Discuss & Rate Beach Boys Songs Day by Day

'S okay. 3

 

All I wanna do - Oh
Is give this song a 2 - Oh

Kidding...love it. 5/5

 

Looks like Rock66 and I are of the same opinion on this one. This tune never moved me one way or the other except to skip it when playing the CD. 3/5

 

You know, I like it but I don't think it's particularly great in the way that most of the other songs on this album (and at least one of those omitted) are.

 

Doing some catch up:

The Trader: 5/5
Leaving This Town: 5/5
Only With You: 3/5

 

Ya get one per quarter, and maybe a good place to stick the man under the chair emoji.

 

I guess I’m the only one who enjoys Carl’s vocal on OWY. He could have sung a grocery list and I would have loved it.

4/5.

 

"Only With You"

Carl's worst vocal 1962-1990, hands down. The "do-ooh"s are not good. Interesting melody and production, but not sure how good it would be with another singer or a better Carl performance.

2/5

 

Nothing wrong with Carl's vocals, but "Only With You" is a pretty boring song, not much to recommend. I wonder if they put the "all I want to doo-ooh" section in there to spice it up a little, which it does for about 30 seconds. A big come-down after the dramatic, exciting "Trader" and "Leaving This Town", I give it a 3/5 .

 

I really love Only with You - I could name it as my favorite song by Dennis - and I prefer Carl's rendition here to Dennis' on POB bonus tracks. It's totally slick but very much heartfelt and mellow.

5/5

 

Your ratings for Only With You:
1-0 vote
2-0 vote
3-8 votes
4-4 votes
5-3 votes

 

Today's song is Funky Pretty:

 

I like 'Funky Pretty', it's weird and sounds like a doodle that got lucky - but it's got some good charm. I don't like the subsequent rocked-up live version they did, I don't think there's enough of a song there to warrant a live appearance. Nice ending 3/5

 

5/5

This song, in all its weird glory, best represents the magic of those first four early Warner Bros. LPs to me. It comes at you from left field and is difficult to hook into at first...but when it grabs you it never lets you go. One of my most played Beach Boys songs. Also, I love that rising-and-falling synth line that's buried in the bridge when Carl sings "The meaning in Los Angees..."

***
Question:

Can anyone tell me if they also hear Marilyn on the coda? I've looked for references about this on the Smiley Smile and Cabin Essence boards but never found info. I know Brian gave Billy Hinsche a line, but that is not what I'm referencing. I hear a female voice. Or two. Or is it Brian or Al sped up? Below is what I hear (timings from the video above):

2:41 - Blondie: "Funky...
2:42 - Marilyn And Company: "Oooooooh funky."
2:43 - Blondie: "...I still remember Funky Pretty."
2:47 - Mike: "Why she left my Pisces lady..."

 

I have cloth ears so instead of listening I looked around at Smiley and like you found no mention at all of Marilyn in this context. Someone at Smiley did point out that Brian's first "On my way" in "California Saga: California" is sped up so maybe the same thing happened here. Interesting point you raise, CS.

These are the "definitive" vocal credits for "Funky Pretty": The Definitive Vocal Credits List

 

Funky Pretty - live version is definitive but this great too. 5/5

 

4/5 - A really good song, but not quite as good to my ears as some tracks like California or Steamboat. But it helps make the album a must have in the BB catalog.

 

Oops. Missed "Only With You" which I would have given full marks.

But I'm in time for "Funky Pretty". It's a wonderfully upbeat closer to a consistently listenable album. That tag is worth the price of admission alone.

5/5.

 

5 for me. What's not to like?

 

With the synth and the goofy, funny lyrics (to me anyway) this track is kind of a precursor to Love You. Funky Pretty adds some much needed "rock" and a little bit of funk to Holland (Sail on Sailor and the first half of Trader are the only other songs that might be considered to "rock"). I love that this started as some off the cuff improvisation from Brian and was developed into this catchy and rockin' ear worm. 5/5

 

FP - not quite top shelf Beach Boys but any song that features the band’s multiple vocalists is alright by me.

4/5

 

Just love this song, both the weird studio version and the (quite different) funky rocking live version. An easy 5/5.

 

The Holland version of Funky Pretty is excellent. The live version is outstanding!

4/5 for this version

 

5/5 right out of the gate as they say. A mysterious, catchy and incredibly tantalizing look at this fascinating woman who's guiding light is in the stars. Jack's lyrics are as amazing as it gets and along with Brian's melody and Carl's production, it creates the curious vibe throughout the album and leads us to the spacy Mt. Vernon. The apex of this song is, as Celebrated Summer stated, is the enticing bridge which is such cool poetry. By the way the 5/5 is for the studio cut.

 

I really enjoy Funky Pretty—or as my wife calls it, “Pisces Princess, Leo Lady, whatever . . . just make it stop”—but it’s apparently not for everyone. A fun, spontaneous BW musical invention with admittedly awful, dashed off lyrics—but what are you gonna do? It’s a Beach Boys thing. 4/5