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680599 Posts in 27601 Topics by 4068 Members - Latest Member: Dae Lims March 29, 2024, 12:37:51 AM
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126  Non Smiley Smile Stuff / General Music Discussion / Re: He's a Rebel - Spector's greatest moment? on: January 08, 2007, 02:04:18 AM
I thought "He's A Rebel"  was the finest moment for Hal Blaine - and perhaps the finest moment for drums in rock as well.
Something that seemed to be lost I think by Springsteen when he went for a Spector-like sound in 1974-75 was that Spector gave the drummer relatively free reign.   (or perhaps Bruce just consciously differed on this). 
     
127  Non Smiley Smile Stuff / General Music Discussion / Re: The Police: Reunion! on: January 08, 2007, 01:42:27 AM
I would want to see them also.  I wonder if they will record new music?

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STING is in talks to reform The Police

The idea of needing "talks" makes me shudder.  It worked out pretty well the first time without that didn't it?
128  Non Smiley Smile Stuff / General Music Discussion / Re: Tower Records Is NOT Dead! on: January 08, 2007, 01:34:17 AM
That's great news!  I was hoping their site would stay up.  The Tower website is excellent for checking discographys, in some ways better than the AMG All-Music guides.  Are there any Tower stores still open?  The one down in Newport Beach/Costa Mesa Ca. shut down abruptly without specific notice prior to the final shopping week before Christmas, which surprised me.
129  Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: If the Beach Boys never excisted... on: January 03, 2007, 10:57:52 AM
Well said Jon!

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What about Murry? Don't you guys think he was important in the early days?

I have great respect for Murry in spite of all the negative lore.  It occurs to me that it was unusual for a kid in 1963 (even one with some hit singles) to demand the right to produce his own records and go outside the record company and use whatever studios he wanted.  I suspect that it wasn't Brian that put his nose in the record company execs face.  Jon was it Murry that secured these rights for his son?     
130  Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: Stereo Beach Boys on: January 03, 2007, 10:41:08 AM
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I love the Beatles stereo mixes!

I liked them also and I like them best on the 1st four lps or so.  I could isolate a lot of what Harrison was playing and also mostly isolate the track (this was back when the records were current) It helped me learn to play guitar and to arrange a song for a rock group.
131  Non Smiley Smile Stuff / General Music Discussion / Re: Sky Saxon - New Solo Album and Jan Berry Tribute on: January 03, 2007, 10:17:42 AM
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Just go to our MySpace site

The photo of Jan and Dean at the Watts Towers is pretty cool (just like Mingus and Harold Land "In the Land of Jazz" ).  Are there any other shots in circulation from that photo shoot and do you have any idea when the shoot was and what it was done for?
132  Non Smiley Smile Stuff / General Music Discussion / Re: Ahmet Ertegun has died on: December 16, 2006, 03:18:03 AM
The Ertegun brothers were extremely important in bringing black music (both jazz and R&B) to the mass audience.  Ahmet was also important to rock.  He signed Led Zepplin after hearing their demo and convinced CSN to bring Neil Young into the band.  The brothers also helped bring soccer to North America co-founding the N.Y. Cosmos.
Ahmet was renowned for caring about the musicians he worked with as people first and he maintained many of the personal relationships he had with artists even after they left his label.  Frank Zappa named one of his sons (Ahmet -born 1974) for him. 


   
         
133  Non Smiley Smile Stuff / General Music Discussion / Re: Modern Folk Quartet - This Could Be the Night (1965) on: December 11, 2006, 01:06:10 AM
Harry Nilsson  recorded a version of the song with two additional verses during sessions for an album that was tentatively titled "Papa's Got A Brown New Robe".   He finished the vocals for the album on Jan. 15, 1994 then died that night from heart failure.  The album has never been released but the newer version of "T.C.B.T.N." appears on a 2006 promotional cd "Perfect Day - The Songs Of Nilsson".
134  Non Smiley Smile Stuff / General Music Discussion / Re: The early Beatles in Liverpool on: December 03, 2006, 11:42:33 PM
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I have a question for anyone with 'Beatles in Liverpool' knowledge.  I've been a fan of the Beatles since Oct. 63  (pre- Ed Sullivan) when I saw them on a segment of the Huntley Brinkley Report and I was wondering about the proximity of their childhood homes.  About how closely did they live to each other at the time they formed  (the Fab Four, Sutcliffe, and Best)?   

I have heard Paul say that he indeed walked through the course to get to John's but I did not know what GC he was talking about until you and RichardSnow posted your responses here.   John was an avid golfer so I would assume he played some here.  He did play at Hoylake (Royal Liverpool) which is a pretty tough course - the 2006 British Open venue.

I hadn't heard about Paul caddying.  It could be that being left handed kept him from getting involved as a player.  Back then it was very difficult for left handers to get equipment.  (Ben Hogan was a lefty but switched to r.h. because he couldn't get l.h. clubs as a kid).  I think musicians tend to make good golfers.  Tempo and feel go a long way in golf.  Legendary jazz pianist Bill Evans had a beautiful swing.  Neil Young is quite proficient (good short game) and his brother has been a career PGA teaching professional!   
135  Non Smiley Smile Stuff / General Music Discussion / Re: back to mono on: December 03, 2006, 01:13:28 AM
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I understand the desire to listen to these things in stereo.  Everybody expects a revelation like Pet Sounds or something.
 

Not "everybody".  No revelation. I hoped for just about what came out with the stereo Pet Sounds , and I prefer it over mono.  It's closer to what those present in the sessions heard.  Live group music is not in mono.  For me stereo adds a lot of the dimension and life that exists in real time.  Mono is ok but I think it is artificial;  a homogenization of  collective effort.    I view and hear the work of a musical group as something where there are seperate and distinct  individual efforts and a common goal -  the song.  A producer with early Spector's philosophy really seeks, for the most part, to erradicate individual performance by building the 'Wall-of-sound'.  It's an interesting technique.  I have no quarrel with those who want to listen in mono.  Many receivers are equipped with a mono button.  But I prefer hearing both the individual and collective and I think stereo seperation helps achieve that. 

By the way even vintage period Spector productions were not exclusively mono.  For example I have listened to some of his released Righteous Brothers productions in stereo. 
   

   

 

       
136  Non Smiley Smile Stuff / General Music Discussion / Re: back to mono on: December 02, 2006, 02:41:47 AM
That's a great buy, but what I really want is "Back To Mono" remastered in stereo!
137  Non Smiley Smile Stuff / General Music Discussion / Re: Modern Folk Quartet - This Could Be the Night (1965) on: November 30, 2006, 12:07:10 PM
The Big TNT show itself is an excellent concert movie.  I believe it was filmed at the auditorium later known as the Aquarius Theatre 6230 Sunset Blvd  on Sunset in E. Hollywood.  It’s still there although I don’t know what they are using it for now. 

Brian Wilson covered the song in 1995 on the ‘For the Love of Harry - Everybody Sings Nilsson’ LP.  According to MFQ member Henry Diltz,  Brian was present in his robe and pajamas, at the conclusion of the recording session for the song.  MFQ rehearsed with Spector joining in a lot during this time at Spector’s house. It’s a shame that the song was not released but at least nobody got shot.       
138  Non Smiley Smile Stuff / General Music Discussion / Re: The early Beatles in Liverpool on: November 30, 2006, 01:42:45 AM
Thanks for the info and links  Richardsnow and Forgetmarie!  Is it maybe 3/4 of a mile between the McCartney family Forthlin Rd home and John's Aunt's Menlove Ave. home?
I will have to get over there in the future for a tour.  I'll probably go play the Allerton Golf Course between their homes while I'm at it.  It appears from descriptions to be just the kind of old, and a little quirky, course that I greatly enjoy. 
139  Non Smiley Smile Stuff / General Music Discussion / The early Beatles in Liverpool on: November 26, 2006, 02:17:38 AM
I have a question for anyone with 'Beatles in Liverpool' knowledge.  I've been a fan of the Beatles since Oct. 63  (pre- Ed Sullivan) when I saw them on a segment of the Huntley Brinkley Report and I was wondering about the proximity of their childhood homes.  About how closely did they live to each other at the time they formed  (the Fab Four, Sutcliffe, and Best)?   
140  Non Smiley Smile Stuff / General Music Discussion / Re: Tom Waits' \ on: November 24, 2006, 12:58:25 PM
In the 1980's I attended a show he did at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles.  He opened that show, for some reason, with a great version of the relatively obscure Door's song "Take It As It Comes".   It was certainly unexpected and was an impressive statement.   I thought that Waits brought that song to life wonderfully.  Normally, at   least at that point in time, I thought of him as a jazz guy.   
141  Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: Leave it to the Bootleggers - POB and Bamboo Digipak on: November 22, 2006, 01:48:31 AM
To me the obvious way to get POB out legally is (if you own the rights) to pitch the songs and get one in a movie soundtrack.  I think the POB songs lend themselves well to that because of the high level of emotion the songs express and the fairly vast soundscape of the tracks.  It is even possible, I believe, that (if one of the songs were to be placed in a hit movie) a song like the 'River Song' could become a hit - now.  That would obviously make re-releasing the album  financially logical.
    
142  Non Smiley Smile Stuff / General Music Discussion / Re: the Beatles' Love online on: November 22, 2006, 01:26:40 AM
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The mash up bits aren't the highlights though. It's the tracks that are just remixed.
Especially I AM THE WALRUS. Straight through in stereo for the 1st time ever. Amazing.


I am partial to the legacy version that suddenly drops into mono.  I think it was highly effective especially with headphones on.  I found it successful in a similar way that the movie "Wizard Of Oz"  was in suddenly switching from b&w to color. 

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The sections from the King Lear play are obviously flown in from the MONO mix. That's why they are mixed so low, so as not to cause too much phasing.

Some massive "Itchycoo Park" level phasing - now that might make it more interesting and psychedelic.
     
143  Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: Anyone Visited Mt. Vernon and Fairway (Mike's Childhood Home)? on: November 15, 2006, 02:02:26 AM
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It appears that these streets intersect twice, as both are rather windy.


I went up one day when I was up in L.A. to drive by and take a look.  I thought I would find it based on the description in Timothy White's Book but could not.  There were no multi-story story homes at or near the intersection that I went to.  Further it did not appear that there was any  teardown and rebuild there.
  Later I realized what you mentioned that there is a 2nd intersection of the two streets to the East.  Someday I will probably have a look, at the other intersection.
From reading about this period in Mike's life -  He got suddenly thrown out of the home. -  He went from being a personable, popular campus athlete to working nights in the middle of L.A. pumping gas with a baby to support.  -  Then he saw his Dad and the rest of the family lose that home.  That is really traumatic stuff for a young man (or anyone else) to endure.  Knowing about these things I feel that I do understand Mike a lot better.  If I were him I think I would have bought that home back somewhere along the line, for the theraputic value, even if it was just as an investment property.  I suggested this to someone who might or might not know about this sort of thing and their non-response made me wonder if that in fact has occured.  If so good for Mike!   

       




144  Non Smiley Smile Stuff / The Sandbox / Re: any Superman Fans? on: November 15, 2006, 01:34:44 AM
I liked the DC Superman and Superman related comics when I was a kid.  I liked Mr. Mxyzptlk and the Bizarro Superman (actually the  whole concept of the Bizarro world.)  I liked the recent film 'Hollywoodland' about George Reeves a lot  If I remember right, his (real life) house is right on Benedict Canyon Drive, in Beverly Hills proper.   
145  Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: Any chance of any new Smile tapes from 66-67 surfacing... demos or other stuff? on: November 13, 2006, 02:40:35 AM
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I'll be dead.  Can you download from itunes from heaven?  Or the hot place?

Heaven - No need - pre-loaded complete SMile is part of the basic package. 
Hot Place - Currently only "Summer In Paradise" is availible for DOWN-load.
146  Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: Jack Reilly on: November 07, 2006, 01:48:39 AM
I feel that  SDT's title, itself, implies a detached perspective as do the lyrics. 
“Jackson State brothers learned not to say nasty things about Southern policemen's mothers” refers to a violent riot involving black students in Jackson Miss. on May 14-15, 1970.  In the process of quelling the riot, police opened fire killing two students and injuring twelve while firing over 460 rounds.
The original Isla Vista riot “where police felt so harassed” involved students burning down the local Bank Of America.  The local police were attacked and sustained many serious injuries. The “protestors” actually drove them out of town.  The L.A. County Sheriffs that Mike refers to were brought in to deal with a subsequent, follow up, riot.  They were very very heavy handed and killed one innocent bystander.
Kent State “Four martyrs earned a new degree the Bachelor of Bullets” was Kent State.

What does Brian think about this song?  “It didn’t hit the spot for me” “Lyrically it was a little too far out for me”.
I can see liking this song for the same reason that Pam Anderson claimed for liking a certain “unnatural act” -  because it’s SO wrong.  Taken in a certain way, maybe it is really good, but “Blowing In The Wind” it is not.   
147  Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: Brian and Al in LA 11/01/06 on: November 05, 2006, 03:15:19 AM
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There are some people my age that know about Brian and his music (including PS and BWPS). I was talking with my friend last night (I didnt even know he liked the BB, let alone PS) and he just raved about the album, so that's promising.

Probably since he found out that you liked them.  Of course that's ok -  but ask him something to find out if he really listened to PS.   
148  Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: Brian and Al in LA 11/01/06 on: November 05, 2006, 02:55:01 AM
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Al didn't join until song number 6---but when he did---WOW. Sure, there was all that great emotional resonance for longtime fan obsessives of just seeing him there---that feeling never went away, all night---but most especially, he is singing as well as he EVER did. Stunning, actually

I agree and that was a big highlight for me actually.  It was very inspirational.  I think Alan might actually have a better voice now than he did as a younger man.  His reflexes also seem razor sharp.  He kind of reminds me of Springsteen a bit.  I expected Alan to have a little rust.  It's not like he's been playing a lot of shows lately.  But he comes out there and belts out "And Then I kissed Her" in mid-long-tour form - no problem.  (Like mid-long-tour form for someone who was really good to start with that is.)  I think you are right, it really was stunning.         
149  Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: Jack Reilly on: November 05, 2006, 02:19:40 AM
I like Feet and agree it would be good on Friends which was a bit too short anyway - so it goes on my extended "Friends" cd.
The lyrics of Student Demonstration Time made me wince back then, as well as now.  It's a great track but lyrically was a seriously misguided attempt to make the Beach Boys more current.  In fact it had the opposite effect. 
150  Non Smiley Smile Stuff / General Music Discussion / Re: Tower Records to close on: October 31, 2006, 02:04:19 AM
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I am currently thinking of Van Dyke Parks in the American Band documentary, where he talking about Smile in front of a Tower records.

There is no point to this. Just a thought.

I thought of that also when I started this thread.  Van Dyke out in the Hollywood Sunset Tower parking lot.  That scene has really stayed in my mind.  Nowadays L.A. based artists occasionally similarily meet  media types for interviews down at Amoeba Records a little ways east on Sunset.  I wonder how their bottom line is these doing days? 
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