Brian Wilson's No Pier Pressure: correlation of version heard & your opinion?

I had a thought yesterday that the experience of listening to No Pier Pressure is different enough among the three released versions that an informal poll was in order, to see if there is some kind of correlation between the version you own and what you think of it.

For example, I think the 13-track version holds together a little more dynamically as an album than the 16 or 18-track versions do -- with a little more variety and a little less "I'm old and my best days are behind me" mooning. Nonetheless, of the added tracks, I only really dislike "Don't Worry."

I've left the responses pretty general -- you either like it, are "meh" on it, or you don't like it. Do you think there's a connection between the version owned and your opinion? One would think that dedicated Brian/BB fans are more likely to own the longer-form versions (but who else but a dedicated BB/Brian fan would even buy this record?), but that doesn't get us closer to an answer since Brian/BB fans are so divided on his recent work. Discuss.

 

I have to rate this album as a 'meh'.

The processing on the vocals is very distracting and the guest singers, Al Jardine apart, add very little. It all feels a little disjointed. The 16-track version is the one that I gave some time to and I have to agree about 'Don't Worry'. One of Brian's worst ever songs and certainly one of the worst productions.

 

I own the 16 track version, and I would have to rate it as 'meh'. I seem to remember reading many articles before the album came out about how No Pier Pressure was going to have an ambitious feel to it, an extension of the closing medley on TWGMTR, so I was a bit let down when I first heard the album. I probably listened to it 10 times or so when it first came out, and it is okay, I liked all the guest muscians but it felt like Brian was kinda going through the motions, not a ton of energy in his vocals. It is one of those albums where I didn't mind it when it was playing, but when it was done I couldn't remember anything about the songs, none really stood out.

I actually haven't listened to it since the first couple weeks it was released, maybe I need to listen again since some time has passed. My expectations were so high for the album that when it didn't meet them I maybe didn't give it a fair chance. Interesting question.

 

I've got the 18 track version and I love it. But then again, I'm as hardcore a Beach Boys fan as they come. I like every single song any of them has every written and recorded, even all the unreleased ones (yes, I even get some level of enjoyment out of songs like "Wrinkles" and "Smart Girls"). But this album's actually really great. I love the three bonus tracks in the middle. Don't Worry is an amazing disco-esque song. Somewhere Quiet is a nice remake of an old song. And I'm Feeling Sad is classic Friends-era Brian Wilson. The "In The Back of My Mind" recording included as a bonus track may be one of my favourite vocal performances ever. I do usually skip the piano version of "Love and Mercy" though--I'll admit that was an unnecessary addition and only served to tie the album in with the movie. It's nowhere near as good as the original version from the self-titled album.

 

I prefer to listen to this by separating out the non-beach boy related guest tracks into a separate group of songs. That way you're left with pretty much a short and sweet 11 track LP that could be a companion piece to "That's Why God Made The Radio" and a slightly more palatable 5-track bonus EP with the modern-day guest stuff. The album makes much more sense to me in this context.

No Pier Pressure LP:

1. This Beautiful Day
2. Sail Away
3. Whatever Happened
4. The Right Time
5. One Kind Of Love
6. Don't Worry
7. Somewhere Quiet
8. Tell Me Why
9. I'm Feeling Sad
10. Half Moon Bay
11. The Last Song

No Pier Pressure EP:

1. Runaway Dancer
2. On The Island
3. Guess You Had To Be There
4. Our Special Love
5. Saturday Night

 

I'm not sure how to answer. I have both deluxe and standard. Deluxe too much of a good thing, but I wouldn't want to miss "Im Feeling Sad". Bonus deluxe version essential for "Back of my Mind " but makes no sense in context with rest of album. I don't play this album much anymore but revisit the tracks "Sail Away" and "Guess You Had to Be there" often. Overall the album is ok. Too many guests, too much pandering. "Our Special Love" should be burned.

 

It's funny you should say this. Today at work I had some time on my hands and tried to remember the names of the songs. I only managed to get about half of them which either indicates that I have a terrible memory or that they are pretty forgettable (almostly certainly it's both! ). I spent about half an hour thinking, 'It has the same name as a Beatles song, it has the same name as a Beatles song...' I think even Al's vocals couldn't save 'Tell Me Why'.

I was thinking about this today as well and you're tracklisting is very similar to mine. This is certainly a much more coherent album than the one they released. Tracks 6, 7 and 8 would be the weakest links for me though.

 

Deluxe edition 18 track version. I like the bonus tracks but adding more tracks doesn't necessarily add to a whole. Sometimes less is more and I haven't heard the 13 track album. I've never really understood the thing with 'bonus tracks' on a new album. It gives a bad impression, as if the album is not very good but we give them some extra tracks so they can't complain.

 

Smart Girls is awesome! Big brains are awesome!

 

I do like the idea of splitting the 18 track edition across a shorter LP with most of the songs featuring guest vocalists on a separate EP, but the 1975 version of In The Back Of My Mind really belongs on either a "Bedroom Tapes" compilation or Made In California - as beautiful (and worth all the hype) as it is, Brian's vocals stick out like a sore thumb compared to his older voice on the rest of its eventual parent album. Anyway, here's my revised sequence:

No Pier Pressure LP
A1 - This Beautiful Day
A2 - Whatever Happened
A3 - The Right Time
A4 - Sail Away
A5 - Tell Me Why
A6 - Somewhere Quiet
B1 - Runaway Dancer
B2 - Don't Worry
B3 - I'm Feeling Sad
B4 - One Kind Of Love
B5 - Half Moon Bay
B6 - The Last Song
Love And Mercy [CD/download bonus track]

No Pier Pressure EP
A1 - Our Special Love
A2 - On The Island
B1 - Guess You Had To Be There
B2 - Saturday Night

I considered moving The Right Time up a place, except the overall running order seem to flows better with This Beautiful Day as an introduction to Whatever Happened, which starts with a similar cold vocal opening. Also, I just had to keep Runaway Dancer on there so Don't Worry didn't feel as lonely... and yes, I still think in sides!

P.S. Alternatively, you can make a really solid album from the best parts of That's Why God Made The Radio and No Pier Pressure, with the second half a near-complete version of the so-called Life Suite as originally planned by Brian. I've yet to roll my own that I'm entirely satisfied with based on the first half being more of a challenge to perfect, though I'll keep trying.