Departed
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Post by Deleted on Jan 5, 2019 14:30:03 GMT -5
Finally got around to listening to this, and Im sorry to say I came away disappointed. I really wanted to love this album, and perhaps my high expectations were what killed it for me. Aside from the dated, cheesy 80s production and shot vocals, I didn't really find any standout tracks here. Not even Love and Mercy. It blows my mind this was hyped up as "Pet Sounds '88" according to wikipedia. I think that was just people hearing what they wanted to--the triumphant return of Brian. The "sequel to Love You" some were calling it on PSF is more accurate, but even that I think gives too much credit to this and not enough to LY. The latter blew me away the first time I heard it (though I wasn't expecting much, admittedly) and has some really unique moments on it. This one just doesn't have the same spark. I think it's because of Landy's co-writing, and possibly pushing Brian against his will to do this in the first place. There's something inexplicably insincere about this one. It's not the same Brian as '77, much less '66. There's less of that honest, unpretentious vulnerability and one-of-a-kind voice (I mean in a writer's sense, not singer's). There seems to be a polish (more like whitewash) and attempt to be commercial and impress the critics here that wasn't before.
I don't know if Im making sense. Anyway, Im not done with this album. There are a lot of albums I thought were just good or even just better than average the first time I heard them but then they slowly grew on me. Forever Changes, Smiley Smile and Electric Ladyland are among those. So who knows, someday I might grow to appreciate this more. I hope so, but for now I can only give a 6 and even that might be slightly generous.
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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 19:55:57 GMT -5
I love this album. It's one of those albums that I never skip a track. As a matter of fact, I would have a hard time picking my favorite song on here. There's "Melt Away", "Baby Let Your Hair Grow Long", "Let It Shine", "Meet Me In My Dreams Tonight", "Rio Grande" and more. I played it to my son who likes the Beach Boys but he did not care for this album as much. I think it's a "grower". Not counting BWPS, I personally think this is his best released album to date. I've long since gotten over the vocals. For me, Brian Wilson's worst vocals to date were 2017-2018.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 13, 2019 9:24:58 GMT -5
I love this album. It's one of those albums that I never skip a track. As a matter of fact, I would have a hard time picking my favorite song on here. There's "Melt Away", "Baby Let Your Hair Grow Long", "Let It Shine", "Meet Me In My Dreams Tonight", "Rio Grande" and more. ... Not counting BWPS, I personally think this is his best released album to date. Agreed on all above counts, dumbchops (except the bit about BWPS being better).  And I love the production (is this a hot take?).  I have the original 1988 version (my local library is good like that) where "Melt Away" really shines.  Ten (is this a hot take too?).  |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 13, 2019 15:16:30 GMT -5
8/10 for BW88. The songs are so good. The production style I think is pretty good too, though I have tried to imagine what these songs would sound like if they were redone with less synthesizers and more traditional instrumentation, and I think they'd just be through-the-roof awesome. The live versions of Love and Mercy are a testament to that.
Brian's vocals are a little shouty, but still pretty good. It definitely seems like he really wanted to leave his sweet, gentle voice behind him and project a stronger, more "masculine" kind of style. I don't really have a problem with artists singing in different styles throughout their careers (big Bowie fan here, so yeah) so I can't find fault with that. It's just not my favourite of Brian's vocal styles.
Highlights: Love and Mercy, Walkin' the Line, Melt Away (the original version with the ahhhhs in the fade), Baby Let Your Hair Grow Long, One for the Boys, There's So Many, Let It Shine, Rio Grande
Lowlights: Little Children is really the only one I skip.
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Post by The Cap'n on Jan 13, 2019 16:58:19 GMT -5
I'm not sure I agree with iluvleniloud on her reasons--I'm not big on speculating about motivations, especially knowing that this sort of thing often ends up mostly projecting my own motivations or preferences as opposed to accurately assessing the artist's--but I think her overall assessment of the album is correct. I gave it a 6. I'm sure some days I'd give it an 8 and others a 5, but the big-picture assessment for me is that it's just an OK album. there are some cool moments, but also a lot of of-the-time mediocrity.
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Post by kds on Jan 14, 2019 9:23:21 GMT -5
I'll be the first to give BW88 a seven.
There's some good material here. Given the circumstances, it's about as good as one can hope for. However, I don't think the album contains the definitive version of Brian's signature non BB song - Love and Mercy (personally, I like the IJWMFTT version best). Melt Away, One for the Boys, and Let It Shine (I wish Brian and Jeff Lynne did more together) are highlights. I think Night Time is one of the worst songs Brian ever put his name on. I find Rio Grande to be overly long and forced.
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Post by aquarius on Mar 19, 2019 12:06:06 GMT -5
Songs good and I've come full circle and have learned to embrace eighties production. Would be better without the Jeff Lynne song, and with concurrent b-sides and extras: give me Brian in all his weirdness, and save the Lynne song for the travelling Wilbury's. 8/10
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Post by Jason (The Real Beach Boy) on Apr 2, 2019 7:28:32 GMT -5
9. Time and the decline in subsequent album quality have made this debut sound even better by comparison - Brian sounds animated and reinvigorated and this is easily the best set of material he had come up with since Love You and nothing since this record comes close to it.
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Post by ian on Apr 29, 2019 11:34:56 GMT -5
Yeah-as the years go by I’ve really come to like this one. It’s crazy to think that it’s the best album between 1978 and bwps. A lot of wasted potential in between. I think melt away is a classic and love and mercy is great. I love rio grande as well.
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Post by E on Apr 29, 2019 12:43:59 GMT -5
... this is easily the best set of material he had come up with since Love You and nothing since this record comes close to it. Totally agree. While other albums have gems, no subsequent album has the consistency of this one. There's not one song I dislike here (putting aside the production). |
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Post by sneakypete77 on Apr 29, 2019 12:49:52 GMT -5
Yeah-as the years go by I’ve really come to like this one. It’s crazy to think that it’s the best album between 1978 and bwps. A lot of wasted potential in between. I think melt away is a classic and love and mercy is great. I love rio grande as well.
And it might be my cloth ears, but has anyone else noticed how the chord progression of Melt Away isn't a million miles from that of Surf's Up? |
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Post by bittersweetsanity on Sept 14, 2019 23:09:23 GMT -5
is that Brian singing "too much sugar, too much cake..you'll end up w/ a bellyache" etc...that deep voice sounds like it could be Landy
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Post by lonelysummer on Sept 15, 2019 2:37:46 GMT -5
is that Brian singing "too much sugar, too much cake..you'll end up w/ a bellyache" etc...that deep voice sounds like it could be Landy No, that's definitely Brian. |
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Post by filledeplage on Sept 15, 2019 8:20:00 GMT -5
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Post by ohm on Nov 2, 2021 10:42:12 GMT -5
I've been playing 'BW' for the first time this past week, having picked it up very cheaply in my local record shop. I'm not at all a fan of '80s production, but that's as terrible a drowning of some pretty good songs in some awful, inappropriate stuff as I've ever heard. How on earth they managed to spend $1m using a couple of DX7s, a drum machine and not much else is a mystery. I suspect half the budget was spent on sleigh bells. Why did nobody think to use real musicians? Or tell Brian he was shouting rather than singing? It'd be great if somebody gets hold of the tapes and reworks/remixes it one day, because the songs are pretty cool if you can get past everything else.
Are there any pre-production demos or whatnot that I ought to seek out?
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Post by lonelysummer on Nov 21, 2021 2:14:39 GMT -5
Still his best 'solo' album, if we leave out Orange Crate Art. Sure, it's got an 80's sound - that's because it was recorded in the 80's! Strong songwriting, and Brian sounding so much better than he had in the 15BO/Love You days.
But you know what? You could strip away the 80's production and still have a great collection of songs.
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Post by Awesoman on Apr 6, 2022 7:22:41 GMT -5
There are some fine songs on here but the production unfortunately does not hold up. "Love & Mercy" and "Melt Away" are excellent, but you may prefer the stripped down versions found off of the IJWMFTT soundtrack which have aged much better. "Meet Me In My Dreams Tonight" and "Let It Shine" are pretty good as well. There really aren't any *bad* tracks on here although some aren't as memorable. But the one track I still go back to pretty routinely is "Rio Grande". Quite an ambitious mini-SMiLE suite that demonstrated that even during that confusing period for him that Brian could still rise to the occasion and put out something special.
And for the record this album is superior to his aborted follow-up SWEET INSANITY.
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Post by lonelysummer on Jun 24, 2022 13:29:43 GMT -5
I keep thinking I shouldn't love this album after reading the reviews here. "It's got that awful 80s production sound", "Landy's hands are all over it", "Brian's vocals are too shouty". But every time I put it on, I love it. I love the songs, I love the sound, Brian's vocals. I think to myself "this is the same guy that sounded so croaky on 15B0 and LY?"
They should have released Let it Shine as a single.
The Rhino reissue with all those bonus tracks is a treat. Maybe those demo versions should be the go to's for the people who hate the sound of the 80's.
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Post by E on Jun 25, 2022 3:17:58 GMT -5
I still really like it. 4/5 for me
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Post by jk on Jun 25, 2022 9:30:43 GMT -5
My record-lending library has the original versions of everything, one of which is Brian Wilson (1988), with the original medicine-heavy credits. And... the gorgeous early version of "Melt Away". Unlike the OP, I have no problem whatsoever with the production, being a huge fan of the first two Culture Club albums.  |
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And I love the production (is this a hot take?). 
