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Post by jk on Feb 7, 2022 8:36:18 GMT -5
I have to confess I'm not a fan of Carl's two solo albums. The first, which for me is definitely the more listenable of the two, is marred by the "lounge orchestra-style sax break" (AGD's words) on the closing track. The second didn't register with me at all. Hopefully someone else will chime in with more positive threads on these albums! One might argue that Like a Brother, like OCA five years earlier, doesn't qualify as a solo album by a Beach Boy. Well for argument's sake, let's say it does. Of the songs I've heard from it (and there are some strong ones among them) the title track is by far the strongest, and a much more emotional listen for me at least than "I Wish For You". Carl left us yesterday 24 years ago. It feels good to play this loud in his (and Dennis’s) memory: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Like_a_Brother
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Post by Al Smith on Feb 7, 2022 16:03:43 GMT -5
In memory of Carl, I don’t mind his first album - a couple of the songs make me think of a Summer’s Night in LA. In my mind of course as I haven’t been there yet!
I do think there’s some edginess in Run Don’t Walk that shows his chops!
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Post by Awesoman on Feb 8, 2022 9:17:15 GMT -5
Yeah his solo work sadly isn't much to speak of. I do really like "Heaven" for what it's worth. The 𝐿𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝐴 𝐵𝑟𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 album has its moments but the production (from Steve Levine) could use a little work. It sure must have been frustrating for Carl to return to the Beach Boys when his solo career went nowhere. He just didn't really have any strong material to get anyone's attention.
I can't believe I'm even suggesting this but if Carl really wanted a few radio hits he should have collaborated with David Foster (gasp!). His voice was well-suited for the kind of ̶s̶c̶h̶l̶o̶c̶k̶ ̶ music Foster was producing at the time.
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Post by E on Feb 8, 2022 11:02:37 GMT -5
I don't mind much of the first album (except for Right Lane, So Long Ago and The Grammy) but I think the second is a kind of AOR mess. There was a time I couldn't stand What You Do To Me, but now I think it's the best song on the album. I like a handful of the songs on Like a Brother - particularly Without Her and Run and, Don't Walk, which I believe he wanted on the album they were thinking about in the mid-90s. It's a bit bland, though, which is what I feel about America.
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Post by AGD on Feb 11, 2022 9:51:27 GMT -5
Yeah his solo work sadly isn't much to speak of. I do really like "Heaven" for what it's worth. The 𝐿𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝐴 𝐵𝑟𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 album has its moments but the production (from Steve Levine) could use a little work. It sure must have been frustrating for Carl to return to the Beach Boys when his solo career went nowhere. He just didn't really have any strong material to get anyone's attention. Levine co-produced one track, "Watching The Time": the rest of the production is credited to Phil Galdston with Beckley-Lamm-Wilson
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Post by Rick Bartlett on Feb 11, 2022 21:26:22 GMT -5
I don't remember any marketing for it at all when it was released. It was very difficult to get here in Australia, I had to import it myself in those days and it cost a pretty penny, like a lot of CD's that never hit the shelves here. Love the Carl tracks, his vocals are just so 'heavenly', the backing tracks have never been that great and even sounded dated at the time. I still don't know what the idea was behind the project and who was it directed to? Can't imagine it would have sold many copies.
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Post by lonelysummer on Feb 11, 2022 22:50:55 GMT -5
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Post by Awesoman on Feb 14, 2022 10:52:31 GMT -5
Yeah his solo work sadly isn't much to speak of. I do really like "Heaven" for what it's worth. The 𝐿𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝐴 𝐵𝑟𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 album has its moments but the production (from Steve Levine) could use a little work. It sure must have been frustrating for Carl to return to the Beach Boys when his solo career went nowhere. He just didn't really have any strong material to get anyone's attention. Levine co-produced one track, "Watching The Time": the rest of the production is credited to Phil Galdston with Beckley-Lamm-Wilson Ah, thanks for the correction.
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Post by Awesoman on Feb 19, 2022 14:45:14 GMT -5
By the way, speaking of "Watching The Time", they recorded a superior version of this song for Robert Lamm's excellent solo album, 𝐼𝑛 𝑀𝑦 𝐻𝑒𝑎𝑑. Titled "Watching The Time Go By", Carl is much more prominent in this version and the hip hoppish arrangement works pretty well for the song. music.youtube.com/watch?v=47zqLPXRWCM&feature=share
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Post by Will/P.P. on Feb 22, 2022 16:46:18 GMT -5
By the way, speaking of "Watching The Time", they recorded a superior version of this song for Robert Lamm's excellent solo album, 𝐼𝑛 𝑀𝑦 𝐻𝑒𝑎𝑑. Titled "Watching The Time Go By", Carl is much more prominent in this version and the hip hoppish arrangement works pretty well for the song. music.youtube.com/watch?v=47zqLPXRWCM&feature=shareThank you for that link, awesoman. Didn't know it existed. Much better. On the group album, Gerry takes most of the lead vocal, though Robert gets a turn. Carl is all but eliminated. Carl's vocal turn is done by Gerry. On Robert's mix, he gets the opening lead vocal, not Gerry, then lets Gerry and Carl have their turns. I don't have the album notes. Is this a complete re-recording or a mix? I'll see if I can find more info. It must have been made during the original sessions. The song itself reminds me of Garfunkel's trio, and their album Everything Waits to Be Noticed.
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Post by E on Feb 22, 2022 18:18:17 GMT -5
I agree; I think it's much better.
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Post by Awesoman on Feb 25, 2022 20:55:48 GMT -5
By the way, speaking of "Watching The Time", they recorded a superior version of this song for Robert Lamm's excellent solo album, 𝐼𝑛 𝑀𝑦 𝐻𝑒𝑎𝑑. Titled "Watching The Time Go By", Carl is much more prominent in this version and the hip hoppish arrangement works pretty well for the song. music.youtube.com/watch?v=47zqLPXRWCM&feature=shareThank you for that link, awesoman. Didn't know it existed. Much better. On the group album, Gerry takes most of the lead vocal, though Robert gets a turn. Carl is all but eliminated. Carl's vocal turn is done by Gerry. On Robert's mix, he gets the opening lead vocal, not Gerry, then lets Gerry and Carl have their turns. I don't have the album notes. Is this a complete re-recording or a mix? I'll see if I can find more info. It must have been made during the original sessions. The song itself reminds me of Garfunkel's trio, and their album Everything Waits to Be Noticed.Pretty sure it's a straight up different recording built up from scratch.
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