Box set: two grumbles

[Boiled Egg]

It goes without saying, but TSS is glorious, totally absorbing, fabulously generous in detail, sounds beautiful, and is a total credit to the album as conceived, and to all involved, most especially Brian. Linett should, frankly, march to the front, help himself to an armful of Emmys and take the rest of the year off.

God knows It'd be unduly curmudgeonly of me to find fault. So I have. Very minor fault indeed, and the square root of sod all to do with any of the music, but...

(1) Absence of Van Dyke Parks from the sleeve notes. Unless he's dying, I'm stumped to think of a good reason why he shouldn't have branded his involvement on this.

(2) Mike Love's written contribution. An object lesson in dissembling. Berk.

End of grumble.

[brother john]

What are you supposed to do with the track listing that comes wrapped around the box under the cellophane? No one thought about that, did they.

[Musketeer]

Emmys?

[Boiled Egg]

Yeah. The Grammy-shaped things. They're Emmys, aren't they?

(Now who's the berk?)

[Boiled Egg]

Anyone know why VDP absented himself from duty? (Now I'm dissembling -- I know at least one board member out there who does, so there are probably half a dozen -- so perhaps the direct question is more honest.)

Anyone care to say why VDP absented himself from duty?

[endofposts]

I'm going to hazard a guess that Van Dyke wants to distance himself from "Smile" and be known for his own music.  I can't blame him.  He's touring now and is putting out new music.  He is a musician, a better-trained one than Brian Wilson, and having fame for his project of writing lyrics (not music) for someone else's project is something he wants to move past. 

I also don't get critizing Mike Love for writing (or dictating/suggesting to whoever actually typed them up or edited/co-wrote them) liner notes.  If he didn't, people would be criticizing him for that, too.  I'm not one of those people who thinks "Smile" was not released due to Mike Love.  I'm sure other people had objections at the time, including Van Dyke Parks.  Van Dyke wasn't very happy with Brian's behavior during that time and he stopped working on the project due to that. 

[37!ws]

forget -- really, I wouldn't be surprised if that were the reason.

Heck, when Orange Crate Art came out in November 1995, I e-mailed VDP at the address in the liner notes and asked him flat-out if he gets sick of people asking him about Smile. He said yes because 1) it was a relatively small part of his life, just a couple months' worth, and 2) he felt he said all he had to say. Maybe today, after BWPS, his comments in IJWMFTT and other documentaries, the books, etc., he feels that either he said all he could, anything that COULD be said has already been said, or both.

[thevigilanteoflove]

I'm not saying I know or have any idea why VDP wouldn't get involved with the liner notes in the project, but I have a guess. Possibly, from his point of view, he didn't want to attract attention to himself and allow Brian to get recognition. In interviews that I've seen he is always sure to give credit to Brian for SMiLE. This is just a guess.

[runnersdialzero]

It's funny that he feels (or felt as far back as 15 years ago) that he's said all he had to say, yet is always extremely vague and rarely gives out solid, substantial info. Yeah, I know, he's an eccentric genius, and that's adorable and all, and he's talked about Smile a lot, but there's still a fair amount of things that only he and Brian know, and neither of them will talk about it. It's odd, is all.

[Boiled Egg]

I'm not grumbling that ML wrote liner notes -- I'm grumbling at their tone. I'm delighted he wrote liner notes. They're just rather charmless.

We can all hazard guesses at why VDP didn't contribute to the liner notes -- mine would be that he's writing an autobiography -- but I'd rather hear chapter and verse, if anyone's got it and can say.

[shelter]

I love the box a whole lot. But since I paid 150 euros for it, which is quite a lot of money for me, I think I have the right to complain a little bit.

First, I don't like the big unpractical CD folders. Seperate CD-cases would've been better. I think they didn't realize that many people listen to CD's in their cars too.

Second, and I know this will sound ungrateful, I think that there shouldn't have been bonus tracks on disc 1. The "completed" 'Smile' and the sessions/odds and ends should have been two different things. It should have been like, "This is it, this disc here, this is 'Smile'.". Now that disc is 'Smile' plus a bunch of fairly randomly picked extras, which kind of cheapens it IMO.

[shelter]

I think Mike's liner notes are cool. He's honest and realistic. It would've been wrong if he would've written anything else.

[Jason]

The man's honest and he can't win. If he lied and said "it was amazing" he wouldn't win. Fans are so fickle...

[thevigilanteoflove]

I love the box a whole lot. But since I paid 150 euros for it, which is quite a lot of money for me, I think I have the right to complain a little bit.

First, I don't like the big unpractical CD folders. Seperate CD-cases would've been better. I think they didn't realize that many people listen to CD's in their cars too.

Second, and I know this will sound ungrateful, I think that there shouldn't have been bonus tracks on disc 1. The "completed" 'Smile' and the sessions/odds and ends should have been two different things. It should have been like, "This is it, this disc here, this is 'Smile'.". Now that disc is 'Smile' plus a bunch of fairly randomly picked extras, which kind of cheapens it IMO.

I kind of feel the same way. I like the idea of a single disc finished album on its own. However, I assume the reason they had to put bonus tracks on disc 1 is simply because they wouldn't be able to fit all they wanted onto five discs otherwise.

[runnersdialzero]

Second, and I know this will sound ungrateful, I think that there shouldn't have been bonus tracks on disc 1. The "completed" 'Smile' and the sessions/odds and ends should have been two different things. It should have been like, "This is it, this disc here, this is 'Smile'.". Now that disc is 'Smile' plus a bunch of fairly randomly picked extras, which kind of cheapens it IMO.

They packed these discs full, you realize, so if they were gonna throw the extras on disc 1 onto other discs, it would've come at the expense of other material, which I can't agree with.

[The Radiant Radish]

I can't believe some people are actually complaining that there shouldn't be bonus tracks on the "the album" disc. Just try pressing stop after GoodVibrations and imagine the arm of the record player locking into a groove ... oh and shut up complaining!

[oldsurferdude]

I can't believe some people are actually complaining that there shouldn't be bonus tracks on the "the album" disc. Just try pressing stop after GoodVibrations and imagine the arm of the record player locking into a groove ... oh and shut up complaining!

Not even 1 day out and garbage being dumped on the set about how, in their eyes, it could have been so much better if... . Can't wait to see all the shoulda, woulda, coulda posts after all the endless screaming about releasing a Smile box set. Why not just effin' listen to it and appreciate it for what it is? JMHO that's all.  

[Jason]

+1

[OneEar/OneEye]

I don't understand this about VD not contributing to the liner notes - the ESQ dude who has his unboxing on youtube points out at one point a piece written by VD in the accompanying book.  Is the book not the liner notes?  I guess I'm dumb.

[Wirestone]

The piece is not written by Van Dyke. It is a piece ABOUT Van Dyke, written by Tom Nolan.

[The Demon]

I can't believe some people are actually complaining that there shouldn't be bonus tracks on the "the album" disc. Just try pressing stop after GoodVibrations and imagine the arm of the record player locking into a groove ... oh and shut up complaining!

I never get that argument either, that it ruins the integrity of the album.   By that same logic you could never have singles on albums, or make mixtapes, or play one record right after another, etc.

[Bud Shaver]

I had to look up the definition of 'dissembling.'

[PongHit]

Linett should, frankly, march to the front, help himself to an armful of Emmys and take the rest of the year off.

I have a grumble about your grumble: You didn't mention Alan Boyd above.

[sockittome]

I have only one minor quibble about the packaging--so minor, I will get over it in no time.  The housing for the cds has shrink wrap on it, which is probably to keep the 45s from falling out the first time you remove everything from the box.  But why no shrink wrap on the Lps?  That would have been cool, especially since I have no plans for playing them.  But like I said, I'll get over it.  Being able to look at the reproduced booklet made me forget all about it!

[Micha]

I think Mike's liner notes are cool. He's honest and realistic. It would've been wrong if he would've written anything else.

I agree.