What Works and What Doesn't on the mono Smile

[Bicyclerider]

I've been listening to the mono reconstruction of Smile and some things are great and others not so.  Here's a few of my observations - I'd like to know what others think.

What Works:

The "da da"s flown in to I Love to Say Dada - the fact Brian on the track is singing some dada's (too low to be heard without headphones) is justification enough for me, and they sound good.

Flown in demo on I'm in Great Shape - it doesn't sound nearly as bad as I thought it would.

What Doesn't Work:

Flown in Barnyard vocal - yikes.

Wonderful "yodeling" vocals - when it's combined with the already present backing vocals and Brian's lead it sounds messy and harsh, they don't "blend."  If they could have muted the other backing vocals somewhat and made the yodeling vocals more "distant" with some echo it might have worked better.

Carl's one vocal line in Surf's Up - very jarring to hear this, I think leaving the music without the line would have sounded better.

[UK_Surf]

Good topic - I really like Dada, I agree, definitely a good piece of work. 

I think the Fire fly-ins are great, a really nice touch from BWPS executed superbly.

I'm indifferent about Look. The CIFOTM vox add little, but they don't really bother me. The Wonderful yodels don't bother me much either, as I'm used to them from other mixes (I take your point tho - they are harsh).

SU - I see what they were trying but for me it falls short, and the overlaps are a little discordant. It's ok, but should have been the masterpiece that Anne Wallace's mix proved was possible.

I'm not blown away by BY, but for me, the first vocal line on IIGS is sloppy and out of kilter, and I think they could have been more adventurous with the feedback. A better strategy IMO would be along the lines of Jon Hunt's mix a while back - use the sax/track to emphasise the piano demo in the vocal parts.

But for me, the nadir is Holidays...the slow-pitched 'whispering winds' b/g's sound dreadful and add precisely zero. Let the melody do the work of linking the tracks, for pity's sake...if Joe Q. Public could handle Pet Sounds and Let's Go Away For Awhile, they can handle Holidays.   

Veggies is the major triumph, the Stereo WC is ace, GV is fine,  I really like CIFOTM...but I prefer the 20/20 mixes of Prayer and CE.

[runnersdialzero]

Carl's vocal there makes things more melodic and avoids repetition. Good call, kids.

[Tristero]

Carl's vocal there makes things more melodic and avoids repetition. Good call, kids.

I agree.  I enjoy the interplay between Brian and Carl on the new Surf's Up.  If I want to hear Brian solo, I'll just go for the '66 demo.

I rather liked the addition of Whispering Winds vocals at the end of Holidays, but I thought Carl's scatting in Dada sounded funny after they changed the pitch.  I also thought the "Child" bits in Look were pretty pointless and distracting.  It actually had the effect of making the song seem less complete than if they'd just left it as an instrumental.

I thought Mrs. O'Leary's Cow turned out really well, both with the vocals and the crackling effect.  I liked the addition of the yodels to Wonderful, a nice subtle touch.  The Humble Harve stuff was a bit rough, but my expectations there were so low going in and I didn't really mind how it turned out.

[lance]

Assuming I understand the question(aI think it all works ok in mono with the exception of the tag of Surf's Up. I am one of the few who has very few quibbles with it. Maybe I would have liked more stereo mixes, maybe I prefer the good vibrations box set ending for Do You Like Worms. Eh that's about it.

[buddhahat]

The "da da"s flown in to I Love to Say Dada - the fact Brian on the track is singing some dada's (too low to be heard without headphones) is justification enough for me, and they sound good.

What are these? I was only aware that the pitch shifted vocals (Carl's?) from the Wild Honey sessions were flown in.

[adam78]

I don't want to sound controversial here but I can't get on with either mix of Heroes and Villians on this set. I've gotten used to the mono now but the stereo is even worse for me. Yes the seperation means you can hear parts clearer but it's lost all the power of the song for me. The vocals are just too darn high in the mix. Once the full backing vocals come in on the verse, you can barely hear the backing track, which is the driving element of the music. Pretty gutted about it.

Unfortunately it stood out a mile to me the moment i heard that first release on tongal and my view hasn't really changed.

[Runaways]

not be stereooooooooo.

not remove that piano barnyard.  not have that "dig a hole in the ground" in vegetables.  all awesome though.

[runnersdialzero]

derrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrp

[Bicyclerider]

The "da da"s flown in to I Love to Say Dada - the fact Brian on the track is singing some dada's (too low to be heard without headphones) is justification enough for me, and they sound good.

What are these? I was only aware that the pitch shifted vocals (Carl's?) from the Wild Honey sessions were flown in.

listen to Dada Part 2 (May 17), either track 11 or 12, about 1'30'' in.  You can hear Brian (playing blocks) singing very low some "da da da"s - and someone swears they can hear him sing "drink a little."

[Paulos]

I don't want to sound controversial here but I can't get on with either mix of Heroes and Villians on this set. I've gotten used to the mono now but the stereo is even worse for me. Yes the seperation means you can hear parts clearer but it's lost all the power of the song for me. The vocals are just too darn high in the mix. Once the full backing vocals come in on the verse, you can barely hear the backing track, which is the driving element of the music. Pretty gutted about it.

Unfortunately it stood out a mile to me the moment i heard that first release on tongal and my view hasn't really changed.

Completely agree with Adam here - the stereo H&V mix lacks power and to me is a big disapointment, the mono mix sounds much better though.

[buddhahat]

The "da da"s flown in to I Love to Say Dada - the fact Brian on the track is singing some dada's (too low to be heard without headphones) is justification enough for me, and they sound good.

What are these? I was only aware that the pitch shifted vocals (Carl's?) from the Wild Honey sessions were flown in.

listen to Dada Part 2 (May 17), either track 11 or 12, about 1'30'' in.  You can hear Brian (playing blocks) singing very low some "da da da"s - and someone swears they can hear him sing "drink a little."

Man have you got good ears. I think I may have caused myself permanent deafness straining to hear these vocals, but I can just about hear what you're talking about, and it does make more sense of why Mark and Alan decided to fly those  vocals in to the disc 1 mix.

I have to say thanks for pointing this out, as this was one of the fly ins that bothered me a little. I just didn't understand why they'd done it. They now make a lot more sense and I will bother me a lot less s a result!

As for what does and doesn't work: Overall, I love what they've done. this is the most satisfying 'Smile' I've ever heard. Obviously, as with anything in life, improvements could be made, but for me these are few: Most notably Great Shape and Barnyard, although Barnyard less so.

Otherwise I love it. The 3rd suite in BWPS was always my least favourite, but with this version it seems much stronger. Helped to a great degree by the new VegaTables mix I think. I also love the new Windchimes. It seems to have a much stronger personality than the GV box version, and builds up to the Fire music perfectly (love the Fire fly ins btw).

[Paul2010]

The "da da"s flown in to I Love to Say Dada - the fact Brian on the track is singing some dada's (too low to be heard without headphones) is justification enough for me, and they sound good.

What are these? I was only aware that the pitch shifted vocals (Carl's?) from the Wild Honey sessions were flown in.

listen to Dada Part 2 (May 17), either track 11 or 12, about 1'30'' in.  You can hear Brian (playing blocks) singing very low some "da da da"s - and someone swears they can hear him sing "drink a little."

Hi, I tried to listen for those da da da's but I can;t hear them. Could you please point out where they are exactly, so the exact time and if it's in the left or right ear? I'm very curious to hear them.

[Bicyclerider]

I'll listen again tonight and post exactly where they are.  You have to listen on headphones to hear them!

[Micha]

I'm indifferent about Look. The CIFOTM vox add little, but they don't really bother me.

Strictly speaking, the vox are taken from the 1971 Surf's Up tag.