Flex's Takes: The Beach Boys

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matedog
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Re: Flex's Takes: The Beach Boys

Post by matedog »

Listening to some of the new comp I listed above and their early 70s stuff is weird and barley recognizable. It just sounds very 70s rock with randos that aren’t the Wilson family singing and stuff. The hardcore fans seem to like it, but it’s definitely not immediately familiar or too relatable to The Beach Boys.
Look, you have to establish context for these things. And I maintain that unless you appreciate the Fall of Constantinople, the Great Fire of London, and Mickey Mantle's fatalist alcoholism, live Freddy makes no sense. If you want to half-ass it, fine, go call Simon Schama to do the appendix.

Flex
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Re: Flex's Takes: The Beach Boys

Post by Flex »

matedog wrote:
02 Jul 2022, 12:24am
Listening to some of the new comp I listed above and their early 70s stuff is weird and barley recognizable. It just sounds very 70s rock with randos that aren’t the Wilson family singing and stuff. The hardcore fans seem to like it, but it’s definitely not immediately familiar or too relatable to The Beach Boys.
Yeah, I really like a lot of that early 70s stuff. Underrated era.

My problem with the next set is while some of the new remixes sound good (or at least interesting) more than a handful of them sound like garbage. It's been pointed out that there's hissing on a lot of them like incorrect settings were used when they ran the tape to make the new mixes. Very weird.
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danbot
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Re: Flex's Takes: The Beach Boys

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Dr. Medulla wrote:
01 Jul 2022, 9:15pm
Flex wrote:
01 Jul 2022, 8:58pm
danbot wrote:
01 Jul 2022, 7:37pm
There’s no unhearing that one now. Yikes, that’s bad!
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That's basically Heston's argument for KISS.
This is the price for all the great music I've heard through this site, I guess. ;)

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Re: Flex's Takes: The Beach Boys

Post by danbot »

Flex wrote:
02 Jul 2022, 8:57am
matedog wrote:
02 Jul 2022, 12:24am
Listening to some of the new comp I listed above and their early 70s stuff is weird and barley recognizable. It just sounds very 70s rock with randos that aren’t the Wilson family singing and stuff. The hardcore fans seem to like it, but it’s definitely not immediately familiar or too relatable to The Beach Boys.
Yeah, I really like a lot of that early 70s stuff. Underrated era.

My problem with the next set is while some of the new remixes sound good (or at least interesting) more than a handful of them sound like garbage. It's been pointed out that there's hissing on a lot of them like incorrect settings were used when they ran the tape to make the new mixes. Very weird.
I agree that the early 70's Beach Boys is underrated. I find the consistency is a little dodgy though with that many song writers joining in. For me, every record from that period has at least one or two clunkers. Dennis, in particular, was writing some great songs though.

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Re: Flex's Takes: The Beach Boys

Post by WestwayKid »

Brother Records, Inc. has seen fit to polish this up in the wake of its appearance in Stranger Things:



I've always dug this cover. It's suitably moody and well sung (which wasn't always a given for that period in their history). Roger McGuinn's 12 string adds a timeless quality, too.

Video is maybe a little silly in its attempt to be, I don't know, haunted? It does mark their first phantom sax performance, with John Phillips pretending to play a part he didn't record. Mike Love would repeat this in the Kokomo video.

Brian looks kind of creepy in this video, way too skinny and checked out. He appears on the track credits, but I can't hear him in the mix.

All in all, a good song (even if it's a cover) from a rather fallow period and used well in Stranger Things.
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Re: Flex's Takes: The Beach Boys

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matedog wrote:
02 Jul 2022, 12:24am
Listening to some of the new comp I listed above and their early 70s stuff is weird and barley recognizable. It just sounds very 70s rock with randos that aren’t the Wilson family singing and stuff. The hardcore fans seem to like it, but it’s definitely not immediately familiar or too relatable to The Beach Boys.
I think that's what I like so much from the era: they were still moving forward, redefining what it meant to be a Beach Boy until they hit the Endless Summer wall and it became all about the nostalgia. Love You was the last gasp of the group as an artistic force.
"They don't think it be like it is, but it do." - Oscar Gamble

matedog
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Re: Flex's Takes: The Beach Boys

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WestwayKid wrote:
19 Jul 2022, 9:55am
Brother Records, Inc. has seen fit to polish this up in the wake of its appearance in Stranger Things:



I've always dug this cover. It's suitably moody and well sung (which wasn't always a given for that period in their history). Roger McGuinn's 12 string adds a timeless quality, too.

Video is maybe a little silly in its attempt to be, I don't know, haunted? It does mark their first phantom sax performance, with John Phillips pretending to play a part he didn't record. Mike Love would repeat this in the Kokomo video.

Brian looks kind of creepy in this video, way too skinny and checked out. He appears on the track credits, but I can't hear him in the mix.

All in all, a good song (even if it's a cover) from a rather fallow period and used well in Stranger Things.
Carl sings the hell out of his part, per usual. I usually like the rare Al vocal, but this doesn't do too much for me.

The video at least tries with the appearance of the Mamas/Papas and the black and white look. The sax solo is ridiculous and good call that it served as Mike's inspiration for Kokomo. Now we just need a re-up of Rock and Roll to the Rescue!
Look, you have to establish context for these things. And I maintain that unless you appreciate the Fall of Constantinople, the Great Fire of London, and Mickey Mantle's fatalist alcoholism, live Freddy makes no sense. If you want to half-ass it, fine, go call Simon Schama to do the appendix.

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Re: Flex's Takes: The Beach Boys

Post by Flex »

I really enjoy their cover of California Dreamin' and agreed about Roger's guitar - great stuff. High recommendation for everyone who participates in this thread to pick up a copy of Made in U.S.A. which has both CD and Rock N Roll To the Rescue and the CD sounds great.

I think I first encountered the CD music video on a Vh1 pop up video type thing where they did a marathon of all the Beach Boys music videos. I think they did a couple early proto-music videos from the 60s and 70s and then it was, ah, all 80s and 90s BBs. Pretty dire.
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a bowl of soup
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a rolling hoop
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a ton of lead
Wiggle - you can raise the dead

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Re: Flex's Takes: The Beach Boys

Post by WestwayKid »

Flex wrote:
19 Jul 2022, 11:13am
I really enjoy their cover of California Dreamin' and agreed about Roger's guitar - great stuff. High recommendation for everyone who participates in this thread to pick up a copy of Made in U.S.A. which has both CD and Rock N Roll To the Rescue and the CD sounds great.

I think I first encountered the CD music video on a Vh1 pop up video type thing where they did a marathon of all the Beach Boys music videos. I think they did a couple early proto-music videos from the 60s and 70s and then it was, ah, all 80s and 90s BBs. Pretty dire.
It does!

Made in U.S.A. is an interesting comp: you get the early hits up until Good Vibrations/Heroes, but not much from the 70's era other than Do It Again and Rock and Roll Music / Come Go With Me.
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Re: Flex's Takes: The Beach Boys

Post by WestwayKid »

Flex wrote:
19 Jul 2022, 11:13am
I really enjoy their cover of California Dreamin' and agreed about Roger's guitar - great stuff. High recommendation for everyone who participates in this thread to pick up a copy of Made in U.S.A. which has both CD and Rock N Roll To the Rescue and the CD sounds great.

I think I first encountered the CD music video on a Vh1 pop up video type thing where they did a marathon of all the Beach Boys music videos. I think they did a couple early proto-music videos from the 60s and 70s and then it was, ah, all 80s and 90s BBs. Pretty dire.


I think the concept for most 80s and 90's BBs videos was how can we feature girls in bikinis. It's Getting Late is one of the better songs on BB85. Carl kills the vocal, but the video is awful. Redeemed (maybe) only by the funny Brian cameo at the end.

I think the video for Getcha Back features the same actors from the It's Getting Late video. Definitely a similar concept: dork gets cool to get the girl.

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matedog
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Re: Flex's Takes: The Beach Boys

Post by matedog »

Man, I wonder if I should do a deep dive on Beach Boys videos from 85-93 like the KISS videos. I'm way more familiar with these videos already, so it'll be less revelatory, but could be a fun exercise.
Look, you have to establish context for these things. And I maintain that unless you appreciate the Fall of Constantinople, the Great Fire of London, and Mickey Mantle's fatalist alcoholism, live Freddy makes no sense. If you want to half-ass it, fine, go call Simon Schama to do the appendix.

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Re: Flex's Takes: The Beach Boys

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matedog wrote:
19 Jul 2022, 12:02pm
Man, I wonder if I should do a deep dive on Beach Boys videos from 85-93 like the KISS videos. I'm way more familiar with these videos already, so it'll be less revelatory, but could be a fun exercise.
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matedog
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Re: Flex's Takes: The Beach Boys

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Dr. Medulla wrote:
19 Jul 2022, 12:13pm
matedog wrote:
19 Jul 2022, 12:02pm
Man, I wonder if I should do a deep dive on Beach Boys videos from 85-93 like the KISS videos. I'm way more familiar with these videos already, so it'll be less revelatory, but could be a fun exercise.
I hereby endorse this product or service.
Would it go in this thread or the rape van thread? 85-93 is the Mike Love era...
Look, you have to establish context for these things. And I maintain that unless you appreciate the Fall of Constantinople, the Great Fire of London, and Mickey Mantle's fatalist alcoholism, live Freddy makes no sense. If you want to half-ass it, fine, go call Simon Schama to do the appendix.

Flex
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Re: Flex's Takes: The Beach Boys

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Dr. Medulla wrote:
19 Jul 2022, 12:13pm
matedog wrote:
19 Jul 2022, 12:02pm
Man, I wonder if I should do a deep dive on Beach Boys videos from 85-93 like the KISS videos. I'm way more familiar with these videos already, so it'll be less revelatory, but could be a fun exercise.
I hereby endorse this product or service.
I second this nomination. The Council has spoken and we both approve and compel this course of action.
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a bowl of soup
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a rolling hoop
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a ton of lead
Wiggle - you can raise the dead

Pex Lives!

Flex
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Re: Flex's Takes: The Beach Boys

Post by Flex »

matedog wrote:
19 Jul 2022, 12:17pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
19 Jul 2022, 12:13pm
matedog wrote:
19 Jul 2022, 12:02pm
Man, I wonder if I should do a deep dive on Beach Boys videos from 85-93 like the KISS videos. I'm way more familiar with these videos already, so it'll be less revelatory, but could be a fun exercise.
I hereby endorse this product or service.
Would it go in this thread or the rape van thread? 85-93 is the Mike Love era...
Rape Van is for when we debase ourselves with the beach boys, such as what you're about to do.
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a bowl of soup
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a rolling hoop
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a ton of lead
Wiggle - you can raise the dead

Pex Lives!

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