Another Brian SMiLE interview

[Wrightfan]

http://www.bit.ly/nEUriX

Some cool quotes from Brian but what's with the interviewer making all those Beatles comparisons? 

[buddhahat]

http://www.bit.ly/nEUriX

Some cool quotes from Brian but what's with the interviewer making all those Beatles comparisons?  

Thanks for posting that. Yeah he's really desperate for the scoop that the Beatles did steal the Smile tapes!

I love the following:

By the way, I still love to listen to Phil Spector's records. You can write that.

and to settle the Smile running order BWPS vs handwritten list debate once and for all   :

They should leave it as is. Because it’s the adventure I want them to take, the order it is now.

[drbeachboy]

They should leave it as is. Because it’s the adventure I want them to take, the order it is now.

That quote perfectly sums up Brian's reasons for the track sequence and for the presentation in Movements. With the right interviewer, Brian really opens up and I get the impression that he put some thought into his answers. Very nice.

[pixletwin]

I like the interview. I don't think his angle on the  Beatles is accurate and his suggestion of Brian's "autobiography" as great suggested reading material made me go " "

[rab2591]

His suggested reading material led him to all the Beatles questions lol.

I thought that was a great piece though; Brian seemed really into it.

[SMiLE Brian]

This interview reminds me of the one from the 1970s used in "an american band" where Brian just flat out explains everything like never before.

[Wirestone]

This is actually the same interview as the Wall Street Journal one. These are just the questions that didn't make it in the final version, so the guy threw it up on his blog.

Seems like Brian was in a very good, forgiving mood for all of this.

[Roger Ryan]

I loved Brian's responses, but I winced when the interviewer had him sign the "autobiography"!

Making the connection between "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow" and the "build-up" in "Day In The Life" demonstrated that Brian was actually thinking about the inquiries.

[Amy B.]

Interesting that he says it was a hard interview when it actually yielded some thoughtful responses from Brian. The guy sounds like a real music fan, and Brian picked up on that, appreciating the references the journalist made. Suppose Brian called Paul McCartney after the interview to ask him about Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey!

[Cam Mott]

and to settle the Smile running order BWPS vs handwritten list debate once and for all   :

They should leave it as is. Because it’s the adventure I want them to take, the order it is now.

Does it or does it settle that SMiLE Sessions is in the order he wants SMiLE Sessions?

[drbeachboy]

and to settle the Smile running order BWPS vs handwritten list debate once and for all  :

They should leave it as is. Because it’s the adventure I want them to take, the order it is now.

Does it or does it settle that SMiLE Sessions is in the order he wants SMiLE Sessions?

It settles it for me. To me, that was a very thoughtful and insightful answer.

[rab2591]

and to settle the Smile running order BWPS vs handwritten list debate once and for all  :

They should leave it as is. Because it’s the adventure I want them to take, the order it is now.

Does it or does it settle that SMiLE Sessions is in the order he wants SMiLE Sessions?

It settles it for me. To me, that was a very thoughtful and insightful answer.

Agreed. He's the artist. He has the right to choose what he wants to hear and how he wants to hear it.

[drbeachboy]

That is what gets to me when people argue over the 12 track, no movement stuff. Hey, it isn't 1967 anymore. Brian hears Smile in the now, where he has come to terms with it. He sounds very happy with the finished, end result.

[Chocolate Shake Man]

It's hard to believe that Roland Barthes wrote Death of the Author in 1967, and we still hold on to these old ideas of authorship.

[Cam Mott]

That is what gets to me when people argue over the 12 track, no movement stuff. Hey, it isn't 1967 anymore. Brian hears Smile in the now, where he has come to terms with it. He sounds very happy with the finished, end result.

Not arguing with that. Happy for any happy. Not arguing with the disc 1 order or whether that is how Brian wants it in 2011. There is no 1967 order beyond the List and even the List allows it may not be in THE order. The 2011 release had to be in some order so why not the 2011 Brian order. No argument from me.

I just do not accept that the 2011 order is or can be the 1967 order.  Even Brian doesn't seem to argue that, so why should I disagree with Brian? Or something. Who's on second?

Maybe something in the boxset will shoot that opinion of mine down.

[drbeachboy]

That is what gets to me when people argue over the 12 track, no movement stuff. Hey, it isn't 1967 anymore. Brian hears Smile in the now, where he has come to terms with it. He sounds very happy with the finished, end result.

Not arguing with that. Happy for any happy. Not arguing with the disc 1 order or whether that is how Brian wants it in 2011. There is no 1967 order beyond the List and even the List allows it may not be in THE order. The 2011 release had to be in some order so why not the 2011 Brian order. No argument from me.

I just do not accept that the 2011 order is or can be the 1967 order.  Even Brian doesn't seem to argue that, so why should I disagree with Brian? Or something. Who's on second?

Maybe something in the boxset will shoot that opinion of mine down.

Are there people saying that the 2011 order is the 1967 order? The only thing I see here is that TSS Disc 1 should be 12 tracks and no movements. That it should be as it would have been in 1967. That was never going to happen, because Brian is happy with the completed version and it's Brian's music and record to present as he pleases.

[Ron]

What I hate about interviews like this one, is they just keep it so OLD.  I mean the whole damn thing is about sh*t that happened 50 and 60 years ago.  Couldn't they just sum up Brian's early life in a paragraph in case there's ANYBODY ALIVE who doesn't know the story already, and then talk about something current?  Ask Brian about his kids.  Ask him about where he's touring.  What's his favorite town to play in.  What's he going to do for Christmas.  What does he watch on t.v.  What kind of car does he drive.


Instead we get "Smile was originally going to be called Dumb Angel?"


Why even ask him that?  You might as well ask him if he's from Hawthorne.  If it's sh*t that can be found in a biography, why ask it?  And why all the comparisons with the Beatles?  That's disrespectful.  Then he slips over into STAN territory when he starts supposing the Beatles heard the album and copied it for Sgt. Peppers.  ALL THIS HAPPENED 50 YEARS AGO.  50 years! 

[Wirestone]

I just do not accept that the 2011 order is or can be the 1967 order.

Quite so.

[Micha]

I just do not accept that the 2011 order is or can be the 1967 order.

Well, first of all a 2011 order exists and a 1967 order does exist not so they can't be the same. Why even think about a 1967 order?

[Cam Mott]

Why not?

[Wirestone]

Hard not to, given the thematic connections between songs, and the way Brian swapped parts in between different tunes. When you have fragments, order becomes of great interest indeed, even order that was only lightly considered and discarded.

[Amy B.]

What I hate about interviews like this one, is they just keep it so OLD.  I mean the whole damn thing is about sh*t that happened 50 and 60 years ago.  Couldn't they just sum up Brian's early life in a paragraph in case there's ANYBODY ALIVE who doesn't know the story already, and then talk about something current?  Ask Brian about his kids.  Ask him about where he's touring.  What's his favorite town to play in.  What's he going to do for Christmas.  What does he watch on t.v.  What kind of car does he drive.
Instead we get "Smile was originally going to be called Dumb Angel?"
Why even ask him that?  You might as well ask him if he's from Hawthorne.  If it's sh*t that can be found in a biography, why ask it?  And why all the comparisons with the Beatles?  That's disrespectful.  Then he slips over into STAN territory when he starts supposing the Beatles heard the album and copied it for Sgt. Peppers.  ALL THIS HAPPENED 50 YEARS AGO.  50 years! 

Because this was for the WSJ, and the average reader might not even know the basics about Brian. Plus, the new release IS Smile.
Although I do like those interviews where Brian is asked about mundane stuff, like the best French fries in LA. He always seems to get so excited about food.