The Beach Boys Network

Re: Current Record Collector-issue [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 28 Jun 2008 02:08 AM CDT

I guess that's how most feel once they learn more about Mike and Bruce. Mike surprises you because he's not nearly as bad as him image, but Bruce seems truly like he has a split personality. I don't mean that unkindly, but that's what I observe.

Re: Most mind bending thing I ever read [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 28 Jun 2008 02:04 AM CDT

Usually I would let something let that pass, but it was so bizarre that I thought we could all get a chuckle.

Re: POB debuts in Billboard catalog chart at #8 [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 28 Jun 2008 02:01 AM CDT

New chart position:

Italy #43

2nd week in Holland: #73 (last week 67)

Re: brianwilson.com - New TLOS VIdeo [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 28 Jun 2008 12:37 AM CDT

Quote from: brianc on June 27, 2008, 05:41:01 PM

That album was just another regular collection of Paul McCartney pop songs. About as interesting as an album by Boston during the time when "Never Mind the Bollocks" came out. "Memory Almost Full" doesn't even register in the greater McCartney pantheon.

I think what Brian has undertaken here is far more ambitious.

I highly disagree, Memory Almost Full was a heartfelt work, Macca talk about death on "End of the End," releases an out-and-out love song for Heather (whom I always disliked) with "See Your Sunshine" over a year after they parted company initially, writes a song for his daughter to dance to which is "Dance Tonight," talks about his past on "Ever Present Past" and writes a conceptual work about not know a person's mother (admittedly fictional) in the great "Only Mama Knows."

You can call McCartney a pop writer which he is; you can dislike him, I've hated several albums; and you can give MAF a negative review, I obviously didn't but this is America; but please don't call it standard. It's heartfelt, imperfect and Paul put a lot of hard work and ambition into it, and is most of all different, in my opinion anyway.

Sorry for the lecture, I meant no harm.

Re: Current Record Collector-issue [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 28 Jun 2008 12:31 AM CDT

Quote from: MBE on June 27, 2008, 11:20:36 PM

Like him or not Love is consistent.

I still get peeved at things Love says, but I'm gradually become more lenient of Mike and disliking/hating Bruce more and more these days. The days of the arty, Brian loving man worshiping at the alter of Pet Sounds and giving Dennis credibility have faded into the sunset. I understand he has more money than any person needs, doesn't need to tour and could be on any side he wants. Why he's on Mike's camp, why he is giving digs to Brian now and then and why he's putting Dennis' work down is behind me. Maybe he needs to take a few weeks off of the road, sit back in an easy chair and listen to Sunflower, and remember the old days where he was Brian's pal and wrote "Deirdre." Till then I'm just a dreamer.

Re: Most mind bending thing I ever read [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 28 Jun 2008 12:14 AM CDT

Quote from: MBE on June 27, 2008, 11:18:18 PM

Quote from: John on June 27, 2008, 10:33:33 PM

That Genesm (or whatever) guy is an embarassment. I couldn't read all of it, I jumped from him saying that Brian "needed ten more Mike Loves to set him straight about SMiLE" to Madonna trouncing everything on Pet Sounds. What a tin-eared fool.

Then it's not just me thinking these posts are absurd.

I should say not. It's obvious the guy thinks pretty highly of himself as a judge, but the truth is that from either one of those comments I quoted, the guy has no sense of artistry, just mediocrity.

Re: Most mind bending thing I ever read [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 28 Jun 2008 12:08 AM CDT

Well thank you. The book will be a song by song look at each original Beach Boys release with a lot of biography thrown in. There are a lot of new interviews and things I dug up. Some things I have discussed here others I haven't. It will be pretty vinyl oriented and will let people know of every US issue, boot, or unique release (like the Honey's It's Like Heaven)in the format. Of course CD buyers will find much of interest too because as I mentioned the meat of the book is the original Beach Boys releases and a lot of behind the scenes stories. If you have read Tim Reilly's book Tell Me Why on the Beatles then you basically know the format. Of course my views are somewhat subjective, but I think the facts I present in each chapter balance it out. I tried very hard not to follow what anybody else ever wrote about the group and just try to let my judgment of the Beach Boys career as a whole present itself. I do have an interested publisher but not a contract yet. I have kept pretty low key about it so far, but I do want to say this board and everyone on it has inspired me and helped convince me it was a worthwhile project. I was afraid at one point that no one would accept the view that every Beach Boys was important. I now know that's not true.

Re: Jan [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 27 Jun 2008 11:52 PM CDT

Okay, here's my review . . .

This is a fantastic release, and fills a huge void in the Jan & Dean re-issue catalog. The mono single mixes have been absent (or in the background) for far too long.

To CCM: Lot's of very familiar stuff in your liner notes . . . so thanks for including the official Jan Berry Website in your acknowledgments.

Question for audiophiles . . . How much compression do you hear?

And now, I'll put on my AGD cap and nitpick the liner notes and track notes:

LINER NOTES:

Clarification:

In 1962, Lou Adler was still with Nevins-Kirshner (Brill Building stuff), not Screen Gems. Nevins-Kirshner wasn't acquired by Screen Gems until 1963, at which point Lou Adler was made their chief operating officer on the West Coast. The first two Liberty albums (Golden Hits and Take Linda Surfin'), as well as the hit single "Linda," were produced for Nevins-Kirshner. The "Linda" album and single were Jan's first official production credits, thanks to his initial producer's contract with Nevins-Kirshner. Surf City and Other Swingin' Cities was the first Screen Gems album for Jan & Dean. When the merger happened, Jan signed new songwriting and producing contracts with Screen Gems.

Factual Error:

CCM: "On June 20, 1963, 'Surf City' slid into #1 on the national Hot 100."
Nope — off by a month. There was no June 20 entry for Billboard. It would have been June 22.
"Surf City" was released on May 17, and peaked on Billboard at #1 on July 20 (and stayed there for two weeks).

Misleading:

CCM: "Bones used a core crew led by drummer Hal Blaine . . . "
No, Jan Berry used a core crew of musicians (and Hal was the contractor). Bones was only the engineer (responsible for getting the sound right, from a technical standpoint -- and there is plenty of documentation for Lanky's participation, as well.). Bones did, however, do some verbal directing during vocal sessions that Jan sang on. Only later, after Jan & Dean, did Bones become a producer in his own right (and a great one, at that).

Factual Error (?):

Regarding "Dead Man's Curve." CCM: "Don Altfeld recalls how Art, Jan, and Roger wrote the song on a restaurant napkin, and then left it on the table, returning later to dig through the trash for it." Timothy White tells this story in detail in his 1994 book, The Nearest Faraway Place — and the song in question is "Honolulu Lulu" . . . not "Dead Man's Curve." Problem is, White doesn't cite his source . . . and Altfeld can't be used as a single source, either. (For the record, I've corresponded in-depth with Don Altfeld).

Misleading:

Regarding "Ride the Wild Surf" — CCM: "Jan & Dean returned to the ocean for the next three 45s."
Not true — Only "Ride the Wild Surf" had an ocean theme. It was their only surf-themed single of 1964. "Sidewalk Surfin'" was about skateboarding, and "From All Over the World" (1965) was the TAMI theme song.

Context:

"Popsicle" (recorded in 1963), "Bucket T" (recorded in 1964), and "A Surfer's Dream" (recorded in 1964) should have been placed in context, rather than having them come across like Jan & Dean's latest new releases in 1966. Contextually, this is the worst part of the liner notes.

Serious Question:

Can anyone demonstrate for me [aurally] the difference between Jan Berry's original mix for "Popsicle" in 1963, and Dean Torrence's self-proclaimed re-mix for the 1966 single?

TRACK LIST:

Incorrect Dates:

CCM: "When I Learn How to Cry (1962)"
The correct date is 1963

CCM: "Schlock Rod Part 1 (1962)"
The correct date is 1963

Date Inconsistencies:

CCM: "A Sunday Kind of Love (1962)"
Release date November 1961 — Peak chart date: January 1962
Thus, this entry sets the date formula for Billboard chart hits.

CCM: "Drag City (1963)"
Release date November 1963 — Peak chart date: January 1964
Thus, for consistency, this entry should have been dated 1964

CCM: "A Beginning from an End (1965)"
Release date November 1965 — Peak chart date: January 1966
Thus, for consistency, this entry should have been dated 1966

Songwriting Credits:

The song writing credits in this comp are wholly arbitrary, and since the focus here is on the singles, it would have been nice to see the actual listings as they appeared on the Liberty single labels in the '60s (except for the instances where Jan Berry's writing credits were officially restored in 2002). Jan's name was never listed last in the credits, as it often appears in this CCM comp. Jan was a company-signed songwriter and producer for Screen Gems. His name usually (but not always) appeared first for his Jan & Dean writing collaborations.

A few Examples:

She's My Summer Girl
Liberty single label credits: Berry-Altfeld-Wilson
CCM credits: "Altfeld-Berry-Wilson"

Honolulu Lulu
Liberty single label credits: Berry-Christian-Spunky
CCM credits: "Christian-Berry-Adler"

Someday (You'll Go Walking By)
Liberty single label credits: Berry-Altfeld
CCM credits: "Altfeld-Berry"

Drag City
Liberty single label credits: Berry-Christian-Wilson
CCM credits: "Christian-Wilson-Berry"

Schlock Rod (Part 1)
Liberty single label credits: Berry-Christian-Torrence-Altfeld
CCM credits: "Christian-Berry-Altfeld-Torrence"

Dead Man's Curve
Liberty single label credits: Wilson-Berry-Christian-Kornfeld
CCM credits: "Christian-Kornfeld-Wilson-Berry"

The New Girl In School
Liberty single label credits: Wilson-Berry-Christian-Norman
CCM credits: "Norman-Wilson-Christian-Berry"

Anaheim, Azusa
Liberty single label credits: Berry-Christian-Altfeld
CCM credits: "Altfeld-Christian-Berry"

Freeway Flyer
Liberty single label credits: Altfeld-Christian-Berry
CCM credits: "Altfeld-Berry-Christian"

A Beginning from an End
Liberty single label credits: Berry-Christian-Hermann-Tipton
CCM credits: "Tipton-Christian-Berry-Herman"

Batman
Liberty single label credits: Berry-Altfeld-Wieder
CCM credits: "Altfeld-Wieder-Berry"

The Universal Coward
Liberty single label credits: Berry-Gibson-Tipton
CCM credits: "Gibson-Tipton-Berry"

I Can't Wait to Love You
Liberty single label credits: Berry-Christian-Tipton
CCM credits: "Tipton-Christian-Berry"

Mark A. Moore
June 28, 2008

Re: Most mind bending thing I ever read [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 27 Jun 2008 11:42 PM CDT

Quote from: MBE on June 27, 2008, 11:18:18 PM

Quote from: John on June 27, 2008, 10:33:33 PM

Then it's not just me thinking these posts are absurd.

I didn't even get that far...I probably saved myself from vomiting....Madonna better then Pet Sounds? Nevermind....MBE, always enjoy reading your posts- what's yer book about?

Re: Current Record Collector-issue [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 27 Jun 2008 11:20 PM CDT

Like him or not Love is consistent.

Re: Most mind bending thing I ever read [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 27 Jun 2008 11:18 PM CDT

Quote from: John on June 27, 2008, 10:33:33 PM

Then it's not just me thinking these posts are absurd.

Re: Most mind bending thing I ever read [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 27 Jun 2008 11:17 PM CDT

Quote from: oldsurferdude on June 27, 2008, 09:37:44 PM

Hey, Mike-How is the book going?? Hope all those articles I sent your way helped the process in some small way.

It's going good. I am about 40 percent done with the very final draft. When it's finished everyone here will know about it first.

Thank you very much for the articles. Anyone that has helped me on here who wants their name in the book PM me and I would be glad to include you.

Re: Current Record Collector-issue [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 27 Jun 2008 11:05 PM CDT

Bruce Johnston knows exactly what sessions he played/sang on. Who is he trying to kid. Like I said in an earlier post, Bruce, Brian, and Al have given some of the loopiest interviews, containing some of the most illogical comments I have ever read. And the reason is simple - politics. Group politics. Those guys - and I will include Mike Love in this - don't know from day to day, week to week, whose side they want to be on. They are afraid of pissing so and so off, wanting to work with so and so, wanting to be in a group with so and so, and, after awhile, they don't even know how they HONESTLY feel anymore. Also like I said, Mike's interviews, while too self-centered, seem to make the most sense. The others, I take with a grain of salt - unless they get my blood pressure too high! police