It made my day to hear this Rockin Track. Can't wait to hear more!

This is one of the greatest threads I have ever read, Kudos and thanks to all and a special thank you to Alan Boyd for mentioning the great Phelps Dept. Store which is a place that has given me so many happy memories,

Jezzo

 Great work Jon as always, Kudo's to you and your team. A great read for Beach Boys fans new and old!

Wow, I just heard disc one of The Smile Sessions box for the first time and I'm speechless! I'm glad I waited till it arrived. What a great package and I am grateful that this music is out there for the world to enjoy. Kudo's to all involved!

I sure am glad I got my subscription going again. Great issue with lots of interviews about POB/Bambu. Great insight from the the team who worked with Dennis including one of my all time favorite keyboard players Carli Munoz who explains the spiritual and creative vibe that went into this  music. The CD has some real gems including Alan Boyd's  beautiful and haunting piano ballad  Lost On The moon, and an amazing collaboration between Paul Steel and Stephen Kalinich called Ocean.

I suppose this is somewhat off topic but since Pleasure Island is being discussed, here is a song I wrote and recorded in the early 90's with the same title.  The descending chord sequence will be somewhat familiar. 
http://www.myspace.com/jezgraham

repost from my blog-
 
More on TLOS

Listening to the physical CD was a real treat. I highly recommend this disc for anyone who has ever been moved by the music of Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys. It's almost like the record I was always hoping The Beach Boys would make after Love You, in fact I hear it as the missing link between The Fairy Tale from Holland, Love You and Brian's solo material. The stand out songs for me are Oxygen To The Brain, Midnight's Another Day, Going Home, and Southern California. Chord-wise these progressions bring to mind elements also found in Till I Die, Don't Worry Baby, Ding Dang, and other Beach Boys classics. I love how the Roll around Heaven theme from That Luck Old Sun is interwoven into the fabric of the piece, particularly the Reprise. Oxygen To The Brain is destined to become a Brian Wilson classic. It's a subject he has written about through the years but this is like he took all those songs like Too Much Sugar and made them into a symphony. The arrangements on the album really add to the flow especially the string writing by Paul Von Mertens and the keyboard playing throughout of Scott Bennett, Darian Sahanaja, and Brian himself. I particularly like the Organ parts and the synth sounds that bring in elements of Holland and Love You. The contributions of each band member are remarkable, the array of sound colors and beautiful singing that brings this music to life has the collaborative spirit which shows. Produced by Brian Wilson, engineered by Mark Linett with songs by Brian Wilson/Scott Bennett, The title song is an old standard by Gillespie/Smith and the narratives are written by Van Dyke Parks. The songs are sung in a relaxed style by Brian who sounds great and now it's time for me to get to the piano and try and figure out Midnight's Another Day, See ya

Just want to say thanks to all you cool Smiley Smilers for the kind comments. Regarding Solar System,  It's one of those great songs with great chord changes and a beautiful melody, plus it's such a nice waltz. Brian has so many of them and this one is a classic.
Thanks again to all and to Eric I thank you for your encouragement and for suggesting that I play Had To Phone Ya,
Jez

Here's my take on TLOS.
 I have been listening to the stream on and off for several days and I have noticed that everywhere I go when I'm on the way to work and back I have had these cool melodies popping in and out of my head. Such an end of summer treat for the ears and the heart. The arrangements and the musical colors are presented in full Technicolor. I am drawn into the keyboard textures in the narrative pieces. I love them all but especially Between Pictures and Venice Beach. While I am loving the first half, the segment starting with California Role is where it really comes together for me. The feel on the part where Brian's lead vocal comes in on is sublime. It's a 2 feel that you might have heard in songs of the 20's and 30's with a little swing but not too much. By the end fade with a little dixieland jam that has some excellent clarinet work by Paul Mertens, we have been on a musical tour of styles from Hollywood's golden era of song and dance. I also love the combined lead vocals of Scott Bennett and Brian Wilson on this. The sequence from Oxygen To The Brain through Midnights Another Day is mesmerizing.A big fan Too Much Sugar and all the other Brian health songs, this one has such a fun feel and the music like the rest of the album is so natural and organic sounding. This one is ripe with all the things I love about Brian Wilson music. reminding me a fully realized version of some of the Adult Child era material.I'm loving the horn and vocal arrangements and most of all Brian's relaxed lead vocal. This one has it all, The 2 feel makes another appearance and I'm intrigued when E major becomes E minor and then back to E major for another verse. This is a great musical device that is similar to the one used in Cry and in songs by Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, and George Gershwin. I don't know what I can add about Midnight's Another Day except that I love it and will be studying it for years.
That last Lucky Old Sun reprise is the one that really gets to me because of this brilliant chord sequence- Ab/Db Bb/Gb Ab/Db Bb/Gb Ab/Db Bb/Gb Eb-7 Bb-7 Bmaj7 Ab-7 Db/Gb Db Gb Gb/B
Now we get to hear Brian sing a blues number which is a real treat. Now most artists don't sing blues in the key of Gb but leave it to Brian and company to bring us home in the culmination of this trip to L.A. In addition to being in Gb, what set's this apart from other blues songs is the rich jazzy harmonic brilliance of the segment with the words (At 25) just try to follow the piano part that accompanies the breathtaking vocals.The track for this song is full of fun for us all. I love the references to the unreleased Proud Mary sessions ,the rockin piano, the quirky Love you-ish gliss that shows up a couple times,the measure of 7 before Brian sings Homesick,the harmonica,vocals,the kitchen sink, it's all here and it's all perfect. Southern California is a beautiful song and great way to end the record. I am particularly moved by simplicity of the production of this song and the final crescendo leading to the last chord, the vibes add such a nice touch as do the loving background vocals.

Hi Folks,
I haven't posted in a couple of years, but thought I would share my new Beach Boys page that compiles some of my piano tributes.
Thanks for listening,
Jez

http://jezgraham.com/jezsbeachboyspage.html