Hello from a new member!

[Bardley]

Hi all, I’m Bardley. After lurking the board for a few weeks, I decided to make an account and join! I’m looking forward to joining the discussion here.

I’m a newer fan of the Beach Boys, only listening to them intently a little over a year ago. Growing up, I was more of a Beatles/classic rock fan. Not that I actively disliked the Beach Boys, but I just didn’t give them much thought. While snowed in my apartment at college last year, I came across the story of SMiLE and wanted to listen to the mythical unreleased album I previously had heard nothing about. I was hooked after the first listening and quickly ordered copies of The SMiLE Sessions and Pet Sounds, listening to both on repeat for months. I loved the intricate vocal harmonies that seemed otherworldly in their beauty and the sincerity behind the lyrics of Pet Sounds.

For a band that has been around for half a century, I knew next to nothing about them, of how the band had transitioned from surf rock into the experimentation of SMiLE, or what exactly they did after the project collapsed. Love & Mercy hit theaters right around the time I really became interested in the band and Brian Wilson and I absolutely loved it. Since then, I’ve been slowly moving through their catalog and really enjoying it.

At the moment, I would say that my five favorite Beach Boys albums are:
1. Pet Sounds
2. SMiLE/The SMiLE Sessions
3. Sunflower
4. Friends
5. The Beach Boys Today!

Around the time I started listening intently to the band, I began toying around with music in my spare time and working on vocal covers. I recently created a Sound Cloud account and have added some music at https://soundcloud.com/bardley-723912877. I performed a vocal cover of “Surfer Girl,” doing each of the parts myself as a first test for myself in recording multiple vocal parts. A few months ago, I covered “God Only Knows” in the barbershop quartet arrangement featured in Bioshock: Infinite, performing each part myself. I recently finished a cover of “A Day in the Life of a Tree,” doing all the instrumentation myself.  I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback!

[You Kane, You Commanded, You Conquered]

Welcome to the club!   Great cover as well!

[JK]

Welcome, sir. I'm sure you'll find plenty to get your teeth into round here. 

Soundcloud doesn't work for me on my current browser so I'll get things set up to give your tracks a listen tonight. :=) 

[SMiLE Brian]

Welcome!

[MaryUSA]

Hi all,

Hi and welcome!!!

[JK]

I like the minimalist approach to "Tree". I assume you know there's a subforum for music-making Smiley Smilers...

[bluesno1fann]

Welcome, hope you enjoy it around here!

[Emily]

welcome and good luck!