At two score and ten
We're gonna do it again
We still can play live
We survived
With the heroes and villians.

Looking forward to 2012!!

I remember when Brian's album (vinyl and CD) came out in July, 1988. I played it a lot. Not as much as Dennis' album, but I played it quite a bit. I also remember searching down the two singles that had songs on them that weren't on the album. There was also an interview disc available and quite a few other collectible goodies that were obtainable at that time.

I have a cloth-bound promo copy of the CD. Anybody know if it's valuable?

It seemed to me at the time like the album was horribly produced with harsh unpleasant vocals that kept some good songs from  reaching their potential. The only songs I really liked  a lot were baby Let Your Hair Grow Long, One For The Boys, Melt Away, and Rio Grande. Even today, when I put the songs on my Ipod, I EQ a lot of the treble out of some songs to take some of that brittle edge off the vocals. I was working for a record wholesaler at the time and it seemed like WB was really behind the album and gave it a lot of hype, but the product was just not good enough and Brian's solo careered stalled out. There were also some, let's just call them "uncomfortable" TV appearances that did nothing to further his cause in supporting the album.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a301ceauaA

 You have to remember, for a lot of people, myself included, it was the pre-internet era and this was our first extended close-up look at the elusive and sometimes reclusive Mr. Wilson since he was a practically a kid playing with the Beach Boys in the 60s. I didn't know quite what to make of his performances back then, but I've come to accept, and even embrace, his quirks over the years

Here's a link to a cool Sunshine Pop California song, California Home by Mark Eric:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMpvRA9pJi4

And who can forget Lesley Gore singing California Nights on Batman?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mas4C_gNZ9w

I don't see Smile on the Billboard Top 200 chart at all after only about 6 weeks after release.

You don't want to get mixed up with a girl that doesn't know the word "I" is supposed to be capitalized.

Looking forward to it!

Thank you! It will include a 6 mn Wind Chimes so watch out!

It sounds like it's going to be rather long-winded.

Thanks For Christmas- XTC (aka The Three Wise Men)
A Christmas Love Song- The Manhattan Transfer
What Christmas Means To Me- Stevie Wonder

Merry Christmas!!

Here is a new CIFOTM mix inspired by seltaeb's SMILE AD Stereo Mix. It's not intended to be faithful but I think it sounds pretty cool. Please have a  listen if you like this sort of thing.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/52684612/12_CIFTM_120211.mp3

Here is a new CIFOTM mix inspired by seltaeb's SMILE AD Stereo Mix. I think it sounds pretty cool. Please have a  listen if you like this sort of thing.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/52684612/12_CIFTM_120211.mp3

The first two on that list should be The Beach Boys and The Byrds.

Is there a Radiant Radish in the food court?

Brian's album cover does not belong in that company. I think it's pretty good for conveying what it is. It's certainly better than Gettin In Over My Head or Imagination. Shatner's was obviously supposed to look bad- so mission accomplished. Some of the others were fine too.

  On a recent "SMiLE '67" LP-length fan-mix that I did, I placed "He Gives Speeches/Wonderful" as one track in between "Cabin Essence" and "Good Vibrations", with GV closing my "side one" and it made for a very natural progression of musical/lyrical thematics.

That's funny- on my last fan-mix, which I listened to for about 9 years I had Wonderful following Cabinessence also (no He Gives Speeches on that one though).
 The latest mix I've made since TSS came out has He Gives Speches back in there paired with Wonderful. I actually used He Gives Speeches to start off Side 2 as an unlisted track, the same way Our Prayer would have probably led off Side 1 as an unlisted track. I have Cabinessence ending Side 1.

I think "He Gives Speeches" belongs right before "Wonderful".  On all my fan mixes, no matter what else happens, that's always been where it ends up.

Agree 100% with you on that! Not sure why but it just sounds so right there- something similar about their melodies I think. Speeches and Wonderful just sound right together.

Yes, the melodies both begin with rising quarter-note patterns, but there's a direct lyrical relationship going on too.  "He gives speeches, always reaches out a lot..."  "She belongs there, left with her liberty..."  I've felt for years that the songs are different perspectives on the same relationship.

Like the best poetry, both songs are open to interpretation as to their full meaning. I will agree with you that the lyrics to He Gives Speeches and Wonderful feel connected. The "left with her liberty" line I feel is a clue that Parks is referring to all of America, as in "my country tis of thee, sweet land of liberty". That would bring the song back to the whole "see what you've done to the church of the American Indian" theme. "A boy" is not just a boy but the totality of the European invasion of America. The yodeling in the background could represent the cowboys taking the land and fencing off the country into property. Maybe the "chalk and numbers" refers to this division of America's landscape. He Gives Speeches  refers to "silken hair fell on his face and no wind was blowing"- perhaps a callback to Cabinessence line about uncovering the corn field: The corn crops of the Indians are being cut down by the European man to make way for their colonization.  I'm tired now.

I don't think the Dec 66 list etched the running order for Smile in stone and I never said that. I simply believe it's not as random a list as some other people do. For an example, if someone was going to rattle off the songs for a list, why would anyone believe that the very first song to spring to mind would be Do You Like Worms? It was never even finished for gosh sakes. And then the second thing that person remembers is Wind Chimes?  I would think the first track to come to mind would be H&V which they had already put lots of work into and was likely considered the linchpin of the project. Maybe Good Vibrations, which earlier that year had been their biggest hit ever, would be the first or second song one might remember- but would it likely be the fifth? To ME the "see label for correct playing order" text simply meant that Brian Wilson reserved the right to make some changes since Smile was still a work-in-progress. I don't think those six words completely invalidate the order of the songs on that list as one of the most interesting reference points in the Smile story.

Now, since we know that Good Vibrations was not originally part of the album, but capitol pushed it on, the logical placement would be the opening of side B, fitting the same exact scenario as Sloop John B on Pet Sounds.

Let the record show (no pun intended) that Sloop John B is the last song on side 1 of Pet Sounds. The first song on side 2 is God Only Knows. Along that line of thinking though, maybe side 1 of Smile would have ended with Good Vibrations. Who the heck knows?

I think "He Gives Speeches" belongs right before "Wonderful".  On all my fan mixes, no matter what else happens, that's always been where it ends up.

Agree 100% with you on that! Not sure why but it just sounds so right there- something similar about their melodies I think. Speeches and Wonderful just sound right together.

I love how you put in the Bicycle Rider part near the end of DYLW, after a few seconds of silence. Nice surprise, and a nice touch.   It reminded me of one of Brian's "musical jokes", like the transition from the sublime fade out of Wind Chimes, to the abrupt loud organ of "Gettin' Hungry" from the Smiley Smile album.  

I second this- it sounds quite cool and gives it a real ending.  The vocals from BWPS also sound very legit on DYLW- good job on blending them in so seamlessly. It will be interesting to see what else you come up with.

*angry post about how that list wasn't written by Brian, how he's recording the END of a song when he says that, and then used it as the fade of potentially the lead single of the album not long afterwards, and how ending your avantgarde spiritual pop statement with You Are My Sunshine would be the uncoolest thing imaginable. all to say you're really wrong*

Are there other instances of Brian in the studio referring to the final section of a song as "the big finale"?  I don't listen to all that stuff. As for the '66 tracklist, it doesn't seem logical to me that the song titles were just drawn out of a hat. To me, that is "strong evidence". I don't make any claims as to knowing what is right or "really wrong" as far as what Smile's final form would have been in 67. If some fans like to have their own fan mixes end with Surf's Up or You're Welcome I'm cool with that.

The biggest flaw in your argument is that there is no evidence whatsoever that the tracklist was also a preliminary track sequencing.  The sleeves that were printed up based on the tracklist specifically said "see label for correct playing order."  No, the titles weren't randomly drawn, but it's a pretty big leap of logic to suggest that it was anything more than a list of the most completed songs intended to get the record company off Brian's back. 

I offhand can't think of one album in my collection where the tracklist printed on the back of the album sleeve bears no resemblance whatsoever to the actual running order of the tracks. There probably are some albums like that, but it doesn't seem logical TO ME that the "see label for correct playing order" line completely invalidates the order of the list that was given to Capitol as some others think it does.

I have no doubt that the original SMiLE would have ended with one of these songs,

Surf's Up (most likely)
Good Vibrations (not so)
or
Cabin Essence (IMHO very likely)

Why?

BECAUSE THEY HAVE INCREDIBLE FADES! THE ALBUM NEEDS TO FADE OUT YOU KNOW!

I don't really see your point here because the Barnshine section does have a fade out. Cabinessence could have bee the end of side 1.

*angry post about how that list wasn't written by Brian, how he's recording the END of a song when he says that, and then used it as the fade of potentially the lead single of the album not long afterwards, and how ending your avantgarde spiritual pop statement with You Are My Sunshine would be the uncoolest thing imaginable. all to say you're really wrong*

Are there other instances of Brian in the studio referring to the final section of a song as "the big finale"?  I don't listen to all that stuff. As for the '66 tracklist, it doesn't seem logical to me that the song titles were just drawn out of a hat. To me, that is "strong evidence". I don't make any claims as to knowing what is right or "really wrong" as far as what Smile's final form would have been in 67. If some fans like to have their own fan mixes end with Surf's Up or You're Welcome I'm cool with that.

The Old Master Painter is the last track on the Capitol tracklisting of Dec. 66. On the TSS Disc 3 Track 6 at 5:55 refers to Part 2 of You Were My Sunshine as "the big finale". Like it or not, that's some pretty strong evidence that in '66 it was Brian's intention to use  the OMP/YWMS track as the album closer. I agree with the poster that said Part 2 of YWMS ends the album on an upbeat note which is appropriate for an album named 'Smile'. As for the posts that ask "How do you follow Surf's Up on an album? It's so great." Well, Good Vibrations sounds terriffic following Surf's Up, and that is how the Capitol tracklist is sequenced, so why not? Just sayin'- I understand that we all have our own preferences and pet theories. That is what makes Smile unique.

Thank you for the clarification AGD...and I'm sorry for stirring up the hornet's nest.

I was taken aback when I spied the "Holidays" illustration in the TSS book with the "1996" copyright. I thought perhaps that Mr. Holmes had done one more illustration in 2004 to make his SMiLE collection complete (perhaps with the intent of the artwork being used for BWPS?) and that the "1996" copyright was put on by mistake - just a way to denote all the non-1966 illustrations. I certainly wasn't suggesting that anything nefarious was going on here, just a potential oversight.

Now we have confirmation that the drawing is based on (presumably) vintage 1966 lyrics. This certainly goes a long way to establish that "Holidays" was indeed closely related to "Do You Like Worms?" with its use of Hawaiian imagery.

I'm curious - what SMiLE-oriented illustrations did Mr. Holmes do in 2000?

Is there any possibility that Holidays was actually a part of DYLW-  like an insert? That would at least explain why it's not on the track listing from December 66. Or, it occurs to me, if Holidays is the last section of DYLW and it ends with that whispering winds section that could have it lead right into Wind Chimes. Of course on the Dec 66 tracklist Wind Chimes follows DYLW.

Wow! I wasn't planning on watching that show, but now I'll definitely set my DVR! This is great advertisement for the album going into the Christmas shopping season. Now it's SURE to sell a million copies.