SMiLE Sessions box set!

[SMiLE Brian]

I feel that it is neccessary to very briefly return, to clarify, so that one member's fictional statement doesn't spread like wildfire. I had no involvement whatsoever in the "Purple Chick" "Smile" CD.

As for my statement that Capitol's release is Mark Linett's "Fan Mix", in one respect, that is unquestionably true, because Mr.Linett is employing the very same technique that "Purple Chick" did(albeit with superior tape sources) when he merges elements of two separate takes, which were not originally intended to be heard together(example: taking vocals from a radio interview performance, then synchronizing them to, and overdubbing them onto a vocal-less backing track)

The major difference between this and purplechick being that this is being released by The Beach Boys. That removes it from "fan mix" territory as far as I'm concerned.

Plus brian listened to it, gave his input, and his approval of this album version of SMiLE.

[theCOD]

Oh the irony, I love it. 

Seriously, look back and you'll find two posts from Phil, and about 50 from you dirty little cowardly bully boys badmouthing him.

I'm here to read and talk about The Beach Boys, and my only frustration is having to frequently scroll through several pages of this nonsense to do that. I know you're butthurt about being run off from this forum once by the big bad internet bullies, so I understand your desire to stick up for a fellow douchebag. Carry on.

[drbeachboy]

I feel that it is neccessary to very briefly return, to clarify, so that one member's fictional statement doesn't spread like wildfire. I had no involvement whatsoever in the "Purple Chick" "Smile" CD.

As for my statement that Capitol's release is Mark Linett's "Fan Mix", in one respect, that is unquestionably true, because Mr.Linett is employing the very same technique that "Purple Chick" did(albeit with superior tape sources) when he merges elements of two separate takes, which were not originally intended to be heard together(example: taking vocals from a radio interview performance, then synchronizing them to, and overdubbing them onto a vocal-less backing track)

The major difference between this and purplechick being that this is being released by The Beach Boys. That removes it from "fan mix" territory as far as I'm concerned.

Exactly! Else, Brian Wilson & The Beach Boys are Fans of themselves. Mark & Alan are being paid by Capitol to do this work on behalf of the label and the band.

I take the opposite view of Phil in the fact that we know vocals were supposed to go with the songs in question. These flown-in vocals just help with giving these songs a more completed feel, which if I remember correctly was the whole point of Disc 1 to begin with. Everyone associated with the project stated that from the get go. They delivered on what they said they were going to do. Again as stated by Mark, if someone doesn't like Disc 1, they have discs 2 through 5 to "...roll their own..." version.

[37!ws]

Speaking of douchebags, wh....[oh, man...trying VERY hard to not make a crack about "Sumahama"...nnngngnggghghghgh.....]

(BTW, to Runaways -- software engineering)

[Micha]

I just realised. Are, at least according to Dennis Wilson, all our copies of Pet Sounds going to start creating unwanted odours around the house on Oct 31st/Nov. 1st?

When I get the box, I will play Today, Summer Nights, and Pet Sounds from LP over my newly bought speakers before turning to the SMiLE 1 1/2 LP. And Sunflower after that. THEN, sessions.

[homeontherange]

Oh the irony, I love it. 

Seriously, look back and you'll find two posts from Phil, and about 50 from you dirty little cowardly bully boys badmouthing him.

I'm here to read and talk about The Beach Boys, and my only frustration is having to frequently scroll through several pages of this nonsense to do that. I know you're butthurt about being run off from this forum once by the big bad internet bullies, so I understand your desire to stick up for a fellow douchebag. Carry on.

I like opinions, whether you agree with them or not, better than the hate responses from some of you guys here. You make this message board a pain to read sometimes. Whether it's Phil Cohen, ghost, fishmonk or whoever expressing their somewhat controversial opinions, there's always these hate responses. But you're a minority here, like IHA wrote, which is nice.

[Jason]

Quite a bit of pissing and moaning in this thread from you lot. The internet is serious business.

Phil has just as much a right to speak his mind as anyone else here. Yeah, I disagree with him. No reason to call names like a bunch of petulant children.

[Myk Luhv]

I still think it was a good idea to include at least some material pre- and post-dating the 1966/67 Smile sessions. I like that it provides some continuity with Brian's earlier and, almost more importantly, his later work -- illustrating, it seems to me, that this was not so much a one-off 'product of genius' that has no precursors or successors but rather a careful consideration on the part of Brian to compose songs differently, and one which he used not just during the year-ish that Smile existed in various states but both before its beginning and well after its collapse too. To fully appreciate something like this (Smile sessions), a 'long view' of history is absolutely essential. What I mean to say is something like this: This 'long view' of Smile naturalises Brian's genius, giving it something of an evolutionary or procedural account rather than the bogus Romantic notion (you know it, the whole tortured-and-misunderstood-artist thing).

Maybe that's a little too high-falutin' but that's kind of how I see it (that's actually why I really liked Lambert's book too, the parts of it I understood!) and it makes me very satisfied. I should think Brian probably feels the same way given how evasive or downright modest he is when people ask him about being a musical genius re: his accomplishments?

edit: I realise this is apropos of nothing but I figured I'd throw this out here for no other reason than to note my own satisfaction. And, hey, maybe it will start some kind of terrible debate, haha!

[UK_Surf]

Re: fanmixes.

I love 'em to bits. John Hunt's IIGS, George Dusault's (now seemingly visionary Vega-Tables), Paul Carr's stereo mixes are some of the early trend-setters, and for me, Annie Wallace's SU remains my alpha and omega mix of the tune (and reviewing the thread it seems I ain't alone on that).

But AB and ML's mix a fan-mix? Nope. They have access to material the average fan does not. Check out Darian & ML's comments vis. the headphone bleeds they isolated when researching BWPS. They have stacks of evidence in the archives. Is TSS album mix definitive? Well, they themselves have said it's an 'approximation', or 'estimation' of Smile. They've approached it like scholarly editors, working with the source material respectfully and with the input of the creators. Smile '67 never was completed, and any attempt at a historical reconstruction is always going to rely on a certain degree of conjecture or subjective aesthetic decisions, post facto.   Thing is - you can be transparent and respectful about that. And on available evidence (which is still incomplete! anyone seen the booklet yet? No?) they seem to have done just that.

[hypehat]

What this guy said.

[The Shift]

OK... interesting. Just listened to the HMV clip of "Barnyard" on disc 2.

It's missing all the stereo vocals. 

Sorry not with you. Surely the vocals are on a separate track and Mark just removed them? Or was Barnyard one of the ones sourced from acetate?

Does this mean we don't have a clean version of Barnyard without the Harv vocals?

As for the HMV snippets. My god, listening through good headphones and just knocked out at the sound quality. That vocal montage is going to be cool.

I was hoping the child snippet would include some of the verse but we only get a second or so. Can't wait to hear that in clear quality.

No - not the Harv 'demo' but the track on CD2 subtitled "Barnyard" (track 4). On the HMV clips, just the track in mono... on the review stream, same, but with stereo bvs and animal noises.

I'm hearing the animal noises but not the vox. They're all on the Disc 1 version but that ain't the same, though thee are only clips… maybe there's more to be heard?

Anyone found the Water Chant yet?

Oops... yes, there are animal fx... but no bvs, which come in on at 0.23 on the review stream and carry through to the fade.

Was the stream you heard (you lucky, lucky b@£74£d!) of the 2discs or 5 disc set?

[Iron Horse-Apples]

Oh the irony, I love it. 

Seriously, look back and you'll find two posts from Phil, and about 50 from you dirty little cowardly bully boys badmouthing him.

I'm here to read and talk about The Beach Boys, and my only frustration is having to frequently scroll through several pages of this nonsense to do that. I know you're butthurt about being run off from this forum once by the big bad internet bullies, so I understand your desire to stick up for a fellow douchebag. Carry on.

[rab2591]

[SMiLE Brian]

This board is just like it was in August right before Phil got banned, all the negativity and hatred on the Smile box set thread is back at the worst time. Everybody chill and just enjoy the end of a 45 year ride waiting for the release of Brian Wilson's holy grail of an album.

[Iron Horse-Apples]

I'm fine if everyone else is.

[Wirestone]

Never was bothered by Phil as much as some others. At least his comments have generally been about Beach Boys related topics.

I will say this, though -- seven days.

Seven days.

Wow.

[Mr. Cohen]

"Teeter Totter Love" is groovy, man! That's such a swinging sixties track. And honestly, Jasper's singing makes it funny, too. It could've been a cool novelty single!

[Shady]

Never was bothered by Phil as much as some others. At least his comments have generally been about Beach Boys related topics.

I will say this, though -- seven days.

Seven days.

Wow.

4 days over here 

[Iron Horse-Apples]

Never was bothered by Phil as much as some others. At least his comments have generally been about Beach Boys related topics.

I will say this, though -- seven days.

Seven days.

Wow.

4 days over here 

And 6 here

I think this board will be unusually quiet for awhile next week

[hypehat]

this time next week, should have it.


Might log off for the weekend when people start getting boxes. Try to avoid the minutiae discussed, have already read/heard some about disc 1. I want the sessions to be a surprise.

[Heysaboda]

Okay...so regarding restraining oneself from any kind of previews...

Last week I asked the mrs. if the 1967 "Surf's Up" leaks, should we grab/listen to it? She said, without hesitation, absolutely. Why? Life's too short. I get her point. Yes, we're scheduled to have this set in our hands a week from today, but a week is long enough to be too risky. What if I go deaf? Or end up in the hospital in a coma for a month and have to wait even longer? Or worse? Or what if something stupid happens and the release gets yanked? (oh, memories of c*ckteases from Capitol in the '90s only to get pulled at seemingly the last minute...) Or every retailer that carries it suddenly shuts down (yes, including Amazon)? Or the "play" buttons fall off every CD player I can get to and Exact Audio Copy refuses to work?

The only reason I stopped listening to the previews last night is that I'm in school, and I have homework I need to get done! (Life's too short to risk that master's degree, too.)

I disagree; really, if you went into a coma, or went deaf all of a sudden, not having listened to the Smile Sessions is the least of your problems. I say, wait it out, and then let the music flow as a complete experience when you get those CDs/LPs in your hands.

I agree with Tansen 100%.  To me, this is the way to go.  I want the full Smile experience.  These snippets are just clutter.

[bsten]

"Teeter Totter Love" is groovy, man! That's such a swinging sixties track. And honestly, Jasper's singing makes it funny, too. It could've been a cool novelty single!

Actually, what IS TTL doing on the box set??
Is it a Brian Wilson retrospective or is it the Smile Sessions??
Puzzled...

/b

[Iron Horse-Apples]

"Teeter Totter Love" is groovy, man! That's such a swinging sixties track. And honestly, Jasper's singing makes it funny, too. It could've been a cool novelty single!

Actually, what IS TTL doing on the box set??
Is it a Brian Wilson retrospective or is it the Smile Sessions??
Puzzled...

/b

It was recorded during the SMiLE time period, and have long been mentioned in the same breathe as SMiLE songs.

A better questiion would be what is Three Blind Mice doing on there?

But again I sort of see the logic. Out of all the tracks in the vault, this one is the turning that led to SMiLE

[runnersdialzero]

"Teeter Totter Love" is groovy, man! That's such a swinging sixties track. And honestly, Jasper's singing makes it funny, too. It could've been a cool novelty single!

Actually, what IS TTL doing on the box set??
Is it a Brian Wilson retrospective or is it the Smile Sessions??
Puzzled...

/b

Brian wrote and produced it in 67 during the Smile sessions. Gonna complain about all the tracks that are just the Wrecking Crew? Gonna complain about the Carl and Dennis tracks here? Don't bitch imo. I'm thankful it's all here and is so comprehensive, and no one's making you listen to anything.

[buddhahat]

Wow I keep going back to that snippet of the vocal montage - just incredible to hear what brian was doing with vocals at this point. Those worms vocals are beautiful. I cannot wait to hear this track.