The Smiley Smile Message Board

Holy fu@king sh*t!
Having multiple orgasms listening to this perfect copy of Smiley SMiLE!!

https://twitter.com/AtBestIsKorny/status/830597876585631745 (https://twitter.com/AtBestIsKorny/status/830597876585631745)

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Find a mono version as opposed to the reprocessed stereo, and it will be even better!

True enough.
However, finding an equally clean, reasonably priced Mono copy may take awhile.

I'll always prefer stereo over mono, but something about the mono version of Smiley Smile on vinyl is just so perfectly appealing. It feels more lo-fi and homemade or something to that degree. Sure, the stereo mix is more polished, but I love how you can actually hear the cuts between takes in the mono mix. Just amazing.

But in this case, the original 1967 "Stereo" LP is actually reprocessed stereo.  Blech.


Still though, it's always awesome to find a gorgeous clean piece of Beach Boys vinyl!

I had that same album on my system as well, it was truly amazing to hear the Baldwin! 8)

In answer to the title of the topic, I'm thinking that "Feel Flows" in vinyl would best fit that description  ;D

(When I finally learned what the chorus on that song was lyrically about, it made listening to that tune a slightly different experience).

The late '60s Capitol fake stereo is not too bad ... sounds like a little treble boost on one side and a little treble roll-off/boosted lows on the other channel. I think the "stereo" Smiley Smile and Wild Honey actually sound a little better than the monos because those original Capitol pressings are super dark. Stack-O-Tracks sounds very nice too. I was lucky to find unplayed looking copies, super clean copies of Wild Honey and Stack-O-Tracks for a few bucks at a vintage shop in Portland a couple summers back! I actually sold my mono copy of Wild Honey (which was a little tattered) and kept the clean stereo version.

I too have a shrink-wrapped copy of Smiley similar to the above ... sounds great in my opinion.

That said, those 1980-ish reissues are probably the best sounding of all the vinyl pressings ... but if you like the '60s artifacts like myself, I'd go for the fake stereo.

You do have a point... by 1967, Capitol had toned down (pardon the pun) their whole process of reprocessing. 

It was the 1965-66 era where the Duophonic process being used was almost unlistenable.  Heavy delay echo on one channel, along with the extreme EQ.

Isn't there a Dennis track that was literally orgasmic?

Just bought the amazing 1967 - Sunshine Tomorrow.
If you haven't done so already, go out and buy it; you need it if you're reading this.

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Listening to it led me to pull out my mono copy of Smiley SMiLE to compare to the re-channeled pseudo-stero copy posted above.

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Usually, fake stereo versions suck.
This Smiley SMiLE is the exception.
It sounds pretty good to me - it's brighter than the slightly dark sounding mono version.
My earlier excitement was mostly in reaction to the pristine state of the vinyl.
It's rare to find a (likely un-played) copy of a 1967 record by a major band in 2017.
It's like entering a time capsule and experiencing another by-gone era for a brief moment.
The original mono version does have its own pleasures and cachet.
Hard to pick a favorite; mono probably gets the edge.

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Further July 4th listening material:

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