The Smiley Smile Message Board

What do you think?

BWPS is disqualified.


IMO it's the opening title track on That lucky old sun. He took a simple tune and made it very heartfelt. 

I still love the vocal arrangement on Melt Away.  I wish I could hear that one with the other Beach Boys singing with Brian.

Brian's vocal arrangement on Chasin' The Sky are just absolutely stunning. For me, the last vestage of true old time Beach Boys vocal arranging.

Drbeachboy,

Not saying I disagree with you (The vocal arrangement IS excellent),  but is that BRIAN'S work?  I have not read much about the recording of that tune.  I'd love to hear more about the track...

I also would like to know if Brian had anything to do with that one. It's very 80s rock, but it does have nice harmonies.

I vote Rio Grande. 

Indeed, it was Brian for the vocal arrangement only.

Just a few ...

Rio Grande
Gettin' In Over My Head (Paley sessions version, although the GIOMH version is not bad)
Orange Crate Art title track (he did do the vocal arrangements on this)
Midnight's Another Day
Just Like Me and You
BWRG -- the entire darn record.

Live let live, if just for the "heartbeat heartbeat" backing vocals

Baby Mine - love the tag

You've touched me - The tag as well.

I pulled out the LP of Up The Creek, and the liner says the song was arranged by The Beach Boys and Spencer Proffer. I am sure that I read that Brian arranged the vocals, but I would have to say at this point that it is debatable. Hopefully, someone here can provide more proof.

I think "Midnight's Another Day" should be in the mix somewhere.

MOST of the stuff on "GIOMH" was arranged well.  He sang some of it pretty bad, but even "Fairy Tale" is pretty cool.  He adds a vocal line each chorus.  At the end he finally does that "BABy, Baby, I love you!" over the top of it, pretty nice.

Song's almost unlistenable, though, unfortunately.

I agree with the ones others mentioned though, like Melt Away and You Touched Me.  You Touched Me is particularly good, because again the song's kind of ho-hum but when it gets to the tag at the end it's some of the greatest stuff he's done in years.  Makes you wonder why he can't get something like that going for a whole song.  Maybe it wouldn't work.

Just going off the last album, I'd go with "Baby Mine" as well. 

That one's great, I also like the "CREEEEEAAATTTTUUUURRRESSSS, CRREEEEEEEAAAATRUUUURRRES Offff GGGGGAWWWWDDDD"  part too.  Beautiful. 

All of these are masterpieces. =]

Rio Grande

She Says That She Loves Me

Lay Down Burden

Southern California

Orange Crate Art, Old Rio Grande. That Lucky Old Sun, There's so many
Your Imagination.

Hell I don't know.

San francisco from Orange Crate Art.

Did he do the vocal arrangements on Orange Crate Art or was it VDP ?

One I like is Adios by Linda Ronstadt. His vocal arranging has been the one constant through his career.

No. VDP did.

The song off of Belinda Carlisle's 1996 album.

"Melt Away" gets my vote! Probably my favorite BB-related song that came out after the Light Album.

Nope, you're wrong. Van Dyke arranged the instrumentation and produced the tracks, but Brian arranged all his harmony parts himself (and seemingly on the fly, in some cases - I remember Waronker or someone saying something to that effect....?)

In no particular order:

"The Like In I Love You"
"Palm Tree And Moon"
"Midnight's Another Day"
"Your Imagination"
"Adios" (Linda Rondstadt's recording of the Jimmy Webb song, on which Brian arranged and sang bgvs)

Midnight's Another Day, Rio Grande, I Loves You Porgy