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Post by kds on Apr 7, 2019 15:53:06 GMT -5
Four years ago today, I stopped at Target after work to pick up my copy of their exclusive 18 track deluxe version of Brian Wilson's No Pier Pressure.
As I listened to the album that Tuesday night, enjoying the easy listening MOR album (save for a dance track and a country pop one), I had no idea how polarizing the album would be.
A later career album that will only be played by BW diehards caused such an expected ripple in the fanbase. Some fans were saying this was the rock/pop genius's latest masterpiece. Others were saying the album was as far removed from Brian's acclaimed work as possible. The fans who thought the later were accused of attacking Brian Wilson by fans who believed the former. Well.....we all know the story.
On the album itself, I still find myself enjoying much of it. I still think Sail Away might be Brian's best solo song. I still relax to the soothing sounds of Half Moon Bay. I still like to think every night is Saturday Night. For all its flaws, I still enjoy the album.
Its a pity that civil disagreements didn't occur back in 2015, but that seems to be the nature of Beach Boys / Brian Wilson fandom.
Anyway, Happy Birthday NPP. And if anyone from Brian's camp is reading this, Whatever Happened would be a great addition to the setlist.
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Post by AGD on Apr 7, 2019 16:15:07 GMT -5
It has its moments, for sure - personally speaking I love "Saturday Night" and "Sail Away" still makes me smile - but there's too many "guests" for my liking (I utterly detest the disinterested-if-not-actually-bored vocal of "On The Island") and in the back of my mind there's always the nagging thought that this was supposed to be the followup to TWGMTR and Brian - or someone - went ahead and did it anyway without the Boys. TLOS it ain't.
File under "Brian solo: not top drawer".
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Post by kds on Apr 7, 2019 16:29:24 GMT -5
It has its moments, for sure - personally speaking I love "Saturday Night" and "Sail Away" still makes me smile - but there's too many "guests" for my liking (I utterly detest the disinterested-if-not-actually-bored vocal of "On The Island") and in the back of my mind there's always the nagging thought that this was supposed to be the followup to TWGMTR and Brian - or someone - went ahead and did it anyway without the Boys. TLOS it ain't. File under "Brian solo: not top drawer". That's fair, and I tend to agree about the guests not named Al, David, or Blondie. I do remember thinking, about 8 songs in, that it felt like Brian was a guest on his own album. |
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kirkk
Dude/Dudette
Posts: 74
Likes: 84 
Favorite Album: Pet Sounds, SMiLE, Sunflower... but I could go on and on...
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Post by kirkk on Apr 7, 2019 17:08:03 GMT -5
and in the back of my mind there's always the nagging thought that this was supposed to be the followup to TWGMTR and Brian - or someone - went ahead and did it anyway without the Boys. I had this thought as well after I finally went through and (like many before me) compiled a single album culled from NPP and TWGMTR. The tracks work together perfectly, and after listening to it, it really hit home how NPP sounds like tunes for a follow up Beach Boys album filled out with songs bolstered by hip guest stars. |
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Post by Paul JB on Apr 7, 2019 20:30:06 GMT -5
Couple of thoughts.
If Brian seemed like a guest on NPP why would you want to see him add Sail Away to his current set list....he is now a guest at his own concerts.,😲
NPP and TLOS are Brian’s two best “solo” efforts for me. But rather than get into what I like about NPP as I’ve done many times here or Elswhere, your point about the polarization KDS is more interesting. I agree with what you wrote and I’ll add on...
People did argue and freak about this record and whether one liked it or not to me was a side issue and not the point. It was that people thought it was a record that had little to do with Brian Wilson and what did not make sense to me then nor now was the fact that almost everything in Brian’s solo career had less to do with Brian and more to do with others all along. OK, so Melinda or his Daughter suggested some younger artists to work with...Brian agreed, shows up “works his ass off” in the words of his friend Ray...and puts out a fun record with several really catchy tunes plus Al and even Blondie. And that was so different than what...
Different than TLOS having more to do with Scott?
BWPS, Gershwin, Disney, having more to do with Darien, Scott and others?
The “Wilson Project” era or the Paley sessions having more to do with Gary or Andy? It has ALWAYS been OTHERS with Brian, REACHING OUT to Brian and not the other way around, trying to get that creative mega talented genius to re-appear. And it never quite transpires does it ?
There has never been that brilliant follow up album to Pet Sounds we can all agree on. Yet certain authors decades ago told us the sun/ beach/ surf/ junk was never what Brian wanted to do and he needed to be free of The Beach Boys to thrive again. And what does Brian sing about on what many consider his best solo effort... the California sun...Lucky ain’t it!
This is not a slam on Brian, he did more over 5 years in the 60’s than most talented people could pull off in 100 years. It’s about addressing what I believe to be a myth concerning what Brian is/was capable of or interested in doing since he became a different person decades ago.
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Post by E on Apr 8, 2019 12:50:03 GMT -5
The subject matter's not the problem. He could be writing Midnight's Another Day, Strange World, Til I Die, Winter Symphony, Sail on Sailor, This Whole World or What I Really Want for Christmas or a surf, sun, sea, fun numbers but I found a lot of the music on NPP bland - though gussied up with the kind of vocal backing I wish he'd had on TLOS, Imagination or 88.
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Post by Autotune on Apr 8, 2019 15:04:30 GMT -5
NPP is a perfect summary of the Thomas era. Sonically appealing, musically bland.
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Post by juicebrohnston on Apr 8, 2019 15:21:05 GMT -5
It's an album that make me wish for a straight Brian/Al collaboration. Al's vocals are excellent.
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Post by Jason (The Real Beach Boy) on Apr 8, 2019 20:34:50 GMT -5
Just because it's aged wine doesn't mean it's any good.
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