Well, this subject is a favorite of mine. The memories I have of London and British fans are nothing but warm. I had the good fortune thanks to David Leaf and Dave McHarry to attend both the 2002 Pet Sounds Concerts and the 2004 Smile Premiere Concerts in London. British fans are incredibly loyal and along with Japanese fans are probably the best audience in the world for The Beach Boys. The recordings I am currently discussing are a BBC Radio 2 broadcast from the Mermaid Theater in London, and the final concert of the 2012 Tour from Wembley Arena (in part 3).
The Mermaid Theater show, from September 24, 2012, is an abbreviated set that hits many musical highlights from the entire Tour. The Beach Boys perform some 20 songs, and the stereo sound is exquisite. They have an amazing live quality, minimally doctored unlike some other concerts. The show starts out like many others, with a shortened set of surf tunes, beginning with Do It Again, moving into Catch a Wave, and followed by a spirited and new wave flavored Surfin' Safari. A jewel of this performance is Brian's version of Please Let Me Wonder, which he nails perfectly. This song is without peer on this Tour in terms of the quality of performance by Brian of the ballads for which he became famous as a lead vocalist. It is achingly lovely.
Alan chimes in with a breathtaking Then I Kissed Her which is always a highlight of every performance on this Tour. You would not know it wasn't 1967 when the single was released in the United Kingdom. A first rate version of Isn't It Time is next, and the shared leads on this version are well done. Mike's voice sounds a little raspy when he introduces the tune. His vocal is solid if a little thin on the song itself. The harmonies are on key and avoid being pitchy. The arrangement for Why Do Fools Fall In Love by Brian and as implemented live is terrific. The tag is amazing as all of the group fall in harmony within a count of 4 beats to form a wall of harmony. Jeff"s high harmony is a little too prominent.
Jeff's lead on Don't Worry Baby, the next tune, is less breathy and is first rate. I love the guitar tones on the bridge. The backing vocals are heavenly. I Get Around follows. The groups' vocals are very faithful to the studio version. Mike gets a little pitchy, but this is because his voice has deepened as he has gotten older. Brian follows with Heroes and Villains. His vocals are nicely done. The song requires quite a lengthy breath to get each line out. I don't hear any off key notes here. Brian's voice is very strong for being the end of a the tour. The group harmonies leading into the tag are awesome. The tag is breathtaking.
The next song, God Only Knows, is also sung by Brian. The song retains it's stately feel, Brian's lead is solid, and is on key. He pulls off a difficult lead that is forever etched as being Carl's trademark. Brian's reaction to the audience's response is delight. Alan comes back with a lead on Wouldn't It Be Nice. The vocal sounds doubled. Perhaps this is another band member, but it could be a mixing console invention. The last stanza with the slow down is beautifully done. California Girls is introduced with it's beautiful instrumental beginning, with Mike Love doing his trademark lead exceptionally well. Backing vocals are also very fine. Bruce is distinct on the tag, which goes a capella for three measures before ending.
Good Vibrations is patchy, with Mike's voice off mike for a few beats. Brian's lead follows Carl's studio vocal except for the high notes which Jeff does. Nelson's sleigh bells may be heard on the bridge. The concluding section with the stop is great. The stairstep harmonies on the tag are well done. Rhonda follows, and this has been a highlight of every recording of this Tour. They are very faithful to the single version off of Summer Days. Alan's voice once again carries the day, and it is as if it was flown in from 1965. Paul's sax solo is a nice addition. Rock and Roll Music follows with a Mike Love lead vocal that is exceptionally good. What is cool is that they do the fourth stanza missing from the 1976 versions of the tune.
The patented Beach Boys finale of Surfin' USA, Barbara Ann, and Fun Fun Fun follows. What is delightful is that Mike Love sounds himself here. He is he voice fans know, and that is not replaceable. Let me jus again praise John Cowsill and Nelson Bragg, as their percussion is just fantastic. While it is hard to screw up Barbara Ann, it is always a relief to report that it is again well done here. The audience may be heard faintly in the background singing along here. Fun times 3 is just contagious. Although the repertoire is more limited in this broadcast, this recording rivals Chiba for the best concert sound wise of the whole Tour. It is the sound of a band that has played 70+ plus shows, is fired up, and knows EXACTLY what each member is going to do. In short, unforgettable.
Note: The band is interviewed for 15 minutes or so (Alan, Brian, Bruce, David and Mike) after the show.
Copyright 2013 by Peter Reum-All Rights Reserved
Copyright 2013 by Peter Reum-All Rights Reserved
No comments:
Post a Comment