The Beach Boys' Wild Honey

It must have shocked a lot of Beach Boys fans who heard it at the time, it's a lot rougher than anything they had released up to that time though after Smiley Smile I guess they must have been prepared for anything.

"Darlin'" sounds like it could easily be from 1972

Or 1964. Love this album too.

Exactly! And it's not meant to denigrate what went before. Chuck Eddy once said, bless 'im, that the folks obsessing over this period were somehow ignoring or putting down the earlier work, which he much prefers because it was more danceable. (And that's a fine reason to choose!) But I really think a part of it was familiarity breeding contempt -- those first years have been 'the Beach Boys' so long in my memory that I had heard them and heard them and heard them again. The fully scrubbed up and buffed up reissues of recent years of the period talked about above were just simply much more fresh to me and had their own joys.

I always thought "Darlin'" sounded like Chicago, circa "Saturday in the Park"!

This is perfectly normal - I rate it as the cream of the Beach Boys' periods (not discoutning earlier works). And I agree that Smiley Smile/Wild Honey is definitely the best two-fer. I won't be the first to say it but much as there is technical/musical audacity on Pet Sounds, it is a very serious album. There are very few crazy bits which is what I like best about the post-PS period.

I can't say I ever really got into 20/20 - it seemed like a real cut off point for them as if they were going to just quit after that, but no they bounced back with Sunflower and all was good.

What I always find hard to grasp is how quickly the Boys went from being an all-new innovative act during Pet Sounds in 1965, but by 1969 they were considered an oldies act with tracks like "Do It Again" preaching to the nostalgia of only about 5 years before.

When Jack Rieley managed the band he tried to change this with at least some success hence the more politically and environmentally aware lyrics of Surf's Up where he tried to reposition the band more towards whatever of the counter culture existed then. The Beach Boys had mostly blown this by this point, not playing Monterey being one factor and I'm not sure how aware people were about Carl refusing the draft.

Don't forget that "15 Big Ones" is a pile of steaming dog doo however.

xxxxx post
never thought of that, what a great kids LP. "Honkin' down the goshdarn highway...one little step at a time"

I should also say that I remember being really impressed by how "soulful" the Beach Boys could be when I first heard this album.

Wild Honey: Carl
Aren't You Glad: Mike/Carl
I Was Made To Love Her: Carl
Country Air: Group
A Thing Or Two: Hmm...Brian?/Carl
Darlin': Carl
I'd Love Just Once: Brian
Here Comes The Night: Carl/Brian
Let The Wind Blow: Mike (& Brian?)
How She Boogalooed It: Al (?)
Mama Says: Group

Very odd record. wasn't it released -like- eight weeks after Smiley Smile? I love the way they use contemporaneous catchphrases ("Sock it to me", "Doggone outtasight" etc). It's a Beach Boys record; of course it's great!

xxxxpost "Gosh darn highway"!!!!!! Oh *yes*!!!

But yes, my first impressions of BB albums have rarely been right. So I'm glad this thread has at least talked me into giving this a go. I'll just have to give it a few more.

Sunshine Tomorrow, tomorrow!

Oh man the stereo mix of Wild Honey is outta sight! I know you're going to dig it. It's so clear, people. Like they're here in my living room. Far out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ahahaha the Mama Says "poof" session is amaaaaaazing

this reissue is heaven

It's better than expected. Wild Honey has always been my favorite BB record. The stereo mix makes a big difference, and I usually don't notice those type of things.

sure as hell hope we are going to get similar sets from the subsequent years, can hardly wait if so

Likely. Keep in mind that, as Stephen Thomas Erlewine and I were talking about on FB, this is almost certainly a more formalized version of the copyright extension issue playing out:

The copyright extension release thread (w/r/t EU copyright law)

We're seeing a shift from the digital-only packages the band had already released to this kind of approach as the 50-year deadline grinds on, and we move (retrospectively) into the album era in particular. Consider the expanded Party!, the Pet Sounds box, the previously released Smile box and now this as a stand-in for the yearly sets. So that being said, new sets covering the subsequent years are almost a certainty.

this mix is indeed incredible

listening now. tbh this album feels a little underwhelming. i owned a beat up vinyl copy for years and that is the main way i am acquainted w this record. the roughness of the sound made sense maybe made it feel cooler than it was.

im really looking forward to hearing the sessions and live materiel though. Beach Boys really shot themselves in the foot by releasing their most conventional stuff. well for an album w a title track that has a noise rock theremin lead during the chorus. which IS weird and cool mind you but they did just do Good Vibrations which also had a theremin so maybe even that was a safe pick...

feels a little underwhelming

i meant song wise here. the arrangements are cool and the soul thing is good but its a littly jukeboxy.

Crazy talk.

there are a lot of piano-bass-drums tracks. kick and snare, no cymbals, no hats. it's all a bit muddy. the Beatles did the boogie woogie piano thing on one song, "Lady Madonna", and moved on. this is like a dozen of those.

Nice try.

the fake live stuff is so weak. it really sounds like they went into a studio, got high, and then ran through some numbers. the drummer is barely hitting his drums. every song is too slow. again it sounds like they are high and doing this half assed thing.

Took it too far that time.

Yeah that's nuts the super mellow rehearsal vibez are great

This album rules

Country Air slays me

Holy shit, Adam totally not OTM.

have only listened to the extras so far, hitting Wild Honey itself when I can do a proper listening party at my (little) pad next weekend. however, first thing that strikes me is the tracks sound BIG. obviously a lot of work done remixing and beefing up the sound.

fwiw, Wild Honey is one of my absolutely favorite records by the beach boys (or anyone really) -- the trick is, you have to respond to its imperfections, and idiosyncrasies of the band in general. on those grounds, it's a lot more interesting than more polished affairs like Sunflower or even Surf's Up. Heck, it's a lot more fun too

Dominique OTM

As soon as Wild Honey starts I know smiles are a-coming! This record is fun

those backing vocals on "i'd love just once to see you", they're so... velvet underground!

don't like "how she boogalooed it", though. who put this shitty daniel johnston song in the middle of the record? all it has going for it is the organ solo.

Wild Honey > Sgt. Pepper

Ok now this ^^^ is trolling lol

It's an excellent BB album but come on dude

yeah those bg vox are right out of "Who Loves The Sun". Almost exact same use of reverb, same feel to the voices. Wild.

Joking... kind of ;)

It's miles better than Sgt Pepper, wtf.

Nah

"Live at West Runton Pavilion" by Robert Rental & the Normal is better than Sgt. Pepper, it's not that outrageous a statement.

no way is this 'miles better' than Pepper, it's not even the best beach boys album of the era. it's fine but cmon.

Utterly bored with Sgt Pepper, thoroughly not-bored with Wild Honey.

I probably shouldn't have made that trollish post but Sgt. Pepper came to mind because of the stereo remix. In both cases the new versions were great listens.

for sure I thought this revive was for the clip of super fucked up Jimmy Page playing with Mike Love and the Assholes (Carl and Al are on hand) in DC in 84 that's going around…

See the mike love + weirdos thread

wild honey - overrated??

another classic challop brought to you by ILX

Hmm. While I don't think that Wild Honey is a better album than Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, I definitely think that Wild Honey is a very underrated record and... well, I feel the same way about the whole thing as Ned does in that I'm bored of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band but I'm a long way from being bored of Wild Honey.

can we talk more about "live at west runton pavilion" by robert rental and the normal? it really is a fine record. short, yes, but only barely shorter than "wild honey".

how does the 10 song compilation of tracks by h.e.x., assembled from the b-sides of zx spectrum games by "power house tapes", stack up to sgt. pepper?

can we say that the h.e.x. compilation is to sgt. pepper what "live at west runton pavilion" is to "wild honey"?

I think it's longer than "Wild Honey", always hoped studio recordings of that material might emerge at some point, doesn't look like it though.

DO IT RIGHT BABY
OUTTASITE BABY

can we talk more about "live at west runton pavilion" by robert rental and the normal? it really is a fine record. short, yes, but only barely shorter than "wild honey".

how does the 10 song compilation of tracks by h.e.x., assembled from the b-sides of zx spectrum games by "power house tapes", stack up to sgt. pepper?

can we say that the h.e.x. compilation is to sgt. pepper what "live at west runton pavilion" is to "wild honey"?

― The Saga of Rodney Stooksbury (rushomancy), Tuesday, July 4, 2017 3:13 AM (eighteen hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

This post had been on my mind all fucking day. It lead me to playing Runton Pavil again (totally awesome, obviously), searching out zx spectrum which turns out to be utter shite, and I love the hell out of Wild Honey, but this is one of the best posts ever on ILM and it needs to be acknowledged as such <3

awww, i'm blushing :) yeah, the h.e.x. tracks are indeed quite shit - and tom d, you're right, live at west runton pavilion is indeed longer than "wild honey" - didn't realize "wild honey" was _that_ short a record!

Relatedly ...

Listening to Wake the World: The Friends Sessions – only about hallways through but pretty interesting. Of the post-Smile records on Capitol, Friends is probably the one I’ve rated the least over the years. 20/20 has some dire stuff its predecessor never sunk to but its high points (Never Learn Not to Love, all the lonely waltzes, etc.) were higher to me. Meanwhile Friends always felt comparatively pleasant tho infused by a nervous thou-doth-protesteth-too-much “I’m peaceful seriously!” energy that’s more interesting than engaging.

That said, Wake the World makes a case for these sessions and material. The longer versions (Meant for You has a whole separate tune after the fade), and alternate mixes (both the a capella and tracks only version of the title track are more interesting to me than the finished version) are revelatory. The vocal arrangements (Ana Lee) stand well on their own – and the instrumentals are far more adventurous than the final mixes had suggested. For instance, while I’ve always admired the “nyah nyah nyah” vocal arrangement on Little Bird, it almost entirely obscures the instrumental’s fusion of Blood Sweat & Tears horns with Cabinessence’s banjo. Wild.

yeah I listened to this the other day. surprised how much I love earlier versions of Transcendental Meditation.
Friends is one of my favourite albums by them. Short and sweet

Oh wow indeed ! Same here regarding Friends which I have never particularly liked (and still don't).
These Sessions are great !
Wake the World : The Friends Sessions is probably my favorite "record" post Smile now.
I wonder why they tacked "Child Is Father Of The Man" at the end though since it's a 66 session and not on the album.
Also on the other thread about this, I totally agree with this :

some of these compositions are easily on a level with Pet Sounds once you listen to the arrangements.

damn this is amazing. incredible how deep the Boy's vaults go. Agree w the above, def hear some of these as a real (ignored and underrated) return to form for Brian in terms of the arrangements and melodies.

― Οὖτις, mardi 11 décembre 2018 20:31 (one year ago) bookmarkflaglink

Re. CITFOTM, I’m not sure about the 1966 recording – but apparently the tag was a cellphone recording(!!) Mark Linett made from some acetate that a dealer was trying to sell for $10K.

I love Wild Honey. I was pretty resistant to most of their records following the original SMiLE sessions, but Wild Honey is great stuff, possibly their third or fourth best album depending on whether you count the not-quite-finished SMiLE.

Greil Marcus wrote one of the most wonderful descriptions of their music: "Unlike so many L.A. groups that come from somewhere else, the Beach Boys were not fakes. Empty, tired, desperate, stupid, and even insane as they were through the next decades, singly or as a group, for a time they nevertheless performed life as some people actually lived it. The Beach Boys celebrated California hedonism, looked for its limits, and found them. Their pleasures, as opposed to those offered by such latter-day inheritors as the Eagles, always radiated affection - perhaps because those pleasures were rooted in friendship, or its memory, or its fantasy." I've never actually seen Marcus's assessment on Wild Honey, but it seems to me that those pleasures described in that final sentence is best heard on Wild Honey, moreso than even Pet Sounds. It's possible knowing the context reinforces that appearance - this was a band that was trying to pull itself together and maintain itself following Brian and SMiLE's disintegration - but it sounds redemptive, not desperate. And the others, especially Carl, really do step up and show a side of the band that was never really explored before.

FWIW, I think they made one more great LP, Sunflower, but otherwise remained a singles band, always good for a few pleasant, occasionally brilliant tracks, before tapping the well dry with their last great record, "Sail On, Sailor."

just realized that i definitely had a dream sometime in the next week where i was talking to someone about the SMiLE sessions, versus Smiley Smile, versus the 2004 version. all great obviously. probably prompted by the Brian Wilson sendup sequence in Walk Hard, which i watched last week and for which they wrote pretty convincing fake-SMiLE music.

I wonder if that Marcus quote is not indeed talking about the early, pre-Pet Sounds group as much as it is later iterations?

THIS ALBUM