SMiLE Sessions box set!

[Dunderhead]

snipe

[SloopJohnB]

I thought I'd let someone else have the first post on page 200, as I got the first post 100 pages ago... 

[JohnMill]

Just pre-ordered my copy.  It rocks that some of you got it for little over $100 though  

Quite frankly if anything this box set is going to re-establish The Beach Boys as being one of the most giving rock groups in terms of providing product to their fans.  Ever since the intentions to release the set were announced (on my birthday no less! - how groovy is that!) people have been complaining about what was going to be included and what wasn't going to be, what needed to be included and what was expendable.  Well to my eyes Mark Linett and company put together an exhaustive set here which should more than satisfy any SMiLE fan.  It's almost to the point where we can say that if something hasn't been included there was probably good reason for it because virtually everything of aesthetic value is here on the set.  

Obviously we won't have complete session work for any of the tracks but most of us have all that already through our own devious nefarious means.  This set will be a keen way for the collector to obtain the core songs themselves in the highest possible sound quality with the addition of several never before heard surprises (Surf's Up 1967, The Dennis and Carl tracks from early 1967).  I noticed someone was frowning over the fact that GV has an entire disc devoted to it.  Quite frankly, GV deserves an entire disc devoted to it's evolution and being that a GV sessions boxset isn't likely to generate any revenue on it's own from casual listeners, it's placement among the other SMiLE tunes finally gives this wonderful piece of music a tribute it deserves (or maybe I'm just grinning because years ago I also devoted an entire disc to GV sessions in my own personal SMiLE boxset)

Oh and before anyone else asks, "Little Red Book" is from 1968 (Friends era) right?  Yeah I thought so too or at least that is how I remember it.

[Shady]

So excited for all the promotion to start..

Hope Capitol have a great game plan

Worked pretty well thus far.  

It's selling like hot cakes on word of mouth so far, pretty incredible

I thought I'd let someone else have the first post on page 200, as I got the first post 100 pages ago... 

You again 

 

[Les P]

\

Erm, yeah, i meant to say that as well...either an acetate WITH lead vocals that obviously got wiped later, or just an acetate of a working mix (still just the backing track) but combined with...Barnayrd? YAMS? Barnshine? Maybe there's another take/version/arrangement altogether, too. Those three takes don't sound at all like a final take or even a solid arrangement. Played a little sloppily too.

Didn't Alan Boyd or someone once say that it looked like there were some takes snipped off the reel with those 3 takes?  So those probably aren't final takes.  Might be all that exists now...we'll see.

I seem to recall reading that somewhere as well. I seriously think IIGS is the single greatest mystery of Smile. As we know it (and as it ended up appearing on BWPS), it's not even a song. Not even a verse. Just three lines. It seems less significant than He Gives Speeches. Yet it was singled out with its own title on the infamous handwritten list of songs. And we cant go by the Humble Harv demo as any evidence that that is definitely all it ever was because, by that logic, Heroes and Villains would only be the first verse. That demo has always seemed to me like an artist showing a guest little preview snippets of what they're currently working on. Also, those three takes that we've heard could simply be--in keeping with the modular recording approach--one small section of a much larger song, just like most of the other tracks had many separately recorded pieces/sections. I'm really hoping that this release and the puzzling move of IIGS toward the beginning of the "album" answers some questions/reveals more music. 

Yep, it's so short it's almost like an intro for a longer song.  I believe it was just one of several short pieces for the Barnyard suite...which may have been part of H&V early on.  To me it always made more sense lyrically to follow it with Barnyard than IWBA.  I also think "Eat a Lot" was part of it at some point, until robbed for the April "Vegetables."

[STE]

I have nothing to say, just want to be on page 200.

[All Golden 74]

6. Heroes and Villains Intro (Early Version) circa 12/66
7. Heroes And Villains: Do A Lot [Heroes And Villains Session: 1/3/67]
8. Heroes And Villains: Bag Of Tricks [Heroes And Villains Session: 1/3/67]
9. Heroes And Villains: Mission Pak [Heroes And Villains Session: 1/3/67]

I think "Mission Pak" will turn out to be something we already know, but called something else like "Indian Wisdom" or suchlike.

Could this be the "bells" intro that's been booted before.  Maybe those were mission bells?  What is a pak?

[Dunderhead]

I'm dying to know what that is, what a mysterious title.

[Tilt Araiza]

Could this be the "bells" intro that's been booted before.  Maybe those were mission bells?  What is a pak?

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/65239 That post title gives one pause....

This might slightly more enlightening http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_C._Page#Founding_of_Mission-Pak

[Jason]

Finally have power back after the storm...

HOLY sh*t! I like this a lot. I'm trying to keep as calm as possible so the wait isn't long!

[All Golden 74]

I wonder - how much of the session stuff (as opposed to the songs on Disc 1)will be in stereo.  I haven't seen anyone mention this yet - we could be seeing a whole new era of SMiLE fan-mixes!  Heroes and Villains and Good Vibrations may now come in 8 - 9 minute stereo mixes.   

I guess now we're all waiting for someone to list the song times for the Disc 1 and the 5 Disc sessions box.  This is gonna be one hell-of-a long September and October!

[Shady]

If this leaks is anyone going to listen?

[monicker]

Mission Pak, what an intriguing title. What if this is something using the Mission Pak boxes that oranges were shipped in as percussion? Is that what that clip clop percussion sound is in the part of Sections? I doubt it. I have absolutely nothing to base this on other than intuition, but i don't think it's the intro with tube bells.

[All Golden 74]

Maybe - if it gets put on Youtube.  I'm dying to hear what the Heroes and Villains part 1 & 2 sounds like, but I will still buy the box set and 2 cd set and LP set!  I guess I owe it to the band after all the sneaking around with less than legal SMiLE stuff.  Plus the button looks slick as hell!

[Andrew G. Doe]

snipe

curlew ?

[Chris Brown]

\

Erm, yeah, i meant to say that as well...either an acetate WITH lead vocals that obviously got wiped later, or just an acetate of a working mix (still just the backing track) but combined with...Barnayrd? YAMS? Barnshine? Maybe there's another take/version/arrangement altogether, too. Those three takes don't sound at all like a final take or even a solid arrangement. Played a little sloppily too.

Didn't Alan Boyd or someone once say that it looked like there were some takes snipped off the reel with those 3 takes?  So those probably aren't final takes.  Might be all that exists now...we'll see.

I seem to recall reading that somewhere as well. I seriously think IIGS is the single greatest mystery of Smile. As we know it (and as it ended up appearing on BWPS), it's not even a song. Not even a verse. Just three lines. It seems less significant than He Gives Speeches. Yet it was singled out with its own title on the infamous handwritten list of songs. And we cant go by the Humble Harv demo as any evidence that that is definitely all it ever was because, by that logic, Heroes and Villains would only be the first verse. That demo has always seemed to me like an artist showing a guest little preview snippets of what they're currently working on. Also, those three takes that we've heard don't prove anything either because they could very well simply be--in keeping with the modular recording approach--one small section of a much larger song, just like most of the other tracks had many separately recorded pieces/sections. I'm really hoping that this release and the puzzling move of IIGS toward the beginning of the "album" answers some questions/reveals more music.  

IIGS is indeed a great mystery.  My thought has always been that it started out as just a section of "Heroes" (a la "In the Cantina"), but was, at some point, removed from "Heroes" and spun off as its own song.  I think Brian's idea of "Heroes" as a true sound collage, as he demonstrated in the demo, died pretty quickly (and certainly by December), and it was decided to make IIGS and Barnyard their own songs (perhaps both sections the same new song?).  Whether this was done because he thought he could turn them into something good apart from "Heroes" is anyone's guess, but at that point I think that perhaps he just wanted more song titles to give to Capitol and figured he'd flesh them out later.  Along those lines, maybe there was more work done that we've heard, but my guess is that unfortunately, Brian kinda let them fall by the wayside after they were spun off, and never followed through on his plans to expand them.  If there ever was a "Barnyard Suite", consisting of these and possibly other pieces, Brian didn't get too far with it.

IIGS and Barnyard have always seemed linked, so I was surprised to see them separated on BWPS - we know that they both originated as parts of "Heroes", so I'm glad they're being brought back together again.  Hopefully they've found something new with respect to one (or both) of them that will tie everything together a little better.

[JohnMill]

A mere and humble (Harv) suggestion: Maybe someone can start up a SMiLE Sessions FAQ and the Mods can pin it up top the forums so we don't have to peel back through two hundred pages to find out information on the upcoming box set.  The FAQ can contain information such as what the various SMiLE releases coming out on 11/1/11 will contain, tracklistings, which tracks have been booted and which haven't etc. etc.

[Shady]

A mere and humble (Harv) suggestion: Maybe someone can start up a SMiLE Sessions FAQ and the Mods can pin it up top the forums so we don't have to peel back through two hundred pages to find out information on the upcoming box set.  The FAQ can contain information such as what the various SMiLE releases coming out on 11/1/11 will contain, tracklistings, which tracks have been booted and which haven't etc. etc.

I said this earlier too..

The first post should be updated

[?]

If this leaks is anyone going to listen?

I'm sure it will leak by the last couple weeks of October at the latest.  I'll download it and definitely listen to Surf's Up '67 and some other stuff.  I'd like to hear the vinyl stuff properly so maybe I can keep myself from playing any of that until the box arrives.

[Roger Ryan]

Given that both "Barnyard" and "I'm In Great Shape" are listed under "Heroes & Villains Sessions" on Disc 2 strongly suggests that the compilers have decided these tracks were recorded for "Heroes & Villains" and are different from the iterations that appear on Disc 1.

To Bubba Ho-Tep - Remember that Alan Boyd mentioned that the "Vegetables Overdub" session featuring Brian attempting to add the keyboard went missing from the archives and I don't see anything specific to that in the track list. In this case, the SOT release may be the only way to hear it. Thinking about it, this may be one of the things Brian asked not to be included (given how many takes it took for him to get it right, this session might be quite embarassing to him)!

Does it make sense to assume that the "Heroes & Villains (Stereo Mix)" is the same one which appeared on HAWTHORNE, CA (I know some thought its appearance in the promo sounded a little different)? I'm also thinking that "Heroes & Villains (Sections)" will be the same track which appeared on the GV Box Set, but in stereo. This would be good news since many have theorized that "Sections" was more-or-less "Heroes & Villains (Part 2)"...which means that the real "Heroes & Villains (Part 2)" may be something else!

[Wrightfan]

6. Heroes and Villains Intro (Early Version) circa 12/66
7. Heroes And Villains: Do A Lot [Heroes And Villains Session: 1/3/67]
8. Heroes And Villains: Bag Of Tricks [Heroes And Villains Session: 1/3/67]
9. Heroes And Villains: Mission Pak [Heroes And Villains Session: 1/3/67]

I think "Mission Pak" will turn out to be something we already know, but called something else like "Indian Wisdom" or suchlike.

Could this be the "bells" intro that's been booted before.  Maybe those were mission bells?  What is a pak?

Isn't "bag of tricks" the bell intro?

I'm so confused lol.

[FatherOfTheMan Sr101]

Could this be the "bells" intro that's been booted before.  Maybe those were mission bells?  What is a pak?

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/65239 That post title gives one pause....

This might slightly more enlightening http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_C._Page#Founding_of_Mission-Pak

"The story of George C. Page embodies the American dream. His like will not come our way again."

LIKE BRIAN?!?!

[guitarfool2002]

I went through an East Coast earthquake this week, spent last night dealing with a hurricane threat, multiple tornado warnings, threats of widespread power outages and flash flood alerts...now all of this.

What a week!

It's a sense of awe and excitement to finally be able to hear tracks like "I Don't Know" and "Teeter Totter Love" and all the other goodies. Years of waiting for those...

Awesome.

[JohnMill]

6. Heroes and Villains Intro (Early Version) circa 12/66
7. Heroes And Villains: Do A Lot [Heroes And Villains Session: 1/3/67]
8. Heroes And Villains: Bag Of Tricks [Heroes And Villains Session: 1/3/67]
9. Heroes And Villains: Mission Pak [Heroes And Villains Session: 1/3/67]

I think "Mission Pak" will turn out to be something we already know, but called something else like "Indian Wisdom" or suchlike.

Could this be the "bells" intro that's been booted before.  Maybe those were mission bells?  What is a pak?

Isn't "bag of tricks" the bell intro?

I'm so confused lol.

No "Bag Of Tricks" is something entirely different.  "Bells Intro" is just that - Bells intro.

[JohnMill]

If this leaks is anyone going to listen?

I'm sure it will leak by the last couple weeks of October at the latest.  I'll download it and definitely listen to Surf's Up '67 and some other stuff.  I'd like to hear the vinyl stuff properly so maybe I can keep myself from playing any of that until the box arrives.

I'm personally going to wait until the first of the month to listen to anything SMiLE related.  I haven't listened to SMiLE much at all this year and in fact I must admit I'm feeling a bit envious of the novice at this moment who is going to be picking up this set and 99% of it is going to be new to him/her.  Imagine possibly only being familiar with SMiLE via the SS/WH two-fer and possibly the GV box set and then WHAM this shows up on your doorstep on 11/1.  Treasures untold!