This particular recording from Osaka is a shorter concert than many of the concert recordings that I have been writing about. Osaka's show was held indoors at The Osaka Municipal Central Gymnasium. This show actually was done on the day after Chiba, and the similarities in the repertoire performed at both venues is uncanny. The show begins with a recording of The Fantastic Baggies doing Summer Means Fun.(!?) Introductions are made just before Do I Again. The audience is on fire and the enthusiasm is quite impressive.
Do It Again really rocks at this show. It is a great opening number, and although the vocals are a little too highly mixed, the churning bottom is quite audible and powerful. David Marks once again cuts through with a sharp edged guitar solo. Jeff's high part is miked a little higher than some of the other shows I've heard. Little Honda follows with an audience that is following every nuance The Beach Boys play. Mike seems a little tired on lead vocal. The backing vocals are on the spot. The surf tunes come next beginning Catch a Wave. Once again Mike's lead gets somewhat buried. The harmony vocals are solid and quite tasteful. The sound cuts out a few times here, but again, David Marks is slicing and dicing.
Hawaii is next. The vocals are initially a little off time, but resolve at the beginning of the second verse. Mike's singing here is very strong, with Jeff's vocal being a little too highly mixed. Don't Back Down follows with a great group harmony vocal behind Mike. John's drums are perfect, along with Nelson's percussion. This is a stellar version. Surfin' Safari is similarly powerful. With this many musicians onstage, the song loses it's punk feel and becomes an all out rocker. David's guitar solo is on the money, short and tasteful. The audience by this time has gone nuts.
Mike introduces Brian, who takes lead on Surfer Girl. The group has a couple of members who are flat on this number. Brian's vocal is inaudible until the bridge. I hate to say it, but sounds like Brian is flat. Getcha Back follows, and it doesn't sound like David doing the lead vocal. The lead vocal is about a quarter beat behind the song's tempo. The tag is ragged. Jeff doing Don't Worry Baby is professional and solid. His voice is not as jarring as at some of the other shows. The backing vocals are well done, with perfect timekeeping from the rhythm section. None of this seems to matter to the listeners, who are beyond enthusiastic.
The car tunes begin with Little Deuce Coupe, and Mike is on the money here. I think he genuinely loves singing these tunes, and the audience is clapping so loudly that at times the backing vocals are inaudible. 409 rolls of the line next, and the tune is played beautifully with "driving guitar".....(pun intended). David's guitar solo is longer than usual and it rocks. The drumming here is incredible. Shut Down is segued from 409, and the audience is bonkers. This is true rock and roll at it's best. The bottom here is very powerful. I Get Around caps off the car tunes and the crowd is flying. Mike's vocal is true to the record, and it is important to recognize how his vocals are the signature sound for these early tunes. No matter what one feels about him, his vocals make the show on the old tunes.
Having given the audience a literal plethora of oldies, the group does That's Why God Made Radio next. The tune has a loping feel to it, not unlike Sail On Sailor. Harmonies are present and beautiful. The group is playing the last 10 or so shows after this concert, and their knowledge of their repertoire is impressive and very tight. Brian loves this tune and is more audible here than in many other tunes in the show. He follows with Sail On Sailor and then Heroes and Villains. Sail On Sailor is beautifully done, similar to what Brian did in Chiba. The group's harmony vocals are mixed a little too high. The instruments bury Brian's lead on the second verse. Overall, this is a great version despite the mix problems.
Heroes and Villains is sung well by both Brian and the backing vocalists. Brian's vocal on the chorus is very strong. The rolling vocals midway are a delight. The a capella break is similarly wonderful, with all vocalists audible. After the full stop, Brian returns with a perfect vocal. The group not only has mastered this tune, but it is apparent that it is a group favorite. Isn't It Time is next, and the group does the first verse to just the rhythmic clapping of the audience. They gradually fill in the instruments, and the vocals are perfect, with Alan's vocals in the background shining. The last chorus drops out, perhaps due to a mixing mistake. Mike seems to be having trouble hearing the feed.
Alan introduced Why Do Fool In Love, is next, and somebody flats. If you wonder whether they do this live or fly it in, it is definitely live. The rhythm section shines here. Jeff is a bit bright on high vocal. The whole version sounds a little out of sync, but the audience loves them anyhow. When I Grow Up To Be a Man has a cold intro that they do well. Jeff is mixed too brightly here. Mike's lead is excellent, and again, this is a song that needs his vocal. This version is very cleanly done, and is an obvious audience favorite. Alan sings Cottonfields next, with a nice lap steel and rhythm piano behind him. His vocals are impeccable on this tour, and this is no exception. There is some great doubling vocally going on fortifying the lead. It is not a tape. Gorgeous harmonies, great playing, and the group hits a homer.
The tributes to Dennis and Carl follow. Forever leads off, and many of you have Chiba's video by now, and the version here is really not that different. The vocals are live harmony wise, and are spot on. God Only Knows featuring Carl is next. The vocal is from Knebworth, and the tempo is a shine too fast. Probyn plays french horn, and Paul plays flute. The tag with Bruce and Alan is very well done. Mike and Al follow with All This Is That, which is a standard on this tour. Vocally, this is a highlight of this concert. The percussion may be mixed a little too high here. Brian's vocal here is very nice. Carl's heavenly tag here is once again too pretty for words.
Sloop John B is a great rock number on this tour, and Brian begins it grandly. The choruses are perfectly sung. Brian is mixed a little too high on the second chorus doing backgrounds. The break is beautiful but brief. This number is an obvious Brian favorite. Wouldn't It Be Nice concludes the Pet Sounds segment. Alan gets the lyrics correct this time, and the backing vocals are solid. There is a lovely rhythm piano in the background. The slower section is nice if a little too bright. The run of hits leading up to the concert's conclusion is next, beginning with Good Vibrations. Brian starts it, with help from Jeff. The cello triplets sound like they are either flown in or played on a guitar. They bury the vocals, the whole song sounds excessively loud, making the quiet sounds before the tag extra somber. The group nails the tag.
Throughout the tour, Alan's voice has been a consistent pleasure to listen for. Then I Kissed her here is delivered beautifully, out of order. The guitars are mixed a little too loudly, so no one probably notices. Backing vocals are also nicely done. In this case the rhythm section is mixed too loudly, probably to offer a Wall of Sound feeling.California Girls is delivered very smoothly with Mike offering a vocal that again is true to the record and offers the proof that these are the real Beach Boys. Throughout the second half of the show, the drums and bass guitar have been mixed too loudly.
All Summer Long begins cold, and Mike then flats out. The band as a whole here is quite loud, perhaps due to the acoustics of the Osaka Gym. Rhonda segues from All Summer Long, and again, Alan's voice lends a clarity and authenticity to the tune. The crowd is again bonkers and singing "Help Me Rhonda" with the band. This tune is a touch faster than the original recording, and is finely tuned to be a winner in the concert's closing segment. Paul takes a cool solo on sax for twelve bars and it is back to the tune's end. Rock and Roll Music is again misplaced at the end of the show and the momentum hat has been built wavers. Do You Wanna Dance is sung by Brian and he flats out, with Jeff then doubling. I have to wonder if the feed into Brian's ear wasn't too loud for him to hear. David's lead solo burns, having been missing since the car tunes. The tune is ragged, but by this time the audience is nuts. Surfin' USA is a perfect concert closer, familiar, singable, and fast paced.
The encore begins with Kokomo, which chills the crowd before Barbara Ann and Fun Fun Fun. The crowd predictably cheers for several minutes. Bruce introduces it. Mike's vocal is suitably mellow.Somewhere there are some pans, and I can't tell whether they are live or flown in. The version here overall is a little anemic, but, Kokomo is not my favorite Beach Boys tune. Paul's sax solo is a highlight here though. Jeff sings Carl's old part well. Barbara Ann heats things to a boil gain. This is one tune that every audience loves, and this one is no exception....the band plays the tune to be sung along to, and the Japanese may be the best audience worldwide for them, if you don't count the British. Nelson's percussion throughout this show has been stellar. Fun Fun Fun predictably is the perfect closer, with David reeling off a perfect guitar introduction. The whole audience is audible singing along, and again, Mike's voice makes this song what it is. Imagine several thousand Japanese fans "oooing" at the end to the degree that you can barely hear the band itself, and you have a hole in one between the group and their audience.
Highlights here are the usual suspects...the tunes that Alan sings lead on, the surf and car tunes, and Biran's Heroes and Villains. I am sure that Osaka fans will remember this show a long time. Low spots...Getcha Back, Do You Wanna Dance, and Rock and Roll Music due to its place in the sequence.
Text copyright by Peter Reum 2013-All Rights Reserved
Do It Again really rocks at this show. It is a great opening number, and although the vocals are a little too highly mixed, the churning bottom is quite audible and powerful. David Marks once again cuts through with a sharp edged guitar solo. Jeff's high part is miked a little higher than some of the other shows I've heard. Little Honda follows with an audience that is following every nuance The Beach Boys play. Mike seems a little tired on lead vocal. The backing vocals are on the spot. The surf tunes come next beginning Catch a Wave. Once again Mike's lead gets somewhat buried. The harmony vocals are solid and quite tasteful. The sound cuts out a few times here, but again, David Marks is slicing and dicing.
Hawaii is next. The vocals are initially a little off time, but resolve at the beginning of the second verse. Mike's singing here is very strong, with Jeff's vocal being a little too highly mixed. Don't Back Down follows with a great group harmony vocal behind Mike. John's drums are perfect, along with Nelson's percussion. This is a stellar version. Surfin' Safari is similarly powerful. With this many musicians onstage, the song loses it's punk feel and becomes an all out rocker. David's guitar solo is on the money, short and tasteful. The audience by this time has gone nuts.
Mike introduces Brian, who takes lead on Surfer Girl. The group has a couple of members who are flat on this number. Brian's vocal is inaudible until the bridge. I hate to say it, but sounds like Brian is flat. Getcha Back follows, and it doesn't sound like David doing the lead vocal. The lead vocal is about a quarter beat behind the song's tempo. The tag is ragged. Jeff doing Don't Worry Baby is professional and solid. His voice is not as jarring as at some of the other shows. The backing vocals are well done, with perfect timekeeping from the rhythm section. None of this seems to matter to the listeners, who are beyond enthusiastic.
The car tunes begin with Little Deuce Coupe, and Mike is on the money here. I think he genuinely loves singing these tunes, and the audience is clapping so loudly that at times the backing vocals are inaudible. 409 rolls of the line next, and the tune is played beautifully with "driving guitar".....(pun intended). David's guitar solo is longer than usual and it rocks. The drumming here is incredible. Shut Down is segued from 409, and the audience is bonkers. This is true rock and roll at it's best. The bottom here is very powerful. I Get Around caps off the car tunes and the crowd is flying. Mike's vocal is true to the record, and it is important to recognize how his vocals are the signature sound for these early tunes. No matter what one feels about him, his vocals make the show on the old tunes.
Having given the audience a literal plethora of oldies, the group does That's Why God Made Radio next. The tune has a loping feel to it, not unlike Sail On Sailor. Harmonies are present and beautiful. The group is playing the last 10 or so shows after this concert, and their knowledge of their repertoire is impressive and very tight. Brian loves this tune and is more audible here than in many other tunes in the show. He follows with Sail On Sailor and then Heroes and Villains. Sail On Sailor is beautifully done, similar to what Brian did in Chiba. The group's harmony vocals are mixed a little too high. The instruments bury Brian's lead on the second verse. Overall, this is a great version despite the mix problems.
Heroes and Villains is sung well by both Brian and the backing vocalists. Brian's vocal on the chorus is very strong. The rolling vocals midway are a delight. The a capella break is similarly wonderful, with all vocalists audible. After the full stop, Brian returns with a perfect vocal. The group not only has mastered this tune, but it is apparent that it is a group favorite. Isn't It Time is next, and the group does the first verse to just the rhythmic clapping of the audience. They gradually fill in the instruments, and the vocals are perfect, with Alan's vocals in the background shining. The last chorus drops out, perhaps due to a mixing mistake. Mike seems to be having trouble hearing the feed.
Alan introduced Why Do Fool In Love, is next, and somebody flats. If you wonder whether they do this live or fly it in, it is definitely live. The rhythm section shines here. Jeff is a bit bright on high vocal. The whole version sounds a little out of sync, but the audience loves them anyhow. When I Grow Up To Be a Man has a cold intro that they do well. Jeff is mixed too brightly here. Mike's lead is excellent, and again, this is a song that needs his vocal. This version is very cleanly done, and is an obvious audience favorite. Alan sings Cottonfields next, with a nice lap steel and rhythm piano behind him. His vocals are impeccable on this tour, and this is no exception. There is some great doubling vocally going on fortifying the lead. It is not a tape. Gorgeous harmonies, great playing, and the group hits a homer.
The tributes to Dennis and Carl follow. Forever leads off, and many of you have Chiba's video by now, and the version here is really not that different. The vocals are live harmony wise, and are spot on. God Only Knows featuring Carl is next. The vocal is from Knebworth, and the tempo is a shine too fast. Probyn plays french horn, and Paul plays flute. The tag with Bruce and Alan is very well done. Mike and Al follow with All This Is That, which is a standard on this tour. Vocally, this is a highlight of this concert. The percussion may be mixed a little too high here. Brian's vocal here is very nice. Carl's heavenly tag here is once again too pretty for words.
Sloop John B is a great rock number on this tour, and Brian begins it grandly. The choruses are perfectly sung. Brian is mixed a little too high on the second chorus doing backgrounds. The break is beautiful but brief. This number is an obvious Brian favorite. Wouldn't It Be Nice concludes the Pet Sounds segment. Alan gets the lyrics correct this time, and the backing vocals are solid. There is a lovely rhythm piano in the background. The slower section is nice if a little too bright. The run of hits leading up to the concert's conclusion is next, beginning with Good Vibrations. Brian starts it, with help from Jeff. The cello triplets sound like they are either flown in or played on a guitar. They bury the vocals, the whole song sounds excessively loud, making the quiet sounds before the tag extra somber. The group nails the tag.
Throughout the tour, Alan's voice has been a consistent pleasure to listen for. Then I Kissed her here is delivered beautifully, out of order. The guitars are mixed a little too loudly, so no one probably notices. Backing vocals are also nicely done. In this case the rhythm section is mixed too loudly, probably to offer a Wall of Sound feeling.California Girls is delivered very smoothly with Mike offering a vocal that again is true to the record and offers the proof that these are the real Beach Boys. Throughout the second half of the show, the drums and bass guitar have been mixed too loudly.
All Summer Long begins cold, and Mike then flats out. The band as a whole here is quite loud, perhaps due to the acoustics of the Osaka Gym. Rhonda segues from All Summer Long, and again, Alan's voice lends a clarity and authenticity to the tune. The crowd is again bonkers and singing "Help Me Rhonda" with the band. This tune is a touch faster than the original recording, and is finely tuned to be a winner in the concert's closing segment. Paul takes a cool solo on sax for twelve bars and it is back to the tune's end. Rock and Roll Music is again misplaced at the end of the show and the momentum hat has been built wavers. Do You Wanna Dance is sung by Brian and he flats out, with Jeff then doubling. I have to wonder if the feed into Brian's ear wasn't too loud for him to hear. David's lead solo burns, having been missing since the car tunes. The tune is ragged, but by this time the audience is nuts. Surfin' USA is a perfect concert closer, familiar, singable, and fast paced.
The encore begins with Kokomo, which chills the crowd before Barbara Ann and Fun Fun Fun. The crowd predictably cheers for several minutes. Bruce introduces it. Mike's vocal is suitably mellow.Somewhere there are some pans, and I can't tell whether they are live or flown in. The version here overall is a little anemic, but, Kokomo is not my favorite Beach Boys tune. Paul's sax solo is a highlight here though. Jeff sings Carl's old part well. Barbara Ann heats things to a boil gain. This is one tune that every audience loves, and this one is no exception....the band plays the tune to be sung along to, and the Japanese may be the best audience worldwide for them, if you don't count the British. Nelson's percussion throughout this show has been stellar. Fun Fun Fun predictably is the perfect closer, with David reeling off a perfect guitar introduction. The whole audience is audible singing along, and again, Mike's voice makes this song what it is. Imagine several thousand Japanese fans "oooing" at the end to the degree that you can barely hear the band itself, and you have a hole in one between the group and their audience.
Highlights here are the usual suspects...the tunes that Alan sings lead on, the surf and car tunes, and Biran's Heroes and Villains. I am sure that Osaka fans will remember this show a long time. Low spots...Getcha Back, Do You Wanna Dance, and Rock and Roll Music due to its place in the sequence.
Text copyright by Peter Reum 2013-All Rights Reserved
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