All things TSS packaging, presentation and booklet etc

[smile-holland]

Feel free to discuss the SMiLE Sessions Box Set as a whole; packaging, presentation, and booklet.

[punkinhead]

Thanks for posting this! I wanna hear every detail.

[desmondo]

I have to say the iTunes LP version is stunning - all the FH artwork lyrics, timeline etc bought to life through animation

[punkinhead]

I have to say the iTunes LP version is stunning - all the FH artwork lyrics, timeline etc bought to life through animation

really? I'm assuming I have to buy to see?

[armona]

Very pleased with the packaging, and it's especially nice to have a copy of the original booklet with Frank's artwork. Very pleased with the informative book as well. Vinyl is dead quiet. My only gripe is that the labels are wayyy off center--even moreso than on my old capitol LPs 

[Wrightfan]

Beautiful. Pictures can't do it justice.

[joshferrell]

the packaging (for the two disc set) is cool..I just wish they had more songs on the second disc since there is about 15 minutes left on it that could have been used ..oh well..

[WaxOn]

The full box set (CD's, vinyl etc.) is breathtaking. I'm still working my way up to pulling off the shrink wrap - a few more things to do before the day ends.



It's 3D and just gorgeous. Coolest box set on the planet. I had no idea it would look like that light up version Brian is showing off.

Oh well, the tubes are warming up for a long evening!

[Chris Brown]

By far the best box set packaging I've ever seen - the 60 page hardcover book is wonderful, with some awesome color photos.  The 45s and LP look perfectly authentic, and I love that they included the original album booklet.  Can't rave enough about the packaging from an aesthetics standpoint.

[TV Forces]

Agreed.  Can't say enough about the packaging.
The box looks like a million bucks.

My only gripes involve no backing vocals on the fly-in-less "Barnyard," no instrumental "TOMS/YAMS," not much in the way of "With me Tonight" sessions.

[monicker]

This is, by far, the most amazing packaging/artwork i have ever seen for any sort of album/box set release. It's brilliant work. Really, really top notch stuff. It's weird but wonderful that it would be coming at what seems to be the end of the CD era. If the audio portion of the box set had been given the same treatment and care that the packaging received, this would be an absolutely perfect release beyond belief.

[P.J.]

My only gripes involve no backing vocals on the fly-in-less "Barnyard," no instrumental "TOMS/YAMS," not much in the way of "With me Tonight" sessions.

Agreed.

Take a look at the writing credits. A couple of new names also a mention to Euday Bowman for the "12th St. Rag".

The lyrics to "He Gives Speeches" is given credit to Brian.

[Dr. Tim]

Also posted in the main board.  What I am telling my musician friends: this is more fun than I was expecting.  The "reconstruction" of the Smile LP is astoundingly well done and the cleaned-up tracks never sounded better.  As we know there are some "Free As a Bird" artifacts where things were obviously flown in and pasted (vocal for I'm In Great Shape, the coda to Surf's Up from the 1971 completion, hum-be-dums in GV).  Some holes remain (i.e., where there were no lyrics or vocals done for "Do You Like Worms", "Holidays" and "Child").  So it is clearly unfinished but has the "sheen" of a finished structure, that can be played all the way through.  The reassembled "Heroes and Villains", "Wind Chimes"  and "Vegetables" stand out as audio alchemy at its best. 

I know some of the scholar types here are wringing their hands at seeing the "duct-taped" parts of the assembly, but at least the thing is a presentable listen, which is the whole point.  And Mark and Alan did figure out how to cover that one-beat dead space in the "Wind Chimes" transition: cover the hole with plate reverb!  Corny but effective.  Also a very "what would Brian do?" move.

Package is fun too, interesting there is still a little tension there in the Boys' comments (Mike's a bit defensive, understandably).  For those who've bought Frank Holmes' LP slick from him, your print is still a treasure.  None of the full-size reprints mimic it exactly, with the duo-phonic stamp, intstead their newly-minted "New Improved Full Dimensional Sound" logo ("sound" instead of "stereo").

The 2-LP vinyl has some nice surprises: I like the really good stereo mixes of H&V and Vegetables, and on the one 45 a stunning reassembly of the "alternate" version of Heroes and Villains, with the "three score and five" lines and the instrumental fade.  As far as I can tell this is a recreation of how the fabled "H&V Part I and Part II" single might have turned out.  It is the same version included in the 1993 box set but they got a much better source for it.

The session track CDs are a longer slog, only getting started on those. Though the vocal rehearsals and runthroughs  are fun (Brian saying "you feel the acid kick in?" before "Our Prayer").

[desmondo]

I have to say the iTunes LP version is stunning - all the FH artwork lyrics, timeline etc bought to life through animation

really? I'm assuming I have to buy to see?

Its on YouTube - on the Beach Boys site

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElVmW7P7Hq0&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

[punkinhead]

I have to say the iTunes LP version is stunning - all the FH artwork lyrics, timeline etc bought to life through animation

really? I'm assuming I have to buy to see?

Its on YouTube - on the Beach Boys site

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElVmW7P7Hq0&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

yeah, i just found it earlier...looks amazing...unforunately, prolly won't get it...this should be on DVD-A if it was still popular

[donald]

The credits and mentions  are nice.  Susan Lang, Greg Larson, AGD, Bob, and so many others were remembered.

Very nice and cool to connect with the fan base and support network so personally.

A class gesture.

[Mr. Cohen]

And Mark and Alan did figure out how to cover that one-beat dead space in the "Wind Chimes" transition: cover the hole with plate reverb!  Corny but effective.  Also a very "what would Brian do?" move.

Yeah , but those dead stops were how Brian worked at the time. In fact, they played integral parts in the construction of the "Good Vibrations" and "Heroes & Villains" singles. I don't see why they needed to be covered, unless Brian said that's how he wanted it.

[Jay]

Without having actually listened to the cd's(yet), I'm going to go ahead and say that this is probably the best music box set ever released. The 3D box is one of the most unique things I've ever seen. The book with the original artwork is amazing. The detail of the track by track session guide is mind numbing. I got a headache just reading it.  My eternal thank you's and devotion to whoever was in charge of sorting through all that session information. God's among men.  Actually, the detail given to the entire package is phenomenal. One get's the distinct impression that this has secretly been in the planning for years. I have a few quick questions, if I may:

1. When I opened the 3D box lid I saw on the inside the well known picture of the group without Brian, but with Bruce, and the various song titles. Is this an LP? I ask because there was already one in the package that was loose. Were there supposed to be two? If it is one of the LP's, I have no idea how to get it loose from the inside lid. It's really packed in tight. I could pry it out by sticking my finger way down in, but I would most likely ruin the box. Any thoughts, suggestions, etc?

2. I assume that the paper with the track list and picture of the box contents is supposed to work as the back cover? The bottom is folded over, so I can just tuck it in tightly, but then the top part is loose. Should it be put inside the box? I'm not going to tape or glue it if I don't have to.

[GeorgeFellInHisHorn]

Without having actually listened to the cd's(yet), I'm going to go ahead and say that this is probably the best music box set ever released. The 3D box is one of the most unique things I've ever seen. The book with the original artwork is amazing. The detail of the track by track session guide is mind numbing. I got a headache just reading it.  My eternal thank you's and devotion to whoever was in charge of sorting through all that session information. God's among men.  Actually, the detail given to the entire package is phenomenal. One get's the distinct impression that this has secretly been in the planning for years. I have a few quick questions, if I may:

1. When I opened the 3D box lid I saw on the inside the well known picture of the group without Brian, but with Bruce, and the various song titles. Is this an LP? I ask because there was already one in the package that was loose. Were there supposed to be two? If it is one of the LP's, I have no idea how to get it loose from the inside lid. It's really packed in tight. I could pry it out by sticking my finger way down in, but I would most likely ruin the box. Any thoughts, suggestions, etc?

2. I assume that the paper with the track list and picture of the box contents is supposed to work as the back cover? The bottom is folded over, so I can just tuck it in tightly, but then the top part is loose. Should it be put inside the box? I'm not going to tape or glue it if I don't have to.

The inside of the lid of the box is just a "for-fun" exact reprint of the abandoned back sleeve. Notice how it mentions being "Duophonic", while the actual LP sleeve says Monophonic.

[hypehat]

Jesus, jay, don't do it! It's just a reprint!!!!

[c-man]

Without having actually listened to the cd's(yet), I'm going to go ahead and say that this is probably the best music box set ever released. The 3D box is one of the most unique things I've ever seen. The book with the original artwork is amazing. The detail of the track by track session guide is mind numbing. I got a headache just reading it.  My eternal thank you's and devotion to whoever was in charge of sorting through all that session information. God's among men.  Actually, the detail given to the entire package is phenomenal. One get's the distinct impression that this has secretly been in the planning for years. I have a few quick questions, if I may:

1. When I opened the 3D box lid I saw on the inside the well known picture of the group without Brian, but with Bruce, and the various song titles. Is this an LP? I ask because there was already one in the package that was loose. Were there supposed to be two? If it is one of the LP's, I have no idea how to get it loose from the inside lid. It's really packed in tight. I could pry it out by sticking my finger way down in, but I would most likely ruin the box. Any thoughts, suggestions, etc?

2. I assume that the paper with the track list and picture of the box contents is supposed to work as the back cover? The bottom is folded over, so I can just tuck it in tightly, but then the top part is loose. Should it be put inside the box? I'm not going to tape or glue it if I don't have to.

Jay,
It was my honor that the job of sorting all that session information was given to me, and I achieved that monumental task with a lot of help and guidance from Mr. Boyd.  I only wish I'd gotten the "Tag vocals" credit in for the first version of "Wind Chimes" (a mere oversight...but at least I got the recording info for that vocal session in there!).  Was the whole package years in the planning?  Well I can only speak for sure to my involvement in it, but it was months not years.  Really, Tom Recchion at Capitol's art department deserves a HUGE defeaning round of applause for the visual presentation, as much applause as Mark and Alan rightly deserve for the audio components.  These guys are heroes, as is Capitol's Director of Catalog A&R, Dennis Wolfe.  Quite a team.  It helped that Alan, Tom and Dennis are all musicians themselves, and Mark an independent music producer/engineer, so it wasn't just a bunch of "suits" behind the project. 

To answer your questions about the packaging: 
1. The front and back artwork in the box lid are supposed to remain there, so don't mess with it. 
2.  Lots of box sets (Fleetwood Mac's 1992 box, John Lennon's 1998 and 2010 boxes) come with outer wrapping that's not really designed to fit inside the box, but it should be saved & kept somewhere handy since it's a cool external inventory of the contents.

Really, aside from my one little sessionography omission (which bothers me to no small degree), I think the whole package is positively sterling, and I'm glad to see that so many of you think so as well!  I'm guessing this will be cherished by music fans for ages to come.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

Since you're here, Craig, we should congratulate you for the Sessionography.  That certainly will be THE reference for some time to come.  It is nice to know that they involved you, somebody who has put in the time not only looking at paperwork, but listening to the sessions over and over again.  I can't say I don't disagree with a couple of "instruments used" on a few of the sessions, but that's OK.  The Pet Sounds credits kept evolving over the years, actually getting worse as time went on and bad memories contributed to strange results (Like saying there was a bowed string bass on That's Not Me, e.g.)  All problems like that were solved for Smile by going to THE expert, a consummate pro, our own C-man.  I will have that sessionography at hand at all times for quick reference.

[c-man]

Since you're here, Craig, we should congratulate you for the Sessionography.  That certainly will be THE reference for some time to come.  It is nice to know that they involved you, somebody who has put in the time not only looking at paperwork, but listening to the sessions over and over again.  I can't say I don't disagree with a couple of "instruments used" on a few of the sessions, but that's OK.  The Pet Sounds credits kept evolving over the years, actually getting worse as time went on and bad memories contributed to strange results (Like saying there was a bowed string bass on That's Not Me, e.g.)  All problems like that were solved for Smile by going to THE expert, a consummate pro, our own C-man.  I will have that sessionography at hand at all times for quick reference.

Thanks Josh, that means a lot coming from someone such as you, whose own research and study of the available sources I hold in deep respect.  I'm not opposed to discussing some of the "instruments used" decisions we came to, so feel free to post your own conclusions here for me to respond to.  This kind of discussion if highly enjoyable to me, and a few others I'm sure!

[Jonas]

I can't say I don't disagree with a couple of "instruments used" on a few of the sessions, but that's OK

You would....

JK!

Congrats Craig!

[Micha]

The box looks so good I'm using it as a permanent deco element. Like a 3D poster.