New M. Love interview - 11/1 Smile release cited

[juggler]

http://www.stargazette.com/article/20110818/ENT/108180322/50-years-later-Beach-Boys-sunny-harmonies-live-on?odyssey=nav|head

Although a new album likely would not be ready until 2012, this year finally should see an official release of the fabled "Smile" sessions. Recorded in 1966-67 and intended as a follow-up to "Pet Sounds," the concept was shelved amid band turmoil. Since then, it has gained a reputation as the most legendary lost album in rock history; Brian Wilson rerecorded it and released it as a solo album in 2004, but only pieces of the original LP have leaked out over the years.

After some delays, Capitol Records now has slated "The Smile Sessions" — to be issued as both a double CD and a deluxe box set — for Nov. 1.

"There are some really trippy things on there — some really insane things and some brilliant things. It's going to be interesting for people to hear some of that," Love said. "It's never been heard in its entirety, so it's kind of cool that people can finally hear what we did back then."

Wilson famously saw "Smile" as "a teenage symphony to God," but the sometimes-psychedelic lyrics from collaborator Van Dyke Parks led to a rift with Love and other band members, which contributed to the album's demise. (Wilson's fragile mental health at the time was another factor.)

"Some of the lyrics weren't my cup of tea. The music is brilliant, the vocals and the tracks. Cousin Brian is at his height singing-wise. There's a lot of good things about it — just some of the lyrics were a little bit obtuse, a little bit oblique. You can't figure out what they're talking about," Love said with a laugh. "That's my point of view and I'm sticking to it!"

[18thofMay]

I get the feeling that the author got that date from another source other than Mike Love!

[rogerlancelot]

It's just as bad as the "Fun New Brian Wilson Interview". I need to chill out.

 

[Ron]

He says Brian has some pet sounds like songs he wants Mike to write lyrics for.  That would be aweeeeeesome. 

[ghost]

"Some of the lyrics weren't my cup of tea. The music is brilliant, the vocals and the tracks. Cousin Brian is at his height singing-wise. There's a lot of good things about it — just some of the lyrics were a little bit obtuse, a little bit oblique. You can't figure out what they're talking about," Love said with a laugh. "That's my point of view and I'm sticking to it!"

Is it possible that Mike picked up on the Zenspiracy of Smile and has known all along? If Mike couldn't figure out what they were talking about - and he was there - then how sure can the majority of people here be who think Smile is about traveling across America and other fairly mundane things?

[puni puni]

Maybe because all that context was added later

[Magic Transistor Radio]

I find it odd, that the same Mike Love was said to like Feel Flows.

[18thofMay]

http://www.pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=PluckPersona&U=929a9f90a44041d78839e43626e357d0&plckController=PersonaBlog&plckScript=personaScript&plckElementId=personaDest&plckPersonaPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog:929a9f90a44041d78839e43626e357d0Post:20e358b7-185d-4811-af93-9158e56509c1&sid=sitelife.pressconnects.com

That is a link to the FULL interview. I emailed the author and this was his response

Hi there -
 
Thanks for the e-mail - from Australia yet!
 
I got the release date info from a few places, such as here:
 
http://www.directcurrentmusic.com/dc-music-news-feed/2011/8/9/the-beach-boys-smile-sessions-bumped-again-to-november-1.html
 
... and here:
 
http://beachboysnews.blogspot.com/2011/08/beach-boys-smile-sessions-bumped-again.html
 
Did you see the full transcript too? Some stuff in there did not make the story:
 
http://tinyurl.com/3mgfugn
 
Glad you enjoyed it.
Chris Kocher
Central New York Newspapers
(Press & Sun-Bulletin, Ithaca Journal, Star-Gazette)
ckocher@gannett.com
Twitter: PSBChrisKocher

[puni puni]

Exactly! It’s become a legend by virtue of not coming out! (laughs) It’s kind of funny, but it’s true.

Anyone gonna interpret that as, "Nobody would care about Smile if it came out when it should"?

[onkster]

So if Brian has some "Pet Sounds" style songs NOW...does that mean that next year, he'll have some new SMiLE-style songs?

Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

[harrisonjon]

He says Brian has some pet sounds like songs he wants Mike to write lyrics for.  That would be aweeeeeesome. 

Brian was quoted the other day as saying he hasn't written a song for three years

[ghost]

Well, Smiley Smile, Wild Honey, Friends, etc are equally unknown to the public and not considered except by obsessives to be the band's greatest stuff - only Pet Sounds has really maintained that legacy widely. Who's to say that Smile wouldn't have been given the same response as Smiley? There's only a few real standout songs from the imaginary perspective of the 'common listener'. The rest makes an interesting album with a novel sort of feel & thematic basis but without much apparent substance. Many people hear Smile and find nothing but abstract 'acid alliteration' musically & lyrically. Pet Sounds - they can dig - AND it's far out music too [the fade to I Know There's An Answer is as good as anything on Smile if not better] so they still enjoy Brian's head music, just not his acid humor sort.

[onkster]

Other tidbits I learned from the interview:

- Brian is his cousin?
- Christian is his son? He has two sons?

That is all.

[Pretty Funky]

I counted 'my cousin Brian' 3 times.

[onkster]

Ghost, I've been continually trying to turn people on to SMiLE lately, but I keep getting the "acid alliteration" response from people. I miss the days when I'd strike oil with someone on that.

[onkster]

Celebrity Interview Death Match: Mike "My Cousin Brian" Love vs. Joan "M'Husband David" Baez! 

[puni puni]

Many people hear Smile and find nothing but abstract 'acid alliteration' musically & lyrically.

That's what I was thinking the first time I heard Pet Sounds.
I'm sure had Smile come out, it would have had the same reception Pet Sounds did, but extremer.

[ghost]

Ghost, I've been continually trying to turn people on to SMiLE lately, but I keep getting the "acid alliteration" response from people. I miss the days when I'd strike oil with someone on that.

You mean people who aren't familiar with it at all? I really think Mike is not-wrong in his understanding of the Smile music, it's heady stuff lyrically & musically at times [Cabinessence, Wonderful, Look, Child, Surf's Up, Fire, etc] and it tends not to appeal to the 'average fan' whether in 1966 or 2011. Personally when I see the titles alone I get a magical sort of feeling - here we have something really turned on & tuned in, gone way out of the box.

[Magic Transistor Radio]

Weren't the Beach Boys considered one of the hippest bands in late 66, early 67? After Pet Sounds and Good Vibrations and being voted band of the year (or was PS album of the year?). I believe that if Heroes and Villains came out as a single in Jan 67 with the cantina section, it would've been a bigger hit then the released version. Not to mention Surfs Up!

[ghost]

Weren't the Beach Boys considered one of the hippest bands in late 66, early 67? After Pet Sounds and Good Vibrations and being voted band of the year (or was PS album of the year?). I believe that if Heroes and Villains came out as a single in Jan 67 with the cantina section, it would've been a bigger hit then the released version. Not to mention Surfs Up!

The cantina section is lame. It kills the song.

[Magic Transistor Radio]

Weren't the Beach Boys considered one of the hippest bands in late 66, early 67? After Pet Sounds and Good Vibrations and being voted band of the year (or was PS album of the year?). I believe that if Heroes and Villains came out as a single in Jan 67 with the cantina section, it would've been a bigger hit then the released version. Not to mention Surfs Up!

The cantina section is lame. It kills the song.

I disagree. The part after 'often wise' followed by an exploding therimin sound has always blown me away.

[Awesoman]

http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/article/20110819/ENTERTAINMENT/708199574/1063/fun-fun-fun-with-the-beach-boys&template=fairfaxTimes

Here's another interview.  I couldn't even read it; I was too distracted by what has to be one of the worst pictures of Mike and Bruce I've ever seen.  And who the hell are the guys behind them?

[ghost]

Weren't the Beach Boys considered one of the hippest bands in late 66, early 67? After Pet Sounds and Good Vibrations and being voted band of the year (or was PS album of the year?). I believe that if Heroes and Villains came out as a single in Jan 67 with the cantina section, it would've been a bigger hit then the released version. Not to mention Surfs Up!

The cantina section is lame. It kills the song.

I disagree. The part after 'often wise' followed by an exploding therimin sound has always blown me away.

Oh I totally agree about that - I just mean that piano interlude of "in the cantina the margaritas...." kills it for me. In the alt take on the Smiley/Honey disc I love the part after that which you mentioned - DEEPLY - I often BLAST IT for that part alone on my amp with the mids turned up just to experience it. But the piano part has dull vocals and it just loses the speedy flow of the song for me.

[Ron]

"Some of the lyrics weren't my cup of tea. The music is brilliant, the vocals and the tracks. Cousin Brian is at his height singing-wise. There's a lot of good things about it — just some of the lyrics were a little bit obtuse, a little bit oblique. You can't figure out what they're talking about," Love said with a laugh. "That's my point of view and I'm sticking to it!"

Is it possible that Mike picked up on the Zenspiracy of Smile and has known all along? If Mike couldn't figure out what they were talking about - and he was there - then how sure can the majority of people here be who think Smile is about traveling across America and other fairly mundane things?

Mike had a point.  I'm not saying I agree with him, I don't.  But his point has always been "We're writing songs about cars and girls.  We're getting rich.  Lets keep writing songs about cars and girls and keep getting rich". 

Brian got into music to be an artist and get chicks.  Mike got into music to get chicks. 

[Ron]

http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/article/20110819/ENTERTAINMENT/708199574/1063/fun-fun-fun-with-the-beach-boys&template=fairfaxTimes

Here's another interview.  I couldn't even read it; I was too distracted by what has to be one of the worst pictures of Mike and Bruce I've ever seen.  And who the hell are the guys behind them?

Honestly, how does Mike do it?  By 'do it', I mean, how does he give the same damn interview to the same half-assed reporters in these small towns all across the u.s., for 50 FRIEKIN YEARS about the same exact questions?

A. Why is your music popular?

B. What's your favorite song

blah blah blah and he answers the questions IN EVERY TOWN, EVERY YEAR, OVER AND OVER AGAIN.  I would have gone insane by now.  Maybe he already has.