Disappointment with Surf's Up

[Austin]

Is it just me or is the timing completely of on the vocals for the new surfs up? I cut quite alot in cubase and this is just poor sync, it is lagging and makes me feel uneasy each time i hear it.

I wouldn't say it's poorly synced. It's an intentional lag, and it wouldn't be wrong to sing the song that way, but having other versions ingrained in your head doesn't help. Give it some time before you go cutting it up -- I thought it was weird when I first heard it, too.

[desmondo]

Is it just me or is the timing completely of on the vocals for the new surfs up? I cut quite alot in cubase and this is just poor sync, it is lagging and makes me feel uneasy each time i hear it.

Nah - sung behind the beat with some syncopation

We have got so used to everything lined up with a click track that we have forgotten what a human being sounds like

[hypehat]

I think it's fine. From what I've heard, to get it 'bang on' requires more pitch-shifting/time stretching than I suppose Linett & Boyd were comfortable with. You'd be complaining if it was full of digital artefacts too, I suppose.

[smokeythebear]

I get the syncopation bit, but whatever murry says it sounds wrong!

[Bicyclerider]

Shouldn't the sync up job be at least as good as Anne wallace's?

[Aegir]

Sounds fine to me. not laggy at all.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

Just a thought: does anyone think Brian might have let Carl take the lead vocal on "Surf's Up" in 67? Given that we don't have a recording of the fully-arranged version with a Brian lead (which he could have easily done, given that he was in the studio when it was being recorded), and that Brian also gave Carl the lead vocal on the centrepiece of Pet Sounds.
It's pretty unlikely I guess, but any thoughts?

I've always wondered this, really. Same goes for "Barnyard", "I'm In Great Shape", "Child Is The Father Of The Man", etc. - who the f*ck were actually meant to sing these songs? Two takes of "Wonderful" with two different vocalists only makes one wonder even more.

Also, on that note, I've always wondered if part of Mike's resentment over the project draws from the fact that he has lead vocals on short sections of two whole songs. Damn.

Yeah - I don't think Brian would be singing every lead on the album save You Are My Sunshine and Wind Chimes. That being said, he certainly sang Surf's Up a lot. It seemed to be particularly tailored to him performing it. But who knows?

I think that Mike, as the lead singer who could only sing onstage for the most part, probably would have gotten at least Barnyard and maybe Child. I think it's interesting that in defending Mike, some people say, "well, he DID sing those lyrics" but it is worth noting that he actually doesn't sing a single lead.

"Mike, as the lead singer who could only sing onstage for the most part"

What does that mean, exactly??

[Chocolate Shake Man]

Just a thought: does anyone think Brian might have let Carl take the lead vocal on "Surf's Up" in 67? Given that we don't have a recording of the fully-arranged version with a Brian lead (which he could have easily done, given that he was in the studio when it was being recorded), and that Brian also gave Carl the lead vocal on the centrepiece of Pet Sounds.
It's pretty unlikely I guess, but any thoughts?

I've always wondered this, really. Same goes for "Barnyard", "I'm In Great Shape", "Child Is The Father Of The Man", etc. - who the f*ck were actually meant to sing these songs? Two takes of "Wonderful" with two different vocalists only makes one wonder even more.

Also, on that note, I've always wondered if part of Mike's resentment over the project draws from the fact that he has lead vocals on short sections of two whole songs. Damn.

Yeah - I don't think Brian would be singing every lead on the album save You Are My Sunshine and Wind Chimes. That being said, he certainly sang Surf's Up a lot. It seemed to be particularly tailored to him performing it. But who knows?

I think that Mike, as the lead singer who could only sing onstage for the most part, probably would have gotten at least Barnyard and maybe Child. I think it's interesting that in defending Mike, some people say, "well, he DID sing those lyrics" but it is worth noting that he actually doesn't sing a single lead.

"Mike, as the lead singer who could only sing onstage for the most part"

What does that mean, exactly??

It means that while the other band members could play an instrument, Mike couldn't aside from tambourine or the odd sax break.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

Got it!

And let's not forget some thremin shredding too!

[Chocolate Shake Man]

Got it!

And let's not forget some thremin shredding too!

Gazooks! How could I? I believe we call it the "woo woo machine." 

[MBE]

I always thought Brian's voice was a bit rough on the TV version. Not bad just a bit shrill or raw. In the new one on the main part of the album, it took me a few plays to really get into it. The 1971 sections seemed jarring but now I like the blend of the 1966 boot version(s) and the implimentation of the 1971 vocals. It's well done.

[Daniel S.]

Smile is largely instrumental due to the nature of the project being unfinished.

True, but I've often wondered what would be the problem with presenting Smile '67 as something like:

Our Prayer/Gee
Heroes and Villains
My Only Sunshine
Cabin Essence
Vegetables
Wonderful
Mrs. O'Leary's Cow
Surf's Up
Wind Chimes
Good Vibrations
You're Welcome

Maybe throw in parts of "Cool, Cool Water" or "Diamond Head" or whatever if you're feeling crazy and need some water with your Smile. You could use a couple of the weird humor attempts as skits to fill out the running time, maybe placing them with some of the unused instrumentals. Add in the rest of the songs as bonuses. If you ask me, that's better than the trying to mimic BWPS, which took an everything and the kitchen sink approach that really highlights the unfinished quality of some of the other songs.

I agree with you completely. That is an album Brian could have released in '67. I don't like the BWPS sequencing one bit.

[runnersdialzero]

I think it's fine. From what I've heard, to get it 'bang on' requires more pitch-shifting/time stretching than I suppose Linett & Boyd were comfortable with. You'd be complaining if it was full of digital artefacts too, I suppose.

Not really, sans the "brother John" part which they went full of time stretching with and is even more apparent on the stereo mix. Otherwise, it's just a matter of cutting the vocal in a few spots and moving it slightly. Considering everything else they did in the way of pitch-shifting and time stretching, I doubt the lag was done due to reservations.

The sync, to me (and to many others), is indeed very laggy and off.

[Bud Shaver]

I just listened to the vinyl stereo mix and give it the 'thumbs up!'

[Compost]

Sounds great to me.  I love the retention of Carl's vocal; it seems appropriate in that he made that song his own in '71.  It's also nice to hear the two brothers' voices one after another.

[Bicyclerider]

Just a thought: does anyone think Brian might have let Carl take the lead vocal on "Surf's Up" in 67? Given that we don't have a recording of the fully-arranged version with a Brian lead (which he could have easily done, given that he was in the studio when it was being recorded), and that Brian also gave Carl the lead vocal on the centrepiece of Pet Sounds.
It's pretty unlikely I guess, but any thoughts?
[/quote

I suspect mike would have sung lead on Worms, Old master Painter ( the first part), Grand Coulee Dam, Barnyard.  Al on Vegetables, I'm in Great Shape, Dennis on Sunshine and Cabinessence, Carl on Wind Chimes, Wonderful, GV, and Child (with Brian), Brian on Surf's Up, Heroes.

[runnersdialzero]

Sounds great to me.  I love the retention of Carl's vocal; it seems appropriate in that he made that song his own in '71.  It's also nice to hear the two brothers' voices one after another.

I'll agree with that (although I still think they nicked that from my fan mix on YouTube when cleaning it out, the bastards!!!!!!111 *)

(* not bastards)

[runnersdialzero]

Also, yeah, "Barnyard" with Mike seems right, somehow.

[Chocolate Shake Man]

I suspect mike would have sung lead on Worms, Old master Painter ( the first part), Grand Coulee Dam, Barnyard.  Al on Vegetables, I'm in Great Shape, Dennis on Sunshine and Cabinessence, Carl on Wind Chimes, Wonderful, GV, and Child (with Brian), Brian on Surf's Up, Heroes.

Erm, that sounds a bit too democratic to me. At this point, the large majority of songs were led by Mike or Brian. Dennis, Carl, and Al had the odd lead, but there was nothing that would suggest that Brian was going to hand out 2 vocals to Dennis, 2 to Al, and 4 to Carl on one album.

[runnersdialzero]

I suspect mike would have sung lead on Worms, Old master Painter ( the first part), Grand Coulee Dam, Barnyard.  Al on Vegetables, I'm in Great Shape, Dennis on Sunshine and Cabinessence, Carl on Wind Chimes, Wonderful, GV, and Child (with Brian), Brian on Surf's Up, Heroes.

Erm, that sounds a bit too democratic to me. At this point, the large majority of songs were led by Mike or Brian. Dennis, Carl, and Al had the odd lead, but there was nothing that would suggest that Brian was going to hand out 2 vocals to Dennis, 2 to Al, and 4 to Carl on one album.

Maybe not quite that democratic, but then consider that Carl sang like every single vocal ever on Smiley Smile and at least 99% of all songs on albums after that.