Beach Boys vs Velvet Underground
- Brian Wilson
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Re: Beach Boys vs Velvet Underground
Yeah, it's pretty pointless to continue the debate.
"I earned my famous name."
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Re: Beach Boys vs Velvet Underground
Jeff K wrote:Sea Of Tunes v2.0 wrote:Oh, as I Brian disciple I agree with the above. I even seem to recall that Sagittarius epic 'My World Fell Down' predated 'Good Vibrations' and 'Heroes and Villains'. So Usher, Boettcher and co. did provide Wilson with some good hints - listen via phones and see the similarities. Millennium's 'Begin' is also a case in point, although I can't pinpoint the exact release date from here. California's musicians surely were more of a large 'posse' than New York's were, if one compares the BBs and the VU.
But Wilson was able to do the right things at the right time, on a larger scale than the aforementioned musicians. He called in Tony Asher to voice his own emotions and insecurities in love, and Asher succeeded. Parks was meant to give a voice to the Grand American Dreamscape that SMiLE should have become. Again, a perfect choice. Mike Love, his primary lyricist up to 1966, was not pleased. This, and Wilsons mounting mental instability and drug use made great and unified projects impossible from then on.
And Wilson really was the musical director of the Wrecking Crew whenever he used them. Tack piano, empty Sparklett's bottles - whichever account you read or hear, he had the sounds in his head before they were actually produced by one of the musicians.
Now that I can get aboard on. My argument is more with Davey's assumption that the Velvets had a limited palate and you basically heard all there is to hear on the four albums. They didn't have the people, the money and the studio time Brian had to play around much. The fact that they were able to produce such magnificent music under those circumstances speaks volumes about their accomplishments. Brian might have reached higher levels but he had people who helped hold the ladder. If he had to work under the same conditions and budget as the VU would the results be the same? Can you imagine Brian working with Warhol? He'd play him a new song and Andy would reply, "umm, that's nice, Brian" and leave it at that. Even though Davey says he likes the Velvet Underground, he still manages to undermine them at the same time.
But hey, in the end it all comes down to the music. I prefer the Velvets and others prefer the Beach Boys and it doesn't really matter how they arrived there. Cased closed.
Please allow me to comment briefly. You raise very good points. From everything I read, it is clear to me that for years on end, Brian could do no wrong. He was praised over and over again, and seen as 'the man who literally invented modern California'. He had doting admirers all over the place. And his means to do what he wanted were nearly unlimited. It is very true that the VU's working conditions were entirely different, and that their chosen subject matter was much more controversial to begin with.
On the whole, I'd rather be in Wallenpaupack.
- Snarfyguy
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Re: Beach Boys vs Velvet Underground
Lance Matthew wrote:Jeff K wrote:Lance Matthew wrote: Reed sure used them on his solo records once he split the band though.
Of course he's going to use session musicians on his solo albums. What else is he supposed to do, play all the instruments himself?
Stevie Wonder and Todd Rundgren did.
John Fogerty, too.
More to the point, Mo Tucker also did.
And no, BW's outside assistance is not disputable, it's just not important.
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- Matt Wilson
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Re: Beach Boys vs Velvet Underground
Steve Winwood, too.
Re: Beach Boys vs Velvet Underground
Jason wrote:Yeah, it's pretty pointless to continue the debate.
Not at all. Some people are just getting warmed up!
And it's now even Stevens - waddaya make of that? hm?
- Jeff K
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Re: Beach Boys vs Velvet Underground
Sir John Coan wrote:Jason wrote:Yeah, it's pretty pointless to continue the debate.
Not at all. Some people are just getting warmed up!
And it's now even Stevens - waddaya make of that? hm?
After the Velvet Underground move ahead then we can close the thread.
the science eel experiment wrote:Jesus Christ can't save BCB, i believe i can.
Re: Beach Boys vs Velvet Underground
yes! it would only be right
oh, and someone would need to let Lou know...
anyone?
oh, and someone would need to let Lou know...
anyone?
- Jeff K
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Re: Beach Boys vs Velvet Underground
The Beach Boys just went ahead. They're using alias's now.
Don't worry, the Velvets will prevail.
Don't worry, the Velvets will prevail.
the science eel experiment wrote:Jesus Christ can't save BCB, i believe i can.
- nathan
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Re: Beach Boys vs Velvet Underground
For sanity's sake, I decided to listen to Don't Worry Baby this afternoon to see if I was completely wrong. I still find it insufferably gooey and embarrassingly naive. I decided not to venture any further.
- Penk!
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Re: Beach Boys vs Velvet Underground
The Beach Boys had loads of talent but they didn't work within a style I particularly like. Just not to my taste.
The Velvet Underground are probably my favourite band. So I voted for them.
The Velvet Underground are probably my favourite band. So I voted for them.
fange wrote:One of the things i really dislike in this life is people raising their voices in German.
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Re: Beach Boys vs Velvet Underground
Penk Ahoy! wrote:The Beach Boys had loads of talent but they didn't work within a style I particularly like. Just not to my taste.
The Velvet Underground are probably my favourite band. So I voted for them.
It's probably the same reason you prefer Sweden to Barcelona.
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- Penk!
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Re: Beach Boys vs Velvet Underground
sloopjohnc wrote:Penk Ahoy! wrote:The Beach Boys had loads of talent but they didn't work within a style I particularly like. Just not to my taste.
The Velvet Underground are probably my favourite band. So I voted for them.
It's probably the same reason you prefer Sweden to Barcelona.
What, the Velvet Underground aren't swarming with tourists?
fange wrote:One of the things i really dislike in this life is people raising their voices in German.
- Deebank
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Re: Beach Boys vs Velvet Underground
Sir John Coan wrote:yes! it would only be right
oh, and someone would need to let Lou know...
anyone?
I wonder who Lou would vote for...
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Re: Beach Boys vs Velvet Underground
sloopjohnc wrote:Penk Ahoy! wrote:The Beach Boys had loads of talent but they didn't work within a style I particularly like. Just not to my taste.
The Velvet Underground are probably my favourite band. So I voted for them.
It's probably the same reason you prefer Sweden to Barcelona.
I like that - Sweden, the gritty, urban, paranoid, nightmarish dystopia!
For what it's worth, i think the arrangements and production of most of the VU albums suit the material perfectly, which is by some distance the most important part of producing an album - not the complexity behind it, but rather that it suits the material.
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- jimboo
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Re: Beach Boys vs Velvet Underground
If you listened to them for the first time ,and had never heard "rock music" before, which do you think would seduce you more , which is the path you would or have travelled the most , would you follow the path of those influenced by the Velvets or Brians music?
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- Your Friendly Neighbourhood Postman
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Re: Beach Boys vs Velvet Underground
Sir John Coan wrote:VICTORY!!
I just called in a group of Jehovah's Witnesses, to do a flash campaign to enroll a lot of new BCB-members. This fraudulous 'victory' won't stand. It is as genuine as GWB's first election result. Brace yourselves, friends of the macabre and of decadence and of pseud-art.
Posers!
On the whole, I'd rather be in Wallenpaupack.
- T. Willy Rye
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Re: Beach Boys vs Velvet Underground
Fraudulous? I think maybe you've misunderestimated the Velvet Underground's mighty reach.
- Jeff K
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Re: Beach Boys vs Velvet Underground
Sir John Coan wrote:VICTORY!!
Lock the thread!
Quickly!
the science eel experiment wrote:Jesus Christ can't save BCB, i believe i can.