225 Featuring Carl Wilson Part 6
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- čas přidán 10. 09. 2024
- We've reached the early/mid 80s: A time for getting lost between the moon and New York City, wanting your MTV, thinking of Laura (and Luke) and trying very, very hard to keep up with the changing times. Of course, Carl Wilson is there!
Steve....... These programs about Carl has really got me thinking about all the times I have seen Carl on stage. I have seen the Beach Boys 7 times between 1969 and 1993. Carl was there at each show. The one and only time I saw Brian was at the 50th anniversary tour. Looking back, I realized my favorite part of each show was when Carl was doing his leads. I specifically remember seeing them in 1973, with Blondie and Ricky. Darrel Dragon and Toni were probably on stage as well. They opened the show with Wouldn't It Be Nice. Someone was playing an upright bass and they were doing the entire song by now. In front of where Carl stood on the left side of the stage was a Fender-Rhodes piano. After about 3 or four songs, Carl got behind the keyboard and played Long Promised Road and Trader. It was really great. I remember Dennis(who was not playing drums at this time) introducing Carl saying "Carl let's the rest of us play with him on these next numbers". Thanks for the great programs. Looking forward to next week's program.
Wow! I never saw a Beach Boys show until 1980. Thanks for sharing those memories! You were so lucky to have seen them in '73 with Blondie and Ricky. That's the period I would most liked to have experienced. Carl performing those songs in keyboard must have been amazing! Thanks for passing along Dennis' comment too! It's funny and I think there's also some truth in it. It seems to me that Carl really became the linchpin of the group in many ways, particularly on stage. He is certainly missed! Thanks for the great feedback and for the kind words, Lamont! Always great to hear from you!
Wow ! I learned a lot . You’ve reached the period when I was pretty much full time working stiff , husband , and father . I had little time for popular music with a few exceptions .
Yes , I knew that Carl performed on David Lee Roth’s “ California Girls “ and yes , I purchased the two C. Wilson solo albums . Everything else you covered, …….Well , I had no clue . The only pop acts that I followed in the eighties were . The Police , Marshall Crenshaw , Warren Zevon , and Ry Cooder . I would have been considered dreadfully un-hip .
Thanks for patching some holes in my pop music knowledge .
Thanks for the feedback, Beanie, and glad you found the episode interesting. BTW, I wouldn't call the Police, Marshall Crenshaw, Warren Zevon and Ry Cooder un-hip. That's some great stuff there! You were definitely "with it" (or whatever the correct term was in the early/mid 80s!) Thanks again, Beanie!
I'm not only amazed by your research, but your album collection. Burton Cummings was a great vocalist I always enjoyed him as much as Carl Wilson. In 1982 Cummings was in a movie called Melanie that showed him performing some songs. Thanks again for another chapter in music history.
Thanks for the feedback, Don, and for mentioning the movie, "Melanie." I haven't heard of it and will see if I can track it down. I love Burton Cummings work and it sounds like something I'd really enjoy!
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 Steve, the full movie is on YT.
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 Steve, the full movie is available on YT.
I LOVE that obscure cult movie! Don Johnson is the bad guy! Burt is "Rick," the talented but aimlessly drifting, coked-up musician. Melanie straightens him out. czcams.com/video/4eR1MXv1qcQ/video.html
I really like that Christopher Cross album. It isn’t quite as strong as his first one, but it’s still quite good. Also, when I first heard the David Lee Roth cover of California Girls, I immediately recognized Carl in the background… That made it seem, to me, like the cover had the blessing of the band. To this day, it’s one of my favorite Beach Boys covers out there.
I agree about the Christopher Cross album. As I mentioned, I really enjoyed re-visiting those records in researching this episode. I hadn't heard them in a while and it was a real pleasure playing them again. I like David Lee Roth's cover too; I thought it sounded "modern" in 1985 without him trying too hard to update it or changing it too much and, like you, I thought if Carl was on it, it must be "okay" with the group. Great to hear from you, Nick! Thanks!
Yes he was very good. He played his acoustic set at the town’s jazz festival
Cool to hear Carl so prominently on Baby Says No, I’d never heard that one before so thanks for introducing it to me Steve! And wow I had no idea David Lee Roth covered Coconut Grove, that’s one of my favorite Lovin’ Spoonful songs as well! (I think it’s a pretty good cover too, sounds like the original song just with a more 80s sound)
Great video as always Steve, keep up the great work! -Jake
Thanks, Jake! Great to know that you're familiar with the Lovin' Spoonful's "Coconut Grove." Your knowledge of the hidden corners of recorded music is always impressive and, as you and the others on the "Good Timin' Podcast continue to show, you've got great taste! Keep up the great work, Jake, and thanks again!
I remember all the girls were in love with Christopher Cross voice ..”Sailing” . They were very disappointed when the saw him lol.
Thanks for confirming my suspicion, Mike! From my perspective, I think I liked him better when I saw him...With great looks, he'd have had too many "gifts." (Of course, I wasn't going to be hanging a poster of him in my bed room, whatever he looked like!) Thanks again, Mike!
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 Always brings me back to that great summer of 1980! Graduated HS and was the summer of my girl Mary K. It was our song ! She was kind enough to break up with me right before we left for college 😢! 🤣🤣🤣
@@skee19 I guess that would make it memorable! Thanks for sharing your "days of '80," Mike!
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 Not exactly a 1970-era "David Cassidy," eh?
"California Girls" was my era and is the only Beach Boys cover that I enjoy more than the original. I remember stopping at a pay phone to put in my vote to a local radio station in a battle of the songs to make sure it won again lol.
Wow! What a cool memory! You must have been pretty committed to the song to vote via pay phone. (I really like the DLR version too!) Thanks for sharing the memory, Wes!
Great program. Thanks for seeking out all this info about Carl. We all miss him.
He is definitely missed! These episodes have been great to research. I've really enjoyed hearing Carl's voice on all these very different projects. Thanks for the comments, Lamont! Always great to hear from you!
I appreciate when you do videos like this and I end up listening to Christopher Cross and David Lee Roth! Thank you for another awesome video!
Carl worked on so many different kinds of projects, it's a fun excuse for me to revisit a wide variety of records. If the neighbors can hear you going from Christopher Cross to David Lee Roth, I'm sure they're puzzled at your taste in music! Always great to hear from you, Usualmike! Thanks!
I was 11 when DLR’s version of California Girls came out. It blew me away (the video was fantastic as well for an 11 year old), and not only continued my love for Van Halen and DLR, but got me listening to more Beach Boys as well. That 45 is and will always be in my jukebox. Great video as always!
Thanks for sharing the memories, Scott! It's always great, too, to know the many and varied ways people have "found" the Beach Boys over the years. In '85, DLR's "California Girls" was in heavy rotation on MTV as I was preparing to move to Los Angeles in May. That video made it look awfully inviting! Great to hear from you, Scott! Thanks again!
Enjoyed the episode Steve. I was not aware of many of these Carl appearances. I will certainly look them up for a listen.
Glad you enjoyed it and I hope you'll follow up with your thoughts on those performances if you have a chance to listen to them. Thanks for the comments, Go!
You might talk about Roger mcguinn from The Brudys working with the beachboys.
That could be very interesting! I've made a note of it for a possible future episode. Thanks for the suggestion, John!
Another very informative episode Steve. I've never listened to Christopher Cross. But I think I saw at least that first one in that pile of records someone gave me. I'll have to check and see if I have it. Of course I love the Guess Who. I'll have to break out the Youngblood album and give it a listen. I think I only listened to it once. So far, I think I only have one of Carl's guest appearances. The Elton John one. I do have a Louis Prima CD. I got it after hearing several of his songs in the animated movie Igor. Thanks as always.
Let me know what you think of Christopher Cross if you give him a listen! Now that you've mentioned it, I should pull "Youngblood" out again to see if I can hear Burton Cummings on it. His voice is distinct enough, I feel like I ought to be able to pick it out even if it's pretty deep in the mix. Cool that you have the Louis Prima CD! He did some great stuff. If you haven't seen film of him performing with Keely Smith, you might want to check it out: czcams.com/video/QSGVD2DgWy8/video.html I know it was a deliberate decision that Keely Smith should remain impassive and barely move during the performances, but I've never gotten used to it. It always looks really strange. Thanks, once again, for the great feedback, Michael!
Hey Steve - Speaking of Christopher Cross, put those headphones back on when you get the chance and listen to his absolutely smokin' guitar solo during the last minute or so on "Ride Like the Wind." It's a shame the decision was made to bury the solo in the mix. BTW, we saw Christopher Cross perform on New Year's Eve 1999 at the Universal Amphitheater with Poco and America on the bill as well - excellent show! OK, GREAT bass player trivia concerning Timothy B. Schmit & Randy Meisner (which bassist in history replaced the same bassist twice in 2 different bands?) OK - So I bought the "Playin' It Cool" album by Timothy B. Schmit back in the day to get the song "So Much In Love" - reason being that his version of the song was dropped for a while from the "Fast Times" soundtrack and was replaced by the original 1963 version from a group called The Tymes (it was replaced at least in the Theatres and maybe on T.V., as I don't know if it was ever dropped from the actual "Fast Times" soundtrack album.) I remember speaking with Timothy about this on the phone when he was a guest on the Mark and Brian show on KLOS - he mentioned there was a copyright issue (at the time,) which is why his version was replaced. I gotta admit I thought when David Lee Roth recorded this EP and soon after announced he was leaving Van Halen, that was it for VH and that DLR's solo career would take off...BOY WAS I WRONG! I LOVE the fact that Carl was prominently featured on "California Girls." I spoke with bassist Billy Sheehan in the summer of 1985 by the pool at the L.A. Guitar Show, which was held oh Highland Ave in Hollywood (right next door to where you just stayed several weeks ago.) Billy shared that he had just been hired by David Lee Roth to be his bassist (this was even before David hired guitarist Steve Vai - who was also at the LAGS.) As we know now Billy would only last for 1 album with DLR; David expected Billy to play more of a support role in the band like Michael Anthony had done, but Billy was very different being a virtuoso bassist. For this reason Billy didn't last long. On second thought, Billy may not have harmonized with David (or covered for David's vocal shortcomings) as well as Michael had done for so many years in VH. Great episode!
Thanks for the GREAT info, Chris! There's so much there that I didn't know about. I will definitely listen for the guitar on "Ride Like The Wind" and had no idea about "So Much In Love" being dropped and replaced in "Fast Times." (I need to check which version is on my DVD.) In '85, I felt the same way about VH vs DLR. I knew Eddie was considered "cooler," but I really thought DLR would continue along the lines he started with the EP and would end up being a big solo act and "all 'round entertainer." (Funny, now, I think if he'd stayed on that trajectory, he would have ended up being the 2020's version of Rip Taylor.) Thanks, too for the bass player's insight on Michael Anthony's role in VH! All the great info is much appreciated. Thanks so much, Chris, for taking the time to pass it along!
BTW, since you mentioned seeing Christopher Cross/Poco/America on New Year's Eve 1999, it reminded me that on New Year's Eve 1999/2000, we were in Santa Barbara where Dave Wakeling' of The ("English") Beat, was among the performers and my shock to realize the last song I'd hear in the 20th century and first in the 21st century was going to be "Mirror In The Bathroom."
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 Indeed! I think our last song was "Horse With Name" (shocker, huh?) I had hoped that America would have played on a bit longer, but nope, once they were done with the set, that was it. No biggie, as I'd seen America several times over the years, including when Carl opened for them when he was still playing solo dates in '83. Nonetheless, the show was very enjoyable, as I'm also a big Poco fan as well and it was great to see CC.
Hey Steve, thanks again for your dedication to our band. Hey just wanted to let you know that I was hanging out at the beach this past Saturday when I ran into Dean Torrence. We’ve met a few times before but, I wanted to ask him what his inspiration was for The Beach Boys Love You album cover was. Dean said, after seeing The Beach Boys using the Indian sitting on the horse ( Appeal to the Great Spirit by Cyrus Dallin ) a Native American blanket was the inspiration for the album cover. I hope you enjoyed your stay here on the west coast. TY
Wow! SO cool that you ran into Dean...and that you were ready with such an interesting question! (I hope you won't mind my pointing out this comment in a future "Cool Stuff" episode for anyone who misses it here.) The west coast trip was great. Next time, I hope we can finally get lunch together! Hope your cruise was excellent too! Thanks, John!
I noticed when you showed the credits on CA Girls, Christopher Cross also did background vocals. And one the the guitarists, Sid McGinnis, is from the Dave Letterman show band.
Yes. I should have mentioned that! Carl and Christopher Cross were appearing together on a lot of projects around this time. (I had no idea before I started researching this.) There's more Carl/Christopher Cross in next week's episode too! Thanks for the info on Sid McGinnis. I thought I recognized that name, but wouldn't have been able to place it! Great to hear from you, Paul!
Hi Steve great research! Heard Chris Cross live in Spain a few years ago. I’ll check out Baby Says No
I would imagine Christopher Cross is pretty good live. I'll have to keep an eye out for him! Always great to hear from you, Jamie! Thanks!
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 I caught him in concert up in Austin five or six years ago, and he was excellent. (You’d think he’d come to this area more often, since he is from San Antonio…) His voice is still fantastic, and he is a much better guitarist than most folks think. (His blistering solo at the end of Ride Like the Wind is unforgivably buried in the mix.) Since the concert was in Austin, he got his buddy Eric Johnson to come out and play a couple of songs with him, and he held his own nicely with Eric. Definitely worth the price of a ticket if he ever comes your way!
@@PapaNicksMusic Thanks for the thoughts and info on Christopher Cross, Nick! Chris Maury also mentioned his guitar solo on "Ride Like The Wind." I'll be giving it a listen with the solo in mind at the earliest available opportunity!
Glad to see you’re bouncing back to the “Carl” series! I’ve never heard “Baby Says No” until tonight. Nice song; hearing it makes me wish the roles were swapped, with Carl doing the lead and Cross the backgrounds. Or better yet, just Carl, double-tracked. You just can’t top that voice. I really like Cross' (and Schmit's) involvement with BW on the 1998 "Imagination" documentary. It's what frequently comes to mind whenever I think of either of them. czcams.com/video/zudwOAzR6ig/video.html
Also it was a thrill to hear your comments on Burton Cummings and his "Heart" album. I’m not sure, but I think I have the CD. It was difficult to obtain as well. So, over his career, Carl rubbed elbows with both Cummings and Bachman (“Keepin’ The Summer Alive” contributions.) Cool. Enjoyed tremendously revisiting your Basement Episode 26 on this.
I've never really been a Van Halen fan -- with one exception. "Jump" is a fantastic song. I greatly respected Eddie as a guitarist, but overall, just too heavy of a sound for me. DLR's Cali Girls cover had its merits, but I guess I had just lived with the original too long! But I'm sure the BBs appreciated the tribute, and Mike especially, the extra cash.
Thanks for making the connection to Christopher Cross (and Schmit) and the Imagination documentary. I hadn't caught that! Thanks for the link too! It's been a long time since I had seen it.
I felt the same way about Van Halen: back in the day, I found their stuff simultaneously too heavy and too "busy," until "Jump," which I loved. I thought they were just hitting their stride with the "1984" album, which was the only Van Halen album I bought, so I thought the break-up with DLR was really poorly timed. (Some of this might be generational. My brothers and their friends, who are just a few years younger, loved Van Halen from the beginning.) I'm sure you're right, too, that whatever the relative merits of DLR's "California Girls," the Beach Boys, and Mike Love's bank account, were grateful for the hit!
Thanks, as always, for the excellent and thoughtful feedback, Bill!
More albums/songs I need to check out, courtesy of Mr. Lewis! Always liked Christopher Cross's song "Sailing" and may have picked it up as a single. Didn't know Carl had worked as much as he did with him. Can see some similarities in their singing voices. Had the 45 of David Lee's version of "California Girls". Will have to watch it again, but remember being disappointed that Carl didn't appear in the video for "California Girls." Too bad David Lee and Van Halen were about to part ways, when this came out. Wonder how a Van Halen version of "California Girls" would have sounded, with Eddie doing a shredding guitar solo. They had done a good cover of Roy Orbison's "Pretty Woman", so I'm sure it would have sounded fine.
I agree about the similarity between Christopher Cross and Carl's vocals. They did sound great together and I didn't realize, either, that they had worked together so much before I started researching these episodes. (It's been really interesting finding those common connections and seeing the circles of other musicians Carl was moving in at various times in his career.) An Eddie Van Halen guitar solo on "California Girls" would have been really interesting! It's hard to imagine but, as you say, I'm sure it would have sounded fine! Thanks, Robert!
Completely agree with your comparison of Timothy B Schmit’s “Lonely Girl” to Jackson Browne’s “Somebody’s Baby”. Can I add Mike Love’s “Looking Back With Love” to the soundalike list? It’s the dog of the three, but dating from 1981, it seems that Mike’s was first. I didn’t hear LBWL until about 25 yrs ago and always thought it was a Jackson Browne ripoff
You're right! I never noticed the similarity until you mentioned it. I was already a "Beach Boys completist" in 1981, so I picked up "Looking Back With Love" when it came out. By the time of "Somebody's Baby," I suppose it was a relatively distant memory for me. (As you might guess, I didn't get a lot of play out of "LBWL"!) Thanks for pointing that out, Seventy-four! Excellent observation!
hey steve, gotta say i'm still looking forward to your "long promised rant" 👀👍
Oh yeah! I'd nearly forgotten about that! I've worked on putting it together a few times and always gotten distracted by something else. Thanks for reminding me, John! We'll get there!
1. I see you have a Quiex II pressing of the Christopher Cross album. How does it sound? 2. I've never ever seen that Burton Cummings album in the store, sadly. 3. While it's good that Burton doesn't sound like the Buggles, I have to say that Video Killed the Radio Star is one of the catchiest songs of all time. When I first heard it, I couldn't get the chorus out of my head. 4. Nice that you have a quadraphonic version of the Edgar Winter album. It's one of many quad albums from Columbia/Epic that can be heard in 360 Reality Audio on headphones on Amazon Music, and many of those albums have cool 3D surround effects.
I remember the "Quiex II" pressing feeling just a little more substantial than most of the vinyl I was buying in 1983 (not quite like a "180 g" pressing, but like they used a little more, or a little better, vinyl.) It did seem to sound a little clearer...but I wouldn't swear that it was a "placebo effect."
Interesting to know that you've never seen the Burton Cummings record in the store. I've used our trips to Toronto and Montreal to "clean up" on used Burton Cummings and Guess Who records. I've found them to be much less expensive than in the US and have always wondered whether there are just so many more copies there, or if Canadian record stores underrate "home grown" artists for some reason. (I've also noticed some stores having a separate "Canada" section, with albums that would just be in "Pop/Rock" here, which always seemed odd to me. Again, I've never been sure whether that reflects Canadian pride or the feeling that home grown artists have limited appeal. Maybe it's the low prices that make me feel like it might be the latter.)
I definitely love "Video Killed The Radio Star" too and remember how "futuristic" it sounded "back in the day." I never bought the album, but grabbed the 45.
Thanks, as always, for the great observations and feedback, Joel! I'm always impressed with your "eagle eye" for detail!
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 If I was still into actively collecting records (or "vinyl" as everyone calls it now) I could see a trip to Canada involving record store visits, which I'm sure my wife would raise an eyebrow, or more, over. I'll bet you have a superb BC collection! BTW, he's a bit of a record collector himself...
@@burlingtonbill1 We usually get to Toronto once a year and I've developed a "regular route" of record stores there. The great thing is that certain types of records that are expensive here seem to be cheaper there. I noticed the same thing in L.A. Some titles were more expensive there, and others much less expensive. I'm finding that the price of used records really varies regionally. (If I move around enough, even a cheapskate like me can develop a pretty good collection!) Thanks for the comments, Bill!
Another fine very informative well researched and very well presented episode. You must have a fantastic vynil record collection. Am I right in thinking that David Lee Roth's version of "California Girls" was used in one of the James Bond movie's in the mid 80s?. I didn't realise Carl had been involved with so many big names.
Thanks for mentioning "California Girls" having been in a James Bond film, John! I didn't know about that. After reading your comment, I checked it out. Apparently, it was used in 1985's "View To A Kill," which came out just a few months after David Lee Roth's version. The version in the film, I understand, is by Gidea Park, a band fronted by Beach Boys band member Adrian Baker. The main thing I find about it on-line is how many Bond fans dislike how it's use in the film: It seems to have been used as a misplaced "musical joke," backing a scene of Bond snowboarding down a mountain. (From the clip I found, I have to agree with them! It's inclusion, even as a joke, doesn't seem to make sense.) Anyway, thanks very much for letting me know about it! Thanks, as always, for the thoughtful and kind feedback, John, and glad to know you enjoyed the episode!
Yes I remember thinking the whole scene didn’t add up. And thanks for letting me know it was “Gidia Park’s version in the film. Before joining The Beach Boys Adrian Baker had a top 10 hit in the UK with a cracking version of a Beach Boys medley. Mike was so impressed with what he heard he asked him to join the BBs.
@@johnhammond8047 Thanks for the background on Adrian Baker, John! I had no idea!
Great episode, Steve! I think I’ve listened to ‘Another Page’ once and nothing on it really stood out to me other than ‘Think of Laura’ which I’ve always felt had a lot of character and the fact it was inspired by a real life tragedy of a friend of Cross’ gives it more substance. Too bad Carl didn’t sing on that one, I could hear his voice adding to the heartbreak of the song. Also: as I’ve been getting through your older episodes I was intrigued by you mentioning at the end of one you intended to do one on McCartney’s ‘Back To The Egg’ and ‘McCartney II’ which I think would be a cool idea.
Thanks for mentioning the actual inspiration behind "Think of Laura," Mike! I think the song is much more effective and meaningful knowing Cross' true intent, rather than associating it with "General Hospital." I should have taken some time in the episode to go over it. I appreciate you reminding us of it here.
Thanks, too, for reminding me about the "Back To The Egg/McCartney II" idea. I forgot I'd talked about it! I'd still like to do it. I've got it "penciled in" for year-end. (I like to go "off topic" over the holidays.) Hope it'll work out and I'll be looking forward to your feedback! (Undoubtedly, it'll be here quicker than it seems like it should be!) Thanks again, Mike!
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 you're welcome for the info, Steve! I actually listened to 'Another Page' again this evening and was thoroughly bored. It's kind of an example of how an album can be professional and accessible based on contemporary taste, but be completely devoid of inspiration or spirit. And it's a shame because Cross obviously is talented, I kind of feel he didn't approach the project objectively enough. There's no way he could've listened to the playback of the album and felt he had something potent, then again he might've just felt it was slick and commercial enough to pass muster, which is good for the moment, but obviously that album was pretty much the last success of his career. And: that sounds good about the timing of the McCartney vid. It's too bad he keeps putting off the archive release of 'Back to the Egg' and 'London Town' in favor of stuff like his lyrics book and that superfluous 'Band On The Run' reissue this year (which I felt was overkill as that has been reissued like 20 times at this point). His former songwriting partner's 'Mind Games' reissue in July seems like it's going to be interesting though. I'm not going to drop all the money on the expensive set, but I'll definitely stream it as I do really like that album. Thanks again for a great response, Steve!!
@@novim9 Thanks for the follow-up on "Another Page," Mike! I can definitely see your point. It is extremely "slick" and clearly designed to be commercial.
I absolutely agree about wanting those archival releases of "London Town" and "Back To The Egg" (and how superfluous yet-another "Band On The Run" reissue was!) You don't suppose he'll do big "archival" versions of "Give My Regards To Broad Street" or "Off The Ground," do you? If so, I’ll have to ask myself some serious questions on how committed I still am to being a “McCartney completist.”
I was kind of disappointed by the look of the “Mind Games” set. Apart from the crazy high price, most of it appears to be re-mixes of the original tracks, which don’t really interest me. I saw that there’s a two disc version that includes what I really want to hear; the alternate takes, so I’ve opted for that. It’s too bad because, despite the price, I thought the “Plastic Ono Band” and “Imagine” sets were excellent. (I suppose there are simply fewer interesting outtakes from “Mind Games” than from those two.) I did pre-order the “Mind Games” book. I’m not exactly sure what to expect, but I thought the “Plastic Ono Band” and “Imagine” books were great. (Sorry for the long-winded response, Mike! As you can see, you’ve hit on some topics close to my heart)
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 I'm assuming him or his estate (as it's taking forever for them to get these archive collections out and he may be long gone before everything's covered) will do an archive release of 'Broad Street' and 'Off The Ground'. Just thinking about it as I'm typing this comment, the lackluster 'Broad Street' is reminiscent of another film McCartney headed: 'Magical Mystery Tour', both lacking focus and objectiveness resulting in both films becoming meandering and pointless, driving home the point that McCartney was an inept filmmaker. 'No More Lonely Nights' is an essential McCartney song though. I don't think 'Off The Ground' was awful, actually that was the first new McCartney album I owned when I was 12 and my dad bought it for me for Easter and putting nostalgia aside, I don't think it's his worst effort ('Press To Play' and 'Driving Rain' are weaker in my opinion). Actually, the 'Press To Play' reissue is probably going to be pretty dire and will more than likely be one of the last to come out.
I do agree with your observations on the 'Mind Games' set, although I kind of feel like it's following the same mold of the previous two sets. I don't think there is a lot of extra material as I read that he pretty much just wrote an adequate amount of songs to fill and LP quickly and just dove into the recording. I do believe we discussed the sonic issues of the album in comments on a past video and I am looking forward to the set amending what was a sloppy mixing job on his part as there were so many nuances and instrumentation that got buried because of it. One thing that makes me sad though is that the set coming out this year means the 50th anniversary set of 'Walls and Bridges' is going to be pushed back maybe another two years if I had to guess, and as I said to you before: I really like that album. Maybe releasing the two as one set would've been a better idea, as I feel the amount of extra material from 'Walls' is limited too. That's all moot now though, unfortunately. I obviously had a lot to say on the topic too, so thanks for your comment and giving me the opportunity to discuss/vent it!
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 It's difficult sometimes turning the "Completist" switch Off, isn't it? At least it has been for me...
I have that same POB button
Very cool! I've had mine for a few years. I think they go for some pretty decent money now. (I don't remember what I paid for mine, but, if I have it, it must not have cost much!) Thanks, Wes!
Hello, Steve...! Long time, no comment. Sorry to be MIA the past three months(!). We endured a death in the family in mid-May, followed by some other calamities large and small. I just kinda got derailed, you know? Anyway, I have 13 vids stockpiled in my Watch Later playlist: parts 6-7 of this Carl Wilson series...all 7 parts of the 1969 series...the 2-part 20/20 series...and, for good measure, both parts of the Weirdest BBs Song eps posted by Betamax Blocker (thanks, YT algorithm!)... I intend to binge-watch everything this afternoon--a rare Saturday off for me. Please picture me rolling up my sleeves and settling into my chair here...I'll see you at the other end of my playlist...
Very sorry to hear you and your family have been through some difficult times recently. Sincere condolences and best wishes for you and yours. You have definitely been missed and I'm delighted to see you back!
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 Just scrolled thru all of your replies to my comments--thanks so much for the kind words here and throughout. You're a sweetheart, sir. Btw I watched the first Betamax vid and need to catch Pt 2. Maybe now's a good time to look at it...and I believe he posted a Pt 3 yesterday or very recently...? I agreed with virtually all of your picks, while some of his were certainly interesting. Don't get me started on Sloop John B--it never should've been tacked on to Pet Sounds. Bear with me here: Drop SJB entirely, then flip Let's Go Away for Awhile and I'm Waiting for the Day. That way, the instrumentals are the penultimate track on both sides...and the sequencing really flows: Don't Talk (with the lovers in bed) segues into the dreamy Let's Go Away...followed by the thudding drum intro of I'm Waiting, which is kinda like an alarm clock waking the lovers up. Follow me? I'm telling you: everyone has been listening to Pet Sounds wrong for nearly 60 years...
@@rangergrrrl Excellent perspective on "Pet Sounds"! One of these days, I'll actually get 'round to talking about it on this channel. I agree about "Sloop John B" sounding tacked on to the album. Had "SMiLE" been completed, I think "Good Vibrations" would have felt tacked on to it too. (No reflection on the quality of any of those records; the singles and the albums were just different projects.) Thanks again for all the great feedback, rangergrrrl!
Well Steve , i have to admit that i know nothing much of what you have posted here as between 1980 and 1985 i wasnt getting too much info on the Beach Boys and although i enjoyed the music of Christopher Cross, i had no idea about Carls involvement , but i must say, i am not too surprised as his style and voice suit Carl very well.
In 1983 i was introduced to the music of Jackson Browne by a friend and we both travelled to Hammersmith Apollo to see him in concert and i came away with a lot more knowledge of him and he has since taken off here in the UK and thats not to put a blight on his music, but there was so much competition in those days that not everybody could occupy the charts and at that time i hadnt realised what great songs Jackson Browne had written and i am sure that the blame lies with the fact that in 1980 the Mi Amigo ship had sunk in a heavy storm meaning the end of Radio Caroline , or so it was believed.
And as you know the station would play mostly album tracks , but now it had gone, album tracks were rarely available and official Radio Stations were now only playing top 40 , but all was not lost because Radio Caroline did return on a new vessel ie in 1983 , called Ross Revenge and was to continue with its album policy right up to the present day.
Its also good to hear about David Lee Roth and California Girls as this was played very regularly on the other Pirate Ship available in the 80s ie, American owned Laser 558 and their playlist was more of a top 40 format and their audience across Europe was huge.
As I've learned more about the history of pirate radio from your posts, I've started to find it really strange that official UK broadcasting was, seemingly, so unwilling to change policies to meet what was, obviously, so much "in demand" by the UK public. I guess I'd have thought they'd have started their own station with an album format to "beat the pirates at their own game." (It also makes me happy that we had FM rock stations here to satisfy that demand...though, somehow, the pirate stations sound like they were more fun.) My feeling, though, is that I only caught the tail-end of the heyday of FM rock radio in the US. When I started listening around 1973/74, it was free-wheeling and the DJs seemed to be calling the shots. By the late 70s/early 80s, the record rotation had become much more predictable and the DJs seemed to just be following a playlist that was dictated for them. (There are a lot of great records I'd have missed if I'd started listening to FM a few years later, since they were playing a narrower range of records.) Anyway, thanks, as always, for the great perspective and feedback, Chris! Have a great week!
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 Just as a matter of interest Steve, you can listen to Radio Caroline right here online and these dats its legal and it continues to play Album tracks from 60s 70s 80s and 90s. and in UK and Europe it now occupies the now abandoned 648khz of BBC World Service , as well as DAB and TV.
Nice comment, Chris! I really appreciated JB's comments about "growing up in SoCal" and kind words on the BBs in the documentary "Endless Harmony." I think my fave song of his is "Lawyers in Love."
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 I love this comment! I would have thought the same thing about UK radio! In the US, the original Tom Donahue-inspired wave of open-format FM "underground" radio hosts (whom I think might have bristled at being called "DJs") were beginning to be replaced by more commercially-minded and "professional" on-air talent by about 1974. I listened near-daily to a station in Lincoln, NE from about 1971 thru 1976 and by the latter 2 years it had slowly changed: more commercials, more glitz and self-promotions. (All this with no ownership change -- yet.) The consolidation of owners into only a handful of broadcasting "empires" was also slowly taking place which accelerated in the 80s. This meant less individual freedom by a given host, and back to (strongly) "recommended" playlists. But all this was still better than the roboticized stuff going on in AM.
@@burlingtonbill1 Mine too Bill and as far as i can remember, Lawyers in Love came out around the time i saw him and ever since that time he has become more popular over here , largely i suspect because of the return of Radio Caroline with their album format which featured artists that the normal Top 40 format stations were not playing and even today, Jackson Browne can be heard daily on Caroline.
Another great show and info Steve. Are you coming to see Mike and Bruce on July 5th in Michigan? If so I would love to say Hi. Keep up the good work
Yes! I'll be there! Please keep an eye out for me. I'm sure I'll be wandering around aimlessly during intermission at the very least. (I'm sitting in Pavillion 2, Row A, if that helps locate me.) Hoping we get a chance to say "hi" and "compare notes" on the show! Thanks for the feedback on the episode, Andrew!
Watch out for the septuagenarian groupies who follow “The Beach Geezers “ !
Steve, the full movie (Melanie), is available on YT.
Thanks, Don! I will check it out.