Has Mike Expressed Remorse On Whatever Role He May Have Played in Smile's Demise

[pixletwin]

...and (and this is the hard one) edit the tapes together. A lot of work? Oh yeah. But had those crucial 4 months of '67 been focused on the whole album, not the search for an impossibly brilliant follow up single...who knows.

Not just a hard task. But an impossible task  given the technological limitations of the time. If it were doable it would have worked and a way would have been found to finish it in 1967. But Brian knew better. Problem was that he realized it too late before all that money and time had been wasted. Everyone who has waded through the tapes have all come to the same conclusion: without the advent of digital technology, SMiLE would have been impossible to put together.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

I've seen quite a few people on these boards state with unwavering certainty that it would've flopped. I think at best, it would've stolen Pepper's thunder and become the #1, unofficial anthem of that pivotal summer. At worst, it would've been Pet Sounds 2.0--a modest, if disappointing, success that grows in stature over the years and eventually is recognized for the masterpiece it is. Either way, the music world would've been better for it.

This is my opinion of what could have happened.

But the problem really isn't release dates or fan base loyalty. Or potential record sales.

The problem is Brian had painted himself into a corner which, in 1967, was impossible for him to have escaped. That is the saddest fact of all and it makes all the speculations of "what if" and "what could have been" nothing more than a frustrating exercise in considering impossibilities.

Brian was as likely to have finished SMiLE in 1967 as he was to have flown to the moon.

I disagree. I think he was closer than even he realized. As I said, the main thing that killed it was his indecisiveness and shift in focus from album to single. SMiLE>Pet Sounds, but H&V was never gonna top GV. Brian focused on the impossible project, not the more reasonable one. All he had to do was focus on a sequence, record some more vocals and (and this is the hard one) edit the tapes together. A lot of work? Oh yeah. But had those crucial 4 months of '67 been focused on the whole album, not the search for an impossibly brilliant follow up single...who knows.

I wonder what would have happened if they'd just held off on releasing Good Vibrations until the album was finished and then released the GV 45 with the SMILE album VERY shortly after.

[Mujan, 8@$+@Rc| of a Blue Wizard]

...and (and this is the hard one) edit the tapes together. A lot of work? Oh yeah. But had those crucial 4 months of '67 been focused on the whole album, not the search for an impossibly brilliant follow up single...who knows.

Not just a hard task. But an impossible task  given the technological limitations of the time. If it were doable it would have worked and a way would have been found to finish it in 1967. But Brian knew better. Problem was that he realized it too late before all that money and time had been wasted. Everyone who has waded through the tapes have all come to the same conclusion: without the advent of digital technology, SMiLE would have been impossible to put together.

I don't know if I'd go so far as to say impossible...but very tedious and frustrating, definitely. Especially when you're not 100% certain of your track order or sequence for individual songs. And have lost confidence in much of the material. And are dealing with mental health issues. And...

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

...and (and this is the hard one) edit the tapes together. A lot of work? Oh yeah. But had those crucial 4 months of '67 been focused on the whole album, not the search for an impossibly brilliant follow up single...who knows.

Not just a hard task. But an impossible task  given the technological limitations of the time. If it were doable it would have worked and a way would have been found to finish it in 1967. But Brian knew better. Problem was that he realized it too late before all that money and time had been wasted. Everyone who has waded through the tapes have all come to the same conclusion: without the advent of digital technology, SMiLE would have been impossible to put together.

I don't know if I'd go so far as to say impossible...but very tedious and frustrating, definitely. Especially when you're not 100% certain of your track order or sequence for individual songs. And have lost confidence in much of the material. And are dealing with mental health issues. And...

Shoulda called Zappa in as a consultant/editor.

[pixletwin]

I don't know if I'd go so far as to say impossible...but very tedious and frustrating, definitely. Especially when you're not 100% certain of your track order or sequence for individual songs. And have lost confidence in much of the material. And are dealing with mental health issues. And...

But who would have paid for it?

Every plausible alternate route always hits the same dead end.

@Pinder, now that is a great alt-reality.

[Mujan, 8@$+@Rc| of a Blue Wizard]

I've seen quite a few people on these boards state with unwavering certainty that it would've flopped. I think at best, it would've stolen Pepper's thunder and become the #1, unofficial anthem of that pivotal summer. At worst, it would've been Pet Sounds 2.0--a modest, if disappointing, success that grows in stature over the years and eventually is recognized for the masterpiece it is. Either way, the music world would've been better for it.

This is my opinion of what could have happened.

But the problem really isn't release dates or fan base loyalty. Or potential record sales.

The problem is Brian had painted himself into a corner which, in 1967, was impossible for him to have escaped. That is the saddest fact of all and it makes all the speculations of "what if" and "what could have been" nothing more than a frustrating exercise in considering impossibilities.

Brian was as likely to have finished SMiLE in 1967 as he was to have flown to the moon.

I disagree. I think he was closer than even he realized. As I said, the main thing that killed it was his indecisiveness and shift in focus from album to single. SMiLE>Pet Sounds, but H&V was never gonna top GV. Brian focused on the impossible project, not the more reasonable one. All he had to do was focus on a sequence, record some more vocals and (and this is the hard one) edit the tapes together. A lot of work? Oh yeah. But had those crucial 4 months of '67 been focused on the whole album, not the search for an impossibly brilliant follow up single...who knows.

I wonder what would have happened if they'd just held off on releasing Good Vibrations until the album was finished and then released the GV 45 with the SMILE album VERY shortly after.

Interesting concept, but I think GV's release and success is what made SMiLE possible in the first place. Without that, I doubt Brian would devote a whole album to this untested modular approach. I doubt Capitol would be as willing to foot the bill for studio time. I bet in this scenario Mike would've hated the lyrics AND music...and in short, the album never even gets started.

I think Brian shouldve just made peace with the idea that he had already made the perfect single and there was no topping it. Time to focus on making the perfect ALBUM instead. No, the best way to save SMiLE would be if Brian mixes a "good enough" version of H&V for the album...finishes the album and *then* works on a giant two part H&V super-single.

[SMiLE Brian]

I think SMiLE would be remembered as a part of the pack of great albums that came out in 1967. But it wouldn't be mentioned in the category of pepper.

I'm sorry, but I think that's straight BS. The music speaks for itself. GV was a revolutionary single, PS was a critical darling. The BBs were a household name. No way would SMiLE have been dismissed to that extent.

Look, I used to think the same thing about SMiLE doing better than pepper. But the record buying public everywhere always put the Beatles first. SMiLE still would have been a best seller and a classic album from that year though.

Pet Sounds was the statement of 1966, Pepper was the one of 1967.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

I've seen quite a few people on these boards state with unwavering certainty that it would've flopped. I think at best, it would've stolen Pepper's thunder and become the #1, unofficial anthem of that pivotal summer. At worst, it would've been Pet Sounds 2.0--a modest, if disappointing, success that grows in stature over the years and eventually is recognized for the masterpiece it is. Either way, the music world would've been better for it.

This is my opinion of what could have happened.

But the problem really isn't release dates or fan base loyalty. Or potential record sales.

The problem is Brian had painted himself into a corner which, in 1967, was impossible for him to have escaped. That is the saddest fact of all and it makes all the speculations of "what if" and "what could have been" nothing more than a frustrating exercise in considering impossibilities.

Brian was as likely to have finished SMiLE in 1967 as he was to have flown to the moon.

I disagree. I think he was closer than even he realized. As I said, the main thing that killed it was his indecisiveness and shift in focus from album to single. SMiLE>Pet Sounds, but H&V was never gonna top GV. Brian focused on the impossible project, not the more reasonable one. All he had to do was focus on a sequence, record some more vocals and (and this is the hard one) edit the tapes together. A lot of work? Oh yeah. But had those crucial 4 months of '67 been focused on the whole album, not the search for an impossibly brilliant follow up single...who knows.

I wonder what would have happened if they'd just held off on releasing Good Vibrations until the album was finished and then released the GV 45 with the SMILE album VERY shortly after.

Interesting concept, but I think GV's release and success is what made SMiLE possible in the first place. Without that, I doubt Brian would devote a whole album to this untested modular approach. I doubt Capitol would be as willing to foot the bill for studio time. I bet in this scenario Mike would've hated the lyrics AND music...and in short, the album never even gets started.

I think Brian shouldve just made peace with the idea that he had already made the perfect single and there was no topping it. Time to focus on making the perfect ALBUM instead. No, the best way to save SMiLE would be if Brian mixes a "good enough" version of H&V for the album...finishes the album and *then* works on a giant two part H&V super-single.

Or they could have maybe swapped Vegetables for the longer version from the "Hawthorne" CD and actually hyped Smiley as some new revolution in scaled down production, and who knows!!!!

[Mujan, 8@$+@Rc| of a Blue Wizard]

I think SMiLE would be remembered as a part of the pack of great albums that came out in 1967. But it wouldn't be mentioned in the category of pepper.

I'm sorry, but I think that's straight BS. The music speaks for itself. GV was a revolutionary single, PS was a critical darling. The BBs were a household name. No way would SMiLE have been dismissed to that extent.

Look, I used to think the same thing about SMiLE doing better than pepper. But the record buying public everywhere always put the Beatles first. SMiLE still would have been a best seller and a classic album from that year though.

Pet Sounds was the statement of 1966, Pepper was the one of 1967.

Yes, as I've conceded, it's likely SMiLE wouldn't have sold as well as Pepper. But you're swinging too far the other way and acting like nobody would've cared about it. I disagree. And in later years I definitely think SMiLE would've come to be regarded as the true great work that year over Pepper just as Pet Sounds eventually overtook Revolver in praise.

Pepper is NOT a statement. I'd argue that the true "best" album from 1967 (since SMiLE wasn't released) is Forever Changes. Heck, off the top of my head, I'd take either of the Jefferson Airplane albums, either of Hendrix's albums, Piper at the Gates of Dawn and Disraeli Gears over Pepper. Pepper is good, but highly overrated, imo. It's not a statement, it's a bunch of unconnected, nice little songs that don't say much and showcase psychedelic wall of sound production for the sake of it. A Day in the Life is perhaps the single most overpraised song of all time, Good Morning is straight filler and When I'm 64 is just a bad song, imo. If any other band but the Beatles had released Pepper, I'm very doubtful it'd be considered the classic it is today. And no, Rolling Stone. It's not the best album ever. Not even close.

[pixletwin]

For me, Piper was THE album of 1967. Pepper had some great tracks but on the whole it was hype that pushed it over the top... duh, it's The Beatles. They played "hype" as well as they played the studio. 

[Mujan, 8@$+@Rc| of a Blue Wizard]

For me, Piper was THE album of 1967. Pepper had some great tracks but on the whole it was hype that pushed it over the top... duh, it's The Beatles. They played "hype" as well as they played the studio. 

Obviously history has spoken and I'm wrong on this. But while the Beatles may have got the glory, there were much better albums from at least a dozen other bands released that year, all experimenting with psychedelia. The Beatles get all the credit in the mainstream media tho, because the only band close to them in stature was a no show and as you said, they had the better PR machine.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

For me, Piper was THE album of 1967. Pepper had some great tracks but on the whole it was hype that pushed it over the top... duh, it's The Beatles. They played "hype" as well as they played the studio. 

Obviously history has spoken and I'm wrong on this. But while the Beatles may have got the glory, there were much better albums from at least a dozen other bands released that year, all experimenting with psychedelia. The Beatles get all the credit in the mainstream media tho, because the only band close to them in stature was a no show and as you said, they had the better PR machine.

Secret weapon here is Ringo! .... Thanks to him, mainly, Pepper just FEELS so good. And the kids will always go for that.

[Mujan, 8@$+@Rc| of a Blue Wizard]

For me, Piper was THE album of 1967. Pepper had some great tracks but on the whole it was hype that pushed it over the top... duh, it's The Beatles. They played "hype" as well as they played the studio. 

Obviously history has spoken and I'm wrong on this. But while the Beatles may have got the glory, there were much better albums from at least a dozen other bands released that year, all experimenting with psychedelia. The Beatles get all the credit in the mainstream media tho, because the only band close to them in stature was a no show and as you said, they had the better PR machine.

Secret weapon here is Ringo! .... Thanks to him, mainly, Pepper just FEELS so good. And the kids will always go for that.

2 and #3 in the charts were Are You Experienced and Surrealistic Pillow. I think the kids were just plain into the new psychedelic sound. And aside from The United States of America (1968) and the previously mentioned Piper, I don't think there's ever been a more "far out" mindfu¢k album than SMiLE. Many of you act like it was "too weird" to have made an impact. But I think it really was just what the people wanted/needed to hear. Brian may have doubted himself but his creative instincts were right on the money. 

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

For me, Piper was THE album of 1967. Pepper had some great tracks but on the whole it was hype that pushed it over the top... duh, it's The Beatles. They played "hype" as well as they played the studio. 

Obviously history has spoken and I'm wrong on this. But while the Beatles may have got the glory, there were much better albums from at least a dozen other bands released that year, all experimenting with psychedelia. The Beatles get all the credit in the mainstream media tho, because the only band close to them in stature was a no show and as you said, they had the better PR machine.

Secret weapon here is Ringo! .... Thanks to him, mainly, Pepper just FEELS so good. And the kids will always go for that.

2 and #3 in the charts were Are You Experienced and Surrealistic Pillow. I think the kids were just plain into the new psychedelic sound. And aside from The United States of America (1968) and the previously mentioned Piper, I don't think there's ever been a more "far out" mindfu¢k album than SMiLE. Many of you act like it was "too weird" to have made an impact. But I think it really was just what the people wanted/needed to hear. Brian may have doubted himself but his creative instincts were right on the money. 

Those albums all rocked though! .... Even Forever Changes kicks ass in places.

[Mujan, 8@$+@Rc| of a Blue Wizard]

For me, Piper was THE album of 1967. Pepper had some great tracks but on the whole it was hype that pushed it over the top... duh, it's The Beatles. They played "hype" as well as they played the studio. 

Obviously history has spoken and I'm wrong on this. But while the Beatles may have got the glory, there were much better albums from at least a dozen other bands released that year, all experimenting with psychedelia. The Beatles get all the credit in the mainstream media tho, because the only band close to them in stature was a no show and as you said, they had the better PR machine.

Secret weapon here is Ringo! .... Thanks to him, mainly, Pepper just FEELS so good. And the kids will always go for that.

2 and #3 in the charts were Are You Experienced and Surrealistic Pillow. I think the kids were just plain into the new psychedelic sound. And aside from The United States of America (1968) and the previously mentioned Piper, I don't think there's ever been a more "far out" mindfu¢k album than SMiLE. Many of you act like it was "too weird" to have made an impact. But I think it really was just what the people wanted/needed to hear. Brian may have doubted himself but his creative instincts were right on the money. 

Those albums all rocked though! .... Even Forever Changes kicks ass in places.

SP has a lot of ballads. SMiLE rocks as far as H&V,VT and GV are concerned.

[SMiLE Brian]

How are we forgetting the Moody Blues DOFP in 1967?

[Mujan, 8@$+@Rc| of a Blue Wizard]

How are we forgetting the Moody Blues DOFP in 1967?

1967 was perhaps the single best year for music. That's why the overemphasis on Pepper ticks me off. In a strange way I think by not coming out, SMiLE was the statement of 67. It forshadowed the coming bad times, the acid casualties and ODs of the ensuing years...

[CenturyDeprived]

Brian may have doubted himself but his creative instincts were right on the money.

I concur with this.

And I also disagree with pixletwin's claim that it was literally, absolutely, categorically impossible for the album to have been completed (from solely a technological limitation standpoint). No way. As I suggested earlier, if the entire band all collectively offered to help out around the clock, helping Brian with the splicing and other time consuming/energy sucking technical tasks like this, with full unconditional support, I think there's a chance it could have been done.

If we are talking about money running out from Capitol Records - well, as has been the case with a number of movies that ran over budget and were passion projects, Brian could theoretically have paid overages out of his own pockets.

Are these situations unlikely? Yeah. But where there's a will, there's a way. Brian wasn't trying to create an invisibility potion or something absurd like that. He proved the modular technique was technically feasible (although time consuming and a huge pain in the ass) with GV.

[pixletwin]

Brian may have doubted himself but his creative instincts were right on the money.

I concur with this.

And I also disagree with pixletwin's claim that it was literally absolutely categorically impossible for the album to have been completed (from solely a technological limitation standpoint). As I suggested earlier, if the entire band all collectively offered to help out around the clock, helping Brian with the splicing and other time consuming/energy sucking technical tasks like this, with full unconditional support, I think there's a chance it could have been done. If we are talking about money running out from Capitol Records - well, as has been the case with a number of movies that ran over budget and were passion projects, Brian could theoretically have paid overages out of his own pockets.

Are these situations unlikely? Yeah. But where there's a will, there's a way. Brian wasn't trying to create an invisibility potion or something absurd like that. He proved the modular technique was technically feasible (although time consuming and a huge pain in the ass) with GV.

Well technically it's not categorically impossible for Brian to have gone to the moon either. 

Maybe I should amend my statement to read it categorically implausible for Brian to have completed SMiLE in 1967. Better?

[Been Too Long]

Didn’t VDP say something more like he stayed away from or after the Fire sessions? And as you say it can seem kind of vague as to what VDP and others mean by leaving the project or quitting but I think VDP himself has cleared it up.

I understand it is logical to presume it involved the earlier vocal sessions for CE but it is just a presumption until better evidence. I think VDP himself has given pretty good evidence for a very late date.

VDP: “I was stunned. Usually I did not go to sessions…but Brian called and said would I come and help Mike with the lyrics…there was some question about them.”

To me “usually did not go sessions” would be evidence for a later date as he attended only one session as far as we know in 1967. It wouldn't fit nearly as well or at all with an earlier date.

We know from Mike, and VDP, he asked what the lyric meant. We only know he wanted to know the meaning but it doesn’t tell us if he wanted to know before or during or after he sang the lyric for recording.

VDP: “I had written the words, see, and I was seeking the threshold for ‘over and over the crow cries uncover the cornfield’…geez? So I said ‘Mike, I don’t know’. Soon I was fired, that is I resigned, that is I dissolved my relationship…”

Now we are getting to something dateable. “Soon” after the incident “fired/resigned/dissolved”. Dissolved relationship in the context of SMiLE would seem to rule out further relationship. Resigned would normally mean the end of the relationship. Fired would signal the end of the relationship. If you are coming back for a session or to explain a lyric would that be a relationship in the context of SMiLE that was fired/resigned/dissolved”?

VDP: “Brian was the only person I knew, and I worked with the Beach Boys in 1966 and by 1967, I was fired. Because it was already decided, quickly, by Mike Love, as well, I mean down to the least known members, that I had written some words which were indecipherable and unnecessary. In short, they had had a better lyricist on Pet Sounds than they had on what is now called Smiley Smile. Smile, the album that was to have come out, which was proof of pudding, which took place during a transference of a tremendous amount of litigation…”

His working relationship extended into 1967. So if his relationship ended because of the lyrics and he was “fired” shortly after the incident it was some time in 1967. To VDP he was “fired” on the “proof of the pudding” (lyrics) during a tremendous amount of litigation. Is there any other tremendous amount of litigation besides the Capitol suit which was filed February 23, 1967?

Also we have  Anderle’s contemporaneous description to Paul Williams of when Van Dyke left, “Their parting was kind of tragic, in the fact that there were two people who absolutely did not want to separate but they both knew that they had to separate, that they could not work together. 'Cause they were too strong, you know, in their own areas.” Right around February, yeah. Van was getting — his lyric was too sophisticated, and in some areas Brian's music was not sophisticated enough, and so they started clashing on that.”

Wow, 4 more pages in but since you brought this up,

There was a long discussion, probably the same one Bicyclerider is remembering,  about this on this board or one of its predecessors that figured out the timeline for Van’s leaving but after searching I can’t find it so I’ll try to get the basics points down.

The second, final time Van Dyke left it was because of his record contract with Warners and not because he was fired by the Beach Boys.
From the Vosse Fussion article, 
“And so Lenny called Van to help out with Harpers Bizarre, and one day Warner’s really told him how much they liked him, and offered him a very good deal: I think he got a very excellent contract from them. So he signed. And the day he signed he put his head back into his own music again. And was less and less available to Brian. And Brian was less and less sure of what he was doing with the album.”

So when he finally, permanently left, it because of the record contract. That was in March 1967 because Van is on the March Heroes intro session and nothing after that.

So that means the first time that he leaves must be the result of the lyric fight. We know he was around October and November of ’66 and is on contract and tape through all of January and February of ’67 but is nowhere to be seen in all of December. From all accounts the lyric issues with the Beach Boys started when they got back from tour in November ’66. Their last show was on November 24th (Baltimore) and their first vocal session after they got back was on the 30th (My Only Sunshine). Brian held two tracking sessions on the 28th and 29th for Fire and I Wanna Be Around, but there’s no sign of lyric trouble or other Beach Boys at those sessions.

It’s been speculated that the Crow Cries incident was at the December 6th vocal session for Child and Cabin Essence because they worked on that song and it went late, until 1:00 AM, and the accounts (including Van’s) place the session as taking place late at night. If this date, or close to this date, is when Van was “fired” then he was gone for about a month, when he shows up on the January 5th session contract and photos and is around until that March session. Also notice that he’s not mentioned being around for “Inside Pop” on December 15th (you’d think he would be) and Brian is certainly having his lyrical doubts by that night.

So I think that was where the basis for the conclusion is drawn from: Fired December 6th, Returns January 5th, Leaves for good at the start of March.

[Mujan, 8@$+@Rc| of a Blue Wizard]

Brian may have doubted himself but his creative instincts were right on the money.

I concur with this.

And I also disagree with pixletwin's claim that it was literally absolutely categorically impossible for the album to have been completed (from solely a technological limitation standpoint). As I suggested earlier, if the entire band all collectively offered to help out around the clock, helping Brian with the splicing and other time consuming/energy sucking technical tasks like this, with full unconditional support, I think there's a chance it could have been done. If we are talking about money running out from Capitol Records - well, as has been the case with a number of movies that ran over budget and were passion projects, Brian could theoretically have paid overages out of his own pockets.

Are these situations unlikely? Yeah. But where there's a will, there's a way. Brian wasn't trying to create an invisibility potion or something absurd like that. He proved the modular technique was technically feasible (although time consuming and a huge pain in the ass) with GV.

Well technically it's not categorically impossible for Brian to have gone to the moon either. 

Maybe I should amend my statement to read it categorically implausible for Brian to have completed SMiLE in 1967. Better?

Yes. I still think had VDP not quit and helped Brian stay focused on the album thru April '67 it could've been done. It wouldve been torturous, it may not have been the best possible mix of the material, but it could've been done and it wouldve been worth the effort in the long run. It's easy for me to say so sitting in my chair with almost 50 years of hindsight...but 4 months is a long time.

[CenturyDeprived]

Brian may have doubted himself but his creative instincts were right on the money.

I concur with this.

And I also disagree with pixletwin's claim that it was literally absolutely categorically impossible for the album to have been completed (from solely a technological limitation standpoint). As I suggested earlier, if the entire band all collectively offered to help out around the clock, helping Brian with the splicing and other time consuming/energy sucking technical tasks like this, with full unconditional support, I think there's a chance it could have been done. If we are talking about money running out from Capitol Records - well, as has been the case with a number of movies that ran over budget and were passion projects, Brian could theoretically have paid overages out of his own pockets.

Are these situations unlikely? Yeah. But where there's a will, there's a way. Brian wasn't trying to create an invisibility potion or something absurd like that. He proved the modular technique was technically feasible (although time consuming and a huge pain in the ass) with GV.

Well technically it's not categorically impossible for Brian to have gone to the moon either.  

Maybe I should amend my statement to read it categorically implausible for Brian to have completed SMiLE in 1967. Better?

Technologically speaking, I think the only thing that made it implausible is that Brian didn't ask for the type of (admittedly Herculean) help when he should have.

Purely discussing technological limitations, I'd say the only real reason it's implausible for my hypothetical situation to have occurred is mainly due to the fact that Brian had never been in a position to ask for technical help before for splicing/logging tapes/etc. Hindsight is 20/20.

If Brian had known that the tape splicing/tape research, mixdown bouncing/etc. etc. would be such an "insurmountable" task (and i use quotations because I don't think it was insurmountable - just really tough)... and that if that factor could have been greatly eased due to sheer manpower, he might possibly have asked his bandmates for help with mountains of technical gruntwork. Ideally speaking.

Of course, he wasn't gonna want to ask people for help if he'd be met with resistance and more questions from those very people.

Did his bandmates know at the time that Brian was in desperate need of manpower assistance (from a technological perspective), and that if they were to offer it, it could possibly, potentially greatly ease his burden of getting the album finished? No, they probably didn't. And I can't necessarily blame them for not knowing that, nor can I blame Brian for not asking them (or others) for manpower help (I'm assuming he didn't reach out for help).  It was a brand new situation which none of them had ever been in at the time.

But I just don't buy the idea that we can equate what it would've taken (tech-speaking) to finish this album to Brian becoming an astronaut and going to the moon.

And before someone chimes in with this, I'll say that yes I know that Brian was in desperate need of many things (in addition to assistance from a technological perspective) at the time.  

[Sheriff John Stone]

I don't think the problem was "technical". It wasn't that hard, didn't take that much time, and Brian had enough studio help to accomplish the cutting and splicing.

I believe that Brian lost the vision, lost the focus, and maybe lost the faith. But more importantly, due to the increasing mental illness, the increasing consumption of drugs, and all of those other "pressures" that we've been discussing, I think that Brian lost the ability - yes, ability. By that I mean that he was no longer physically or emotionally able to handle the modular form of recording an album like SMiLE. I think it zapped him. The patience, the concentration, and the physical endurance required to record an entire album like that finally took its toll. It burned him out. He gave up. And he's never been the same. Never, ever tried that hard again.

[Mujan, 8@$+@Rc| of a Blue Wizard]

I don't think the problem was "technical". It wasn't that hard, didn't take that much time, and Brian had enough studio help to accomplish the cutting and splicing.

I believe that Brian lost the vision, lost the focus, and maybe lost the faith. But more importantly, due to the increasing mental illness, the increasing consumption of drugs, and all of those other "pressures" that we've been discussing, I think that Brian lost the ability - yes, ability. By that I mean that he was no longer physically or emotionally able to handle the modular form of recording an album like SMiLE. I think it zapped him. The patience, the concentration, and the physical endurance required to record an entire album like that finally took its toll. It burned him out. He gave up. And he's never been the same. Never, ever tried that hard again.

^This.

/thread

[drbeachboy]

I don't think the problem was "technical". It wasn't that hard, didn't take that much time, and Brian had enough studio help to accomplish the cutting and splicing.

I believe that Brian lost the vision, lost the focus, and maybe lost the faith. But more importantly, due to the increasing mental illness, the increasing consumption of drugs, and all of those other "pressures" that we've been discussing, I think that Brian lost the ability - yes, ability. By that I mean that he was no longer physically or emotionally able to handle the modular form of recording an album like SMiLE. I think it zapped him. The patience, the concentration, and the physical endurance required to record an entire album like that finally took its toll. It burned him out. He gave up. And he's never been the same. Never, ever tried that hard again.

While I agree with your post on whole, I dispute your assertion on the technical aspects. Even Mark Linett believes it took the computer age to put Smile together properly.