This Whole World track production

[Daniel S.]

Yeah, but come on.  We have to cut the band some credit; they went along with A LOT of his musical ideas. 

Not going along with two of his best post Good Vibrations songs? 'Can't Wait Too Long' and 'Old Man River'!?! Couldn't they recognize the greatness in these tunes?

[I. Spaceman]

I think Ol' Man River was one of Rodgers and Hammerstein's best songs from the musical Show Boat. Particularly like Frank Sinatra and the Jeff Beck Group's versions, as well as the 1936 film version by Paul Robeson.

[Quincy]

  Didn't his writing really start to dry up during this period..I always wondered why he could'nt knock out a song like he did a few years before..I figured he just dried up and thats why he retreated from being a force in the band..even his filler in 64-66 wasn't shabby..I'm probably wrong..but thats the impression I always had at the time.

                      Wayne

[Rocker]

Yeah, but come on.  We have to cut the band some credit; they went along with A LOT of his musical ideas. 

Not going along with two of his best post Good Vibrations songs? 'Can't Wait Too Long' and 'Old Man River'!?! Couldn't they recognize the greatness in these tunes?

I think they were always looking for songs that sounded like the songs on the charts to be succesfull, while Brian always tried to achieve great musical heights. I seriously doubt that Mike liked "Good Vibrations" even though he wrote (part of) the lyrics. 
And stuff like "OMR" and "Can't wait"  didn't sound like the other contemporary songs...

[Bicyclerider]

I think Rocker is on the mark here - when Smiley SMile failed commercially, and the subsequent albums and singles failed (well, wild Honey did OK), the band, which were taking more of a role in songwriting and production, no longer trusted Brian's musical instincts in terms of making a hit.  They weren't interested in struggling to complete Brian's passing fancies that didn't seem to be going anywhere and had very little potential to become a hit.  This was a dark period of unpopularity for the band, the Maharishi tour was a disaster, and they really wanted a hit song.  I'm sure they recognized the musical brilliance of some of what Brian was doing, but it seemed to them out of touch with the music market of the day (heavy, guitar driven music - Hendrix, Cream - or the more poppy stuff) so  they went to outside
producers (Rick Henn, the Seasons in the Sun guy).  They were desperate.