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Smiley Smile Stuff => General On Topic Discussions => Topic started by: juggler on October 18, 2011, 12:05:06 PM



Title: Brian on Billboard.com -- new album, Smile and reunion (?)
Post by: juggler on October 18, 2011, 12:05:06 PM
Don't know if this has been posted yet...
http://www.billboard.com/news/brian-wilson-starts-new-album-talks-beach-1005416602.story


Title: Re: Brian on Billboard.com -- new album, Smile and reunion (?)
Post by: drbeachboy on October 18, 2011, 12:36:42 PM
If nothing else, Brian has been consistant in his nonobligatory answers regarding a Beach Boys tour and new album for 2012.


Title: Re: Brian on Billboard.com -- new album, Smile and reunion (?)
Post by: Shady on October 18, 2011, 12:51:50 PM
Why is his not on the COVER of billboard..

Man, where is all the SMiLE promo


Title: Re: Brian on Billboard.com -- new album, Smile and reunion (?)
Post by: rab2591 on October 18, 2011, 12:56:58 PM
Why is his not on the COVER of billboard..

Man, where is all the SMiLE promo

gotta agree. We're nearly a week away from the release. Why isn't this all over the news?? I'd love to go to Yahoo! one of these days to the headline "Long lost Beach Boys album finally sees light of day" - but alas, they're not the Beatles or Justin Bieber so I doubt this would happen. :smash


Title: Re: Brian on Billboard.com -- new album, Smile and reunion (?)
Post by: Rocker on October 18, 2011, 01:09:22 PM
I hope Brian saves his new compositions for a Beach Boys album. Some rock'n'roll, some not....


Title: Re: Brian on Billboard.com -- new album, Smile and reunion (?)
Post by: JohnMill on October 18, 2011, 02:23:25 PM
Why is his not on the COVER of billboard..

Man, where is all the SMiLE promo

gotta agree. We're nearly a week away from the release. Why isn't this all over the news?? I'd love to go to Yahoo! one of these days to the headline "Long lost Beach Boys album finally sees light of day" - but alas, they're not the Beatles or Justin Bieber so I doubt this would happen. :smash

Some of that is on The Beach Boys' themselves though.  Remember when The Beatles were putting out "Anthology", Apple put together one of the biggest multimedia blitzes the world had seen up until that point promoting it's release involving the band on many levels from EPK to television appearances to everything in between.  The Beach Boys' in their current state don't seem up to that task.  The man that everyone would probably want to interview on SMiLE or The Beach Boys in general has a reputation for not exactly enjoying being interviewed.  Despite his comeback in the last decade, I'm not sure if anyone would describe Brian Wilson in 2011 as a huge extroverted personality.

So who are they going to interview on SMiLE?  No disrespect at all intended but I don't know how much weight any other names other than Brian's carry anymore to "Joe Public" without giving the public the whole Beach Boys enchilada including a group interview, piece on Brian, piece on SMiLE etc.  You could probably sell a good five minute piece on "Long lost Beach Boys album finally sees light of day" and I have seen a bit of that via a news search on YAHOO! since March.  But any type of major media coverage akin to what you're looking for I think you need to have all the principals involved and I just don't see that happening.  I see this as being a very laissez faire type release where the product is put out there, the band makes money off of it, the fans enjoy it and everyone goes home happy.


Title: Re: Brian on Billboard.com -- new album, Smile and reunion (?)
Post by: Shady on October 18, 2011, 02:33:34 PM
Fair point..

But put out ad's, at least get people aware the album is coming out..

Capitol really do not have a clue


Title: Re: Brian on Billboard.com -- new album, Smile and reunion (?)
Post by: mammy blue on October 18, 2011, 02:42:30 PM
I also get the impression from the recent Rolling Stone article that Mike is supportive of the release but a little befuddled by its size and not that stoked to talk about it or promote it heavily. Even now, despite the critical praise it brings, the project probably enjoys a somewhat mixed reception within the "BB organization", due to its troubled history and esoteric qualities.


Title: Re: Brian on Billboard.com -- new album, Smile and reunion (?)
Post by: rab2591 on October 18, 2011, 02:43:09 PM
Honestly, idk who's to blame here, but regardless this is fairly shoddy coverage.

Coldplay was on CBS Sunday Morning last week. Coldplay. As much as I love that band, The Beach Boys deserve 100x more coverage than them. The Beach Boys should've been interviewed for Sunday Morning - a 5 minute piece on there could probably have sold 100,000 more copies of this set. ugh. Whatev.


Title: Re: Brian on Billboard.com -- new album, Smile and reunion (?)
Post by: mammy blue on October 18, 2011, 02:45:09 PM
.


Title: Re: Brian on Billboard.com -- new album, Smile and reunion (?)
Post by: rab2591 on October 18, 2011, 02:45:55 PM
I also get the impression from the recent Rolling Stone article that Mike is supportive of the release but a little befuddled by its size and not that stoked to talk about it or promote it heavily. Even now, the project probably enjoys a somewhat mixed reception within the "BB organization", due to its troubled history and esoteric qualities.

Well, it partially breaks down the Endless Summer which Mike has been building up for the last 40 years. Idk, I can understand the hesitancy, but this is SM:)E, not another greatest hits compilation....Heck, Sounds of Summer probably got more coverage than this lol.


Title: Re: Brian on Billboard.com -- new album, Smile and reunion (?)
Post by: JohnMill on October 18, 2011, 04:03:29 PM
Honestly, idk who's to blame here, but regardless this is fairly shoddy coverage.

Coldplay was on CBS Sunday Morning last week. Coldplay. As much as I love that band, The Beach Boys deserve 100x more coverage than them. The Beach Boys should've been interviewed for Sunday Morning - a 5 minute piece on there could probably have sold 100,000 more copies of this set. ugh. Whatev.

I think you a missing a crucial point in the plot.  The Beach Boys as a musically active entity haven't existed in over a decade.  We all know the story I'm sure by heart but after Carl's passing they essentially splintered into three factions where you had Mike and Bruce over here, Brian doing his thing over there and Al doing his own thing as well.  For all intents and purposes this hasn't changed.  I mean we still haven't gotten a commitment from Brian Wilson as to whether or not he's going to rejoin the band next year for their fiftieth anniversary.  I just don't see these guys turning up as a cohesive unit and doing the talk show circuit to promote "The SMiLE Sessions".  Now you could argue that Mike and Bruce could turn up in person and they could punch Brian in via satellite from wherever he's at but there is also another aspect to consider in my opinion:

There is a reason right now in my opinion why Beatles fans have not gotten an official remastered DVD release of "Let It Be".  The film itself has apparently been sitting in storage since 2003 completely remastered, looking great and there were even bonus features compiled for it.  However, the big rumor is the product has not come out because the group doesn't want to address their breakup in public.  In the late Neil Aspinall's words "(In reviewing the film) it brought up too many old issues".

The same could be said about SMiLE.  Obviously the SMiLE project did not end happily in 1967 and I wouldn't be surprised if everyone involved still has strong feelings about the events that lead to the album's eventual demise to this day.  So releasing a box set of SMiLE sessions for the general public's consumption is one thing (and be honest how many of us realistically thought that would ever happen?) but having Mike, Bruce, Brian, Al and whomever else they chose to include show up on the talk show circuit and have a discussion about this record is entirely something else and quite frankly in my opinion is probably too much to ask for a number of reasons.


Title: Re: Brian on Billboard.com -- new album, Smile and reunion (?)
Post by: SMiLE Brian on October 18, 2011, 04:22:05 PM
I also get the impression from the recent Rolling Stone article that Mike is supportive of the release but a little befuddled by its size and not that stoked to talk about it or promote it heavily. Even now, the project probably enjoys a somewhat mixed reception within the "BB organization", due to its troubled history and esoteric qualities.

Well, it partially breaks down the Endless Summer which Mike has been building up for the last 40 years. Idk, I can understand the hesitancy, but this is SM:)E, not another greatest hits compilation....Heck, Sounds of Summer probably got more coverage than this lol.
Mike's endless summer vs. Brian's SMiLE is the difficult divide in the image of The Beach Boys. I love both periods equally as much but some people don't and form factions over this divide in musical identity.


Title: Re: Brian on Billboard.com -- new album, Smile and reunion (?)
Post by: Peter Reum on October 18, 2011, 05:51:09 PM
CBS is working on a piece about Smile.


Title: Re: Brian on Billboard.com -- new album, Smile and reunion (?)
Post by: Wirestone on October 18, 2011, 05:52:38 PM
As folks here never tire of pointing out, the Beatles do not equal the Beach Boys. End of story.

There has already been a fair amount of promotion online, and it's not like print media carry a huge amount of weight anymore. So how does a dinosaur record company sell a dinosaur band's box set? Very carefully -- if they print few enough copies, they have probably sold enough to break even already.


Title: Re: Brian on Billboard.com -- new album, Smile and reunion (?)
Post by: Shady on October 18, 2011, 06:07:35 PM
CBS is working on a piece about Smile.

Fantastic news


Title: Re: Brian on Billboard.com -- new album, Smile and reunion (?)
Post by: rab2591 on October 18, 2011, 06:38:22 PM
Honestly, idk who's to blame here, but regardless this is fairly shoddy coverage.

Coldplay was on CBS Sunday Morning last week. Coldplay. As much as I love that band, The Beach Boys deserve 100x more coverage than them. The Beach Boys should've been interviewed for Sunday Morning - a 5 minute piece on there could probably have sold 100,000 more copies of this set. ugh. Whatev.

I think you a missing a crucial point in the plot.  The Beach Boys as a musically active entity haven't existed in over a decade.  We all know the story I'm sure by heart but after Carl's passing they essentially splintered into three factions where you had Mike and Bruce over here, Brian doing his thing over there and Al doing his own thing as well.  For all intents and purposes this hasn't changed.  I mean we still haven't gotten a commitment from Brian Wilson as to whether or not he's going to rejoin the band next year for their fiftieth anniversary.  I just don't see these guys turning up as a cohesive unit and doing the talk show circuit to promote "The SMiLE Sessions".  Now you could argue that Mike and Bruce could turn up in person and they could punch Brian in via satellite from wherever he's at but there is also another aspect to consider in my opinion:

There is a reason right now in my opinion why Beatles fans have not gotten an official remastered DVD release of "Let It Be".  The film itself has apparently been sitting in storage since 2003 completely remastered, looking great and there were even bonus features compiled for it.  However, the big rumor is the product has not come out because the group doesn't want to address their breakup in public.  In the late Neil Aspinall's words "(In reviewing the film) it brought up too many old issues".

The same could be said about SMiLE.  Obviously the SMiLE project did not end happily in 1967 and I wouldn't be surprised if everyone involved still has strong feelings about the events that lead to the album's eventual demise to this day.  So releasing a box set of SMiLE sessions for the general public's consumption is one thing (and be honest how many of us realistically thought that would ever happen?) but having Mike, Bruce, Brian, Al and whomever else they chose to include show up on the talk show circuit and have a discussion about this record is entirely something else and quite frankly in my opinion is probably too much to ask for a number of reasons.

I definitely see your point....makes perfect sense. It's just frustrating to see them release some of the best music ever recorded - and thus far, barely a peep from the media.

@Peter Reum: Thanks for the info! Great news....looking forward to seeing it. Perhaps I was too early with my criticism.


Title: Re: Brian on Billboard.com -- new album, Smile and reunion (?)
Post by: Chris Brown on October 18, 2011, 07:38:21 PM
Honestly, idk who's to blame here, but regardless this is fairly shoddy coverage.

Coldplay was on CBS Sunday Morning last week. Coldplay. As much as I love that band, The Beach Boys deserve 100x more coverage than them. The Beach Boys should've been interviewed for Sunday Morning - a 5 minute piece on there could probably have sold 100,000 more copies of this set. ugh. Whatev.

I think you a missing a crucial point in the plot.  The Beach Boys as a musically active entity haven't existed in over a decade.  We all know the story I'm sure by heart but after Carl's passing they essentially splintered into three factions where you had Mike and Bruce over here, Brian doing his thing over there and Al doing his own thing as well.  For all intents and purposes this hasn't changed.  I mean we still haven't gotten a commitment from Brian Wilson as to whether or not he's going to rejoin the band next year for their fiftieth anniversary.  I just don't see these guys turning up as a cohesive unit and doing the talk show circuit to promote "The SMiLE Sessions".  Now you could argue that Mike and Bruce could turn up in person and they could punch Brian in via satellite from wherever he's at but there is also another aspect to consider in my opinion:

There is a reason right now in my opinion why Beatles fans have not gotten an official remastered DVD release of "Let It Be".  The film itself has apparently been sitting in storage since 2003 completely remastered, looking great and there were even bonus features compiled for it.  However, the big rumor is the product has not come out because the group doesn't want to address their breakup in public.  In the late Neil Aspinall's words "(In reviewing the film) it brought up too many old issues".

The same could be said about SMiLE.  Obviously the SMiLE project did not end happily in 1967 and I wouldn't be surprised if everyone involved still has strong feelings about the events that lead to the album's eventual demise to this day.  So releasing a box set of SMiLE sessions for the general public's consumption is one thing (and be honest how many of us realistically thought that would ever happen?) but having Mike, Bruce, Brian, Al and whomever else they chose to include show up on the talk show circuit and have a discussion about this record is entirely something else and quite frankly in my opinion is probably too much to ask for a number of reasons.

Excellent post John, agreed 100%.  The media likes uplifting and happy stories (like BWPS was) - Smile, at its essence, is a tragedy, not a triumph.  The details of it's non-appearance are easy to digest if you're just talking to Brian, but getting these guys in a room together would probably be incredibly uncomfortable for all involved, just to yield a rather depressing story.  As you said, the emotional scars are still there, and the "safe" way to play it is to keep everyone's comments on a very surface level without really delving into the tremendous negative weight that the project still holds for everybody involved.


Title: Re: Brian on Billboard.com -- new album, Smile and reunion (?)
Post by: Wirestone on October 18, 2011, 07:49:59 PM
The media also can't be made to write about anything. Capitol may have called everyone in town, but if folks don't want to write the story, or think no one would be interested in the BBs, those stories aren't going to appear. As I said earlier, paid ads are dodgy these days too, especially when promoting something as old-fashioned as a boxed set.

Capitol might as well be selling deluxe Model T's -- some people will be very excited about how shiny they are, but most people are downloading digital files by artists younger than their 60s.


Title: Re: Brian on Billboard.com -- new album, Smile and reunion (?)
Post by: Awesoman on October 18, 2011, 08:21:53 PM
All things considering, I think the SMiLE release has gotten a fair amount of coverage.  Seen some decent info on it in Billboard and Rolling Stone and random news articles here and there.  Exactly what is everyone expecting here in terms of coverage?


Title: Re: Brian on Billboard.com -- new album, Smile and reunion (?)
Post by: JohnMill on October 18, 2011, 08:32:10 PM
The media also can't be made to write about anything. Capitol may have called everyone in town, but if folks don't want to write the story, or think no one would be interested in the BBs, those stories aren't going to appear. As I said earlier, paid ads are dodgy these days too, especially when promoting something as old-fashioned as a boxed set.

True but The Beach Boys name is still marketable evidenced by the fact that according to Peter Reum that CBS has something in the works currently regarding "SMiLE".  In addition if the band does get back together as a cohesive unit next year, that tour will sell a fair amount of tickets.  It's not as if we are talking about a band that is completely irrelevant in terms of historical importance, just one that currently doesn't exist as an active entity.

I think that is a big part of the puzzle here.  If The Beach Boys were still a cohesive unit in 2011, my belief is this box set would be getting a far more public launch than it is.  But being that they are not a cohesive unit, the launch is being handled by Capitol Records the best they can with internet promotion, contests, special editions etc.  I actually think it's a clever way to launch the material as the campaign is reaching it's target audience quite nicely.

As for "Joe Public", I'd expect some print and television ads to surface a week before the release and as Peter mentioned there is that piece that CBS is working on which will probably very effectively reach the general public.

Something also to keep in mind: As far as the general public is concerned most of this material and indeed some would argue the best parts of this material: "Good Vibrations", "Cabinessence", "Surf's Up" "Heroes and Villains" has already been released for several decades now.  I know there are different versions on this box set and Mark Linett and company have remixed this and that but the general public really doesn't care about that stuff.  Point in case: When The Beatles Anthology albums were released a lot of fans bought Volume 1 on the assumption it was a greatest hits type release and then took to message boards to complain it contained "strange sounding versions of their favorite Beatles tunes".  The general public unfortunately just doesn't dig this kind of stuff the way most of us do!


Title: Re: Brian on Billboard.com -- new album, Smile and reunion (?)
Post by: rab2591 on October 18, 2011, 08:55:17 PM
All things considering, I think the SMiLE release has gotten a fair amount of coverage.  Seen some decent info on it in Billboard and Rolling Stone and random news articles here and there.  Exactly what is everyone expecting here in terms of coverage?

Banners on the Michelin blimp over football games. Sky-typers writing "SMiLE" in the sky over cities. Ads on the side of milk cartons. Golden tickets inside of 10 randomly selected boxsets - and those who find a ticket receive a tour of Brian's house - with a complementary viewing of a re-creation/reenactment of the Psychedelic Sounds taping. Full page paper ads proclaiming the Teenage Symphony to God.

Yeah. This sounds about right. ;)


Title: Re: Brian on Billboard.com -- new album, Smile and reunion (?)
Post by: Keri on October 18, 2011, 10:56:07 PM
I love SMiLE too but the big news for me from this is that Brian is working on a new solo album of new songs. It is weird this 70 year old man still absolutely fascinates me as an artist and I am delighted by news of a new album. I'm happy he did Gershwin and Disney and I enjoy them both but a new album of new songs is wonderful.


Title: Re: Brian on Billboard.com -- new album, Smile and reunion (?)
Post by: mammy blue on October 19, 2011, 06:18:38 AM
Mike's endless summer vs. Brian's SMiLE is the difficult divide in the image of The Beach Boys. I love both periods equally as much but some people don't and form factions over this divide in musical identity.

Funny that you should mention that. I just came upon this new interview, which attempts to cover a Beach Boys world with both Smile and Stamos in it:

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2011/10/16/stars-at-the-shore-the-beach-boys-talk-about-their-new-album-and-a-movie-in-the-works/


Title: Re: Brian on Billboard.com -- new album, Smile and reunion (?)
Post by: GeorgeFellInHisHorn on October 19, 2011, 06:20:36 AM
All things considering, I think the SMiLE release has gotten a fair amount of coverage.  Seen some decent info on it in Billboard and Rolling Stone and random news articles here and there.  Exactly what is everyone expecting here in terms of coverage?

Banners on the Michelin blimp over football games. Sky-typers writing "SMiLE" in the sky over cities. Ads on the side of milk cartons. Golden tickets inside of 10 randomly selected boxsets - and those who find a ticket receive a tour of Brian's house - with a complementary viewing of a re-creation/reenactment of the Psychedelic Sounds taping. Full page paper ads proclaiming the Teenage Symphony to God.

Yeah. This sounds about right. ;)

Throw in a surfboard, and that might just be worth $6000  :lol


Title: Re: Brian on Billboard.com -- new album, Smile and reunion (?)
Post by: onkster on October 19, 2011, 07:22:43 AM
Well, maybe if the SMiLE box goes over well, this will prompt the Beatles camp into finally getting the Let It Be film out.

And maybe a super-deluxe box set for Sgt. Pepper, with all the trimmings.


Title: Re: Brian on Billboard.com -- new album, Smile and reunion (?)
Post by: LostArt on October 19, 2011, 09:50:03 AM
Mike's endless summer vs. Brian's SMiLE is the difficult divide in the image of The Beach Boys. I love both periods equally as much but some people don't and form factions over this divide in musical identity.

Funny that you should mention that. I just came upon this new interview, which attempts to cover a Beach Boys world with both Smile and Stamos in it:

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2011/10/16/stars-at-the-shore-the-beach-boys-talk-about-their-new-album-and-a-movie-in-the-works/
Are the folks at CBS Philly too cheap to hire a proofreader?  Jute box?  Harmonizes instead of harmonies?  Not once, but three times.  Geez.