Not a great review in Q

[homeontherange]

How many people actually listen to the sessions part of the PS box for fun?

I do. Mostly just the instrumentals, because it's fucking mozart + bach. But also the sessions sometimes.
It's a lot more rewarding than 99 % of the other stuff I have on iTunes

[mammy blue]

How many people actually listen to the sessions part of the PS box for fun?

I do. Mostly just the instrumentals, because it's friggin' mozart + bach. But also the sessions sometimes.
It's a lot more rewarding than 99 % of the other stuff I have on iTunes

Me Too!

[Matt H]

What did they give BWPS when it came out?

[Shady]

Let's forget Q, And read a proper review

http://godisinthetvzine.co.uk/index.php/2011/10/25/the-beach-boys-the-smile-sessions-capitolemi/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

[rab2591]

How many people actually listen to the sessions part of the PS box for fun?

I do. Mostly just the instrumentals, because it's friggin' mozart + bach. But also the sessions sometimes.
It's a lot more rewarding than 99 % of the other stuff I have on iTunes

Me Too!

Indeed. Such a wealth of beauty on those extra discs.....that vocal snippet for 'Don't Talk' is heavenly. I listen to the boxset sessions a lot. I'm really looking forward to the vocals-only montage for TSS!!!

[Smilin Ed H]

A release like this should be reviewed by someone who knows its worth and its audience, which, for the complete box, isn't, after all, a general one. Do you think they'd do the same with a similar Beatles or Dylan or (God forbid) U2 release?

Rhetorical question.

[Heysaboda]

Of course it's only going to get an average review, it's not The Beatles is it? Which as every self respecting Q reader knows is the only group from that period that was any good! Who cares about old music anyway when we could be discussing the collective merits of U2, Kings of Lameon, Jessie Jane and the mighty COLDPLAY!!

Eat a bag of s*it Q Magazine.

Just beat me to it..

My message to Q Magazine: BITE ME!

TSS should receive 6 starts out of 5!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[rocksucker]

Easy to see why Q only gave TSS three stars - after all, it wasn't released by any of Coldplay, U2, Oasis or Red Hot Chilli Peppers.

Good old Q, eh?

[JohnMill]

How many people actually listen to the sessions part of the PS box for fun?

I do. Mostly just the instrumentals, because it's friggin' mozart + bach. But also the sessions sometimes.
It's a lot more rewarding than 99 % of the other stuff I have on iTunes

Preach it brother!  The backing track for "Here Today" especially the bridge - Jeez!

PS: U2 is probably the most overrated band that I have ever come across period.

[Mike's Beard]

U2 really seem to be a case of the Emperor's new clothes. Let's face it they made one great album back in the 1980's and have been slipping further into mediocrity ever since. 

[Wirestone]

I didn't say instrumentals -- which are genius -- I said sessions.

And truthfully, while the Brian and musician interchange is fun, and some of the alternate early tries are interesting, I find sessions material generally a bit repetitive. I mean, I have -- available, somehow -- all the SOT sets, and they are just not what I would consider super-listenable.

Taking that into account, though, I think TSS -- simply because of its place as the high water mark of BW's abilities, and the plethora of alternate versions of nearly everything -- will probably prove the exception for me.

[JohnMill]

I didn't say instrumentals -- which are genius -- I said sessions.

And truthfully, while the Brian and musician interchange is fun, and some of the alternate early tries are interesting, I find sessions material generally a bit repetitive. I mean, I have -- available, somehow -- all the SOT sets, and they are just not what I would consider super-listenable.

Taking that into account, though, I think TSS -- simply because of its place as the high water mark of BW's abilities, and the plethora of alternate versions of nearly everything -- will probably prove the exception for me.

With all due respect I totally disagree.  The Beatles and The Beach Boys especially The Beach Boys, their studio sessions are something I think every serious music fan needs to listen to at least once (probably more).  Paul McCartney once said that "nobody's musical education is complete without listening to Pet Sounds", I'd take that a step further and extend it to The Pet Sounds Sessions.  It's not just the interaction between Brian and the musicians but really what Chuck Britz says on the Hawthorne cd about how Brian built his records in the studio.  

As someone else alluded to we never got a chance to hear Mozart or Bach compose but you have these two bands that were so proficient at making records, it's really so fortunate that we've had the opportunity to listen in as much as we have to the creative process.  

Now I understand the point about the general public not "getting it" the way most of us do but to me that is on them.  It's really nothing other than their loss in my opinion.

[Iron Horse-Apples]

As someone else alluded to we never got a chance to hear Mozart or Bach compose

Get some paper and scribble on it, for the genuine sound of Mozart and Bach composing. Trust me, it works!

[Mahalo]

...more often than not no one heard Mozart compose... he would work out most if not all of it in his head. He is, IMO, the Greatest Ever- Period. To think he died at 35...

[Pretty Funky]

Some of you folks are getting so worked up over this review and others sure to come. Really...who gives a sh!t what the reviews say?

Heres my review without even hearing it.

TSS. It is what it is. Expect to see this set on the shelves in some form forever. The single CD a must for anyone with a passing interest in music and the boxset for the serious music lover. Enjoy!

[Ron]

How many people actually listen to the sessions part of the PS box for fun?

I do. Mostly just the instrumentals, because it's friggin' mozart + bach. But also the sessions sometimes.
It's a lot more rewarding than 99 % of the other stuff I have on iTunes

Preach it brother!  The backing track for "Here Today" especially the bridge - Jeez!

PS: U2 is probably the most overrated band that I have ever come across period.

That would be true for me too, if I'd never heard Coldplay. 

[Caroline Yes]

All that really matters is that Pitchfork will give this a 10.0/10 

They seem to adore the Beach Boys

[runnersdialzero]

Q think Elbow are the best band of all time.  Ignore them.

*waves*

[PongHit]

the very same magazine gave Razorlight's S/T album 5 stars

Wonder how they'd rate Wishbone Ash?

[Shady]

All that really matters is that Pitchfork will give this a 10.0/10 

They seem to adore the Beach Boys

I'm expecting more of a 9.5

[Bill Tobelman]

Screw Q!

[Dunderhead]

Screw Q!

Picard! I'm hurt!

[MBE]

I'm sure people who are aware of Smile will love the basic LP and or CD, historians like us will love the entire box which isn't designed for the average person. Still the review seems rather harsh. If this was a 1976 box I would understand, but Brian and the Beach Boys in their first dozen years together made musical history. Music doesn't come much better than Smile and I frankly don't care if some uninformed critic doesn't understand that.

[Dunderhead]

All that really matters is that Pitchfork will give this a 10.0/10 

They seem to adore the Beach Boys

I'm expecting more of a 9.5

Yeah I'm sure they'll knock off a point because they feel like there are too many boxsets coming out. Pitchfork really sucks, you can see them slowly drift into irrelevance like a 21st century Rolling Stone. I mean their year end lists now have corporate sponsors...

I remember their original review of Pet Sounds, the reviewer gave it a 7.something and said it was outdated. Just like they gave a decidedly unenthusiastic review to Daft Punk's Discovery upon first release, before LCD Soundsystem and Kanye West turned it into one of the most popular albums of the decade (#3 album of the decade according to Pitchfork).

[willy]

I stopped buying Q years ago it as it became more and more of a comic. If I'd've been the reviewer I'd've given SMiLE a rating of infinity out of a squillion which is more like it.