Take this as a contrast: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQxdx-ScCvg

Is that an extraction mix?  How did they make a stereo mix without the multis?

It sounds like it was made using the early version on Endless Harmony.

A good half to three quarters of the Wild Honey album.

[EH]

Um... there's an excellent reason "SPS" sounded unfinished on EH - it's only a demo.

I wasn't trying to make any claims toward the state of Sail Plane Song, bad wording on my part. I'm just stating I enjoy it as a cool little side note to the demo on Endless Harmony.

I actually enjoy the new Sail Plane Song. It changes the vibe a bit and makes it seem more finished than it was on Endless Harmony. In fact, the only thing I really don't like about the box is the new vocal for You're Still a Mystery, mainly because I really enjoyed the original 1995 era vocal and was quite looking forward to hearing it in pristine quality. The crystal clear Soul Searchin' more than makes up for it, though, wonkiness in the bridge or no. I really enjoy the demo of California Feelin', quite possibly more than any other version that's been put out, so far.

I do wonder why Sound of Free didn't get a modern stereo remix, though. The mono sticks out like a sore thumb on that part of the disc, surrounded by stereo on both sides. Some sort of issue with Brother Records? Or did they just want to present the single in its original form? They certainly didn't do the same justice with Lady/Fallin' in Love, so. Less a gripe and more just a curiosity.

Since spotify still doesn't have the first disc "Back Home", is it a better mix than the boot? I find on the bootleg the vocal is a little too low in the mix.

Try logging in/logging out and refreshing the page. All of the songs should be up for everybody.

Brian's vocal during the second verse of the acappella 'This Whole World' makes me curious if there's a complete Brian lead somewhere in the vaults, either as a demo or as a serious consideration that got scrapped in favor of Carl.

Also, I do enjoy the fact that they dropped in his lead for the first few verses of "Break Away" - a nice little treat for someone who'd be expecting the standard track, even if it's nothing new. Lots of little goodies abound for the people who are deeply into the BB's.

I like your light album but how about replacing skatetown usa with goin south or schol girl I think  either of those would be a better fit

What's "School Girl"?

One of Dennis' unreleased tracks from Bambu.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPzIFzORTdM

Is Barnyard Blues Surf's Up era? AGD's site says yes but some posts here seem to indicate it's 1972 or later.

His session dates suggest Oct. 1974 - which would certainly fit with Dennis' vocal quality. It's possible that he recorded a basic track during 1971 and returned to it with vocals three years later, or it's a simple case of confusion.

Does anyone else hear a bit of Landy-era 'shouty' Brian in his vocals for 'Why Don't They Let Us Fall In Love'?

Doesn't BRI browse this board regularly?

I've often wondered if Brian has undiagnosed Asperger's.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspergers

I severely doubt it. All autism spectrum disorders present symptoms very early on, in varying degrees of intensity. Brian's parents would've noticed something in contrast with his brothers if Brian suffered from anything of the sort. From our current understanding, Brian had a relatively normal social life growing up and played on the local football team. As well, Brian has never been shown to suffer from a lack of empathy either in his songwriting or in his personal life - quite the opposite, actually.

The real clincher against a diagnosis like this, however, would be down to his voice. Those diagnosed with Asperger's almost always suffer from blunted speech, inability to control pitch and loudness to a certain point, strange intonation and so forth. Brian's voice has never shown any of these signs, even after the drug excesses of the 70s and Landy's medication regimen. If he did indeed suffer from Asperger's, it would've been almost impossible for him to sing with such vocal control and precision as he did during the 60's, not to mention the sheer beauty of the tone.

I'm not saying it's impossible - nothing is impossible in regards to the mind - but it is very, very unlikely.

Trying to clear up some of the confusion re: He's a Bum, I took another listen to my Bambu boot, and, surprise, the vocal track is slightly different. One example that sticks out in my mind is that the lyrics on the first verse are slightly different. On the Legacy version, it's "But that's alright, that's alright, it's alright". On the version I've attached here: http://www.mediafire.com/?ire2njxkt9yym34 , it's "But HE'S alright, it's alright, it's alright". There are also lots of other differences, but the poor quality of the song in general makes it hard to discern what.

Is this the version you were talking about, Disney Boy?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=zYO8-RqNTxk#t=183s

It says on the video that the interview is from 1974. Brian's voice sounds like it did in the '60s. Does anyone know who conducted this interview and if it's available in full anywhere?

Thanks!

The theory goes that Brian's voice wasn't destroyed until 1975 when he started up the five packs a day regiment, so it wouldn't be a surprise that Brian's voice sounds closer to 1964 than to 1976. Certainly, it would fit into the recollections of people who've listened to California Feelin' 74 or Lucy Jones.

Has anyone heard or seen any Smile mixes that use?:

-Rio Grande
-Don't Go Near the Water (the ending vocal/coda)
-Good Vibrations (rehearsal/Smiley-like take from Hawaii)
-Time to Get Alone
-A Day in the Life of a Tree
-Whistle In
-Wind Chimes or Wonderful (Smiley)
-Cool Cool Water (Sunflower)
-Mama Says
-Walk On By (ending Denny/Fire vocal)
-Fall Breaks
-Brian/George Falls into various items (Microphone/Piano/French Horn)
-Swim vocals
-Old Man River
-Diamond Head
-Teeter Totter Love
-Vegetables (Hawthorne CA)
-I Went To Sleep
-Tune X
-Country Air
-Sail On Sailor
-Little Pad
-Moni Kani
-She's Goin' Bald
-Heroes and Villains (any recordings from Hawaii)
-I Don't Know
-Smog Speech
-With me Tonight
-Heroes and Villains  (from Cocaine Sessions)
-Loop De Loop
-Sail Plane Song

and yes, there's a rhyme/reason behind the question of some of these.

I've heard SMiLE mixes that use With Me Tonight in various forms, as well as "French Horn" and one that uses a piece of the "Piano" sketch. I assume you're referring to the "Underwater Chant" when you say "swim vocals"? If so, there was a mix that used them posted on here not too long ago. Obviously any mix that has vocals during the Fire section uses a piece of "Fall Breaks", including TSS. I've heard several mixes that used various versions and pieces from "Cool Cool Water", TSS technically included as well.

I don't agree with Smile in mono being a "disaster", but I think the argument that the entire album must be all in stereo or nothing for consistency's sake isn't really fair.  Many of the early stereo albums released by the group had some tracks in mono, and if the post-'65 albums had stereo releases this trend would have continued.  I personally wish the box had included stereo mixes of all the tracks that allowed it.

Just about every track that could without some trickery has a stereo mix on the box. The only major things I can think of that don't are Wonderful (which wouldn't have a proper lead ala Cabin Essence) and Do You Like Worms (which is practically an instrumental with some early backing vocals, and already had a stereo mix on the GV box, same as Love to Say Da Da).

Also, in regards to your last point - Today, Summer Days, Pet Sounds, Smiley Smile and Wild Honey were all released exclusively in mono. Every album preceding and proceeding SMiLE were entirely mono. It's not exactly rocket science to think that SMiLE might've been the same had released.

It's IMPOSSIBLE to release a full SMiLE in stereo. Unless you can find

1. The Good Vibrations vocal multitracks

2. The Barnyard multitracks

3. The missing You Were My Sunshine vocal multitracks

4. The missing Cabinessence lead + truck drivin' man overdubs

5. The ability to magically make Our Prayer (which was recorded on one mike) in stereo

6. The multitrack for the acetate vocals on Child is Father of the Man

Past that, most of the major bits of TSS have already got stereo mixes (Heroes and Villains, Vega-Tables, Wind Chimes, backing for Cabinessence, Surf's Up, technically Holidays and Look), and the only thing that

I want a bootleg with a potential 1972 SMiLE with that cover.

Was this the only time they played Gettin' Hungry live?

This and the second Hawaii concert, yes. It wasn't a very popular thing, for obvious reasons.

It's Like Heaven is a Spring song, recorded 1978, I believe. It's on the modern reissue of the American Spring CD. There's also a demo missing a few instruments and with alt. vox on Sea of Tunes: All This is That.

Step Ups - Shut Down Vol. 2 to All Summer Long, All Summer Long to Today, Summer Days to Pet Sounds

Step Downs - Holland to 15 Big Ones, Love You to MIU, Still Crusin' to Summer in Paradise (from absolutely terrible to nightmarish).

Wait so - if the original structure of "Heroes and Villains" (Humble Harv vintage) was to feature "barnyard" as the fade, has anyone examined the possiblity that the 'great shape' verse may have been used recurrently as a chorus?

A few things: I don't think the demo suggests that Heroes and Villains was to feature Barnyard as the fade.

I think the "Barnyard" as fade theory comes from the fact that the backing track for "Barnyard" fades out.  But is there a reason to believe the track was actually recorded while Brian still saw it as a part of "Heroes"?

Same goes for "Great Shape."  I don't see that as a chorus at all.  It makes sense as part of "Heroes," though, or even where it is on BWPS--"I Wanna Be Around"/"Friday Night" is a two-part configuration with a cover of an old love song just like "Old Master Painter"/"Sunshine," and "OMP" had the "Heroes" bit tacked on just like "Great Shape" can be attached to "I Wanna Be Around."

Considering the fact that Brian recorded the master take to Barnyard BEFORE the Humble Harv demo (consult the TSS sessionography), I'd say he considered it a part of H&V right up until perhaps January and the "Part 1 Tag".

I'm fairly certain they don't exist.

It takes time to get into Bambu. Doubly so because it wasn't finished. With POB, you're instantly overwhelmed by the classical piano, choir vocals, and grand feel of River Song, which sets the tone for the rest of the album. On Bambu, the sound is both louder and more vicious, and yet softer and gentler due to the larger presence of the ballads.

For me, it was hearing It's Not Too Late that caused me to go back and assess this album properly.

Four stars. One of my favorite VDP albums. Brian's vocal arrangements really make the songs shine. Minus one point for Movies is Magic and the fact that some songs have cringe worthy moments. The synths don't drown out the tunes like they do in Imagination or BW88.

High points - Title track, Wings of a Dove

Low points - Movies is Magic

as far as I know, it would be:

All of Surfin Safari
I get Around
All Summer Long (we have the one on the GV box, but is there a proper one?)
Do You Wanna Dance
Don't Hurt my little Sister
Help Me, Ronda
In The Back of My Mind
Bull Session ( )
Girl From New york City
Amusement parks U.S.A
Then I Kissed Her
Help Me, Rhonda
You're So Good To Me
Summer Means New Love
I'm Bugged At My Old Man
Party LP
All of Smiley (we have an extended Vegetables and a different Heroes)
All OF Wild Honey except Let the Wind Blow

did i miss anything?

Do It Again isn't and can never be in stereo.
Heroes and Villains on Hawthone is as close to a stereo version as we're going to get, save the wonky Stand and Fall verse and the organ overdub (which seems to have resurfaced recently).
I believe some overdubs are missing in the stereo Vegetables.

Now that Smile is out, we might as well include tracks from that.