Is Some of Smile Dispensable?

[Jay]

I've never really understood why or how some people consider Good Vibrations part of SMiLE. Yes, I know it most likely would have been included had the album been released in 1967, but to me it just doesn't fit. Parts of it are included in Look, but that's about as much of a connection as I can make out of Good Vibrations being part of SMiLE.

[juggler]

I've never really understood why or how some people consider Good Vibrations part of SMiLE. Yes, I know it most likely would have been included had the album been released in 1967, but to me it just doesn't fit. Parts of it are included in Look, but that's about as much of a connection as I can make out of Good Vibrations being part of SMiLE.

Fair enough. For you, it doesn't fit.  For others, it does fit.  And one of those "others" is a certain Brian D. Wilson.  So it's on there.  And it's the only track listed on the front cover.  Three times. 

[Jay]

Perhaps it fits better with the mood of the album, rather than musically. I guess you could say that GV is a "happy song". It kind of does fit with the overall concept or "theme" of the album, now that I think about it. 

[John Stivaktas]

I've never really understood why or how some people consider Good Vibrations part of SMiLE. Yes, I know it most likely would have been included had the album been released in 1967, but to me it just doesn't fit. Parts of it are included in Look, but that's about as much of a connection as I can make out of Good Vibrations being part of SMiLE.

Perhaps it fits better with the mood of the album, rather than musically. I guess you could say that GV is a "happy song". It kind of does fit with the overall concept or "theme" of the album, now that I think about it. 

At the time that Brian was doing Pet Sounds he was composing songs or 'feels' using descending scales on the piano mainly. This was strongly influenced by J.S Bach in particular. By the end of Pet Sounds Brian moved on to composing songs using 'two-chord' progressions. One can see this especially in the last track recorded for Pet Sounds, "Here Today". The inverted chord bass lines that feature in Here Today also feature in Good Vibrations and on a lot of SMiLE tracks, the only difference is that these tracks feature ascending scales also, hence why they sound 'happy'.

[Matt Bielewicz]

Hi John,

Not saying that Bach *wasn't* an influence on Brian, but he doesn't seem to have mentioned it much. Gershwin, Lawrence Welk, the Four Freshmen and Chuck Berry, yes, but not JSB that I recall. Although he did say in his pseudo-biography that God Only Knows was influenced by John Sebastian... but that's someone else altogether, and may have been completely mangled by the ghost writers, or indeed made up from thin air for that book.

I'm also not sure about the use of descending scales in Pet Sounds, and ascending scales in SMiLE, and a consequently sad/happy split between them. Here Today features a descending *and* ascending scale bass run, and I'm not sure it's a 'sad' tune. Reflective, perhaps, a tad regretful, possibly, but not maudlin... And is 'I'm Waiting For The Day', sad? More *defiant*, if anything. Similarly, not all SMiLE songs can be said to be happy or have ascending scales. In Cabin Essence, the cellos ascend and descend. In H&V the verse vocal melody does nothing BUT descend. And is Cabin Essence 'happy'? Is... 'The Old Master Painter'? Surf's Up?

I don't think this stuff fits neatly into categories. It's art composed by someone talented who frequently worked in a very instinctive way... and music like that doesn't often fit into simple patterns or pigeonholes.

Matt

[hypehat]

The one thing he mentions specifically pertaining to Bach is the 'shuffle' of California Girls. Cos I'm an idiot, I don't know the name of the piece, but it's the same one as Lady Lynda, right?

[Matt Bielewicz]

Well, Lady Lynda was based on 'Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring' (which I used to sing as a throughly naughty, non-believing choirboy)... but I don't get the shuffle reference off that tune...?

[hypehat]

Wish I could remember the interviews in which he does it - He's said it a lot this year.... I think in this interview? I can't listen to it atm http://www.cbc.ca/q/blog/2011/05/24/brian-wilson-clip/

[rogerlancelot]

"Brian Farts Into The Piano" although not influenced by Bach (Mozart perhaps?) still has a flow about it. Maybe it will surface as an extra track with a Best Buy purchase of the boxed set.

Edit: I forgot to mention that although the melody of BFITP at first ascends it drops off in a descending manner. Still sounds happy as phuck to me!

[rab2591]

I've never really understood why or how some people consider Good Vibrations part of SMiLE. Yes, I know it most likely would have been included had the album been released in 1967, but to me it just doesn't fit. Parts of it are included in Look, but that's about as much of a connection as I can make out of Good Vibrations being part of SMiLE.

I used to hold your opinion, but after really listening to the album, and then reading/talking it over here, I changed my mind.

I think 'Good Vibrations' has a great cousin in 'Cabinessence' - it has the buildup of the chorus, the cellos, the amazing coda. Also, Good Vibrations fits the boy-girl theme in wonderful. I was told, by a fellow member here, that Good Vibrations is a kind of 5th element - the ethereal element that binds us all together. So there is connection - personally I see it as the song that binds it all together.

[sidewinder572]

I've never really understood why or how some people consider Good Vibrations part of SMiLE. Yes, I know it most likely would have been included had the album been released in 1967, but to me it just doesn't fit. Parts of it are included in Look, but that's about as much of a connection as I can make out of Good Vibrations being part of SMiLE.

The album cover says "good vibrations" 3 times and the radio spot plays GV. So yeah I think that sufficient evidence that the song would have ended up on the album.

[rattfink]

"Brian Farts Into The Piano"

I believe that this track is the missing "Air" portion of the Elements suite. Brian described this section as a short piano thing, and this fits the bill.

[rab2591]

I've never really understood why or how some people consider Good Vibrations part of SMiLE. Yes, I know it most likely would have been included had the album been released in 1967, but to me it just doesn't fit. Parts of it are included in Look, but that's about as much of a connection as I can make out of Good Vibrations being part of SMiLE.

The album cover says "good vibrations" 3 times and the radio spot plays GV. So yeah I think that sufficient evidence that the song would have ended up on the album.

Hence why he said it would have most likely been included on the album.

[sidewinder572]

Oh yeah, my bad. No need to roll your eyes at me.

[drbeachboy]

I've never really understood why or how some people consider Good Vibrations part of SMiLE. Yes, I know it most likely would have been included had the album been released in 1967, but to me it just doesn't fit. Parts of it are included in Look, but that's about as much of a connection as I can make out of Good Vibrations being part of SMiLE.

The album cover says "good vibrations" 3 times and the radio spot plays GV. So yeah I think that sufficient evidence that the song would have ended up on the album.

Hence why he said it would have most likely been included on the album.

Well wait a minute, how does GV 3X equate to "most likely"? How about definitely (at least at the point that the album cover was created)?

[rab2591]

I've never really understood why or how some people consider Good Vibrations part of SMiLE. Yes, I know it most likely would have been included had the album been released in 1967, but to me it just doesn't fit. Parts of it are included in Look, but that's about as much of a connection as I can make out of Good Vibrations being part of SMiLE.

The album cover says "good vibrations" 3 times and the radio spot plays GV. So yeah I think that sufficient evidence that the song would have ended up on the album.

Hence why he said it would have most likely been included on the album.

Well wait a minute, how does GV 3X equate to "most likely"? How about definitely (at least at the point that the album cover was created)?

Fair enough.

Didn't mean to come off like a jackass lol. I do see what Sidewinder is saying

[37!ws]

Perhaps it fits better with the mood of the album, rather than musically. I guess you could say that GV is a "happy song".

THAT'S IT!!!!!!!!!!

JAY HAS DISCOVERED THE MISSING PIECE OF SMILE THAT CAN RENDER IT COMPLETE!!!

It was so obvious all this time....why didn't we think of it??

Smile was going to include...."Happy Song"! It's what Brian, Van Dyke, and Eck conceived!!!

[Bicyclerider]

The album cover says "good vibrations" 3 times and the radio spot plays GV. So yeah I think that sufficient evidence that the song would have ended up on the album.

Hence why he said it would have most likely been included on the album.

Well wait a minute, how does GV 3X equate to "most likely"? How about definitely (at least at the point that the album cover was created)?
[/quote]

You people are overlooking the  obvious.  3X means GV would appear on the album three times, once in the single version, once in the Asher lyrics and hum de hum vocals, and once as "Good VibrAtions Pt 2" - an arrangement of five or six sections that were left out of the final mix.

[Nicko1234]

Vegetables is crap. The sort of bilge that any two stoners could have come up with. Only because it was recorded at that time is it so overrated.

[runnersdialzero]

Vegetables is crap. The sort of bilge that any two stoners could have come up with. Only because it was recorded at that time is it so overrated.

o okay.

[Jay]

I've never really understood why or how some people consider Good Vibrations part of SMiLE. Yes, I know it most likely would have been included had the album been released in 1967, but to me it just doesn't fit. Parts of it are included in Look, but that's about as much of a connection as I can make out of Good Vibrations being part of SMiLE.

The album cover says "good vibrations" 3 times and the radio spot plays GV. So yeah I think that sufficient evidence that the song would have ended up on the album.

Hence why he said it would have most likely been included on the album.

[Micha]

Vega-Tables was actually my least favourite Smile track with the exception of maybe Speeches, until the recent mix for the box set. It's totally transformed the song for me and I think gives a much better sense of what it could have been.

That's interesting - personally, I find the new mix a bit jarring... IMHO of course, I still prefer the Smiley version, and hooray for TSS coming out.

Where has this surfaced? Or did you kids hear it due to your job etc.?

Some Facebook site apparently.

[Shady]

Vegetables is crap. The sort of bilge that any two stoners could have come up with. Only because it was recorded at that time is it so overrated.

wow, that's just wrong

[guitarfool2002]

Let me add this to the mix, a quote from David Anderle within a year of when all this happened, and Anderle as manager at that time would have been the liaison for a lot of issues with Capitol, so he was actually there:

"he was forced to put 'Good Vibrations' on, something he never wanted to do was put a single onto the album, but he was forced to do that. For sales. That was another, I'm sure, a minor tragedy for him."

[runnersdialzero]

I'm reminded of those folks arguing over "Sloop John B" appearing on Pet Sounds.

I'm also reminded of the Smile cover which had text, something to the effect of "GOOD VIBRATIONS GOOD VIBRATIONS GOOD VIBRATIONS"