Smiley Smile

[Jason]

Yes, now go in the other threads and get to know people!

[mike8902]

Agreed.

[I. Spaceman]

 

Hazing is a fraternity tradition.

Good to meet you, Mike.

[Reverend Joshua Sloane]

You have to give it to him, even while backing down and compromising his thoughts he still stuck by his word of disliking the album.

Smile's Vocal Parts - Just as rehearsed and figured out. CIFOTM, Cabinessence, DYLW, HnV, etc.

To justify Smiley for being more stripped down and simple, you have to realize the natural progression Brian was leading down. He had started off with complexity, testing the boundaries with that which ultimatly resulted in Pet Sounds. Then he started trying simple stuff. Much like the Beatles making 3-4 minute Sitar-Drone pieces which still hold form as pop music. He then applied his newer, less complex, yet still brilliant music to detailed yet sparse productions. That's why we have all of the, "Slice Of Life" tunes from the years after. Just his natural progression as a songwriter, exploring all of his abilities and ideas.

Simple fact is, Brian Wilson could make a fart sound complex and beautiful. He's got the spark.

[matt 1234]

you know what a good way to describe smiley smile ? if you have seen that movie sgt pepper with the peter frampton doing musical versions of the beatles, thats what smiley smile is to smile. maybe the album would be ok to me if smile had been released, as kind of a weird parallel universe version of smile, but instead it just is a reminder of brian losing control of his life. to me at least

[Jason]

I thought Brian lost control of his life during Smile. You don't hear of any breakdowns or freak-outs during the Smiley Smile period. Smiley Smile was safer for him.

[I. Spaceman]

you know what a good way to describe smiley smile ? if you have seen that movie sgt pepper with the peter frampton doing musical versions of the beatles, thats what smiley smile is to smile. maybe the album would be ok to me if smile had been released, as kind of a weird parallel universe version of smile, but instead it just is a reminder of brian losing control of his life. to me at least

But the Pepper movie versions are mainstream, safe and orchestrated.
SMiLEY is frail, damaged and uncommercial.

I don't see the comparison.
One is safe, one is brave.

[Reverend Joshua Sloane]

Smiley Smile does actually scare people.

I played it for someone who thought the Beach Boys were all Fun, Fun, Fun and they were physically and mentally uncomfortable during the whole play. They weren't ready for it.

Not that I love the album because it scares some people. It puts the exact opposite emotion in me.

[I. Spaceman]

It saved a friend of mine's life during a bad acid trip.

[Jason]

I think Smiley Smile is scary music. Evil, even. That's why I love it.

[Reverend Joshua Sloane]

I think Smiley Smile is scary music. Evil, even. That's why I love it.

It can go both ways.

Some days Wind Chimes is loving, etheral, and breezy. Other days it's dark, dreary, and unwelcoming.

[I. Spaceman]

Exactly. It's what you bring to it. It's an emotional mirror.

[Jason]

Seriously, sit in the dark, smoke a little weed, and listen to Smiley Smile. You will be blown away.

[Reverend Joshua Sloane]

I just listened to the album.

My setting:

Bedroom.
Lights off.
TV off.
Fan off.
Heat vents OPEN.

How I heard:

Speakers from stereo.
On Bed.
Propped up on some books.
Me slunched on bed.
Staring at the ceiling.

What I heard:

Beautiful music
Inspirational music
Spiritual music

....................................

It made my night.

I am cheesy. 

[I. Spaceman]

I am cheesy. 

No, you just know what's goin' on!

[Mitchell]

"Whispering winds" is one of the most beautiful, moving passages in the Beach Boys catalogue.

[matt 1234]

u think that the movie sgt pepper isnt friggin weird? that movie is as smiley smile as it gets. i have smoked weed and listened to smiley smile, its better to smoke to smile in my opinion still. everything you say to me about smiley smile can be felt better in smile.  the weirdest thing thouhg i cant seem to understand is how anyone can like the twisted versions of the best songs maybe from smile which are wind chimes and wonderful. the smiley smile versions of those songs make me cringe, they were maybe the coolest songs from smile, even the unfinished wind chimes is just amazing.

[Jason]

Wind Chimes was actually finished during Smile. Wonderful was finished once and attempted three other times.

[matt 1234]

well, im sure there is a finished version of wind chimes out there, but ther version i have is different than the 2004 version, they go on for a while in that heavy part where as in the 66 one its only a few measures

[Jason]

There was a comp reel made of the work on Wind Chimes, it featured the verse, the "chorus" and the tag. Didn't feature the bridge that was on BWPS, but that was recorded in '66.

[Aegir]

Why do people so many people use the "SMiLE" capitalization on Smiley Smile? The Ms, Ls, Es, and Y are lowercased too, ya know..

[theeponymuseudonym]

i was not prepared. in 1990.

i tripped to the 2 fer in '91...i descibed it s a Warner bros. cartoon show, with each tune
serving as individual shorts. very pastiche/pastoral.

my friends girlfriend literally swooned at the harmonies of their hearts were full....
i'll never forget this moment. definately made a believer out of my friend this night.

then we came down to the wonderful psychosis that is UMMAGUMMA!

[Reverend Joshua Sloane]

Purveyors of outrageously gorgeous psychedelia and back again. This set proves that the greatest American rock band was also the most experimental.

[Matinee Idyll]

What a curious read the last 10 pages of this thread have been...  This is stream of consciousness type crap, so excuse me if I contradict myself.

Well, Smiley Smile... I spun you tonight, in all your glory... and I suppose if there's one BB's album that polarizes opinion, it's you... as the 27 pages of this thread demonstrate.   I can't remember what rating I gave this album, I believe around 3 1/2, which after my listen this evening, seems fair. 

This may achieve the reactions, "Oh, that's too low for this masterpiece!" or "Too high for this pile of crap!"... Because that's what Smiley does.  I would imagine that, if Brian was 'in control' as many of you contend, then his intention was to split the fan base into those who 'get it' and those who don't.

But is there anything here to 'get'?  Ian, Chris, et al would contend absolutely that there is...  That this is genius fractured through the smokey haze of Brian Wilsons living room.  This is correct.  Other's say that it's too experimental, too uncommercial.  This too is correct.  And once again, people say that's it's a steaming pile of crap.  I wouldn't tell them they're wrong. 

Because I feel that Smiley can be everything, nothing or anything you want it to be. I believe Ian used the term "it is what you bring to it"...  some days the album is a 4 1/2 star effort for me, others, it leaves me cold and I would be tempted to give it a lowly 1.


So what do I like about it?  The apparent spontaneity of proceedings, there's flair in these vocals... "You're too late Mama, ain't nuttin' upside yo head!"... It doesn't sound like the rehearsed to buggery schmuck of the Pet Sounds vocals... there are bung notes throughout, and yet there's a 'vibe' established that can't be attained through "spit 'n polish".   The stripped back arrangements really make the vocals come to the fore.

Wind Chimes has been hotly contended, and personally, I think both versions are flawed, and they come out about even.  Smiley has the 'vibe', and yet Brian makes it blatantly obvious through sound effect what the song is about,  NOT communicating in music.  What I like about the Smile version (apart from the gorgeous trumpet line) is the fact that Brian uses Marimbas to communicate the idea that the song is about Wind Chimes, without actually using chimes.  What I mean is, if you got rid of the vocals, the Smile version is cleverer in that you'd guess the song was maybe about Windchimes, without actually hearing a chime anywhere.  This is brilliant.  Paints a brilliant picture musically without words, while it's the vocals on Smiley that bump it up.

What don't I like about Smiley...  It's too short.  The album is just too, freakin' short.  Just as a mood is established, it's gone. 

While I respect it's sonic brilliance, the album really leaves me feeling cold and disconnected more often than not.  "With Me Tonight" for example, is probably the only track that really leaves me speechless for it's beauty... Of course there are glimpes of heartbreaking beauty throughout... Windchimes coda, Little Pad humming (my personal favourite) Getting Hungry verses (Mike sure was a great soul singer... "If it weren't for the love of a woman..."), etc...  But these, I feel, are too few and far between.

But then, I'm not terribly moved by BWPS or much of the Smile material in general... or much Pet Sounds... so, who knows...  It must be me.

[Reverend Joshua Sloane]

Best review in the whole thread.

Great post.