Boxset Book Discussion: Brian's liner notes and the essays

[Cam Mott]

I'm disappointed by the absence of Parks in the booklet.  A supposedly brilliant writer can't throw together a couple hundred words?  Hell, write a haiku.

I'm disappointed too in Nolan (even as I'm a fan...I especially like his bio of Ross MacDonald).  His brief bit on Parks here is mainly purplish prose that is fairly
empty.

He says  "...an intimate epic, a vision and history of America, if you will, as experienced via the mind, the memory, the consciousness of one
two-minded pilgrim in progress through time and inner space."

And I'm believing Mind, Memory, and Consciousness are the very same thing.  And then "progress through inner space"
also sounds a whole lot like the same.  So Nolan hasn't really said much more than that Brian and Parks did some thinkin'.

That sort of thing.

DCunningham? As in "Don Cunningham"?

[P.J.]

I feel real bad about the blonde girl referred to as "unknown" in the group picture of the "gang". It's kind of like that buddy that hung out with you in high school for like a week but now you can't remember what happened to them. 

[The Shift]

There may be some guitarists or musicians that have been on the road for 50 years, but I doubt it.  Nobody has been a frontman for 50 years.

Jagger?

Chuck Berry.  Different band every night, but the same frontman. And still rocking.

[Andrew G. Doe]

I feel real bad about the blonde girl referred to as "unknown" in the group picture of the "gang". It's kind of like that buddy that hung out with you in high school for like a week but now you can't remember what happened to them.  

Not unknown - that's Siegel's first wife, Chrissie Jolly. I told them that back in late summer.

[John Stivaktas]

I feel real bad about the blonde girl referred to as "unknown" in the group picture of the "gang". It's kind of like that buddy that hung out with you in high school for like a week but now you can't remember what happened to them.  

Not unknown - that's Siegel's first wife, Chrissie Jolly. I told them that back in late summer.

Andrew, is she the same girl mentioned in 'Goodbye Surfing, Hello God'? You know, the one with ESP messing with Brian's mind and banned from a session!

[Andrew G. Doe]

I feel real bad about the blonde girl referred to as "unknown" in the group picture of the "gang". It's kind of like that buddy that hung out with you in high school for like a week but now you can't remember what happened to them.  

Not unknown - that's Siegel's first wife, Chrissie Jolly. I told them that back in late summer.

Andrew, is she the same girl mentioned in 'Goodbye Surfing, Hello God'? You know, the one with ESP messing with Brian's mind and banned from a session!

Surely is. 

[c-man]

I feel real bad about the blonde girl referred to as "unknown" in the group picture of the "gang". It's kind of like that buddy that hung out with you in high school for like a week but now you can't remember what happened to them.  

Not unknown - that's Siegel's first wife, Chrissie Jolly. I told them that back in late summer.

Andrew, is she the same girl mentioned in 'Goodbye Surfing, Hello God'? You know, the one with ESP messing with Brian's mind and banned from a session!

Surely is. 

Maybe THAT'S why she isn't named! 

[grooveblaster]

Who is Carol Botnick?

[grooveblaster]

I feel real bad about the blonde girl referred to as "unknown" in the group picture of the "gang". It's kind of like that buddy that hung out with you in high school for like a week but now you can't remember what happened to them.  

Not unknown - that's Siegel's first wife, Chrissie Jolly. I told them that back in late summer.

Andrew, is she the same girl mentioned in 'Goodbye Surfing, Hello God'? You know, the one with ESP messing with Brian's mind and banned from a session!

Surely is. 

Maybe THAT'S why she isn't named! 

Wasnt  she involved at one time with Thomas Pynchon also?

[guitarfool2002]

I feel real bad about the blonde girl referred to as "unknown" in the group picture of the "gang". It's kind of like that buddy that hung out with you in high school for like a week but now you can't remember what happened to them.  

Not unknown - that's Siegel's first wife, Chrissie Jolly. I told them that back in late summer.

Andrew, is she the same girl mentioned in 'Goodbye Surfing, Hello God'? You know, the one with ESP messing with Brian's mind and banned from a session!

Surely is. 

All they needed to do was read this board May 13th of this year, as Andrew points out he named Ms. Jolly even back then, and the info was already posted with accompanying photo.

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,10334.msg187720.html#msg187720

And the photo is tagged "unknown" in the official book? No excuses...look to the board!

[grooveblaster]

June Fairchild was having hard times for awhile. I know there was a LA Times feature on her being homeless at one point.

[JohnMill]

I feel real bad about the blonde girl referred to as "unknown" in the group picture of the "gang". It's kind of like that buddy that hung out with you in high school for like a week but now you can't remember what happened to them.  

Not unknown - that's Siegel's first wife, Chrissie Jolly. I told them that back in late summer.

Andrew, is she the same girl mentioned in 'Goodbye Surfing, Hello God'? You know, the one with ESP messing with Brian's mind and banned from a session!

Surely is.  

All they needed to do was read this board May 13th of this year, as Andrew points out he named Ms. Jolly even back then, and the info was already posted with accompanying photo.

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,10334.msg187720.html#msg187720

And the photo is tagged "unknown" in the official book? No excuses...look to the board!

I always thought she was kind of attractive myself.  I think what spooked Brian is that he finally located a girl who was (at least from his perspective) capable of picking up vibrations on a whole other plane.  I think he had that entire scene turned around on him and it spooked him.  I'm being facetious here but it is interesting given the "Good Vibrations" concept that Brian would be so worked up over a chick that he perceived had ESP.  

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

Who is Carol Botnick?

Some sort of relation to Bruce Botnick?  Sunset Sound Engineer?

[Loaf]

I would guess that an executive veto was exercised in not allowing VDP a direct outlet in the booklet... keeping the focus on The Boys and their contribution in the name of 'harmony' and actually getting agreements to release the damn thing at all. VDP's personal experience wasn't altogether a joyous one and it's likely any in-depth essay would have reflected this...

That's not what happened either.

Then...how about VDP didn't want to write anything. He's already said his piece, many times, over the years, and he's comfortable with what he's currently doing without wanting his work on Smile to unbalance his career?

[Bill Barnyard]

Who is Carol Botnick?

Some sort of relation to Bruce Botnick?  Sunset Sound Engineer?

Well there's a Carol Botnick listed on Marilyn Wilson-Rutherford's web site....giving a testimonial.


http://www.marilynwilsonrutherford.com/testimonials.html

[MBE]

And toss Van Dyke in there as the straight-man! 

I see a follow up to The Murry Wilson show emerging.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

There may be some guitarists or musicians that have been on the road for 50 years, but I doubt it.  Nobody has been a frontman for 50 years.

Jagger?

Chuck Berry.  Different band every night, but the same frontman. And still rocking.

True, but the different band each night thing has really hurt his reputation as a performer!

[Aegir]

I really liked Marilyn and Diane's essays. the more human side of things.

[Shady]

I really liked Marilyn and Diane's essays. the more human side of things.

Those two were the first I read, was really interested in their take on things.

The Brian and Frank Holmes picture is so brilliant, and the one of Brian at the Ghost Town.

The book is so well done from the essays to the pictures. I will treasure it

[LeeDempsey]

Who is Carol Botnick?

Some sort of relation to Bruce Botnick?  Sunset Sound Engineer?

Well there's a Carol Botnick listed on Marilyn Wilson-Rutherford's web site....giving a testimonial.


http://www.marilynwilsonrutherford.com/testimonials.html

Bruce's sister, and a friend of Marilyn's.  She has some fascinating bird's-eye stories -- such as The Doors playing at her "Sweet 16" birthday party...

Lee

[grooveblaster]

Who is Carol Botnick?

Some sort of relation to Bruce Botnick?  Sunset Sound Engineer?

Well there's a Carol Botnick listed on Marilyn Wilson-Rutherford's web site....giving a testimonial.


http://www.marilynwilsonrutherford.com/testimonials.html

Bruce's sister, and a friend of Marilyn's.  She has some fascinating bird's-eye stories -- such as The Doors playing at her "Sweet 16" birthday party...

Lee

wow

[Blake Alan]

I got a laugh out of the Dean Torrence piece... mostly because he's given space in the definitive book about the most famous unreleased album of all-time, and he manages to say nothing about the album, the music or anything remotely relevant. I'm not even positive the anecdote took place during the Smile timeframe (though one would assume so)! Somehow that just seemed very... Dean-ish!

[Aegir]

I agree with that completely, Bubblegum.

[Billgoodman]

I don't get why Boyd and Linnett weren't given more room to elaborate on their work. For the one or two disc-set I can understand it, but the box-owners are SMiLE-nuts. Why not be more open about where the tapes come from, what they merged with what, where precisely are the fly-in's, when are we hearing in acetate?
 Ok, you could say we have this board for that...

I like to be taken by the hand when I listen and those guys are pro's, 2 pages isn't enough. Same thing goes for the sessions, they should have been twice as many pages at least. For instance, the detuned piano on the 1967 Surf's Up, it's a great novelty, but as somebody pointed out: Brian plays other chords too! I would have liked to have a central place for this sort of info and Boyd and Linnet could have provided it. Maybe this isn't the last SMiLE-release (dvd in the works?) and there are always interviews to draw info from.

[P.J.]

"Many of the songs presented here have been painstakingly pieced together from multiple source masters, using everything from first generation session tapes, copies of vintage rough mixes, acetate, and, yes, even bootleg CDs containing material "missing" from The Beach Boys' archives.
-- Alan Boyd

I read through the Sessionography but didn't see anything about CD sources. Maybe I missed it. What tracks were from the boots I wonder?