The Smiley Smile Message Board

I saw this book last week in a record store, it was the first edition of the book. It it still rare and is it just a extensive discography or are there also articles in it? It was only $9, I should have just bought it, right?

It is outdated but still vital -doesn't list CDs of course- but has all album by the group, members appearances on other peoples albums, etc- no real articles in it, just lots of data- release dates, singles, etc. He has a chapter on unreleased material- but that is pretty outdated-since quite a few of the songs mentioned have since come out as bonus tracks on the cds or on the 93 box or Hawthorne

For me the most important aspect of this book is the very fact that it is outdated!

It gives a fascinating glimpse of a world before Smile officially saw the light of day...   

Very good book, especially considering the time it was written. It's a very exhaustive look at SMiLE from before the album was really available--but he's aware of many deep cuts many forget about and that wouldn't be revealed for decades. He doesn't make any wild swings that miss like other early writers on the subject and I appreciate how he uses his own deductive reasoning when piecing together the elements rather than rely on early boots or oral tradition. Even though the prevailing wisdom now is that Veggies was originally Earth (then its own thing, with TE track either evolving or dead) I appreciate how he says "no, it's its own track on the back cover like WC so I don't think it's earth" and sticks to it--even making a semi-compelling case for Fall Breaks. I wish more early writers would've used their own reasoning for things like this rather than fall in line behind the arbitrary reconstruction of early boots and the blustering Priore.

He also does a great job getting everyone on the record for how many versions of each song there were--and he's more or less accurate in his effort, a few possible quibbles aside.

Easy 5.