tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660808341284783109.post672806516534442975..comments2024-03-02T07:40:22.786+03:00Comments on Only Solitaire blog: The Beach Boys: Carl And The Passions - So ToughUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660808341284783109.post-38359606981009042042020-05-22T18:42:48.830+03:002020-05-22T18:42:48.830+03:00I'll take the best of the lively ones = 'M...I'll take the best of the lively ones = 'Marcella', and the best of the atmospheric ones = 'Cuddle Up', and that'll do nicely for my collection …Matthew Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09488473149198019475noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660808341284783109.post-67278755817440884932012-07-01T06:38:55.741+04:002012-07-01T06:38:55.741+04:00What a pleasure to discover this blog! This is the...What a pleasure to discover this blog! This is the first Beach Boys review I read here, because it's kind of a litmus test. The album is generally considered a wretched low point by many Beach Boys fans, but I always liked it for what it is - a solid early-seventies rock album. It sits happily enough alongside Abandoned Luncheonette, The Wild, The Innocent ... and any number of similarly eclectic exercises. It does not sit as happily in the Beach Boys' canon, but who cares? Listened to as an individual album, out of the context of a sequence of the band's albums, it's an entertaining, varied, and occasionally moving treat..https://www.blogger.com/profile/12723806547579467940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660808341284783109.post-81566652495606394392011-12-25T23:25:38.340+04:002011-12-25T23:25:38.340+04:00The album that seems to indicate the strangeness o...The album that seems to indicate the strangeness of this band better than any other (perhaps with the exception of Smiley Smile). Not sure why Carl thought going this "roots rock" route was great but of course, Jack Rieley may be to blame. As much as the guy may have been a crook, he did help bring the band to some interesting artistic choices and brought them back into the lime light.<br /><br />Not gonna go into the "Bruce Johnston vs. Jack Rieley" debate. Bruce seems like a good guy and he's written a few good tunes for the band (Deirdre and Disney Girls especially qualify) but it's kind of one word against the other.<br /><br />I've been delaying getting into the review of this album. Well, see, it's a weird album. Brian's presence is next to nothing on this album. Love Brian, but I can bet at this time he had little to no interest in pursuing a weird "roots rock" style. He CAN do it (Back Home and other stuff shows that) but back then, probably not. Hilariously, "You Need a Mess Of Help To Stand Alone" and "Marcella" remain stands outs on this album for me. I know Brian "needed a mess of help" (sorry, I couldn't resist) to finish these songs but they're typical Brian of the period: catchy, melodic, quirky and a little under developed but sublime.<br /><br />The rest is...okay, Carl and Dennis rule supreme here. "All This and That" is gorgeous (simple but beautiful in a way only the Beach Boys could manage) and "Cuddle Up" remain highlights. I know "Cuddle Up" isn't exactly catchy but its POWERFUL and emotional in that weird Dennis way. "Make it Good" is a tad less powerful but still interesting in that it's heavily (and well) orchestrated. Who knew "The Captain" (Darryl Dragon, orchestrator of the tunes) had any talent at all? <br /><br />"Here She Comes" and "Hold on Dear Brother" take up 10 minutes of the album and are written by Blondie Chaplin and Ricky Fataar. They aren't worthless but I'd honestly rather hear a "Mike Love" song than a tune by these fellas.<br /><br />In fact, I'd rather hear "He Come Down" by Mike, Carl and others. Yes, that's right: I actually rather enjoy this strange gospel tune. I think it's catchy, if a bit stupid. I actually love that it's praising MEDITATION more than the typical gospel subject. Silly and trashy but catchy: what else can one expect from a song with a Mike love co-writing credit? Plus, the band is much better at handling gospel than Queen.<br /><br />So, an album that sounds NOTHING like the Beach Boys but which still qualifies. Not every thing is perfect but its at least WORTHY if its not GREAT. Not my favorite and I rarely listen to it but I'm glad it was made and glad I own it.Mr. Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17290424613696783628noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660808341284783109.post-61890947682896799582011-11-26T09:17:02.724+04:002011-11-26T09:17:02.724+04:00The reason Bruce Johnston left is because he was t...The reason Bruce Johnston left is because he was the only Beach Boys who saw that Jack Rieley was a crook. You can read about it in the Beach Boys bio Heroes & Villains by Steven Gaines. Rieley came to the Beach Boys with fake credentials and a lot of the good things he supposedly did for the bands were actually the work of other people who were around the band at the time, like their business manager Nick Grillo.<br /><br />Rieley the con man had the Beach Boys wrapped around his finger, except Bruce Johnston who was a lot smarter and educated than his bandmates. No offense to the Wilson brothers but they weren't exactly Rhodes scholars. Bruce knew Rieley was a crook but the other Beach Boys stood by him. A decision they would end up regreting.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660808341284783109.post-9015648619949264482011-11-17T00:11:35.556+04:002011-11-17T00:11:35.556+04:00Very much a mixed bag for me. The Brian songs are ...Very much a mixed bag for me. The Brian songs are very good (though nowhere near the ones on Surfs Up). and the Dennis songs are excellent. But I just dont care at all about the Fataar/Chaplin contributions. These aren't Beach Boys songs!Kennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660808341284783109.post-29024890582917434762011-11-16T19:34:24.046+04:002011-11-16T19:34:24.046+04:00Sorry to argue with the king of reviews, but I dis...Sorry to argue with the king of reviews, but I dislike this record. Nice that "Marcella" definitely grew on me over the past decade or so while always a fan of "All this is That." Dennis contributes two forgettable songs that are likely the least impressive of all he gave to our heroes.<br />Pairing this with Pet Sounds was an obvious hint of the desperation they faced after Bruce split (Brian entering his first life-threatening drug phase didn't help much!). I have this with the superior Holland: So Tough is their worst studio album since the debut, which at least you can excuse for their inexperience/ages of everyone.<br />Here they are mostly on auto-pilot. Thumbs down.Dean "and the Passions—Very Weak" LaCapraranoreply@blogger.com