SMiLE Sessions box set!

[drbeachboy]

Andrew, does each configuration count separately towards sales or are they combined for Gold status?

[JohnMill]

I can finally say that I'll have enough to pick up the set come Nov. 1. I can't preorder it, but it'll make a great wedding present to myself. Now I just have to convince the wife to move beyond just Pet Sounds and try some of Brian's weirder work...

The prophecy shall be fulfilled, the dream shall become reality.

I don't mean to pick on you but I feel that one of the biggest misconceptions about SMiLE is that it is weird.  The Beatles' "Revolution 9" are "What's The New Mary Jane?" are weird.  The unheard "Carnival Of Light" is probably weird as well but I think most of SMiLE fit into for better or worse some type of musical framework.  Due to Van Dyke's involvement, the lyrics were certainly more flowery and poetic than previous Beach Boys records and the music was certainly some of the most complex Brian has ever wrote but I never considered it weird. 

Now stuff like all the Psychedelic Sounds ("Side Stroke", "The Bottom Of The Sea", "Swedish Frog") that stuff was weird but there is no indication that any of that stuff was actually going to be on the album.  So maybe it's just me but I think this whole weird vibe that SMiLE gets is largely due in part to sensationalistic stories involving Brian's mental state at the time of it's creation as well as some comments from Brian himself ("We all got stoned and put microphones on top of our heads) that from what I've been told don't relate to the SMiLE sessions at all.   

[Andrew G. Doe]

Andrew, does each configuration count separately towards sales or are they combined for Gold status?

Technically, each config is a different release.

[Andrew G. Doe]

The unheard "Carnival Of Light" is probably weird as well...

I'm reliably informed, not so much wired as plain sh*t.

[Chocolate Shake Man]

Maybe we have different definitions of weird but just off the top of my head:

The laughter in the Cantina section
The grunting plus Bicycle Rider section
The doin doin backing vocal on Cabinessence
The "Who Ran the Iron Horse" section on Cabinessence
Mrs. O'Leary's Cow
"The glass was raised the fired rose the fullness of the win that dim last toasted"
The theremin in GV

[Heysaboda]

I don't mean to pick on you but I feel that one of the biggest misconceptions about SMiLE is that it is weird.  The Beatles' "Revolution 9" are "What's The New Mary Jane?" are weird.  The unheard "Carnival Of Light" is probably weird as well but I think most of SMiLE fit into for better or worse some type of musical framework.  Due to Van Dyke's involvement, the lyrics were certainly more flowery and poetic than previous Beach Boys records and the music was certainly some of the most complex Brian has ever wrote but I never considered it weird. 

Now stuff like all the Psychedelic Sounds ("Side Stroke", "The Bottom Of The Sea", "Swedish Frog") that stuff was weird but there is no indication that any of that stuff was actually going to be on the album.  So maybe it's just me but I think this whole weird vibe that SMiLE gets is largely due in part to sensationalistic stories involving Brian's mental state at the time of it's creation as well as some comments from Brian himself ("We all got stoned and put microphones on top of our heads) that from what I've been told don't relate to the SMiLE sessions at all.   

Nicely put!  I agree.

[rab2591]

I can finally say that I'll have enough to pick up the set come Nov. 1. I can't preorder it, but it'll make a great wedding present to myself. Now I just have to convince the wife to move beyond just Pet Sounds and try some of Brian's weirder work...

The prophecy shall be fulfilled, the dream shall become reality.

I don't mean to pick on you but I feel that one of the biggest misconceptions about SMiLE is that it is weird.  The Beatles' "Revolution 9" are "What's The New Mary Jane?" are weird.  The unheard "Carnival Of Light" is probably weird as well but I think most of SMiLE fit into for better or worse some type of musical framework.  Due to Van Dyke's involvement, the lyrics were certainly more flowery and poetic than previous Beach Boys records and the music was certainly some of the most complex Brian has ever wrote but I never considered it weird. 

Now stuff like all the Psychedelic Sounds ("Side Stroke", "The Bottom Of The Sea", "Swedish Frog") that stuff was weird but there is no indication that any of that stuff was actually going to be on the album.  So maybe it's just me but I think this whole weird vibe that SMiLE gets is largely due in part to sensationalistic stories involving Brian's mental state at the time of it's creation as well as some comments from Brian himself ("We all got stoned and put microphones on top of our heads) that from what I've been told don't relate to the SMiLE sessions at all.   

I love SMiLE as much as the next person, but it is weird in the sense that weird means "of a strikingly odd or unusual character; strange" - it was music that was entirely out of character for The Beach Boys. They went from singing about boy-girl relationships to bicycle trips, cowboys and Indians, spiritual connection with God, elements, unseen feelings, Grand Coulee Dam, etc, etc.

It is weird because it's out of character for The Beach Boys.

[trismegistus]

I can finally say that I'll have enough to pick up the set come Nov. 1. I can't preorder it, but it'll make a great wedding present to myself. Now I just have to convince the wife to move beyond just Pet Sounds and try some of Brian's weirder work...

The prophecy shall be fulfilled, the dream shall become reality.

I don't mean to pick on you but I feel that one of the biggest misconceptions about SMiLE is that it is weird.  The Beatles' "Revolution 9" are "What's The New Mary Jane?" are weird.  The unheard "Carnival Of Light" is probably weird as well but I think most of SMiLE fit into for better or worse some type of musical framework.  Due to Van Dyke's involvement, the lyrics were certainly more flowery and poetic than previous Beach Boys records and the music was certainly some of the most complex Brian has ever wrote but I never considered it weird. 

Now stuff like all the Psychedelic Sounds ("Side Stroke", "The Bottom Of The Sea", "Swedish Frog") that stuff was weird but there is no indication that any of that stuff was actually going to be on the album.  So maybe it's just me but I think this whole weird vibe that SMiLE gets is largely due in part to sensationalistic stories involving Brian's mental state at the time of it's creation as well as some comments from Brian himself ("We all got stoned and put microphones on top of our heads) that from what I've been told don't relate to the SMiLE sessions at all.   

Fair enough, I may have misspoke. It IS 'weirder' than Pet Sounds, and for what it's worth I'd say that Smiley Smile was 'weirder' than Smile. Not to mean that it's intentionally strange, though I'd say that it's at least purposely more avant-garde, in the same way that a lot of musicians put out more consciously 'progressive' music at the end of the 60s, like The White Album, Odyssey and Oracle, Odessa, etc etc. I guess weird is a bad phrase, more that all these musicians were allowing their artistic sense to dictate the music over their commercial sense. And I don't think it's too much of a stretch to say that Today! is more commercial than Pet Sounds, which is more commercial than Smile. It's just the sound of the time, and to be honest it's that more 'left of center' sound that made me, as a young 'experimental' musician, get into The Beatles and The Beach Boys to begin with.

[JohnMill]

The unheard "Carnival Of Light" is probably weird as well...

I'm reliably informed, not so much wired as plain sh*t.

Well given they worked on it for all of a couple of hours and the concept for the entire collage was rooted in Paul's home recordings with Barry Miles, I can't say I'm surprised.  If anything these type of recordings show that Paul was working in this vein long before his "Fireman" albums of the nineties.  I still would like to see it released someday.  It would be something different than what usually comes out of camp Apple.

[JohnMill]

Regarding Spoilers

This may have been brought up and if it has I apologize for being redundant before but regarding spoilers when it comes to the "Smile Sessions" set:

I'm sure there are quite a few members of the forum (myself included) who want to be legitimately surprised as to the contents of "The Smile Sessions".  I'm not speaking of the tracklist which I sure most of us know by heart by now but the unique edits that Linett and company have put together for this release.  I guess what I'm asking is if we could keep this thread spoiler free and use the other threads such as "Exclusive versions of SMiLE at www.thebeachboys.com" and the "SMiLE Spoilers" thread that is kicking about here for spoilers?

I'm just wondering what everyone else's disposition is as far as the issue of spoilers go and whether or not those who don't wish to be spoiled should avoid this thread until 11/1?

[SBonilla]

Andrew, does each configuration count separately towards sales or are they combined for Gold status?

Technically, each config is a different release.

It's been many years since I worked at Capitol, but back in the day, they would tally every configuration of an album in every sales market (such as record club, military, etc.) to eek out a gold record. Sometimes they knew they were really fudging...because after the returns started coming in...

[Wrightfan]

Brian has a new site:
http://brianwilson.com/

Check out the name 

[JohnMill]

Brian has a new site:
http://brianwilson.com/

Check out the name  

So I guess this would be as good of place to ask as any:

Has it ever been determined what exactly they sold at the SMiLE shop?  I always thought it was smiles, smirks and grins but I could be wrong?  Dentures maybe?  

Btw: I love the flash intro but would you buy anything from those two conspicuous individuals (who have seemed to have aged very well despite the delayed grand opening) behind the counter?  They look like they could have less than honorable intentions.

[Wrightfan]

Interesting to see they went the blog route. I'm really digging it.

[BiNNS]

I'm just wondering what everyone else's disposition is as far as the issue of spoilers go and whether or not those who don't wish to be spoiled should avoid this thread until 11/1?

As Frank Costanza once said, "I want to go in fresh!". Unfortunately, it's SMiLE and i couldn't resist. With just a little over two weeks to go until the big day i'm seriously considering taking a vacation from this site. I want SOME element of surprise come Nov 1st. I feel like i have already listened to/read too much about TSS. Two and half weeks in the dark won't kill me...right?

[Wrightfan]

I do believe that picture of SMiLE era Brian they just posted on his twitter will haunt me 

[buddhahat]

Brian has a new site:
http://brianwilson.com/

Check out the name 

Whoah - my head just exploded!!

[doinnothin]

What name?

[Jeff]

Tears.

Brian, HOLDING HIS FINISHED SMiLE...

That's not "his finished SMiLE" - that's a copy of the SMiLE sessions box.

opinion semantics are the worst semantics.

Agree.  That was really obnoxious.  I was hoping that we would be able to enjoy the TSS release without this sort of bs, but I guess it's inevitable.

[Wrightfan]

What name?

When you click on the door, it says "The Beach Boys SMiLE Shop" on the next page  

By the way, here's the creepy pic I mentioned before:

[jimmy1949]

What name?

When you click on the door, it says "The Beach Boys SMiLE Shop" on the next page  

By the way, here's the creepy pic I mentioned before:

What is so creepy about it? His eyes look pretty red though...

[rab2591]

Yeah, I'm not seeing the creepiness. I wouldn't mind that as a poster either.

[37!ws]

What name?

When you click on the door, it says "The Beach Boys SMiLE Shop" on the next page 

Okay, judging from a semi-recent post on the SH board, someone's panties are going to be in a bunch over that.

[FatherOfTheMan Sr101]

What name?

When you click on the door, it says "The Beach Boys SMiLE Shop" on the next page 

Okay, judging from a semi-recent post on the SH board, someone's panties are going to be in a bunch over that.

Ikr? I thought of him too

[sidewinder572]

Just cancelled my amazon.com order. Found out I've got a $45 Best Buy Reward Zone certificate. WOO HOO!