The Beach Boys: LOVE YOU with Matt Farley — Side A

Summary

Podcast Summary: Jokermen Podcast Episode - "The Beach Boys: LOVE YOU with Matt Farley — Side A"

Introduction

In this engaging episode of the Jokermen Podcast, hosts Evan and Ian delve deep into the lesser-known Beach Boys album, Love You, featuring a special guest appearance by musician Matt Farley. Released on March 24, 2025, this episode serves as a comprehensive exploration of the album’s nuances, its impact on listeners, and its place within the Beach Boys' discography. The conversation seamlessly weaves personal anecdotes, musical analysis, and insightful critiques, making it a must-listen for both die-hard fans and newcomers alike.

---

The Influence of Love You on Matt Farley

Matt Farley opens up about his profound connection with Love You, describing it as a pivotal influence on his musical career. Growing up in the '80s and '90s, Farley was immersed in Beach Boys music, primarily hearing classics like "Kokomo" on the radio. However, it was the post-Pet Sounds albums, particularly Sunflower and Surf's Up, that captivated him during the mid-90s reissues. His enthusiasm culminated in acquiring the double album set, which included 15 Big Ones and Love You.

"But Just Love youe. It just blew my mind. And I was like, I can't believe this album exists. How is nobody talking. How is nobody talking about this?" ([03:41])

Farley emphasizes the album’s raw and unfiltered essence, likening it to "unadulterated Brian Wilson," and credits it with deepening his appreciation for the Beach Boys' artistry.

---

Background and Creation of Love You

The hosts provide a historical context for Love You, highlighting its creation in the fall of 1976 under challenging circumstances. Brian Wilson, the creative force behind the album, retreated to the studio to produce Love You and another project titled New Album. Wilson's intensive involvement meant he played nearly all instruments himself, showcasing his remarkable musical prowess despite limited studio resources.

"Brian was in the studio by himself, doing the basic tracks. A lot of the things he finished and sang all the parts himself." ([05:56])

As the 1970s progressed, internal tensions within the Beach Boys emerged. Members pursued individual interests: Mike Love engaged in meditation and levitation training, Al Jardine embraced a quieter life as a gentleman farmer, Dennis embarked on solo projects, and Carl joined forces with Billy Hinch to produce. This left Brian Wilson bearing the brunt of the band’s musical direction, leading to a more solitary creation process reminiscent of the Pet Sounds era.

---

Musical Analysis: Sound and Production

Love You marks a stark departure from the polished sounds of earlier Beach Boys albums. The absence of legendary session musicians like Steve Douglas and Hal Blaine necessitated a shift towards electronic instruments and synthesizers. This transition resulted in a "funky and funny" soundscape, with the Moog synthesizer playing a significant role in shaping the album's unique texture.

"But at this point, he kind of has to make up for the lack of an army of session players and the Wrecking Crew and all these people with just, like, advancements in technology." ([21:01])

The album's production mirrors the DIY ethos, offering an unrefined yet compelling auditory experience. Farley appreciates this authenticity, noting that despite the technological limitations, the album retains a "beautiful sense of elegance."

---

Album Artwork: A Visual Companion

A noteworthy aspect of Love You is its album cover, designed by Dean Torrance, known for his work with Jan and Dean. The cover's intricate, colorful grid pattern evokes both a Navajo rug and pixel art, creating a timeless visual appeal that complements the album's forward-thinking sound.

"It's like a rug with like a bird motif. It's great. It's like a 10 out of a 10, 3 out of 3 cover." ([29:16])

Evan praises the artwork for its "warm and inviting" aesthetic, highlighting how it perfectly encapsulates the album's fusion of 70s psychedelia and electronic innovation.

---

Song Spotlights

1. "Roller Skating Child"

   The discussion turns to "Roller Skating Child," where the hosts dissect the song's lyrical ambiguity and energetic delivery. Ian interprets the lyrics as Brian Wilson's attempt to reconcile his past with his present, presenting multiple perspectives within the song.

   "It's like Brian Wilson in the present and it's Brian Wilson in the past, and it's Brian Wilson in the future in some places as well." ([42:07])

2. "Mona"

   "Mona" is celebrated as one of the album's standout tracks, characterized by its catchy melody and vibrant energy. Matt Farley describes it as "incredibly fun and catchy," asserting that it leaves listeners with "a big smile on your face."

   "Mona is just incredibly fun and catchy, and you got a big smile on your face the whole time." ([47:24])

3. "Johnny Carson"

   Perhaps the most controversial track, "Johnny Carson" sees Brian Wilson channeling his admiration (and frustration) towards the iconic TV host. The song serves as a modern-day poetic ode, much like traditional folk songs that honor local heroes.

   "It's Brian Wilson does Phil Spector. That's why he's referencing Do Run Ron and Be My Baby at the end and calling out Phil Spector explicitly." ([48:35])

   The hosts grapple with the song's explicitness, balancing its homage with its candidness.

---

Themes and Lyrical Content

Love You is lauded for its honest and personal lyrical content, drawing parallels to Bob Dylan's Blood on the Tracks. While Dylan's work delves into personal turmoil and relationships, Wilson's album explores themes of nostalgia, fame, and the dichotomy between youthful innocence and adult realities.

"Is this searingly personal, naked confessional kind of record made almost by one person?" ([24:46])

Evan and Ian discuss the album's ability to evoke a range of emotions, from goosebumps-inducing moments to bursts of laughter, all encapsulated within the context of Brian Wilson's internal struggles and artistic brilliance.

---

Comparisons to Other Artistic Works

Ian draws comparisons between Love You and Blood on the Tracks, emphasizing the album's raw emotionality and confessional nature. Additionally, Matt Farley likens the album to the varied musical styles present in the Beatles' Let It Be, highlighting its eclecticism and the seamless integration of diverse musical elements.

"If Blood on the Tracks is pure Dylan, this is pure Brian Wilson." ([26:50])

---

Closing Remarks and Connections

As the conversation winds down, the hosts touch upon Matt Farley's own musical endeavors, revealing that he has composed songs inspired by each host. This playful exchange adds a personal touch to the episode, reinforcing the deep connections between the guests and the host community.

"I just let people find it themselves... The most recent paparazzi and the Photogs album has a song about each one of you guys." ([59:08])

Matt shares his contact information, encouraging listeners to reach out and engage with his music, further bridging the gap between podcast participants and the audience.

---

Conclusion

This episode of the Jokermen Podcast offers a thorough and thoughtful examination of the Beach Boys' Love You album, enriched by Matt Farley's personal insights and the hosts' analytical prowess. Through detailed discussions on musical composition, lyrical depth, and personal influences, listeners gain a comprehensive understanding of the album's significance and its enduring legacy within the realm of American music.

Notable Quotes:

• "But Just Love youe. It just blew my mind. And I was like, I can't believe this album exists. How is nobody talking. How is nobody talking about this?" – Matt Farley ([03:41])

• "It's Brian Wilson does Phil Spector. That's why he's referencing Do Run Ron and Be My Baby at the end and calling out Phil Spector explicitly." – Ian ([48:35])

• "Is this searingly personal, naked confessional kind of record made almost by one person?" – Matt Farley ([24:46])

• "If Blood on the Tracks is pure Dylan, this is pure Brian Wilson." – Ian ([26:50])

---

Follow and Subscribe

For more in-depth discussions and analysis of iconic music like the Beach Boys' Love You, subscribe to the Jokermen Podcast on Patreon for ad-free episodes and exclusive content from artists like Bob Dylan, Velvet Underground, Steely Dan, Lou Reed, and John Cale. Connect with @jokermenpodcast on Instagram and Twitter to stay updated on future episodes and special reveals.

Transcript

[Evan]

This could be considered a track.

[Matt Farley]

Not really, though.

[Ian]

We don't want to do that.

[Evan]

This is a little intro, you know.

[Ian]

All right, here we go.

[Evan]

Countdown time.

[Ian]

One, two, three, go.

[Matt Farley]

Okay, boys, do it.

[Evan]

Welcome back, everyone, to Jokerman Beach Boys Podcast. I'm Evan.

[Ian]

I'm Ian. And this is one we've been leading up to for quite some time. I think we, you and I, Evan, both have only had one name in mind for this episode, this record. You know him, you love him, he loves you. Wink, wink. Matt Farley returning to the program after too long of an absence. Matt, welcome back.

[Matt Farley]

Hey, everybody. It's an honor to be back. This is a huge album. Get ready. This is gonna be at least a two parter, maybe three. Wow. We're gonna dig deep. And there's a big reveal coming up, too. Your hosts don't even know about it yet. Big reveal coming up.

[Ian]

Wow. Okay. Do you have a point in time of when you're going to make the reveal, or is it just gonna happen.

[Matt Farley]

Suddenly, shortly after Johnny Carson?

[Ian]

Okay, okay. All right. You've got it all mapped out. Fantastic. Well, before we begin, this isn't a Root Beer episode. We don't have a Root Beer report. But would you. Do you have any statements or thoughts to log on Root Beer before we start speaking about this record? Man?

[Matt Farley]

No, I just love. I love that there's a song about Root Beer. I love just everything about the Beach Boys because it's just like this constant back and forth between, like, crass commercialism and ethereal art, you know? And frankly, the Root Beer song, it leans in the crass commercialism side of it, but I just think this band is pure America and Root Beer is pure America and it just goes together.

[Ian]

Well said. We couldn't agree anymore. Where did you. I mean, so I think you mentioned to us, however long ago, like, before we even started the Beach Boys series or just as we were starting it, like, I want to do love you, which I don't know about you. I guess we'll get into this, but this is really a huge. This is one of the ones for me. Not only one of the Beach Boys records for me, but one of the records for me. How did this record. When did this record come into your life, Matt?

[Matt Farley]

Yeah, so growing up, I listened to the Beach Boys on the oldies station, and you can't not hear those songs growing up in the 80s and 90s. They're just everywhere and they're great. But other than Kokomo, you don't HEAR Anything post 1970 really on the radio. And then, you know, then Pet Sounds, there were like some like a big push about Pet Sounds, I feel like in the mid-90s, like a reissue or whatever. Some box set, etc.

[Ian]

The CD set.

[Matt Farley]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then. And then they started reissuing the post Pet Sounds albums on CDs, where they put two albums on each CD. And I started buying those and just going, you know, going along with it as, you know, as they were putting those out. And I loved especially Sunflower and Surf's Up. Like, wow, these are good. And I'd never heard any of these songs on the radio. And it was pretty wild. And then I ended up getting 15 big ones in love u.

[Ian]

And that was the two. Was that the two pack?

[Matt Farley]

That was the two pack, yep.

[Ian]

Oh, baby. Talk about bang for your buck.

[Evan]

Yeah. You got 15 whole big ones, plus this other album.

[Matt Farley]

I know.

[Ian]

14 more big ones on this, you get 29 big ones. That's. Mm. That's a deal.

[Matt Farley]

And basically the 15 big ones, you know, hit or miss, but Just Love youe. It just blew my mind. And I was like, I can't believe this album exists. How is nobody talking. How is nobody talking about this? Like, people would come over and be like, you gotta hear Mona. You gotta hear Mona. And I would just force them to listen to Mona. And I just love it because it just feels like unfiltered Brian Wilson.

[Ian]

Absolutely. And that really, frankly, is what it is. I'll deliver a little bit of context about this record in a few minutes before we really get into it. But I'll just say, for my part, this is, I think, the record that made me a Beach Boys. Made me want to do this, be able to do this, whatever this is, at this point. In the way that Blood on the Tracks probably was for Bob. For me, in the way that I guess. I don't know what the. I guess probably Blue Mask was for Lou. But I fell in love with this record just at this monumental moment in time for me. When I was 20, I was in New York and with my friends for a summer. And just listening to all these great records. It's when I got into John Cale for the first time. It's when I got into Velvet stuff, really deep. And this was the Beach Boys record that bubbled up to the top for me. For whatever reason, I think. Because I had searched it out and realized, oh, there's this weird. Just like one of a kind Beach Boys record in the later era of their catalog. And there's some Crazy shit on it. And I just. I mean, as soon as I started listening to this record from the very jump, I was deeply, madly, head over heels in love with it. It is everything that I love about the man, Brian Wilson boiled down into a tight 35 minute package.

[Evan]

So I didn't really know this record that well.

[Ian]

Wow, okay.

[Evan]

Till recently, honestly, I mean, relatively recently, which means in the last, like, what, eight months? It's one that I had vaguely heard about, but I was saving for marriage or podcasting, you know, And I'm glad I did because I think at this point I can appreciate this record to a degree that I would not have been able to if I had just stumbled across it. As good as it is, I do think that everything that we know about it, everything you find out about it when you look into it, is part of the greatness of it is in the story. And, well, also in just having listened to 15 big ones right before it. Like, any record would sound amazing, but this one, this one in particular, it sounds amazing in such a special way. Like the hints, the glimmers that you only faintly get in the muck of 15 big ones, it's just nothing but gold here. It's like you don't get any of the muck. You just get the pure shining platinum of big old Brian honking down the highway.

[Ian]

Beautiful Brian. Before we talk more about it, which there's gonna be plenty to talk about. Matt, is it fair we stumbled across this comparison in the middle of an episode earlier? You might have heard it when we did the Summer Days and Summer Nights episode and Salt Lake City came up, which I clocked immediately, like, this could be a Matt Farley song.

[Evan]

Could be a Songs about cities and towns. The man who sings songs about cities and towns.

[Matt Farley]

The guy. The guy.

[Ian]

That's right. The guy. Would you. Would it. Would it be accurate to say, or I guess what would your thoughts be on a statement along the lines of Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys seem to be a major influence on all of your work as a musician in any of your many guises?

[Matt Farley]

Yeah, yeah. I often joke. I'm like, I took the Beach Boys least popular album or one of their least popular albums, love you. As a template for my entire music career. And so I just love that, you know, Jonathan Richmond too. Just that whole kind of like a wide eyed look at things that most people overlook or consider mundane. And, you know, and hence this Johnny Carson song. I mean, Brian writes about one celebrity. I've written about all celebrities and stuff like that. But I love it because it's like. I mean, we've got. There's plenty of love songs out there, you know, there's not many songs about Johnny Carson.

[Ian]

That's right. Have you written. Is there a Moturn Johnny Carson song anywhere?

[Matt Farley]

That's a great question. I'll look it up while we're doing this.

[Evan]

I would love a Moturn album of just hosts, just about television and, you know, podcasters, too. I mean, you did. I do know. You made a song about me.

[Matt Farley]

Oh, that's my big. That's the big reveal. I didn't know if you knew.

[Ian]

Oh, wow.

[Evan]

I'll tell you about how I found that out later.

[Ian]

Wow.

[Evan]

Because I was shocked.

[Matt Farley]

I did one about you, too.

[Ian]

I. Wow. Okay. I didn't know that that existed.

[Matt Farley]

And I just checked. There is. I do have a song called Good Old Johnny Carson.

[Ian]

Okay.

[Evan]

Hell yeah. A Dick Cavett song. How about that?

[Matt Farley]

I probably have, but I'll check.

[Ian]

Probably doesn't.

[Evan]

Dick Cavett, he's a. Something like that.

[Ian]

Milton Berle, maybe?

[Matt Farley]

No, never did Dick Cavett. What a shame. No Milton Berle either.

[Ian]

All right, well, I think you got a whole new record waiting for you right here.

[Evan]

Yeah, I'm sorry to have blown that surprise. You still haven't listened to it in either of them, so.

[Ian]

No, I haven't. Well, I guess let's save it for after Johnny Carson, which is where you wanted to have this conversation in the first place.

[Matt Farley]

Can I just also say a few quick things about just the whole thing? First off, this. This whole season of Jokerman. So good. I love, love every second of it.

[Ian]

Thank you.

[Matt Farley]

Like I said, I like. I like the early Beach Boys just singing about dance, dance, dance and all that stuff. Just like pure, unadulterated fun. And then I like when they get deep, the late 60s stuff. So weird. So hit or miss. But, like, I went to sleep. Like, that just makes. That makes the whole late 60s period worth it. Just the song. I Went to Sleep or Busy Doing Nothing. Oh, busy Doing nothing. Classic. The fact that this band is forever linked with the Manson murders, I mean, just. I don't. I don't think we're spending enough time just pointing out that, like, the Sunny Beach Going Fun Band is linked to this horrific series of crimes. That's crazy. Okay. I just want to throw that out there.

[Ian]

Agreed.

[Evan]

Absolutely. I mean, it's not just that they. I mean, the thing about that, which if we want to dwell on it for just a second, it's like, they come from Hawthorne. They're Just kind of like as average Joes as could be and you know, have not even a whiff of like slimy Hollywood on them. They're earnest, bright eyed and bushy tailed. And it's not just that they like kind of get wrapped up in some of the seediness of the showbiz. Literally one of them falls directly into the arms of the most famous murderer of the century. Yeah, yeah, the 20th century.

[Matt Farley]

I mean that's something that just like. And it's just the everything. And the fact that like John Stamos becomes like a on again, off again member, you know, post 1980s is just another. Just like this whole story is so bonkers.

[Ian]

Stranger than fiction.

[Evan]

Yes. On the point of John Stamos, I am obliged just to say that apparently we said something about him being a sexual pest, which is actually an unfortunate mix up. It turns out he admitted to having been sexually molested as a child.

[Matt Farley]

That's a big difference.

[Evan]

Big difference. Going out of my way to point out that is a big difference. Sorry, John Stamos.

[Matt Farley]

I'm glad we corrected the record there.

[Ian]

Thank you for clarifying.

[Matt Farley]

And then the obvious, and you guys are coming around with the cool mic stuff, but the obvious way to look at this is Brian, Brian's wonderful torture genius. And the other guys are bringing him down, you know. But just like I say, look at it like a bunch of guys who've known each other since they were literally babies, okay, Growing up together, making a band together and then sort of thrust into international superstardom at way too young an age. This is crazy for the most stable person, okay? And they, they all seem to want to be a band and want to do it and there's a lot of push and pull and it's a lot to navigate, especially at that level of fame. And so it's easy to say like, oh, they should have been more supportive of Brian. But like, they wanted to be a band, they wanted Brian to be part of the band. Brian was kind of, you know, didn't want to tour anymore. That's got to be tough, you know, and it's like, it's one thing to be an outsider and say like, you got to take care of the guy who's having breakdown. But when you're his brother or his cousin and you've known him forever and you just want to be like, snap out of it, man. Come on, we're trying to do something here. It's tough is all I'm saying. And like, I have a lot of empathy for the other guys. Just Trying to make something happen and just trying to navigate whatever was going on with Brian. He's got to be super tough. And. And I listened to an interview with the guy who did the movie about the devil and Daniel Johnson, and one thing he said, he was like, look, there's something you got to know. Dealing with Daniel is awful. He's a total, like, pain in the butt. Like, he, like, again, you watch a movie, you're like, oh, look at the genius who wrote true love will find you in the end. But he's like, when you're dealing with him, you take him out to dinner, he pours an entire thing, like container of sugar into his fruit punch, drinks it all, and then passes out for a half hour. And you're just like, Daniel. Like, you're. You know, and the point being, like, you know, there's. There's a push and pull. And so I think it. I think it's beautiful that they. They. They have stuck together and they felt this, like, you know, this loyalty to another. They keep on bringing it back together. And, you know, relationships are messy. So those are my thoughts.

[Evan]

I totally agree. I do just have to point out the director that you're speaking of, of that film is none other than Jeff Futzig, who we've had on this program.

[Ian]

He's a friend of O Tucker episode. That was a good one.

[Matt Farley]

He's great. I didn't make that connection.

[Evan]

Yeah.

[Matt Farley]

Okay. And leading up to this moment, it's kind of like they're like, all right, we did the stuff where Carl and Al and whatnot were kind of like, guiding the band in the early seventies. And.

[Ian]

Yeah.

[Matt Farley]

And. And then they're like, what do we got to do? And they're like, look, when Brian wrote Pet Sounds, we. We didn't get it. And it turned out to be brilliant. Let's just. Let's just follow his lead. Let's just follow his lead for Love U. However crazy it might seem, let's just go with it and see what happens. And. And. And it's hilarious that the result included, you know, honking down the gosh darn highway.

[Ian]

Yeah, boy, what a song.

[Evan]

I mean, this is something that I think comes up pretty often on the show is like, just the specter of, like, what was actually going to work in any given period of the mid to late 20th century, as far as cultural relevance is always kind of a guess. Like, and it still is that way today. Like, the things that stick, the things that people actually end up feeling like, yeah, this makes sense. This works. For me, it's always a gamble or a guess. And it's. It's worth being humble, having some humility about, like, what the real nature of that is. Like, none of us really knows. It's always with hindsight that we can mock and deride things, but at the time, it's never so clear. We live in the fog of the cultural. Of the culture war, so to speak. And that is. It's commendable. Commendable or at least understandable that the Beach Boys were desperate or thoughtful enough to give Brian the reins for one more shot at glory.

[Matt Farley]

Amen. And let me just add, there's, like, a bootleg. I believe it's a bootleg. I saw it on YouTube or heard it on YouTube of Brian playing a lot of these songs for the rest of the Beach Boys. And the rest of the Beach Boys are cheering them on. They're pumped. They're like, yeah, yeah. You know, and, like, at. Certain sections of the song will come up, and you can hear them being like, yeah, and kind of like trying to figure out where the song's gonna go and, you know, and when you think you. It's the same thing with the Let It Be. Like, you read about the Beatles, that they were at each other's throats by the late 60s. And then you watch the Let It Be movie. And mostly it's just them goofing off in the studio and, like, getting along. And it's like the story is not. Is not everything by far. And so it's like they were able to work together and it was. I get goosebumps listening to that. Have you guys heard that?

[Ian]

No, I haven't. I will need to seek that out because that sounds interesting to me. It sounds a little at odds with what I understand about Love U, though, which is that it's a record that, you know. Yes, it's accurate that this is Brian at the controls. You know, Brian at the helm of everything. But from what I understand a little less that. That everyone's like, yeah, Brian, you go for it. You follow your muse and take us where you want to go. And more that just, like, everyone was kind of checked out a little bit and, like, willing to let him do his thing. This record was actually. On that note, let me just provide a little context as we get into the discussion of the record. Quoting from David Leaf. In the fall of 1976, this is after 15 big ones, Brian had actively returned to the studio, and he produced two complete albums of material, one to be titled New Album. I would Love to hear Brian Wilson's new album and the other called Brian loves you. Earl Manke engineered Brian's recording sessions, and he recalls that Brian played nearly everything on the tracks himself, at least 80% of the instruments on nearly every song. Brian was in the studio by himself, doing the basic tracks. A lot of the things he finished and sang all the parts himself. He was running smoothly. He just came in and did it. When the guys came back from tour, they'd come in and sing the vocal parts. As 1977 began, the beach Boys were again splintering. Mike traveled to Switzerland for six months of meditation and levitation training.

[Evan]

Levitation training?

[Ian]

Yes. Let me, Let me.

[Evan]

He was going up.

[Ian]

He's meditating and levitating, so everyone keep that in mind. Mike Love can fly.

[Evan]

They fly now.

[Ian]

Yeah. Ugh. Don't eat.

[Evan]

Mike flies now.

[Ian]

Terrible. Al returned to his Big Sur estate to enjoy the quiet life of a gentleman farmer. Al Jardine, gentleman farmer. Dennis finished up his solo album, coming soon on this very podcast. And Carl finally completed co producing with Billy Hinch, a record by Dean Martin's son, a project that had begun in 1974. Gotta listen to that record. That left Brian in the studio mostly by himself, which was the way it had been in the old days, except that the early records had been made with a studio filled with musicians. Now Brian seemed to be carrying the entire musical load. An electronic jump kit and a Moog bass don't make up for the absence of Steve Douglas, Hal Blaine, Ray Pullman and company. Dennis and Carl did help on those sessions, but Mike and Al were rarely around. So, you know, I guess there is an extent, you know, there is a truth to everyone being, you know, willing to let Brian just go, make the music, do his thing, be Brian Wilson. But I think. I think part of it I do have to credit with, maybe just more of a return to the way Beach Boys records had been made in 1965, in 1966, pet sounds, for instance, which was almost entirely made with the Beach Boys on tour in Japan. Yeah, it was just a Brian Wilson project with everything running smoothly under his control in the studio. And the trouble only really started when the rest of the group came back into the picture. This kind of seems like a return to that, to me.

[Matt Farley]

Yeah. And what a different result.

[Ian]

Well, yeah, what a different result, exactly.

[Evan]

Because what a difference 10 years and a lot of synthesizers make.

[Ian]

Well, yeah, I mean, that's definitely. I mean, and a million cigarettes on top of that.

[Matt Farley]

Oh, my God, the voice is cigarettes.

[Evan]

Cocaine, smoking, heroin, milkshakes Plenty of milkshakes. The milkshakes, but also a little bit of heroin.

[Ian]

You know, maybe a little column. A little column B there. But, I mean, part of that. Part of the difference also is that, you know, Brian was like an industrial commander at the heights of industry in 1965 and 66, which is endless studio budgets. All this, you know, studio time to bring in the most expensive part and just do tracks again and again and again and again. And at this point, like, he doesn't have that much. Like, the. Warner's is not cutting him a budget for this record. So, like, he kind of has to make up for the lack of an army of session players and the Wrecking Crew and all these people with just, like, advancements in technology that have been made in music making over the preceding 10, 11 years. But, like, it's. I think that that's why this sounds so funky and funny, is because he's sort of compensating for what he lacks and, like, the way he used to make a record and now he's just kind of like, I don't know, like, putting it together with spit and bubblegum and hoping for the best.

[Matt Farley]

Yeah, there are hints of this sound in 15 big ones, for sure. Like 15 big ones. This sound and the production very different from the three or four albums that preceded it. Like, the three or four that preceded it sound a lot like slicker in Studio E, where they have a budget right then. 15 big ones feels very. It's like that's the dividing line in the sound. And I think, you know, early 70s, late 70s, and then. And then Love U just goes all out, you know, in that direction. And what's crazy is that it works. That's the crazy part.

[Ian]

Yeah, it works as good, if not better than almost any other Beach Boys record that has been made since, you know, since Pet Sounds, really. But we'll get there momentarily. Just to provide a little more context about the record going into it. January 1977. The Beach Boys Love youe no longer Brian Loves you. The name was changed to make it seem more like a group effort was submitted to Warner's. Rick Nelson says most of the people at the company liked it, but Mo Austin, head of the label, thought it should be touched up. He didn't think it was finished. He didn't like it musically, somehow. Word that Mo felt that way got back to Brian and hurt him deeply. It was the everyday insensitivity of the record business that had driven Brian away once. This time, though, he weathered the static some Drama about the Beach Boys leaving Warner's. This is like their last record for the label and they're gonna bail because they're having a bad relationship with them. On the day that Love U is coming out, word leaks that they're leaving Warner's for Caribou. And so Warner's puts no money into the promotion of this record, turning it into basically a complete non starter. The commercial disaster that was the Beach Boys Love youe can't really be blamed on lack of promotion, though. It was an uncommercial record and, as Mo Austin had noted, unfinished. This is David leaf writing in 1978. This time, however, it couldn't be put down to Brian's lack of patience. Love youe in its incomplete form, is still a personal album from Brian, almost a solo record. Even the teenage themes that Brian examined were those that he still related to. Although there was some indication that he was being asked to write songs that would appeal to teens. On side two, Brian had composed a number of songs that were directly related to his current existence. And these lyrics were more interesting. The album also contained Brian Wilson music that indicated he hadn't lost his love of the eccentric or his musical sense of humor. Both Johnny Carson and Ding Dang were obviously the products of only one person. Brian Wilson and his remarkable and delightful musical lunacy. Which leads me to, like, kind of the way that I've been thinking about this record, you know, coming back to it this time and kind of preparing for this episode, like. And I've never really thought of it this way, but I can't shake it. For me at this time, like, I think this is the closest thing to a Blood on the Tracks that exists for Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys. Which is a record that just, you know, is kind of once in a career, once in a lifetime, only ever could be made by one mind. But is this searingly personal, naked confessional kind of record made almost by one person? The same way that the original Blood on the Trek sessions had been basically just bomb and an acoustic guitar. Basically just the product of one individual tearing their heart out and baring their emotional reality for the entire world to see. The difference, of course, is that Bob Dylan's emotional reality, crumbling marriage and desperate love and a sense of loss and regret for Brian Wilson is about planets, the solar system and honking down the highway and Johnny Garson. That might be a bridge too far for some folks out there, but that's the lens through which I'm looking at this record.

[Matt Farley]

Yes, it's completely pure. It Feels so pure. Brian Wilson. And you mentioned humor. And that's something else I wanted to say. These guys have the worst sense of humor imaginable. Whenever they're doing their skit style, like awful things, it is so horrifically bad. They're completely tone deaf in all ways. That in between song banter at live shows, it's just like, oh, guys, you. We are not. I don't know, you're on a different level of, of thought and it's a lower one. And I mean, it all gets culminated in hey, little tomboy. Which is just like. It's just like, got you. You guys are. I can't even. I can't even. Anyway, we don't. Luckily, we don't have to discuss that song today, but we'll bring you back.

[Ian]

For the MIU episode.

[Matt Farley]

Please don't. But. Yeah, but they have. They have the worst. They have the absolute worst sense of humor. And, and they're. When they're fun, they're funniest when they're. When they don't realize they're being funny, frankly. And it just so. It's just so weird. But again, it all works. And a good call on Blood on the Tracks. Because if Blood on the Tracks is pure Dylan, this is pure Brian Wilson. And I mean, that includes Ding Dong, you know, Ding Ding, Absolutely. Ding Dong.

[Ian]

That's maybe the purest Brian Wilson. But that's the thing is, like, especially they come from artists who aren't known for being searingly confessional and personal, at least at the moments in time when these records are being made. You know, Bob had really moved away from any sort of personal connection in his songwriting by 1975 or 74, when the record was being written and recorded. Brian did that to some extent early on with certain songs. Surfer Girl In My Room, obviously the Pet Sounds record. But really was not, I guess, the most confessional, personal songwriting he was doing up until this point might have been Mount Vernon and Fairway. The fairytale little storybook thing on Holland. And so this is like sort of a. It's like jumping in like a. Like a cold plunge, you know, you're just like, I didn't even know I could feel like this. Listening to a record from ostensibly the Beach Boys.

[Evan]

Shall we talk about the album?

[Ian]

Well, before we do, we gotta talk. Come on, we gotta talk about this. Oh, yeah, this is. I mean, this is iconic here. The COVID designed by Dean Torrance. Mr. Jan. And Dean neglected to mention that that Beach Boys word stamp, you know, that little Beach Boys logo that we Talked about on the start of 15 big ones. Also designed by Dean Torrance of Jan and Dean fame.

[Evan]

Man. What else did he do?

[Ian]

He did Nilsson Sings Newman. He did the COVID for that. Really? Yeah. He's got a whole. You know, I talked about that with Molly when she was on a couple months ago. He's got a whole robust career of album cover designs. So. Salute to you, Dean Torrance. I love the COVID of the Beach Boys Love youe. This kind of like, what is this, like, needlepoint type of thing? Or is it like a Navajo blanket type of pattern? It's. I don't even know. You know, the little square grid type of thing. Very colorful. No pictures or anything. It literally just says, the Beach Boys love you. Instantly. Iconic cover.

[Matt Farley]

Warm. Very warm.

[Evan]

Warm. And also just so forward thinking. Like, it's not dated. It doesn't look like things from when it came out. It doesn't look like things now. It just kind of looks like itself. And it's got this interesting place visually between. I think it was inspired at least in part by like. Like a Navajo rug or something like that, but it in equal measure looks like pixel art. So it's kind of. It's timeless in a way that's not even. Couldn't have been expected at the time. Like, there weren't digital images, like little icons, even in the visual nomenclature when this came out. Like, we didn't even have the personal computer. But somehow it's got that vibe, which perfectly suggests today the electronic forward aspect of the record. Plus, it's got this. Yeah, this warm and inviting, like 70s psychedelia in terms of the subject. Or it's like a rug with like a bird motif. It's great. It's like a 10 out of a 10, 3 out of 3 cover.

[Ian]

It's a fantastic cover. Warm, inviting, you know, kind of past, present and future all at once. Very colorful.

[Evan]

I love this perfect combination. Like, perfect. Perfectly suited for what this record is, which is also kind of like, wow, I didn't know that they could do that.

[Ian]

Yeah, it's kind of. Yeah. I can't really imagine this record with any other sort of COVID you know, and we talk sometimes about covers that match the music versus covers that don't. This is like. I don't know that I've ever seen a more perfect combination of COVID art, you know, package presentation and the music contained within.

[Evan]

Well, you know about the insert, right?

[Ian]

I've got the insert literally in my hands.

[Evan]

As do I.

[Ian]

Beautiful picture of Brian and Marilyn at looks like a birthday Party of some sort. We know Brian loves to celebrate birthdays. And there's just a little message here. To Brian, whom we love with all our hearts, we wish to express our appreciation and acknowledge your willingness to create and support totally the completion of these songs. We thank you for sharing yourself and your music with us and all those who love you as well. An unspeakable joy being with you in your expression of the music you put out there for everyone, Brian, we feel honored and grateful. And we love you, Carl, Dennis, Michael and Alan.

[Evan]

That's nice. That's just nice.

[Ian]

It is nice, you know, it is nice. It's nice. You know, I wonder. I wonder. I find myself wondering how much Brian wanted to release this as Brian Loves yous, a Brian Wilson solo record, and.

[Evan]

How much this thing is like throwing a bone to be like, hey, we're not gonna put this out as the Brian Loves yous album, but.

[Ian]

Exactly. We'll give you a little message on the inside. And those are unknowable questions, you know, but it's sitting there in the back of my mind that all said, yes, it is a very gracious and nice and warm kind of message regard, regardless of whatever truth might be behind it.

[Evan]

It's also, if we want to think about that, I mean, which, you know, it's all conjecture, but it's kind of up in the air. Which one would be more backhanded? Like, in a way, it's actually more. More kind that they wanted this to be a Beach Boys album.

[Matt Farley]

Yeah, good call.

[Evan]

It's kind of like them being like, well, no, this is good.

[Matt Farley]

Yeah.

[Evan]

They could have been like, brian just released this. Do it as your own side thing. And then, like, you'll have it out of your system. Sure. Like, whatever. Then. Then maybe he'll come back and write some real songs. But they're in their inaction on that front, I think says something good about the Beach Boys as a unit at this point.

[Ian]

Fair enough. That's a glass. That's a glass half full interpretation. And, you know, we could. We could all use a little more glass half full type of mindset these days. Okay. I think we can probably talk. We've already talked longer than the entire record actually is. I'm at 36 minutes on my timestamp right now. This record is only 35 minutes in the first place. Should we. Should we do it?

[Matt Farley]

To get you, babe I went through the ring to get you, baby Went through the ring Ain't gonna let you slip through my fingers.

[Ian]

Iconic. Instantly iconic. Let us go on this way and just honking, halting, loud, ugly, inelegant, beautiful, perfect music to start this record off.

[Matt Farley]

What a way to start. What an opening line. What a vibe to start with. And just like. Yeah, and also just the, like the stream of consciousness. Like, going to school isn't my fondest desire, but sitting class, she sets my soul on fire. Just like half the lyrics are just like throwaway, haphazard non sequiturs almost, you know, and still it's fine. It's amazing how just the bravado and energy can. Can overcome some of the vagueness of the lyrics.

[Ian]

Absolutely, yeah. They sound invested in this music, I think, in a way that they did not on 15 big ones, which does share a lot of the same kind of sonic hallmarks, you know, the Moogs and the Arps and kind of this ugly production and stuff. But so much of that feels kind of phoned in, you know, especially the covers that we talked about. And this is like, you know, it's pure originals.

[Matt Farley]

They're into it.

[Ian]

Pure originals. And they're exactly. They're into it. And a lot of that really comes down to Carl, I think, who is really like, you know, I can understand calling this a Beach Boys record because of how much Carl personally contributes to this record and Dennis to a lesser extent. I really kind of think of this almost as like a Wilson Brothers record, less Al and Mike. Carl really just like sells it with the vocals on this one.

[Matt Farley]

Evan, you love this or what?

[Evan]

I think it's great. I think that this song weirdly reveals partway through that it takes place like in the past where he's like in high school, but he sounds like, you know, just like a man. Like a. Like a grown ass man.

[Matt Farley]

He sounds way older than 35.

[Evan]

It's like when they cast someone way too old to like be a high schooler in a movie or TV show. I'm just imagining Brian with his like, full beard just like being like, oh, sorry, I'm late to class.

[Matt Farley]

Yeah. Frankly, it's uncomfortable at many parts.

[Ian]

You know, these couple in particular.

[Evan]

Right away. Extremely. Right away after this song, you mean?

[Ian]

Yes, yeah, exactly. But I mean, that's. To me, the fun, you know, I guess could also be the lack of fun for other people, but depending on how you look at it. But the tension between the types of subject matter in a lot of these songs, which I do think really reflect a lot of the concerns that are occupying Brian Wilson's mind. Like high school girls, cars, you know, the same as it has been for 15 years at this point. And, you know, the world has passed him by. He's no longer a 21 year old getting around on Hawthorne Boulevard. He's Brian Wilson circa 1976, in his bathrobe, in the studio all alone, you know, recovering from being out in space for several years. And that's what I think is so frankly brave about this record. Whether or not he even was intentional and understood what he was doing. And this sort of dichotomy between the presentation that he was putting out there and what the lyrics actually read, regardless of intentionality, I think it's just like. It's a stunning admission of honesty and reality from a man at this time who was really going through it, having a hard time.

[Evan]

I love the shout at the beginning. I just gotta point that out.

[Ian]

It's fantastic.

[Evan]

That just sells. That's Carl on the. That's Carl going, yeah, Carl.

[Ian]

Carl's singing this whole song. Brian doesn't even sing on this song.

[Evan]

Yeah, but I thought maybe that was Brian going, yeah, pure Carl.

[Ian]

Cool Carl.

[Evan]

Wow.

[Matt Farley]

And it just. It's just the forward motion of the whole song too. It's just. It is just going and going and going and like, you know, some people call, you know, according to Wikipedia, some people call Love U the punk Beach Boys album. And it's like not in. Not in like the noisy rock and roll, but. But in the pure energy though it is.

[Ian]

You know, there's a DIY aspect to it. Absolutely. And I think this record, I was thinking about this also, you know, we talked about like Smiley Smile as this record, you know, when we had AV Taron from Animal Collective as this record that kind of goes on to like accidentally invent a whole of pop music, rock music, whatever. I feel like Love U kind of does the same thing also. It's just like a different corner of like weird indie, like electronic, you know, it's not chill wave, you know, type of stuff here, but it's almost more like hyper pop, PC music type of stuff. I feel like is kind of located in this music to some extent. Just this like, you know, unabashed foregrounding of these like ugly, bright, brash type of sounds and textures. But at the same time there's a beautiful, you know, kind of elegance to it, you know, because I think the chorus on this song is fantastic. It's some of the most beautiful music they've ever made and some of the most defiantly ugly at the same time.

[Matt Farley]

But the minute you press play, you're like, you're not this is not a put it on record. This is not a put it on record. This is a no.

[Ian]

This not.

[Matt Farley]

This demands your attention from the get go. Yes. You don't just press play and walk away. You. You press play and then you stop in your tracks and you're like, I got it. I gotta reckon with this. This is appointment listening is what it is. It's appointment listening.

[Ian]

You kind of. Yeah, you can't look away. It's almost like a train wreck or a wreck on the highway or something. It's like whether or not it's pleasant or something that you want to pay attention to, it just demands your full, uninterrupted attention.

[Evan]

It's like a train careening off of a jump and you're waiting to see if it lands on the other side of the track.

[Matt Farley]

Spoiler alert. It lands.

[Evan]

It lands.

[Ian]

It sure do.

[Evan]

But not before doing some twists and.

[Ian]

Turns in the air or on the hardwood floor of a roller skating rink, perhaps.

[Evan]

Yeah.

[Matt Farley]

What's so funny about roller skating? Child is halfway through, I think he forgets that they're roller skating. He thinks they're ice skating. When he's like, it's so cold. I go, brr. And someone's like, hey, Bry, isn't this about roller skating, not ice skating? He's like, yeah, we'll just go with it. The lyrics of the whole album have a. Eh, we'll just go with it. Feel to it like we'll fix it in post.

[Evan]

And in the same way that he forgets that it's roller skating and it becomes ice skating, he also seems to forget that it's about a child very quickly and it. It becomes about making sweet love.

[Matt Farley]

Well, she's a roller skating child with a ribbon in her hair she gets my heart to beat when I see her there. You know, my heart starts smiling when she sings. She's such an angel I bet she's got wings it will make me loving.

[Ian]

When the sun goes down we'll leave.

[Matt Farley]

A new mo when her mama's not around.

[Evan]

I mean, there's no way of getting around it. Like, this song sounds very much like it's about literally a young girl and.

[Matt Farley]

Then it's about making love when her mama's not around.

[Evan]

Even do more.

[Matt Farley]

And even do more.

[Ian]

But I think that's part of. I think that's part of it is that it's. I mean, it's easy to read this song on the surface as like a confession of a predator at either an ice skating rink or a roller skating Rink or both, because he doesn't keep that consistent. But I think. But I think that's an uncharitable reading of what's really going on here. To me, I think Brian is writing this song from the perspective of 16 year old.

[Matt Farley]

Yeah, yeah, me too.

[Ian]

Like a guy that was, you know, you know, the innocent, you know, all American high school kid that the world fell in love with 15 years before. And he, you know, it's hard to put that in, you know, and, you know, artfully address that and make that clear in the text or the subtext. But, like, you know, I think that sort of speaks to the whole kind of mindset of this record. Is like, it's Brian Wilson in the present and it's Brian Wilson in the past, and it's Brian Wilson in the future in some places as well. It's kind of not just temporally located in 1976, 77, when these songs are being written. It's him really trying to reckon with and reproduce the magic of his youth that, like, you know, made him into an international superstar.

[Matt Farley]

Yeah, I bet if you asked him, I bet he'd say, like, well, this is what pop songs are about. Pop songs are about teenage love, like, you know, and 100% that, that being said, just. I mean that, you know, we'll make sweet love when the sun goes down. We'll even do more when her mama's not around. I mean, that is.

[Ian]

It's a little more explicit, I think. You know, it's not I want to hold your hand, which, you know, that song was also about, like, you know, fucking your sweetie baby back then. But, you know, there was a little more kind of obscurity to the lyric then. You know, at this point, it's 1977, so we're a little bit more, like, explicit, a little more straightforward about what's really happening in some of these songs.

[Evan]

Well, I think that the Beatles were just always gonna be a little bit more coy and sly, whereas that's just not Brian's style. He's never gonna be slyly suggesting something through innuendo. I don't think Brian's used an innuendo in his entire life.

[Ian]

I Get around is a, you know, is a more artful way of, you know, stating a similar type of concept.

[Evan]

I Get around is just about being a young pimp hustler, you know, it's just about being a man about town. A young man about town. Whereas this is a song that might as well be from five different perspectives at once. Might as well, be from nobody's perspective. It's impressionistic.

[Matt Farley]

Yes.

[Ian]

What's funny is that this whole aspect of ages and of the roller skating child and the narrator literally never even entered into my mind before I started reading about this record and this song and. And understanding other people's thoughts, because I kind of naturally fell into that exact mindset that you were just talking about there. Evan is like, yeah, come on. It's Brian Wilson singing about a roller skating child. What is really happening here? And I think that's the right way to approach the source material there. But obviously we live in a sick culture these days, and you can't help but have some no good nicks out there. Reading the worst into the motives of sweet Brian.

[Evan]

It's just bad faith.

[Matt Farley]

Yeah. Let's give the benefit of the doubt.

[Ian]

There you go.

[Matt Farley]

Well, O my Okashogi, she really sends.

[Ian]

Chills inside of me. Roller skating, she.

[Matt Farley]

I love how the mo. The song, it feels like, you know, two minutes, 10 seconds in, Brian was like, I've. I've said enough about this. And so it just suddenly goes roller skating. All right, out done, you know, and. And what's wild is, let us go on that this way. Minute 58 seconds. And there's a lot going on in that minute 58 seconds. Like, I like that. Just like jam packed with energy. What a one, two punch. You are not looking away. You're just staring at the turntable right now and you're like, what's gonna happen next? What's gonna happen next?

[Ian]

It's really a return, I think, to early Beach Boys. Early Beach Boys brilliance in many ways. You know, a lot of these songs that are 90 seconds long, two minutes tops, where just like all the good shit is packed in there tightly and there's zero slack. You know, he could have. This song could have been extended for another couple verses. There could have been a bridge and, you know, a solo or something, but, like, you know, you don't need it. And also, Brian probably didn't want to bother with it. It's like one take. Couple takes. We got two minutes of good music here. Onto the next thing.

[Evan]

Onto the next thing, indeed.

[Ian]

Towering Mona.

[Evan]

What a damn banger.

[Matt Farley]

Give me, give me, give me some loving Tell me, tell me, tell me you want it.

[Evan]

When I was listening back to this, I hadn't listened to it for a minute just to kind of let it be fresh. And, yeah, I forgot that, like, it's just like bang, bang, bang. Like the. The first three tracks are just like, mercifully Short. If you don't like that. Like, you. You don't even have time to not like them if you don't like it because it's. It's quick. And also, let's be real, like, you don't like this. It's so catchy.

[Matt Farley]

Yeah. How could you know between how brief.

[Evan]

These songs are and then how compact and colorful they are? You have to try to not like this record.

[Matt Farley]

Yeah. It's just good. Mona is just incredibly fun and catchy, and you got a big smile on your face the whole time. And then. And then when he just sings about, like, I know you're gonna love Phil Spector. You know, just because he's like, you gotta look, if you're gonna be my woman, you're gonna. You gotta love Phil Spector. And I love that.

[Ian]

A lyric that has taken on an interesting alternate dimension in the years since this record.

[Evan]

Yeah, yeah. I know you're gonna love the personal actions of Phil Spector.

[Ian]

I mean, this is the one for me on this record. Like, the catchiest thing I have ever heard in my entire life.

[Matt Farley]

Me too.

[Ian]

It's Brian Wilson does Phil Spector. That's why he's referencing Do Run Ron and Be My Baby at the end and calling out Phil Spector explicitly. This is basically him doing just like, I'm gonna do a Brian Wilson does Phil Spector type of thing. The same way that Don't Worry Baby was. And it totally comes off. It's got this just soaring, incredibly soulful lead vocal from Dennis killing it here. Dennis is the perfect choice for singing this song. Those fat horns and the chimes and the bells. Exactly. Oh, my God. And there's like. There isn't even really, like, a break between verses and choruses. It just, like, kind of rolls line into line.

[Evan]

Disco, disco, disco, disco, disco, discotheque mama Is that right?

[Ian]

That's right. Disco, disco, discotheque mama show me, show me, show me the boogie yeah Start a, start a, start a little dance now Take a, take a, take a little chance now. You know, it doesn't get any better than that. That is like, you know, the apotheosis of rock music, of rock songs. Right there. That's what it's all about. And I think when you pair that with the way this song sounds, which doesn't really have a lot of that ugly, love you texture. And I say ugly, you know, with the, you know, as a compliment there, you know, the harsh synthesizer type of things. This really just sounds like a great song with, like, some nice throwback Wall of Sound production.

[Evan]

What? But it's got that. It does have that, like, fizzy.

[Matt Farley]

Weird.

[Ian]

It's a little fuzzy. But this is mostly like horns and, like, horns, really. It's like there is some synthesizer on it, but it does not sound quite as, like, jarring as Roller Skating Child or Let us go on this one.

[Evan]

I don't know. To me, it sounds, like, fully, like, quirked up as hell. Like, I can' this doesn't sound. It has the spirit of that stuff, and that's a testament to how effectively it channels and represents that spirit while also sounding pretty weird. It does have this kind of grainy, crunchy texture to everything.

[Ian]

It does have some of that.

[Evan]

It sounds like his larynx is made of beef jerky.

[Ian]

Well, the voice is what makes it to me here. And you get that all throughout this record. Whether it's Carl singing, Dennis singing, Brian singing is like. I mean, you can just hear the miles on all of them in the way that they sound on a lot of these songs.

[Matt Farley]

And they're not even that old. That's the crazy part.

[Ian]

Exactly.

[Matt Farley]

They're in their early 30s.

[Ian]

Exactly. They're like mine and Evan's age right now.

[Matt Farley]

But, boy, had they lived, you know, I mean, since teenagers. They'd been on this wild ride, you know? Wild ride. I'd like to point out, like, a nice moment that later, elsewhere in this album, I noticed that where the. Just, like, the pure honesty about love where he's like, I want you to like the. The bands that I like, you know, like. Like an idiot guy playing his girlfriend a Beach Boys album and hoping she'll like it. You know, it's like, we've all been there, fellas. And Brian's been there, too. He's like, mona's so great. She's gonna love Phil Spector.

[Ian]

She's love Phil Spector.

[Matt Farley]

I bet you this doesn't end well. You know, Like, I played Love you for my wife, and she was like, what is going on? This is insane. Yeah, but. But, I mean, that's a very human thing. I'll skip an airplane. When he's like, the. The woman next to me tells me all about her guy, and I tell her all about you. And I. It's like, I just, like. Like nice little moments, like, just little snapshots of, like, the way people interact and the things that they say to each other and. And very plainly stated. I love it. Listen to Be My Baby. I know you're gonna love this better.

[Ian]

This is a record about, you know, I Think the essential fundamental decency of the human being in many ways. And, you know, I'm actually serious about that.

[Matt Farley]

I am too. But we must recognize that, much like the album, it's also funny. It can be like. It gives you goosebumps, it makes you cry a little bit. And then you look at the big picture and you start laughing too, you know?

[Ian]

Absolutely. No, I mean, I think this is. It really kind of reflects reality in a way, you know, in that it can be this stunningly emotionally resonant song, which is what Mona is to me. I think it's just like this is perfection in Pompeii.

[Matt Farley]

And it's the Shot of Love. It's the same thing with Shot of Love, you know.

[Ian]

Absolutely.

[Matt Farley]

It's got that same thing that it's just so hard to even explain.

[Ian]

But it's got Property of Jesus and Every Grain of Sand on the same record.

[Matt Farley]

Yeah. Anyway, Mona, good song. Johnny Car, like one of the best songs. Johnny Carson, just insane. Like, what are they talking? He speaks in such a manly tone. I like when they're saying the network makes him break his back. Like.

[Evan]

This is in the. You know, we've been talking a lot about calypso music. And I think that a lot of your music, Matt, is also relevant to this point. But there's a lot in calypso music that is about heroes, like local heroes or heroes from history or just pop cultural figures. And there can be songs that are about their infamy or about their. More often I think about their glories and victories or just about their story. And it comes from the African song tradition of kind of these folk songs about villagers sort of talking about who's important, these people. You want their memory to be remembered. And that's an ancient song tradition that we see in calypso music and then. And we also see here.

[Matt Farley]

Yeah, absolutely. In Johnny Carson or Song to Woody or Lenny Bruce.

[Evan]

Song to Woody. Absolutely, absolutely.

[Matt Farley]

Probably more so Lenny Bruce. Actually, Lenny Bruce matches this even better.

[Ian]

How about Mr. Wilson by John Cale?

[Evan]

Mr. Wilson? The song about Brian Wilson. Yes, exactly. And you know, you can talk about how these are poetic. You know, the poetic ode is something old as the hills. You know, it's like something that's always been there. But when it comes to music, there is this like folkloric folk music of varying cultures connection. And I think this kind of a perfect example of this because it's also about a arbiter of popular culture itself. So it's like a kind of singularity of the. The Storyteller, like the. The one who people stop to listen to. Johnny Carson is like. At least. Especially like this came out in 1977. Like we don't have an equivalent. Exactly.

[Ian]

Oh, God. Imagine a song like this about. About Jimmy Fallon. And I know you have been on the Jimmy Fallon program, man, so I don't want to. I don't want to, you know, insult your close personal friend there, but I just, you know. Different standards.

[Matt Farley]

Yeah, well, I mean, the whole late night. Everything about Late night is different than it was in the 90s, let alone the 70s. Yeah, yeah.

[Evan]

Dick Cavett, still the best. For my money, the best to ever do it. But Johnny Carson, we have to take our hats off and salute the man that we admire.

[Ian]

That's right. He's a real live wire.

[Evan]

This is why we do the show. You know, we're the Johnny Carson of talking about this album at this moment.

[Ian]

All right, don't toot your horn too much there.

[Evan]

Note that. That was pretty qualified. We're the Johnny Carson of talking about this album right now.

[Ian]

Sure. He sits behind his microphone.

[Matt Farley]

Johnny Carson. He speaks in such a manly.

[Evan]

To.

[Matt Farley]

Johnny Carson.

[Ian]

Let's hear from Brian about this song, shall we?

[Matt Farley]

Oh, yeah.

[Ian]

One morning I was on my way to the studio, and I'd been thinking about how I'd seen Johnny on TV the night before, and I said to myself, God damn it, there's gotta be some song about Johnny Carson. I mean, he's been an idol of so many people for so many years, and why not a song about Johnny Carson? So I said, for Christ's sakes, when I go to the studio, I'll sit down and I'll goddamn crank out a song about him. I'm definitely a fan.

[Evan]

I like how angry he is. I thought, find their fucking song about fucking Johnny Carson. God damn it.

[Matt Farley]

He's got a point.

[Evan]

I'll make a motherfucking song about Johnny Carson if it kills me. I'll do it today.

[Matt Farley]

You guys gonna do an episode on Norbit?

[Ian]

Boy, that's a great point. We probably will need to do a Norbit episode. I know you're a Norbit fan, man.

[Matt Farley]

I love Norbit. I'm with Brian 100%.

[Evan]

To anyone who might not know what.

[Matt Farley]

We'Re talking about, who doesn't know this.

[Ian]

Everyone listening to this podcast completely knows that.

[Evan]

I mean, just in case Brian Wilson, in his typical fashion of being interesting when giving, like, the highest praise he can give to things, said that Norbit was his favorite movie.

[Matt Farley]

Okay, but what's best about it is in the interview, I believe the interviewer says, like, have you seen any movies lately? And he says, yes, I saw Norbit. And then they say, what's your favorite movie, Norbit?

[Ian]

Yes. Yeah, the exact transcript is, have you seen any good movies lately? Brian says, well, I've only seen one the last couple of years. It's called the Last Couple of Years. It's called Norbitz by Eddie Murphy. How did you like it? Fantastic movie. Very funny. What's your favorite movie?

[Matt Farley]

Well, my big reveal has been ruined, but in the tradition of Johnny Carson, I wrote a song about each one of you guys.

[Ian]

Wow.

[Matt Farley]

And I can't believe, Ian, it's been out since last June.

[Ian]

You don't ever alerted me to this.

[Matt Farley]

Well, I like to let people find it themselves. You know, I assume, like, like me, most people are googling their name 20, 30 times a day, and apparently you're not doing that. So check it out. The most recent paparazzi and the Photogs album has a song about each one of you guys.

[Evan]

Yeah, it's. It's a beautiful song. I. I only discovered this because while I was at my annual Friends, we, like, do a trip to Joshua Tree, and one of my friends, like, on the big TV in the Airbnb, was, like, intentionally torturing me by Googling me and, like, finding embarrassing videos on YouTube of, like, me in high school or whatever. And this came up, and I was like, wait, what is that? And I sat there and I was moved. It was an astonishing surprise.

[Ian]

You don't even tell me about this. Come on.

[Evan]

I thought I did.

[Ian]

I never heard about this before today in my entire life. Ian Grant, musicologist song. Evan Laugher, special Tribute Ode. There's even Stephen Haydn, Rock and roll.

[Evan]

Wow.

[Ian]

Wow.

[Matt Farley]

Yeah. Yeah. Let him know.

[Ian]

Iconic. Well, let's maybe call this episode here. We'll continue speaking on the program, obviously, as we go forward, the three of us. But, Matt, this has been a great start to our deep conversation about the Beach Boys. Love youe. Do you have any places out there for people to follow you or listen to great songs, like Ian Grant, musicologist song?

[Matt Farley]

Yeah, just give me a call, 603-644-0048. And I can guide you towards what you want, or we can just chat about great music, which has happened for. Many of your listeners have called me over the years, and we've just talked about Shot of Love, Empire, burlesque, you name it.

[Evan]

Great.

[Ian]

That is real. Everyone out there. I mean, I'm sure most people know by now, but that is actually Matt's real phone number. I texted it directly just the other day to set up this recording session. Give him a call, shoot him a text. He'll be happy to talk to you.

[Matt Farley]

Evan Laugher, you're a wonderful person. You are revolutionizing music journalism with your Jokerman mindset. You are chained in the world. You appreciate the entirety of an artist's discography. Evan Laugher, you are very good at talking on podcast.