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| March 28, 2024, 10:03:35 PM |
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Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: Mike Love is in the white house
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on: October 11, 2018, 10:13:46 AM
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Interesting trade-off.
The artist should make money. Sirius XM should make money.
The artist owns the art. You can say that Sirius XM "uses" the art to make money. But you also can say Sirius acts as an arm of the artist...promoting the art. And should be paid.
Sirius always wants more money. Mike Love always wants more money. It's a grand world.
I hold shares in Sirius, and Mike Love is a lousy singer.
So you know where I stand.
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Non Smiley Smile Stuff / The Sandbox / Re: The What Are You Reading? Thread
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on: September 27, 2018, 06:13:04 AM
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"Murphy" by Beckett. I think he wrote 3 short novels. "Murphy" is some good fun. Kinda crazy, full of characters. Nice bits of humor. A bit thin if you are looking for psychological and narrative oomph. But there are touches...
The great aspect...the language. His vocabulary is thrilling. Worth reading just for that. (And the vocabulary is part of the humor.)
I had started one of the other short novels ("Molloy") years ago and lost interest early on. Maybe I'll go back to it.
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Non Smiley Smile Stuff / The Sandbox / Re: The What Are You Reading? Thread
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on: July 05, 2018, 10:21:57 AM
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Buckethead: Now I'm wondering if the Twain might be of help. Perhaps you could select a few passages from Roughing It. Twain's language, phrasing, humor, much more. That could get the students going. It got me going a long time ago.
Here is the beginning of Chapter 18:
" At eight in the morning we reached the remnant and ruin of what had been the important military station of 'Camp Floyd', some forty-five or fifty miles from Salt Lake City. At 4 p.m. we had doubled our distance and were ninety or a hundred miles from Salt Lake. And now we entered upon one of that species of deserts whose concentrated hideousness shames the diffused and diluted horrors of Sahara--an 'alkali desert'. "
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Non Smiley Smile Stuff / The Sandbox / Re: The What Are You Reading? Thread
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on: July 04, 2018, 10:08:48 AM
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Buckethead…the McGuane stories are up-to-date paintings of characters out in Montana, etc. American lives, rough in their own particular ways. Sorry about that. I'm trying to think of historical West...hm...I'm weak there. Of course there was Twain heading out that way as a young man. Roughing it.
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Non Smiley Smile Stuff / The Sandbox / Re: The What Are You Reading? Thread
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on: June 29, 2018, 09:44:16 AM
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Thomas McGuane, Gallatin Canyon.
Brief stories. American West, especially Montana. Liked him for years. He appears in the New Yorker now and then. Not a top-shelf literary light such as is Cormac M. ...
but McGuane has great tone, economics of language, good sense...great read.
Also reading some Nietzsche. Love reading the philosophy greats. Even if they get most things wrong.
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Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Let's Stick Together
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on: May 19, 2018, 11:57:16 AM
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At the risk of raising an old topic...
Does anybody know where to find a good copy of this? ("This" being "Let's Stick Together" a Sweet Insanity era recording). I've got it on the Vigotone 23-track cd called "Come Back, Brian", but the quality is fairly meh.
I wish it were on the Vigotone 16-track Sweet Insanity cd, which found better-quality recordings.
And I wonder if "Let's Stick Together" has not received its due... for its marvelous messy country gazebo-band arrangement. For its legitimate message of hope for a relationship just starting, recognizing the carnival aspect of life and love... supported by Brian's robust vocal and lovely "whoa...oa..oa..oa" at the end.
If only I had a great quality copy.
Seems to be the much stronger result when compared to "The Waltz" from that horrid later Brian album. That rewrite seems forced...both in Brian's vocal and Parks' words.
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Non Smiley Smile Stuff / The Sandbox / Re: The What Are You Reading? P.S.
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on: March 25, 2018, 09:48:25 AM
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Thanks to RangeRover for mentioning Up the Down Staircase. Released about the same time as the All Summer Long album? I remember reading it a year or two later (gosh I'm old) and enjoying it much. What has stayed with me is the book's freshness, openness, a willing to listen. Ah, the Sixties.
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Non Smiley Smile Stuff / The Sandbox / Re: Books you can't finish reading
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on: March 07, 2018, 05:28:36 AM
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This is a nice topic. The reasons surely vary. Some years back I got through about 150 pages of War and Peace and decided I didn't have enough patience to keep trying to distinguish all those bloody Russian names. Then, with Infinite Jest, I again got through about 150 pages and decided, "I don't care at all about any of these characters."
Which I think is an interesting point. I want to like a character, or dislike a character, or sense a key complexity in a character, or a mysteriousness, or potential for evolution. George Saunders is purty good with those aspects...and makes it short.
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Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: Dean Torrence influence on Brian Wilson
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on: February 27, 2018, 05:24:23 AM
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So much to learn. From Berry, Spector, many others. But then there is the measuring and accounting in the mind in a way that is unique…and perhaps genius. That goes for arranging and producing and especially to the creation of melody. It may be that the most important influence on Brian…to this day…is the melody of “When You Wish Upon a Star.” The fleeting shapes and impulses therein. Then the unique geometry of his brain matter going further. Never to be explained fully. I often think of how Brian’s vocalizing in “Don’t Worry Baby” will always be the best version—the correct version. As when Sinatra would make a Rodgers and Hart song his own. As in “that’s how it must be done.” For the artist, being “influenced” involves recognizing what one desires/accepts as well as what one does not desire/accept. Sumpin like dat.
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Non Smiley Smile Stuff / General Music Discussion / Re: Old Record Parade
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on: January 21, 2018, 07:29:16 AM
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Rocker: Thanks for that link to Perkins (Only You). Made my morning. JK: Lou C. is never far from my thoughts. Your youtube link made me think he might have been an important influence for the Bee Gees. But I love this crazy strange footage of Lou singing (well, not really) poolside with a couple of local dancers in, I think, Florida. He loved the ladies! (the little movie starts about 15 seconds in... Ah the Sixties.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXpPj-eVIgE
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Smiley Smile Stuff / 1960's Beach Boys Albums / Re: Little Deuce Coupe
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on: September 13, 2017, 02:35:13 PM
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JK: Good to hear from you. Realized l had a message from FF. Hope you didn't mind too much my negativity (about BTTYS). I feel a little negativity is good for one's soul. Plus I earn it by estimating that Hey Little Tomboy is.......fantastic.
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Smiley Smile Stuff / 1960's Beach Boys Albums / Re: Little Deuce Coupe
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on: September 13, 2017, 11:56:10 AM
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I give it 5 stars despite a single flaw…Be True To Your School, which sounds like a throwaway in Brian’s stream of composition that gained traction nevertheless. The song’s musical ideas are near hackneyed, near Billy Joel. Adding insult, Mike arrives with his too-quick phrasing and the adverb “now.” Elsewhere on the album, Mike’s singing is better. Otherwise…
Give me Roger Christian. This is the Brian/Roger album. Seemingly effortless song craft…from Brian’s thoughts, Roger’s legitimate argot as added trope, to each 2.5 minute soundscape that keeps it simple and adds Beach Boy early career-making harmonies. Lots of room for strong metaphor and philosophy in the whole shebang. My favorite is Cherry Cherry Coupe, with the static base-added melody under the harmony in the chorus end. Think of the subconscious supporting the overt eros.
Here’s a great short album… “The Beach Boys Sing the Brian Wilson-Roger Christian Songbook”…
Car Crazy Cutie Little Deuce Coupe Cherry Cherry Coupe Don’t Worry Baby In The Parking Lot No-Go Showboat Spirit of America Shut Down Ballad of Ol’ Betsy
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Smiley Smile Stuff / Polls / Re: Discuss Every Beach Boys Song Day By Day
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on: June 02, 2017, 08:37:20 AM
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Agreed, JK. I'll give it a 24.
What strikes me especially is Brian's phrasing and control of dynamics. Vocal qualities that don't get enough study. His instincts in those areas are unique and superlative. ("are" in the historical/editorial sense)
The business of going in and out of falsetto also amazes me in this song and elsewhere. But you allude to such.
(Speaking of which, I've been listening to Jason Lytle's latest, "Last Place" (Grandaddy) and digging the same things.
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Non Smiley Smile Stuff / The Sandbox / "Hank Briarstem Arrested for DUI"
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on: June 01, 2017, 05:13:24 AM
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Thanks, JK. Will let you know what I hear. The bumgravy crowd moves slowly these days. No texting and lots of pressure-lowering eye-drop medications.* Hank remains an enigma worth considering*.
*in my case, Lumigan (bimatoprost 0.1 mg/ml) *even if his recent travels and detours prevented him from offering input into the new Wild Honey issue.
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Non Smiley Smile Stuff / The Sandbox / "Hank Briarstem Arrested for DUI"
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on: May 31, 2017, 06:53:33 AM
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Someone recently sent me a clipping from a Clearwater* paper (old-style!) reporting such. Thought you should know...to avoid confusion. It’s not our boy. I phoned Briarstem’s third wife Candy*, who said it couldn’t have been Hank, who, she swore, was in England at the time of incident. To back it up, I contacted the Clearwater paper, which established that the person of interest was named Hank Earl Briarstem. Another dude…so, not to worry. Candy informed me that our Briarstem was in Merry Old tracking down legendary BB fanboy Topgazza. It seems the two had a big falling-out over a trade-gone-bad. Hank had offered a 1977 Silver Jubilee scones tin* for Topgazza’s (purported) “Dutch Uncle” double-vinyl boot of Holland outtakes. When Hank complained that the boot seemed to be a piss-poor recording of what seemed to be Zydeco/Polish-harmony fusion, Topgazza demurred, claiming you could hear someone yelling “where the hell is Desper when you need him” near the end of the third album side. Hank headed across the pond to seek restitution, and topgazza went into hiding.
*Florida *she and I had a little pas de deux about 14 months ago. *oddly enough, found at an outdoor flea market in Bowling Green KY. Evidently the tin was embossed, with 4-color designs and a striking illustration of the queen looking vaguely like Scarlett Johansson.
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Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: Pet Sounds Overrated?
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on: February 07, 2017, 05:26:22 AM
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Don M...like your thoughts. The tyranny of the art-LP item (thanks to Bob Dylan?) has always grated. Considering the great works...all have their blemishes. Even with Dante, one can say, geez, did it have to be this long? Perhaps the problem lies in the language of description and the urge to chauvinism. Human failings...how they grate/are frustrating. So, not the art itself.
With Pet Sounds...having heard Caroline No at the proper speed...I hope never to hear the sped-up version again.
Still, a pretty good album...
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Smiley Smile Stuff / 1970's Beach Boys Albums / Re: The Beach Boys Love You
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on: February 01, 2017, 09:11:56 AM
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Braggart: You have slight mental illness of the good kind, as I hope I do. Thank you for your honest remarks. For Love You, try to draw up the history of garage/punk. Louie Louie...Hang on Sloopy...Rockaway Beach. Love You is Brian recognizing that and adding his own peculiarity. And his band's voices. Very good things!
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