Hey folks. Just giving you guys a heads up... I updated revised my stereo SMiLE mix. After a month or so of critical listening, there were some changes I wanted to make, and enough of them that I thought I should share it with all of you guys. So here it is!
SMiLE - soniclovenoize stereo mix 2.0http://www.mediafire.com/?1i005d3ybr23sxqREVISIONS for version 2.0 (December 2011)a) Used alternate stereo mixes for various sections of Heroes and Villains (part 2). Instead of using the final session mixes on disc 2 for the 4 pieces of H&V, I used the mixes found in Heroes and Villains Sections (stereo), as they just simply sounded better.
b) Added Western Theme as a closing tag to Heroes and Villains (part 2)
c) Removed Look from running order; it was unnecessary in the first place. A hard edit into Child works just as well as Look, which was unfinished and essentially a glorified link track.
d) Lowered vocal track of Child is Father by four dBs so the stereo backing track is clearer.
e) Added H&V Fade Remake as a closing tag to You Are My Sunshine. The earlier take with bird calls seemed appropriate for both the song and as an introduction to Cabin Essence.
f) Removed count-in on Good Vibrations (it was a mistake on my part originally).
g) Added the isolated Cantina piano track as an introduction to I’m In Great Shape, as per BWPS. Would have that been on SMiLE in 1967? Probably not. But it SOUNDS GREAT ANYWAYS! I also mixed out the cough in the vocal track, contrary to me previous rationale of its inclusion.
h) Removed the second “Send us your letter” verse and Vocal Insert from Vege-Tables, as the sections seemed jarring and out-of-place. The slower Ballad Insert with a hard edit into Fade seems a more natural evolution and resolution to the song.
i) Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow and I Love To Say Da Da joined into one track, The Elements.
If you didn't hear my first one from last month, the concept was to:
1) Make it completely stereo
2) Try to use a sequence of the supposed "authentic" 1967 construction, rather than BWPS or TSS disc1
3) No BWPS 2004 fly ins what-so-ever; only use TSS sources.
SIDE A:
1) Our Prayer
A synch between the mix on the SMiLE Sessions box and the 20/20 version, but the 20/20 version is pulled back in the mix, becoming the stereophonic reverb of the mono version.
2) Heroes and Villains (part 1)
It is believed that the version of Heroes and Villains that would have most likely been on SMiLE in 1967 is the Cantina version, thus presented here is a stereo reconstruction of that version using pieces from the SMiLE Sessions boxset. Unfortunately the verses remain mono because there are no other existing sources with Brian’s lead vocal.
3) Heroes and Villains (part 2)
Presented is the theoretical b-side of the planned Heroes and Villains 7”, featuring a construction found on many rough mixes and tapes dating back to the SMiLE sessions, indicating Brian had this type of edit in mind for the single’s flipside. All sections are taken from various points of the SMiLE Sessions boxset. Of course this probably wouldn’t have been included on the actual LP (an exclusive b-side) but I’m very partial to the magic of this, and it fits so well in the sequence…
4) Do You Like Worms?
A complete stereo mix, consisting of a backing tracking track assembled by various instrumental pieces from the SMiLE Sessions boxset, synched up to the isolated vocals. Hard edit into…
5) Wonderful
The most difficult track to create a stereo mix. This is simply the mono version with the isolated backing vocals synched up in their proper spots, thus creating stereophonic reverb on the second and third verses. The stereophonic spread is most noticeable through headphones…
6) Child is Father of The Man
Once again the mono track synched up with the stereo backing tracks, so the horns end up moving left and the piano moving right.
7) The Old Master Painter/You Were My Sunshine
A hard edit to showcase the matching notes of the ending of Child and the beginning of Old Master Painter, this edit is again the mono mix synched up with its stereo backing track, allowing the percussion to move left and the cello to the right. It falls out of synch at the end of You Were My Sunshine, but I rather enjoyed the effect! The song concludes with H&V Fade Remake. I chose that instead of False Barnshine because it was already being used in H&V, and the bird-calls seemed more appropriate as well as the mellower tone.
Cabin Essence
To close Side A, this is the version taken from 20/20, volume adjusted to match the rest of the album. Why fix what ain’t broke?
SIDE B :
9) Good Vibrations
It was standard practice to put the previously-issued single as the starter for side B, and thus is the placement in my sequence for Good Vibrations to begin the B-Side of the LP—a song that was never meant for SMiLE in the first place! Presented here is not only completely in stereo, but features both the original lyrics concerning telepathy and the extended “hum-dee-dou” middle section. The phasing on the last line of the second verse was an accidental effect of the synch, but it seemed appropriate so I left it in!
10) I’m In Great Shape/I Wanna Be Around/The Workshop Song
A crystal clear version of Brian’s vision of the suite (from both 1967 tape boxes & studio logs and 2004 BWPS). After the isolated Cantina piano track as an intro, this is the piano/vocal demo perfectly synched up to the stereo backing track. A hard edit into I Wanna Be Around/The Workshop Song with the building-sounds panning left to right, eventually turning into the percussion of Vege-Tables.
11) Vege-Tables
Presented is the stereo mix found on the fourth side of the SMiLE Sessions double-LP, minus the jarring second “Send us your letter” verse to keep the pace of the song in check.
12) Wind Chimes
Just as the previous track, this is the stereo mix from the fourth side of the SMiLE 2LP.
13) The Elements: Fire (Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow)
This is an original edit consisting of the Fire intro from the Heroes and Villains sessions, crossfaded into Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow. An ending edit piece is crossfaded to conclude the song as suggested by session tapes. All pieces taken from the SMiLE Sessions box. My unique construction of I Love to Say Da Da begins with the Water Chant taken from the bootleg Unsurpassed Masters 16. It leads into the assembled stereo backing tracks from the SMiLE Sessions box, but instead of using the uninventive vocals from the mono mix, excerpts from the Underwater Chant are interjected into the pauses. Also flown in are the percussion and flute flourishes from an unused alternate take of I Love To Say Da-Da.
14) Surf’s Up
The album concludes with certainly the greatest song Brian Wilson ever wrote, possibly one of the greatest pop songs ever written. The only place for this stereo mix, taken from side 4 of the SMiLE Sessions 2LP, is concluding his masterpiece and my stereo SMiLE.
*reconstructed by soniclovenoize, November 2011; revised December 2011
*synched & mixed in SONAR
*volume adjusted in Audacity
*edited and tracks split in Goldwave
*flacs encoded with Trader’s Little Helper, level 8
*mp3s encoded with LameEnc 3.98.4
*cover and back artwork included
FLACs available upon request.
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