Is anyone else disappointed with the new, stereo edition of "Smiley Smile"?

[Bean Bag]

The voices now envelope the listener rather than sounding flat and distant. Each Beach Boy sounds so distinct now, you can almost hear the expression on their faces as they sing...... If that makes any sense....

Yes!  Exactly!!!  This is what I was trying to say in the Remasters thread, when I said it "makes more sense" now.  I could not hear them before, but now I can hear subtle expressions and emotional cues that in some instances change the "reading" or meaning of some songs and passages.

I can't remember specifics, but I remember thinking "oh, they're doing a parody of this here..." which before just sounded like they were being silly or goofy.  There were a lot of things like that.  And then there were things like the speeding up section of Goin' Bald...that sound more wildly, intense and more manic.

I am so knocked out by this, I cannot adequately express!!!  Layers of dust have been removed here...and it's like seeing the colors of Van Gogh for the first time.

Bring on Wild Honey... Friends... (but I'm not expecting anything to top the wild ride of Smiley Smile!!!!!)  So to the OP, I guess I'm firmly in the NO column!   

[runnersdialzero]

I can't remember specifics, but I remember thinking "oh, they're doing a parody of this here..."

Stuff like this breaks my heart.

Kinda.

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

I am so knocked out by this, I cannot adequately express!!!  Layers of dust have been removed here...and it's like seeing the colors of Van Gogh for the first time.

I kinda liken it to this:

[I. Spaceman]

Exactly.

[Paulos]

I am so knocked out by this, I cannot adequately express!!!  Layers of dust have been removed here...and it's like seeing the colors of Van Gogh for the first time.

I kinda liken it to this:

I don't understand what the down syndrome monkey on the right has to do with the stereo Smiley Smile.

[Cabinessenceking]

I am so knocked out by this, I cannot adequately express!!!  Layers of dust have been removed here...and it's like seeing the colors of Van Gogh for the first time.

I kinda liken it to this:

I don't understand what the down syndrome monkey on the right has to do with the stereo Smiley Smile.

that painting/fresco illustrates perfectly how religions taint over time, and then someone tries to fix it resulting in the image being further from the original. This is true for Jesus but untrue for Smiley ^^

[buddhahat]

I am so knocked out by this, I cannot adequately express!!!  Layers of dust have been removed here...and it's like seeing the colors of Van Gogh for the first time.

I kinda liken it to this:

Much that I disagree with you about the new stereo mix, that is a fantastic analogy!

[runnersdialzero]

Wouldn't this:


versus this:


Be more accurate?

AMIRITE?

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

I like the stereo mix of Smiley a lot.

I don't mind having any the albums in stereo. I like having alternatives when I hunker down to listen to The Beach Boys.

But the mono kicks the stereo's ass, whether it's a vintage stereo mix or a newfangled one.

That said, there will be times when I will feel like listening to stereo Today, Party and Summer Days. It's nice to have both options.

If it takes a new stereo remix of Smiley Smile to convnice the hard-headed fans to give it another chance, well....that's good. I just hope that someday they go back to the mono and realize that the beautiful album they've just fallen in love with was there all along.

[Chris Brown]

I agree Bubba, I like having the option for any given album/song.  I do think there are instances where a stereo mix blows away the mono (i.e. most of Pet Sounds, for me anyways), and other cases where the exact opposite is true (a lot of the Today! tracks, in my opinion).  With Smiley, I found things to appreciate about both mixes, as others have said here. 

The coolest thing about Beach Boys stereo mixes in general is hearing little things that you couldn't hear before.  These are all over Brian's tracks, even the sparsely arranged Smiley tracks.  Those are what blew me away the most.  I have a feeling that if/when we get a Wild Honey stereo mix/master, the reaction will be similar.

[Sam_BFC]

Wouldn't this:


versus this:


Be more accurate?

AMIRITE?

I think that is more the duophonic version or something like that.

[runnersdialzero]

duophonic

???

[monicker]

So, wait, the GV stereo mix was done, not by extracting the vocals from the mono master and overlaying them on the true stereo backing track, but by extracting the whole mono master? Is that really so? Why would they do that when the backing track multis exist? Surely there must be another reason besides purposely withholding a better extraction for the box set.

[Johnston65]

The thing is there are better fan extraction mixes on youtube that utilize the stereo master.

[Aegir]

The thing is there are better fan extraction mixes on youtube that utilize the stereo master.

then just listen to those if you think so. who cares if something is official or not? either way it's done by some random guy that's not Brian Wilson.

[wavedancer]

   

      Just love the stereo SS. Although I too was dissapointed with the GV mix. If only Wild Honey could sound this good.

[runnersdialzero]

The thing is there are better fan extraction mixes on youtube that utilize the stereo master.

Links plz. This Derry fellow's mixes impress me because they're not marred by heavy phasing and overuse of reverb which you hear pretty often on fan mixes (the former more than the latter).

[Puggal]

I'm disappointed by the stereo Good Vibrations. It's not nearly as enjoyable as the mono version because of the phasey extracted vocal. They shouldn't have even bothered.

[EgoHanger1966]

I'm disappointed by the stereo Good Vibrations. It's not nearly as enjoyable as the mono version because of the phasey extracted vocal. They shouldn't have even bothered.

Why not? The mono is still there, eleven tracks back, for you to enjoy. That's one great thing about these releases - doing an extraction when necessary is ok, because you still have the mono version ON THE SAME DISC.

[Dr. Tim]

I for one am very much liking the new stereo Smiley Smile.  I think it really is stunning all spread out.  Love the little details off to the sides.  "Fall Breaks" now intrigues me again, no longer sounding like just a "Fire" rewrite.  I like a lot how Mark Linnett psychedelicizes it with the odd bit of cross-channel ping-ponging.  I agree the "stereo extraction" of Good Vibrations is a bit strange though, it doesn't offend but you can hear the artificiality of it.

Sorry Ian.  Two men say they're Jesus, one of 'em must be wrong...