Brian Wilson - No Pier Pressure - 17th April 2015 (Part 2)

After being a bit disappointed at first I listened to the album constantly for the last two weeks while on vacation in sunny Portugal. Now I love it. It really is a perfect summer album for me. Did anybody else hear a similarity between the chorusses of The Right Time and Lay Down Burden from Imagination?

 

Close. He chanted "shockenaw" while pouring a bottle of store brand Bordeaux down the kitchen sink.

 

No worries: he only quotes Ringo and says:" Peace and Love" over and over and..... And is always giving the double thumbs up/aloft sign. LOL

 

I was somewhat disappointed the first time that I heard it but like many of you, I have grown to love it, warts and all. I am sitting here on my deck in lovely 80 degree Okanagan Valley weather, sipping on a nice cool can of Old Milwaukee and listening to my cd for about the third time straight through. What a great release. Brian still has it.

 

My expectations were so low--because of the many negative reviews here--that I've been pleasantly surprised by how much I've enjoyed my first two spins!

 

Love, love, loving this. What a great album.

 

Watched most of the blu-ray. Great stuff. Best part was the end where Brian, in typical fashion, wastes no time leaving the stage and plows through his chair, knocking it over, in the process.

Kacey Muskgrave's segment seemed kinda tacked on during the credits. Could have been better executed.

Blondie and Ricky are the highlights for me. Great to see this era of The Beach Boys getting represented.

 

I agree with you about New. I don't quite understand why people are comparing the two releases, but when you have to edit a cd and change the tracklist it usually isn't the sign of a great album. I can listen to New backwards and forwards, but there are songs on NPP that I never want to hear again as long as I live (but I still like about 10 of the 16 songs).

 

But if you listen to the non-deluxe edition does the percentage of liking to disliking improve?

I like "New" better in it's tidier form....non-deluxe. Less is more. I'd say the same here, but there's no way I'm parting with "I"m Feeling Sad".

I'm pleased with it all....except for "Special Love". Doesn't belong. Should have let whats-his-name put it out on his album and be done with it.

 

I listened to this album a few times and enjoyed it enough for what it is. In what it is lacking though it just made me crave the great full-fledged 1960s Wilson-led sessions and I have been immersing myself for the past few weeks all over again with the Pet Sounds Sessions box and assorted productions 1965-1970. When the buzz wears off from that I might take another listen. For now I am content listening to this truly otherworldly music which bears only the most superficial resemblance to what is contained on No Pier Pressure.

 

http://www.thenational.ae/arts-lifestyle/music/album-review-no-pier-pressure---brian-wilson

 

Yeah, no.
He lost me at his claiming that Saturday Night is a highlight. No mention of the best song on the album, "I'm Feeling Sad".
This reviewer claims that "The Last Song" is Brian's acknowledgment of his running out of juice. Wasn't this song written in the 90's?

 

I think that the 3 tracks on the deluxe version are all highlights. Keep those and take out all of the songs that "whats his name" sings on!

 

VERY interesting video of the making of No Pier Pressure - most of it is new , last 4 minutes is essential with Blondie, Dean Parks, Don Was.

Th young ladies, Zooey and Kacey are very good and explain some of Brian's guidance and singing tips.
Guess You Had To Be There , explains Kasey, is about when Brian's career was "blowing" up in he 60's and how he simultaneously was weirded out and wanting to be alone - but still attracted to the party elements.

I'm happy they are rolling out the album in increments maximizing popularity AND all this prior to the tour and movie release. Go Brian Go!
(Just hit the youtube.com next to 14.59 below to,view)

Brian Wilson - No Pier Pressure (Behind The Scenes)
New album ‘No Pier Pressure” now available! iTunes: http://smarturl.it/BrianWilson Amazon: http://smarturl.it/BrianWilsonAma Facebook: https://www.facebook.c...youtube.com 14:59

 

The Express is a dodgy tabloid & probably didn't do much background fact checking beyond the usual rumours - otherwise , that's a surprisingly good interview/feature for them.
The idea that Murry caused Brian's deafness goes way back, there's an Rolling Stone band feature/interview from @71 where they ask Murry directly & he denies it.

Brian's meant to have claimed various things about what (or nothing) caused it in different interview over the decades. - not sure when it's first said it was with a piece of wood, but think that's in either Heroes or Villains or that 'auto'biography Brian never read & didn't write. (maybe both books).

eta:

ha - genuinely hadn't seen your post before replying

 

Thank you Louise Boat, I didn't know the Express was a tabloid. Sorry for that. I understand your point.
Anyway, with or without a wooden plank Murray looked like a hard father. I still listen to the B side of Brian Wilson reimagines Gershwin like that. The old fashion style songs and then "Someone to Watch Over Me"...

 

Jim Duggan is the professional wrestler who used a 2x4 as part of his schtick around the same time that Brian released the autobiography, Wouldn't It Be Nice.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Duggan

 

It's pretty much fact that Murry was (very) abusive - but Brian's also thanks him for inspiring him musically/pushing him to succeed so that could be consciously or unconsciously deliberate.

 

It's a great record and it was a great day but why the heck are you drinking American swill when there are lots of great microbreweries around? I was sipping an Okanagan Spring Sonder Hef myself.

 

Hate to sound harsh (I'm just a critic as I love Brian and The Beach Boys so much, but this album does not impress me. It hardly comes off like a Brian Wilson album considering the focus for most of the songs are the features. Joe Thomas is a weak producer and I think the album has a really, well, bad sound... overproduced, overtly sleek, overt everything. Last I checked Joe said the album would have a "rough edge akin to Wild Honey", this is the polar opposite.
I'm glad some people are liking it, and I'm glad it seemed like a good experience for Brian, but to me it's middle of the road soft rock at its worst with a few passable or catchy songs. Though the album has an extremely innocent quality so it's not like I hate it or even can hate it.

 

I agree, the 2 albums work well together. Double Album, 20 songs, just over 60 minutes. If this is Brian's final hour in the Sun, this is how I want to remember his later work.

Think About the Days
One Kind of Love
Shelter
That's Why God...
Half Moon Bay
This Beautiful Day
Isn't It Time
Sail Away
Somewhere Quiet
Don't Worry
I'm feeling Sad
The Right Time
Whatever Happened
Tell Me Why
From There to Back Again
Pacific Coast Highway
Summer's Gone
The Last Song
In The Back of My Mind (Bonus)
Love & Mercy (Bonus)

 

This was noted much earlier in this thread by friend and member "Captain Groovy". No doubt that the chorus of both are very similar, in fact, almost TOO similar, in my opinion. I have not given my own review of this album on here yet and I doubt if I will bother, because the Brian freaks here will attack my every word. I love Brian and he is/was a genius, but much like Sir Paul McCartney, I just find both of these guys basically repeating what they already proved great years earlier. Why is it so wrong for me to not just be happy with what they have already given me through the years and call what they are doing today, as mildly interesting, but far from the greatness of their past? I keep reading review after review, where fans are so overtaken by "The Last Song" and how great it is and I really don't hear it. I mean, it's a fairly average song with a bunch of la, la, la's, so what makes it so great?

 

The Last Song is a living legend writing a love letter to his fans. The melody is beautiful and the words are touching. Plus I happen to like la la la's.

 

Return To Sender!

 

"Last Song" is low on my list when it comes to favorite NPP tracks. Much more impressed by "One Kind of Love".