You can (still) find the documentary on YouTube: https://youtu.be/y0y_1oC0sfE

At least for now…

A richly detailed summation of this incoming French doc, Radfahrer. Appreciate you taking the time to post.

You‘re wel-, you‘re wel-, you‘re welcome!

Where did you watch it? It says that it will be available on Aug. 11th when I click on the link. Arte usually shows good documentaries.

The documentary was supposed to be broadcast on Friday evening and was therefore already available as a stream. Arte seems to have changed its programme for Friday evening due to the death of Jane Birkin. Therefore, the stream is also only online from August.
Too bad, I would have liked to know if anyone knows the lyric sheet to Cabinessence. It contained the well-known additional verse. There were some song titles at the end, but I don't remember them all. "Cowboys & Indians" was among them...

Has anyone seen the lyric sheet for Cabinessence before? It's shown at 38:49. Where does it come from? The 20/20 sessions? It mentions "Our sweet love" at the bottom...

There is a new French Beach Boys documentary available in the media library of the German-French channel "arte": https://www.arte.tv/de/videos/112339-000-A/die-beach-boys-genie-und-wahnsinn/ Since the documentary is only available with German or French dubbing, I wanted to give you a short impression of it.

The announcement says that the documentary focuses on the years between 1966 and 1971 and the relationship between the Wilson brothers. Unfortunately, this is definitely not the case. The main part of the documentary once again deals with the typical topics: Hawthorne, Gershwin, Four Freshmen, Chuck Berry, formation of the band, early success, Murry, Brian's artistic progress, Brian's nervous breakdown, Wrecking Crew, Pet Sounds, Good Vibrations, Smile... and that's the first 40 minutes. That leaves only about 12 minutes for the rest. And then they say again that after Smile Brian retreated straight to his bedroom. I don't understand why it's still being portrayed that way. I suppose it's too tempting. Smiley Smile, Friends, Sunflower and Surf's Up are mentioned very briefly. Then a cut and a few minutes follow about Brian's comeback between 1999 and BWPS. Not a word about the other Beach Boys. The deaths of Dennis and Carl are not even mentioned.

But there are also many positive aspects. The selection of experts/witnesses is strong: Al, David, Marilyn, Don Randi, Stephen Kalinich, Alan Boyd, Probyn Gregory, Domenic Priore, Sean O'Hagan of the High Llamas plus two younger musicians and a French journalist, who don't contribute much new content but don't say anything wrong either. Apart from the fact that the one musician misquotes Cabinessence, but I don't want to be too petty about that either. In addition, interviews with Brian from the 90s were used.
It's a pity that Al and especially Stepen Kalinich don't get to speak more. I already found it very regrettable in Long Promised Road that Al only appears very briefly. The highlight of the documentary for me are Mariyln's contributions, who gets to speak quite a lot. She gives some very touching insights into how she experienced Brian's development.

The documentary was very well made from a technical view. Good choice of music, good editing and good archive material. There wasn't much new, but there were a couple of surprises. I really hope I'm not mistaken, but parts of the Smile footage I don't think I've ever seen before. A shot of Mike at the Fire sessions and additional footage of Brian in the half-shadow at the piano that Dennis (?) shot. There were also some nice shots of Brian from after 1999. I wonder if this is footage intended for the new documentary that has been talked about.

All in all, a well-done documentary, but also somehow a wasted opportunity. Those who know nothing about the Beach Boys get a good overview of the time until the collapse of Smile. Brian and his work are appreciated in a very positive way.
On the other hand, I wonder if there aren't already enough documentaries that do just that. How many times do we have to see the excerpt from the 1976 interview with Brian in which he talks about Fire? But let's be honest: we have demands that such a documentary can probably never fulfil. If you really want to see a documentary about the time after 1967, you should watch "Brian Wilson: Songwriter 1969 - 1982". It probably won't get any better in terms of content. A great documentary that I've watched many times, but probably bores the occasional Beach Boys listener.

My conclusion: A good documentary. If you don't have too high expectations, it is certainly very entertaining with moving moments.


Ah, I almost forgot: I had to laugh a bit that they used the cover art of soniclovenoize's 1967 mix for Smile. So the board was also represented in the documentary!

Since English is not my first language, I rarely post, but now I just have to speak up! In all the years since I first heard about Smile as a small child, I have heard many Smile mixes. Some I can remember very clearly, some I have long forgotten. Purple Chick was probably the first mix I heard, along with Anne Wallace. It showed me (with the Good Vibrations box) how much original 1966/67 material existed. It was followed by a series of very experimental mixes that went by the kitchensink method that I probably won't listen to again, although I liked them at the time. Then there was the "November 1966 Conception Mix" by The Old Master Painter: For a while I was firmly convinced that this would be my go-to Smile mix. It sounded (and sounds) so authentic and tasteful. I have listened to Heroes and Villians over and over again in disbelief! And it was a lot of fun (an important element of Smile)! It was followed by the Alternate Smile Sessions by sydsutcliffe, which had so many great ideas (and was so much work)! Both The Old Master Painter and sydsutcliffe had a big influence on my first mix of my own.

Then recently the first attempts with AI appeared. Of course, they are not technically perfect and the technology can be abused. But the possibilities blew me away. I immediately had to think of Smile. And then, out of nowhere, you published your Smile mix, Mike!

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I've rarely heard such a tasteful mix that simply sounds great, not to mention the AI voices. There were so many mixes where fly-ins just sounded horrible. They may have been technically possible, but they made no sense musically. Just listen to Mike's mix of I'm In Great Shape in comparison! I can't praise you enough for the way you put the segments together to create a nostalgic mood. Great!

The Old Master Painter with vocals! It works! Do You Like Worms: (sort of) completed! Child and Da Da sound great too. The illusion works. For the first time the 1966/67 recordings really sound like a completed album.

I have some understanding for the fact that some purists reject your use of AI voices, but you have given me an incredible amount of joy. For days now, I've been sitting here again as I did when I was a teenager (and often after, of course), listening to Smile over and over again.

Only one thing I do not like about your mix: Now I have to fundamentally revise my own mix. I like your mix of The Old Master Painer/I'm in Great Shape so much, but my H&V mix contains IIGH and Barnyard... This will give me a lot to ponder over the next few days.... Great!  

Thanks again. I bet there are many more silent readers (as I often was/am) who don't post, but who celebrate your Smile mix.

Look! Listen! Vibrate!  

Have you listened to some of those samples? Oh boy, oh boy... 

Things are good. It's moving forward.

 

Maybe we could get Robin Pecknold (Fleet Foxes) on board? It seems that he is a big fan of the Sunflower/Surf's Up-era. He even mentioned Feel Flows in the liner notes for the first Fleet Foxes album. He's very active on Instagram and seems to read messages by fans. And he got a big and active community following him.

In my option it's import to raise the awareness of this dilemma. At some point the band or members of the band have to comment publicily. The sooner the better as this topic could cause a lasting rift inside the fan community. I thought it's all about harmony...

Elton John, who has been interviewed for this doco, has tweeted that he's seen the movie.

And apparently he liked it a lot! 

Thanks a lot! I haven't left my one-room flat since three and a half weeks except for buying groceries. Thankfully there's so much great music by the boys to listen to.  "I will get by!" Although, that's another great band... 

Are you going to upload the second part as well? I enjoyed the first one a lot! Thanks!

Can't wait for June to end!

My first reaction: "God, please have mercy on us! Save us from a duet of the Luvster and Helene Fischer!" 

At the moment this is by far my favorite mix. Great work! It has an authentic touch because you didn't try to include too many bits. At first I was sceptical of the use of Barnyard as the fade for H&V but now I really like this short and organic version. Can't wait to hear the B-side!

Thank you! He's probably looking for the Dr. Sommer section.

I'd love to know the magazine made it into the Smile Sessions in the first place. Who knows, Micha, maybe that's the point when the whole project lost its innocence. 

In Germany the release was postponed to December 4. 

Because of moments like this I'm a Beach Boys fan. Nothing is impossible. In any and every possible way... This time in a good way.  

Last sunday I had the chance to see a preview of the movie in Germany. It was the english version with german subtitles. Although I was already impressed when I left the cinema, the movie really grew on me in the last days. So many details, so many great scenes! I really hope I can see it again on the big screen!

Cleary, there went a lot of love into the production of the film. Even the minor roles in the movie had a lot of depth. For example I loved how Dennis was portrayed and although Mike obviously won't win a lot of fans, I've got the impression that many viewers get a chance to better understand his behaviour.

Let alone the convincing acting of Dano and Cusack!

I couldn't ask for more! Great movie! 

I hope this fits in here, but once again a radio station in Germany played a song from a new album. Only that it's NNP this time...

Just heard Saturday Night as I turned on the radio. Not only that, the presenter even talked about NNP and played a excerpt from an interview with She & Him followed by On The Island. To top it all off they played Sail Away, too. I'm still  gobsmacked. These songs really sound great on radio. 
I really hope that they will add some of these songs to their general playlist...

I think they might. Off Broadway specialize in limited run films. Iron Sky was running there for quite some time when it first came out, for example.

If Iron Sky was running for a few weeks then my hope is restored. After all, there are some "surf nazis" in Love and Mercy. 

In addition: "Et hätt noch emme jot jejange..." 

For fans in Köln, Germany, Off Broadway kino will be playing the film from the 11th June in english with german subtitles.

Hopefully, they will show it for a few weeks as I'm not in the area until the end of june.  At the moment it seems that the movie will only get a very limited release in Germany. But I'll keep my fingers crossed!

The german trailer for the movie is out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svcNfbL2Bv8

Can't wait to see it on the big screen. Hopefully...

Thank you for this great video! It's hard to believe that Sunflower isn't recognized as one of the greatest albums of all time...

It's incredible how much care and love went into the creation of this beautiful work! 

Such sad news... Jack Rieley gave the Beach Boys a great new direction and kicked off one of the most creative periods in the band's history. Just listen to "Surf's Up", "Carl & the Passions" and "Holland"! Thanks Jack for adding another facet to the legend of the Beach Boys...