The Afterword

Musings on the byways of popular culture

Menu

Biggest quality gap between best and worst album

by 169 Comments

What band have or artist has the biggest quality gap between their best and worst album?

It struck me today that The Beach Boys´ Pet Sounds is so far superior to Summer In Paradise it´s ridiculous.

Pet Sounds is pretty much a Brian Wilson solo album, Summer In Paradise is pretty much a Mike Love solo album. However, they were both released by The Beach Boys.

Can anyone else beat this? Mind you, Self Portrait and Landing On Water both sound like masterpieces next to Summer In Paradise.

I hereby officially dare you. 😉

Guess I’m Dumb

by 21 Comments

Here’s a brilliant song – written by Brian Wilson and Russ Titelman, recorded and released by Glen Campbell in 1965. But it wasn’t a hit. Why not? The melody and the production are just beautiful. At a guess I’d say the lyrics just weren’t made for those times.

My Wikipedia research tells me Glen toured with the Beach Boys in early 1965, replacing Brian Wilson. Never knew that, but obviously that’s the connection.

Interesting to note that this was released a year BEFORE the Beach Boys hit mega-stardom with “Good Vibrations”, and THREE years before Glen had his first big hit with “Wichita Lineman”.

And who was Russ Titelman? He was a producer for Warner Bros in the 60’s/70/s – a childhood friend of Randy Newman and that’s where I know his name from, as well as Ry Cooder albums and a bunch of other folks from that period.

The arrangement on “Guess I’m Dumb” sounds very Burt Bacharach to my ears. Glen ‘n Brian ‘n Burt. Marriage made in heaven you’d think.

Here’s the lyrics…

The way I act don’t seem like me I’m not on top like I used to be I’ll give in when I know I » Continue Reading.