Discuss & Rate Beach Boys Songs Day by Day

I give it a 4/5. The album is greater than the sum of its parts, since I gave 3's to many tracks. It is the last Beach Boys album of the "fun in the sun" 60's style.

 

I skipped most of the track by track on Party because I don't like it. I just don't get any enjoyment out of it. I like some sloppy music quite a bit, but this record has just never gelled for me. It's the one album from the 64-73 period that does nothing for me.

 

Party - To quote @The Zodiac: It's fine. 3/5

 

Party! Perhaps their weakest album. I don't know whether to give it a 3 or a 2. I guess I am not feeling generous today.

2/5.

 

I like Party. It's cool to have live, acoustic performances from the group. Outstanding musicianship. I like it both with noise and without noise. That said.... I never play it. And I don't know why. I guess I'd give it a 3/5 just because I never play it, but there's honestly nothing to dislike about it. It's fun. 3/5

 

0/5

I know this thread is largely supposed to be a lovefest, but this album displays all the worst tendencies of a sometimes-great band. Trite, lightweight, artless. Even as a dopey kid, I was insulted by an obvious contractual-obligation effort when it was first released. California Girls, then this?

Since it was contrived to begin with, I'd like to think some of BW's arrangement skills could have been employed to enhance performances, unplugged-style. Even with the "party chatter" tacked on. Maybe some extra (uncredited?) instrumentation. Maybe work up a few fresh vocal harmonies.

If "spontaneous" was a firm concept, then it was a bad call. This ain't the band for that.

Oh well, I guess it financed and/or bought time for Pet Sounds.

 

Brian didn't want to take any time away from what he was doing to work up better arrangements or anything else. He just wanted to work on what mattered to him - the next step forward. Party! was the last step backwards, and only done to keep Capitol off his back. The
Brian quote posted earlier was how he felt - this is not the Beach Boys today, not in 1966. Mike may have wanted it to stay that way, but Brian did not. Brian insisted; the Beach Boys would never be the same again. Not the studio Beach Boys in any case.

In retrospect it's nice to have Party!, especially the unplugged version with the outtakes. I really loved the record in 1965 when it was fresh and fun. I thought by getting the unplugged set I would listen to these tracks with new ears - get that old '65 feeling again. But I don't.
I only seem to pull it off the shelf to do these review/Survivor deals so popular on message boards. I listen to the copyright files more - wish those were the ones that had gotten a hard-copy release.

I don't think Party! is a better album than the sum of it's parts. I gave most of the songs a 3/5, and that's what I give the album as a whole. And only that with the addition of the outtakes. Some of which are much better than tracks that made the record.

 

BBs' Party!

This is a fairly mediocre partay album, as partay album go. It has some strong highlights, though, to make it worth an occasional listen. I recommend some beer, not root beer, to make your will more ameniable to the desecration of favorite BB hits.

3/5

 

I don’t consider Party part of their canon.

 

Like most who post daily, I would consider myself a Beach Boy fanatic but I have never sought out this album. Nonetheless, I have heard it over the years.

On one hand a bit of an anachronism at the time but on the other, arguably, prescient (the Unplugged phenomenon).

Also, it was paid homage to by Sloan, so it can’t be all bad.

I give it a 2/5 overall. Better in concept than necessarily in execution.

 

P.S. Bring on Pet Sounds, Watamushi

 

If we go with the original plan, three Party! outtakes (Ruby Ruby, Satisfaction, Blowin' in the Wind) follows, then The Little Girl I Once Knew, and then finally Pet Sounds.

So, it'll take three more day until we get to the stuff in the vein of Pet Sounds.

 

I can wait.

 

Yeah, I figured there was still some in-between, especially Little Girl...

 

Your ratings for Beach Boys' Party!:
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Today's song is Ruby Ruby:

 

This song had potential but ultimately this version does not fulfill that potential. 2/5

 

2/5. Barely.
Enjoyable as an outtake.

 

Wats,

I will be out the rest of this week and don't intend to vote for the outtakes. But Little Girl is one of my favorite BB songs, so please remember my vote.

(She's Not) The Little Girl I Once Knew. Solid 5/5. Most know the story about how the sound gaps made this unpopular with radio stations, which no doubt about it hurt its popularity. But the song itself? Pure Beach Boys bliss. Their usual great harmony arrangements here mix with a sort of Motown feel. Key changes add to the drama and totally fit. Apparently John Lennon was a big fan of this song:

"This is the greatest! Turn it up, turn it right up. It's GOT to be a hit. It's the greatest record I've heard for weeks. It's fantastic. I hope it will be a hit. It's all Brian Wilson. He just uses the voices as instruments. He never tours or anything. He just sits at home thinking up fantastic arrangements out of his head. Doesn't even read music. You keep waiting for the fabulous breaks. Great arrangement. It goes on and on with all different things. I hope it's a hit so I can hear it all the time."

The Summer Days album was out long before this was recorded, and despite that I can see putting it on a mostly Summer Days playlist. But it really should have been included in Pet Sounds, and not being on an album release was problematic. Well, I did have the single, so there was that.

One of my favorites. Despite it's issues with radio.

 

Being a Dion fan I appreciate the attempt at Ruby Baby. But aside from the oinks not much to write home about. 2/5

 

You liked the oinks? I'm a Dion fan too, but I didn't care for the oinks, my least favorite aspect of the track.

 

They could have made something of this, but Brian didn't want to take the time. One of my favorite Tv shows back then was The Flintstones, so, for that brief compliment a 3/5.

 

Your ratings for Ruby Ruby:
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Today's song is Satisfaction:

 

Satisfaction is lively. 3/5