If Brian Had Never Smoked Pot nor Dropped Acid...

[Iron Horse-Apples]

It sounds like he probably suffered from clinical depression.

But instead of getting his condition treated medically, he turned to excessive drug abuse. This appears to have made things much worse and triggered further (and even more serious) mental health problems which eventually ruined his life. Because of his success, he could financially afford drugs and afford to live in a "bubble" away from the outside world. This would not have happened to an ordinary person. Its a miracle that he is still alive.

Undoubtedly, had he stayed away from drugs and sought medical help in 1967 he would have had a much better chance of leading a completely normal and mentally healthy life. I think we would have then seen his musical progression go beyond Pet Sounds / Good Vibrations / Smile and into an even more creative world.

Drugs destroyed his life, wasted his talents, and deprived you and me of even more brilliant music.

What utter sh*te

Obviously written by someone who a) isn't creative, and b) has never taken drugs.

Drugs were a symptom of his problems, and exasperated them without question, but the problems were there already.

The creative burst between that began with Today were completely inspired by psychoactive drugs. This and subsequent albums would not exist without them. How could his music go beyond a world it never would have reached?

How can you possibly listen to and experience SMiLE without a spliff in your hand? Short answer, you cannot.

Why don't you just go and put on your Grange Hill " Just Say NO" single, and leave the Beach Boys to those who appreciate them properly.

That sort of quote really, really f*cking sh*ts me !!!!!!

I love SMiLE and I don't take drugs!! I get it!! I understand it...
I experience it!!

It is up to your consciousness how you feel it..... some "need" drugs.. others don't!!

Have you heard SMiLE on acid?

If yes, then fair enough, I'm  wrong, it's just me

If no, then STFU, you don't know.

I love SMiLE and I don't take drugs!! I get it!! I understand it...
I experience it!!

Just shut up about the moon Neil Armstrong, I've seen it in the sky, so obviously know what it's like to walk on it.

C'mon, whilst you obviously have a whale of a time hotboxing the shed and listening to TSS, don't deny the rest of us the privilege - I can barely get my hands on weed as it is, but I love Smile with all my heart. Don't try and paint some of us as squares just cos we don't want to waste what precious drugs we can get on listening to records by ourselves!

And the irony is, after all that, I still havn't had the chance to do that. And I,m not trying to put anyone down, just basically saying don't knock what you haven't tried. Don't think it's harmless, haven't done acid for 15 years, smoke very rarely, just a few beers at the weekend really.

But SMiLE on acid is something else entirely.

[The Heartical Don]

I think he would have become a gas pump attendant circa 1965/66.

After Mike Love attempts to produce "Summer In paradise" circa 1967..

  history revisionism at its very finest...

[hypehat]

Well, of course it is.

That post has not appeared where I thought it would 

[rocksucker]

It sounds like he probably suffered from clinical depression.

But instead of getting his condition treated medically, he turned to excessive drug abuse. This appears to have made things much worse and triggered further (and even more serious) mental health problems which eventually ruined his life. Because of his success, he could financially afford drugs and afford to live in a "bubble" away from the outside world. This would not have happened to an ordinary person. Its a miracle that he is still alive.

Undoubtedly, had he stayed away from drugs and sought medical help in 1967 he would have had a much better chance of leading a completely normal and mentally healthy life. I think we would have then seen his musical progression go beyond Pet Sounds / Good Vibrations / Smile and into an even more creative world.

Drugs destroyed his life, wasted his talents, and deprived you and me of even more brilliant music.

What utter sh*te

Obviously written by someone who a) isn't creative, and b) has never taken drugs.

Drugs were a symptom of his problems, and exasperated them without question, but the problems were there already.

The creative burst between that began with Today were completely inspired by psychoactive drugs. This and subsequent albums would not exist without them. How could his music go beyond a world it never would have reached?

How can you possibly listen to and experience SMiLE without a spliff in your hand? Short answer, you cannot.

Why don't you just go and put on your Grange Hill " Just Say NO" single, and leave the Beach Boys to those who appreciate them properly.

Interesting post, Iron Horse-Apples. I completely agree with the main thrust of your argument, but the way you presented it reflects so badly on you. I'm sure you don't care what I think and will be happy to tell me so, but if you can get so worked up about something like this then perhaps you ought to either find a new dealer or stop taking drugs altogether.

[Iron Horse-Apples]

I wasn't worked up, and care very much what you and everyone think of me!

Most of my posts are meant to be light hearted and irreverent, but I did find lunarjetman's post mildly annoying, prompting me to reply.

Really, don't take me seriously,

I don't.

And to be honest, I don't take drugs anymore, few beers at the weekend, literally.

HOWEVER......

Listening to SMiLE on acid is the closest I've ever come to a spiritual experience. I'm always happy to discuss my experiences with LSD. Some positive but most negative. To say it is not a tool to unlocking immense creativity is a ridiculous and indefensible argument, which is what annoyed me about lunarjetman's post.

But I'm chill man. 

[hypehat]

It's cool, I was really drunk when I wrote the reply 

[Iron Horse-Apples]

It's cool, I was really drunk when I wrote the reply  

Well, I'd had my few weekend beers when I wrote that initial post.

See, it's alcohol to blame!

If we were stoned, t'would never have happened.

[SMiLE Brian]

Drunk posting once in a while is fun.

[hypehat]

I am planning on doing it again tomorrow, as it's my birthday - however, not sure whether I want to ruin the occasion by posting the long-awaited-by-nobody review of Country Love....

[18thofMay]

I wasn't worked up, and care very much what you and everyone think of me!

Most of my posts are meant to be light hearted and irreverent, but I did find lunarjetman's post mildly annoying, prompting me to reply.

Really, don't take me seriously,

I don't.

And to be honest, I don't take drugs anymore, few beers at the weekend, literally.

HOWEVER......

Listening to SMiLE on acid is the closest I've ever come to a spiritual experience. I'm always happy to discuss my experiences with LSD. Some positive but most negative. To say it is not a tool to unlocking immense creativity is a ridiculous and indefensible argument, which is what annoyed me about lunarjetman's post.

But I'm chill man. 

I to have had similar experiences to SMiLE in a car completely sober!! I think it is A tool but not the only one...

[SMiLE Brian]

I am planning on doing it again tomorrow, as it's my birthday - however, not sure whether I want to ruin the occasion by posting the long-awaited-by-nobody review of Country Love....

Do it, country love is bad....

[rocksucker]

I wasn't worked up, and care very much what you and everyone think of me!

Most of my posts are meant to be light hearted and irreverent, but I did find lunarjetman's post mildly annoying, prompting me to reply.

Really, don't take me seriously,

I don't.

And to be honest, I don't take drugs anymore, few beers at the weekend, literally.

HOWEVER......

Listening to SMiLE on acid is the closest I've ever come to a spiritual experience. I'm always happy to discuss my experiences with LSD. Some positive but most negative. To say it is not a tool to unlocking immense creativity is a ridiculous and indefensible argument, which is what annoyed me about lunarjetman's post.

But I'm chill man. 

I've never actually listened to SMiLE on acid, and haven't taken it for a few years, but the few trips I did have definitely coloured the way I approach music in every sense. A few tokes tends to do the trick these days (not in terms of inducing rapture, I might add, just setting up a synaesthetic/technicolour listening experience!).

I documented my 'non-trip' trip here - http://jonnyabrams.blogspot.com/2011/11/albums-omonth-beach-boys-smile.html - God Only Knows what the lysergic SMiLE experience must be like!!