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?
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
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
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.
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
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
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.
Don't have the album? Let me google that for you:
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