I rolled my own SMiLE

[rattfink]

I think I've finally arrived at an approximation of a SMiLE depiction that feels like what I've been looking for. I'm not claiming you will too, but I wanted to share for fun...

I just used the 2 disc 2011 Sessions set, except GV where I used the 2012 mono.

1) Prayer
2) H & V (the part 1 version. AKA Smiley twofer version. AKA the three score and jive version)
3) I'm In Great Shape (literally just that. No Barnyard. No I Wanna Be Around / Workshop.)
4) My Only Sunshine / OMP
5) DYLW?
6) Cabin Essence
7) Wonderful
CIFOTM
9) GV (the standard version without the extra tags)
10) Wind Chimes
11) Vega-Tables (I still feel a little conflicted that I didn't use the Cornucopia version, but it's a little too sparse)
12) The Elements: Fire (Mrs. O'Leary's Cow) (I cut out the HV intro)
13) Surf's Up
14) You're Welcome

Look, this won't work for everyone. It works for me, and it's been a lot of laughs putting it together. It runs about 37 minutes and I feel a sense of completion after listening to it several times. I want to thank fellow Twin Cities resident soniclovenoize for the inspiration after he dropped his latest version for Xmas. It put me back into the mindset of further exploring what a completed 1967 version might have sounded like. I think I found what I was looking for!

[Cabinessenceking]

By coincidence, that's almost identical to the sequence I've also put together!

I believe that the sequences we are going for has that complete and consistent feel to it. Notably, they don't have too many instrumentals or fancy vocal fly-ins, which don't really fit if going for a realistic reconstruction of Smile (imo).

Here's mine for comparison:

1. Prayer (GV box)
2. H & V (alternate version from GV box)
3. I'm In Great Shape (smile sessions)
4. My Only Sunshine (smile sessions - unfortunately it means a repeat of the barnshine fade)
5. Do You Like Worms (GV box)
6. Cabin Essence  (smile sessions)
7. Wonderful (GV box)
8. Child Is Father Of the Man (smile sessions)

9. 20 seconds of silence (I use a Larry Hirchberg track on spotify - gives it that Side A / Side B pause)

10. Good Vibrations (GV box)
11. Vega-Tables (GV box)
12. The Elements / Fire (smile sessions)
13. Wind Chimes (GV box)
14. Surf's Up (smile sessions)
15. You're Welcome (smile sessions)

This sequence works quite well on Spotify (which is how I listen to all the beach boys music). I think the GV box contains some superior mixes to the Smile Sessions, most notably for DYLW?, Wind Chimes and Vega-Tables. Really nice sounding mixes overall!

It's scary how close Brian could've been to assemble and release the album by February/March 1967. Poor Brian got so close...I can only imagine his frustration.

Thanks for sharing yours  

[rattfink]

That's really funny how it comes down to just WC, Vega, and Fire! I think we are on to something here... (perhaps others might say on something instead!)

I don't have the box or two-fer anymore, so I don't recall how H&V ends on those. I tinkered a little more this morning and removed the barnshine from H&V and now it ends with that echoey / bubbly part at 2:06 which leads straight into IIGS. BAM! It was a boss move it turns out! I also took the barnshine out of the end of OMP  and removed that begining vocal part from CIFOTM. I feel like these cuts greatly improved the flow. I like barnshine just fine, but somehow I didn't like it in my mix.

I think I prefer the 88 mixes mostly too. I feel like a lot was tagged on to the 2011 mixes, but I think they really wanted a completed feel without considering what might be excess. I like 2011 enough, but I don't prefer it. It's all I have now, so I have to live with it.

Cheers for the response!

[SydBarrett]

Not sure I'm okay with Barnyard or Friday Night being left out, but good tracklist non the less!