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Post by Kapitan on Jan 17, 2022 12:37:29 GMT
In May 1985, the Beach Boys returned with their first original single since the death of Dennis Wilson (other than a collaboration with the Four Seasons in 1984).
Preceding by about a month their first new album in five years, the slickly produced The Beach Boys, the song was an obviously intentional throwback to their early days. Ironically, while Brian Wilson was more fully on board and co-wrote four of the album's songs as well as the single's B-side, "Getcha Back" was written by Mike Love and Terry Melcher.
It has been noted (and even criticized) for similarities to "Hushabye" and Bruce Springsteen's "Hungry Heart." However, it was also a modest hit: the song reached #26 in the US, making it their third consecutive Top 40 hit (excluding the Four Seasons collaboration). It performed similarly in Europe and Canada.
The B-side, the Wilson-Love collaboration "Male Ego," did not chart. It was included as a bonus track on the CD.
Please rate and discuss "Getcha Back" and "Male Ego."
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jan 17, 2022 13:12:06 GMT
"Getcha Back" was a great single. It had so many things that contributed to a popular Beach Boys' "radio" song - from any era - including the drum intro, the harmonies, a familiar Mike Love voice/vocal, a Brian Wilson high vocal, and boy/girl lyrics. "Getcha Back" was a Beach Boys/Steve Levine production at its best; some of the other album songs did not fare as well, but I digress. Yeah, you could sense a few...other song influences...but it didn't really matter. I don't recall that being an issue. I know a lot of fans were happy to hear Brian on the tag. While his vocal was passable, I would've used Carl instead.
As much as I like "Getcha Back", I dislike "Male Ego". I think it's a terrible song. Mike is too nasally, Brian is too shouty, the production is stiff, and the lyrics are some of the most embarrassing of the group's career. Overrated, overrated, overrated...
As a single, "Getcha Back"'s timing was perfect. After the previous three years, the band needed a rebirth. They got a lot out of "Getcha Back". It got them on the radio, it got them on TV (Solid Gold and others), and most importantly, it got them on MTV. It served as a great springboard for things to come, another comeback. Unfortunately, they just didn't have enough to sustain it. As the B-side, I could think of 3-4 other songs that would've featured the band members better. I'm gonna stretch to an 8. I can't stress enough how positive it was to hear "Getcha Back" on the radio, seeing the group on MTV (competing with bands half their age) and having Brian integrated back into the band/mix in a significant way. Yeah, "Getcha Back" is not an all-timer, but it's close, and I give it credit for that.
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Post by Kapitan on Jan 17, 2022 14:31:22 GMT
I know a lot of fans were happy to hear Brian on the tag. While his vocal was passable, I would've used Carl instead.
As much as I like "Getcha Back", I dislike "Male Ego". I think it's a terrible song. Mike is too nasally, Brian is too shouty, the production is stiff, and the lyrics are some of the most embarrassing of the group's career. Overrated, overrated, overrated... What coincidence, the two parts of your post I wanted to comment on are back to back.
As for Brian on the tag of "Getcha Back," count me on Team Brian. I like having him on there. But honestly, either way would have been fine with me. On the "getcha back ... getcha back now," is that Al and Carl, or are they alternating? I need to listen more closely later. Anyway, I like getting them all into it somehow. And with the first single, it's good to get some Brian lines.
For "Male Ego," I think I mostly agree with you. Not quite, I'm not THAT hard on it. But it's not anything particularly good, much less special. It reminds me of the sort of thing Brian seems to do every once in a while, something half done, and saying "hey, it's great!" The structure is vanilla. The arrangement is vanilla. The lyrics, as you said, are pretty bad. But somehow it does manage that kind of charm that Brian has even when he's doing something cringeworthy (note, I did not say "it is cringe," because I like grammar), like on Love You or the like.
But the main reason it doesn't bother me is that it's a non-album B-side. Isn't that where relative throwaway tracks go?
Well ... I don't know! Sometimes it seems like a single is really meant to be the best representation possible, ideally a double A-side type situation. But many artists over the years have just thrown in something not good enough for an album, an alternate version, a live track, an old unreleased song. So I don't know. I don't mind the choice of "Male Ego," unless they were saying "these are our two best songs." Then I'd seriously question it. (Seeing as it wasn't really on the album, I don't think they thought that.)
Not sure of my rating, but it'll be lower than Sheriff John Stone's 8, for sure. Probably closer to 5. As I've said before, we're into an era that's going to be pretty joyless for me.
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Post by jk on Jan 17, 2022 14:44:16 GMT
Nice A-side. I don't plan to become acquainted with "Male Ego" so I'm afraid I can't vote! I'll just post three videos instead:
The opening of "Getcha Back"...
...is too close to that of 1957's "Alone" by The Shepherd Sisters...
...or, more likely, to that of the 1964 cover by The Four Seasons, for whom the song sounds tailor-made...
...to be a coincidence! Even the stamping drums at the start scream Four Seasons...
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Post by Kapitan on Jan 17, 2022 14:51:20 GMT
I've always just associated it with a Phil Spector sort of thing, a "Be My Baby" (or "Don't Worry Baby," for that matter).
Unfortunately from my perspective, that oh-so-80s sound is abysmal.
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Post by B.E. on Jan 18, 2022 0:49:15 GMT
I've always just associated it with a Phil Spector sort of thing, a "Be My Baby" (or "Don't Worry Baby," for that matter). Unfortunately from my perspective, that oh-so-80s sound is abysmal.
Every time I listen to the intro, despite knowing it's coming, I am just NOT ready for the drum sound on '3' (the 2nd time around). My Lord! That couldn't be more obnoxious and unpleasant. (Fortunately, there's a lot about the track I like, so I soldier on.) Preceding by about a month their first new album in five years, the slickly produced The Beach Boys I misread that as "sickly" produced.
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Post by B.E. on Jan 18, 2022 1:20:41 GMT
It reminds me of the sort of thing Brian seems to do every once in a while, something half done, and saying "hey, it's great!" The structure is vanilla. The arrangement is vanilla. The lyrics, as you said, are pretty bad. But somehow it does manage that kind of charm that Brian has even when he's doing something cringeworthy (note, I did not say "it is cringe," because I like grammar), like on Love You or the like. Absolutely. I couldn't agree more. And here's probably where I depart from both of you: I really do enjoy it. I recognize it's not particularly high quality, but it's fun. And I'd probably take it over at least half of BB85, every non-"Kokomo" SC track, every SiP track, "East Meets West", etc. And while it absolutely reminds me of other works by Brian, this particular track is quite unique considering the time and place. There's really nothing else even remotely similar to this from that era of the group. But the main reason it doesn't bother me is that it's a non-album B-side. Isn't that where relative throwaway tracks go?
Well ... I don't know! Sometimes it seems like a single is really meant to be the best representation possible, ideally a double A-side type situation. But many artists over the years have just thrown in something not good enough for an album, an alternate version, a live track, an old unreleased song. So I don't know. I don't mind the choice of "Male Ego," unless they were saying "these are our two best songs." Then I'd seriously question it. (Seeing as it wasn't really on the album, I don't think they thought that.) I think you gotta take it on a case-by-case basis. Considering the circumstances, there's no way that the plan would have been to release only one single from BB85. With that in mind, I don't see them taking a double A-side approach. The logic being, if "It's Gettin' Late" is their 2nd most commercial song, why waste it on the B-side of "Getcha Back", which is going to be a hit (or not), on its own, regardless? Obviously, I go back and forth on this issue depending on the release, but here: give me the fun, quirky, non-album Brian & Mike tune! The pairing isn't perfect, but it isn't terrible, either.
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Post by B.E. on Jan 18, 2022 1:37:45 GMT
Personally, I'm giving this single an '8'. The highlight for me is the background vocals of "Getcha Back". That includes Brian's quasi-lead over the tag, but the ooohs and wah-ooohs (where Al really seems to cut through), the main falsetto part, and (especially) the "whoa-oh-oh-oh-OH-oh-oh-oh" that leads back into the verses. Love it. Classic Beach Boys. Actually, the weakest part of the vocal equation for me is Mike's lead. In spots it's much better (i.e. less nasal/harsh) than some of his previous efforts, but at times comes off as lazy/indecisive or just odd. Basically, it's hit or miss, which is really too bad considering the opportunity with this semi-classic tune. Kapitan , the "gonna getcha back, now" during the tag? Kind of a low-to-mid register part? Sounds like Carl to me.
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Post by lonelysummer on Jan 18, 2022 5:17:42 GMT
I'll echo sentiments here about "it sure was nice to have our guys on the radio again". I remember seeing them at the fair that year, and the song they were performing as we walked in (during the afternoon show - we had tickets for the evening show) was "Getcha Back". I remember seeing the video on Friday Night Videos. I'm surprised it stalled at #26, but in this era, the band's home base was really the A/C chart, where this peaked at (I think) #2. It was a big hit on the light rock stations. It stayed in their setlists for the next 3 years; and is periodically brought back now. I grew up in the 80's, so I don't find the 80's production style as annoying as some do. It's what they had to do to get airplay. Love the "whoa-wo" vocals - Brian? Just a big wall of sound supporting the vocals - is there any guitar in there at all? Maybe I'm over enthusiastic, but I'm giving it a 9. The 80's was not the era of double sided hits, so I really don't care that the flip side is a lesser track; and at least it has Brian sounding better than when we last heard him. It's a likeably loopy track.
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Post by Kapitan on Jan 18, 2022 12:44:18 GMT
I grew up in the 80's, so I don't find the 80's production style as annoying as some do. It's what they had to do to get airplay. So did I, though I think I am a little younger. Born in '76, so it wasn't growing up into an adult in the '80s, but into a teenager. Yet I really do dislike a lot of those sounds.
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Post by kds on Jan 18, 2022 14:38:28 GMT
What an interesting contrast here. BB85 is an album I've warmed up to in recent years, but I've always really liked Getcha Back. Even in my casual fandom, it was a song I routinely listened to when I pulled out by Sounds of Summer CD in the warmer months. It's interesting that it's mostly an 80s pop album, but there were a couple attempts to really try to do a classic BB sounding song, and I think that Getcha Back succeeds. And I really like Brian's vocals on it a lot. Mike's a bit nasal, but still sounds decent here.
On the flip side, I can see why Male Ego was left off the album proper initially.
If just about any other BB85 track were chosen as a B side, I might go higher, but I'm settling on a seven here.
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Post by Kapitan on Jan 18, 2022 14:56:44 GMT
I know we're talking the single, here, not the album, but it is kind of funny how this album mostly feels like a contemporary 80s pop album except "Getcha Back," "California Calling" and "I'm So Lonely," which are all such nostalgia type songs (although with the same production). It makes for an odd mix of songs.
In the end, I think it's that damn drum sound and Brian/Jeff's falsetto wailing that I just do not like. At all. They take it from a 6-7 to something lower TBD. But I really don't like it.
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Post by kds on Jan 18, 2022 15:00:47 GMT
I know we're talking the single, here, not the album, but it is kind of funny how this album mostly feels like a contemporary 80s pop album except "Getcha Back," "California Calling" and "I'm So Lonely," which are all such nostalgia type songs (although with the same production). It makes for an odd mix of songs.
In the end, I think it's that damn drum sound and Brian/Jeff's falsetto wailing that I just do not like. At all. They take it from a 6-7 to something lower TBD. But I really don't like it.
I actually really like the falsetto throughout Getcha Back. The only thing that ever really bothered me about the song was how abrupt it shifts to the ending.
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Post by Kapitan on Jan 20, 2022 11:45:48 GMT
Yesterday I wanted to hear a live version of this, to wash the sound of the original production out of my ears and hear the song in what I'd consider a better presentation. I went for a few C50 versions, and I have to say, I was disappointed! Why? The main part that's falsetto in the original is not falsetto here, at least not the first half of it. And instead, it's really kind of shouty and awkward, not really in tune.
I guess the robot version from the live album is always available.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jan 20, 2022 12:54:59 GMT
"Getcha Back" doesn't come across well live. Maybe that says something about Steve Levine's work on the song. I was a bit surprised Mike handed the lead vocal over to David, considering he was gone from the group for twenty years when the song was recorded. I guess it was nice that David got a shot at a lead vocal, you know, let him share in the spotlight, too.
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