Discuss & Rate Beach Boys Songs Day by Day

An xtc sighting. I got the new blu-5.1 Dukes Cd this week. Looking forward to hearing it on the week-end! The mix is said to fly around the room more than any of the others they've released.

 

I have to grab that for sure. The Dukes blew my MIND in the mid 80's and still do to this day. Easily the most faithful Beach Boys pastiche ever recorded in "Pale & Precious". Better than anything the BB's recorded that entire decade sadly

 

Your ratings for Winter Symphony:
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Today's song is Michael Row the Boat Ashore:

 

I have always really liked this version. There is a peaceful feeling it gives me and I like Mike’s vocal. It doesn’t scream Christmas to me and I think I put it on my 15 Big Ones playlist. 3/5

 

I think a lot of the covers from this era were a massive step down from what the group had been doing previously and the 15 Big Ones project was the beginning of the end.

This isn't one of the worst, but if any other group had recorded it I would probably never listen to it again.

A generous 2/5.

 

1. A 15BO leftover that I wouldn't have anywhere near customised 15BO.

 

Looks like we are finally getting the ‘69 copyright dump on Friday. Should we take a day to discuss it after the Christmas stuff is finished? Also Al and Bruce are both on record saying there will be a physical release in February covering the Sunflower-Surf’s Up era titled Feel Flows. Heady times for Beach Boy fans

 

Interesting background chorus and that's about it on this one. Why oh why would Mike be chosen to sing this instead of Carl or Al, not that it really matters. 1/5.

 

Hard to see where this spiritual/religious song would fit on a Christmas album or an album of “oldies” as 15 Big Ones was supposed to be originally. I don’t like the track - those high flutes - or the backing vocals, Mike does a passable job on the lead. 2/5 because I need to save my 1 for Battle Hymn.

 

I don't listen to or investigate these tunes very much, but Mike was probably the one who came up with the idea to record it. For the song that it is, it is done well enough. I'm okay with Mike's vocal. Carl had his own chosen covers to do, and he did everyone of them with the great talent he possessed. I wouldn't want it on 15 Big Ones, but it is better than "Everyone's In Love With You". 2/5, 4/10.

 

Michael...

Not sure I ever heard this before, probably because the prospect of such a cover scared me

But you can't fault the arrangement and the vocals. Having said that, not sure I want to hear it again or in a regular rotation of any kind.

2/5

 

Your ratings for Michael Row the Boat Ashore:
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Oh yeah, we will!

 

Today's song is Seasons in the Sun:

 

"Seasons in the Sun" is Bruce Johnston wuss-rock, but I actually like the song, being a huge Jacques Brel fan, and the lyric here is better than the cheesy hit that Jacks later had. The guitar riff is pretty cool. 2/5, almost a 3 but not quite.

WTF this is doing on Christmas album is a question that only the mad Beach Boys can answer.

 

MRTBA - Pretty dire, 1/5

SITS - Despite it's 1970 (?) origin, it doesn't appeal like other material from the era. It just sounds a bit uninspired and they don't sound into it. I know that Terry Jacks led the sessions for this apparently, could do with some Brian quirkiness. I wonder if this will make an appearance on the forthcoming 'Feel Flows' box set? 2/5

 

A recording that is more interesting than it is good. The group were clearly pretty desperate by the time this was recorded and hence had to seek outside songwriters.

The vocals here are probably the highlight and, to be fair, it is a little unfair to be judging this unmixed version. Any official release might sound quite a bit better.

2/5.

 

It's okay, but I don't like the song to begin with. 2

 

Agree the vocals are excellent, Carl does his usual great job and the backing vocals though understated are very nice. But I'm with Smilin Ed that the song is pretty wretched - particularly the chorus, the verses aren't that bad. 2/5 purely for the weakness of the song - despite it later becoming a huge hit for Terry Jacks.

 

For such a well known song, it's interesting that this has never been officially released.

 

SITS: Hard to assess this song, as the hit version is so ingrained in the (my) mind. I tend to wonder if there had not been the hit version, would we look at the BB version in a different light? Perhaps, more favourably?

Yeah, Carl, as usual, brings a sympathetic vocal, even if he doesn't seem completely committed to it. Background vocals are good and the use of horns is nice.

I appreciate the conclusion that the Terry Jacks lyrics are 70's cheese and play up the mawkish sentimentality of the song but the Brel lyrics, and the lyrics of this version, are so...brutally frank (i.e., my wife is such a s***). I am not sure how they would have passed muster with Mr. Positivity, Mike Love. But yes, the guitar is cool!

Were they really desperate for outside help in 1970? The band seemed to have a number of these "one-offs" with outside producers or writers: Jacks, Rick Henn, Don Goldberg, none of which amounted to a released product. I find this aspect of their recording career under reported and fascinating.

My final conclusion is in keeping with Turk's first comment: more interesting than good.

If I'd never heard the Jacks version, I might go for a 3 but since it was huge during my childhood, especially here in Canada, the BB version remains a curiosity piece, more so than an interesting listening experience.

2/5

 

Oh, and this made me laugh:

Thanks Lance

 

I missed Michael Row The Boat Ashore, it would be a 4/5, great vibe/arrangement and backing vocals, also good lead from Mike. To me an underrated gem.
Conversely Seasons in the Sun...I just don’t get it, really pointless cover, and Carl’s lead vocal sounds a bit lazy and uninspired (of course he would do worse in those sessions, with the abysmal Go and Get That Girl). 2/5

 

to be fair although the song was not written by The Beach Boys this wasn’t really a cover - this was the first version was it not?