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Smiley Smile Stuff => General On Topic Discussions => Topic started by: jakeg1235 on March 04, 2015, 08:00:53 AM



Title: Smiley Smile - Reconstructed
Post by: jakeg1235 on March 04, 2015, 08:00:53 AM
hey all, I've been working on a pretty radical reworking of Smiley Smile for a while now and posted it to a new blog I'm starting! You can find all the info you'll want on the blog post; I'd be happy to answer any questions as well, hope you like it, comments appreciated! The link to download is at the bottom of the blog post.

http://albumsreconstructed.blogspot.com/


Title: Re: Smiley Smile - Reconstructed
Post by: Willy Wilson on March 04, 2015, 12:55:10 PM
This is very refreshing... thanks for posting!!


Title: Re: Smiley Smile - Reconstructed
Post by: Mujan, 8@$+@Rc| of a Blue Wizard on March 04, 2015, 01:48:36 PM
hey all, I've been working on a pretty radical reworking of Smiley Smile for a while now and posted it to a new blog I'm starting! You can find all the info you'll want on the blog post; I'd be happy to answer any questions as well, hope you like it, comments appreciated! The link to download is at the bottom of the blog post.

http://albumsreconstructed.blogspot.com/

You're on a roll, man. Once again, I'll give my feedback after I've had some time to give it a listen.


Title: Re: Smiley Smile - Reconstructed
Post by: jakeg1235 on March 04, 2015, 04:58:06 PM
hey all, I've been working on a pretty radical reworking of Smiley Smile for a while now and posted it to a new blog I'm starting! You can find all the info you'll want on the blog post; I'd be happy to answer any questions as well, hope you like it, comments appreciated! The link to download is at the bottom of the blog post.

http://albumsreconstructed.blogspot.com/

You're on a roll, man. Once again, I'll give my feedback after I've had some time to give it a listen.

Thanks a lot, look forward to it!


Title: Re: Smiley Smile - Reconstructed
Post by: Matt Bielewicz on March 05, 2015, 04:06:48 AM
I can't get on board with some of the chordal overlays - for me, some of the vocal chords taken from other places and put over different tracks just don't sit musically with what they've been flown into. Cabinessence, Surf's Up and All Day are the tracks I noticed this most on. The tuned down organ pad behind Cabin Essence doesn't really work, for me - simply slowing down the organ produces a different chord sequence to the original, and that in turn doesn't sit correctly with the Cabin Essence accapellas. Or at least, it creates a completely different set of chords and interchordal relationships than were present in the original track. Perhaps that's what the aim was - but it's playing God too much with Brian's original material for my taste...!

Also, the chords in the original Surf's Up are pretty dense... overlaying vocal pads in another key has to be done carefully if it's to match musically, and a lot of the new overlays just seem... way off to my ear. Again, a lot of strange chords are created that weren't in the original, and they don't work as far as my sense of musicality is involved.

I didn't want to be unduly negative, but the jarring chords really leapt out at me.

I like the idea of a Smiley Smile reconstructed... but this wouldn't be my preferred execution of the idea. Just being honest in my feedback...


Title: Re: Smiley Smile - Reconstructed
Post by: jakeg1235 on March 05, 2015, 09:18:23 AM
I can't get on board with some of the chordal overlays - for me, some of the vocal chords taken from other places and put over different tracks just don't sit musically with what they've been flown into. Cabinessence, Surf's Up and All Day are the tracks I noticed this most on. The tuned down organ pad behind Cabin Essence doesn't really work, for me - simply slowing down the organ produces a different chord sequence to the original, and that in turn doesn't sit correctly with the Cabin Essence accapellas. Or at least, it creates a completely different set of chords and interchordal relationships than were present in the original track. Perhaps that's what the aim was - but it's playing God too much with Brian's original material for my taste...!

Also, the chords in the original Surf's Up are pretty dense... overlaying vocal pads in another key has to be done carefully if it's to match musically, and a lot of the new overlays just seem... way off to my ear. Again, a lot of strange chords are created that weren't in the original, and they don't work as far as my sense of musicality is involved.

I didn't want to be unduly negative, but the jarring chords really leapt out at me.

I like the idea of a Smiley Smile reconstructed... but this wouldn't be my preferred execution of the idea. Just being honest in my feedback...

Appreciate the feedback, I definitely hear you; I took a lot of liberties and while some of it sounds dissonant, I felt it kind of fit with the slightly-off nature of Smiley Smile. But if someone has a better ear for harmony I'd love to hear some edits! In the mean time I'll see if there are changes I can make. Again thanks for the honest feedback!


Title: Re: Smiley Smile - Reconstructed
Post by: Matt Bielewicz on March 05, 2015, 11:28:35 AM
Go, man! Like I said, I love the underlying idea of a reconstructed Smiley - it's just that my personal musical taste doesn't find favour with this particular execution, and that is down to me. We've all 'played Brian' in our SMiLE/Smiley mixes to some extent over the years (I know I have, including pitching down organ chords flown in from elsewhere, incidentally, which is probably why that particularly jarred with me, as I know how hard it is to get right...). There's nothing 'wrong' with any of it. It's good fortune that so many pieces now exist as fodder for these 'roll your own' assemblies - far, far more than when I fired up my Portastudio to begin my first SMiLE mix in 1995...

Keep at it, and good luck!


Title: Re: Smiley Smile - Reconstructed
Post by: FFS on March 05, 2015, 05:40:55 PM
You've got me solely on the notion of moving Gettin  Hungry off, but I don't seem to be able to hear your version poss due to USA site being mute to Us Britishers. However, its an intriguing idea, and I totally agree that She's Goin Bald has to stay - a quintessential Smiley Smile over Smile sketch song.


Title: Re: Smiley Smile - Reconstructed
Post by: jakeg1235 on March 06, 2015, 04:09:21 PM
You've got me solely on the notion of moving Gettin  Hungry off, but I don't seem to be able to hear your version poss due to USA site being mute to Us Britishers. However, its an intriguing idea, and I totally agree that She's Goin Bald has to stay - a quintessential Smiley Smile over Smile sketch song.

Sorry to hear it's unaccessible there, I can PM you the files if you'd like!


Title: Re: Smiley Smile - Reconstructed
Post by: Summertime Blooz on March 06, 2015, 04:48:23 PM
 A Very weird trip. It's certainly it's own thing. I'd take Bag of Tricks and put it at the beginning of H&V instead of Fall Breaks, but whatever floats your boat if you prefer it this way. Thanks for sharing your efforts.


Title: Re: Smiley Smile - Reconstructed
Post by: jakeg1235 on March 08, 2015, 05:13:07 PM
A Very weird trip. It's certainly it's own thing. I'd take Bag of Tricks and put it at the beginning of H&V instead of Fall Breaks, but whatever floats your boat if you prefer it this way. Thanks for sharing your efforts.

Haha thank you! I like that idea, may try it out... thanks for the feedback!