Best Beach Boys Album for Healing

[Alan Smith]

Any of the catalogue will soothe the tortured soul; the shi* songs (whatever they may be) may well revive your fighting spirit!

I tend towards Smiley, Friends, SU and Love You (& POB) for the soothing thing.

[mr_oleary]

Well I don't know about going insane.. but when I need a bit of a boost I listen to Friends or Smile

Smile is the last thing I would recommend to someone who thinks they are about to go insane  

  I've always had the thought that if I ever tried acid and listened to Mrs. O'Leary's Cow, I would never come back.

I think maybe the only thing more disturbing than that would be Smiley Smile Wind Chimes. 

Even that beautiful chant-like ending of it?

Well the end is nice....but still.  If I were about to lose it and that song came on the radio I think it would take a force the size of Eugene Landy to bring me back 

[Steve Mayo]

Smiley Smile was reportedly used in a clinic in Texas to help people coming down from bad acid trips. Does anybody know which city in Texas?

in the dec 1971 issue of beat instrumental, in the 3rd part of their  3 part beach boys series (part 3 entitled: beach boys to surf's up and no conclusion) here, in part, is what was wrote about smiley smile... "recorded stoned to be listened to stoned (and, in fact, it is now being used as the sole therapy for bad trips at a dallas-houston-fort worth, texas, drug clinic: headphones instead of thorazine, and they haven't lost anyone yet)".

[Don Malcolm]

I get the impression somehow that the Smiley "Wind Chimes" is Brian's version of a musical acid trip, with the gorgeous madrigal-like tag being the "way back" to the regular, mundane world.

Correcting my earlier post due to faulty memory...it was the British version of Greatest Hits Vol. 3 and it was side two...a fine sequence of post-surf/car songs: "Darlin'"/"Please Let Me Wonder"/"Let Him Run Wild"/"Country Air"/"I Know There's An Answer"/"Friends"/"Heroes and Villains."

Now that's a sequence worth replicating. Those EMI guys had it all over their Capitol counterparts. Not only four more songs on the LP, but a noticeably superior track selection. Now that's what I call sanity in action!

[mr_oleary]

I get the impression somehow that the Smiley "Wind Chimes" is Brian's version of a musical acid trip, with the gorgeous madrigal-like tag being the "way back" to the regular, mundane world.

Correcting my earlier post due to faulty memory...it was the British version of Greatest Hits Vol. 3 and it was side two...a fine sequence of post-surf/car songs: "Darlin'"/"Please Let Me Wonder"/"Let Him Run Wild"/"Country Air"/"I Know There's An Answer"/"Friends"/"Heroes and Villains."

Now that's a sequence worth replicating. Those EMI guys had it all over their Capitol counterparts. Not only four more songs on the LP, but a noticeably superior track selection. Now that's what I call sanity in action!

I think SMiLE as a whole is more representative of an acid trip than Wind Chimes.  It has the dizzying highs (heroes and villains), the traumatic lows (Mrs O'Leary's Cow), and the zany adventures in between.

[Ron]

Mentally, that is.

Like let's say, just for kicks, that I'm currentlly going insane, and I almost can't function, what beach boys album should I listen to to help me wake up tomorrow?

If you're going insane, and can't function, you should see a doctor, and not try to self-medicate with a rock and roll album. 

[willy]

Nice one, Ron.

Me, I like to replenish my inner man with the following:

Baby Blue
Lady Lynda
Add Some Music to Your Day
At My Window
Country Air (that stereo version out there)
Little Pad (that stereo version out there)
Winds of Change

[donald]

I find Had to Phone Ya a very happy and infectious melody.  The theme of connecting with a friend/lover etc....."when i phone ya, Californias not so far away"......and that happy clarinet piece.....is just a very nice pick up.

But the anxiety level goes up a bit a the end until you hear the person answer the phone (Marilyn?)

[willy]

But the anxiety level goes up a bit a the end until you hear the person answer the phone (Marilyn?)

Worse than that......... it's Rocky Pamplin wearing one of Marilyn's kimonos.

[donald]

But the anxiety level goes up a bit a the end until you hear the person answer the phone (Marilyn?)

Worse than that......... it's Rocky Pamplin wearing one of Marilyn's kimonos.

"sometimes you're busy for awhile"