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Post by The Cincinnati Kid on Jan 1, 2019 15:15:28 GMT -5
Brian Wilson took this album in an R&B direction after the relative failure of Smiley Smile. It did fair slightly better, reaching #24 in the US while having the moderate hits Darlin' and the title track. Attachments:
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Post by Bummer In Paradise on Jan 1, 2019 15:53:27 GMT -5
Wild Honey is one of my favorites. When I first heard it I thought it was pretty good, but the release of Sunshine Tomorrow made me appreciate it even more.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 1, 2019 19:30:52 GMT -5
I was teetering between 9 and 10 on this album, but ultimately decided on 10.
Does this mean I consider it a perfect album? Absolutely not. It's noticeably short and ends with two relatively weak tracks. But I give it a 10 because it accomplishes what it set out to do, and it fits in well with the era of music into which it was released. This is an album that I never skip tracks on.
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Post by Beach Boys Fan on Jan 2, 2019 21:56:22 GMT -5
Boo. Half material is skippable. 6.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2019 19:47:45 GMT -5
Wild Honey's a 10/10 in my book. I love every bit of it. I know Darlin' is the standout track for most, but for me it's a toss up between Let the Wind Blow and Here Comes the Night.
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Departed
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Post by Deleted on Jan 5, 2019 14:41:17 GMT -5
I think "charming" is one of the best words to describe Wild Honey.
It's a bit lo-fi and the group is somewhat out of their element, but like Smiley Smile it captures a feeling of fun. However, unlike Smiley Smile it's not nearly as experimental and daring.
I'd give it a solid 7.
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dumbchops
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Favorite Album: Sail On Sailor
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Post by dumbchops on Jan 6, 2019 0:25:59 GMT -5
I've owned the Smiley Smile/Wild Honey 2-fer cd since 1999. I had to import it from Canada since it had long been out of print and of course they did reprint the 2-fers in 2000/2001 with better mastering. It was my second purchase after Pet Sounds but I think I played this cd way more when I first got it. Great liner notes!
I didn't care much for this album when I first heard it. I did not appreciate the muddy sounding mono mix especially after hearing the "Can't Wait Too Long" bonus track in glorious stereo. After buying Sunshine Tomorrow in 2017, I appreciated the album more although by then I had already long since fell in love with a few of the songs. I'm going to break it down track by track:
"Wild Honey" - I think this song is way over rated amongst the hardcore Beach Boys fans who frequent these message boards. The vocal was way out of Carl's range and I can see why it didn't make that much of an impact on the singles charts at the time.
"A Thing Or Two" - I've always loved this song as short as it is and now it sounds great in stereo.
"I Was Made To Love Her" - Not too bad for a cover. The primitive drumming still bums me out.
"Country Air" - I've always really loved this almost fragment of a tune and enjoyed hearing the stereo mix on All This Is That. It's great to own it officially now.
"A Thing Or Two" - I never liked this song. A short waste of space that originally had some hideous editing.
"Darlin'" - A fantastic song despite the apostrophe. I loved this song since the first time I heard it on the cd.
"I'd Love Just Once To See You" - I like the groove on this song. Chord structure wise, it's one of the more interesting ones. I find it particular that they still kept the bass mistake on the new mix but maybe that instrument shared a track with other instruments.
"Here Comes The Night" - Juvenile but catchy. No comment right now on the remake 12 years later. This is still my preferred version.
"Let The Wind Blow" - Quite simply, my favorite song on the lp and has been for just about 20 years now. I like the one on the 1973 Concert album better with Carl singing but this one is still very beautiful.
"How She Boogalooed It" - I don't skip it but it does nothing for me.
"Mama Says" - Sounds too "square" for a rock group. It worked a lot better during the SMiLE sessions. Still incredible singing.
I gave this album a 7 out of 10. It is the Beach Boys in 1967 after all. I just don't like it as much as Smiley, Friends or 20/20, but I'd still rather listen to it than many other albums made around the same time. If I were to have rated my original mono copy, I would have possibly only given this album a 5 out of 10. That's how much I hate the original mix.
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Departed
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Post by Deleted on Jan 6, 2019 3:40:17 GMT -5
I've been getting into this record again pretty hard lately. An extremely charming album, very earnest and It just feels good to listen to. What is it with albums like this, Smiley or Friends that have such unique vibes and feelings overall in these records? Its weirdly magical in its simplicity and I don't really think theres a bad second. Even in my least favorite tracks I have listed, I still love them alot! Wild Honey is such a neat finely tuned album. Is it a 10? no, but It's pretty close. I'd say its a nine, a very rewarding and extremely enjoyable listening experience. Brian Wilson magic!
Favorite Tracks: I'd Love Just Once To See You, A Thing or Two, Let The Wind Blow, Country Air, Wild Honey, Aren't You Glad, Darlin', Mama Says, How She Boogalooed It
Least Favorite: Here Comes The Night, I Was Made To Love Her
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Post by kds on Jan 14, 2019 1:39:46 GMT -5
7. Wild Honey is a nice recovery after the Smiley Smile album and IMO kickstarted the next BB run of great material.
The title track, Darlin, Let the Wind Blow, and Country Air are great. Not really into Mama Says and I think Here Comes the Night is pretty average.
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Post by aquarius on Mar 19, 2019 13:14:10 GMT -5
10/10
Love this.
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Post by filledeplage on Mar 19, 2019 14:24:19 GMT -5
I've owned the Smiley Smile/Wild Honey 2-fer cd since 1999. I had to import it from Canada since it had long been out of print and of course they did reprint the 2-fers in 2000/2001 with better mastering. It was my second purchase after Pet Sounds but I think I played this cd way more when I first got it. Great liner notes! I didn't care much for this album when I first heard it. I did not appreciate the muddy sounding mono mix especially after hearing the "Can't Wait Too Long" bonus track in glorious stereo. After buying Sunshine Tomorrow in 2017, I appreciated the album more although by then I had already long since fell in love with a few of the songs. I'm going to break it down track by track: "Wild Honey" - I think this song is way over rated amongst the hardcore Beach Boys fans who frequent these message boards. The vocal was way out of Carl's range and I can see why it didn't make that much of an impact on the singles charts at the time. "A Thing Or Two" - I've always loved this song as short as it is and now it sounds great in stereo. "I Was Made To Love Her" - Not too bad for a cover. The primitive drumming still bums me out. "Country Air" - I've always really loved this almost fragment of a tune and enjoyed hearing the stereo mix on All This Is That. It's great to own it officially now. "A Thing Or Two" - I never liked this song. A short waste of space that originally had some hideous editing. "Darlin'" - A fantastic song despite the apostrophe. I loved this song since the first time I heard it on the cd. "I'd Love Just Once To See You" - I like the groove on this song. Chord structure wise, it's one of the more interesting ones. I find it particular that they still kept the bass mistake on the new mix but maybe that instrument shared a track with other instruments. "Here Comes The Night" - Juvenile but catchy. No comment right now on the remake 12 years later. This is still my preferred version. "Let The Wind Blow" - Quite simply, my favorite song on the lp and has been for just about 20 years now. I like the one on the 1973 Concert album better with Carl singing but this one is still very beautiful. "How She Boogalooed It" - I don't skip it but it does nothing for me. "Mama Says" - Sounds too "square" for a rock group. It worked a lot better during the SMiLE sessions. Still incredible singing. I gave this album a 7 out of 10. It is the Beach Boys in 1967 after all. I just don't like it as much as Smiley, Friends or 20/20, but I'd still rather listen to it than many other albums made around the same time. If I were to have rated my original mono copy, I would have possibly only given this album a 5 out of 10. That's how much I hate the original mix. Love Country Air - next to WH live - I like CA the best. Gave the album a 9.
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Post by Jason (The Real Beach Boy) on Mar 28, 2019 11:09:54 GMT -5
9.5. The 1967 - Sunshine Tomorrow set really made me go back and give this record some fresh listens and man, it's fine wine and just improves with age. Only a tiny step down from Smiley Smile, but man, what a year for this band.
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Hydra
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Wild Honey
Apr 24, 2020 23:40:02 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by Hydra on Apr 24, 2020 23:40:02 GMT -5
A fantastic record, top 5 for sure. This album over the years has grown on me a lot to the point where I would move it into my top 5 Beach Boys albums along with Pet Sounds, Sunflower, Smile Sessions and Friends. A really cool fun vibe all over the album with no weak songs at all. Best songs are Wild Honey, Darlin, Aren't You Glad, Country Air and Here Comes The Night, I just love Brian's voice on Here Comes The Night. Overall a 10 out of 10
Track Ratings
1. Wild Honey 10/10 2. Aren't You Glad 10/10 3. I Was Made To Love Her 9/10 4. Country Air 10/10 5. A Thing Or Two 9/10 6. Darlin 10/10 7. I'd Love Just Once To See You 9/10 8. Here Comes The Night 10/10 9. Let The Wind Blow 10/10 10. How She Boogalooed It 8/10 11. Mama Says 8/10
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Departed
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Post by Deleted on Feb 26, 2021 20:50:57 GMT -5
I recently bought Wild Honey on vinyl, which has been the first brand new record I've bought in nearly two decades. Now, I'm not one of those vinyl vs. cd types. Most of what I listen to is on cd, but every so often I enjoy breaking out my old album collection. Knowing that it is physically impossible to ever find a true 1967 stereo LP of WH (I have two copies of the 1967 "stereo" release ) I just thought it would be rather cool to have a "what could have been" in the collection. So, how does it sound? Pretty damn good! Does it sound better than the Sunshine Tomorrow cd? I wouldn't say so....just a bit different. A bit. Knowing that the frequency range of those session tapes was very limited, you can only expect so much in sound quality. I've always thought the stereo mix of Sunshine Tomorrow sounded incredible. The vinyl sounds incredible, too. There may be just a bit of added warmth in the bass, but a lot of that could be in my audio set up. One thing for sure, this new vinyl sounds wayyyy better than the original faux stereo LP, which sounds quite muddy due to that old processing.
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Post by ohm on May 29, 2021 1:34:13 GMT -5
Hard to seperate WH from SS in many ways, I first met both on the two-fers, but the Sunshine Tomorrow mix took WH up several levels. For some reason I can't get into I Was Made To Love Her at all, but otherwise its solid gold. The bridge between the collapse of Smile and rebirth of Friends.
Agreed, though, on the best version of Let The Wind Blow being on the 1973 Concert LP. Beautiful.
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Post by E on May 29, 2021 11:25:41 GMT -5
Bought this version (with 20/20) years ago and have love it ever since:
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Post by drbeachboy (Dirk) on May 29, 2021 12:36:37 GMT -5
Ed, that is still is in my vinyl collection, but I also had the Capitol 8-Tracks of each album, still do, but can’t play them.
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petsite
Author/Historian/ Researcher
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Post by petsite on Jun 11, 2021 1:45:17 GMT -5
Alternate Cover for Venezuela.
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Post by Maci Eascra on Nov 11, 2022 15:53:50 GMT -5
I think "charming" is one of the best words to describe Wild Honey. It's a bit lo-fi and the group is somewhat out of their element, but like Smiley Smile it captures a feeling of fun. However, unlike Smiley Smile it's not nearly as experimental and daring. I'd give it a solid 7. That's a great word for the album and I'd agree with a 7/10. It's a lo-fi album to be sure, and moves in a different direction for the time period. But it's 2022, and viewing it through the lens of decades past, it hold up fairly well for an album that was ignored and viewed as inconsequential. But it's fun, listenable, and while Brian may have given up on trying to experiment as he was with Smile, sometimes just being a band and making an album is OK. Back to basics seemed to be a fine choice as the band had to be teetering in 1967 with seeing a future where they could continue to be relevant. And sometimes it is even about just keeping the business in business. Wild Honey, the song, is a great vocal and I think even more of the song itself hearing Blondie sing it live in 1972 or so. Darlin' is a glimpse into combining classic Beach Boys harmonies with a more contemporary approach and Here Comes the Night and How She Boogalooed It are just fun. Carl starts to emerge more as a vocalist and that'll be a welcome shift as the band moves forward and Brian fades, especially vocally. It's a simple and simpler album. Expectations being what they were after Pet Sounds and the collapse of Smile, I get why it is viewed as unimportant. Somewhat true, but it's a fun little album.
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Post by Awesoman on Nov 14, 2022 8:42:21 GMT -5
Surprisingly this one was never a favorite for me. Oh sure, it's certainly not a bad album but I just never really got into it. Oddly enough I'd say I like about half of the songs on here individually and on their own but never really play the album in full.
I love the track "Darlin'" but always preferred hearing it live over the studio version. The title track is high energy and a lot of fun giving Carl a fun vocal challenge. "Let The Wind Blow" is a classic album cut and I equally like the album version along with the bluesy live version they would do several years later. "Country Air" and "Aren't You Glad" are both pretty solid, and I do like their cover of Stevie Wonder's "I Was Made To Live Her", even if it doesn't overtake the original version. I'd say I'm about indifferent towards the rest of the album.
The late 60's was a strange period for the band struggling to remain relevant in an ever-changing musical climate. I think these albums retrospectively have proven to be pretty good on their own merits, but I can kind of see why they didn't get all that much attention (at least when compared to their earlier hits) in their heyday.
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Post by Maci Eascra on Nov 14, 2022 18:40:19 GMT -5
The late 60's was a strange period for the band struggling to remain relevant in an ever-changing musical climate. I think these albums retrospectively have proven to be pretty good on their own merits, but I can kind of see why they didn't get all that much attention (at least when compared to their earlier hits) in their heyday. 100%. The climate was moving in a very avant-garde and prog-rock direction. Wild Honey gets released in December 1967, alongside The Who: The Who Sells Out, Bob Dylan: John Wesley Harding, The Jimi Hendrix Experience: Axis: Bold As Love. The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, etc. are the big acts, and even the R&B revival is a bit dated. Wild Honey isn't in the lane of "classic" Beach Boys, it's not speaking to an audience in 1967 and sometimes artistic merit, which it has, isn't enough to get noticed. I think it's a good example of an album that has dated well, but agreed, I do get why it was overlooked in 1967.
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Post by boogieboarder on Nov 15, 2022 11:50:30 GMT -5
When Smiley Smile was released, articles and interviews said Smile would be the next album. I was extremely disappointed in Wild Honey. To the point where I wouldn’t even buy Friends until I heard it first. I’ve come to like Wild Honey a lot since then, accepting the simpler production and harmonies, and enjoying the melodies for how good they are. I still don’t like the title tune, though.
Hearing the extended version of “I’d Love Just Once to See you” with the extra harmonies, and such outtakes as the original versions of “Cool, Cool Water” and “Can’t Wait Too Long,” it seems that the album could have been a lot more.
In retrospect, it does have nine new Brian Wilson-Mike Love songs on it!
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Post by filledeplage on Nov 15, 2022 13:34:42 GMT -5
When Smiley Smile was released, articles and interviews said Smile would be the next album. I was extremely disappointed in Wild Honey. To the point where I wouldn’t even buy Friends until I heard it first. I’ve come to like Wild Honey a lot since then, accepting the simpler production and harmonies, and enjoying the melodies for how good they are. I still don’t like the title tune, though. Hearing the extended version of “I’d Love Just Once to See you” with the extra harmonies, and such outtakes as the original versions of “Cool, Cool Water” and “Can’t Wait Too Long,” it seems that the album could have been a lot more. In retrospect, it does have nine new Brian Wilson-Mike Love songs on it! A lot of people really like Wild Honey and during the Thanksgiving Tour in 1967, they doing the advance work before the release in December. There was an east coast DJ who liked the band, and he took a thoughtful minute or so, talking about “Darlin’” and his commentary was that it was a really old fashioned word, and how interesting and surprising that a rock band would be including such a romantic term from yesteryear in one of their songs.
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Post by jk on Dec 1, 2022 16:55:56 GMT -5
One of our regular Dutch TV meteorologists is a bloke called Gerrit Hiemstra: I noticed in an article in the local newspaper that his favourite music was Motown and The Beach Boys. Well, this is for him:
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Post by boogieboarder on Dec 2, 2022 16:38:36 GMT -5
When Smiley Smile was released, articles and interviews said Smile would be the next album. I was extremely disappointed in Wild Honey. To the point where I wouldn’t even buy Friends until I heard it first. I’ve come to like Wild Honey a lot since then, accepting the simpler production and harmonies, and enjoying the melodies for how good they are. I still don’t like the title tune, though. Hearing the extended version of “I’d Love Just Once to See you” with the extra harmonies, and such outtakes as the original versions of “Cool, Cool Water” and “Can’t Wait Too Long,” it seems that the album could have been a lot more. In retrospect, it does have nine new Brian Wilson-Mike Love songs on it! A lot of people really like Wild Honey and during the Thanksgiving Tour in 1967, they doing the advance work before the release in December. There was an east coast DJ who liked the band, and he took a thoughtful minute or so, talking about “Darlin’” and his commentary was that it was a really old fashioned word, and how interesting and surprising that a rock band would be including such a romantic term from yesteryear in one of their songs. "Darling" works well when you can't remember their name.
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