The Smiley Smile Message Board

Discuss, review and rate Brian Wilson Presents: Pet Sounds - Live in London, released October 28, 2003.

(http://www.smileysmile.net/images/albums/bwpetsoundslive.jpg)

Transcendent. Better than the CD. 5.

This one is great.  It's a treat seeing Brian perform his best work with his incredible band.

Really great concert(s). The performance of the instrumental "Pet Sounds" was the reason why I finally got this song. But I also have to say that it´s amazing how much better Brian and the band got from here to the SMiLE-DVD.

I'd give this 3.5.  It captures the performance(s) and atmosphere well but the editing together of songs from different nights into one 'show' and the inevitable continuity leaps in terms of clothing etc is disappointing and distracting.  Also, for a DVD of this kind I'd have liked to have extras in terms of non-PS material from the concert(s).

Actually, I wish they'd bring out a DVD of an entire single show, from either of the PS or Smile tours (or both!)

Plus - blows the CD out of the water and clear across town.

Minus - where's the rest of the gig ?

Highpoint (non-musical) - Brian's shirt changing in mid-sentence.

yeah, what's up with that! Sounds like all they did was set a better mix of the live CD to video!

And aren't there "performances" on the DVD where one second you see Andy Paley and the next, Mike D'Amico? Could have sworn I saw that...

I have to say I do get a bit suspicious of all this jiggery-pokery with the editing.  There's something a bit 'Soviet-era' about it.  My suspicion is that it's all done to present Brian to best effect with no 'vacant' moments.  That's why we don't get even a perfomance of Pet Sounds taken from one night, let alone a complete one night's show.  Which then brings me on to the performance on the Smile DVD.  I was quite disappointed when I heard that we were going to get a specially recorded performance of Smile rather than a recording of an actual show from the tour proper.  However, my negative feelings were pretty much cast aside when I actually saw and heard the thing because it's a stunning performance, better IMO than the actual studio album.  Nevertheless, not once I have ever seen Brian looking so relaxed and happy in a live show as seems to be the case here.  And no tele-prompter either if I'm not mistaken.  But then one can't help thinking - how come he can look like this here but not at a normal show?  Smoke and mirrors...Well, just thinking aloud, I hope there's nothing 'Soviet-era' in people's reaction to what I'm saying!

My guess would be that the performance on the SMiLE dvd was done when Brian still had some energy. Also it was taped when the CD had just been released so I imagine there was a natural high and excitement for Brian.  However, the thing I noticed on the 2005 shows was he looked tired.  This had to be the hardest he's worked in a long time as far as touring and it looked like he was definitely succumbing to fatigue.

It may be a factor in hs decision to take some time off.

I t really just boils down to the natural boredom of preaching to the coverted, year after year, with precious little new material to show off.
Same deal with Elvis. First 3 Vegas seasons, on fire, looking great and singing great. After that, not so much.

Another heavily edited performance. Understandable, knowing Brian's unpredictability. Overall, a nice performance, even though I can't stand WIBN with the key change.

The extra doc with the interviews with Brian and the musicians who played on the album is a real treat.

this is good...i think it's funny how it didnt come with the booklet, so you could get one off of his site....i think i got two on accident. this was truly a great concert(s)...but the clothes changing is rather annoying....again, why not more parts of the show?

I enjoyed the documentary more than the performances. Smile live dvd is obviously better live performance than PS.

I absolutely LOVE the drum solo during Pet Sounds. Just awesome...

OT but....
The first 3 Elvis seasons are the best but they are probably the best shows I ever heard by anyone.
Though he slowed down a bit, Elvis' other stints in Vegas are under rated. I like the first 71, both in 72, the second 74 (I like the chatty Elvis plus he sings a lot of blues), and all three 75's (request box shows may have been cut short by illness but he is on fire in the video and LP I have of it) I do think the seasons I didn't mention show a bored Elvis but even at his worst he was more comfortable on stage then Brian. Not that I don't like Brian's shows. I think they are great, but he is not a "performer" in the same way

the more I watch this, I dunno...the less exciting it seems to be. There are some heartful performances...Dont Talk and the intro to it ar ejust lovely...but for the first 3 songs they just seem so bored...as if theyve been playing this music for so long. I wish they could be a bit more enthusiastic while playing this beautiful album live...then again, they're not the beach boys.

Does the DVD follow the same performance edit as the CD?

I'm sure the Beach Boys turned in more than their share of uninspired performances of the Pet Sounds material over the years, too. I don't think having the title of Beach Boy somehow makes a person retain some extraordinary inner fire for this material on a nightly basis over day after day, week after week, month after month and year after year of touring.

Yeh I agree, The Beach Boys weren't always a great live spectacle, though their usually seemed to be something interesting going on. Dennis and his antics or even Carl in 1978 in Australia where he was drunk onstage and of course Mike always kept it atleast interesting with his comments onstage. But yeh overall as performers I think The Beach Boys are better (as in terms of entertainment) but as talent wise Brian's band on stage are much better consistently, certainly because there is more voices in the mix, aswell as more instruments (ie: French horn on God Only Knows) Im not saying that The Beach Boys didnt have brass sections in their live sets at times but that was only ocassionaly, whereas Brians band always have the right instruments for the songs. The only thing I wish regarding Pet Sounds material is that Brians band would use an accordion on Wouldnt It Be Nice, that is what MAKES that song good.

5/5.. I love this DVD..! Gets lots of play time.. This one + Smile + TLOS DVD"s are runaway favorites for me..

I just ordered this DVD.  Which cover is "correct", the one pictured on this thread or the one with Brian's face?  Just making sure I'm not getting ripped off...

Both are legit.


Welcome to the board! :)

Due to the fact that the DVD doesn't include a complete concert, I can't give this a 5.  I went with 4. 

The performance was good once you get past the fact that Brian changes shirts between songs.  Listening to this makes me think that Brian could possibly still sing Wouldn't It Be Nice. 

The bonus documentary helps justify the fact that we get a concert film that's less than an hour long.