The Reception Of BWPS

[The Heartical Don]

Whilst showering this morning, I was wondering: in how far have the reception and sales of BWPS been influenced by the current socio-politico-cultural climate? Sounds pretentious, I know. But would BWPS, had it been released in exactly the same form (on vinyl, mind) in 1967 have made an entirely different impact? I think so, and not only because the essential stuff trickled out into the open during 30 years. I think that, for the time being, the world has lost a lot of its innocence. There is more cynicism and apathy. People shrug their shoulders, and purchase the new Metallica set out of routine, they play it three times, and store it away. To me it seems like the need for pure beauty, colourful poetry, the pop music of a non-numbing character, has diminished. Of course there are exceptions.
It is with some sadness that I noticed BWPS receiving an A+ grading from the usually quite critical Robert Christgau, whilst its general impact on pop fans the world over has been limited. Is it a matter of Brian's age?

I could be completely wrong, of course. Please, discuss.

[phirnis]

I remember one specific review of BWPS in particular, then printed in one of the music magazines I used to be writing for. It eventually said that this sounded like an album's worth of cheesy cover versions, inferior to what groups like the Super Furry Animals were producing. Mind you, I'm critical of quite a few aspects of BWPS myself (though I still appreciate it as a great triumph and beautiful record to be listening to) but after having witnessed the wonderful stage performances of Smile on two occasions, I was really disappointed by such a reaction that didn't seem to grasp the purely emotional impact the music did have on quite a few people.

[The Heartical Don]

I remember one specific review of BWPS in particular, then printed in one of the music magazines I used to be writing for. It eventually said that this sounded like an album's worth of cheesy cover versions, inferior to what groups like the Super Furry Animals were producing. Mind you, I'm critical of quite a few aspects of BWPS myself (though I still appreciate it as a great triumph and beautiful record to be listening to) but after having witnessed the wonderful stage performances of Smile on two occasions, I was really disappointed by such a reaction that didn't seem to grasp the purely emotional impact the music did have on quite a few people.

Thanks for a most enlightening comment! Those words on the SFA say a lot... perhaps that is the age gap. If you were raised on a diet of BW disciples' music, then you might say: hey, BWPS sounds familiar! I could never say the same, in fact I am quite wary of bands who 'borrowed' just a bit too much from the BBs.

Nevertheless: for me, BWPS is a stunning album in its own right.

[lance]

I heard BWPS BEFORE I heard most of the original tapes, and before I heard Smiley Smile. I had only heard the stereo remix of Heroes and Villains single, and the demo of Surf's Up on YOUTUBE. The only BB's albums I had heard when I listened to it was a three-disc compilation (The Platinum Collection), Sounds of Summer(another compilation) and 15BigOnes/Love you two-fer.

 I thought BWPS was BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL music. I didn't give a thought to the lyrics--still don't. I like VDP's lyrics a LOT, but I don't get too into any grand themes developed in BWPS--for one thing, I don't think they are very developed, and mainly I think they are there mostly to hang the music on.

For some time I thought that I would never have a need for the 'original Smile'. Then I got the Box Set, and that sort of changed.

I was 37 when I heard it, so I'm not part of youth culture, but neither am I a baby boomer with some nostalgic BB thing going.

[The Heartical Don]

I heard BWPS BEFORE I heard most of the original tapes, and before I heard Smiley Smile. I had only heard the stereo remix of Heroes and Villains single, and the demo of Surf's Up on YOUTUBE. The only BB's albums I had heard when I listened to it was a three-disc compilation (The Platinum Collection), Sounds of Summer(another compilation) and 15BigOnes/Love you two-fer.

 I thought BWPS was BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL music. I didn't give a thought to the lyrics--still don't. I like VDP's lyrics a LOT, but I don't get too into any grand themes developed in BWPS--for one thing, I don't think they are very developed, and mainly I think they are there mostly to hang the music on.

For some time I thought that I would never have a need for the 'original Smile'. Then I got the Box Set, and that sort of changed.

I was 37 when I heard it, so I'm not part of youth culture, but neither am I a baby boomer with some nostalgic BB thing going.

Lovely story from a 'neutral' perspective.

[The Song Of The Grange]

To kind of riff off of what phirnis wrote--when reading reviews of BWPS it became clear really quickly if the writer was aware of the deep history of the recording or not.  I remember reading a couple reviews that treated BWPS as if it were just another contemporary release (like TLOS), and these writers totaly missed the point.  BWPS had the greatest back story of any record ever (I'd love to hear what album had a better one!), and that back story can't be left out of any assesment of BWPS.  So I thought a couple of the reviews I read were pretty naive.  Most reviews I read got it right and gave the album lots of praise.  Man, I was so excited when I heard BWPS was going to come out.

[hypehat]

hmmm.... this might drag on for a while. But then, i am the 'yoof'  

Well, i really loved Pet Sounds from the first time i heard it, which was when i was 15 or something like that, so i went to see Brian live with a friend (at £50 a ticket!!!), and that was the first time i heard any smile stuff (apart from the normal H&V, perhaps. I had it on a very poorly equipped best of, but can't recall loving it right off the bat). They did Our Prayer/H&V, and that was pretty much a life-changing thing. It was completely different to anything i'd ever heard. And they played other Brian stuff which i'd never heard before (the first time i heard Little Girl I Once Knew, Dance Dance dance, Love and Mercy, In My Room, Surfer Girl (!!!)There's probably more, but i can't find the setlist online). And then i saw that his latest record was called Smile,  so i bought it.

I played it almost every day for a month after i got it. i tended to like the 'sillier' bits (gee, H&V, the third movement), but then, i was 15. I remember, if you're looking for critic confirmation, that it got a 9/10 in NME, and a 4/5 in Q. In terms of wider appreciation, i'm not so sure. Me and my friend tried to get someone else into it, but they didn't bite (they were a proper electro fan though). No one else i've met since has heard of it...

I think you're right, Mr. Don, in saying that the loss of innocence is a major factor. Smile is, in it's very nature, innocent. It was conceived in a state of pure, uncynical mind (even the paranoia has a childish edge to it). It's playful. And that kind of playfulness has been replaced. Everyones more self-conscious now. No-one would write a song like 'vega-tables' today even if they were tripping. that's just Brian and the mindset of the time. And BB's disciples, while a little of it's there, haven't quite got that. That's what struck out for me on BWPS, over time. it's got heaps of individual soul in the lyrics and the sound. even next to the original smile tapes (which i prefer, on some days) it's a soulful album.

A thought - what do you reckon an official release of Smile sessions would do to BWPS? the originals would get even more exposure, wouldn't they?

[the captain]

As I recall, the reception of BWPS was tremendous, considering what it was to the non-Beach Boy geek public: an album by a former Beach Boy who apparently used to be crazy, etc. It got high praise from most magazines, as I recall. And really, even the message boards weren't so critical until a while after the fact. (Fake harpsichord, blah blah blah.) Considering it was mostly three-and-a-half decades old music released by a senior citizen who hadn't had a hit in a very long time, I'd say it was as welcomed by the public as it realistically could have been. The only alternative would have been hiring an 18-year-old blonde bombshell to sing it and have her dance--scantily clad, of course--in the videos. That might have sold better.

[The Heartical Don]

Thanks folks, gotta be off, sorry. Be back tomorrow. Have a good Saturday!

[Wirestone]

It still is the highest-rated album Metacritic has ever crunched the numbers for:

http://www.metacritic.com/music/

(Tied with Loretta Lynn and Zep, but still)

[Amy B.]

I hadn't heard any of Smile apart from H&V before 2004. I first heard the BWPS recording on the Nonesuch Web site and was stunned. The beauty of Our Prayer brought me to tears. I think that taken in a vacuum, it's an incredible work of music. Those who know the history are judging it more harshly because they're comparing it to what might have been--and they know too much. It was received very well by the critics-- extremely well. And as others have said, most of the Internet community liked or loved it. Then, of course, they started picking it apart. I'm glad it was released. I still think it was a huge breakthrough for Brian-- no, not a cure, but a big breakthrough.

[phirnis]

I remember one specific review of BWPS in particular, then printed in one of the music magazines I used to be writing for. It eventually said that this sounded like an album's worth of cheesy cover versions, inferior to what groups like the Super Furry Animals were producing. Mind you, I'm critical of quite a few aspects of BWPS myself (though I still appreciate it as a great triumph and beautiful record to be listening to) but after having witnessed the wonderful stage performances of Smile on two occasions, I was really disappointed by such a reaction that didn't seem to grasp the purely emotional impact the music did have on quite a few people.

Thanks for a most enlightening comment! Those words on the SFA say a lot... perhaps that is the age gap. If you were raised on a diet of BW disciples' music, then you might say: hey, BWPS sounds familiar! I could never say the same, in fact I am quite wary of bands who 'borrowed' just a bit too much from the BBs.

Nevertheless: for me, BWPS is a stunning album in its own right.

If it is indeed a matter of an age gap for some people I think that's a real bummer as imho there's always more joy to be found in appreciating an original idea as opposed to being content with certain aspects of an artistic concept being utilized in a contemporary (and therefore admittedly very catchy) setting.

[SG7]

I remember before it came out, BWPS was like a child finally being born into the world. Everyone waiting, hoping, all kinds of stuff. Now before BWPS came out, I had not really heard anything from it minus Heroes and Villains and Vegetables. Hearing this record blew me away. Holding something that took 37 years to get to that moment. What a incredible feeling. Then it seemed like almost the next day everything was wrong with it. People I think they  took it apart maliciously in some cases. I understand some people do not consider it the real Smile or not like the band behind Brian etc. but to trash it in the ways that is has just bothers me. It makes me think back to the Beautiful Dreamer DVD and what it took to get to even accomplish that project. Yes some of it was probably staged but I believe it tells an accurate story of all the hard work and effort it took for them to get it to where it is. Darian Sahanaja should be praised for all of his efforts in helping Brian kick his demons and create this album  and here we are all these years later, basically kicking dirt in his face on how everything is wrong with it?? And yet quick to be praising Scott Bennett for TLOS? Hypocritical maybe? BWPS is what it is to each of their own. But to me, it is a fabulous record and I have still have fabulous memories getting the record and seeing it done live twice. For those that do diss it to this day, you can always play something else.

[Sweet Insanity]

I remember before it came out, BWPS was like a child finally being born into the world. Everyone waiting, hoping, all kinds of stuff. Now before BWPS came out, I had not really heard anything from it minus Heroes and Villains and Vegetables. Hearing this record blew me away. Holding something that took 37 years to get to that moment. What a incredible feeling. Then it seemed like almost the next day everything was wrong with it. People I think they  took it apart maliciously in some cases. I understand some people do not consider it the real Smile or not like the band behind Brian etc. but to trash it in the ways that is has just bothers me. It makes me think back to the Beautiful Dreamer DVD and what it took to get to even accomplish that project. Yes some of it was probably staged but I believe it tells an accurate story of all the hard work and effort it took for them to get it to where it is. Darian Sahanaja should be praised for all of his efforts in helping Brian kick his demons and create this album  and here we are all these years later, basically kicking dirt in his face on how everything is wrong with it?? And yet quick to be praising Scott Bennett for TLOS? Hypocritical maybe? BWPS is what it is to each of their own. But to me, it is a fabulous record and I have still have fabulous memories getting the record and seeing it done live twice. For those that do diss it to this day, you can always play something else.

I agree with you =)

[MBE]

Some random thoughts
It was great seeing it live, and it's the best job that could have been done to it in 2004. I think it's very good, great even, and I find the production to be nicely retro. YET...the originals have the irreplaceable voices I love.  That very special blend..the real Beach Boys. So yes I play BWPS and enjoy it, but I never quite had the jaw dropping moments I had with the tapes the Beach Boys cut from 1966-71. I have said this before and will again, the only time Smile could have been 100 percent right is before Brian and Dennis lost their voices. I like Brian's band a lot but I am not emotionally attached to them like I am to the Beach Boys. I am very happy BWPS exists and at 32 I wasn't around for the original sessions myself,  but I grew to love the Beach Boys first not BWPS and that could very well change how I feel. Frankly it felt wrong that the Smile doc didn't use the Beach Boys tapes when going through the 66-67 era.

To be fair I  like the way music was recorded better in the fifties, sixties, and early seventies so other then Dennis' later stuff I would say 90 percent of my very favorite Beach Boys music comes from 1961-74. It's just a personal preference as far as what I play, but I am not deaf to something good that's newer. For modern records TLOS and BWPS are easily two of the very, very, best period.

[Dove Nested Towers]

Whilst showering this morning, I was wondering: in how far have the reception and sales of BWPS been influenced by the current socio-politico-cultural climate? Sounds pretentious, I know. But would BWPS, had it been released in exactly the same form (on vinyl, mind) in 1967 have made an entirely different impact? I think so, and not only because the essential stuff trickled out into the open during 30 years. I think that, for the time being, the world has lost a lot of its innocence. There is more cynicism and apathy. People shrug their shoulders, and purchase the new Metallica set out of routine, they play it three times, and store it away. To me it seems like the need for pure beauty, colourful poetry, the pop music of a non-numbing character, has diminished. Of course there are exceptions.
It is with some sadness that I noticed BWPS receiving an A+ grading from the usually quite critical Robert Christgau, whilst its general impact on pop fans the world over has been limited. Is it a matter of Brian's age?

I could be completely wrong, of course. Please, discuss.

Well said. IMO, one of the saddest things about Smile not being assembled and released at the time of its original composition is that it was "made for those times" to paraphrase PS. While it also has a timeless quality, early avant-garde pop music experimentalism was then reaching a point of exquisite ripeness, and Smile would have been a perfect complement to Sgt. Pepper and Magical Mystery
Tour, the yin to their yang (or vice versa). That period was so perfectly suited for it, the fresh
visions of envelope-pushing creativity reaching such a delicate peak, that if ever something seemed
(to me) like it didn't "happen for a reason" as theologists and philosophers say everything does, the collapse of the project was that thing. Some have made an interesting, opposite point, that the failure of the album to cohere and reach fruition suits the mythical, fragmentary, ethereal quality of the concept and music, and is perfectly appropriate and serendipitous. That is a compelling and legitimate
viewpoint, but overall, its release would have been one of those musical and cultural events
that would have rocked the foundations of popular culture and would have been the greater good, whereas the release of BWPS in the 21st century, while remarkable and even miraculous, obviously has a completely different impact. Still incredibly thankful to have it, and to have seen two of the live perfomances of it, which I will never forget (wish I could have seen many more).

[The Heartical Don]

It still is the highest-rated album Metacritic has ever crunched the numbers for:

http://www.metacritic.com/music/

(Tied with Loretta Lynn and Zep, but still)

Thanks for the link! I really enjoyed reading all the reviews.

[B-Rex]

I have only a few friends who have even heard of SMiLE.  One is a long time BB fan back when I had no interest whatsoever in the band.  I had to convince him to get BWPS.  He had heard the box set original versions and had compiled his own SMiLE mix back in 1993!  I hadn't even heard Pet Sounds at that point.  For long time fans, it took a leap of faith just to listen to a new recording.  One's expectations had to be tempered.  Looking at the song listing, a fan would have to drool with anticipation!  But, as miraculous as it was that it was coming out, would it even scratch the surface of what it could've been?

The cohesiveness of the finished project proved to be cathartic.  It opened our eyes and ears to the emotional turmoil Brian had leved with for 37 years. I used this to convince my fanatical friend to purchase the album and accept it for what it was.  Yes, it was a retelling, revisionist version of a long ago abandoned project.  No, it didn't have the angelic voices of the Beach Boys. But, it still contained much of the original music and ideas laid forth in the 60's and it still had a wonderful group of singers.  No, it wasn't groundbreaking like it would have been.  No, it didn't live up to the myth.  It was and is a fantastic release from an aging rocker and one almost nobody thought they'd ever hear.

BWPS simply doesn't fit the mould of today's musicscape.  Virtually nothing that outside the norm does.  It will age well and will garner new fans by word of mouth.  Most critical darling records do.  For me, it's not what I wanted it to be but I accept it for what it is.  It did have some surprises.  I'll continue to make fan mixes of the original material.  The beauty of SMiLE is that it will never be complete.  There'll undoubtedly be more surprises in the future, even if a box set doesn't materialize.  BWPS provides a template but as fans of unfinished projects, we can take that into our own directions.

[The Heartical Don]

I have only a few friends who have even heard of SMiLE.  One is a long time BB fan back when I had no interest whatsoever in the band.  I had to convince him to get BWPS.  He had heard the box set original versions and had compiled his own SMiLE mix back in 1993!  I hadn't even heard Pet Sounds at that point.  For long time fans, it took a leap of faith just to listen to a new recording.  One's expectations had to be tempered.  Looking at the song listing, a fan would have to drool with anticipation!  But, as miraculous as it was that it was coming out, would it even scratch the surface of what it could've been?

The cohesiveness of the finished project proved to be cathartic.  It opened our eyes and ears to the emotional turmoil Brian had leved with for 37 years. I used this to convince my fanatical friend to purchase the album and accept it for what it was.  Yes, it was a retelling, revisionist version of a long ago abandoned project.  No, it didn't have the angelic voices of the Beach Boys. But, it still contained much of the original music and ideas laid forth in the 60's and it still had a wonderful group of singers.  No, it wasn't groundbreaking like it would have been.  No, it didn't live up to the myth.  It was and is a fantastic release from an aging rocker and one almost nobody thought they'd ever hear.

BWPS simply doesn't fit the mould of today's musicscape.  Virtually nothing that outside the norm does.  It will age well and will garner new fans by word of mouth.  Most critical darling records do.  For me, it's not what I wanted it to be but I accept it for what it is.  It did have some surprises.  I'll continue to make fan mixes of the original material.  The beauty of SMiLE is that it will never be complete.  There'll undoubtedly be more surprises in the future, even if a box set doesn't materialize.  BWPS provides a template but as fans of unfinished projects, we can take that into our own directions.

Great call. I esp. like the 'outside the norm' bit. See: I find today's 'rock', or what passes for it, extremely conservative, conventional. For me it is a riddle that acts like Coldplay dominate the world, so to speak, because they're unbelievably bland to this listener. I am reminded of my student days, when friends got married very young and behaved very predictable. There were conventions... when I paid a visit, it was small talk, and the lady of the house always began to make a formal yawn at 10 PM, to make a signal. The music then was the Little River Band, or Toto. It was, in short, sheer protocol.
Mind: I do not criticize them for that. Perhaps they were a bit fearful for surprises, for the unknown. My endless peddling of the BBs and related music did not work out. Then, when I was older, I stopped preaching.
I really miss the days when grand projects were done, sank without a trace (um, having sold 3 copies), to be dug up again after one or two decades because they were so good. Perhaps it is my age, that I don't see the adventure in today's music. I'd rather play a Charles Mingus CD, or a Beethoven sonata, than listen to today's leaders of pop.

[the captain]

For me it is a riddle that acts like Coldplay dominate the world, so to speak, because they're unbelievably bland to this listener.

That is why they dominate. They are safe. Labels are looking for something that sounds like something else (that sold), period. If s/he happens to be attractive, well that helps, too. But outliers are unsafe, and thus expensive gambles.

And really, remember that most music fans are very casual fans. They want to hear something that sounds familiar, singable, instantly catchy. (There is nothing wrong with that, although I would say such a goal can be attained with a lot more creativity from the artists' perspective.) I work with a number of people--each of these examples being in their early 30s, married and suburb-dwelling, by the way...--who swear Nickelback is the best rock band these days (with the likes of U2, Coldplay and Rob Thomas close behind). For people in that camp, there is a familiarity and safety to that kind of music that doesn't turn them off and churn their stomachs the way it might to some sorts of people (who may frequent boards like this); instead, it turns them on to those bands. Long hair, edgy (no pun intended) guitars, it's still rockin', right? "I'm not old yet!"

That is exactly why I rarely find new music I love on major labels. It happens sometimes, but usually with artists who are established, such as Dylan. Indies who aren't paying much for development, but more often just taking finished product (done in home studios as often as not) and distributing it, tend to allow a lot more freedom and opportunity for success or failure with more limited interference. Not to say there isn't an overwhelming amount of sh*t on those labels, just that they let the sh*t happen. Which, disgustingly enough, is good.

[lance]

Cold play are just doing what they can, like any other group.

[b00ts]

Coldplay are just doing what they can, like any other group?

Thanks for the insight, Lance. Truly necessary. Somewhere along the lines of "That's your opinion." Or the slightly more diplomatic "There's no accounting for taste."

However, if you want to split hairs, only Coldplay knows for sure if they are doing what they can. All we know for sure is that they're doing what they are doing.

Much like Brian Wilson with BWPS. As a SMiLe fan for many years prior to the release of BWPS, I was shocked when it was released. Shocked and delighted. I don't think for a minute that most of the posters here who bitch about the use of Kurzweil harpsichord sounds would be able to tell the difference, had BW used the genuine article - McCartney used Spinet and Harpsichord and other obscure piano style instruments on Chaos and Creation in the Back Yard, and if they weren't shown in the publicity photos and studio footage, I would have assumed that they were sampled. That's how good sampling technology has gotten.

As a producer / musician, I own a pair of Moog synthesizers and a 1971 Fender Rhodes Piano 73, which I adore for their unique character. However, I accept that the simulations (plugins such as Arturia Minimoog and Elektrik Piano) have gotten to a point where they are just as useable as the original instruments, they are more flexible, and they don't require upkeep and tuning.

If I could snap my fingers and change reality I would rather BW had used real/acoustic Harpsichords, etc. as originally planned, but the use of synthetic harpsichords didn't hurt the album's sound for me one bit.

And now for a comment as perfunctory as the one I so rudely made an example of at the beginning of this long-winded and pompous post: The problems with BWPS are the long-festering expectations and intimate knowledge of the original sessions possessed by rabid Beach Boys/Brian Wilson fans. Combine this with years (in some cases decades) of fantasizing about the missing pieces, and you have yourself a recipe for major discontent, no matter what you do.

Many people expected one thing from BWPS and received another. Others didn't expect anything and enjoyed BWPS on its own merit.

Personally, I prefer some aspects of the original SMiLe tapes, and I prefer other aspects of BWPS. However, I say without a doubt that SMiLe was completed. I love to listen to SMiLe in its 2004 form. It is truly brilliant in its use of the original material and the additions added by Brian, VDP, and Darian.

The creator of the work (BWPS) decided that it was finished. Whether or not he was plied with Melinda's Steak Sandwiches or a meeting with his manager and publicist, he completed it with the help of an excellent band, one of the very best in rock and roll. He toured the album with a string and horn section.

In short, he did it.

And one last piece of food for thought: Landy tried to get Brian to finish SMiLe in the 1980s. Imagine how awful that would have sounded. Imagine SMiLe with BW88 production (although I love BW88, it would not be appropriate.) If Landy, who was drugging Brian and had him under his complete control, was unable to get Brian to face up to SMiLe all that time, what could be the reason?

Perhaps Brian wasn't ready yet. Perhaps the man actually had/has free will (in spite of evidence to the contrary, which I will concede.) And in 2004, he was ready, and he had a safety net with the best group he could have used*

b00ts

*Aside from perhaps the Beach Boys circa "Stars and Stripes" teamed with Joe Thomas - they really could have done some great work with SMiLe! Maybe as a 'Sexy, Sade-type thing,' as Thomas advised the group to play Caroline No during Brian's Imagination tour. Seriously, people, we've become spoiled in the past decade. Now, I hope BW (or his wife and publicist) continues to follow his muse - Pleasure Island!

[lance]

Sure, my opinion.Perhaps not a  'truly necessary opinion'(as opposed to whose, I wonder? Are some opinions more necessary than others?). But while we're giving opinions, why the heck not? I dont' even like Coldplay , but neither am I saying that my taste  defines 'good music.' It's that kind of opinion I find destructive and unnecessary. To each their own, I guess...

 I doubt if there are many artists that  sit down and say: OK, now I'm going to write something really bland-but-catchy that the idiotic public likes. I just don't buy THAT opinion. But hey, what do I know? I'm not trying to start any argument, and I apologize if my comment came off that way.

[The Heartical Don]

To bOOts -

yeah. I utterly dread the idea of SMiLE having been released around 1988... imagine: the title could have been: 'Dr. Eugene Landy and Alexandra Morgan Present Brian Wilson's SMiLE!!!'.

The back cover would feature a photo with the three 'artists'. Production credits: 'Produced by Eugene Landy, Jeff Lynne, and Brian Wilson'.

The original songs would be there, sure. But bashed into unrecognizability. Washed in layer upon layer of bland synthesizer work. No real drummer in sight. Syndrums. No sections, no bridges. All songs would have been, um, 'danceable', to attract younger listeners too.

Retitling:

'Do You Like Worms' --> 'The Inner Me I Used To Be'
'Ms. O'Leary's Cow' --> 'Therapy Was Good For Me'
'Plymouth Rock' --> 'The Doctor Rocks!'
'In Blue Hawaii' --> 'Rebirth In Hawaii'

and so on.

So folks, remember: it could have been worse.

[Amy B.]

So folks, remember: it could have been worse.

I'll go one better and say it could not have been better, short of just releasing the original tapes...which may have been impossible for Brian psychologically speaking and possibly legally speaking. Would the BBs have gone for it?  As it happened, Brian had the best possible band he could have had. Darian, for one, could not be a bigger fan of the original Smile tapes, and he and the others tried really, really hard to replicate that, knowing full well they couldn't pretend to be the BBs. So it's Smile, 2004 version, but it's as faithful to what is known of Brian's original as possible.