Shane Faubert

Blind Fingers Brown

I like it!

… and the Hollies are one of my favorite bands ever. Graham Nash is always dead on pitch wise and when he and Clarke sing together that little rub is magical. Not a criticism, just an observation of something that makes the Hollies special among vocal groups of that era.

His lead vocals are a teensy bit flat, especially the lower notes and the beginning and end of lines. Sometimes he gets where he needs to be. Listen to Air That I Breathe for a prime example. It’s good though! When he’s singing with Nash/Hicks I think they pull him in. He’s a great vocalist…

Started chronolistening the Hollies today. It’s going to be fun, and I know what I’m getting into. First thoughts are not new thoughts. Bobby Elliot was one of the best drummers of his time, harmonies are as joyful as can be. Allan Clarke consistently sings flat but it doesn’t get in the way.

You mean “Democratic” point of view I would assume. “Democrat” as an adjective is a Republican pejorative. I agree with you otherwise.

Shake Some Action and Teenage Head are the best of their first two incarnations but there’s good music on all of their albums.

7 for sure

Nico joined by John Cale and Lou Reed

B J Wilson
Al Foster
Bill Bruford

I loved this!

I believe the music is sublime and the words beautiful. It’s wonderful that humans can think so differently about something… don’t you think?

steal… I had no idea you had written what you had or I wouldn’t have ham-fistedly repeated it. My sincerest apologies.

A couple of days ago I wrote a multi-part thread about the box and how much I loved “Love You”. Today I went back to your Beach Boys book to read what you wrote about it and discovered that a couple of things you wrote I wrote as well! I’m a little embarrassed, but need you to know I didn’t mean to

No! The Ailers

The Ailers

Listen to what happens 18 seconds into this clip. It throws him off, too. His insides are falling out of him regularly and publicly.

Not sure he’ll live long enough.

9) It had to end and it did. There were good Beach Boys albums after this and Brian did good work on his own, but I for one will argue that this unpolished spurt of creativity matches their best work.

8) To conclude… there are lots of Beach Boys versions: surf n cars, Pet Sounds, Sunflower, Holland, Love You and what came after. THIS Beach Boys is the most imperfect and raw, the most extreme. An audible proof that the band loved the insane man they had learned to live with.

7) Brian stepped away again after these albums and I don’t blame him. It must’ve been brutal to work this hard and realize that you simply weren’t in sync. I really love these albums but even I am not sure why. What did they have that appealed to me? This bearded, sketchy group of Beach Men.

6) Why did Brian’s lead vocal on “Back Home” get used? Was there anyone involved that might’ve said let’s try that another day or let Al sing it? I guess my point is that these three albums showed a band simultaneously in love with its main driving force and unconsciously trying to kill it.

5) Arrangements aren’t spare exactly, but generally what you hear isn’t something that sounds like a band labored over it in a traditional sense. My favorite example of this is the lone cymbal crash on “Johnny Carson”. Someone decided it had to be THERE. Why?

4) What could have been done with this version of the band? I really believe that nothing could’ve helped. “Love You” is one of my favorite albums of all time but it’s odd at best. The songs are sometimes beautiful but always strange. Harmonies are clipped and atonal.

3) None of these LPs could really be thought of as commercially well thought out. A vocal group with 2 of the 5 no longer singing like they used to, the promo/cover photos showing the group pudgy, greasy and dressed like your least favorite uncles. Even Dennis looked bad!

2) First of all, the three LPs from this era (15 Big Ones, Love You, Adult Child) showcase Brian at one of his peaks as a songwriter, musician and producer. An amazing output in a very short period of time. Two hit singles if you count “it’s OK”. One Lp sold well, one flopped and one got shelved.

I’ve been listening to the We Gotta Groove Beach Boys box for the last few days and it’s forcing me to think about how this period of their (and Brian’s) music fit into their overall artistic careers. I have some random thoughts to get out of my system…

The Who
Prince

I think Johnny Cash finished with a flourish.

Music (especially the 60s)
The Yankees

30 minutes would only scratch the surface. I could talk for weeks or more about music.

Love is a Woman