Stereo Listening Thread

[Human Avatar]

I've been meaning to read that, so I should finally pick up a copy. Thanks for the recommendation! I didn't know that about Jerry Harrison, either.

Speaking of Pet Sounds and Brian Wilson...I love how exact his music is, but how he would leave random chatter in the mixes. It kind of makes you feel like you're there (even though they weren't live recordings).

I agree with you on Brian Wilson ! I absolutely am perplexed and obsessed with his songwriting. And the way he blends harmonies and melodies, and his choice of chords . His musical style speaks to me in profound ways his songs don’t even need words for me

 

[Rodafina]

I had written the Beach Boys off entirely (sorry!) as I'd only heard a few hits on Oldies Radio when I was young. Never revisited them since for some reason... Until @Mr. Stevens and @Moogwizard came to the forum. Been diggin what you guys have shared and I have an entirely new appreciation for the man and the group. Thanks, guys. I was missing out on some very cool music.

 

[Human Avatar]

You’re welcome !
One day just listen to the whole “Pet Sounds Album “
By The Beach Boys

It may not be for everyone, you may like it you may not . There is nothing wrong with that . But it is so good !! In my opinion.

 

[Mr. Stevens]

I had written the Beach Boys off entirely (sorry!) as I'd only heard a few hits on Oldies Radio when I was young. Never revisited them since for some reason... Until @Mr. Stevens and @Moogwizard came to the forum. Been diggin what you guys have shared and I have an entirely new appreciation for the man and the group. Thanks, guys. I was missing out on some very cool music.

I got into them when I was about 17, after having the same impression. But they changed my world. I bought a box set called Good Vibrations: 30 Years of The Beach Boys, which had all the hits, album tracks, and tons of unreleased stuff. Especially a half hour of music from Smile, an album from 1966/67 which wasn't finished. The band has a very complicated history--they released a song by Charles Manson--and a lot of their best stuff was never released. You'll be amazed at what you find once you dig. This is a favorite that you wouldn't expect from them:

Playing off what MoogWizard (I always read this to the tune of "Moon River") wrote about Brian's unique composing style, he really likes to illustrate with music. There are two versions of "Wind Chimes" and both are meant to capture the feel of wind making music. The earlier version uses percussion instruments to evoke wind chimes, and the huge chorus is blustery, like it's very windy.

The version above is more of a whisper, with elements out of time with the music, since wind chime noise coheres and dissipates. It's very clever. Brian does this a lot and it kind of goes over your head--the sort of thing you miss even though it's right in front of you.

It gets deeper if you know how to write/read music (I don't). I read that the chorus in "California Girls" is a melody that doesn't resolve. Basically, it reaches for something unobtainable, because they can't all be California girls. I've also noticed that the melody goes up while changing to lower keys through the chorus, as if the song is being pulled in opposite directions.

"God Only Knows" is in the key of E, I think, but doesn't actually use the root notes of an E chord, from what I've read. I think this is why it has this sort of floating feeling...like something is there, but never directly articulated. Like God.

I could give more examples ("Cabinessence" is especially brilliant this way), but you get the idea. Brian is very much about form meeting function, especially in ways most pop writers are not. As much as I love The Beatles, I don't think they really did this kind of thing. But, Brian learned to write and arrange by listening to a jazz vocal group he loved, and learning their vocal parts at the piano. That's one reason the Beach Boys' stuff is so articulate. And even their recording sessions can be fun to listen to. I actually have a bootleg set from the 90s, which is three CDs of just "Good Vibrations" sessions. Overkill, but fun

And, because it's just stuck in my head and must get out:

 

[Rodafina]

^ Fascinating! This definitely deserves some digging into and some serious listening.

Thank you for all the info... it will make listening so much more intriguing knowing all of this stuff and what @Moogwizard shared, too.

Brian Wilson sounds like quite the cool character. Unique and innovative, combining so much art, music, and meaning into his work. I wonder how he got everyone else to follow along with his new ideas. He must have been an effective leader and I wonder how he got other musicians to trust his vision. And then, how the heck did he trust them to fulfill those visions and give them life?

There is so much more going on in a band or with a musician than a few silly pop hits that are ridiculously replayed on commercial radio.

 

[Mr. Stevens]

^ Fascinating! This definitely deserves some digging into and some serious listening.

Thank you for all the info... it will make listening so much more intriguing knowing all of this stuff and what @Moogwizard shared, too.

Brian Wilson sounds like quite the cool character. Unique and innovative, combining so much art, music, and meaning into his work. I wonder how he got everyone else to follow along with his new ideas. He must have been an effective leader and I wonder how he got other musicians to trust his vision. And then, how the heck did he trust them to fulfill those visions and give them life?

There is so much more going on in a band or with a musician than a few silly pop hits that are ridiculously replayed on commercial radio.

You bet! Unfortunately, they were not all into what Brian wanted to do. The Beach Boys had a lot of the normal band friction, made more complicated by being (mostly) family. Some of them were very against Pet Sounds and Smile, which is one reason Smile is unfinished. He said they argued so much over whether to release a song called "Surf's Up," they almost broke up. (It's not about surfing, of course.). There were a lot of lyrics about American colonization, too, which they would resist singing.

He has a lot of shame and bad memories from this period, and wouldn't allow Smile music to be released for a long time. Whereas, if he talks about Pet Sounds, he's clearly reliving the happiest time of his life. He got to finish an album that was very personal for him, even with some band resistance. I think the car and surfing songs were more an excuse to make music, but aren't him. He hates surfing. (I like those songs, so I'm not bashing them. This is just the impression I get of Brian's attitude.)

It's a big subject, but Brian tried hard to destroy The Beach Boys' image and didn't really get to. He still oversaw the next few albums in the last 60s, but then stopped giving them much music. And he thought about leaving the band a lot since the late 60s. I think he felt he couldn't express himself with them, anymore. They also had him institutionalized because he kept working on a (brilliant) version of "Old Man River," without finishing it. Lots of drama.

As you can see, I can go on about this

 

[Human Avatar]

You bet! Unfortunately, they were not all into what Brian wanted to do. The Beach Boys had a lot of the normal band friction, made more complicated by being (mostly) family. Some of them were very against Pet Sounds and Smile, which is one reason Smile is unfinished. He said they argued so much over whether to release a song called "Surf's Up," they almost broke up. (It's not about surfing, of course.). There were a lot of lyrics about American colonization, too, which they would resist singing.

He has a lot of shame and bad memories from this period, and wouldn't allow Smile music to be released for a long time. Whereas, if he talks about Pet Sounds, he's clearly reliving the happiest time of his life. He got to finish an album that was very personal for him, even with some band resistance. I think the car and surfing songs were more an excuse to make music, but aren't him. He hates surfing. (I like those songs, so I'm not bashing them. This is just the impression I get of Brian's attitude.)

It's a big subject, but Brian tried hard to destroy The Beach Boys' image and didn't really get to. He still oversaw the next few albums in the last 60s, but then stopped giving them much music. And he thought about leaving the band a lot since the late 60s. I think he felt he couldn't express himself with them, anymore. They also had him institutionalized because he kept working on a (brilliant) version of "Old Man River," without finishing it. Lots of drama.

As you can see, I can go on about this

Not sure if you have ever Heard of Carol Kaye she was the bassist on Pet sounds and most of The Beach Boys wrecking crew stuff , she and I formed an internet friendship for many years talking about music and music theory. I have not messaged her in many years , I know she was having lots of problems with arthritis and stuff . But she was very important in giving me advice on music theory that helped with my songwriting.

 

[Mr. Stevens]

Not sure if you have ever Heard of Carol Kaye she was the bassist on Pet sounds and most of The Beach Boys wrecking crew stuff , she and I formed an internet friendship for many years talking about music and music theory. I have not messaged her in many years , I know she was having lots of problems with arthritis and stuff . But she was very important in giving me advice on music theory that helped with my songwriting.

That's incredible! Yeah, I love her playing and hearing her during the recording sessions, especially on Smile stuff. She and Brian have some funny and interesting comments.

 

[Mr. Stevens]

A few more fun ones...

I wish The Smiths' remasters weren't so loud and YouTube won't do the music justice, but still.

Johnny Marr said he wanted this to be his "Jumpin' Jack Flash," and it's certainly very exciting. The guitars and drums really work well together. Very tight, energetic, and dramatic.

A fan favorite, with good reason. For me, this is just a really perfect song and recording. The instruments really tell a story and the backing track would still be affecting on its own. I really love the guitar lick around 1:44, with what sounds like a keyboard flute afterward. It just pushes everything into a deep, more personal territory. And the keyboard strings work really well. Usually that kind of thing sounds terrible.

Maybe my favorite by them. Morrissey's voice centered, with all that echo. The way the word "laugh" flutters. There's a lot going on, but still so much space in the mix. I would love to hear Lana del Rey cover this. And when that overdub comes in around 2:00, to illustrate what he's saying--like some brief coherence in a vaporous life, or the passing light of pleasure.

 

[Mr. Stevens]

This one's pretty simple, but it sure is fun to listen to. I love how the guitars sound in Part 1, and the change in moods from Part 1 to 2.

 

[Mr. Stevens]

 

[Mr. Stevens]

I agree with you on Brian Wilson ! I absolutely am perplexed and obsessed with his songwriting. And the way he blends harmonies and melodies, and his choice of chords . His musical style speaks to me in profound ways his songs don’t even need words for me

Hey Moog, I dug around and found some good Beach Boys articles you might like. Both are by a Yale professor named Daniel Harrison. If you've ever seen the Wilson documentary I Just Wasn't Made for These Times, he's the guy discussing "The Warmth of the Sun" (at about 13:40):

The first article is really interesting, discussing Brian's writing and arranging. The second is about sound effects on Beach Boys records.

Daniel Harrison - After Sundown: The Beach Boys' Experimental Music

Daniel Harrison - Pet Sound Effects (just scroll down)

 

[Human Avatar]

Hey Moog, I dug around and found some good Beach Boys articles you might like. Both are by a Yale professor named Daniel Harrison. If you've ever seen the Wilson documentary I Just Wasn't Made for These Times, he's the guy discussing "The Warmth of the Sun" (at about 13:40):

The first article is really interesting, discussing Brian's writing and arranging. The second is about sound effects on Beach Boys records.

Daniel Harrison - After Sundown: The Beach Boys' Experimental Music

Daniel Harrison - Pet Sound Effects (just scroll down)

Thank you !! I will Read these and watch the video

 

[Mr. Stevens]

I enjoyed hearing this recently. The Beatles' "Rain" at the original speed:

The finished/single version:

 

[Mr. Stevens]

and especially:

 

[MildredHubble]

This to me sounds sublime on my Wharfedale Linton's turned up so you get it to bite just right. Playing the LP it sounds like Ry Cooder and the band are playing right there in the living room!

 

[MildredHubble]

Also this...

 

[Outdated]

Probably not something heard a lot in other countries, I'm a big fan of a lot of Aboriginal bands. Usually high energy hard rock, and an amazing ability to blend traditional instruments and songs in to modern rock. This one's 30 years old now, I consider it to be a classic.

 

[MildredHubble]

Probably not something heard a lot in other countries, I'm a big fan of a lot of Aboriginal bands. Usually high energy hard rock, and an amazing ability to blend traditional instruments and songs in to modern rock. This one's 30 years old now, I consider it to be a classic.

Reminds me of something I can't quite put my finger on. But also has that defiant Neil Young vibe, like if they collaborated it would be so energetic you could harness it and never need fossil fuels again!

 

[Outdated]

Reminds me of something I can't quite put my finger on.

Treaty was a huge hit here, and there are several different dance compilations of it as well.