|
Post by B.E. on Apr 30, 2023 14:06:33 GMT
Same as last week, but now we turn our attention to the album closers. Which I can't help but notice aren't anywhere near the same overall quality. Be that as it may, some are certainly better than others. In your opinion, which 10 best the rest? Voting is open!
|
|
|
Post by Kapitan on Apr 30, 2023 14:32:24 GMT
Same as last week, but now we turn our attention to the album closers. Which I can't help but notice aren't anywhere near the same overall quality. Be that as it may, some are certainly better than others. In your opinion, which 10 best the rest? Voting is open! Wow, you ain't kiddin'. Had you asked me before I looked at the actual lineup, I'd have said yes, the closers are weaker than the openers. But as I look at them all laid out, it is shocking how much worse they are (both as songs and in their roles as closers)! I don't think there are 10 that I'd say even qualify as good closers, much less something I'd want to rate among my best. I'm guessing I'll only be voting for about half that, but we'll see how it unfolds as I get into it.
|
|
|
Post by B.E. on Apr 30, 2023 14:58:13 GMT
Same as last week, but now we turn our attention to the album closers. Which I can't help but notice aren't anywhere near the same overall quality. Be that as it may, some are certainly better than others. In your opinion, which 10 best the rest? Voting is open! Wow, you ain't kiddin'. Had you asked me before I looked at the actual lineup, I'd have said yes, the closers are weaker than the openers. But as I look at them all laid out, it is shocking how much worse they are (both as songs and in their roles as closers)! I don't think there are 10 that I'd say even qualify as good closers, much less something I'd want to rate among my best. I'm guessing I'll only be voting for about half that, but we'll see how it unfolds as I get into it. I've done a first draft, and while the lineup is certainly underwhelming after last week's edition, there are upward of 15 closers that I genuinely like and are at least decent in that role, IMO. I also think it's better not to think of this as voting for the top 10 great closers, or even good closers, at the exclusion of lesser tracks, it's just the top ten. They could all be bad, but just less bad than the other 18. I think, ideally, every voter would vote for ten in order to get the "purest" results. That said, everyone is welcome to participate as they see fit. That's just how I'm approaching this series. I also think the discussion could be interesting since we're dealing with such flawed tracks. It's sort of wide-open, in a way. There's almost no right answer!
|
|
|
Post by lonelysummer on Apr 30, 2023 20:16:35 GMT
I want to vote for Funky Pretty, but I don't think of it as a true album closer, because the EP comes after that - which I think of as part of the overall Holland experience. One song stands proudly above all others on this list. I think you know which song I'm talking about.
|
|
|
Post by Kapitan on Apr 30, 2023 21:02:51 GMT
One song stands proudly above all others on this list. I think you know which song I'm talking about. Is it Boogie Woodie!?
|
|
|
Post by B.E. on Apr 30, 2023 21:19:02 GMT
As big of a fan of "Don't Back Down" as I am, I'm not sure I'm going to include it in my top 10 because I don't love the gimmicky way it's presented being preceded/introduced by "Our Favorite Recording Sessions". If the latter were simply omitted, "Don't Back Down" would make the cut easily (despite my issues with the mix/mastering). That said, the track doesn't scream closer (or opener) by any means. But it certainly is a quality track.
|
|
|
Post by B.E. on Apr 30, 2023 21:22:44 GMT
I was also thinking, considering the competition, that this might finally be "Barbara Ann"'s time to shine, but perhaps not...perhaps the single vs album version issue might still hold it back. It'll definitely make my top 10, though. No-brainer.
|
|
|
Post by B.E. on Apr 30, 2023 21:45:52 GMT
OK, I got it:
1. Surf's Up 2. Summer's Gone 3. Caroline, No 4. Cuddle Up 5. Custom Machine 6. Barbara Ann 7. And Your Dream Comes True 8. Auld Lang Syne 9. Winds of Change 10. Endless Harmony
I've come a long way with "Endless Harmony".
|
|
Emdeeh
Pacific Coast Highway
Posts: 520
Likes: 532
|
Post by Emdeeh on May 1, 2023 1:42:42 GMT
My list in chronological order, focusing primarily on the idea of an album closing number and how well it fits its album, imo:
Custom Machine Don't Back Down And Your Dream Comes True Barbara Ann Caroline, No Cool, Cool Water Surf's Up Funky Pretty Just Once in My Life Shortenin' Bread
As I have mentioned before, "Shortenin' Bread" is my BB guilty pleasure, and I still think that "Summer's Gone" makes a poor album (not to mention recording career) closer.
|
|
|
Post by jk on May 1, 2023 9:26:08 GMT
The Shift Custom Machine Don't Back DownBull Session Mama Says Cool, Cool WaterSurf's Up Funky Pretty Just Once in My Life Shortenin' BreadMy list shares seven titles with that of Emdeeh. Great minds, or something... That said, it's high time "The Shift" got more credit as a musical pointer to the future. And what better place than at the end of the album in question?
|
|
|
Post by Sheriff John Stone on May 1, 2023 11:16:59 GMT
"Bull Session With Big Daddy" already got two votes? It might be the worst closer. Ever. With "She Knows Me Too Well" sitting there?
In just addressing the first half through Pet Sounds:
- I think "The Shift" as a closer was...meh. I would've closed with "Surfin" - now the dawn is breaking and we'll really gotta go, but we'll be back here very soon that you better know
- "Finders Keepers"? Not bad, not terrible, but how about "Let's Go Trippin'"? I like ending the album on that final riff/notes.
- "Don't Back Down"? No. Either close Side 1 or the album with "All Summer Long". A no-brainer.
Best so far (first half):
- maybe "And Your Dream Comes True" - definitely "Caroline, No"
|
|
|
Post by jk on May 1, 2023 20:16:31 GMT
"Bull Session With Big Daddy" already got two votes? It might be the worst closer. Ever. With "She Knows Me Too Well" sitting there?
In just addressing the first half through Pet Sounds:
- I think "The Shift" as a closer was...meh. I would've closed with "Surfin" - now the dawn is breaking and we'll really gotta go, but we'll be back here very soon that you better know
- "Finders Keepers"? Not bad, not terrible, but how about "Let's Go Trippin'"? I like ending the album on that final riff/notes.
- "Don't Back Down"? No. Either close Side 1 or the album with "All Summer Long". A no-brainer. I still maintain that "BSwtBD" is the perfect track to follow the musically unfollowable "ITBOMM". Another plausible argument might be that side two was getting more and more over the heads of many of the kids who bought the album and a talk track was a way of concluding it at their level. As for "Don't Back Down", once again there's a talk track in play. At the end of "OFRS" Brian forgets his note, which he plays on the piano (and someone else sings). Coincidence or not, it's the first pitched note on "DBD".
|
|
|
Post by Sheriff John Stone on May 1, 2023 23:07:24 GMT
"Bull Session With Big Daddy" already got two votes? It might be the worst closer. Ever. With "She Knows Me Too Well" sitting there?
In just addressing the first half through Pet Sounds:
- I think "The Shift" as a closer was...meh. I would've closed with "Surfin" - now the dawn is breaking and we'll really gotta go, but we'll be back here very soon that you better know
- "Finders Keepers"? Not bad, not terrible, but how about "Let's Go Trippin'"? I like ending the album on that final riff/notes.
- "Don't Back Down"? No. Either close Side 1 or the album with "All Summer Long". A no-brainer. I still maintain that "BSwtBD" is the perfect track to follow the musically unfollowable "ITBOMM". Another plausible argument might be that side two was getting more and more over the heads of many of the kids who bought the album and a talk track was a way of concluding it at their level. As for "Don't Back Down", once again there's a talk track in play. At the end of "OFRS" Brian forgets his note, which he plays on the piano (and someone else sings). Coincidence or not, it's the first pitched note on "DBD". We've discussed it before on other threads, but I would've eliminated the talk/comedy/skit tracks in the first place. There's a reason a few of those early Beach Boys' albums are never mentioned in those "greatest albums" polls and discussions, and a big reason is because of those loopy tracks - that also took the place of superior songs that were recorded but left in the can.
|
|
|
Post by lonelysummer on May 2, 2023 5:34:07 GMT
Let's not forget that albums were not looked upon as serious or great art until the time of Highway 61 Revisited, Rubber Soul, and Pet Sounds. I let this prevent me for many years from grabbing early rock and roll albums. Chuck Berry's first album, After School Session, is one of my favorites. So what if it's just a grab bag of songs from singles, instrumentals, and session leftovers. It's great from start to finish! Likewise, the pre-PS BB's albums are underrated by many, despite that being their most commercially fertile period. I don't mind the instrumentals (Surfin' USA is one of my favorite BB albums) or the talking tracks. They're all part of that period before rock and roll became just "rock" and got all artsy and serious.
|
|
|
Post by Kapitan on May 2, 2023 13:29:47 GMT
Let's not forget that albums were not looked upon as serious or great art until the time of Highway 61 Revisited, Rubber Soul, and Pet Sounds. I let this prevent me for many years from grabbing early rock and roll albums. Chuck Berry's first album, After School Session, is one of my favorites. So what if it's just a grab bag of songs from singles, instrumentals, and session leftovers. It's great from start to finish! Likewise, the pre-PS BB's albums are underrated by many, despite that being their most commercially fertile period. I don't mind the instrumentals (Surfin' USA is one of my favorite BB albums) or the talking tracks. They're all part of that period before rock and roll became just "rock" and got all artsy and serious. One thing that I don't accept is that just because "that's how things were at the time," we're supposed to enjoy them now. Whether we're talking about how albums were thought of (e.g., disposable fun versus high art), or production styles, or instrumentation, or whatever else, I just don't think it's relevant from a personal enjoyment standpoint. From a historical one, sure. It would make no sense to expect something to fit expectations of some completely different context. Why weren't early '50s bands writing and playing all their own material, all originals with deep social messages? Obviously, because that wasn't what was done. That's simple reality. But it doesn't mean you have to like it. There is a big difference between understanding and enjoying. The talk tracks, the simple and dull instrumentals, the jokes--I do think they hurt those Beach Boys albums for my taste. It's irrelevant whether it was more normal for the times. EDIT - to look at it from another angle, if one were to take the "but that's how it was done then" mindset too seriously, then it becomes harder to criticize "Wipeout," or "Smart Girls," or excessive Autotuning and having all recordings pieced together via exhaustive digital editing of individually recorded (and heavily comped together) tracks rather than musicians in the same room making music. After all, "you have to understand that's how it's done now"...
|
|