|
|
|
topgazza
Guest
|
 |
« Reply #1 on: May 01, 2006, 03:10:30 pm » |
|
Someone should have shouted "stop digging" by 1985 but the hole kept getting deeper. Not appalling but bland and souless with what sounds like an album with one singer being mult tracked to make him sound like the group. Sterile
|
|
|
|
|
|
Conspiracy Jim
|
|
« Reply #2 on: May 02, 2006, 06:05:43 am » |
|
I'll go for a six; not up to their best standards, but the odd song getting 'classic' status. At its' worst, it's self parodic (and now horrendously dated), but dig deep and there's the odd moment that stands up to repeated listening, mostly from Carl and Alan; Carl's Where I Belong is the undisputed highlight, but Bruce turns in She Believes In Love Again, which isn't terrible. Stevie Wonder's cameo is great, as is Roy Hay's though it's a a bit long. Brian...well, it's not good. Mike's strangely muted here.
Good, but not great, and no worse than the albums their 60s contemporaries were making in the 80s; at least every surviving band member was there.
|
Are you telling me you don't see the connection between government and laughing at people?
|
|
|
|
Ed Hemingway
|
|
« Reply #3 on: May 02, 2006, 01:58:07 pm » |
|
Basically, the album sounds like a modern-day pastiche. If someone asks me what the good songs are on the album, I'll come up with a few, but good compared to what? There's some decent singing on it, largely by Carl and Al, and it's nice that Brian's contributions are so obvious, even if they're not particularly wonderful. Don't mind Male Ego!
|
Not even if it helps the space programme...
|
|
|
Lincoln
Shows up sometimes
 Offline
Posts: 35
|
|
« Reply #4 on: May 14, 2006, 02:33:52 pm » |
|
IMHO, this is an underrated album, better then some others which are liked more(15 big ones and Love You for one). Entirely listenable, some tracks arent as great, but i really like others. Where I belong, and I do love you are both great IMHO, and all of the first side is decent.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lonely Summer
|
|
« Reply #5 on: May 24, 2006, 02:57:32 am » |
|
I gave it a 7. Not great, but more consistant than that batch of albums from 76-80. The production is the main problem, probably sounded very radio friendly in 1985, now sounds very dated. Group vocals are gorgeous, nice to hear Brian back in the mix (especially on Getcha Back). Never cared much for Bruce's track, not a bad tune, but his stuff is always a bit on the sappy side. On the other hand, I love Brian's showcase, I'm So Lonely. Very simple, but so catchy, there's nothing about it that screams "genius" to me, yet somehow it's got Brian's magic all over it. Carl and Alan are great on the Stevie Wonder track, but it's Carl's songs that are the most enjoyable for me. Would love to hear a version of It's Gettin' Late with real guitars, drums, etc, it had the potential as a real In the Midnight Hour rocker. Where I Belong is similar to Heaven from his first solo album, CBS should have taken a risk and put it out as a single, it would have caught on with repeated playings.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lee Marshall
|
|
« Reply #6 on: May 31, 2006, 06:07:53 pm » |
|
A 5. I didn't like the production but I did like several of the songs. It was a welcome release at the time as I had been pining for something/anything new from the group.
By then I was well aware that I'd never hear the adventurous undertakings of the early 70s again. Long before the release of this album it was plainly evident that the Beach boys had truly lost their creative way.
|
"No Wilsons...NO Beach Boys." I find it impossible to argue with THAT.
|
|
|
Soulful Old Man Sunshine
increasingly common, in a good way
Offline
Posts: 98
Mr., Mr. Wilson...humble and brave, empty of hate
|
|
« Reply #7 on: September 07, 2006, 04:37:00 am » |
|
I'm giving it a 3. This is one of my least favorite Beach Boys records, even if Carl does some nice stuff on here. Overall, though, this album is so uber-slick, contrived and synthetic, it drives me to distraction.
Okay to Good songs:
It's Gettin' Late
Maybe I Don't Know
I'm So Lonely (lame but beautiful all at once)
Where I Belong
It's Just A Matter Of Time (ditto as I'm So Lonely)
everything else is bunk.
Damn, I miss Dennis.
....and Carl. He's the only real reason I ever try to listen to this record.
|
"Lady, people aren't chocolates. D'you know what they are mostly? Bastards. Bastard-coated bastards with bastard filling. But I don't find them half as annoying as I find naive bobble-headed optimists who walk around vomiting sunshine."--Dr. Cox
|
|
|
The Baker Man
Hi Mark!
Offline
Posts: 1,023
|
|
« Reply #8 on: October 26, 2006, 04:22:20 pm » |
|
This album is the beginning of their "techno" sound, and therefore, the beginning of the end. No real drums or instruments. No real Beach Boys vibe.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Laughing Gravy
|
|
« Reply #9 on: October 26, 2006, 04:25:51 pm » |
|
Yeah, dreadful. "Male Ego" is the only decent track, and it was a B-side, not even on the album.
|
|
|
|
|
The Baker Man
Hi Mark!
Offline
Posts: 1,023
|
|
« Reply #10 on: October 26, 2006, 04:34:42 pm » |
|
Male Ego was also a bonus track on the album's initial CD release. Why it wasn't included on the two-fer release is beyond me.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Conspiracy Jim
|
|
« Reply #11 on: October 26, 2006, 05:15:11 pm » |
|
Male Ego was also a bonus track on the album's initial CD release. Why it wasn't included on the two-fer release is beyond me.
It is! It's on my copy anyway...! |
Are you telling me you don't see the connection between government and laughing at people?
|
|
|
Psychic Surfer
Shows up sometimes
Offline
Posts: 18
I'm the man with all the toys!
|
|
« Reply #12 on: February 07, 2007, 10:15:13 pm » |
|
I give this album a 3. I like 'Getcha Back' and 'It's Just A Matter Of Time'. I don't like the production. I wish Brian produced it instead. 'Male Ego' is a great song too. Too bad it didn't make the LP.
|
He's a dog. A hot dog!
|
|
|
|
Wrightfan
|
|
« Reply #13 on: April 12, 2007, 02:47:41 pm » |
|
4. Probally the band's worst album (though I haven't listened to Summer in Paradise yet  ) Getcha Back: The album starts promising with one of Mike Love's best songs. 7.5 out of 10. It's Gettin' Late-It's Just a Matter of time: All horrible and suffering from terrible 80's production. |
|
|
|
|
|
TdHabib
|
|
« Reply #14 on: May 02, 2007, 09:20:51 pm » |
|
I re-listened to this again this week, and probably overrated it the first time. I'll give it a 6 now, but I feel people give it a bum rap unfairly. Terrible production, but a number of the songs themselves are of good quality. "Getcha Back," is a nice throw back, and Carl does very well with his three tunes, my favorite being "Where I Belong," one of the few songs that doesn't have terrible production (it's still a bit mediocre). Brian's songs, now, aren't the best he's ever written, but I just love "It's Just A Matter of Time" and "Male Ego" is very quirky too. "She Belives in Love Again" is an underrated song, a lovely ballad from Brucey. Not very keen on "I Do Love You," "California Calling" is OK, and I can't stand "Passing Friend."
Just as a side note, my now sixteen year old son asked for this for his fourteenth birthday after hearing "Getcha Back" on the radio, and I re-bought it (the cassette is probably in a landfill somewhere in Pennsylvania) thus reviving my interest in The Beach Boys over the past 18 months.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poll
