CBS has a video story of the SMiLE Box release, and it includes some b&w clips of the Boys during some original Smile sessions. They claim these clips have never been broadcast before. They are really great. You glimpses of all the guys. But what really sticks out is the energy Brian shows as he directs the sessions--punching his fists, belting out vocals, etc. Has anyone seen these clips before? Know what studio this is? I've seen pics of Brian wearing this shirt and vest before, and it's nice to be able to put that in context.

Can anyone save a copy of this video? I tried with RealPlayer but it only saved the commercial.

Here is the link--
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7386778n&tag=mncol;lst;1

(If it doesn't work, just search for the BB's on the site and you'll get it.)

Music goes in and out of style, and even though the BB's will never be "hip" to the "hipster elites", as long as the majority of bands that come out are watered down talentless image freaks, people will start recognizing what the BB's were and are, and start accepting and respecting them. What else is there?

Besides, the music is so great that it can't reamain a cult phenomena forever....which, to me it is.....I mean, where will they stand in 100 years? Perhaps the music will be more popular than it is now...WE all know it is that good.....

The more hype for POB the better......there is no such thing as bad publicity.


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It seems like the Beach Boys are one of the few groups who are both a "cult phenomena" and a mainstream staple at the same time. No doubt that works to their advantage, since there is always one segment of the population that keeps the music in people's minds. The surf/hotrod/kokomo stuff is for the mainstream folks, and everything from SMiLE through Love You is music geek/hipster territory. Pet Sounds is probably where the two overlap.

I think there will always be a demand for good harmony vocal music, so the Boys music will keep on going through these cycles of popularity indefinitely. I'm not so sure about 'no such thing as bad publicity' --unless you're talking about Hollywood starlets! I keep thinking about the Peter Frampton syndrome, but then again, that was from a time when people could not interact with the media (or be the media) like we can today. 

Ever since SMiLE '04 came out, more bands are name-checking Brian and the Boys.
That's cool, but what bugs me is the record reviews. Any time a group has a harmony sound, the review describes it as a Beach Boys sound, or something Brian Wilson would envy. Sometimes it's true, mostly it's hype.

I can live with people trying to sound hip, or sell records, but this seems like it will backfire at the expense of some great music. Already I'm seeing some blogs talking about Pet Sounds and the BB's being overrated, and half the replies agree.
Recently there was one blogger that even warned people to beware of the upcoming deluge of hype for POB!

Are these people overly reactionary, is this just the old cycle of things going in and out of style? This happens with the Beatles, and Sgt Pepper in particular, but never enough to make them "uncool" to like. When is it enough already?

To find more sound-alikes, all you have to do is a Google Blog search for Brian Wilson or Beach Boys. They are being name-checked left and right, especially since SMiLE '04 came out. Plus every other new band, especially if they sing in harmony, gets compared to the BB's in review articles. It's actually starting to get a bit silly.