SMiLE Sessions box set!

[Chris Brown]

Great discussion here, excellent points being made by all.  For me, the track sequencing is immaterial, since we can all make up our own edits and sequences once we have the box in our hands.  As AGD said, the BWPS sequence isn't perfect, but it's certainly better than no sequence at all.  Politics or no politics, it made the most sense to do it that way.  I don't look at it as giving any more or less validity to BWPS in terms of being the SMiLE, but merely the most logical way to present the music to the general music buying public, most of whom will be almost completely unfamiliar with all the music.

[The Heartical Don]

Nice to speculate how new fan mixes will proliferate once the box is out. Given the wealth of material in A+ sound quality, that rate will be amazing.

[changeng]

Hokay - I've read about 30-40 pages of this thread to catch up with what's happened in SMiLE research since I stopped obsessing (after BWPS - been collecting outtakes since 1984).  The Durrie Parks matter - was it ever resolved?  Has anyone actually admitted to listening to what she has/had on acetates?  Seems like the thread was heavy on that subject early on, then got taken over by a LSD dissertation.

[seanmurd]

Nice to speculate how new fan mixes will proliferate once the box is out. Given the wealth of material in A+ sound quality, that rate will be amazing.

I know for sure I'll be revisiting my own (now 10+ years old) "definitive" homemade SMiLE and re-thinking it from scratch. It won't be out of any disrespect for what Mark Linett comes up with on disc one; it's simply that I've thought of SMiLE as "mine" for so long that I'm sure hearing all those glorious bits and pieces in pristine sound is going to get my synapses firing. There was a bunch of stuff I rejected from my SMiLE simply because I didn't care for the sound quality ("Barnyard," "Holidays," "Child" etc.), so, ironically, I'm probably going to end up with a three-LP-sides length SMiLE myself!  

[The Heartical Don]

Nice to speculate how new fan mixes will proliferate once the box is out. Given the wealth of material in A+ sound quality, that rate will be amazing.

I know for sure I'll be revisiting my own (now 10+ years old) "definitive" homemade SMiLE and re-thinking it from scratch. It won't be out of any disrespect for what Mark Linett comes up with on disc one; it's simply that I've thought of SMiLE as "mine" for so long that I'm sure hearing all those glorious bits and pieces in pristine sound is going to get my synapses firing. There was a bunch of stuff I rejected from my SMiLE simply because I didn't care for the sound quality ("Barnyard," "Holidays," "Child" etc.), so, ironically, I'm probably going to end up with a three-LP-sides length SMiLE myself!  

Seanmurd Presents SMiLE? In a theatre near you?

[Wirestone]

I accept and believe that the Brian of today has his own creative agency.

He was right to finish the project, if he wanted. But the work he did in 2003 was not to present the original recordings to the public. It was to perform (and eventually record) them anew. It was a different context, with a different aim.

I think BWPS is a triumph. But one of the reasons its a triumph _is that it's not the original sessions._

Much remains to be seen. And if the songs on disc 1 are presented relatively discretely -- with fades intact and space between for easy resequencing -- that's one thing. If vocals are flown in from every which way, if fades go away, if link tracks pop up ... well, let's just hope that doesn't happen.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Hokay - I've read about 30-40 pages of this thread to catch up with what's happened in SMiLE research since I stopped obsessing (after BWPS - been collecting outtakes since 1984).  The Durrie Parks matter - was it ever resolved?  Has anyone actually admitted to listening to what she has/had on acetates?  Seems like the thread was heavy on that subject early on, then got taken over by a LSD dissertation.

I hear her acetates were auditioned: as only two made the final box (and one couldn't have come from her), I'm guessing there was very little, if anything, of interest on them. Al Capone's vault.

[seanmurd]

Nice to speculate how new fan mixes will proliferate once the box is out. Given the wealth of material in A+ sound quality, that rate will be amazing.

I know for sure I'll be revisiting my own (now 10+ years old) "definitive" homemade SMiLE and re-thinking it from scratch. It won't be out of any disrespect for what Mark Linett comes up with on disc one; it's simply that I've thought of SMiLE as "mine" for so long that I'm sure hearing all those glorious bits and pieces in pristine sound is going to get my synapses firing. There was a bunch of stuff I rejected from my SMiLE simply because I didn't care for the sound quality ("Barnyard," "Holidays," "Child" etc.), so, ironically, I'm probably going to end up with a three-LP-sides length SMiLE myself!  

Seanmurd Presents SMiLE? In a theatre near you?

Only the theatre in my mind... 

[hypehat]

Hokay - I've read about 30-40 pages of this thread to catch up with what's happened in SMiLE research since I stopped obsessing (after BWPS - been collecting outtakes since 1984).  The Durrie Parks matter - was it ever resolved?  Has anyone actually admitted to listening to what she has/had on acetates?  Seems like the thread was heavy on that subject early on, then got taken over by a LSD dissertation.

I hear her acetates were auditioned: as only two made the final box (and one couldn't have come from her), I'm guessing there was very little, if anything, of interest on them. Al Capone's vault.

Next thing you'll tell me they found the Inside Pop reels only to find the camera was trained on Mike Love's arse the entire time....

[The Heartical Don]

Hokay - I've read about 30-40 pages of this thread to catch up with what's happened in SMiLE research since I stopped obsessing (after BWPS - been collecting outtakes since 1984).  The Durrie Parks matter - was it ever resolved?  Has anyone actually admitted to listening to what she has/had on acetates?  Seems like the thread was heavy on that subject early on, then got taken over by a LSD dissertation.

I hear her acetates were auditioned: as only two made the final box (and one couldn't have come from her), I'm guessing there was very little, if anything, of interest on them. Al Capone's vault.

Next thing you'll tell me they found the Inside Pop reels only to find the camera was trained on Mike Love's arse the entire time....

Well, Lenny Bernstein was a closet gay type of guy, so don't rule this out...

[monicker]

Closet? Nah. That marriage didn't fool anyone.

[Wirestone]

Well, I would say the fact he publicly lived with a man in the 70s probably meant he wasn't interested in fooling folks after awhile.

Lenny had a real rock star life, actually. Drugs, booze, amazing promiscuity, lots of wasted potential. Great story.

[37!ws]

Not quite - on the 1980 European tour (in Sweden, I think), a fan handed him a copy of the front slick to sign. Outcome: one shredded slick, one confused fan and one freaked Brian.

So even just the front slick was enough to set Brian off?

Even just ?  The front slick, in full color, full size, must've been like a nine-foot spider suddenly dropping from the roof for Brian in 1980. he was in a bad place anyway and to be confronted with a full-color reminder of his greatest failure...

Some years ago, probably 1993, someone mentioned in an e-mail to me that he had a copy of one of the Smile boot CDs autographed by Brian and he was looking to sell it. I said, "How did you ever get him to autograph that?" Apparently when he met Brian for a newspaper interview or something, and asked for Brian's autograph, and he said sure. He saw the Smile cover, freaked, and said "Oh my God, they [Capitol] released this!?" And then was relieved to find that it was "only" a bootleg.

[hypehat]

Brian is pimping out the TSS version of GV on his facebook.... THE PUBLICITY MACHINE COMETH   

[Dunderhead]

Just preordered mine. Wish I would have done it way earlier.

[brother john]

Box set £129 on amazon.co.uk, which translates into $209.

Geez. 

[juggler]

Amazon UK now has an image of the 1CD set.  Pretty much what you'd expect: rainbow label CD with a jewel case.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Smile-Sessions-Jewel-Case/dp/B005KGNM90/

Of course, since I'm buying the box, I have absolutely no need for this.   I'm tempted to buy it anyway, though, because I kind of like the idea of a jewelcase version of Smile sitting among the rest of my CDs.  Crazy?  Obsessive-compulsive?   Yes, probably, but I'm sure most of you know what I mean.  

[SamMcK]

Amazon UK now has an image of the 1CD set.  Pretty much what you'd expect: rainbow label CD with a jewel case.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Smile-Sessions-Jewel-Case/dp/B005KGNM90/

Of course, since I'm buying the box, I have absolutely no need for this.   I'm tempted to buy it anyway, though, because I kind of like the idea of a jewelcase version of Smile sitting among the rest of my CDs.  Crazy?  Obsessive-compulsive?   Yes, probably, but I'm sure most of you know what I mean.  

You think that's crazy? I'm probably going to end up buying the vinyl version of the album seperately even though i'm getting the boxset! 

[tansen]

Amazon UK now has an image of the 1CD set.  Pretty much what you'd expect: rainbow label CD with a jewel case.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Smile-Sessions-Jewel-Case/dp/B005KGNM90/

Of course, since I'm buying the box, I have absolutely no need for this.   I'm tempted to buy it anyway, though, because I kind of like the idea of a jewelcase version of Smile sitting among the rest of my CDs.  Crazy?  Obsessive-compulsive?   Yes, probably, but I'm sure most of you know what I mean.  

You think that's crazy? I'm probably going to end up buying the vinyl version of the album seperately even though i'm getting the boxset!  

Same. Getting the box, 2CD, 2LP and who knows, I might even get the 1CD version too. Craziness! The 1CD version looks like UM16

[hypehat]

Do we reckon the 'exclusive artwork' in the 2LP set is a very reduced 60 page book, or the Guy Webster book, or what?

[juggler]

Do we reckon the 'exclusive artwork' in the 2LP set is a very reduced 60 page book, or the Guy Webster book, or what?

According to Amazon...

Vinyl Product contains:

- 12" x 12" gatefold packaging featuring Frank Holmes cover art

- 2 LPs

- Inner sleeve art (not contained on box set vinyl)

- Lyrics

- 12" x 12" booklet created for original release features:

- Photos by Guy Webster

- Drawings by Frank Holmes

The only thing exclusive to the 2LP package seems to be "Inner sleeve art."

Of course, there could be some other subtle differences.  There might, for example, be a UPC on the back cover, whereas the LP in the box wouldn't need one.

[Ron]

Quote from Brian, from the interview posted by user "Juggler". 

 “I’m so glad you like it, that means a lot to me. You see, when Van Dyke and I worked on Smile, we put it on the shelf, and then somehow managed to finish it and put it out. When I did that concert at the Royal Festival Hall it meant so much, I was very proud. Smile was an adventurous gamble, and there were lots of really interesting chord changes. I think we might work together again soon.”


http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/theticket/2011/0902/1224303333611.html

Somebody call Brian and tell him he's wrong, he never finished Smile. 

[Andrew G. Doe]

Do we reckon the 'exclusive artwork' in the 2LP set is a very reduced 60 page book, or the Guy Webster book, or what?

Sigh... I know it's already been answered but seriously, is checking out the amazon.com site that difficult ? I'm not being crabby for the sake of it, but a little effort would be nice.

[bossaroo]

the handwritten tracklist looks like Brian's writing to me. There's some good comparisons on someone's website.

It really wouldn't surprise me if Brian wrote it and then claimed to have "never seen it before" nearly 40 years later.

even so, I'm not convinced the list was definitive or that it wouldn't have changed had SMiLE been released in '67.



as for buying multiple versions of this release... guilty as charged. I preordered the box and the vinyl (hey its got exclusive art!) and I plan on buying the 2-disc on the day of release. now that there's a single disc I will probably have to have that too. and I don't think i'll be truly content until I own a box with a SMiLE SHoP light switch!!!

[Andrew G. Doe]

the handwritten tracklist looks like Brian's writing to me. There's some good comparisons on someone's website.

It's not - nothing at all like Brian's writing even in 1963, much less three years, a ton of weed and three trips later.