at where he would go on his first solo album. There's another great Wilson/Bachman song, "What's Your Hurry Darlin", that Randy's group Ironhorse recorded it, but when you hear it, you can easily imagine a Carl vocal on it. Anyway, when I got that LPR cd, I kept playing "Heartache" over and over. So I give the guys credit for putting out a single that didn't lean on the retro/back to the beach sound. SAW is also a good song. Hmm, yeah, Mike at his nasal worst. The spoken intro doesn't bother me. I'm going on the high end here, rating it a 9. Your results may vary.
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Post by Kapitan on Dec 20, 2021 21:12:24 GMT
Here is that Ironhorse Carl-Bachman collab, "What's Your Hurry Darlin?" for anyone who is curious.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Dec 20, 2021 23:39:10 GMT
The first time I saw The Beach Boys was June 20, 1978 at The Spectrum in Philadelphia. The opening act? Ironhorse.
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Post by B.E. on Dec 20, 2021 23:47:41 GMT
who ran?
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Post by carllove on Dec 21, 2021 2:02:08 GMT
I’m giving this a 4. Maybe my fifth and sixth favorite songs from a not so wonderful album (though I did have the CD in my car for 6 months). Just not my sort of music, even with Carl singing lead on the A side and Santa Ana Winds, just blah. If I never heard either song ever again, that would be fine.
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Post by lonelysummer on Dec 21, 2021 7:18:51 GMT
I’m giving this a 4. Maybe my fifth and sixth favorite songs from a not so wonderful album (though I did have the CD in my car for 6 months). Just not my sort of music, even with Carl singing lead on the A side and Santa Ana Winds, just blah. If I never heard either song ever again, that would be fine. Oh how wrong I was. I thought you would be the one, aside from me, raving about this single.
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Post by Kapitan on Dec 21, 2021 12:26:50 GMT
I love pretty much everything Carl wrote; I think that's pretty rare. Sang is one thing, and would get more agreement. Wrote? Honestly I think he was a pretty mediocre writer, with some highs and some lows. Even though I'm not much of a Dennis fan, I think Carl's writing is by far the worst of the three Wilson brothers. Especially by this era of his solo work, I think a lot what he wrote could've been by anyone.
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Post by carllove on Dec 21, 2021 13:52:02 GMT
I’m giving this a 4. Maybe my fifth and sixth favorite songs from a not so wonderful album (though I did have the CD in my car for 6 months). Just not my sort of music, even with Carl singing lead on the A side and Santa Ana Winds, just blah. If I never heard either song ever again, that would be fine. Oh how wrong I was. I thought you would be the one, aside from me, raving about this single. I can't believe the song was co-written by the same man that co-wrote "American Woman", "You Ain't Seem Nothin' Yet" and "Takin Care of Business". I loved me some BTO back in the day. "Livin w/a Heartache" is just the worst of adult contemporary music - boring and bereft of soul. I can see this song being sang late at night by a singer in a powder blue polyester tux, in a hotel lounge. Maybe it's Bruce's production? "Goin On" and "Oh Darlin" are wonderful songs that sound SO much better live than on the album. I'm not sure that a better producer could do anything to save this song, though. Sorry to dissapoint you lonelysummer!
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Post by Kapitan on Dec 21, 2021 13:56:01 GMT
Maybe it's Bruce's production? "Goin On" and "Oh Darlin" are wonderful songs that sound SO much better live than on the album. I'm not sure that a better producer could do anything to save this song, though. I do blame Bruce's production generally for the whole album feeling flat. (Though I disagree about "Livin' With a Heartache," which I think is a decent song. Not a great song, but a decent song.) In addition to the ones you named, "Keepin the Summer Alive" is another one that came across better live than on the album. (Stupid lyrics, sure, but a decent song that rocked live.)
Basically I think Bruce removed all the edge from the songs. Not that the Beach Boys were the Sex Pistols or something, but a little bit of an edge was a good counterpoint to the sweet harmonies and melodies, especially on the rock and roll songs. These songs on the album just didn't feel like anyone wanted to be there, no edge at all, just a soft, dull slog.
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