marvin Posted April 6, 2005 Share Posted April 6, 2005 I sent this message out to a few of you, but thought that others on the message board should also read it:On Monday I received my copy of the band Splitsville's disc, "The Complete Pet Soul." For those of you who don't know the band, they hail from Maryland, and in the 1990's they were called "the Greenbury Woods." They released a fine Beach Boys influenced disc in 1994, "Big Money Item" produced by Andy Paley, and then broke up. In the late 1990's they re-formed under the name Splitsville. In 2000 they released "The Complete Pet Soul" - which was their tribute to the sound and feel of their favourite albums: "Pet Sounds" and "Rubber Soul." I cannot recommend this disc enough - especially if you are a fan of the holy "B" triumvirate: Beatles/Beach Boys/Byrds. I realize that "Pet Soul" is five years old and the band has gone on to produce some more music (apparently just as stellar: "Repeater", "Bulk Rate" and "Incorporated"), but "Pet Soul" hits all the right notes for me. There is even a great 'rock' version of "I'll Never Fall In Love Again", the Bacharach/David tune.The disc is fairly pricey on most cd store websites, but I located it on www.cdbaby.com for $12. There might be some sound clips on either the CD Baby site or Splitsville's own site (www.splitsville.com). Again this music is certainly not for everybody, but it will certainly hit home for fans of the 'B3's.'Marvin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marvin Posted April 6, 2005 Author Share Posted April 6, 2005 So I sent my comments to the 'contact us' people on the Splitsville website, and received this reply back:QUOTE:Hey Marvin,Thanks for your kind email! I will forward this to the guys, and I'm sure it will make their day.Glad you enjoyed "CPS." I loved it a lot when I first heard it. And we appreciate you considering "Inc." and "Bulk Rate." "Inc" has received great reviews, and I think it's Splitsville's strongest album (adding Tony Waddy to the band has really kicked things up a notch, sonic-wise). You can get it thru CD Baby, but also try www.darla.com. Not sure of their price, but it may be a dollar or so cheaper.As for "Bulk Rate", www.notlame.com is the place to get it. It's a great compilation that also includes live tracks (not to mention a GREAT cover of the Who's "Our Love Was"). Also, the CD comes with great stuff like stickers, photo cards, etc. Not Lame is the only place carrying it at the moment. Because it's a Japanese import, it's a little pricey. We're hoping to sell some soon on our website at a better price, but we're not sure when (sorry!).Have you heard "Repeater"? This is the CD that was released before "CPS." I think there's a copy or two left on CD Baby.Anyway, thanks again. And check out Splitsville's cover of Teenage Fanclub's 'Tears Are Cool'. It's on the Japanese version of "Incorporated." http://www.splitsville.com/tearsarecool.mp3 Enjoy, and take care.Rob, ManagerENDQUOTEMarvin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
popdude Posted April 7, 2005 Share Posted April 7, 2005 Marvin wrote:<<They released a fine Beach Boys influenced disc in 1994, "Big Money Item" produced by Andy Paley, and then broke up.>>Actually, BIG MONEY ITEM was their second album; their debut was called RAPPLE DAPPLE and featured the super-bouncy "Trampoline" (ouch! bad pun!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marvin Posted April 7, 2005 Author Share Posted April 7, 2005 John what do you think of the song "Parachute"?Marv Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
popdude Posted April 7, 2005 Share Posted April 7, 2005 Love "Parachute." Actually, my fave GBW song would be either "Super Geek" or "Go Without You," which is perfect evocation of 1968-vintage Carl Wilson. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marvin Posted April 7, 2005 Author Share Posted April 7, 2005 Ya "Super Geek" is a great song as well!Marvin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raspbernie Posted April 8, 2005 Share Posted April 8, 2005 If we're picking, I'd go with "Trampoline" and "Smash-Up."Bernie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marvin Posted April 8, 2005 Author Share Posted April 8, 2005 Glad to see there's another "GW" fan here. Bernie have you checked out Splitsville?Marv Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raspbernie Posted April 8, 2005 Share Posted April 8, 2005 I did. And IMHO what's missing is the magic. "Incorporated" is way too punky and noize-y for my tastes (some people love this sort of thing, so I may not be in the majority on that one), and I find "Pet Soul" a bit of a ho-hum. The songs don't have the hooks of their earlier band's glorious candy-coated pop efforts.Bernie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
popdude Posted April 8, 2005 Share Posted April 8, 2005 I'm definitely more of a GBW fan than a Splitsville fan, also, although I like both. The early Splitsville efforts were WAY too noisy and jokey for my tastes. ("Come Back to the Five and Dime, Larry Storch, Larry Storch?"---yikes!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marvin Posted April 8, 2005 Author Share Posted April 8, 2005 "Incorporated" is definitely noisy. I think "Pet Soul" is wonderous in its effort and vision, and songs such as "Forever", "Caroline Knows", "Sunshiny Daydream", "Tuesday Through Saturday" and "The Love Songs of B Douglas Wilson" have been echoing in my brain since I first heard them.Marvn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
popdude Posted April 9, 2005 Share Posted April 9, 2005 I love "Pet Soul," but I can see how some might not like it as much, seeing as how it's unabashedly derivative and all (ie, "Tuesday Through Saturday" sounds EXACTLY like "Walk Away Renee," right down to the harpsichord solo). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marvin Posted April 9, 2005 Author Share Posted April 9, 2005 John when I first heard "Tuesdays", I thought the exact same thing - but it also reminded me a lot of Eric's "Cindy In the Wind" which I've always felt is a re-write of "Walk Away..." The harpsichord solo in "Tuesdays" is also reminiscent of the piano solo in the Beatles' "In My Life."Marvin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.