SMiLE Sessions box set!

[18thofMay]

Can we please have a section in the sandbox entitled "Why I like Drugs" or something for these people to type in?

Call it the "freak out".

When my dog Arrow and I were banished to the pointless forest, I was afraid until we came upon a wise old frogling on the side of the road wearing an old worn out robe on his back and carried a walking stick in hand. Do you know what that wise old frogling told me? He said to me, "Oblio... fear is the path to the dark side... fear leads to anger... anger leads to hate... hate leads to suffering.” I didn't want to be afraid of what I might find in the pointless forest... I didn't want to hate the king... and I didn't want anyone to suffer... so forget about Bill Tobelman and Fishmonk... clear your mind... read Dale Carter's essay. Read The Act of Creation. You said it best yourself... "education and advancement of oneself is about absorbing information and facts"... no one is suggesting that SMiLE is an ode to drugs or Zen, but merely two of the gazillion influences in Brian's life at the time.

a fun fact: a Gazillion has 86430 zeros - Latin: gazzen shortened to gaz meaning "ends of the earth"

Please do not assume that I have not read the mentioned texts. My grammar, local and often casual style of blogging may not reflect my level of education but I can assure you my very firm opinion on this subject is not without serious foundation. I respect many members on this board, all are entitled to their views and opinions. I urged them to read some of Koestlers other work, Huxley too.
But this thread is not the place for this type of discussion.

[18thofMay]

http://www.directcurrentmusic.com/dc-music-news-feed/2011/4/26/the-beach-boys-legendary-60s-smile-sessions-finally-set-for.html

On another more important note!!

[The Heartical Don]

http://www.directcurrentmusic.com/dc-music-news-feed/2011/4/26/the-beach-boys-legendary-60s-smile-sessions-finally-set-for.html

On another more important note!!

Post of the day, week, month, year, and decade! Hey people......

[buddhahat]

http://www.directcurrentmusic.com/dc-music-news-feed/2011/4/26/the-beach-boys-legendary-60s-smile-sessions-finally-set-for.html

On another more important note!!

Thanks for this!

Well if it's true ...76 days and counting!!!!

[The Heartical Don]

Did Mike Love actually consent to using BWPS as a blueprint for the Sessions release?

[The Heartical Don]

...is everybody sleeping???...

[buddhahat]

...is everybody sleeping???...

I know - finally some real news to chew over and the thread goes silent 

[The Heartical Don]

...is everybody sleeping???...

I know - finally some real news to chew over and the thread goes silent 

Confirms my suspicion that many diehards are heavily into drugs.

[Matt Bielewicz]

This is big. *IF* it's true, that is, and not just someone on that board taking echoes from here and reflecting it back at us, distorted by the Chinese Whisper effect.

Wholly holy cow. The SMiLE Sessions are going to be released three weeks before my 40th!!!

I'm real sorry there's a whole bunch of people who never got to see this: überfans like Greg Larson and the Reverend Bob who would have rejoiced to see July 12th. They hung in there for so many years, and missed it only by a short while. It doesn't seem fair when there were people waiting since 1966 for this day. I've only been interested since 1995; that's nothing in comparison.

Still, what can you do? Drive carefully and avoid falling meteors until July 12th, that's what!

MattB

[tansen]

I agree. Sometimes I'm not sure that the people glorifying Brian's drug use like to think of what happened to him.

If you think Salt Lake and Girl From NYC are complex, acid fuelled chord progressions, you need to be schooled in both acid and music!

Hypehat, you misunderstand. I could give you several several songs that are hundred times more complex and psychedelic than the aforementioned, but what I'm saying is that there is no doubt that you can hear a development in Brian's songwriting from around 64, and I think that is partly due to drugs. And i do think if you were schooled in music yourself, you would see what i mean

[tansen]

I'm not for or against drugs, though I do believe they should be legal and regulated with the stipulation that those who use them are responsible for the effects of those uses.

But the recent trend of glorifying Brian's drug use has become a disgusting and stupid happening in a fanbase already over-encumbered with ridiculous behaviors. And how ironic that those same idiots who glorify Brian's drug use are the same idiots who supposedly love him and his music the most. Bottom-feeders, the lot of them. I'm by no means saying I'm some kind of white knight who has never criticized Brian, as anyone who has read my postings on here should damn well know I'm probably the most critical and opinionated fan of both the man and his music.

These same sons of bitches who go on and on about "Brian made his best music while using drugs" should stop and take a hard look at the man nowadays. The same drug use that these alleged "fans" glorify have left a permanent mark on the man. To say he's lucky to be alive nowadays is a major understatement. I wonder if half of these alleged "fans" even know the extent of the damage said drug use did to Brian. He was already diagnosed with brain damage from the illegal drugs at the beginning of Landy's second term, and everyone knows how much worse Landy made it.

And you all sit back and say Brian should go back to the days when he was using coke and overeating because it led to stuff like Love You and Adult/Child yet piss and moan and whine and bitch and complain and drone on and on like a bunch of mindless drug-addled morons that Brian doesn't do anything worthwhile anymore. That same drug use is a contributing factor to his lack of consistent output, along with his general ambiguity towards his career now.

I'm sorry if I'm coming off as brash or insulting but I think this needs to be said in these not-uncertain terms. I think if half of you so-called fans truly loved the man's music and the man himself (as so many of you probably erroneously claim), you'd reconsider and rethink these ridiculous posts you make on the topic of Brian's drug use.

Totally with you. I don't think anyone should 'glorify' Brian's drug use, but i do think we should acknowledge that some of it most likely (particularly the LSD and pot) made his songwriting more complex. And yeah, i think if he would have stayed away from the coke and amphetamine, his recent albums would be way more listenable.

[rab2591]

I'm not for or against drugs, though I do believe they should be legal and regulated with the stipulation that those who use them are responsible for the effects of those uses.

But the recent trend of glorifying Brian's drug use has become a disgusting and stupid happening in a fanbase already over-encumbered with ridiculous behaviors. And how ironic that those same idiots who glorify Brian's drug use are the same idiots who supposedly love him and his music the most. Bottom-feeders, the lot of them. I'm by no means saying I'm some kind of white knight who has never criticized Brian, as anyone who has read my postings on here should damn well know I'm probably the most critical and opinionated fan of both the man and his music.

These same sons of bitches who go on and on about "Brian made his best music while using drugs" should stop and take a hard look at the man nowadays. The same drug use that these alleged "fans" glorify have left a permanent mark on the man. To say he's lucky to be alive nowadays is a major understatement. I wonder if half of these alleged "fans" even know the extent of the damage said drug use did to Brian. He was already diagnosed with brain damage from the illegal drugs at the beginning of Landy's second term, and everyone knows how much worse Landy made it.

And you all sit back and say Brian should go back to the days when he was using coke and overeating because it led to stuff like Love You and Adult/Child yet piss and moan and whine and bitch and complain and drone on and on like a bunch of mindless drug-addled morons that Brian doesn't do anything worthwhile anymore. That same drug use is a contributing factor to his lack of consistent output, along with his general ambiguity towards his career now.

I'm sorry if I'm coming off as brash or insulting but I think this needs to be said in these not-uncertain terms. I think if half of you so-called fans truly loved the man's music and the man himself (as so many of you probably erroneously claim), you'd reconsider and rethink these ridiculous posts you make on the topic of Brian's drug use.

To be fair, documentaries like Beautiful Dreamer do nothing but glorify Brian's drug use - thus passing on the same attitude to fans. And I don't think anyone here was being serious when suggesting Brian should start taking coke again....if they were being serious....well, yikes.

[homeontherange]

Totally with you. I don't think anyone should 'glorify' Brian's drug use, but i do think we should acknowledge that some of it most likely (particularly the LSD and pot) made his songwriting more complex. And yeah, i think if he would have stayed away from the coke and amphetamine, his recent albums would be way more listenable.

Yeah, there's a difference between drugs and drugs. The acid and pot might make a creative person like Brian even more creative, however it might also make a fragile and mentally instable person like Brian even more instable and might give you some real mental problems, unfortunately (my suspicion is that the pot is the worst enemy here). So it's a very tough question. I'm not sure if I think Brian should have used these psychedelic drugs.
He should've totally stayed away from the coke and speed though.


Yay, finally a release date Can't wait!

[hypehat]

...is everybody sleeping???...

I know - finally some real news to chew over and the thread goes silent 

I just don't think it would further the discussion much if I posted 'YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH', is all

[bgas]

IF July 12th is official, then I( we?) have to think about where we're buying it. IS it a MUST have on the first Day of issue( or previous to that ala AGD) or do we want it at the best price, ESPECIALLY for the Deluxe package. 

[rab2591]

IF July 12th is official, then I( we?) have to think about where we're buying it. IS it a MUST have on the first Day of issue( or previous to that ala AGD) or do we want it at the best price, ESPECIALLY for the Deluxe package. 

Pre-order from Amazon.com - far cheaper than retail and it will probably get to my house on the day of release....Far more likely scenario: knowing the USPS It'll arrive at my doorstep two weeks after the release date....during which time I'll be forced to countless repeated listenings of the 30 second previews on itunes

[Runaways]

i'll pre-order the boxset on amazon.  then just go to the store for the 2 disc i think.

[Bean Bag]

I'm with you.  I'm expecting there to be some new stuff.  Mark said much of this is going to be new.  You can argue what he meant by that, of course...

If you've read the quotation in its context, there is not much to quibble over. He suggests that most of it will be new for fans who haven't poured over the bootlegs. I would imagine there will be a few things that I haven't heard before - or, maybe, some edits that we haven't heard before (either by Linett/Boyd or, less likely, '66 Wilson). Most of it though will be glorious audio of some great tracks and I can't wait any longer!!!

You're probably right -- but I still find it a strange thing to say.  Akin to saying he's stumbled upon a bunch of Picasso's that have never ever been seen.  Well, unless you're a Picasso fan or an art lover, with an internet connection or purchased the Picasso Good Vibrations box set in 1993 that has many of these works proudly displayed -- or if you've purchased or even cracked open any art history book in the past 45 years...other than that...these painting are totally new.

Whatever the case may be...I believe there will be some new stuff.  Maybe not 50% new.  But 10-25%, sure -- which will seem MASSIVE to us Picasso-nuts!   



...As long as they correct the "warped-taped" sound of Worms...I'll be happy!!

[Shady]

http://www.directcurrentmusic.com/dc-music-news-feed/2011/4/26/the-beach-boys-legendary-60s-smile-sessions-finally-set-for.html

On another more important note!!

No way. I knew it was July.

Let the countdown begin 

[OBLiO]

But this thread is not the place for this type of discussion.

When you said "freak out" I went Zappa. Did you laugh?

If the discussion hadn't turned in that direction, I would not have found the aforementioned readings... which have everything to do with SMiLE and the sessions that took place. I don't know enough about Brian to challenge Bill's theory effectively... it's one thing to challenge a theory, but another to attack the person theorizing. It's a beautiful idea to create a spiritual experience using humor and music. I think the Beach Boys were already doing that... especially with songs like "Drive-In"...

We'll know more about it in July... and pleased to meet you.  

[Bean Bag]

So the deluxe set has 4 cds, two LPs and two singles.  I'm definitely getting that version...but it sounds like Capitol went to the same "Fleece Marketing Seminar" that's making its rounds to marketing executives these days.  

Sounds similar to the Layla box, which goes for a 100 bones...(ouch!)
Derek & The Dominos --Layla Super Deluxe 4CD, 2LP, DVD



...But hopefully not like this overpriced (but gorgeous) monstrosity for $350 clams...(never gonna happen)
Robert Johnson -- The Complete Original Masters Centennial Addition

[Mike's Beard]

...is everybody sleeping???...

Some of us have work Don. We can't all live the carefree playboy lifestyle!   

[Chocolate Shake Man]

You're probably right -- but I still find it a strange thing to say.  Akin to saying he's stumbled upon a bunch of Picasso's that have never ever been seen. 

Except he doesn't say anything like that. Here is the section of the interview in question:

"Smile" is one of the most bootlegged albums of all time. What will be new for the listener?

For most of them, the whole thing will be new. The Beach Boys have an enormous amount of material from their whole career and [since] we have been actively doing an archive project for about 10 years, there are things that we have discovered that the bootleggers missed.

And the other important thing is bootleggers tend to present every single take... We are obviously going to use the best versions and there are things that we can do that was just technologically impossible when those bootlegs were made in the 1980's.

Mark here appears to be distinguishing between "the listener" and the "bootlegger". Yes, there are things that the bootlegger has missed, so there will be new stuff. That being said, the bootlegger has presented excessive amounts of music which will be edited down. So, if anything, there will mostly be a reduction of things that the fans of the bootlegs have heard.

[Mahalo]

So, if anything, there will mostly be a reduction of things that the fans of the bootlegs have heard.

...but in better quality. 

[Chocolate Shake Man]

Damn straight.