Discuss & Rate Beach Boys Songs Day by Day

Water Builds up - Very much enjoy this one, much better than LGTHIMC - I wonder if Water Builds up was written first and then he used the verse from that for LGTHIMC? Either way it would be odd to release a song with a verse melody which was already released in a different form - but then this is Brian and the Beach Boys and that sort of thing was not unknown...
I enjoy the chorus, I find it quite singable. 3/5

 

Yes, it was.

 

Another horrible production, and half of this had already been used at this point in the Police Academy song.

Hearing Brian singing all of these vocals doesn't work either and his falsetto wasn't up to it anymore.

Dire.

1/5.

 

I thought so, I think that might have been referred to in the Wilson Project book which sheds light on a few of these songs. The labour put into LGTHIMC does seem to have been wasted on quite a poor song!

 

This is one of my favorites from this project, ruined only by some of the worst back round vocals Brian ever created. I'll give it a 3/5, with the Beach Boys involved could have earned a 4.

 

2. Opens well and falls dramatically in the chorus. The whole thing is overwrought. Hey, let's chuck something else in there. The production is what it is and I can forgive it for that, but it's shrill.

 

I hated this the first time I heard it, mainly because of the chorus - that bouncy "water builds . . . UP" seemed forced and sing songy and corny and . . . dumb. But on relistening I get the gospel thing he was going for - the chorus is still a bit over the top but the verses and short break make up for it. The production doesn't do the song any favors. I can only imagine what Dennis could do with this, and with his gospel choir on it. The song is still just middling but for today I'm going for a 3/5.

 

I have a version of Sweet Insanity on my iPod. Not something I listen to regularly but when I saw Water Builds Up, like lou, my initial thought wss,"ugh, that one with the peppy, annoying chorus." Can't say that I recognized the verses as being the same as LGTHIMC, which is more a sign of my lack of knowledge of this time period and these songs. I guess I find them more forgettable than good or bad.

Listening with fresh ears today, I agree that the song is still some good verses searching for a comparable chorus. There just seems to be a disconnect making it sound like two different songs. I do really like the bridge(?)/building, building part at the 2:10 mark that lasts for about a dozen seconds that sounds like vintage Brian Wilson. As for the production...way over the top.

It had potential but I can't go above 2/5.

 

I like the use of "dire" and "shrill" on WBU because in spite of there being some elements of the song that interest me, it really does fall flat on it's face. Can you imagine hearing this after, say, listening to side two of "Today" in which ALL the elements click? And then you hear this thing about a teapot with the water boiling over and whistling? Only Brian could pull something like this off but sadly doesn't. It deserves a permanent home in the can. A very low 2.

 

Water Builds Up - 2/5.

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Today's song is Don't Let Her Know She's an Angel:

 

For me, the best song - maybe the only good song - on the album and worth revisiting, but it's shrill again and it i only marginally better on Getting In etc because the production and arrangement was overwrought there too. I'll go 3, though the song itself is better than the recording.

 

A very generic sounding production to me, but I think there is an OK song buried in this. This is another that could have been used well by the band, but I suppose that goes for almost any Brian song. I always seem to hear these things with the Beach Boys sprinkled in.

 

I'll give it a 4, I like it a lot. The production is a bit on the trebly side but heck that goes for almost every Beach Boys/Brian Wilson related album post 1969. The fact that Brian was able to get it together enough to make this really very well-crafted song comforts me. I think Sweet Insanity has a lot in common with Love You. But it is a step down. This is no "Night is So Young" and the central conceit of the song with Brian painting himself as the strong protective yet sensitive conservative may have represented the him he wanted to be, but it does not quite ring true to me. Still he did a good job on the lead vocal, unusually, and the backing vocal arrangement is quite interesting and wall-o'-Brian's actually don't bother me here.

Production is certainly not much worse than much of Still Cruisin' and it's better than Beach Boys 85 -- and of course the song is better than most of those albums as well. A better mix/master that emphasized the bottom end would be welcome. 4/5

 

Grabbed it! Thanks, nick.

 

Ooops! I forgot to rate it. 3/5

 

For me the verse melody is boring, as is the middle 8 and yet another standard cliche sax solo. The chorus is quite good though. As a whole inoffensive but not outstanding in any way. Better production and a Carl lead vocal would give this a 3, I can only go to 2/5. In retrospect I can't believe I gave Water Builds Up a 3 - but it IS more interesting and quirky than this MOR bland ballad.

 

The lyrics are dreadfully cheesy and the woeful production only highlights that. The sax solo, the synths, the drums...just dire.

Brian's vocal also isn't the strongest.

Not the worst piece of songwriting though, and it became one of the better songs on Gettin' in Over My Head.

2/5.

 

Agree with TimM that the bones of a good song are there, which is made apparent by the demo version of just Brian and piano that is accessible on youtube.

I can't condone the musical backing on this version. The Gettin' In take is somewhat more musically sympathetic but only marginally so, like smilin' ed said. A faux-Wrecking Crew/Pet Sounds backing would have ideally suited this song.

Unfortunately, this is one song where the "multiple Brians" on vocals are very distracting and detrimental to the song. Like TimM said, if only the rest of the band could have been on this one.

What-if's and undelivered potential only go so far when it comes to ratings.

2/5

 

When does the demo date from?

 

The guess is circa 85-86.

 

Is the demo on You tube? I’ve never heard it.

 

Here is the demo;



I give the song 3/5. Some nice melodies, don't like the arrangement too much, especially the horrible synth panpipes!

 

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