I can understand that...It's a beautiful passage and really moving (and never underestimate the power of cheesy nostalgia either!) Great to hear from you, Yambag! It's been a while! Thanks for the comments!
I remember hearing "Do It Again" quite often in summer 1968 in the DC area. Most everyone I hung out with liked it, the exceptions being the more snobby friends, the ones who liked Blue Cheer and the Airplane. I was surprised to see it only got to 20 in Billboard, but it got to number 8 in Cashbox, which is more in line with its airplay in my area. It was in lousy rechanneled stereo on the album, a disappointment. I jumped on the "Bluebirds..." single, bought it immediately, but for decades I was the only person in my sphere of influence who had a copy. It didn't stay on the radio long. I didn't buy "I Can Hear Music" on 45 because my girlfriend did. Back then, if one of us had the 45, that was enough. Nice to have you prompting these old recollections yet again.
Thanks for the first-hand recollections and feedback, George! As I've mentioned elsewhere in the comments, I'm sure "Do It Again" sounded great coming over the radio in '68. I can imagine the rock music snobs of the time not giving it a chance. (There's always that kind of contingency out there, I suppose!) Thanks for pointing out the better charting it received in Cashbox. (I wonder what the differences in compiling the charts were in play for them to rank it so differently. I'll have to see if I can figure that out!) Cool that you and your girlfriend had some kind of "joint custody" of your record collections. Now THAT's togetherness! Great to hear from you, as always, George!
Steve. Great program as always. I mentioned before that 1969 was the seed for most of my musical roots for the rest of my life. But 1969 also cemented the Beach Boys music as the very best for me. I saw the Beach Boys for the very first time in Sept 1969 at Lagoon Amusement Park near Salt Lake. Yes, the very one in the song(there's a park near the city, yea all the kids dig the Lagoon now). Utah had no large venues at the time. Lagoon had a large dance floor with patio seating around the perimeter. The Beach Boys held the attendance record there with 5600 people. From 1963 to 1969 they performed there about 12 times with each night having 2 shows. All the biggies touring at the time played there....The Stones, Doors, Janis Joplin & Big Brother, Jimi Hendrix, The Association, etc. One night the bill was the Blues Magoos, The Who, and Herman's Hermits. Imagine watching the Who destroy their amps at the end of their show, then having Peter Noon come out and sing Mrs Brown. Strange show. They tried to book the Beatles, but they wanted $20,000 for a single half hour show. Lagoon would have had to double the price of the tickets. The Beach Boys concert was magical. It wasn't billed as the 20/20 tour....but it could have been. They sang Do It Again, I Can Hear Music, Breakaway(their most current single). My most memorable song was Cotton Fields, sounding just like the album version. Al's single version wasn't released for another 4 or 5 months. I remember Mike flubbing the words on Sloop John B. Also, while Carl was singing God Only Knows, Mike said loudly into his microphone "Steve, turn up Carl!". I think he was talking to Steve Despair, who was running the sound board in the middle of the venue. They had about six extra men in the band, and someone else played bass most of the night...I believe it was Ed Carter. Thanks for bringing back all these memories. Looking forward to part 2. Thanks!
Thanks for sharing the great information and memories, Lamont! Having seen the Beach Boys at the Lagoon sounds like the perfect Beach Boys experience! (I'd have loved to see the Blues Magoos, The Who and Herman's Hermits too, basically, as you say, to see how Peter Noone followed the Who!) Your detailed memories of the 1969 Beach Boys show really helped bring it alive. Wish I could have been there! Anyway, thanks VERY much for taking the time to pass this along! It was very much enjoyed!
I might have mentioned before...the opening band at that 1969 concert was Paul Revere & Raiders. There was a white baby grand on the stage. For most of the Raiders show. Bruce played the baby grand with them. I remember Mark Lindsay complaining (jokingly) to Steve Despair on the sound board that he thought Bruce's mix was louder than everyone else. Funny things we remember 55 years ago. Seems like yesterday. Thanks again!
This is my mom's favorite Beach Boys album, which took over Wild Honey's spot. She says it's the most "romantic" but I think Wild Honey is the most romantic album. Either way, I love this album a lot as well as your channel. Excited for part 2!
Thanks for the comments, Theodore! There's certainly a lot of great stuff on both "Wild Honey" and "20/20." It always amazes me how different from each other those albums are, especially when they were released only a year and a half apart! Thanks for the kind words and hope you'll enjoy Part 2!
Thanks, Usualmike! I actually found talking about the album unusually daunting for some reason. I don't think I've mentioned it before, but I actually planned to talk about 1969 last summer, and, at the last minute, decided to do 1986 instead...in part because I was so flummoxed about how to approach "20/20." Anyway, like most things, once I got started, I really enjoyed researching and putting this together. Always great to hear from you, Usualmike!
A great revisit ! The boys were very big in Europe at that time . Love the Live in London album still have it. “ Do it Again” did pretty much save them in hindsight! A tremendous song and still a great opener in concert . A real nice record looking back . Great job Steve Happy 4th! 8:20
Yes! As I've mentioned elsewhere in the comments here, I definitely should have mentioned "Do It Again" hitting #1 in England and charting highly in much of the rest of Europe. It's definitely a great concert opener (as well as a great album opener!) Thanks, Mike! Hope you had a great 4th!
Great video. Do It again is the first Beach Boys single that I became aware of in real time. I was particularly aware of it as for one week we had three records tie for number one on the UK charts which was unusual. One of the others was the Bee Gees I've Gotta Get A Message To You. Interestingly three of the tracks on this album made it onto the sixteen track Greatest hits which along with Best of volume one were the main UK compilations by the group in the uk record stores in the early seventies.
I've got to believe "Do It Again" sounded especially great coming over the radio in 1968. (It still sounds great now, of course!) Thanks for mentioning not only its #1 status in the UK but also that it was part of a three-way tie. I didn't know about that! (I know the US chart could have ties at least as late as the late 50s.) I checked the book I have on the UK Top Twenty, which lists the top singles by month. For September 1968, it lists "I've Gotta Get A Message To You," "Do It Again" and "I Say A Little Prayer" by Aretha Franklin as 1, 2 and 3 for the month.(Unfortunately I don't have anything that breaks out the UK chart by week.) I'm guessing "I Say A Little Prayer" was probably the third in the three-way tie? Anyway, thanks for the feedback, Raymond, and you've given me some really interesting new info to check out!
My favorite part of “The Nearest Faraway Place” is around the end when it sounds like stars twinkling in the summer night sky, it’s a really neat touch that reminds me a lot of “Let’s Go Away For Awhile” like you mentioned
I thought about mentioning that section specifically. I've always thought it sounded like a music box. I like the "twinkling star" comparison! (I think we're talking about the same section.) I alway loved that bit too! Thanks for the feedback, Johnny!
When Do it again came out I seen the group perform in Atlantic City, NJ. The band was not drawing crowds at this time, I stood in front of the stage for both shows with about 200 people in attendance. California Girls has always remained my favorite song of all time and Do it again would be in my top 10 very easily. Look forward as you move on to Part 2 on a album that overall was fairly enjoyable.
I really envy you getting to see that Atlantic City show! It's too bad they weren't drawing big crowds at the time, but, for those who were there, the chance to get that close must have been fantastic! Thanks for sharing that experience, Don, and I can easily understand "California Girls" being your favorite song of all time. It's magic!
Great work , Steve and Happy Birthday America to all ! I have a special fondness for 20/20 . It was released in early February and my then girlfriend found it in time for my birthday on the 16th of that month . ( We married others , but still correspond via email with some regularity . “I Can Hear Music “ has always been a favorite and you and I agree that Carl’s vocal is exceptional . You opine that the song “ sails “ . I’ve always thought that it has a kind of loping “ drive “ . I compare it rhythmically with Buddy Holly’s “ Peggy Sue “ or Bobby Fuller’s “ I Fought The Law “ . “ Bluebirds Over The Mountain “ is such a strange song for the group . Like you , I’ve never had any real attachment to the track . The guitar really detracts from the recording . I don’t believe it’s Carl , but rather Ed Carter . Carl’s guitar phrases are invariably more sparse and understated . ( I believe that Carl told Ed to just show off a little . ) I look forward to your take on side two . ( How will Steve handle the “ elephant in the room “ ? … the Dennis/Charlie track ???
Your girlfriend did a great job finding a "hot off the press" copy of "20/20" in time for your birthday! If you happen to email her sometime soon, let her know I appreciate her thoughtfulness as it undoubtedly helped shape you into the excellent Beach Boys fan and knowledgable correspondent you are today! "Drive" is also a good description for the feel of "I Can Hear Music" and the comparisons to "Peggy Sue" and "I Fought The Law" are very apt. I think "sail" came to mind right for me right after listening to the Ronettes version, which never quite seems to "take off," the way the Beach Boys version does immediately. You're right; it's Ed Carter on that lead guitar on "Blue Birds." Thanks, as always, for the great feedback, Steve, and I'm looking forward to your thoughts on side two next week!
crackin' video as always steve! i just finished creating a playlist of each beach boy recording on spotify (as well as the unsurpassed masters bootlegs and adult/child album) in order of recording using bellagio10452's gigs&sessions page, and the beach boys in the late 60s early 70s has got to be one of the most interesting and well catalogued eras of music ever! there's so much material and it's all gold
That's a really interesting way to listen to the material. The group certainly seem to have an almost unparalleled wealth of recordings, especially during that period. Presumably, it was helped by them having so many band members producing material at the time and, especially, by having access to Brian's home studio at all times. Very cool that you've assembled it that way! Always great to hear from you, Mate!
Nice to see you're still doing Beach Boys album review videos. 🙂👍 IMO 20/20 contains more great BB songs than just about any other of their LPs, with the exception of Pet Sounds and Love You. It continues to stand the test of time as one of their absolute best releases.
Glad you enjoyed the episode, Anthony, and thanks for the perspective! There are a lot of great tracks there, for sure! (Personally, I like side two even better than side one, which we'll get to next week.) Thanks again for the comments and I hope you'll pass along your thoughts on side two next week!
Thanks! Great to hear from you, Jamie! I'm looking forward watching your new "Angel Come Home/Mick Fleetwood" video later this morning. Keep up the great work on your channel!
20/20 has always been one of my most treasured albums and one of the hardest to find and the front cover here in UK has also been used on several compilation albums, usually the budget ones , not that i am complaining, but i am just making an observation. To me 20/20 gives every individual Beach Boy a chance to shine and it was huge over here, right from the start with Do it Again being their second No1 and it was radio friendly, fun and very different from the heavier music that was around the chart in those days and its regularly played to this day. As you say Steve, Carl did a great job with I can hear music and again, this was huge over here and like Do it Again is played frequently on most radio stations. I totally agree with your view of Dennis doing Rockin numbers and i believe he is suited to the gentler material he is most famous for and Be with Me is much more suitable and a fine track. And what a great instrumental from Bruce and a great closure for side one . There, we have only looked at the first side and already each BB has shone ie Mike and Als vocal on Do it Again, Carls on I can hear Music and his guitar on Bluebirds, Dennis with his great songwriting ie Be with me and Bruce with one of the greatest instrumentals in the groups name which closed side one with style. I always have said that even though 20/20 is an album off odds and sods, it flows along really nicely with every track perfectly placed. and i can hardly wait for side two.
Thanks for the excellent feedback, info and perspective, Chris! (I know I've talked about it earlier, but I really should have mentioned "Do It Again's" chart performance in the UK in this episode!) The album definitely seems to have represented a substantial change to more of a "group effort" than anything they'd done before. I suppose, because I started really following the band in 1980, and first heard "20/20" along with all the "group effort" albums they made in the '70s, that change didn't strike me as starkly as it would have if I'd bought the album in 1969. The other guys definitely rose to the challenge and created some great records! Thanks again for the insightful and thoughtful review of side one, Chris! Looking forward to your thoughts on side two!
I remember hearing Do It Again on AM radio with that GREAT beginning Intro! It was perfect! I have always felt the heavy lead guitar solo on Bluebirds Over The Mountain was a direct response to Jimi Hendrix's comment, "You will never hear surf music again" Go Carl!!!!
I can imagine that "Do It Again" intro must have sounded great coming over the radio in '68! It still sounds great, of course, but hearing it new on the radio "back in the day" must have been fantastic. Good point on the "Bluebirds" guitar and the Hendrix comment! (The guitar on the song almost sounds, to me, like a Hendrix parody. I could definitely see it being a response to that comment.) Thanks for sharing the memory and for the insights, William!
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 I'm pretty sure Ed Carter played that guitar part. I'm not sure where I read it, probably the liner notes to the twofers that came out in the 90's.
1. Interesting how the U.S. single of BOTM has the correct spelling "Bluebirds" while the UK single spells it as "Blue Birds." Also interesting is that the U.S. single credits Bruce and Carl with production, but the UK 45 credits the Beach Boys, but at least Bruce is credited as arranger on both. 2. I also like that the Beach Boys 45s have more credit information, such as Brian arranging Friends and Little Bird. Pity the Friends LP didn't have arranging credits, IIRC. 3. 20/20 seemed to be an anomaly with the production credits for each song, unlike the "Produced by the Beach Boys" albums that came before and after it. I believe the 10 Years Of Harmony compilation has many individual production credits. 4. If memory serves, I think that on the liner notes of the Friends/20/20 twofer, Brian implies he was on I Can Hear Music. But even if he wasn't, Carl did a bang-up job of emulating Brian's production style. 5. I really like that Rarities mix of Bluebirds, with the overdub on one speaker. It's wild! 6. I may have mentioned this before. I like The Nearest Faraway Place, but when I first heard it on LP and perhaps early CDs, parts of it sounded distorted to me. Late 1960s Beach Boys albums also tended, to my ears, to have a very, very deep bass sound, which sometimes shook my car. 7. Regarding your comment about replacing All I Want To Do with something else, it brings to mind that 20/20 could have been a Brian-dominated album with a finished Walk On By/Are You There (With Another Man) medley (I love the Dae Lims AI "completed" track), We're Together Again, a finished Can't Wait (or Been Way) Too Long and a completed Old Man River (another Dae Lims AI triumph). I think Sail Plane Song would have been a bit too far out, though.
Excellent observations, all 'round, as always, Joel! I just checked the liner notes in the "Friends/20/20" two-fer, and you're right, Brian not only implies that he's on "I Can Hear Music," he implies he produced it. (On the other hand, the whole big paragraph about "20/20" reads like it was pieced together from a long ramble, so some of the "nuance" may have been lost, at the very least. The way it's put together, I'd also get the idea that Brian wrote "My Prayer" shortly after Mike's vocal for "All I Want To Do" was recorded. It's certainly a very odd paragraph.) Really excellent observation, too, that "20/20" could have been much more "Brian-entric." I didn't go too far into the "what if's," but, as you point out, there was enough material recorded around this time that lots of different track choices were available and the album could have been very different from what we got. Thanks, once again, Joel, for the great info!
@@seventyfourseventyfour I believe that's a different mix, unique to the "20/20 sessions" release. (Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong!) Thanks, Seventy-four!
Hey Steve - The first time I ever heard "Do It Again" was on the "'69 Live In London" album, and I instantly liked it (I dig the 20/20 studio recording as well, and especially like how Stephen Desper recorded the beginning.) And jeez...hearing Carl's voice on "I Can Hear Music" always makes me smile (and brings a tear to my eye.) I checked out the Dutch version of "Bluebirds..." by watching the video, in which Dennis is noticeably absent...oh, and do hawks look different in Canada? Looking forward to next week's Side 2 review!
Thanks for the comments and insights, Chris! I definitely agree that the opening of "Do It Again" and Carl's voice on "I Can Hear Music" are not only highlights of "20/20" but in all of Beach Boys music. Great stuff! I'll have to check out the video containing the Dutch version of "Bluebirds." Wonder what Dennis was up to? (No good, I imagine!) Thanks again, Chris! Always great to hear from you!
I rember Mike talking about 20/20 in one of the UK music magazine's just after Christmas 1968. "Do it again" had reached no 1 here and the Beach Boys were still on a high. As you mentioned the album when released made it to no 3 with four tracks off the album reaching the top 40. As for "Do it again"? it was only at no 1 for just the one week here and I have my own theory as to why this happened. When they played the song on the most popular music show in the UK "Top of the pops" everyone I knew wanted to buy the record. We had four record shops in town at that time and all of them were sold out and were not expecting to have it back in stock for at least 7 days, so if it was like that across the country how on earth could the song stay at the top when the record buying public couldn't purchase the record. Usually when a song drops down from the top of the charts it goes to no 2, DIA dropped to no 3. Seriously though, "Do it again" along with "California gils" are my two favourite songs not only by The Beach Boys but by anybody ever, I never get tired of listening to them. Great episode thanks Steve.
Happy 4th of July Steve! What a way to celebrate the 4th with America's band. I must admit, the late 60's Beach Boys albums aren't ones I pull out often. Not that they aren't good, I just hear most of the songs I like elsewhere. Of course I knew nothing of the Smile connections at the time. I do listen to Bluebirds Over The Mountain more than you would think. However, it's the version from the Rarities album because it showcases various instruments in one speaker with them amped up louder. I do like Mike's laid back vocal as well. I have a couple of CDS with a version of I Can Hear Music by Queen. I don't think it's a great version personally, just interesting. I didn't know about the sex, so to speak, on the album. I usually don't listen to many of the instrumentals on Beach Boys albums but I can appreciate them. Anyway, Thanks for everything as usual.
Now that you mention it, I realize I rarely listen to late 60s Beach Boys albums in their entirety (except for "Wild Honey" I suppose.) I'm much more likely to listen to individual tracks in a larger mix. For "20/20," that's probably because it feels more like a "collection of tracks," to me, than an album anyway. Thanks for letting me know about the Queen version of "I Can Hear Music." I just gave it a listen. Apparently, it's something they recorded early, in '73, and was released much later? The mix I came across gave me the impression that someone was trying to "fix it" and make it sound "more like Queen." (Of course, I'm no expert on the band and I'm just commenting off first impressions.) Anyway, it was an interesting listen and I'm glad to know it exists! Hope you had a great 4th, Michael! Thanks, as always, for the great feedback!
Always one of my favourite Beach Boys albums. After hearing Be With Me for the first time many years ago, I thought it would be the perfect accompaniment for a move of Lord of The Rings. The producers of said film obviously didn't agree...
Now that you've mentioned it, I could definitely see "Be With Me" in that context. A missed opportunity for sure....oh, well, Peter Jackson had "a lot on his plate," he was bound to miss something! Thanks for the comments, Dom!
Great episode, Steve! I was looking forward to this one as I really do like the '20/20' album, although I kind of feel like it could've been just a little bit stronger and side one really is it's weak point. The presence of 'Do It Again' and 'I Can Hear Music' was inevitable and essential, but maybe 'Bluebirds Over The Mountain' could've been omitted as it really wasn't a hit and isn't that strong of a track at the end of the day. That makes me think of the Doors' 'The Soft Parade' album where most of it was the singles that were released prior to its compiling and the band was obviously struggling to complete material at that point. I agree with you on the approach of the arrangement of 'Be With Me'. Maybe toning down the bombastic aspect of the 'free' line delivery would've been more effective. I was also thinking maybe having the drums absent on the verses and coming in on the chorus would've toned down the overall dramatic feel of the track that felt forced. It also never made sense to me to jam the two Dennis Wilson tracks together and 'All I Want To Do' does seem weak as well. I wonder if Carl singing it would've improved things a bit. 'The Nearest Faraway Place' is a really nice melody, but I think the mix doesn't do it justice and I was thinking using an acoustic piano as opposed to an electric would've really brought out the beauty and sounded a little more natural. I've always always thought that the tacking on of the woodworking effects to the end of 'Do It Again' came from Carl and Steve Desper's venturing into the 'Smile' tapes to spruce up 'Our Prayer' and 'Cabin Essence' and upon encountering that session tape decided to add that little snippet on a whim. In an ideal world another 'Smile' track might've replaced 'Bluebirds' or 'All I Want to Do' to strengthen the quality of the album's flawed first half, maybe 'Do You Like Worms'. But, I've rambled on for a while as I often do, so I'll close and hope that you're having a great holiday!
Thanks for the really interesting and excellent observations, Mike! It is weird that they sequenced the two Dennis tracks together. (It's equally weird that they did the same thing with the Dennis tracks on "Friends.") I wonder if somebody thought it was giving Dennis a little "spotlight section" on those albums. If so, it still seems like a weird idea, especially as the two tracks, stylistically, have pretty much nothing in common. I've just re-listened to "Be With Me" with your comment about the drums in mind. I hear what you mean! I think that could have improved it. There was definitely a lot of worthy material from SMiLE, or later, that could have replaced "Blue Birds" or "All I Want To Do." I suppose "Blue Birds" was inevitably going to be on it, having been a recent single, but I don't think it's adding much to the album. Now that I think of it, the oddest thing about that track is probably the choice to make it a single a-side in the first place. I wonder if they needed a year-end '68 single and were "stuck" for something to give Capitol? I suspect you're right about Carl and Steve Desper deciding to use the woodshop effects while revisiting the SMiLE tapes for the tracks on side two. Thanks again for the interesting perspective! Always great to hear from you, Mike, and I'm looking forward to your take on Side Two!
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 you're welcome, Steve! I always enjoy these discussions as you have a good perspective on things! I wonder if there were alternative tracklistings with the Dennis tracks separated. I get the impression they wanted the second side as more of a showcase for Brian's productions, so there was no room for them there and they just got stuck together by lack of a better solution. It makes me think of the Byrds album 'Byrdmaniax' where they put two Skip Battin tracks one after the other at the end of the first side and it didn't make any sense at all (and of course Beach Boys connection in the fact that Terry Melcher produced it). And the question of 'Bluebirds' is a puzzling one. I still don't understand how it even became a single as it was a random cover that has no logic as to why it existed. There was plenty of material in the cannon at that point and the song 'We're Together Again' comes to mind. That was a stronger song, an original and I could see it at least charting as high as 'Bluebirds'. That also raises the point that maybe they needed an outside producer as I feel they lacked direction and weren't objective enough when putting their projects together as both 'Sunflower' and 'Surf's Up' could've been so much stronger had they put a little more work in the track selection and sequencing. But we both know there was a lot of ego in the band and they preferred to be the insular family outfit they'd been their whole career. Thanks again for another great response, Steve!!
I heard & owned the "Do It Again" single LONG before listening to anything from "Smile," so I always thought it just had that unexplained weird ending -- and you missed mentioning the "OW!" at the very end 😬. I never particularly glommed on to "Bluebirds" when it was first released, and it still isn't top-tier for me, either. From your additional comments, Steve, maybe it formed the earliest workings of "The Mike & Bruce Show" ? I share your love for "The Nearest Faraway Place." I happened to have the excellent 1994 Tim White book, of the same name, on the pile here by the computer (pulled weeks ago from the bookshelf for some forgotten reason) and opened it up to try to discover if there was some tie-in to the album track. Couldn't readily find one -- and as it turns out, each chapter's title is a different BBs song title. There's a chapter entitled same as the song & the book. White must have really liked the song, or at least the idiosyncrasy of the words together. Again, no apparent link to either BJ, or the group, or "20/20." The chapter focus is on Murry's dad, Buddy Wilson and his life in KS before coming out to California. Great job on reviewing the album's Side One. Looking forward to next week. I returned to "thrilling days of yesteryear" and your previous assessment of 20/20/ Ep. 47 surveyed world & US events of 68-69 and prominent artists & albums. I liked your assessment of "Do It Again," especially when you said it seems to show revisionism of history that a # 20 song could morph, over the years, into SO much more. (It'd only been 1.5 years since the # 1 Good Vibes.) It MIGHT have had something to do with the group's "master of revision," Mr. Love ! In Ep. 48, I liked your brief comparison with the Fab 4's "White Album." Both it & 20/20 seemed fragmented into less of a group effort; rather, strong efforts by individuals. I personally think Dennis had come into his own by "Sunflower," though, as "Slip On Through" is a tighter, more polished song than "All I Want To Do"-- little more than a jammer promoting sex. Thanks for all your work, Steve.
Thanks, as always, for the great feedback, Bill! You might be right about "Bluebirds" possibly being the earliest stirrings of what would someday be the "Mike and Bruce Show." (BTW, they're in my area tomorrow and I'll be at the show.) I always thought "Nearest Faraway Place" was an unusual choice for that book title. Sounds as if your investigation into it hasn't cleared up the mystery of that choice! I didn't go back to episode 47 before recording these episodes. (Truthfully, I find those early episodes painful to watch now. Apart from anything else, I feel like I'm talking SO slowly in them!) As much as I like "Do It Again," I've also gotten the feeling that it's importance may have been "enhanced" over the years by Mike Love being so proud of having come up with the concept and never failing to mention it whenever he could. Good point about Dennis coming into his own as a songwriter on "Sunflower." I agree. It seems like he was (understandably for a new writer) "finding his way," and showing great potential, on "Friends" and "20/20" and really hit his stride by "Sunflower." Thanks, Bill and hope you're having a great Fourth! Looking forward to your thoughts on Side Two next week!
When I first heard the Beach Boys 20/20 album, didn't know much about the group. Like each of the tracks on the album's first side, my least favorite probably being Bruce's instrumental "The Nearest Faraway Place." It has grown on me, but when I first heard it, I thought " What is this elevator music doing on here/the rest of the album?" Dennis's two songs I think show his developing range as a songwriter. The covers are good. The album I think production wise flows together pretty good, but is basically a bunch of tracks the group assembled to fulfill their album obligation to Capitol, which turned out to be their last album for the label. Would have been interesting if Capitol had released Reverberation.
Excellent points, as always, Robert! I didn't mention it in the episodes, but, in researching this, I did become very aware that there were many other recent Beach Boys recordings that could have been chosen for the album. It could have been very different from what we got. Your comments also reminded me that when I first heard the album, I thought it was pretty cohesive, probably, as you point out, due to the production. More and more, over the years, and as I've learned more about the group, it's started to feel, to me, more like a "bunch of tracks" than it did when I first heard it in 1980. Always a pleasure to hear from you, Robert! Thanks!
I definitely wouldn't argue with you on that one, Caz! Actually, I just put together the episode that includes "Break Away" which will post in a couple of weeks. It's undoubtedly a great single and a strong contender for "best." Actually, as you'll see in the episode, I revised my opinion to "Break Away/Celebrate The News" being "best single" and "Do It Again" to "arguably best a-side" during that period. (Of course, with two records I love so much, it's pretty hard calling either one "second best!") Thanks for the perspective and feedback, Caz!
@@lamontsouth5301 Yes! That's a great comparison, Lamont! Especially as both singles have so often been overlooked by not being part of an album. Thanks for mentioning that!
I've been really happy to hear, from the comments here, that "The Nearest Faraway Place" is better-loved than I thought. Glad to know I'm not alone! Thanks, Leopoldo! Great to hear from you!
Enjoyed this episode Steve. I have always liked the 20/20 lp. Regarding the Do it Again single, something always did not seem right to me with the single peaking at 20. In major cities it was top ten. #2 in Chicago and #8 in NYC and #8 cash box and #7 record world. Similarly, Darlin and I Can Hear Music did much better in major cities compared to Billboard. I’m convinced there was some kind of conspiracy 😉. Agree about bluebirds over the mountain. Pretty bland. Strange choice for a single in ‘68 with a song from ‘58.
You might very well be on to something there, Go! The difference between the Cash Box and Billboard showing alone is pretty extreme. Of course, there are certainly "regional" hits were certain songs do better, but this one seems odd. I've never really understood Billboard's methodology. I get the feeling back in the "pre-computerized stock tracking days," nobody really understood it and it certainly seems possible they could have been playing a little "fast and loose" with some of those chart positions. Thanks for the feedback, Go! Great to hear from you!
You forgot to mention the album "Stack-O-Tracks," which came out about the same time as "Do it Again." "Do it Again" reached #1 in the U.K. and #3 in Australia, and the singles all reached the Dutch top 10. "I Can Hear Music" is my favourite Beach Boys track ever. It's solely credited to Jeff Barry on the original album and Beach Boys single, but when "Wild Honey" and "20/20" were released as a double package on Brother/Reprise in 1974, the song was credited to Barry-Greenwich-Spector, as on the Ronettes' single. I've always hated that Ed Carter solo on "Bluebirds Over the Mountain." I prefer the accidental Dutch release. I generally agree with you, but I have a more favourable opinion of "Be with Me," and I think its' an underrated song.
Thanks for the great feedback, Jack, and for the reminder about "Do It Again's" chart performance outside the US. I definitely should have mentioned that! Thanks, too, for pointing out the songwriting credit on "I Can Hear Music." I hadn't noticed it. Much appreciated!
I get choked up every time i hear the bridge on do it again. Love that cheesey nostalgia.
I can understand that...It's a beautiful passage and really moving (and never underestimate the power of cheesy nostalgia either!) Great to hear from you, Yambag! It's been a while! Thanks for the comments!
I remember hearing "Do It Again" quite often in summer 1968 in the DC area. Most everyone I hung out with liked it, the exceptions being the more snobby friends, the ones who liked Blue Cheer and the Airplane. I was surprised to see it only got to 20 in Billboard, but it got to number 8 in Cashbox, which is more in line with its airplay in my area. It was in lousy rechanneled stereo on the album, a disappointment. I jumped on the "Bluebirds..." single, bought it immediately, but for decades I was the only person in my sphere of influence who had a copy. It didn't stay on the radio long. I didn't buy "I Can Hear Music" on 45 because my girlfriend did. Back then, if one of us had the 45, that was enough. Nice to have you prompting these old recollections yet again.
Thanks for the first-hand recollections and feedback, George! As I've mentioned elsewhere in the comments, I'm sure "Do It Again" sounded great coming over the radio in '68. I can imagine the rock music snobs of the time not giving it a chance. (There's always that kind of contingency out there, I suppose!) Thanks for pointing out the better charting it received in Cashbox. (I wonder what the differences in compiling the charts were in play for them to rank it so differently. I'll have to see if I can figure that out!) Cool that you and your girlfriend had some kind of "joint custody" of your record collections. Now THAT's togetherness! Great to hear from you, as always, George!
Steve. Great program as always. I mentioned before that 1969 was the seed for most of my musical roots for the rest of my life. But 1969 also cemented the Beach Boys music as the very best for me. I saw the Beach Boys for the very first time in Sept 1969 at Lagoon Amusement Park near Salt Lake. Yes, the very one in the song(there's a park near the city, yea all the kids dig the Lagoon now). Utah had no large venues at the time. Lagoon had a large dance floor with patio seating around the perimeter. The Beach Boys held the attendance record there with 5600 people. From 1963 to 1969 they performed there about 12 times with each night having 2 shows. All the biggies touring at the time played there....The Stones, Doors, Janis Joplin & Big Brother, Jimi Hendrix, The Association, etc. One night the bill was the Blues Magoos, The Who, and Herman's Hermits. Imagine watching the Who destroy their amps at the end of their show, then having Peter Noon come out and sing Mrs Brown. Strange show. They tried to book the Beatles, but they wanted $20,000 for a single half hour show. Lagoon would have had to double the price of the tickets. The Beach Boys concert was magical. It wasn't billed as the 20/20 tour....but it could have been. They sang Do It Again, I Can Hear Music, Breakaway(their most current single). My most memorable song was Cotton Fields, sounding just like the album version. Al's single version wasn't released for another 4 or 5 months. I remember Mike flubbing the words on Sloop John B. Also, while Carl was singing God Only Knows, Mike said loudly into his microphone "Steve, turn up Carl!". I think he was talking to Steve Despair, who was running the sound board in the middle of the venue. They had about six extra men in the band, and someone else played bass most of the night...I believe it was Ed Carter. Thanks for bringing back all these memories. Looking forward to part 2. Thanks!
Thanks for sharing the great information and memories, Lamont! Having seen the Beach Boys at the Lagoon sounds like the perfect Beach Boys experience! (I'd have loved to see the Blues Magoos, The Who and Herman's Hermits too, basically, as you say, to see how Peter Noone followed the Who!) Your detailed memories of the 1969 Beach Boys show really helped bring it alive. Wish I could have been there! Anyway, thanks VERY much for taking the time to pass this along! It was very much enjoyed!
I might have mentioned before...the opening band at that 1969 concert was Paul Revere & Raiders. There was a white baby grand on the stage. For most of the Raiders show. Bruce played the baby grand with them. I remember Mark Lindsay complaining (jokingly) to Steve Despair on the sound board that he thought Bruce's mix was louder than everyone else. Funny things we remember 55 years ago. Seems like yesterday. Thanks again!
Gracias amigo
Lovely album. A mixed bag, but in the best sense. Thanks for the detailed coverage of those overlooked treasures.
"A mixed bag...in the best sense" is a very apt phrase! Wish I'd said it myself! Thanks for the comments, Murdock!
This is my mom's favorite Beach Boys album, which took over Wild Honey's spot. She says it's the most "romantic" but I think Wild Honey is the most romantic album. Either way, I love this album a lot as well as your channel. Excited for part 2!
Thanks for the comments, Theodore! There's certainly a lot of great stuff on both "Wild Honey" and "20/20." It always amazes me how different from each other those albums are, especially when they were released only a year and a half apart! Thanks for the kind words and hope you'll enjoy Part 2!
This was a great video on 20/20. Not an easy album to review but definitely has its moments! Look forward to the B side!
Thanks, Usualmike! I actually found talking about the album unusually daunting for some reason. I don't think I've mentioned it before, but I actually planned to talk about 1969 last summer, and, at the last minute, decided to do 1986 instead...in part because I was so flummoxed about how to approach "20/20." Anyway, like most things, once I got started, I really enjoyed researching and putting this together. Always great to hear from you, Usualmike!
A great revisit ! The boys were very big in Europe at that time . Love the Live in London album still have it. “ Do it Again” did pretty much save them in hindsight! A tremendous song and still a great opener in concert . A real nice record looking back . Great job Steve Happy 4th! 8:20
Yes! As I've mentioned elsewhere in the comments here, I definitely should have mentioned "Do It Again" hitting #1 in England and charting highly in much of the rest of Europe. It's definitely a great concert opener (as well as a great album opener!) Thanks, Mike! Hope you had a great 4th!
Great video. Do It again is the first Beach Boys single that I became aware of in real time. I was particularly aware of it as for one week we had three records tie for number one on the UK charts which was unusual. One of the others was the Bee Gees I've Gotta Get A Message To You. Interestingly three of the tracks on this album made it onto the sixteen track Greatest hits which along with Best of volume one were the main UK compilations by the group in the uk record stores in the early seventies.
I've got to believe "Do It Again" sounded especially great coming over the radio in 1968. (It still sounds great now, of course!) Thanks for mentioning not only its #1 status in the UK but also that it was part of a three-way tie. I didn't know about that! (I know the US chart could have ties at least as late as the late 50s.) I checked the book I have on the UK Top Twenty, which lists the top singles by month. For September 1968, it lists "I've Gotta Get A Message To You," "Do It Again" and "I Say A Little Prayer" by Aretha Franklin as 1, 2 and 3 for the month.(Unfortunately I don't have anything that breaks out the UK chart by week.) I'm guessing "I Say A Little Prayer" was probably the third in the three-way tie? Anyway, thanks for the feedback, Raymond, and you've given me some really interesting new info to check out!
My favorite part of “The Nearest Faraway Place” is around the end when it sounds like stars twinkling in the summer night sky, it’s a really neat touch that reminds me a lot of “Let’s Go Away For Awhile” like you mentioned
I thought about mentioning that section specifically. I've always thought it sounded like a music box. I like the "twinkling star" comparison! (I think we're talking about the same section.) I alway loved that bit too! Thanks for the feedback, Johnny!
When Do it again came out I seen the group perform in Atlantic City, NJ. The band was not drawing crowds at this time, I stood in front of the stage for both shows with about 200 people in attendance. California Girls has always remained my favorite song of all time and Do it again would be in my top 10 very easily. Look forward as you move on to Part 2 on a album that overall was fairly enjoyable.
I really envy you getting to see that Atlantic City show! It's too bad they weren't drawing big crowds at the time, but, for those who were there, the chance to get that close must have been fantastic! Thanks for sharing that experience, Don, and I can easily understand "California Girls" being your favorite song of all time. It's magic!
Great work , Steve and Happy Birthday America to all !
I have a special fondness for 20/20 . It was released in early February and my then girlfriend found it in time for my birthday on the 16th of that month . ( We married others , but still correspond via email with some regularity .
“I Can Hear Music “ has always been a favorite and you and I agree that Carl’s vocal is exceptional . You opine that the song “ sails “ . I’ve always thought that it has a kind of loping “ drive “ . I compare it rhythmically with Buddy Holly’s “ Peggy Sue “ or Bobby Fuller’s “ I Fought The
Law “ .
“ Bluebirds Over The Mountain “ is such a strange song for the group . Like you , I’ve never had any real attachment to the track . The guitar really detracts from the recording . I don’t believe it’s Carl , but rather Ed Carter . Carl’s guitar phrases are invariably more sparse and understated . ( I believe that Carl told Ed to just show off a little . )
I look forward to your take on side two . ( How will Steve handle the “ elephant in the room “ ? … the Dennis/Charlie track ???
Your girlfriend did a great job finding a "hot off the press" copy of "20/20" in time for your birthday! If you happen to email her sometime soon, let her know I appreciate her thoughtfulness as it undoubtedly helped shape you into the excellent Beach Boys fan and knowledgable correspondent you are today!
"Drive" is also a good description for the feel of "I Can Hear Music" and the comparisons to "Peggy Sue" and "I Fought The Law" are very apt. I think "sail" came to mind right for me right after listening to the Ronettes version, which never quite seems to "take off," the way the Beach Boys version does immediately.
You're right; it's Ed Carter on that lead guitar on "Blue Birds."
Thanks, as always, for the great feedback, Steve, and I'm looking forward to your thoughts on side two next week!
crackin' video as always steve!
i just finished creating a playlist of each beach boy recording on spotify (as well as the unsurpassed masters bootlegs and adult/child album) in order of recording using bellagio10452's gigs&sessions page, and the beach boys in the late 60s early 70s has got to be one of the most interesting and well catalogued eras of music ever! there's so much material and it's all gold
That's a really interesting way to listen to the material. The group certainly seem to have an almost unparalleled wealth of recordings, especially during that period. Presumably, it was helped by them having so many band members producing material at the time and, especially, by having access to Brian's home studio at all times. Very cool that you've assembled it that way! Always great to hear from you, Mate!
Nice to see you're still doing Beach Boys album review videos. 🙂👍 IMO 20/20 contains more great BB songs than just about any other of their LPs, with the exception of Pet Sounds and Love You. It continues to stand the test of time as one of their absolute best releases.
Glad you enjoyed the episode, Anthony, and thanks for the perspective! There are a lot of great tracks there, for sure! (Personally, I like side two even better than side one, which we'll get to next week.) Thanks again for the comments and I hope you'll pass along your thoughts on side two next week!
I really like bluebirds. Something about the production and the driving bass line works for me
Thanks for the perspective, Ding! It certianly does have a great bass line. I should have mentioned that! Thanks again for the feedback!
Thanks Steve,great stuff!
Thanks! Great to hear from you, Jamie! I'm looking forward watching your new "Angel Come Home/Mick Fleetwood" video later this morning. Keep up the great work on your channel!
20/20 has always been one of my most treasured albums and one of the hardest to find and the front cover here in UK has also been used on several compilation albums, usually the budget ones , not that i am complaining, but i am just making an observation.
To me 20/20 gives every individual Beach Boy a chance to shine and it was huge over here, right from the start with Do it Again being their second No1 and it was radio friendly, fun and very different from the heavier music that was around the chart in those days and its regularly played to this day.
As you say Steve, Carl did a great job with I can hear music and again, this was huge over here and like Do it Again is played frequently on most radio stations.
I totally agree with your view of Dennis doing Rockin numbers and i believe he is suited to the gentler material he is most famous for and Be with Me is much more suitable and a fine track.
And what a great instrumental from Bruce and a great closure for side one .
There, we have only looked at the first side and already each BB has shone ie Mike and Als vocal on Do it Again, Carls on I can hear Music and his guitar on Bluebirds, Dennis with his great songwriting ie Be with me and Bruce with one of the greatest instrumentals in the groups name which closed side one with style.
I always have said that even though 20/20 is an album off odds and sods, it flows along really nicely with every track perfectly placed. and i can hardly wait for side two.
Thanks for the excellent feedback, info and perspective, Chris! (I know I've talked about it earlier, but I really should have mentioned "Do It Again's" chart performance in the UK in this episode!) The album definitely seems to have represented a substantial change to more of a "group effort" than anything they'd done before. I suppose, because I started really following the band in 1980, and first heard "20/20" along with all the "group effort" albums they made in the '70s, that change didn't strike me as starkly as it would have if I'd bought the album in 1969. The other guys definitely rose to the challenge and created some great records!
Thanks again for the insightful and thoughtful review of side one, Chris! Looking forward to your thoughts on side two!
Great review, Chris! Always a thrill to hear from you.
@@burlingtonbill1 Its great to share memories with you and the rest of the basement Bill, Best Regards
I remember hearing Do It Again on AM radio with that GREAT beginning Intro! It was perfect! I have always felt the heavy lead guitar solo on Bluebirds Over The Mountain was a direct response to Jimi Hendrix's comment, "You will never hear surf music again" Go Carl!!!!
I can imagine that "Do It Again" intro must have sounded great coming over the radio in '68! It still sounds great, of course, but hearing it new on the radio "back in the day" must have been fantastic. Good point on the "Bluebirds" guitar and the Hendrix comment! (The guitar on the song almost sounds, to me, like a Hendrix parody. I could definitely see it being a response to that comment.) Thanks for sharing the memory and for the insights, William!
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 I'm pretty sure Ed Carter played that guitar part. I'm not sure where I read it, probably the liner notes to the twofers that came out in the 90's.
@@JasonKTerry You're right, Jason. It was Ed Carter. Thanks!
1. Interesting how the U.S. single of BOTM has the correct spelling "Bluebirds" while the UK single spells it as "Blue Birds." Also interesting is that the U.S. single credits Bruce and Carl with production, but the UK 45 credits the Beach Boys, but at least Bruce is credited as arranger on both. 2. I also like that the Beach Boys 45s have more credit information, such as Brian arranging Friends and Little Bird. Pity the Friends LP didn't have arranging credits, IIRC. 3. 20/20 seemed to be an anomaly with the production credits for each song, unlike the "Produced by the Beach Boys" albums that came before and after it. I believe the 10 Years Of Harmony compilation has many individual production credits. 4. If memory serves, I think that on the liner notes of the Friends/20/20 twofer, Brian implies he was on I Can Hear Music. But even if he wasn't, Carl did a bang-up job of emulating Brian's production style. 5. I really like that Rarities mix of Bluebirds, with the overdub on one speaker. It's wild! 6. I may have mentioned this before. I like The Nearest Faraway Place, but when I first heard it on LP and perhaps early CDs, parts of it sounded distorted to me. Late 1960s Beach Boys albums also tended, to my ears, to have a very, very deep bass sound, which sometimes shook my car. 7. Regarding your comment about replacing All I Want To Do with something else, it brings to mind that 20/20 could have been a Brian-dominated album with a finished Walk On By/Are You There (With Another Man) medley (I love the Dae Lims AI "completed" track), We're Together Again, a finished Can't Wait (or Been Way) Too Long and a completed Old Man River (another Dae Lims AI triumph). I think Sail Plane Song would have been a bit too far out, though.
Excellent observations, all 'round, as always, Joel! I just checked the liner notes in the "Friends/20/20" two-fer, and you're right, Brian not only implies that he's on "I Can Hear Music," he implies he produced it. (On the other hand, the whole big paragraph about "20/20" reads like it was pieced together from a long ramble, so some of the "nuance" may have been lost, at the very least. The way it's put together, I'd also get the idea that Brian wrote "My Prayer" shortly after Mike's vocal for "All I Want To Do" was recorded. It's certainly a very odd paragraph.)
Really excellent observation, too, that "20/20" could have been much more "Brian-entric." I didn't go too far into the "what if's," but, as you point out, there was enough material recorded around this time that lots of different track choices were available and the album could have been very different from what we got.
Thanks, once again, Joel, for the great info!
Steve , You can also find that Holland remix of Bluebirds over the mountain on the Beach Boys Rarities album as well. Happy fourth of July buddy
Yes! Good point! That's actually where I have it. I should have mentioned it here! Thanks and have a great 4th, Mark!
Is this the same Bluebirds alternate mix that’s on the “I Can Hear Music: the 20/20 sessions” digital release ?
@@seventyfourseventyfour I believe that's a different mix, unique to the "20/20 sessions" release. (Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong!) Thanks, Seventy-four!
Hey Steve - The first time I ever heard "Do It Again" was on the "'69 Live In London" album, and I instantly liked it (I dig the 20/20 studio recording as well, and especially like how Stephen Desper recorded the beginning.) And jeez...hearing Carl's voice on "I Can Hear Music" always makes me smile (and brings a tear to my eye.) I checked out the Dutch version of "Bluebirds..." by watching the video, in which Dennis is noticeably absent...oh, and do hawks look different in Canada? Looking forward to next week's Side 2 review!
Thanks for the comments and insights, Chris! I definitely agree that the opening of "Do It Again" and Carl's voice on "I Can Hear Music" are not only highlights of "20/20" but in all of Beach Boys music. Great stuff! I'll have to check out the video containing the Dutch version of "Bluebirds." Wonder what Dennis was up to? (No good, I imagine!) Thanks again, Chris! Always great to hear from you!
I rember Mike talking about 20/20 in one of the UK music magazine's just after Christmas 1968. "Do it again" had reached no 1 here and the Beach Boys were still on a high. As you mentioned the album when released made it to no 3 with four tracks off the album reaching the top 40. As for "Do it again"? it was only at no 1 for just the one week here and I have my own theory as to why this happened. When they played the song on the most popular music show in the UK "Top of the pops" everyone I knew wanted to buy the record. We had four record shops in town at that time and all of them were sold out and were not expecting to have it back in stock for at least 7 days, so if it was like that across the country how on earth could the song stay at the top when the record buying public couldn't purchase the record. Usually when a song drops down from the top of the charts it goes to no 2, DIA dropped to no 3. Seriously though, "Do it again" along with "California gils" are my two favourite songs not only by The Beach Boys but by anybody ever, I never get tired of listening to them. Great episode thanks Steve.
Happy 4th of July Steve! What a way to celebrate the 4th with America's band. I must admit, the late 60's Beach Boys albums aren't ones I pull out often. Not that they aren't good, I just hear most of the songs I like elsewhere. Of course I knew nothing of the Smile connections at the time. I do listen to Bluebirds Over The Mountain more than you would think. However, it's the version from the Rarities album because it showcases various instruments in one speaker with them amped up louder. I do like Mike's laid back vocal as well.
I have a couple of CDS with a version of I Can Hear Music by Queen. I don't think it's a great version personally, just interesting. I didn't know about the sex, so to speak, on the album. I usually don't listen to many of the instrumentals on Beach Boys albums but I can appreciate them. Anyway, Thanks for everything as usual.
Now that you mention it, I realize I rarely listen to late 60s Beach Boys albums in their entirety (except for "Wild Honey" I suppose.) I'm much more likely to listen to individual tracks in a larger mix. For "20/20," that's probably because it feels more like a "collection of tracks," to me, than an album anyway. Thanks for letting me know about the Queen version of "I Can Hear Music." I just gave it a listen. Apparently, it's something they recorded early, in '73, and was released much later? The mix I came across gave me the impression that someone was trying to "fix it" and make it sound "more like Queen." (Of course, I'm no expert on the band and I'm just commenting off first impressions.) Anyway, it was an interesting listen and I'm glad to know it exists! Hope you had a great 4th, Michael! Thanks, as always, for the great feedback!
I always thought the horns on “Bluebirds Over the Mountain” were supposed to sound quasi-mariachi.
That's a good point! Now that you've mentioned it, I can definitely hear that. Thanks for the perspective, Danny!
Always one of my favourite Beach Boys albums. After hearing Be With Me for the first time many years ago, I thought it would be the perfect accompaniment for a move of Lord of The Rings. The producers of said film obviously didn't agree...
Now that you've mentioned it, I could definitely see "Be With Me" in that context. A missed opportunity for sure....oh, well, Peter Jackson had "a lot on his plate," he was bound to miss something! Thanks for the comments, Dom!
Great episode, Steve! I was looking forward to this one as I really do like the '20/20' album, although I kind of feel like it could've been just a little bit stronger and side one really is it's weak point. The presence of 'Do It Again' and 'I Can Hear Music' was inevitable and essential, but maybe 'Bluebirds Over The Mountain' could've been omitted as it really wasn't a hit and isn't that strong of a track at the end of the day. That makes me think of the Doors' 'The Soft Parade' album where most of it was the singles that were released prior to its compiling and the band was obviously struggling to complete material at that point. I agree with you on the approach of the arrangement of 'Be With Me'. Maybe toning down the bombastic aspect of the 'free' line delivery would've been more effective. I was also thinking maybe having the drums absent on the verses and coming in on the chorus would've toned down the overall dramatic feel of the track that felt forced. It also never made sense to me to jam the two Dennis Wilson tracks together and 'All I Want To Do' does seem weak as well. I wonder if Carl singing it would've improved things a bit. 'The Nearest Faraway Place' is a really nice melody, but I think the mix doesn't do it justice and I was thinking using an acoustic piano as opposed to an electric would've really brought out the beauty and sounded a little more natural. I've always always thought that the tacking on of the woodworking effects to the end of 'Do It Again' came from Carl and Steve Desper's venturing into the 'Smile' tapes to spruce up 'Our Prayer' and 'Cabin Essence' and upon encountering that session tape decided to add that little snippet on a whim. In an ideal world another 'Smile' track might've replaced 'Bluebirds' or 'All I Want to Do' to strengthen the quality of the album's flawed first half, maybe 'Do You Like Worms'. But, I've rambled on for a while as I often do, so I'll close and hope that you're having a great holiday!
Thanks for the really interesting and excellent observations, Mike! It is weird that they sequenced the two Dennis tracks together. (It's equally weird that they did the same thing with the Dennis tracks on "Friends.") I wonder if somebody thought it was giving Dennis a little "spotlight section" on those albums. If so, it still seems like a weird idea, especially as the two tracks, stylistically, have pretty much nothing in common. I've just re-listened to "Be With Me" with your comment about the drums in mind. I hear what you mean! I think that could have improved it. There was definitely a lot of worthy material from SMiLE, or later, that could have replaced "Blue Birds" or "All I Want To Do." I suppose "Blue Birds" was inevitably going to be on it, having been a recent single, but I don't think it's adding much to the album. Now that I think of it, the oddest thing about that track is probably the choice to make it a single a-side in the first place. I wonder if they needed a year-end '68 single and were "stuck" for something to give Capitol? I suspect you're right about Carl and Steve Desper deciding to use the woodshop effects while revisiting the SMiLE tapes for the tracks on side two. Thanks again for the interesting perspective! Always great to hear from you, Mike, and I'm looking forward to your take on Side Two!
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 you're welcome, Steve! I always enjoy these discussions as you have a good perspective on things! I wonder if there were alternative tracklistings with the Dennis tracks separated. I get the impression they wanted the second side as more of a showcase for Brian's productions, so there was no room for them there and they just got stuck together by lack of a better solution. It makes me think of the Byrds album 'Byrdmaniax' where they put two Skip Battin tracks one after the other at the end of the first side and it didn't make any sense at all (and of course Beach Boys connection in the fact that Terry Melcher produced it). And the question of 'Bluebirds' is a puzzling one. I still don't understand how it even became a single as it was a random cover that has no logic as to why it existed. There was plenty of material in the cannon at that point and the song 'We're Together Again' comes to mind. That was a stronger song, an original and I could see it at least charting as high as 'Bluebirds'. That also raises the point that maybe they needed an outside producer as I feel they lacked direction and weren't objective enough when putting their projects together as both 'Sunflower' and 'Surf's Up' could've been so much stronger had they put a little more work in the track selection and sequencing. But we both know there was a lot of ego in the band and they preferred to be the insular family outfit they'd been their whole career. Thanks again for another great response, Steve!!
I heard & owned the "Do It Again" single LONG before listening to anything from "Smile," so I always thought it just had that unexplained weird ending -- and you missed mentioning the "OW!" at the very end 😬. I never particularly glommed on to "Bluebirds" when it was first released, and it still isn't top-tier for me, either. From your additional comments, Steve, maybe it formed the earliest workings of "The Mike & Bruce Show" ?
I share your love for "The Nearest Faraway Place." I happened to have the excellent 1994 Tim White book, of the same name, on the pile here by the computer (pulled weeks ago from the bookshelf for some forgotten reason) and opened it up to try to discover if there was some tie-in to the album track. Couldn't readily find one -- and as it turns out, each chapter's title is a different BBs song title. There's a chapter entitled same as the song & the book. White must have really liked the song, or at least the idiosyncrasy of the words together. Again, no apparent link to either BJ, or the group, or "20/20." The chapter focus is on Murry's dad, Buddy Wilson and his life in KS before coming out to California.
Great job on reviewing the album's Side One. Looking forward to next week. I returned to "thrilling days of yesteryear" and your previous assessment of 20/20/ Ep. 47 surveyed world & US events of 68-69 and prominent artists & albums. I liked your assessment of "Do It Again," especially when you said it seems to show revisionism of history that a # 20 song could morph, over the years, into SO much more. (It'd only been 1.5 years since the # 1 Good Vibes.) It MIGHT have had something to do with the group's "master of revision," Mr. Love !
In Ep. 48, I liked your brief comparison with the Fab 4's "White Album." Both it & 20/20 seemed fragmented into less of a group effort; rather, strong efforts by individuals. I personally think Dennis had come into his own by "Sunflower," though, as "Slip On Through" is a tighter, more polished song than "All I Want To Do"-- little more than a jammer promoting sex. Thanks for all your work, Steve.
Thanks, as always, for the great feedback, Bill! You might be right about "Bluebirds" possibly being the earliest stirrings of what would someday be the "Mike and Bruce Show." (BTW, they're in my area tomorrow and I'll be at the show.)
I always thought "Nearest Faraway Place" was an unusual choice for that book title. Sounds as if your investigation into it hasn't cleared up the mystery of that choice!
I didn't go back to episode 47 before recording these episodes. (Truthfully, I find those early episodes painful to watch now. Apart from anything else, I feel like I'm talking SO slowly in them!) As much as I like "Do It Again," I've also gotten the feeling that it's importance may have been "enhanced" over the years by Mike Love being so proud of having come up with the concept and never failing to mention it whenever he could.
Good point about Dennis coming into his own as a songwriter on "Sunflower." I agree. It seems like he was (understandably for a new writer) "finding his way," and showing great potential, on "Friends" and "20/20" and really hit his stride by "Sunflower."
Thanks, Bill and hope you're having a great Fourth! Looking forward to your thoughts on Side Two next week!
When I first heard the Beach Boys 20/20 album, didn't know much about the group. Like each of the tracks on the album's first side, my least favorite probably being Bruce's instrumental "The Nearest Faraway Place." It has grown on me, but when I first heard it, I thought " What is this elevator music doing on here/the rest of the album?" Dennis's two songs I think show his developing range as a songwriter. The covers are good. The album I think production wise flows together pretty good, but is basically a bunch of tracks the group assembled to fulfill their album obligation to Capitol, which turned out to be their last album for the label. Would have been interesting if Capitol had released Reverberation.
Excellent points, as always, Robert! I didn't mention it in the episodes, but, in researching this, I did become very aware that there were many other recent Beach Boys recordings that could have been chosen for the album. It could have been very different from what we got. Your comments also reminded me that when I first heard the album, I thought it was pretty cohesive, probably, as you point out, due to the production. More and more, over the years, and as I've learned more about the group, it's started to feel, to me, more like a "bunch of tracks" than it did when I first heard it in 1980. Always a pleasure to hear from you, Robert! Thanks!
Do it Again went to #1 in England I believe
Yes! Thanks for pointing that out, Richard! I definitely should have mentioned it in this episode.
I'd put "Break Away" above "Do It Again" of the singles between "Heroes and Villains" and "Sail On, Sailor", but they're all behind "Surf's Up"
I definitely wouldn't argue with you on that one, Caz! Actually, I just put together the episode that includes "Break Away" which will post in a couple of weeks. It's undoubtedly a great single and a strong contender for "best." Actually, as you'll see in the episode, I revised my opinion to "Break Away/Celebrate The News" being "best single" and "Do It Again" to "arguably best a-side" during that period. (Of course, with two records I love so much, it's pretty hard calling either one "second best!") Thanks for the perspective and feedback, Caz!
I also think Breakaway was an I credible record. Right up there with Little Girl I Once Knew.
@@lamontsouth5301 Yes! That's a great comparison, Lamont! Especially as both singles have so often been overlooked by not being part of an album. Thanks for mentioning that!
i also never cared for bluebirds, an i love the nearest faraway place
I've been really happy to hear, from the comments here, that "The Nearest Faraway Place" is better-loved than I thought. Glad to know I'm not alone! Thanks, Leopoldo! Great to hear from you!
Enjoyed this episode Steve. I have always liked the 20/20 lp. Regarding the Do it Again single, something always did not seem right to me with the single peaking at 20. In major cities it was top ten. #2 in Chicago and #8 in NYC and #8 cash box and #7 record world. Similarly, Darlin and I Can Hear Music did much better in major cities compared to Billboard. I’m convinced there was some kind of conspiracy 😉. Agree about bluebirds over the mountain. Pretty bland. Strange choice for a single in ‘68 with a song from ‘58.
You might very well be on to something there, Go! The difference between the Cash Box and Billboard showing alone is pretty extreme. Of course, there are certainly "regional" hits were certain songs do better, but this one seems odd. I've never really understood Billboard's methodology. I get the feeling back in the "pre-computerized stock tracking days," nobody really understood it and it certainly seems possible they could have been playing a little "fast and loose" with some of those chart positions. Thanks for the feedback, Go! Great to hear from you!
You forgot to mention the album "Stack-O-Tracks," which came out about the same time as "Do it Again." "Do it Again" reached #1 in the U.K. and #3 in Australia, and the singles all reached the Dutch top 10. "I Can Hear Music" is my favourite Beach Boys track ever. It's solely credited to Jeff Barry on the original album and Beach Boys single, but when "Wild Honey" and "20/20" were released as a double package on Brother/Reprise in 1974, the song was credited to Barry-Greenwich-Spector, as on the Ronettes' single. I've always hated that Ed Carter solo on "Bluebirds Over the Mountain." I prefer the accidental Dutch release. I generally agree with you, but I have a more favourable opinion of "Be with Me," and I think its' an underrated song.
Thanks for the great feedback, Jack, and for the reminder about "Do It Again's" chart performance outside the US. I definitely should have mentioned that! Thanks, too, for pointing out the songwriting credit on "I Can Hear Music." I hadn't noticed it. Much appreciated!
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 You DID mention "Stack-O-Tracks" in Episode 47, as a precursor to the emergence of "20/20."