Discuss & Rate Beach Boys Songs Day by Day

My guess is that Van Dyke combined the words crow, cries, cover, and cornfield for the purpose of alliteration. I'm not really that jazzed about that section, as it seems too contrived with the alliteration and the jumbled up phrases. Nice try for doing something different, but it strikes me as contrived in a bad way.

 

Child is Father of the Man:
Even unfinished, perhaps my favorite Smile track. This seems to have worlds of potential with the chorus vocals and overall feel. Deep title as well. 5/5

I've always heard Mike Love singing the verse (whatever it would have been) in my mind, given the bass-heavy instrumentation. I usually stick with the acetate for overall structure, but this one remains elusive and mysterious.

 

Your ratings for Child Is Father of the Man:
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5-4 votes

 

Today's song is Surf's Up [SMiLE Sessions Ver.]:

 

Surf's Up - one of their greatest musical achievements.

It may be sacrilege but my favourite is the 70's version with Carl on lead but that doesn't mean I don't think this version is anything short of a 5/5.

 

Child is Father of the Man - 2/5 - Oh what could have been. I made my own edit of it, with heavy emphasis on the parts that have vocals.

 

Surf's Up - 5/5

In the running for Brian's greatest achievement. I think the SMiLE Sessions version absolutely nails it. It is exactly what I would have done with the master tapes and necessary skills.

I still love the story of them working on it and Brian coming downstairs and producing the tag for it. The tag is one of my favorite pieces of music. I am glad Brian was able to summon the magic once more for SMiLE.

 

"Surf's Up." Just brilliant all the way. The Brilliantest of the Brilliant. I think this is the song that converted me back in 2007 or whenever when I was on the edge of fandom. What else can be said? WE all know the song. I can't imagine there are people who listen to this and sniff. But Honeybunch is probably one of them.

5/5

 

Amazing song. Not much else to say. 5/5

I prefer Brian's piano demo over the '66 "first movement" with the '71 "Child" tag at the end. Pretty simple.

 

5,000,000/5

THE one and only closer for Smile.

 

Probably my favorite piece of music produced during the rock era. The composition is gorgeous and timeless. And Van’s abstract lyrics have held up remarkably well. The song might have been written 50 years ago or yesterday. I’ll always prefer the ‘71 version because Carl’s lead on the most challenging section is flawless and sounds so effortless. A truly great performance. And he reproduced it incredibly well on stage. Brian strains a little on the first section of this version and the back and forth between him and Carl sounds a little wonky to me. On the other hand, I prefer this mix to ‘71. I like the discordant horns and the more prominent bass in the first section of this one. That said, each version is special and earns an emphatic 5/5 from me.

 

5/5 - I would say his greatest composition… I think his three greatest would have to be surfs up , heroes and villains and good vibrations

 

The greatest song that "almost" no one has ever heard. 5/5 I like the Surf's Up version better, to me it seems more polished. But only serious BB fans know this song (OK there will be a few exceptions). It's a pity, since it is one of their more beautiful and involved songs.

 

Surfs Up - off the chart, a new form of art, highest level of sophistication every achieved by commercial pop artist, untouchable, unparalleled in beauty, touched by God, all that sort of thing.

5/5

 

"Surf's Up"

I've always liked the 1971 version, but I like this version better with continuity between the different sections with Brian singing lead on all parts. Brian's vocal seems a bit more articulate and expresses the lyrics better than Carl's. The instruments add a lot of color and enhance the song, which is why I prefer this version to a solo piano version.

This is a good Van Dyke Parks lyric, as he tapped into Dennis' frustration with the striped shirt uniforms and audience members mocking the uniforms. I don't put it up with the best songs from the band, as Parks' style is a bit too obtuse and wordy for its own good, but this song is one of the better ones from 1966.

4/5

 

"Surf's Up" Is a 5/5.

 

Definitely not obtuse. Perhaps a bit abstruse.

 

Surf's Up is perfection. 5/5.

 

Your ratings for Surf's Up [SMiLE Ver.]
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Today's song is I Wanna Be Around/Workshop:

 

Friday Night - not sure where it fits but interesting juxtaposition of swing and saws. Novelty wears off after a while, though, and you're left with another dead end.

3/5

 

Straight from my favorite Smile recording to my least favorite. Interesting idea, but poor execution. The result is boring and overlong. My Smile compilations have always placed this after Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow because of the repair/rebuilding theme. But yesterday I discovered the previously unreleased “Our New Home” from the Friends Sessions. In the future, that will be inserted in place of this one for me. The heck with historical accuracy. 3/5 (for inventiveness and the willful disregard of what rock contemporaries were doing).

 

Just a segue. Don’t include it in my SMiLE. 2/5

 

I Wanna Be Around/Workshop - To me, this kind of fragments are what makes SMiLE fascinating.

Songs like Surf's Up, Cabin Essence, H&V and GV make SMiLE (as a listening experience) outstanding, but it's these little segments and ideas that add a lot of charm to it. They may be considered disposable, but I love them anyway.

3/5

 

Potato, potahtoe
Tomato, tomahtoe
Let's call the whole thing off