Jerry Garcia's favorite album was ...

[clack]

...Smiley Smile. Not just favorite Beach Boys album, but favorite album, period (at least in the 1970's.)

According to David Browne's So Many Roads: the Life and Times of the Grateful Dead, this was the album that Garcia played to the rest of the band when they were preparing Blues for Allah.

[bossaroo]

wow I've never heard that! cool to know.

I'm a huge deadhead, saw over a hundred shows and play in a GD tribute act these days. I even read this blog recently documenting Jerry's known musical influences: http://deadessays.blogspot.com/2013/08/garcias-record-collection.html

no mention of the Beach Boys, unsurprisingly.
we've been working on some of the Blues for Allah material recently. hard to hear the Smiley influence although it is the Dead's weirdest album, which is saying something.


I'm not familiar with the book... looks fairly recent. do you recommend it?

[Hickory Violet Part IV]

Well, he had good taste then. Wonder what he would have made of the stereo mix?

The original version, in all its mono glory is my favourite BB album also, amd Wind Chimes is one of  the greatest thing ever put to tape by anyone, ever.


IMO

[clack]

wow I've never heard that! cool to know.

I'm a huge deadhead, saw over a hundred shows and play in a GD tribute act these days. I even read this blog recently documenting Jerry's known musical influences: http://deadessays.blogspot.com/2013/08/garcias-record-collection.html

no mention of the Beach Boys, unsurprisingly.
we've been working on some of the Blues for Allah material recently. hard to hear the Smiley influence although it is the Dead's weirdest album, which is saying something.


I'm not familiar with the book... looks fairly recent. do you recommend it?

Book published in 2015. It's highly readable, though not being a Deadhead I can't vouch for its accuracy.

The Smiley Smile reference is on page 223.

[thorgil]

Well, he had good taste then. Wonder what he would have made of the stereo mix?

The original version, in all its mono glory is my favourite BB album also, amd Wind Chimes is one of  the greatest thing ever put to tape by anyone, ever.


IMO

I agree! Smiley Smile is a crowning achievement, and Wind Chimes... oh, don't even let me get started about Wind Chimes.

[the captain]

Well, he had good taste then. Wonder what he would have made of the stereo mix?

The original version, in all its mono glory is my favourite BB album also, amd Wind Chimes is one of  the greatest thing ever put to tape by anyone, ever.


IMO

I agree! Smiley Smile is a crowning achievement, and Wind Chimes... oh, don't even let me get started about Wind Chimes.

I enjoy Smiley Smile but am amazed when people hold it in as high esteem as you seem to. Crowning achievement!? For me, it rests sturdily in that "unfairly maligned" range: a cool little album. It's your taste and you're obviously welcome to it. Just thought I'd note my difference on that.

It was my first unpopular Beach Boys album, though, the second one overall after Pet Sounds that I bought as a young adult as I got into the band in the search for Smile that most fans pursued back before there were legit versions out there. It was great to have the likes of Vegetables, Wind Chimes, et al to cleanse the palate of the surf-n-car songs I grew up knowing and pigeonholing the band with.

[Hickory Violet Part IV]

I could write a thesis on how the Smiley version of Wind Chimes epitomises everything that is great about Brian Wilson the composer. 

The harmony, chord progression and overall structure are musical perfection to my ears.

The organic feel of the performance, and the haunting vocals are mesmerising.

My most favourite piece of 20th century music by far,

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.

[KDS]

Whenever I read these posts about Smiley Smile, I still wonder if my copy is defective.  To each their own, but I just don't hear it. 

Although, noticing that a few Grateful Dead fans, and their leader, like it makes a little more sense as to why I don't because, other than A Touch of Grey, The Dead really don't do anything for me.

[Hickory Violet Part IV]

Whenever I read these posts about Smiley Smile, I still wonder if my copy is defective. 

 

It's definitely one of the more divisive BB albums, yes. And the funny thing is I can understand why people may not care for it much. It may not be polished like Smile, but in terms of musicality I feel it surpasses it on so many levels. We take that version of H&V for granted now, but it's just fantastic. What structure.

And its a purely personal and subjective thing, but no other album creates such a mood for me as Smiley. So to me it's incredibly cohesive. I don't think there was any accident about that. Brian was going for a certain vibe, it even strangely works having Good Vibrations on there. Its like nature has reclaimed an abandoned city, with little bits of the Smile structure poking through the foliage.

Brian wore so many hats, there are so many aspects of his music to be in love with. Aren't we lucky?

[B.E.]

...it even strangely works having Good Vibrations on there. Its like nature has reclaimed an abandoned city, with little bits of the Smile structure poking through the foliage.

Wow. I like that thought! With that said, I was about to revive an old thread to say that Good Vibrations and Bull Sessions With 'Big Daddy' are my two most skipped songs in the Beach Boys discography! I guess I'll just mention it here and save it for my Smiley Smile review (whenever I get around to it). Smiley Smile is so unique and it sets a mood like no other album I know of...Good Vibrations takes me out of it, so I skip it. Next time, I'll consider your take on it.

[MyDrKnowsItKeepsMeCalm]

It's funny, I skip Good Vibrations on Smiley too. It just seems so out-of-place there.

Though objectively, ANY album with Good Vibrations and Heroes and Villains on it is already a killer album! It would be fascinating to know what about it Jerry responded to so deeply.

[KDS]

Whenever I read these posts about Smiley Smile, I still wonder if my copy is defective. 

 

It's definitely one of the more divisive BB albums, yes. And the funny thing is I can understand why people may not care for it much. It may not be polished like Smile, but in terms of musicality I feel it surpasses it on so many levels. We take that version of H&V for granted now, but it's just fantastic. What structure.

And its a purely personal and subjective thing, but no other album creates such a mood for me as Smiley. So to me it's incredibly cohesive. I don't think there was any accident about that. Brian was going for a certain vibe, it even strangely works having Good Vibrations on there. Its like nature has reclaimed an abandoned city, with little bits of the Smile structure poking through the foliage.

Brian wore so many hats, there are so many aspects of his music to be in love with. Aren't we lucky?

I do love H&V and GV of course, and I do like Fall Breaks and Back to Winter.  So, it's not all bad. 

[bossaroo]

the ironic thing is a lot of people own Smiley Smile for the single fact that GV is on there.

I don't listen much to those versions of Wind Chimes or Wonderful... just don't hold up to the SMiLE versions in my opinion.


but I am forever in love with Little Pad. it's right near the end of my SMiLE mix combined with Diamond Head.

ALOHA!

[RangeRoverA1]

I could write a thesis on how the Smiley version of Wind Chimes epitomises everything that is great about Brian Wilson the composer. 

The harmony, chord progression and overall structure are musical perfection to my ears.

The organic feel of the performance, and the haunting vocals are mesmerising.

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.

It's great post. Affirmative.

Back to topic, this is cool! Anthem of the Sun is among my favorite psychedelic albums by any artist.

[JK]

Anthem of the Sun is among my favorite psychedelic albums by any artist.

That is one extraordinary album. I bought it in 1968 as soon as it was released in the UK. (I'd already bought the Dead's debut, which I loved, particularly "Viola Lee Blues".) There are moments on side two when the music seems to evaporate completely before the rhythm slams back in. Tom Constaten's electronica is something else. Believe it or not, "Born Cross-Eyed" was released as a single! ("Dark Star" was the A-side in the States.) I think it got played once on the radio...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJiOUwqmwIk

[bossaroo]

it's an amazing album and quite avant garde in its way. the Classic Albums 'Anthem to Beauty' episode is great.

I stumbled on Bill Walker's website recently, he painted the cover art for Anthem... which wasn't completed when the album was released.
you can see the complete art here: http://www.billzart.net/showcase.php?gallery=anthem

[JK]

it's an amazing album and quite avant garde in its way. the Classic Albums 'Anthem to Beauty' episode is great.

I stumbled on Bill Walker's website recently, he painted the cover art for Anthem... which wasn't completed when the album was released.
you can see the complete art here: http://www.billzart.net/showcase.php?gallery=anthem

Thanks, bossaroo. The added patterns and colours and the "lozenge" shape à la Mondrian change the mood completely.

Will all due respect to Mr Walker I rather prefer it as is it on the album cover!     

[thorgil]

Anthem of the Sun is one of my favourite albums ever. It's one of very few albums that I would call "uncanny". It has a very strange effect on me, like it slowed time.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Well, he had good taste then. Wonder what he would have made of the stereo mix?

The original version, in all its mono glory is my favourite BB album also, amd Wind Chimes is one of  the greatest thing ever put to tape by anyone, ever.


IMO

I agree! Smiley Smile is a crowning achievement, and Wind Chimes... oh, don't even let me get started about Wind Chimes.

I enjoy Smiley Smile but am amazed when people hold it in as high esteem as you seem to. Crowning achievement!? For me, it rests sturdily in that "unfairly maligned" range: a cool little album. It's your taste and you're obviously welcome to it. Just thought I'd note my difference on that.

It was my first unpopular Beach Boys album, though, the second one overall after Pet Sounds that I bought as a young adult as I got into the band in the search for Smile that most fans pursued back before there were legit versions out there. It was great to have the likes of Vegetables, Wind Chimes, et al to cleanse the palate of the surf-n-car songs I grew up knowing and pigeonholing the band with.

SS was the album that made me a fan for life!