The Smiley Smile Message Board

Today I dug out the Lewis Taylor "Lost Album" to share with a friend and to see if I liked it better this go around (sadly I didn't). When we were listening to his Pet Sounds-esque song on the CD, I made a comment about how the song is about 2 minutes too long, that it should fade out "here" as I turned the volume down. (which to my ADHD-addled brain, it improved the song quite a bit and somehow drove home an added Brian Wilson quality.)

Well, that got me to thinking about how Brian did some great fade outs- little extra things like the vibes on the last two audible chords of Please Let Me Wonder or the coda to God Only Knows, or the guitar figure at the end of Wendy.

Without digging my Beach Boys records and CDs out, just going off the top of my head, of the "hits" I can only recall Barbara Ann having an ending that isn't a fade. Are there any others? Does the fade out add to any uniqueness to the sense of the Beach Boys sophistication in the early years, or was it even noticed? It just seems like something that was the natural inclination for them in a period when a lot of AM radio rock n' roll ended with a final chord or beat.

What are your favorite BBs fades?

Thanks,
Dean

"Endless Harmony" doesn't fade, nor does "Anna Lee, The Healer" or "Friends" or any of the acapella stuff. Not sure if this qualifies, but the Spring version of "Good Time" stops pretty much in mid-air.  :)

And of course, none of the live recordings fade, although some should.

Another song that comes to mind as not having a fade is California Saga-California (as well as the other two parts, of course!)

Favorite fades?  I like the extended fades on Surfin' Safari and Little Deuce Coupe on the boxed set.  Now that I think about it, though SS doesn't really fade on the boxed set...it has an ending.

But all-time favorite?  All This Is That.

yeah....i agree wit all thiss is that, i've spent countless time just rewinding that to hear at full volume!!!!!

bri's fades really haunt me also, the fade to i can hear music haunts me too.

The longer ,mono fade of Farmer's Daughter is infinitely more satisfying then that crappy stereo mix. Actually, same for most of that album.

BW was the master of the fade! "Fun, Fun, Fun" (single version), "I Get Around", "Little Saint Nick", "Be True To Your School", and "Wendy" are a few of my favorite early period ones.

Mid/later favorites are "Cabinessence", "Til I Die", "Surf's Up", "Matchpoint" (I had to throw that one in there), and "I'll Bet He's Nice".

Oddly, for a "later" album, Love You has a couple of non-fades, including "Roller Skating Child", "I Wanna Pick You Up", and "Let's Put Our Hearts Together".

Not to start any controversy, but the main thing I don't like about BWPS (and there are many) is that they eliminated some of Brian's great all-time fades and strung those songs together. It just destroys the atmosphere, the feel. It doesn't do the songs complete justice. They deserved better...

yet one more reason not to favor smile'04 over smile66-7. in my opinion

Brian was totally the master of fades.  In addition to everything others have mentioned so far, I'd like to add "A Day In the Life of a Tree", "She Knows Me Too Well" and of course "Caroline, No".  Lots of others I can't think of I'm sure...but Brian certainly made fades an art unto themselves. 

The tag to "God Only Knows" could go on forever for all I care, and I'd love every second of it.

that said...the fadeout of "Forever"

I've always loved the quasi-fade out of 'In The Back Of My Mind', where the strings wander where they will after the song proper abruptly ends. Really cool. Brian has a way of bringing the uncertainty of that song home with such a simple trick and neat arrangement. It's little moments like this that make me appreciate his talent so much.

In addition to "All This Is That", I thought of another favorite of mine: "Love Surrounds Me"...takes me to another place.

Eh, I'm not a fan of fades. I like the non-fade ending of "I Get Around" alot better. And "Good Vibrations" fades out too early, in my opinion.

My fave fade?  "Help Me, Ronda" ("Today" version), 'cause it fades, then it comes back, then it fades, then it comes back...genius.

My least fave fade?  "Good Vibrations".  'Cause it's too quick, IMO.  Coulda used a couple extra seconds on the slide down.  Great production otherwise, it goes without saying!

Another cool one is "Cool, Cool Water"...it totally sounds natural.

And Eric, I agree on your two choices...I've dug those in particular for years now.

"This Whole World"  - From that amazing acapella florish of harmonies into the fade.  Talk about leave 'em wanting more!

edit - Feel like I should add "Warmth of the Sun" and "You Still Believe in Me."   Both devastatingly beautiful.

Wow- great replies! Thanks!

I must admit I'm not very conversant with post-1966 BBs LP tracks, especially the 70's stuff. I'm pretty up on the singles through Sunflower and I've given pretty much everything post-'66 a few listens, but Pet Sounds is the last official release I own. (tho I do have and enjoy the requisite Smile stuff) I've listened to the later output that is on the GV box set (which I own) but it just doesn't grab me nearly as much as the earlier stuff when Brian was basically the benevolent dictator of the group. Of the stuff through Sunflower, the ones I like are the Brian tracks. So I'm just not familiar with the fades/non-fades of the later stuff. I know a lot of folks really like the later stuff and I'm not knocking that, it's just not my thing.

But regarding the fades, I'm just always amazed at how many little extra audio treats Brian (and Co.) would add, knowing full well that most folks wouldn't even hear or pay attention to them. It's the kind of thing that makes pop geeks like myself get all sideways with giddy joy - the proverbial audio crackerjack prize.

Thanks again,
Dean

 

"When I Grow Up" - I like the way it reaches what could easily be a non-fade out ending (...what willl I be.(pause) .When i grow up to beee a man" - and then has a little fade out anyway

Not just Brian, but Dennis also.

"Be With Me" has a pretty intense fade out.

The Beach Boys, especially Carl, was aware of the brilliance of Brian's fadeouts or "tags" as he described them in an interview in 1976.  It was definitely a Beach Boys trademark - sometimes the tags are better than the songs themselves.  Like Fade to Vegetables!

This reminds me people...that wicked "yeeehehee" during the tag-fade of Vegetables from
SmileySmile ALWAYS never ceases to freak me out an give me willies!!!

anyone hear what i mean???

the fade on all i want to do isnt as risque as everyone says...

i think the fade on GV, it always sounds lowder on the radio, but when i listen to it on cd, it sounds like im missing something

the fadeout on all i wanna do '70 enchants me; there must be like 3 or 4 counter-melodies on that one &
 i wish i could understand what Carl (i know its his voice!!) is singing in there, without me having any chemical enhancements!!!!

Absolutely. Pacific Ocean Blue is full of 'em. "Moonshine", "Thoughts Of You", "Farewell My Friend", and "End Of The Show". Tremendous...