Week Three: Friends

let’s be...

FRIENDS

Friends promo video

acapella Friends

Nick - i’m already digging this record more than Smiley Smile and Wild Honey. It’s more cohesive.

tracks:

Meant for You

Nick - i like this melody a lot. actually this is one of those rare occasions where i would rather just hear the lead melody and not all the harmonizing. it’s so pretty on its own.

Friends

Nick - i like the insight into what it means to be a friend in their world. apparently you just need to tell your friends when your girl is untrue and lend them money when the funds aren't too cool.

Bryan - You know, those are just two aspects of what sounds like a beautiful friendship. They also turn each other on to the good things that life has to give. I’m down for that.

Be Here in the Mornin’

Bryan - they are rocking the 3/4 time on this one. Another corny one that is pretty awesome. Especially when they hit that “FULL” it’s such a weird stop.

Nick - right, don’t the liner notes say something about how he was trying to save the waltz or something?

Bryan - “lit all my incense and I wish you were home” I didn’t read the liner notes. I’m freestyling.

When a Man Needs a Woman

Bryan - God this is cheesy, but I love it. Where did they get that organ? Dodger stadium? It shows up on a few other tracks too. The “share all our goodies” transition is genius.

Nick - god i wish it was the organ at Dodger Stadium. would be even better if it was Nancy Bea playing it. and yes, it’s cheesy as hell. between this and “Busy Doin’ Nothin’” it makes me think that Brian just completely gave up on lyrics. or maybe he just always sucked at lyric writing which is why he needed Van Dyke Parks.

Bryan - have you see the writing credits on this one? Brian, Dennis, Carl, Al, plus their cousin and business manager. I wouldn’t hang all the lyrics on Brian. Looks like a group effort. I’m almost ashamed to say how much I like this song. The background vocals are classic Beach Boys.

Nick - i like how you blame anything bad on Mike Love (not war) regardless of whether or not you know he’s truly culpable.

Bryan - I didn’t even mention him here. What are you talking about?

Nick - yeah but i could tell that you wanted to. you hate him. i think there is something deeper here for you that you need to explore. maybe you have a ‘mike love’ in your life? or you are afraid that you are a ‘mike love’ to someone else’s ‘brian wilson’ ?

Bryan - no man, I just don’t like the power hungry and the shallow.

Passing By

Bryan - they really do nice instrumentals.

Nick - yeah those liner notes say that this song had lyrics though. as far as instrumentals, i’m not a huge fan of the other on on here, ‘Diamond Head’.

Anna Lee, the Healer

Bryan - I just went for a jog and had this going through my head. The chorus part is so lush, the verse is really in stark contrast, almost annoyingly simple.

Bryan - I’m going to revise what I said earlier, the verse part is annoying. I can just see Mike (spit) Love showing up at the studio after his experience with the Maharishi and the Beatles, wearing some hippie bullshit caftan, saying, “hey guys, I got this song about this chick I met.” He probably hit on her.

Nick- yeah. i hate this song. it’s just sound so juvenille. but for some reason i keep hearing the lyrics from “Boys in the Hood” to this melody. i think that’s a good idea for a ‘mash up’ for you to work on.

Bryan - I’m not much of a masher. I really like this song, even the bullshit verses can’t drag it down for me.

Little Bird

Nick - oh Dennis

Bryan - yeah, this is real good. I love that Brian used the bit from Child is the Father of the Man on the chorus. It’s so understated on this and the way it opens up to the “...told me not to worry about my life” part. It’s so simple and so good. If only this guy put out a solo album....

The trout in a shiny brook

Gave the worm another look

And told me not to worry about my life

Be Still

Bryan - I heard a cover of this back in 1992 or so by my then-favorite-band, Felt. That was back when my attitude toward the Beach Boys was, “I know that people love the Beach Boys, but to me they just sound like the Beach Boys.” I didn’t run out and buy Pet Sounds or anything, but it at least gave me a hint that there might be something deeper to the Beach Boys than sun, surf, and fun.

Nick - wait, i’m currently way more interested in knowing that at one point in your life Felt was your favorite band.

Bryan - It’s true. I was a lonely, lonely man.

Nick - you mean this Felt?

Bryan - Yep, that very one. Haven’t heard this in ages.

Nick - where would lonely, lonely men in the 80’s have been without Cherry Red or Creation?

Bryan - Nick, you should see my trail of disgrace. Also, next time you’re at my house take a gander at the Felt section of my record collection. I have almost everything they ever did.

Nick - i did own Crumbling the Antiseptic beauty at one point but i’m not sure how much i listened to it. what about House of Love?

Bryan - Never heard them, as far as I know. We’re really on a proto-shoegaze thing here, aren’t we?

Bryan - I still think some of their stuff holds up well. I think it’s pretty hilarious that these guys grew up in the same town as Duran Duran. I remember reading an interview with Lawrence, where he said something to the effect of, “yeah, I grew up with those guys. They were assholes.”

Busy Doin’ Nothin’

Nick - are those directions to his house?

Bryan - Sounds like it. God, the backup instrumentation just screams ez listening California soft rock. A gentle sort of samba, nothing too crazy! I remember one time I was driving down to visit a friend of mine in Santa Barbara in like 1995. This is before the days of ipods and such, so I was scanning the radio. At some point as I was drawing closer to Santa Barbara this station came on that was all this genre of music. I don’t even know what you call it, but it’s a genre unto itself, music to calm your hemorrhoids. You never got that type of music on the radio in Nor Cal.

Nick - i dont really know what you’re talking about. like Herb Alpert kind of thing?

Bryan - Yeah. I guess he’s part of that genre.

Diamond Head

Nick - you think the Phil Manzanera record of the same name is a nod to this song?

Bryan - I’m sure they are both nods to this place which I’m sure both the members of Roxy Music and the Beach Boys were well acquainted with. I like this one fine. Any song that starts off with the sound of a reverb tank being jostled will immediately perk up my ears.

Nick - meh. it sounds like background music from the tiki room at disneyland or something.

Transcendental Meditation

Bryan - Hippie bullshit caftan. I love how he hoots “It’s cool!” Just in case you were wondering if it would go with your wardrobe.

Nick - the funny thing though is that this is the most rockin’ song on the record. and Dennis’s ‘Be Still’ feels the most spiritual and ‘meditative’.

Bryan - that really is pretty funny, it’s like a song and dance number for meditation. Ba- baaa, badada-ba. Asshole.

Nick - Asshole.

Bonus Tracks:

Break Away b/w Celebrate the News

Nick - The “Break Away” single was released at the same time so i think it warrants discussion here or maybe with 20/20 but it doesn’t matter. Either way the B-Side is another Dennis song and my favorite of the 3 we’ve encountered.

Nick - Celebrate the News live

Bryan - yeah. These are both nice tidbits. Celebrate is nice. Why did he have to die?

Nick - well he had to die because most people don’t live through drunkenly diving off their yacht into the water in Marina del Rey to look for crap they had thrown in there in another drunken rage a few years prior.

Bryan - Let’s get the story straight here, he didn’t dive off his yacht, because he didn’t keep up the payments on it. He dove off the pier where his yacht used to be parked and hit his head coming back up. The BBC documentary on him is worth a watch.

Nick - yeah. if i ever had any free time i would love to. i only get listening time in for this project when i’m at work. i mean obviously i’m working really hard, you know, but i just need music.

Bryan - In summation, I really enjoyed this album. This is the first one that I hadn’t heard before starting this project. It’s a pretty rich album, though for it’s time it seems totally out of place. It’s no wonder the hippies didn’t take to this stuff, even with Mike (spit) Love’s attempts to cash in on his experience with the Maharishi. The two Dennis songs are really high points for me. Friends and When a Man needs a Woman are also high real nice songs and it’s good to hear Brian sounding like he’s having fun.

Interestingly, I feel like this album really had an impact on my life a bit this week too. I kept going back to it, playing it over. I’d search through my iTunes library and always come back to it. I really didn’t want to hear anything else. This one’s a keeper.

Nick - I agree with you. Its my favorite so far. I just wish that it were longer. They really had a hard time changing with the musical trends of the time. What i mean is that i get the impression they were still operating with the idea that an album just needed one or two singles and the rest could be ‘filler’. They just didn’t get the AOR concept. Though maybe Brian did and it was just Mike Love (not war) who wanted to believe that it was 1962 still. But yes, a definite keeper. I can’t say that the Dennis songs are necessarily my favorites but i like that he got a couple on there and really look forward to hearing more from him.

Week 2: Sock it to me Wild Honey

Nicolas - This one i’m pretty excited about. It’s a rocker for sure. And yeah yeah i know, it’s the first one that doesn’t have Brian at the helm in the same way but it’s a really fun record for me to listen to.

July 11

Bryan - I’m pretty excited about it too. I have the CD that has both this and Smiley Smile on it—along with a couple nice versions of Good Vibrations. Since they are both on the CD, Wild Honey has often been something I rarely listen to on its own. This really stands on its own though.

• Just taking it all the way through the first time, I had to go back to Country Air again. I mean, it’s got a Melotron. Instant winner for me every time. They went from the excess of Pet Sounds where there was essentially orchestras on every track a track to where it’s bass, piano, melotron, drums and voice.

• The harmonies on Country Air are what get me. The part where they sing “Rise up early the day won’t let you sleep” always gets me. Listen to those harmonies.
  

July 7

Nicolas - yeah, i mentioned that in the Smile discussion too. the lack of instrumentation that is. listen to I’d Love Just Once to See You, the only track that Brian sings by himself. It only has a guitar and a harpsichord. and they dont even play together.

July 11

Bryan - That track is awesome. There’s no harpsichord, it’s all 12 string guitar with maybe a bit of chorus and reverb, a little bass and the drumsticks keeping rhythm. So simple.

July 7

Nicolas - where are you getting this information?

July 7

Bryan - I’m listening to it with my ears man!

July 8

Bryan - It’s pretty funny, I’ve never really given this song much more than an “oh that’s clever” but it’s hard to make a song so simple and yet fully able to stand on it’s own. Again, the comparisons to previous work, where Brian is basically using the studio as the instrument, this really shows there’s so much more to him than just technical skill.

July 8

Nicolas - yeah. i don’t think anyone has accused Brian Wilson of being all form and no function. This is too much discussion though about this one, kind of mediocre song. what about “How She Boogalooed It” ? The first non-Brian Wilson track. is it pure garbage or what? because there are going to be a lot more like this.

July 8

Bryan - That one just came on. Is this an Al Jardine? This has its merits, doesn’t have a lot for me though.

July 1

Nicolas - ok so the first thing i’m noticing just looking at the details on wikipedia is that we have yet to have a Dennis Wilson track on either one of these records. I dont just mean one that he wrote but one where he gets even the lead vocal. I want to know if he was writing anything then and they just wouldn’t even consider it or what? I’m going to the bookstore today to see if i can find something to read to parallel this project.

Aren’t You Glad

July 9
Bryan - I think this is my favorite on the album. And the irony is that I still think it’s fantastic even though this one has Mike (spit) Love sharing lead vocals with Brian and Carl. He does a great job, though it sounds like he’s trying to sound like Carl. Maybe that’s why it’s so good.

I know it’s strange, but what really gets me about this song is the bass line. That’s got to be Brian on bass right? I think they had moved toward playing their own instruments on this one.

Anyhow, I love how the bass line propels this song, especially on the chorus where the notes descend and descend then jump back up. Also notice how they go from staccato to legato on the pre-chorus. Total genius, slows it down for two measures before launching back into the pop pop pop of the chorus.

It’s another real simple song, but it really delivers.

July 11

Nicolas - it’s pretty deceptive too. that french horn in the beginning makes me feel like i need to brace myself for some kind of shmaltzy Carpenters kind of crap. dont get me wrong i love the Carpenters (Downey represent) but it doesn’t give any hint of the subtle manipulations that are to come.

July 11

Bryan - Pretty sure that’s a flugelhorn…..

July 11

Nicolas - oh christ

I Was Made to Love Her

July 11

Bryan - Stevie’s version was better. Do I need to say that?

Country Air

July 8

Nicolas - i’m still trying to sort this out; is that Carl or Mike Love(not war) humming at the beginning of this one?

July 9

Bryan - Sounds like Carl to me. I think Mike was polishing his Rolls.

A Thing or Two

July 11

Nicolas - i LOVE that piano on the chorus. actually they use the same sound on a few other tracks on here. it’s got a real barrelhouse kind of feel, so low and meaty. this makes me think of another point that i would like to bring up. maybe part of the problem is lack of unified direction. you know? like at a certain point someone has to say, ‘ok that’s enough “ideas”. lets focus a little here’. because as much as i like that piano sound do they need it? do they need one more attribute or something?

July 11

Bryan -

• It’s so quiet. I’m listening now on headphones and can barely hear it. Never noticed it before, it’s way down there in the murk. Pretty great.

Darlin’

July 8

Nicolas - Darlin’ 1974 it’s from a few years later but i’m having a hard time find live recordings of songs off this record. though apparently they did tour this year and Brian Wilson actually played with them which was the first time since ‘64 or something.

July 11

Bryan - Holy Fuck. That’s Chicago backing them up! And Christ almighty, listen to that bass playing. Is that fucking Peter Cetera? Whoa. I never knew.

• On another note, why does Mike (spit) Love have a back up tambourine player? Could he not keep up?

• Seriously, this is a rocker, especially the live version.

Here Comes the Night

July 11

Nicolas - i like the staccato vocal arrangement on the chorus. is this the first time they’ve done one like that?

Let the Wind Blow

July 9

Bryan - Yeah, more Mike (spit) Love. I will let this one pass. It’s ok enough until it gets to the “let the poor find money” line that kind of derails me. Still, the “don’t take her out of my life” is real nice.

July 11

Nicolas - yeah. if only the poor could find a rolls royce like his.

How She Boogalooed It

July 9

Bryan - So you’re saying we’re going to have more of this kind of thing the further we get from our starting point? Hmm, bummer.

This sounds totally callow and like they are trying too hard. Al’s trying to prove a point or something. “Come on guys, let’s have fun again!!! Let’s sing about parties and getting boogalooed!”

Of course, anything they could have done as an initial break from Brian is going to fall flat. Al Jardine isn’t Brian Wilson. I’m sure I’m going to get to know his capabilities a lot better as we go on and I’m approaching this with an open mind. I just don’t think this one— or Let the Wind Blow—really stand up well.

July 11

Nicolas - i think you’re getting a little ahead of yourself. i mean it was still only 1967, maybe they were still having some genuinely good times. but yeah, it is a little contrived. though i’m a little worried that i’m actually starting to see Mike Love’s merit in this band. In every band with a musical genius like Brian Wilson there needs to be someone who kind of reels him in and keeps the music from getting too far out there. Kind of like Robert Fripp and John Wetton or Brian Eno and Brian Ferry; maintain that pop element.

July 11

Bryan - I hate to agree that he has any “merit” in the band, more that he has a “place.” He’s best when he’s in his place, I think the more free reign he gets the worse it’s going to be. He stays in his place on Aren’t You Glad and it’s probably my favorite song on the album.

July 12

Nicolas - so we spent more time on this record than was intended due to outside forces but i can’t say i’m not happy about that. it has considerably more depth than i had previously thought. It comes across as a pretty straight forward, late 60’s pop-rock record but upon (many) repeated listens a whole new layer was revealed. Most likely i’m not going to go back and listen to it a lot more but there are a few tracks that i would consider putting on a ‘best of’ type play list: ‘Country Air’, ‘Darlin”, ‘Wild Honey’. The thing that i found the most effecting from this record was really how brief, quick and stripped down it is. it’s made me feel a little manic to be honest. but i think Friends is the first record after Mike Love (not war) gets back from his TM retreat so hopefully we’ll be knee deep in meditative bliss and self-satisfied condescension.

July 12

Bryan - Yeah, real glad we spent extra time on this one. I’d add Aren’t You Glad to the list too. I’m ready for Friends.

Week One: Smiley Smile

Jun 23
Nicolas - i'm already listening to it. i'm going back to Wind Chimes. I think i just missed a lot in that one.

Jun 24
Bryan - There's really a tension in this one that I find pretty scary. The way the line "Close your eyes and lean back...." is delivered, with that sort of forced annunciation just makes me think that Carl is sitting there gazing at the sharp, silver blade in his hand.

Jun 24
Bryan - Or is that Dennis?
This brings up one problem I have, telling these fuckers apart. I can pick out Mike (spit) Love and Brian, but it's hard for me to tell who is who.

Jun 24
Nicolas - yeah. they are all singing on that track too. ill listen to it again. but i think Dennis is a little more 'breathy' than Carl.

Jun 24
Nicolas - you know, i think that's Dennis. the wikipedia page on the song doesn't give enough info to know. they just go on and on about the original version for Smile. As a matter of fact that's all anyone talks about when they talk about this record. I mean i understand the huge impact that that record has essentially by not existing but let's talk about what IS instead of what should have been.

Jun 24
Bryan - Oh he's breathy all right.

Jun 24
Nicolas - 'i'm the kinda guy, who loves to mess around'

Jun 28
Bryan - After listening to most of Smiley Smile with Derek last night, he pointed out that Carl was actually the breathy one. Just listen to Wonderful, that's some breathy shit. He compared Carl's voice to Chet Baker, which I think is pretty apt. Still, I think the "Close you're eyes and lean back" is still Dennis.

Jun 23
Bryan - I'd like to be the first to say, fuck Mike Love. Just the way he says, "too late baby, ain't nothin upside your head" it feels like the dentist just drilled into my nerve.

Jun 23
Nicolas - yeah. chris and i were just talking about him. why's he so creepy? apparently there's some Bruce Johnston interview that i can't seem to find where he makes the caveat that Mike Love is not Hitler. Which means what? he's only as bad as Stalin or something?

Jun 24
Nicolas - "And one of the greatest things that interested me was that he (the Maharishi) said 'You don't have to give up your Rolls Royce...and forsake all your pursuits of material pleasures...to develop innerspiritual qualities'. That sounded real good to me."
..................................Mike Love, 1968

Jun 24
Bryan - Dear Beach Boys,

The name of my favorite vegetable is the Armenian Cucumber.

Thanks for asking.

Love,

Bryan

Jun 25
Nicolas - asparagus...maybe...

Jun 24
Nicolas - do you feel better now? wait...didn't you just acquire an armenian cucumber for the first time and you put it in that salad when i was at your house?

Jun 24
Bryan - No, we have a long-standing friendship.
I'll feel better when Brian knows.

Jun 24
Nicolas - yeah well, it was considerably more dynamic than a regular cucumber, but your 'favorite'? really?


Jun 29
Nicolas - also, "All versions of the song feature the novel use of vegetable chewing as percussion. During the Smile sessions, Paul McCartney was recorded chewing celery. Al Jardine remembers that "the night before a big tour, I was out in the studio recording the vocal [for 'Vegetables'] when, to my surprise, Paul McCartney walked in and joined Brian at the console. And, briefly, the two most influential musical Geminis in the world had a chance to work together."

Jun 29
Bryan - We need a note here about the astrological implications of having two Geminis working together.

Jun 29
Nicolas - ill get on that

Jun 29
Nicolas - ok. this is from www.novareinna.com, which, based on the artwork alone, looks pretty reputable: "This should prove to be a compatible combination in that both would, at least, understand each other's changeable nature and sexual demands (or needs) would be mutual. There is the potential for an excellent partnership here, particularly where the principals are engaged in corresponding vocations, such as singer/composer or author/publisher, for example. The Gemini penchant for change and variety will keep this relationship "on the hop" and whether it produces happiness or sadness will depend largely upon one of partners paying attention...if only for some of the time. Discussion are likely to be lively ones between this pairing and while life will probably be restless and ever-changing, neither one would prefer it any other way. In short, The Gemini/Gemini mix makes for a versatile, charming and vivacious pair who will never get bored (or be boring) due to their interest in just about everything. Being fascinating conversationalists, this pairing will have a multitude of friends and the lifestyle pace is likely to be quite frenetic. However, plenty of socializing is paramount to this combination leading a happy life totether. This mix is comprised of two curious, witty and talkative individuals, both of whom will be somewhat childlike in their love of exploration and variety. They are unlikely to take life as seriously as most other couples.

This combination also has certain potential weaknesses in common which are likely to come to the forefront...being overly-willing to abandon a project or relationship when it becomes too difficult or demanding, for instance. Given that Gemini individuals live within their heads, there may also be a tendency to avoid paying attention to the other's feelings. When together, there may also be frequent word games, intellectual sparring and light banter. In other words, there is the potential in this pair to employ humor in order to gloss over serious topics and emotional issues which may lead to the relationship becoming superficial, unstable and extremely restless. The Gemini/Gemini combination actually stands a better chance at longevity if the couple meet later in life. However, this mixture will enjoy some wonderful times together no matter how long the relationship is fated to last."

Jun 24
Nicolas - I'm really liking "Gettin' Hungry" and i'm especially liking this cover for the single:

Gettin' Hungry

Jun 25
Nicolas - yeah, this is my favorite song on here. that organ sound is really great. especially the bass line in the chorus.

Jun 24
Nicolas - interesting tidbit. Paul Tanner, the theremin player on Good Vibrations was actually a trombone player in Glen Miller's band for years. He also donated the theremin that he used in that recording to a hospital to use for hearing tests.

Jun 24
Nicolas - Brian Wilson radio interview about Smiley Smile
creepy Brian Wilson solo performance of Good Vibrations

Jun 28
Bryan - The video is kind of sad. You gotta feel for the guy.
The lack of echo on the album is fascinating. That's something I didn't pick up on. I'm assuming he's talking about reverb. Now I need to listen to it again with that in mind.


Jun 28
Nicolas - oh yeah man. def feel bad for him. it's super sad. i mean granted a lot of the damage was self inflicted but i think daddy really screwed them all up.

Jun 28
Nicolas - the lack of any instrumentation is fascinating. it hit me the last time i listened to it that other than "Heroes and Villains" and "Good Vibes" most of the track only have about 3 instruments on them. I guess i just never saw that because their voices just sound so full.

Jun 30

Bryan - It's been a good week, listening to smiley smile again. I have to agree with you, Nick. I really want to talk about what is instead of what could have been. Smile didn't happen. And really, whether you're judging Smiley Smile against the merits of Pet Sounds or against the promise of what Smile could have been, there's no doubt that Smiley Smile comes up short.
Still, I remembered what a revelation Good Vibrations was to me after hearing it all my life on the radio and tv, and suddenly hearing it lodged between these strange songs that seemed to be so disconnected from the sun and fun Beach Boys.
I can't help feel some sadness moving on from here. I'm pretty sure things get worse as Mike (spit) Love takes more control.



Nicolas - This is a long road man so you might want to look at it a little more positively as we've just begun. but yes, i'm glad that we didn't get bogged down discussing Smile tracks or, even worse, that "Smile" that came out a few years back...yikes. Anyway, in summation, i found Smiley Smile to basically be discomforting. It's really difficult to find anything cohesive to grab onto. It jumps all over the place. You have these tracks like Heroes and Good Vibes with huge arrangements smashed between some of the most starkly produced recordings they've ever made. So while the quality of the songwriting may (or may not) go down hill after this record at least the records tend to make a little more sense.|