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Smiley Smile Stuff => Polls => Topic started by: buddhahat on October 19, 2012, 12:57:19 PM



Title: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions (Disc 1)
Post by: buddhahat on October 19, 2012, 12:57:19 PM
The KTSA and BB85 seemed to polarise board opinion more than any yet. It's currently tied if anyone cares to redress the balance.

I have a feeling this next one won't be so even, although part of me wishes it will be. Apologies to those exasperated by another Smile vs Pet Sounds thread but I feel it really needs to be settled once and for all!

Just to be clear: As these are twofer polls I think we have to judge the released version of the Smile album, i.e. The Smile Sessions disc 1 approximation, rather than some abstract projection of what Smile might have been. I'd love to stretch the imaginary twofer out to encompass bonus tracks (Trombone Dixie for PS & You're Welcome for Smile) but probably best just to stick to the official tracklisting as per vinyl versions.

Pet Sounds is the tried and tested masterpiece of course, more soulful and emotional, the auteur's vision fully realised, near perfection, but nothing comes close to the sheer ambition and vision of Brian's (and VDP's) Smile era experiments for me. I think Mark Linnet and Alan Boyd did a pretty good job of bottling it all and delivering a wholly satisfying sequence largely in line with Brian and VDP's (and Darian's) BWPS blueprint.

So The Smile Sessions for me ...




Title: Re: Twofer polls #13: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions
Post by: EgoHanger1966 on October 19, 2012, 01:05:32 PM
Interesting poll - as usual.....

I think you could go a couple different ways with this. Because I listen to these albums so much, and because they feature some of the best music ever made, I like to try them out and listen to them in as many different situations as I can find. Some I won't go into.  ;D  The one thing that I've gleaned from this is that these are two VERY spiritual, religious albums for me, and in two very different ways. Pet Sounds is like talking to a God who's your closest friend. Pet Sounds is tangible. SMiLE (small i always!) is a very abstract thing. It's something so elusive, you want to reach out your hand to grab it....and yet, you can't quite get there and you wonder if it's real.

But...I'm always telling people one of them is the best album ever made, and making people listen to me talk about the genius sounds of some guy who created it, and, heck, the shirt I'm wearing right now says "The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds" on it, so I think I'll go with that one.


Title: Re: Twofer polls #13: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions
Post by: buddhahat on October 19, 2012, 01:08:41 PM
Pet Sounds is like talking to a God who's your closest friend. Pet Sounds is tangible.

SMiLE (small i always!) is a very abstract thing. It's something so elusive, you want to reach out your hand to grab it....and yet, you can't quite get there and you wonder if it's real.

Nice way of putting it!


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions
Post by: Bubba Ho-Tep on October 19, 2012, 01:23:33 PM
Pet Sounds, without a moment of hesitation.

The thing on disc 1 of the Smile box is not something I enjoy listening to at all.


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions
Post by: Lonely Summer on October 19, 2012, 01:28:53 PM
Pet Sounds probably is the BETTER album, because, #1, it was completed. But I went through a phase where i played it so much, I don't find myself going back to it very much now. That album was MY album for a long time - felt like Brian had written my autobio. Smile is fresher to me, even though I've heard the boots and BWPS for years. So my vote goes to Smile. But in all reality, how can anyone seriously choose between these two? It's like asking a parent which of their children they love the most.


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions
Post by: Bubba Ho-Tep on October 19, 2012, 01:34:15 PM
Quote
It's like asking a parent which of their children they love the most

To me it's like choosing between a beautiful child and a deformed miscarriage. Not that hard of a choice, really; especially considering the mutilated form you've given me to choose from.


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions
Post by: buddhahat on October 19, 2012, 01:50:47 PM
Quote
It's like asking a parent which of their children they love the most

To me it's like choosing between a beautiful child and a deformed miscarriage. Not that hard of a choice, really; especially considering the mutilated form you've given me to choose from.

I know you feel strongly about this version, and I get where you're coming from, but this is the Beach Boys' official Smile we've ended up with in this universe.

I spent months leading up to the Smile Sessions release dreading mixes of Barnyard and Great Shape that flew in the Humble Harv vocals. When it happened I was bummed but figured I either accepted it as is, or felt cheated for the rest of my life. I've played it so much those Harv vocals sound natural now.

I'm not claiming you should do the same by any means - you have your own personal reasons why this Smile doesn't work for you and I wouldn't dream of telling anyone how to listen to anything, but for what it's worth I'm giving you my take on the sequence and why it works for me. I guess if you follow my line of reasoning you might conclude that I'd be happy if they took a dump in my mum's sunday roast but actually I think they did a great job overall, highpoints being H&V, Worms, Old Master Painter + Fade, Surf's Up, Vegetables (THE greatest success of the whole sequence), Windchimes, Fire with fly ins (!), GV + Hum Be Dums. My gripes are with Great Shape, barnyard, The Child Sequence and the Dada fly ins, but as I say these are minor for me.

I've read a lot of negative comments about Linnett's more contentious Smile mixes, but with the exception of Bruiteur's Barnyard where he erased the piano (although this does expose the shortcomings of the flown in vocal), I've yet to hear one mix that actually improves on the official versions (ok apart from maybe Brian's versions of Look, Fire etc. but that's a different debate).


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions
Post by: FatherOfTheMan Sr101 on October 19, 2012, 01:57:23 PM
Pet Sounds is the greatest album ever created.

Smile transcends albums.

The mystery, the love, the pain, it goes deeper then Pet Sounds, rather then tell you how he feels, you explore him yourself, his mind...

It's Smile for me.


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions
Post by: Freddie French-Pounce on October 19, 2012, 02:46:33 PM
I'm going to go with pet Sounds for a couple of reasons.

1) The old debate that pet Sounds is actually complete. It's was finished the way brian envisioned it, and we have a polished product. Smile has gaps, and, as much as i love the album, playing BWPS reminds me how much more ther ecould be.

2) Album length. I don't like albums to be over 40 mins really, and Smile kills it a bit for me. Having 3 sides also kinda flops it a bit for me, - it's either a single album or a double, although do realise finished albums exist like this. But this is The Beach Boys, and I feel it should be more straightforward than that in this case. Or I'm being OCD.

3) Pet Sounds has something I can always connect to mentally at some point or another, and when it doesn't, the sheer beauty of it still reaches out.  Smile is a demonstration of what Brian could do with the studio, as well as an embracing of the psychedelia of the times - the lyrics, great as they are, are not emotionally relateable. there are point here and there (Man, I love my Vegetables), but it is the emotion of The Beach boys music that makes them my favourite band, and this is where Pet Sounds comes up trumps every time.

But I still think Cuddle Up is more powerful, but that's another debate altogether... Hmmmm.


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions
Post by: Jukka on October 19, 2012, 02:50:21 PM
SMiLE.


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions
Post by: buddhahat on October 19, 2012, 03:06:22 PM

3) Pet Sounds has something I can always connect to mentally at some point or another, and when it doesn't, the sheer beauty of it still reaches out.  Smile is a demonstration of what Brian could do with the studio, as well as an embracing of the psychedelia of the times - the lyrics, great as they are, are not emotionally relateable.

You're right. It's amazing how emotional Pet Sounds feels, and how cerebral and intellectual Smile appears in comparison. And yet the emotion is there in Smile in spades. If you listen to certain tracks without the vocals it's very apparent. The slow part of Child is achingly emotional - really mournful, as much as anything on Pet Sounds. Similarly listen to the Smiley piano only version of Wonderful. And Surf's Up of course (particularly the way brian sings the tag on the Wild Honey era demo). Or Cantina without vocals, or that weird Gershwinesque Heroes part 2 segment, or the a cappella tag to Vegatables. There's so much sadness there amongst the 'happy sounds inside'. But once you apply VDP's lyrics to those tracks they become something else entirely - much more cerebral, intellectual 'head' music. VDP + Brian, to over simplify, is the perfect marriage of head + heart. I don't care especially for Park's work sans Brian I'm sorry to say, exactly because it is over intellectual for my tastes and lacks emotion (imo).


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions
Post by: Sheriff John Stone on October 19, 2012, 04:15:06 PM
The thing on disc 1 of the Smile box is not something I enjoy listening to at all.

Agree; it was a big disappointment. I can't listen to it.

That being said, the rest of the SMiLE box is tremendous. We had a similar thread a while back comparing Pet Sounds and SMiLE. I couldn't decide then and I can't decide now. I abstain. :police:


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions
Post by: Shady on October 19, 2012, 04:30:39 PM
Kills me but I have to vote for "Pet Sounds".


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions
Post by: Mike's Beard on October 19, 2012, 04:41:36 PM
Half of Smile is magnificent, some of the best stuff they ever did. The rest is insignificant noodling by comparison and rather overrated. Pet Sounds is much more plotted out and overall consistant so it gets the nod..


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions
Post by: Cabinessenceking on October 19, 2012, 04:57:56 PM
Some stereo fan mixes go beyond PS, but if we're speaking the mono releases of PS and TSS, then PS by a mile. Mark Linett utterly failed in putting a decent/clean demo vocal from the Barnyard demo over the backing track. All others seem to have managed to not only do that, but also mute the piano to a very large extent. CIFOTM sounds appaling because of the acetate, that should perhaps not have made the cut? There are other small things, like muting the vibraphone on the V-T fade which I cannot comprehend and using the acetate for Barnshine, which makes it sound harribly muddy compared to YAMS whoich preceeds it. Linett and Boyd did a great job don't get me wrong, but there are some warts in there which one would think they could've avoided (given that others have...). Now I'm gonna be hounded for 'not appreciating' everything they did, which is wrong since I dig all the session stuff. PS comes on top in my book. How about a poll of Pet Sounds (stereo) vs Smile A.D?  ;D


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions
Post by: I. Spaceman on October 19, 2012, 09:45:47 PM
I love the released Smile, I'll never listen to another version.


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions
Post by: buddhahat on October 19, 2012, 11:23:55 PM
I love the released Smile, I'll never listen to another version.

Yeah, me too.


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions (album sequence)
Post by: buddhahat on October 19, 2012, 11:28:02 PM
The thing on disc 1 of the Smile box is not something I enjoy listening to at all.

Agree; it was a big disappointment. I can't listen to it.

That being said, the rest of the SMiLE box is tremendous. We had a similar thread a while back comparing Pet Sounds and SMiLE. I couldn't decide then and I can't decide now. I abstain. :police:

SJS - this poll is for the disc 1 sequence, not the complete sessions, so no abstainance necessary! Pet Sounds, right?


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions
Post by: Lonely Summer on October 19, 2012, 11:49:40 PM
I love the released Smile, I'll never listen to another version.

Yeah, me too.
Me three.


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions
Post by: Freddie French-Pounce on October 20, 2012, 01:14:50 AM
I love the released Smile, I'll never listen to another version.

Yeah, me too.
Me three.

Me Four - almost - I play one of my other vinyl 'legs from time to time for no reason otehr than to make me appreciate TSS even more ;D


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions
Post by: theCOD on October 20, 2012, 02:35:21 AM
Quote
It's like asking a parent which of their children they love the most

To me it's like choosing between a beautiful child and a deformed miscarriage. Not that hard of a choice, really; especially considering the mutilated form you've given me to choose from.

Thanks for the new sig! ;D

Couldn't have put it better myself.


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions (album sequence)
Post by: Sheriff John Stone on October 20, 2012, 07:20:38 AM
The thing on disc 1 of the Smile box is not something I enjoy listening to at all.

Agree; it was a big disappointment. I can't listen to it.

That being said, the rest of the SMiLE box is tremendous. We had a similar thread a while back comparing Pet Sounds and SMiLE. I couldn't decide then and I can't decide now. I abstain. :police:

SJS - this poll is for the disc 1 sequence, not the complete sessions, so no abstainance necessary! Pet Sounds, right?

My bad. Yeah, Pet Sounds gets my vote.


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions
Post by: MBE on October 20, 2012, 08:00:45 AM
I really love the 2 LP Smile Sessions, but this is a tough choice. Pet Sounds is more emotional, Smile has more variety. Through 1972 The Beach Boys and Brian really can do little wrong by me period, but this is a peak in a good number of ways. I guess I have to go with Pet Sounds, but perhaps had they finished a few more vocal tracks I would give it to Smile. Glad I have both!


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions
Post by: rab2591 on October 20, 2012, 08:27:54 AM
Pet Sounds.

HOWEVER: If this were BWPS vs Pet Sounds I don't think I could participate in the poll - it would be a tie.

My one gripe with TSS version is its LENGTH. It's just too long to enjoy, imo. I really enjoy BWPS because all the songs are finished and they truly take you on a journey. I can't really listen to TSS version all the way through without getting kinda bored - the missing vocals just kill the vibe in a lot of the songs.

btw, I think Mark did an amazing job with this set and I think we all owe him a lot of thanks for his hard work!


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions
Post by: Paulos on October 20, 2012, 11:42:47 AM
Had to go for Pet Sounds because of the obvious - Smile Sessions disc one is an incomplete approximation of what an album titled Smile may have sound like so the comparison with Pet Sounds, a complete work, is unfair.


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions
Post by: Mendota Heights on October 20, 2012, 01:20:46 PM
SMiLE all the way! What's better than SMiLE?

Well, nothing.

Tripped on a cornucopia...  :drumroll


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions
Post by: runnersdialzero on October 20, 2012, 02:57:50 PM
Some stereo fan mixes go beyond PS, but if we're speaking the mono releases of PS and TSS, then PS by a mile. Mark Linett utterly failed in putting a decent/clean demo vocal from the Barnyard demo over the backing track. All others seem to have managed to not only do that, but also mute the piano to a very large extent.

Never heard a mix that isolated it well enough for their not to be too many distracting artifacts, which I don't think belong on an official release.

P.S. Mark Linett - utter failure. (Note sarcasm plz)


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions
Post by: EgoHanger1966 on October 20, 2012, 03:58:49 PM
Can't tell if you're being sarcasmy or not. I think we all wish we had Mark L.'s job. While there are many instances of choices we would have done differently, the man gave us Pet Sounds in stereo, which is a fine fine mix, and that is the mix that changed my life, and for that, I will be indebted to him. I think the Smiley Smile mix is superb as well. He did a nice job mixing The Explorers Club's Grand Hotel, which came out this year, also. While there ARE a crapload of mixes where I scratch my head and say, "why did he do it THAT way?", I don't think we can jump on the guy so heavily forfor making decisions that someone is approving.


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions
Post by: Magic Transistor Radio on October 20, 2012, 04:09:19 PM
SMiLE has had more impact on me then anything by anyone.


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions
Post by: RadBooley on October 20, 2012, 04:15:59 PM
SMiLE has had more impact on me then anything by anyone.
I agree with this and I'dve totally voted for SMiLE in the poll... ...if not for fact it mentioned it was disc one only. SMiLE is this big, personal, uncompleted thing and just limiting it to disc one really limits that for me.


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions
Post by: Cabinessenceking on October 20, 2012, 04:49:05 PM
is swedish frog back?  :drunks :woot :thumbsup :pirate :pirate :spin


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions
Post by: runnersdialzero on October 20, 2012, 05:29:28 PM
Can't tell if you're being sarcasmy or not. I think we all wish we had Mark L.'s job. While there are many instances of choices we would have done differently, the man gave us Pet Sounds in stereo, which is a fine fine mix, and that is the mix that changed my life, and for that, I will be indebted to him. I think the Smiley Smile mix is superb as well. He did a nice job mixing The Explorers Club's Grand Hotel, which came out this year, also. While there ARE a crapload of mixes where I scratch my head and say, "why did he do it THAT way?", I don't think we can jump on the guy so heavily forfor making decisions that someone is approving.

Lots of sarcasmy. I just thought it was odd to call something he did an "utter failure" is all.


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions
Post by: theCOD on October 20, 2012, 05:46:49 PM
I just thought it was odd to call something he did an "utter failure" is all.

Well, there is the Whispering Winds fly-in.


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions
Post by: TimeToGetAlone on October 20, 2012, 10:10:22 PM
It's a tough call as Pet Sounds is a truly complete album, both in terms of vision and product.  This period marks the absolute pinnacle of songwriting and production in the Beach Boys catalogue.  The Smile Sessions having some littler, less substantial tracks and some uncompleted songs hurts my usual mathematical method.  I actually gave the edge to the Smile Sessions largely because I feel the meat of the project is just too good.  There's a certain playfulness to the music which I find really appealing, bringing some psychedelic weirdness where Pet Sounds had more of a classic baroque sound.  Both are indispensable.

Surf's Up
God Only Knows
Wonderful
Good Vibrations
Heroes and Villains
Wouldn't It Be Nice
Cabin Essence
Caroline, No
Sloop John B
You Still Believe in Me
Child is Father of the Man
Let's Go Away for Awhile
Vega-Tables
I Just Wasn't Made For These Times
Don't Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder)
Our Prayer
Wind Chimes
Here Today
I'm Waiting for the Day
Gee
My Only Sunshine
Pet Sounds
That's Not Me
Do You Like Worms
Look (Song For Children)
Love to Say Dada
The Elements: Fire
I Wanna Be Around/Workshop
I Know There's an Answer
I'm in Great Shape
Holidays
Barnyard


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions
Post by: Magic Transistor Radio on October 22, 2012, 08:05:04 PM
SMiLE has had more impact on me then anything by anyone.
I agree with this and I'dve totally voted for SMiLE in the poll... ...if not for fact it mentioned it was disc one only. SMiLE is this big, personal, uncompleted thing and just limiting it to disc one really limits that for me.

How about Pet Sounds box vs SMiLE box?


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions
Post by: FatherOfTheMan Sr101 on October 22, 2012, 08:30:15 PM
Oh man smile box all the way


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions
Post by: EgoHanger1966 on October 22, 2012, 08:40:10 PM
SMiLE has had more impact on me then anything by anyone.
I agree with this and I'dve totally voted for SMiLE in the poll... ...if not for fact it mentioned it was disc one only. SMiLE is this big, personal, uncompleted thing and just limiting it to disc one really limits that for me.

How about Pet Sounds box vs SMiLE box?

Pet Sounds box.
SMiLE box is a treasure trove, though.


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions
Post by: smilethebeachboysloveyou on October 22, 2012, 09:06:43 PM
The Smile Sessions contains two of the three best Beach Boys songs (they are "Cabin Essence" and "Surf's Up"; the other is "'Til I Die") and several others that match anything on Pet Sounds ("Heroes and Villains," "Do You Like Worms," "Wonderful," "Look," and the extended "Good Vibrations").  On the other hand, it also has a lot of undeveloped snippets of music like "I'm in Great Shape" or "The Old Master Painter/You Were My Sunshine"; they aren't bad, but they do leave me wanting much, much more.  Pet Sounds has the advantage of being a complete work and containing many of the band's greatest songs, and was also the band's first album that I heard, but in some ways the incompleteness of Smile makes it more alluring.  I thus give my vote to The Smile Sessions.


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions (Disc 1)
Post by: Don Malcolm on October 23, 2012, 08:48:10 AM
I think TTGA has got a pretty good perspective on this issue as a result of the nifty "side-by-side" technique, and it would make the comparison crystal clear if "Our Prayer," "Wind Chimes" and "Vega-Tables" were graded lower in that scheme than "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times" (definitely in the top ten of the combined tracks, IMO). I'd place those tracks below "Here Today" and above "I'm Waiting For The Day." When you do that, you see what is (IMO) a really sizable disparity in quality level between the top Smile tracks and the rest of the material. As alluring as the incomplete Smile is ("lost and found you still remain there..."), it ends up weighing over the music, continuing to cast a shadow that BWPS doesn't emerge from (in some ways creating its own set of shadows).

Q: Are five mindblowing tracks (Cabinessence, Surf's Up, GV, H&V, and Wonderful) enough to trump  the whole of Pet Sounds?

A: Almost, but not quite.


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions
Post by: rab2591 on October 23, 2012, 10:08:06 AM
SMiLE has had more impact on me then anything by anyone.
I agree with this and I'dve totally voted for SMiLE in the poll... ...if not for fact it mentioned it was disc one only. SMiLE is this big, personal, uncompleted thing and just limiting it to disc one really limits that for me.

How about Pet Sounds box vs SMiLE box?

Pet Sounds.

That WIBN (stereo track with background vocals) is the most beautiful song I've ever heard...and I'd much rather have that than anything on the Smile Sessions set.

I HATE that there is an entire CD devoted to Good Vibrations. I would've LOVED some more CIFOTM session takes. I would've LOVED a 'Wonderful (backing track with background vocals)' track. I've only listened to the GV sessions CD once - it's just overkill to listen to take after take after take of GV. It's damn interesting, but only for one listen through, imo.

However, The SMiLE Sessions is the most beautiful boxset I own. The book, the vinyls, the 45s, the CD holder - it's just a tremendous boxset and is second in my book as the best boxset ever made.


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions
Post by: Freddie French-Pounce on October 23, 2012, 10:53:16 AM
....second in my book as the best boxset ever made.

What's the first?


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions
Post by: rab2591 on October 23, 2012, 11:03:22 AM
....second in my book as the best boxset ever made.

What's the first?

Pet Sounds.

I worded my original post wrong: It's my second favorite is what I meant....as for best, who knows.


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions
Post by: Freddie French-Pounce on October 23, 2012, 11:17:33 AM
....second in my book as the best boxset ever made.

What's the first?

Pet Sounds.

I worded my original post wrong: It's my second favorite is what I meant....as for best, who knows.

Ah, makes sense


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions (Disc 1)
Post by: Ziggy Stardust on October 23, 2012, 11:50:08 AM
I'm gonna have to go with SMiLE :(


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions (Disc 1)
Post by: bluesno1fann on February 08, 2014, 02:09:07 AM
Pet Sounds.

Though only because Smile was never completed.


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions
Post by: Mujan, 8@$+@Rc| of a Blue Wizard on March 17, 2014, 08:57:50 PM
Pet Sounds.

HOWEVER: If this were BWPS vs Pet Sounds I don't think I could participate in the poll - it would be a tie.

My one gripe with TSS version is its LENGTH. It's just too long to enjoy, imo. I really enjoy BWPS because all the songs are finished and they truly take you on a journey. I can't really listen to TSS version all the way through without getting kinda bored - the missing vocals just kill the vibe in a lot of the songs.

btw, I think Mark did an amazing job with this set and I think we all owe him a lot of thanks for his hard work!

I agree and disagree. It's not the length itself so much as the *sequencing* which makes it feel longer than it really is.

To answer the poll, I said Pet Sounds. HOWEVER that's only because you're comparing it to TSS Disc 1, which in my humble opinion, is a well meaning but misguided, haphazard mess which doesn't do the material justice. I bought TSS boxset and it's literally one of my most prized posessions. But listening to Disc 1 the first time was a monumental disappointment.

Without going into too much detail, my gripes with this mix are:

-H&V sounds kinda "messy." Most fan mixes and bootlegs I've heard sequence this track a lot better, and it's just a bit too long for my tastes. I love H&Vs, but some versions of it wear out their welcome and drag on, and this is one of them. I hate the way it ends especially. Just...very anticlimactic.

-All the fragmentary, unfinished, flow-killing "feels" at the beginning cause the album to lose all momentum. I always find newcomers to SMiLE getting bored at this point. Yeah, Barnyard and OMP are nice, but they should've been left on the outtakes discs, not in the now-official cut of the album.

-Wonderful, Look and CIFOTM don't flow into one another as the could/should. CIFOTM is too short for all the beautiful outtakes recorded for it. The fly-ins for Look are distracting, underwhelming and unnecessary. If you couldn't find the lost vocal session, just keep it an instrumental.

-Surf's Up's emotional power is completely lost when the absurd, humorous Vega-Tables comes so soon after. It's like the beginning of a whole seperate album and not in a good way.

-I didn't mind, but I can see why people dislike the Whispering Winds fly-ins.

-Why leave Cool, cool water off if you include I Wanna Be Around? Why not put Workshop after Fire if you insist on including it at all? Why fly in vocals for Dada but not the flutes from Second Day?

-Apparently I'm in the minority here, but I hate GV as an album closer.

-Overall, and this is the biggest complaint I have, why follow the BWPS sequence at all? It worked for a triumphant live show in BWPS, where they could rewrite sections of the old songs to make it work. But it just doesn't do the studio material from '67 any justice. We've come to accept the BWPS Tracklisting as more or less set in stone at this point. I think this is a grave mistake, and an insult to SMiLE and its endless possibilities. I appreciate the work that went into the boxset, and how hard it mustve been...but I cannot think of any justification for using the BWPS order other than apathy, laziness and blind following tradition.

So, while SMiLE is my favorite project from any artist, and has become almost an obsession these past five years since I first heard it...if it's between Pet Sounds and the butchered TSS Disc 1 SMiLE...I pick Pet Sounds. It's a hauntingly beautiful, tightly focused album.


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions (Disc 1)
Post by: ThyRavenAscend on March 17, 2014, 09:53:32 PM
Pet Sounds reigned as my favorite album of all time, and I anticipated that that would never change.

Then The SMiLE Sessions happened.

I get tired of Pet Sounds; I don't tire of SMiLE.  I really like the modular approach they took in writing/recording SMiLE--love how musical themes pop in and out throughout.  All-in-all, I actually think SMiLE (as it's put together on TSS) is a more cohesive album both musically and lyrically than Pet sounds.  Lastly, I just think the music/lyrics float my boat in regards to my preferences.

...However, "Wouldn't It Be Nice" still reigns as my favorite song of all time.


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions (Disc 1)
Post by: JK on March 18, 2014, 05:44:51 AM
Pet Sounds----if only because I prefer Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE to TSS.


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions (Disc 1)
Post by: branaa09 on March 18, 2014, 09:34:21 AM
Hmmm. A complete classic compared with a Set of fragments. Hard to pick but, Pet Sounds was finished unlike the original 1966 Smile Sessions which I love too.


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions (Disc 1)
Post by: leggo of my ego on March 18, 2014, 05:42:29 PM
Pet sounds is winning so I will go with Pet Sounds.  ;)


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions (Disc 1)
Post by: RangeRoverA1 on January 04, 2017, 05:07:24 AM
Pet sounds is winning so I will go with Pet Sounds.  ;)
It shouldn't win. Why it wins? TSS is cool. Pet Sounds is good, some great songs but TSS, even with boring short tracks, beats it.


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions (Disc 1)
Post by: KDS on January 04, 2017, 05:26:15 AM
Pet sounds is winning so I will go with Pet Sounds.  ;)
It shouldn't win. Why it wins? TSS is cool. Pet Sounds is good, some great songs but TSS, even with boring short tracks, beats it.

I think PS over TSS because it's a fully released album.  TSS is a mostly finished work that was pieced together using Brian's 2004 version as a template. 

I also think that PS flows better as an album.  You might be able to make an argument that the high points on TSS are higher than PS, but PS is more consistent. 


Title: Re: Twofer polls #12: Pet Sounds vs. The Smile Sessions (Disc 1)
Post by: B.E. on December 19, 2017, 10:13:15 PM
Even if Smile had been finished, I'm not confident I'd prefer it to Pet Sounds. In fact, I doubt it. The Smile Sessions (Disc 1)? No chance.

Pet Sounds