Archive for October, 2007

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Brian’s Hidden Beauties XXXIX: Had To Phone Ya

Wednesday, October 31st, 2007

Few fans will rate 15 Big Ones as one of their most beloved albums from the Beach Boys, but there are a few classic moments on this album when you realise this isn’t just a 60s nostalgia group grabbing at past glories. One of these moments is Had To Phone Ya, a track linking back to the Pet Sounds outtake, Trombone Dixie, and also attempted by Spring.

The song is notable for lead vocals from each of the five “classic line-up” Beach Boys, with Brian rasping in his “manly” voice in the end. His somewhat desperate “come on and answer the phone” is a hint at the tenor of the soon-to-be-released Love You album, but again, it is the ability of the Beach Boys to hit at the chord of an everyday feeling that makes this song so effective.

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Fourth Time A Charm

Sunday, October 28th, 2007

A week ago, I talked about a bit about the career of Scott Walker, and reviewed his latest CD, the soundtrack to the Royal Festival Hall dance work,  And Who Shall Go To The Ball? And What Shall Go The Ball? And while his latest work is deliberately difficult and hard to access for first-time listeners, today I would like to introduce an album that does showcase everything I love about Scott Walker, and which remains very close to my list of all-time top CDs.

Scott wasn’t the most original in his solo album titles but his first three solo albums, Scott, Scott 2 , and yup, Scott 3, were all significant hits – indeed Scott 2 was one of the albums that broke the Beatles/Dylan/Stones/Sound of Music five year domination at number 1 on the UK album chart. Their success was probably based on Scott’s teenage idol looks and voice, but careful listening indicated that Scott was moving into darker territory with his covers of Jacques Brel songs and his own songs of isolation, loneliness and shattered hearts.

So Scott 4 should have continued that success, but some reason the fans seem to have had enough, and the album flaked out on the charts and shattered Scott’s confidence. However, history has now resurrected it as a cult favorite and deservedly show. There is the typical wall of sound and orchestration from Scott’s earlier records but also hints of rock and country which give the record a bit of an extra edge – alt country chanteuse Neko Case covered Duchess from Scott 4 on her first album.

All the 1o tracks have something to recommend them, but I have to mention On Your Own Again, Boy Child, Angel of Ashes and Rhymes Of Goodbye which have a heartbreaking beauty that leaves the listener riveted and almost in tears. As Stuart Maconie from NME once said ” Yes, there are people in the world who do not love Scott Walker. But what must their hearts be like? This is the voice. More than anything before or since, the voice of mystery, suffering, heartbreak, nostalgia, yearning and joy.”

Invest in this one today. It could be a tonic for your heart.

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A Grammy For Dennis?

Thursday, October 25th, 2007

I got a message from Al Gomes who has been succesful in getting a number of  listings on the  Grammy Award ballot for the Adam Marsland band tribute album to Dennis and Carl Wilson -including the first songwriting recognition for Dennis Wilson. I reviewed this album earlier this year, and it would certainly grace the Grammy nominations -not only is it a tribute to Dennis and Carl but showcases the talents of Adam Marland, Evie Sands and Alan Boyd . If enough people make a noise about this, who knows what could happen -calling all those who are Grammy voting members, or know any.

Details of the nomination from Al

Hello Everybody :

Adam Marsland’s Chaos Band’s CD ‘Long Promised Road : Songs of Dennis &
Carl Wilson Live’ has been placed on the Official Ballot for the 2008
Grammy Awards by the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences in
six categories. It’s a great honor to be selected to the final ballot
and we need your help to get Dennis Wilson into the Final Top 5 Nominees.

Dennis is recognized in Category 3 as a songwriter for the first time in
Grammy history.

They also recognized Beach Boys producers Alan Boyd, Mark Linett, and
Earle Mankey for their efforts in making the record.

If you are a voting member of the Grammys, I ask for your consideration
in voting for Dennis Wilson and Adam Marsland’s Chaos Band. If know
someone who is a voting member of the Grammys, please forward the
following information along and please ask for their vote.

The Grammy ballots will arrive to all voting members this week and must
be returned to the Academy by November 7, so please pass the word on to
people you know as soon as possible.

Please note : Each category has an Official Three-digit Ballot Entry
Number that Grammy members will need to vote for Dennis & Carl Wilson
and Adam Marsland’s Chaos Band in each category.

Thanks so much for all your help.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences
has placed Dennis Wilson and Adam Marsland’s Chaos Band on the
Official Ballot for the 2008 Grammy Awards
in the following categories:

Category 1 – Record of the Year
Adam Marsland’s Chaos Band –
Wouldn’t It Be Nice to Live Again
Award goes to Artist, Producer, Recording Engineer, and Mixer:
Adam Marsland’s Chaos Band, Adam Marsland, Evie Sands,
Alan Boyd, Mark Linett and Steve Refling
Ballot Entry # 371

Category 2 – Album of the Year
Adam Marsland’s Chaos Band –
Long Promised Road : Songs of Dennis & Carl Wilson Live
Award goes to Artist, Producer, Recording Engineer, Mixer,
and Mastering Engineer: Adam Marsland’s Chaos Band,
Adam Marsland, Evie Sands, Alan Boyd, Mark Linett,
Steve Refling and Earle Mankey
Ballot Entry # 312

Category 3 – Song of the Year
Adam Marsland’s Chaos Band –
Wouldn’t It Be Nice to Live Again
Award goes to Songwriters:
Dennis Wilson and Stanley Shapiro
Ballot Entry # 655

Category 4 – Best New Artist
Adam Marsland’s Chaos Band
Award goes to Artist: Adam Marsland’s Chaos Band
Ballot Entry # 192

Category 7 – Best Pop Performance By A Duo or Group with Vocal
Adam Marsland’s Chaos Band –
Wouldn’t It Be Nice to Live Again
Award goes to Artist: Adam Marsland’s Chaos Band
Ballot Entry # 062

Category 11 – Best Pop Vocal Album
Adam Marsland’s Chaos Band –
Long Promised Road : Songs of Dennis & Carl Wilson Live
Award goes to Artist: Adam Marsland’s Chaos Band
Ballot Entry # 133

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Brian’s Hidden Beauties XXXVIII: With Me Tonight

Wednesday, October 24th, 2007

Some songs just stick in your mind even if you don’t want them to – and With Me Tonight from Smiley Smile is one of them. One of the Smiley Smile songs that wasn’t part of SMiLE (although the melody seems to be from a fragment from those sessions), it fits into that rather odd album’s psychedelic do-it-yourself doo wop genre.

It’s one of those songs that showcases the brilliant harmonies of the Beach Boys, as well as celebrating a simple joy – a theme that would recur over the next few albums in the transcendental era of the late 60s and early 70s.  It may seem slight and inconsequential on first listen, but don’t be surprised when this tune sucks you in and sticks in your mind….

Posted in Beach Boys, Brian Wilson, Brian's Hidden Beauties | 1 Comment »

Congratulations Bokke!

Sunday, October 21st, 2007

OK, I have to go way off topic today but there is something very special to celebrate…South Africa winning the Rugby World Cup 2007 last night in France. It’s a special moment for the coach, players and the whole country. Congratulations to all involved!

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Easy Listening It Ain’t

Saturday, October 20th, 2007

Brian Wilson was not the only sixties icon who had a specially commissioned work at the Royal Festival Hall last month. A lesser known, but extremely interesting musician, Scott Walker’s And Who Shall Go To The Ball? And What Shall Go The Ball? also premiered as a dance for both disabled and able-bodied dancers. Scott Walker wrote the soundtrack and this has now been released on 4AD records.

The formal connections between Brian Wilson and Scott Walker may be restricted to John Maus (John’s musical brother in the Walker Brothers -but no relation) teaching Brian’s brother Carl to play the guitar back in Los Angeles. But there is a lot more behind the scenes..both are far more revered in the UK than the USA (indeed Scott moved there in the 60s) and both had mid 60s popularity that was not far away from the Beatles. Both had 60s work that was critically acclaimed but eventually lost them commercial success, and both faded away for much of the 70s and 80s. And both seem to be “back” to a fair level of productivity compared to past years, this release comes on the back of Scott’s full length album The Drift from last year.

But the similarity probably ends in that Brian has always looked to his past even in his creative new music (think Lucky Old Sun) whereas Scott has disowned it in coming up with work which can fairly be described as “difficult.” If some of this earlier work could be seen as close to easy listening (though always with an edge) , his latter work has been purposely difficult, taking the listener to some very dark places that few other artists would dare go. On last year’s album, there was a song equating Elvis Presley’s stillborn twin with the fall of the twin towers….you will be assured that wasn’t a barrel of laughs, although it was certainly thought-provoking.

 And Who Shall Go To The Ball? And What Shall Go The Ball? is all orchestrated instrumental and is fairly short, at 24 minutes. It would probably work better with seeing the dance -the first movement is sparse, to put it kindly, while the remainder build up with a lot of dissonances and occasionally hints of beauty. It certainly wouldn’t be a starting point to build an appreciation of Scott’s talents, but given all the history, we’re glad he’s around and doing something creative.

Oh, and go bokke!! Some of you reading this will understand…..

Posted in Brian Wilson, General Music, Record Reviews | 2 Comments »

Brian’s Hidden Beauties XXXVII: The Night Was So Young

Wednesday, October 17th, 2007

We’re still in the 30th anniversary year of the Love You album, so it’s appropriate to honor another track from this controversial album that some hate, but many (including myself) passionately hold up as a different view of Brian’s genius. The Night Was So Young is the most fully-realised track on the album from a production point of view and like all of Brian’s best music it strikes an emotional edge – there is a sense of emotional vulnerability and almost desperation with the lyrics “she’d be so right to hold me tonight.”

This is the only Love You! track that Brian has performed in his solo tours of recent years. It featured on the 1993 box set (which was the first time I heard it), but is widely unknown to the mass public. A real pity -this is a genuinely good song that is right up with Brian’s best.

Posted in Beach Boys, Brian Wilson, Brian's Hidden Beauties | 1 Comment »

Chat Transcript Posted And Dennis Movie

Monday, October 15th, 2007

The transcript from the recent chat with Billy Hinsche is now posted on this website.  Have a look at some interesting discussions about touring with Brian and Billy’s recent album.

A lot of the chat was about the Dennis Wilson film that Billy Hinsche has put together, and the good news is that the film is now available.  Details are as follows

*DENNIS WILSON FOREVER: Interviews with the People Who Knew Him Best*
A film by Billy Hinsche

After three years in the making, this powerful documentary on the life of one of the most interesting, creative, and lovable members of the Beach Boys, Dennis Wilson, is now available on DVD! Dennis Wilson Forever was produced and directed by Dennis’ brother-in-law Billy Hinsche, who shared many years on stage with Dennis throughout the most memorable times of his professional career.

Filled with fascinating, funny, outrageous anecdotes about Dennis the surfer, drummer, race car driver, songwriter and friend, the film is an insightful, honest, loving look at the incredible life of the legendary Beach Boys drummer as seen through the eyes of those who knew him best; containing over thirty different interviews with family members, close friends, fellow musicians, co-workers, admirers, and members of the Beach Boys past and present. You will be moved to laughter and tears while hearing about some of his many adventures and how he inspired and touched the lives of those with whom he came into contact with over the years.

This full-length feature film includes vintage black & white photos and footage of Dennis and the Beach Boys of 1974. The soundtrack incorporates Billy’s song “One in a Million” (written for Dennis) into the body of the film.

$30, plus $4 for shipping and handling U.S./$6 s&h international. More info at http://www.billyhinsche.com/DWforever.html . 90 min. long (approx.), rated PG.

Posted in Beach Boys, Brian Wilson, Web Page | 1 Comment »

Top Of My Pops 2007

Sunday, October 14th, 2007

Just over a year ago, and soon after I started this blog, I posted on who I thought my favorite musicians were, based on an attempt to measure how much I liked the various artists. Trying to measure musical taste is probably as futile as trying to scientifically prove that you’re in love, but it doesn’t stop the actuarial scientist in me.

The method I used is the same as last year  -take my whole ITunes playlist and mark all the songs that I especially liked and then count these songs by artist. As before, I was quite generous in allocating categories so the Brian Wilson/Beach Boys category would include all solo Beach Boys work plus Brian Wilson production songs. Burt Bacharach and Jimmy Webb would be boosted by the songs they wrote for others.

The overall result is pretty similar to last year, but there are a few movements and newcomers

1. Beach Boys/Brian Wilson

2. Beatles

3. Burt Bacharach

4. Jimmy Webb

5. Prefab Sprout (including Paddy McAloon solo)

6. Bob Dylan

7. Scott Walker (including Walker Brothers)

8. REM

9. Saint Etienne

10.  Paul Weller (including Jam and Style Council)

11. The Association

12 . Simon And Garfunkel (including solo)

13= Belle And Sebastian

        October Project

15=   Pernice Brothers

        Swan Dive

17.    Dexy’s Midnight Runners

18=.   Beautiful South/Housemartins

        Free Design

20.  Orpheus

       Innocence Mission

       High Llamas

23.  Wondermints

So, new entries for the Pernice Brothers, Innocence Mission, Orpheus and the Free Design, which does reflect what I’ve been listening to quite a bit in the past year. And a special honorary mention to Lucky Soul, who were close to the top 23 on the basis of one album and a few odds and ends. A bit more detail on this list can be found on my webpage.

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Brian Joins The Ballet

Thursday, October 11th, 2007

No, Brian won’t be doing any pirouettes (we don’t think). But he will be performing at the English National Ballet’s gala evening on November 11.  He’ll be doing a hits show, and there will also be ballet piece especially written set to God Only Knows. So Brian will be returning to the UK fairly soon after his triumphant Lucky Old Sun tour, but this show will set you back 350 pounds – so expect a lot of jewelry rattling.  However, nice to see something different- I imagine God Only Knows could inspire a really beautiful piece of ballet.

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