I've blown the dust off the the summer days / today twofer in the past couple of weeks, first time I've listened to it for years and years. I can't believe what I have been missing. I'd forgot how good both of these albums are. Today gets a 4 because of bull sessions and ronda, if 'dumb' was on there instead, it would be full marks.

Do you wanna dance just blows me away, especially the final falsetto that's cranked up on the last chorus. I'd have this for a contender for my 'songs that could easily have been singles' list, should I ever make one.

An album that's still good to listen to, today. Hee, do you see what I did there? Nice.

Ah, it ain't so bad. I've always had a soft spot for 'pasadena', JBG is good fun, and love the intro to LDC (and Al on rhythm guitar - deathly silence) I cannae give it nae more than a 2 though

Well that just works a treat, top work fella. 

I want to know this too, and I wish someone would make a stereo version using the backing track and background vocals, because I sure as hell can't get it to work!

It's not perfect, but here you go:  http://www.megaupload.com/?d=IFJ3W558

Who's Henry?

Ah thanks for that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaIJvlHXEqU

I don't think I've ever heard the whiste/dum dum dum part added to the end of the dum dum dum heroes and villains part. It seems a natural connection. If that makes no sense, I'll add some track times.

This has always been my favourite smile song. The first part is nothing too special, but jeez, when the massive vocals and horns come in, I challenge any spine not to get a tingle.

I'm too find the percussion a little distracting, but I can live with it

Was the rock me with Henry bit, ever really 'on the table' as a vocal insert, or was it just a duff lyric to fill in a bass vocal line to be determined at a later point. Who's Henry?

I think this disc 1 version, is just about perfect, great to see the yodel back in, I feel sure it would have been lower in the mix back in the day, bur nice to hear closer to the front

The cheapest I've seen it (delux box) in the uk is at sainsburys (ooh, nectar points too)! £116.99

http://www.sainsburysentertainment.co.uk/en/Music/CD/The-Beach-Boys/The-Smile-Sessions-Deluxe-Box-5CDPlus2LPPlus2x7/product.html?product=E11011157&utm_medium=basefeed&utm_source=google

I was really tempted for the tour, but tickets were silly prices - Im sure they were £45-£105.  And without Mike Nesmith, I didnt fancy it.

I've really been into the Illusion albums lately. I consider Estranged and November Rain works of art.  Say what you want about Axl, but every artist has his "masterpiece". Those songs are Axl's. 

Like I said earlier, you need to hear the old demos to know how good November Rain could've been. Check this (forget the visuals, or don't...) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1O70QP80oMM
Hope you like

I had this verison on a tape before the Use Your Illusion discs came out. (and a longish piano verison too). The acoustic verison is just stunning, I could have wept when I heard the over produced album version. I never really forgave GnR after that.

Lovely. Thanks for sharing that

Hmmm, my POB (disc 1) won't play on my PC.

It opens up like a powerpoint type of thing, with the liner notes, but I can't see any music on there. It'll play in the car, but that's no good as the sounds rubbish, plus I want to listen to it on my PC right now, and put it on my MP3 player

Anyone any idea what's happened? Have I got a duff CD, or is my PC misbehaving? Any help would really be appreciated

I've heard some of the backing vocal tracks (from the SOT sessions) and there's a mamamamamamamama (mike) with some additional humming backgrounds (Brian?) chant type of on there. I've never been able to work out where they would have fit on the song? Anyone know?

A few others, that spring to mind

Gorkys Zygotic Mynci - Diamond Dew. It's like Smiley Smile in 3 minutes!

Euros Childs - Bore Da (the last third) is a pure Brian Wilson tag

Jim Noir - I can't See. Wouldn't be out of place on Sunflower