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Post by boogieboarder on Jul 24, 2021 12:15:58 GMT -5
Given that Surfin' Safari contains almost all Brian Wilson compositions, I totally agree that Surfin' Safari is a much better album. Your opinion, sir, and one you're perfectly entitled to both hold and propose. That said, I've rarely seen such complete and utter hogwash posted on any BB forum since I joined the internet back in February 1998. OK, I'm out of here.
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Post by jk on Jul 24, 2021 12:52:00 GMT -5
Your opinion, sir, and one you're perfectly entitled to both hold and propose. That said, I've rarely seen such complete and utter hogwash posted on any BB forum since I joined the internet back in February 1998. OK, I'm out of here. Please don’t take it that way, sir. That was one man’s opinion, that’s all. And AGD can be a little too outspoken at times. Well no one’s perfect...
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Post by Al S on Jul 24, 2021 18:13:34 GMT -5
I didn't even buy Pacific Ocean Blue when it first came out, but my mom asked me what I wanted for Christmas that year, and since I usually have already bought everything I want when it comes to albums, I suggested Pacific Ocean Blue. I was embarrassed when she also gave the same album to my brothers, who weren't big Beach Boys fans to begin with. They wondered what the heck I was thinking. LOL - nice work, Mum! Did your brothers sort you out on Boxing Day?
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Post by AGD on Jul 25, 2021 7:55:24 GMT -5
Please don’t take it that way, sir. That was one man’s opinion, that’s all. And AGD can be a little too outspoken at times. Well no one’s perfect... I think, quite strongly, that if you asked any BB fan which was the better album, Surfin' Safari or Pacific Ocean Blue, after the incredulous laughter had died down, the response would overwhelmingly be along the lines of "Seriously ?".
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Post by jk on Jul 25, 2021 13:35:56 GMT -5
Please don’t take it that way, sir. That was one man’s opinion, that’s all. And AGD can be a little too outspoken at times. Well no one’s perfect... I think, quite strongly, that if you asked any BB fan which was the better album, Surfin' Safari or Pacific Ocean Blue, after the incredulous laughter had died down, the response would overwhelmingly be along the lines of "Seriously ?". That may well be, but there are more civilized ways of getting your message across than shouting “complete and utter hogwash”.
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Post by jk on Jul 31, 2021 16:57:40 GMT -5
Well, maybe this is the right moment to chill out with the gorgeous "Holy Man". Thanks be to the two Taylors and Brian M:
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Post by jk on Aug 26, 2021 6:22:07 GMT -5
If this looks familiar, it's because I first posted it here four weeks ago and then changed my mind. Anyway, here is the BB studio version from 1973 (with thanks to AGD) of "River Song", one of the few "alternate" BB-related takes that does it for me. This is sensational:
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Post by carllove on Dec 22, 2021 20:19:59 GMT -5
Well - I love me some Dennis Wilson - but I do actually prefer his earlier work. The Deluxe Legacy Edition with “Mexico” and the Taylor Hawkins version of “Holy Man” is a 10. That side two is magical. The original version is a 9 though. My favorite Beach Boys solo album!
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Post by jk on Dec 23, 2021 5:29:52 GMT -5
Well - I love me some Dennis Wilson - but I do actually prefer his earlier work. The Deluxe Legacy Edition with “Mexico” and the Taylor Hawkins version of “Holy Man” is a 10. That side two is magical. The original version is a 9 though. My favorite Beach Boys solo album!It's mine too, along with BW '88 and OCA (if that counts). I bought the deluxe edition to help ease Dennis into the UK charts (I was on holiday at the time) but gave it to my late friend, as I prefer the original POB (burnt for me by a lovely person years earlier) and the amazing Ultimate Bamboo(tleg).
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Post by E on Dec 23, 2021 8:46:19 GMT -5
Wow, it seems like everybody here either loves the album or hates it. I lean more toward the "hate it side," though I wouldn't give it as low a rating as a 1 or 2. Maybe a 3. Given that Surfin' Safari contains almost all Brian Wilson compositions, I totally agree that Surfin' Safari is a much better album. In fact, I love that album. I have nothing against Dennis Wilson. I loved Dennis Wilson's original songs when they started appearing on Friends and 20/20. But by the time of Pacific Ocean Blue, these are really just song fragments, lovely as they are, many aren't really fully developed songs. And Dennis' voice was so ruined by then, he could barely croak out anything. Ironically, I like the Bambu sessions a lot more. It seems that he recovered his ability to write complete songs, especially like the ones Bruce Johnston decided to record with The Beach Boys on the L.A. (Light Album) - "Love Surrounds Me" and "Baby Blue." There were other great songs Bruce could have selected as well, but Bruce seemed to select the slow ballads. I didn't even buy Pacific Ocean Blue when it first came out, but my mom asked me what I wanted for Christmas that year, and since I usually have already bought everything I want when it comes to albums, I suggested Pacific Ocean Blue. I was embarrassed when she also gave the same album to my brothers, who weren't big Beach Boys fans to begin with. They wondered what the heck I was thinking. Maybe there's a need for a broader definition of what a song can be - and surely his voice is worse on the Bambu stuff
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Post by Awesoman on Dec 30, 2021 9:55:16 GMT -5
The album is an underrated classic and I'm glad it's received more attention and accolades over the years. I admit I have to be in a certain mood or state of mind to get into it at times, but it's definitely much edgier and daring than any of the other bandmates' solo work. And it's a great one to play on vinyl. Too bad he fizzled out on finishing his follow-up album.
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Post by nts1drums on Mar 15, 2022 18:35:42 GMT -5
Never wrote on this one (only voted) so I might as well talk about it.
What a wonderful album. Each of these songs are unique in some way.
River Song is absolutely the best known song and probably the most complex song (time-signature wise). A beautiful piece of work with excellent examples of what Dennis was capable of. Lyrics about the rough city life and wishing to go to the rivers.
What’s Wrong is your good ol’ rock’n’roll number that always gets you goin no matter what.
Moonshine is one beautiful ballad of what appears to be lost love. A powerful song.
Friday Night is one epic rocker that gets you in the mood to party. I love this one.
Dreamer is a great showcase for the bass harmonica and the bridge where it all slows down is my favorite part, making it feel majestic before kicking us back in with the drum fill and into the great guitar solo.
Thoughts of You is one emotional piece that one can understand and relate to in certain situations. Especially once the middle section starts it kicks things up a notch and showcases true pain before settling back down.
Time is a good piece. Unfortunately in my eyes it’s the least memorable track, despite some incredible accomplishments on Dennis’ behalf (DENNIS ON ELECTRIC VIOLIN WHOA)
You & I is probably the most accessible track on the album, and is another ballad where you can feel Dennis’ emotions peak through.
Pacific Ocean Blues is a bluesy track where the fender Rhodes and guitars mix together to make an interesting track, with the minimoog solo tuned to sound like a steel drum.
Farewell My Friend is a song that brings up grief from losing a friend (in this context, his father-in-law “Pops” Hinsche)
Rainbows is my favorite song on here, a wonderful combination of “Wall of Sound” and truly making me feel like I’m on the best vacation of my life.
End Of My Show is a suitable end to the album, with Dennis realizing that he is loved by many of his friends. A fitting end.
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Post by AGD on Mar 17, 2022 12:37:20 GMT -5
Never wrote on this one (only voted) so I might as well talk about it. What a wonderful album. Each of these songs are unique in some way. River Song is absolutely the best known song and probably the most complex song (time-signature wise). A beautiful piece of work with excellent examples of what Dennis was capable of. Lyrics about the rough city life and wishing to go to the rivers. What’s Wrong is your good ol’ rock’n’roll number that always gets you goin no matter what. Moonshine is one beautiful ballad of what appears to be lost love. A powerful song. Friday Night is one epic rocker that gets you in the mood to party. I love this one. Dreamer is a great showcase for the bass harmonica and the bridge where it all slows down is my favorite part, making it feel majestic before kicking us back in with the drum fill and into the great guitar solo. Thoughts of You is one emotional piece that one can understand and relate to in certain situations. Especially once the middle section starts it kicks things up a notch and showcases true pain before settling back down. Time is a good piece. Unfortunately in my eyes it’s the least memorable track, despite some incredible accomplishments on Dennis’ behalf (DENNIS ON ELECTRIC VIOLIN WHOA) You & I is probably the most accessible track on the album, and is another ballad where you can feel Dennis’ emotions peak through. Pacific Ocean Blues is a bluesy track where the fender Rhodes and guitars mix together to make an interesting track, with the minimoog solo tuned to sound like a steel drum. Farewell My Friend is a song that brings up grief from losing a friend (in this context, his father-in-law “Pops” Hinsche) Rainbows is my favorite song on here, a wonderful combination of “Wall of Sound” and truly making me feel like I’m on the best vacation of my life. End Of My Show is a suitable end to the album, with Dennis realizing that he is loved by many of his friends. A fitting end. Don't believe everything you read in the credits...
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Post by AGD on Mar 17, 2022 12:40:01 GMT -5
Well - I love me some Dennis Wilson - but I do actually prefer his earlier work. The Deluxe Legacy Edition with “Mexico” and the Taylor Hawkins version of “Holy Man” is a 10. That side two is magical. The original version is a 9 though. My favorite Beach Boys solo album!I think it's the best BB solo effort by several country miles. Second would be That Lucky Old Sun.
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missilesofsoul1
Dude/Dudette
Hello, I am a longtime BB fan and aficionado from Berkeley, CA.
Posts: 59
Likes: 57
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Post by missilesofsoul1 on Mar 19, 2022 5:00:26 GMT -5
Wow, it seems like everybody here either loves the album or hates it. I lean more toward the "hate it side," though I wouldn't give it as low a rating as a 1 or 2. Maybe a 3. Given that Surfin' Safari contains almost all Brian Wilson compositions, I totally agree that Surfin' Safari is a much better album. In fact, I love that album. I have nothing against Dennis Wilson. I loved Dennis Wilson's original songs when they started appearing on Friends and 20/20. But by the time of Pacific Ocean Blue, these are really just song fragments, lovely as they are, many aren't really fully developed songs. And Dennis' voice was so ruined by then, he could barely croak out anything. Ironically, I like the Bambu sessions a lot more. It seems that he recovered his ability to write complete songs, especially like the ones Bruce Johnston decided to record with The Beach Boys on the L.A. (Light Album) - "Love Surrounds Me" and "Baby Blue." There were other great songs Bruce could have selected as well, but Bruce seemed to select the slow ballads. I didn't even buy Pacific Ocean Blue when it first came out, but my mom asked me what I wanted for Christmas that year, and since I usually have already bought everything I want when it comes to albums, I suggested Pacific Ocean Blue. I was embarrassed when she also gave the same album to my brothers, who weren't big Beach Boys fans to begin with. They wondered what the heck I was thinking. You are certainly entitled to your opinion, but there are numerous lapses in taste & judgement here IMHO.
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Post by Awesoman on Mar 22, 2022 8:17:28 GMT -5
Wow, it seems like everybody here either loves the album or hates it. I lean more toward the "hate it side," though I wouldn't give it as low a rating as a 1 or 2. Maybe a 3. Given that Surfin' Safari contains almost all Brian Wilson compositions, I totally agree that Surfin' Safari is a much better album. In fact, I love that album. I have nothing against Dennis Wilson. I loved Dennis Wilson's original songs when they started appearing on Friends and 20/20. But by the time of Pacific Ocean Blue, these are really just song fragments, lovely as they are, many aren't really fully developed songs. And Dennis' voice was so ruined by then, he could barely croak out anything. Ironically, I like the Bambu sessions a lot more. It seems that he recovered his ability to write complete songs, especially like the ones Bruce Johnston decided to record with The Beach Boys on the L.A. (Light Album) - "Love Surrounds Me" and "Baby Blue." There were other great songs Bruce could have selected as well, but Bruce seemed to select the slow ballads. I didn't even buy Pacific Ocean Blue when it first came out, but my mom asked me what I wanted for Christmas that year, and since I usually have already bought everything I want when it comes to albums, I suggested Pacific Ocean Blue. I was embarrassed when she also gave the same album to my brothers, who weren't big Beach Boys fans to begin with. They wondered what the heck I was thinking. You are certainly entitled to your opinion, but there are numerous lapses in taste & judgement here IMHO. I think folks are being a tad hard on this guy. No matter how you view the album (or any album for that matter) it is not a *requirement* to appreciate it. Although I personally dig the album, I can understand where Boogieboarder was going in his assessment. Dennis had a tendency to lean more into the feeling or emotional aspect of a song he was writing over its structure. That could lead to the song having a rather aimless or drifting feeling to it, and I can understand why that could be offputting to some. To get the full experience of POB you really have to listen to it in full as there are only a handful of songs on there that work well on their own (such as "River Song"). That's not a knock on the album; I just believe the album was intended to be listened to in its entirety to get the whole complete musical statement Dennis was making with it. I don't believe it's even unfair to label POB as something of a "grower" as it does take a few listens to fully appreciate it. Hell, it took several decades after his passing before the album started receiving the proper street cred and respect it deserved.
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Post by jk on Oct 26, 2022 8:07:24 GMT -5
On the subject of Dennis’s "Time" being unlike anything else, the closest I've managed to get is the closing track on side one of Talk Talk's 1988 album Spirit of Eden. "Desire" like "Time" is contemplative for the most part but erupts about two-thirds of the way in, just like the Dennis track. The biggest difference being that "Time"'s sonic explosion doesn't let up (and fades out) whereas that of "Desire" reverts to the contemplative mood just before the audible end:
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Post by boogieboarder on Oct 27, 2022 8:33:23 GMT -5
Wow, it seems like everybody here either loves the album or hates it. I lean more toward the "hate it side," though I wouldn't give it as low a rating as a 1 or 2. Maybe a 3. Given that Surfin' Safari contains almost all Brian Wilson compositions, I totally agree that Surfin' Safari is a much better album. In fact, I love that album. I have nothing against Dennis Wilson. I loved Dennis Wilson's original songs when they started appearing on Friends and 20/20. But by the time of Pacific Ocean Blue, these are really just song fragments, lovely as they are, many aren't really fully developed songs. And Dennis' voice was so ruined by then, he could barely croak out anything. Ironically, I like the Bambu sessions a lot more. It seems that he recovered his ability to write complete songs, especially like the ones Bruce Johnston decided to record with The Beach Boys on the L.A. (Light Album) - "Love Surrounds Me" and "Baby Blue." There were other great songs Bruce could have selected as well, but Bruce seemed to select the slow ballads. I didn't even buy Pacific Ocean Blue when it first came out, but my mom asked me what I wanted for Christmas that year, and since I usually have already bought everything I want when it comes to albums, I suggested Pacific Ocean Blue. I was embarrassed when she also gave the same album to my brothers, who weren't big Beach Boys fans to begin with. They wondered what the heck I was thinking. You are certainly entitled to your opinion, but there are numerous lapses in taste & judgement here IMHO. Can you list them?
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Post by Maci Eascra on Nov 11, 2022 17:00:11 GMT -5
I had no idea this album existed until fairly recently, and I wouldn't have put a nickel on Dennis producing the best solo album from the Beach Boys. River, Dreamer....really solid songs. Thoughts of You and Time stand out as well, but there is an overall theme at work here, as a grizzled, rebellious drifter sings of love and loss. It's nothing to do with nostalgia. In fact, it's a flat-out rejection of what Mike what trying to do with the band. A last glimpse into that 70s creativity from the band. Just amazing that it came from Dennis. 8/10
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Post by tomtomplayboy on Nov 14, 2022 6:46:59 GMT -5
You are certainly entitled to your opinion, but there are numerous lapses in taste & judgement here IMHO. Can you list them? "Given that Surfin' Safari contains almost all Brian Wilson compositions, I totally agree that Surfin' Safari is a much better album." The suggestion that anything written or produced by Brian Wilson is automatically better or more important than anything written or produced by his brothers is a pretty out-there opinion to hold. "I loved Dennis Wilson's original songs when they started appearing on Friends and 20/20. But by the time of Pacific Ocean Blue, these are really just song fragments, lovely as they are, many aren't really fully developed songs." Be Still and All I Want to Do sound more like fully developed songs than, say, Moonshine, Dreamer, You & I and Rainbows? I really don't understand that. And Dennis's songs often sounded like multiple interlinked fragments, from Little Bird onwards. That is what makes many of his songs so interesting, because they keep chopping and changing, and you never know quite where they're going to go next. This was true of Little Bird, Celebrate the News and Never Learn Not to Love, and it's true of River Song, Thoughts of You and Time. "I like the Bambu sessions a lot more. It seems that he recovered his ability to write complete songs." Each to their own, of course, but to me the Bambu sessions are the audio equivalent of a drunk trying to string sentences together. It's Dennis Wilson, and so it's frequently musically fascinating, but the songs meander all over the place, and they almost completely lack the care and coherence of the songs heard on POB. There are exceptions (the two LA songs) but, more often than not, you can almost smell the mind-frazzling liquor coming through the speakers. Tracks like Wild Situation and Time for Bed sure sound great, but they don't go anywhere, and I think this reflects where Dennis was mentally at the time. He had the ideas but he no longer had the clear-headedness and drive to form them into coherent wholes. Outside interests were taking precedence over the music.
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Post by Awesoman on Dec 28, 2022 7:16:53 GMT -5
On the subject of Dennis’s "Time" being unlike anything else, the closest I've managed to get is the closing track on side one of Talk Talk's 1988 album Spirit of Eden. "Desire" like "Time" is contemplative for the most part but erupts about two-thirds of the way in, just like the Dennis track. The biggest difference being that "Time"'s sonic explosion doesn't let up (and fades out) whereas that of "Desire" reverts to the contemplative mood just before the audible end: It was a pleasant surprise that Jeff Beck and Johnny Depp dusted off "Time" for their album. And it *almost* works but I felt the latter half was a tad lacking despite Beck's furious guitar playing. It could have gone on a little bit longer and the lack of the horn part does knock it down a peg. It's still a pretty good reading of the song though.
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Post by jk on Dec 28, 2022 8:22:44 GMT -5
It was a pleasant surprise that Jeff Beck and Johnny Depp dusted off "Time" for their album. And it *almost* works but I felt the latter half was a tad lacking despite Beck's furious guitar playing. It could have gone on a little bit longer and the lack of the horn part does knock it down a peg. It's still a pretty good reading of the song though. Yes, I miss the powerhouse horns too. That's such a stunning effect, contrasting dramatically as it does with Bill Lamb's contemplative trumpet solo. See Craig S's indispensable Sessionography, which I see lists Dennis as possibly playing bass trombone on this track!
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Post by boogieboarder on Dec 28, 2022 9:09:16 GMT -5
"Given that Surfin' Safari contains almost all Brian Wilson compositions, I totally agree that Surfin' Safari is a much better album." The suggestion that anything written or produced by Brian Wilson is automatically better or more important than anything written or produced by his brothers is a pretty out-there opinion to hold. "I loved Dennis Wilson's original songs when they started appearing on Friends and 20/20. But by the time of Pacific Ocean Blue, these are really just song fragments, lovely as they are, many aren't really fully developed songs." Be Still and All I Want to Do sound more like fully developed songs than, say, Moonshine, Dreamer, You & I and Rainbows? I really don't understand that. And Dennis's songs often sounded like multiple interlinked fragments, from Little Bird onwards. That is what makes many of his songs so interesting, because they keep chopping and changing, and you never know quite where they're going to go next. This was true of Little Bird, Celebrate the News and Never Learn Not to Love, and it's true of River Song, Thoughts of You and Time. "I like the Bambu sessions a lot more. It seems that he recovered his ability to write complete songs." Each to their own, of course, but to me the Bambu sessions are the audio equivalent of a drunk trying to string sentences together. It's Dennis Wilson, and so it's frequently musically fascinating, but the songs meander all over the place, and they almost completely lack the care and coherence of the songs heard on POB. There are exceptions (the two LA songs) but, more often than not, you can almost smell the mind-frazzling liquor coming through the speakers. Tracks like Wild Situation and Time for Bed sure sound great, but they don't go anywhere, and I think this reflects where Dennis was mentally at the time. He had the ideas but he no longer had the clear-headedness and drive to form them into coherent wholes. Outside interests were taking precedence over the music. I guess I better give it another listen, then.
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Post by Awesoman on Mar 8, 2023 9:12:26 GMT -5
It was a pleasant surprise that Jeff Beck and Johnny Depp dusted off "Time" for their album. And it *almost* works but I felt the latter half was a tad lacking despite Beck's furious guitar playing. It could have gone on a little bit longer and the lack of the horn part does knock it down a peg. It's still a pretty good reading of the song though. Yes, I miss the powerhouse horns too. That's such a stunning effect, contrasting dramatically as it does with Bill Lamb's contemplative trumpet solo. See Craig S's indispensable Sessionography, which I see lists Dennis as possibly playing bass trombone on this track! I've actually been messing around with a mashup of sorts of both versions of the song. Using an online track separator you can isolate things like vocals and bass as their own individual tracks. Combining both versions is proving to be something of a challenge though because the tempos drift with each other here and there. But if I can get it to a presentable spot I'm happy with maybe I'll share it here. It is kind of neat to mix Beck's guitar work over the brass section of the original version when I can get them to line up.
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Post by jk on Mar 8, 2023 9:33:52 GMT -5
Yes, I miss the powerhouse horns too. That's such a stunning effect, contrasting dramatically as it does with Bill Lamb's contemplative trumpet solo. See Craig S's indispensable Sessionography, which I see lists Dennis as possibly playing bass trombone on this track! I've actually been messing around with a mashup of sorts of both versions of the song. Using an online track separator you can isolate things like vocals and bass as their own individual tracks. Combining both versions is proving to be something of a challenge though because the tempos drift with each other here and there. But if I can get it to a presentable spot I'm happy with maybe I'll share it here. It is kind of neat to mix Beck's guitar work over the brass section of the original version when I can get them to line up. Wow. That would to be very cool to hear. Good luck with getting it organized!
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