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Post by Kapitan on Apr 4, 2022 11:35:45 GMT
In July 1990, just a few days before the soundtrack album that included the song for the movie of the same name, the Beach Boys released "Problem Child" as a single on the RCA label.
The song was written and produced by Terry Melcher. The B-side was an instrumental version of the same song. It did not chart on the primary charts, but did reach some adult contemporary charts.
Please listen to, discuss, and rate "Problem Child."
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Apr 4, 2022 12:04:18 GMT
There's a cliche' that I would imagine not a lot of people...like...but I'll use it anyway - IT IS WHAT IT IS.
And, that's how I feel about "Problem Child". I suppose The Beach Boys were in some demand for soundtrack work after "Kokomo". And, I have a feeling our guys weren't going to be very selective in the offers they were receiving, not that they were being bombarded with them. So, The Beach Boys get "Problem Child", and "they" get Mike, Carl, and Stamos.
Carl was singing so well. Tremendous singing. And, I like Mike's vocal, too. Really, I like his part. Well, that's about it for the positives. I can take or leave the rest of the song. It's very lightweight. The production is so of its time, not exactly my cup of tea.
Gee, thanks guys for really putting out on the B-side. Just what I wanted. An instrumental version of "Problem Child"!
Oh, how the mighty had fallen in just two short years. Sound familiar? Familiar to 1968-70, and 1978-80? "Problem Child" fell under the radar with me. I'm not a movie buff, and I guess my BB fandom was slipping, but I wasn't aware of this single at the time of its release. I'm not even sure how I became aware of it. It's not on any Beach Boys' comps is it? As bad as it is, it should be. A 4, but only because of Carl's and Mike's vocals. Without much arm-twisting, I could be persuaded to change my vote to a 3.
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Post by Kapitan on Apr 4, 2022 12:17:49 GMT
"Problem Child" fell under the radar with me. I'm not a movie buff, and I guess my BB fandom was slipping, but I wasn't aware of this single at the time of its release. I'm not even sure how I became aware of it. This was released on my 14th birthday, a time when I watched MTV religiously and bought cassettes whenever I could scrounge up the money. While not a Beach Boys fan, I was very aware of "Kokomo," of course, and made note of the classics (mostly "Good Vibrations") that ran on VH1 Classics or whatever shows.
I say all that as prelude to sharing Sheriff John Stone's situation: I had no idea this song existed. I knew the movie existed. But not the song. It must have been in front of my eyes at some point, but if so, it left no impression. Which might be for the best, since any impression it would have left wouldn't have been a good one.
This Melcher era is like pulling teeth for me.
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Post by kds on Apr 4, 2022 13:01:37 GMT
When I was about ten years old, I spent the weekend at a buddy's house. My father had given me an advance screening copy of Problem Child on tape. I shit you not, my buddy and I probably watched the movie five times that weekend alone. The song didn't really register as we'd typically hit STOP then REWIND on the VCR as the credits rolls, and that's the only time the song comes up in the movie.
The movie, other than some nostalgia, has lost its appeal to me. I remember catching it on cable several years ago, and it's just one of those things I enjoyed as a kid that didn't grow with me into adulthood. And, I like a lot of silly comedies from that era, but not so much this one.
The song itself is actually surprisingly decent, particularly Carl on the verses.
I'm going with a six.
And, I'll add this to my usual gripe of The Beach Boys not making their full catalog available, despite the existence of multiple compilations and box sets.
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Post by Kapitan on Apr 4, 2022 18:29:03 GMT
I don't know what I'm going to do, ratings-wise. It isn't that bad a song, really, but it brings the same problem for me as do almost everything they released for about a decade in there: the style of the production/engineering. I'm sure you're sick of reading me saying so, but damnit, I'm sick of listening to songs that make me say it.
But the song itself, it's actually kind of a fun pop-rock song. Nice uptempo thing. It ain't "Wouldn't It Be Nice," but it ain't the worst thing they ever did.
The video ... another chance to see Mike "play" sax! They really pushed that in the 80s and into the 90s, didn't they? And who doesn't like Gilbert Gottfried? (Actually, let me rephrase that: I like Gilbert Gottfried.)
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Post by kds on Apr 4, 2022 18:32:20 GMT
I don't know what I'm going to do, ratings-wise. It isn't that bad a song, really, but it brings the same problem for me as do almost everything they released for about a decade in there: the style of the production/engineering. I'm sure you're sick of reading me saying so, but damnit, I'm sick of listening to songs that make me say it.
But the song itself, it's actually kind of a fun pop-rock song. Nice uptempo thing. It ain't "Wouldn't It Be Nice," but it ain't the worst thing they ever did.
The video ... another chance to see Mike "play" sax! They really pushed that in the 80s and into the 90s, didn't they? And who doesn't like Gilbert Gottfried? (Actually, let me rephrase that: I like Gilbert Gottfried.)
I feel like a movie with Gilbert Gottfried, John Ritter, Jack Warden, and Amy Yasbeck should have aged better than it did.
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Post by lonelysummer on Apr 4, 2022 19:49:47 GMT
I was working at Tower Records when this came out. We got a various artists promo cd, and I remember our singles buyer talking it up. I had him play it, and I thought it was a good recording. He expected it would be a hit. I kept waiting for the actual single to come in, but it never did. A friend of mine who worked at a small record store in my neighborhood did manage to get the cassette single. I wonder if that is worth anything now? Yeah, it's cheesy 80's...oops...90's Beach Boys, with the obligatory sax solo, but I like it. Great Carl vocals, good vocals from Mike, and if it had been promoted at all, i could have made the Hot 100. Instead, it sunk without a trace. So it's two full years since the group had a #1 single, and they've sunk to the bottom commercially. Sad that the guys couldn't get it together to Capitolize ha ha) on their fluke success. But I guess they were too busy playing after baseball games and ...no, that's harsh. I get where Carl's head was at - trying to extricate his brother from the evil doctor. Is Brian on this song at all? Maybe I like it because it hasn't been played to death like certain other songs, I'll give it a 7. Na, na-na, na-na.
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Post by Kapitan on Apr 10, 2022 16:01:38 GMT
Final day to vote on "Problem Child." And if you've got anything to say about it, please do!
I ended up going with a 4 btw.
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Post by B.E. on Apr 10, 2022 16:31:48 GMT
The only thing I like about this song is the "you make us crazy, you make us smile" section which occurs before and after the instrumental break. Nothing special as far as the chord progression goes but it's a much needed respite and is very effective. Other than that, yeah, Carl sings well throughout but it's not particularly memorable. Mike sounds pretty bad - wimpy and unconvincing - and the parts, themselves, are pretty terrible too, so that doesn't help. Is that techno-Al doing the other stuff? Yikes. The sound effects are also cringeworthy. Really, not much to like here but it's largely competent with a somewhat likeable song, musically, underneath it all.
4/10
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Post by lonelysummer on Apr 10, 2022 20:31:53 GMT
Did Problem Child ever make it into their setlists? I saw them September 1991, and Still Cruisin' and Kokomo were the only recent songs in the show. They also did a cover of Dancin' in the Streets. They had Crocodile Rock on the Elton John tribute cd a couple months later, but I don't know that it was released as a single, or that the group ever did it live.
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Post by Kapitan on Apr 11, 2022 11:20:21 GMT
Seven voters rated "Problem Child" an average of 4.6.
I will update the ratings thread, and shortly we'll move on to our next album. Thank you for participating.
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