SMiLE Sessions box set!

[guitarfool2002]

Before going any further, I need to ask: Was Brian Wilson given any veto power or even offered an advance viewing of "An American Family" before it was broadcast or even as a working script was being prepared? Or did he have any control over the content at all?

[seanmurd]

So I just got my Mojo 60s in the mail, and for all the talk about Mike's mystery sharp note in the Cabinessence tag, I don't think I've heard anyone mention that it's missing Carl's second lead vocal overdub.  I wonder what that's all about. (Maybe that's Linett's compromise for post-mid-67 touch-ups.. we only get half of them )

Carl's 'second lead vocal overdub' was actually an electronic effect, not an actual doubled-lead, and was very crappy sounding to boot. Wisely it has been removed...

Fascinating, I had no idea. I knew it was particularly hard to pick out, but assumed it was a typical OD. I wonder why they didn't just do the usual.

Specifically, it was "ADT" or "artificial double-tracking" which was pretty common in the late-60s after being pioneered by (ahem) the Fab Four in 1966. I don't think it sounded "crappy" at all as used on Carl's lead in "Cabinessence" but it is nice to hear his vocal pure and un-doubled.

[The Shift]

So I just got my Mojo 60s in the mail, and for all the talk about Mike's mystery sharp note in the Cabinessence tag, I don't think I've heard anyone mention that it's missing Carl's second lead vocal overdub.  I wonder what that's all about. (Maybe that's Linett's compromise for post-mid-67 touch-ups.. we only get half of them )

Carl's 'second lead vocal overdub' was actually an electronic effect, not an actual doubled-lead, and was very crappy sounding to boot. Wisely it has been removed...

Fascinating, I had no idea. I knew it was particularly hard to pick out, but assumed it was a typical OD. I wonder why they didn't just do the usual.

Specifically, it was "ADT" or "artificial double-tracking" which was pretty common in the late-60s after being pioneered by (ahem) the Fab Four in 1966. I don't think it sounded "crappy" at all as used on Carl's lead in "Cabinessence" but it is nice to hear his vocal pure and un-doubled.

There's something else about Cabinessence's Verse 1 vocals that I've mentioned before but haven't seen anyone pick up on.

To my ears, the words "welcomes the time for a" sound as though they might be in a different voice to the rest of that section. The voice handling the following word "change" is even more pronouncedly different.

Same goes for the following couplet and the split is even more pronounced.

"I'll give you a" is one voice, "home on the range" another.

Is this another example of Brian handling the higher falsetto that was out of Carl's reach, as he did on the verses of Good Vibrations?  Or just a different vocal take being spliced in to catch the better performance?

My ears DON'T detect this apparent change in Verse 2.

[seanmurd]

There's something else about Cabinessence's Verse 1 vocals that I've mentioned before but haven't seen anyone pick up on.

To my ears, the words "welcomes the time for a" sound as though they might be in a different voice to the rest of that section. The voice handling the following word "change" is even more pronouncedly different.

Same goes for the following couplet and the split is even more pronounced.

"I'll give you a" is one voice, "home on the range" another.

Is this another example of Brian handling the higher falsetto that was out of Carl's reach, as he did on the verses of Good Vibrations?  Or just a different vocal take being spliced in to catch the better performance?

My ears DON'T detect this apparent change in Verse 2.

I don't hear anything unusual in the first instance, and in the second -- perhaps it's the additional reverb on "home on the range" that makes it sound different to you?

[Andrew G. Doe]

Before going any further, I need to ask: Was Brian Wilson given any veto power or even offered an advance viewing of "An American Family" before it was broadcast or even as a working script was being prepared? Or did he have any control over the content at all?

I can't be definitive on this, but from the events as they unfolded, my strong impression is...

No... no... and no. Reportedly (and the source is credible) his reaction on seeing part 2 was "that wasn't very nice".

[SMiLE Brian]

Before going any further, I need to ask: Was Brian Wilson given any veto power or even offered an advance viewing of "An American Family" before it was broadcast or even as a working script was being prepared? Or did he have any control over the content at all?

I can't be definitive on this, but from the events as they unfolded, my strong impressions is...

No... no... and no. Reportedly (and the source is credible) his reaction on seeing part 2 was "that wasn't very nice".

Brian Wilson, master of the understatement because that movie was totally slandering him in Part 2.

[TdHabib]

I do believe Brian did not see the 2nd part until a day before it aired.

[hypehat]

That does sound completely unlikely to me.... but then it's The BB's, anything could happen.

[Shady]

Man, thank god I've never watched any of those TV movies

All of them are on youtube but never got past the opening credits

[Mike's Beard]

Just a quick question, is discussing the "An American Family" movie like touching the third rail of Beach Boys history or something?

Kinda depends of your degree of knowledge regarding the making thereof.

Is it a topic not to be discussed then, or a topic which no one will discuss? I think it should be explored in light of some of the sentiments being expressed in this thread.

For the record, I just watched it for the first time last night since it was broadcast on US television, and it was far worse than I remembered. My reaction was probably similar to your own reaction, as you watched the Doors movie.

Hmm, The Doors movie is fantastic. Being accurate or not, it's still a great film.

Off topic for a minute...

If you had substituted Oliver Stone's "JFK" for "The Doors", I'd say the exact same thing. It is a terrific and gripping film, but historically a complete load of crap that places characters Stone created into specific historical contexts to back up his theories - with the idea that his story wouldn't hold water without the need to invent characters and scenes which never happened.

I don't mind "The Doors" movie as a music video, and in some ways I think Stone devised the film that way to be played loud in the theaters, but I can also understand where someone more closely invested in and knowing of the history of the band would have issues with what was shown in that film, again like JFK showing some scenes of pure fantasy which boost the film but distort the truth.

In that way, it ties in with the BB's film.

I think a new edition of The Doors movie should be put out on DVD with AGD providing audio commentary.

[Roger Ryan]

That does sound completely unlikely to me.... but then it's The BB's, anything could happen.

Not really that unlikely. Often a film/TV project will still be in post-production right up until the release date/airing. Advanced copies would not necessarily be issued until the work is completed. Unless Brian was willing to trot down to the edit suite to watch the work in progress, he wouldn't have had access to it. I can also imagine that if the second half of the TV movie was, indeed, perceived as unflattering to Brian that the producers might have made it more difficult for him and the missus to see it before it was too late to do anything about it.

[hypehat]

I was thinking along the lines of 'someone must have given him, or his people, a script'. But then I just saw AGD's post. That's kinda shocking, imo. I presume it was mostly shepherded by other members of BRI....

After all, Brian did sing on it, so at the least his people could not have been that far out of the loop during the production process. It's not hard to believe Brian couldn't be arsed about the production aspect outside of soundtrack recording and watching the finished thing, but his wife&managers?

I presume the person who brought it up is right - no one who can talk about it in detail wants to, because they can't or because they won't. Which is alright.

[guitarfool2002]

A case could be made that the film, specifically Brian as depicted in 1966-67, not only isn't very nice but is also deliberately misleading, bordering on being slanderous. I'd argue at least at that point in time when that film was shown there seemed to be nothing but contempt for Smile and those people surrounding the creation of Smile coming from at least one faction within the Beach Boys organization. It's just bizarre and uncomfortable to watch that kind of contempt unfold on film like that, some 30+ years after the fact.

Rather than speculating about how enthusiastic some of those same members of the band may have been in 1967 to see the music released, I'd rather see the current events as a testament to the individuals involved, where so many hatchets were able to be buried or at least temporarily covered over in order to make the events of 2011 a reality. They'd need quite a large and deep spread of land in order to bury all those hatchets, I'd say...but it is amazing these same individuals could pull it together and agree to work to get this kind of thing to the fans. That has been a very positive part of the entire story, up to this point.

[Shady]

Well done guys, close to 100 

[juggler]

Did some googling of our favorite subject and found a spreadsheet of what appears to be a recent EMI catalog...
http://prorock.ro/media/PRECOMENZI-MUZICA-EMI.xls

Obviously, we know by now that the 8/8/2011 release date isn't happening, but it's interesting that they list three items:

(T)HE SMILE SESSIONS (BOX SET LTD EDITION, ONE-OFF  (No. 5099902765822).  Number of units: 8 (Mixed)
THE SMILE SESSIONS (No. 5099902766324) Number of units: 2 (Compact disc)
THE SMILE SESSIONS (No. 5099902766621) Number of units: 1 (Compact disc)

This last item is intriguing, as I don't think that we've heard anything about a single CD release, have we?  Perhaps there's an error and No. 5099902766621 is really the vinyl?

[AllIWannaDo]

Well done guys, close to 100 

could this be the first on the 100th page? come on!!


here's hoping...



maybe a  few more returns...



that should do it!!!

[Shady]

Well done guys, close to 100 

could this be the first on the 100th page? come on!!


here's hoping...



maybe a  few more returns...



that should do it!!!

Nope




Not yet


 

[Wirestone]

I do believe Brian did not see the 2nd part until a day before it aired.

I recall this as well. He and his folks were pretty much exclusively shown stuff from the first night's production -- which is also the part that he actually contributed to.

[Mahalo]

...after 99 pages of this, and after getting hung up in some of the discussion, I give up on almost all the theory- No matter what we think about anyone's intentions or interpretations, ultimately we are just left the music- hopefully pretty soon!

[1-1-wonderful]

Did some googling of our favorite subject and found a spreadsheet of what appears to be a recent EMI catalog...
http://prorock.ro/media/PRECOMENZI-MUZICA-EMI.xls

Obviously, we know by now that the 8/8/2011 release date isn't happening, but it's interesting that they list three items:

(T)HE SMILE SESSIONS (BOX SET LTD EDITION, ONE-OFF  (No. 5099902765822).  Number of units: 8 (Mixed)
THE SMILE SESSIONS (No. 5099902766324) Number of units: 2 (Compact disc)
THE SMILE SESSIONS (No. 5099902766621) Number of units: 1 (Compact disc)

This last item is intriguing, as I don't think that we've heard anything about a single CD release, have we?  Perhaps there's an error and No. 5099902766621 is really the vinyl?

Release date '20110808' ?

[juggler]

Release date '20110808' ?

The 2011-08-08 date (Monday, August 8, or Aug 9 in countries where albums are released on Tuesdays) did appear on various sites, but that's off the table.  It's not happening that soon.

We're reportedly now looking at October 3, 2011 (though a few around here hold out hopes that it'll be moved back to September). We'll see.

[hypehat]

OCTOBER 4, MOTHERphuckERS!

Dammit, still not the 100th page.... 

[SMiLE Brian]

Just ordered the 1993 box, so pretty soon I will sampling SMiLE until the real box ships in October.

[SloopJohnB]

Class still won't have started for me on October 4th. I'll have a full week in order to do nothing but listen to the boxset. I'm okay with this.

[SloopJohnB]

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