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From the Vault...
12/12/2010
#1233 |
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info
The Beach Boys
"Concert/Live In London"
© Capitol Records
Year of Release: 2001
Rating:
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track listing
Fun Fun Fun
The Little Old Lady
From Pasadena
Little Deuce Coupe
Long Tall Texan
In My Room
Monster Mash
Let's Go Trippin'
Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow
The Wanderer
Hawaii
Graduation Day
I Get Around
Johnny B. Goode
Darlin'
Wouldn't It Be Nice
Sloop John B
California Girls
Do It Again
Wake The World
Aren't You Glad
Bluebirds Over
The Mountain
Their Hearts Were Full
Of Spring
Good Vibrations
God Only Knows
Barbara Ann
Don't Worry Baby
Heroes And Villians
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The Beach Boys
"Concert/Live In London"
December 12, 2010, Chicago: The weather was cold, windy, blowing and drifting snow. Temperatures were below
zero, from yesterday and today. That is the bad news -- the good news is the album pick this week is from a band
that gives off a very warm feeling, and the sensations of summer: The Beach Boys.
Two live albums were composed into one album on CD: Concert and Live In London. Concert
was released in 1964, Live In London was a 1968 concert, yet this album was released in the UK in 1970, and in
the U.S. in 1976.
Concert: The opening two tracks sound a little faster than the originals, yet they are good live versions:
"Fun Fun Fun" and the Jan & Dean hit "The Little Old Lady From Pasadena." "Little Deuce Coupe"
is as good as its original. "Long Tall Texan" has an almost-Chuck Berry style. Another big studio hit was
"In My Room," where this live version is good, yet you can tell its live, having no studio tricks and overdubs.
Beach Boy Mike Love is no Bobby "Boris" Pickett, as he sings the Beach Boys' version of the Halloween classic,
"Monster Mash." "Let's Go Trippin'" is a surf instrumental. "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow" has the ranks
of The Trashmen's classic hit, "Surfin' Bird." Dion had the original hit called "The Wanderer," yet the
Beach Boys' version is not as good as Dion's. "Hawaii" has the typical Beach Boys sound. "Graduation Day"
is an interesting song, as the studio version would appear as a bonus track when their original albums were reissued
on CD. Both live versions of "I Get Around" and the Chuck Berry classic "Johnny B. Goode" are done very well.
Live In Concert: The opening song, "Darlin'" is one of those songs you don't hear all the time, but it's
a great tune. Studio or live here, its great. The next four songs are all very well-known, and very well-done:
"Wouldn't It Be Nice", "Sloop John B.", "California Girls", "Do It Again." The next three songs (actually four)
are not-so-well-known: "Wake The World," "Aren't You Glad," "Bluebirds Over The Mountains." Interesting about
"Their Hearts Were Full Of Spring" -- it's in accapella style, with the favorable Beach Boys harmonies, and
no audio tricks, no overdubs, it's all live. The next three songs are also well-known, and are good live versions:
"Good Vibrations," "God Only Knows," "Barbara Ann." The last two selections are bonus tracks; the famous
"Don't Worry Baby" (good live version), and "Heroes And Villians," a song that I thought was recorded by
The Kinks.
Which of these two live concert albums are better? I would say Live In Concert. Originally, this London
concert was recorded in 1968, and by then, the Beach Boys were more famous, and had achieved better material, and
their voices were by far perfection. Concert was from 1964, as they were just getting popular. There are
more well-known songs on the London concert, as they were all recorded extremely well. Think of the Concert
album as the Beatles' Comiskey Park performance. It was from their early years, they were just getting started,
just getting famous, and of course, the crowd who attended were screaming for more.
Both concert albums are fine performances. It's interesting to hear how the early concert developed into the later
year. The Beach Boys started out famous, and ended the same way. Some songs may have been better than others, yet
they both included well-known songs which were recorded as exceptional as their originals.
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