Let Him Run Wild

[SMiLE-addict]

Hmmm ... doesn't really sound that way to me. There's something ... "slurry-er" in there which doesn't really sound like an electric guitar. Unless one of the players is doing something different with his/her playing.

[OneEar/OneEye]

RE: some of the comments concerning SLC and it's crummy lyrics (which I completely agree with) - why'nt somebody write some new lyrics to it?  Some of you music makers on here are purdy good, so give this a try, consider it your Smiley Smile dot net home work.  Then you could share a writing credit with BW (not a bad deal, eh?).
Anyway, back to LHRW - awesome song and generally good advice.

[hypehat]

Hmmm ... doesn't really sound that way to me. There's something ... "slurry-er" in there which doesn't really sound like an electric guitar. Unless one of the players is doing something different with his/her playing.

Only thing I can think of would be an organ with a predominant guitar, maybe? There are takes on the UM set that may shed some light on the matter, but posting from my phone at the mo.

[SMiLE-addict]

Also, there's something nifty-sounding that plays simultaneously with the word "Guess you know I ..." Not sure if it's the same intrument(s) or not, maybe-kinda sounds like the same but I'm not sure, but it would be interesting to know.

I think if we figure out what this is we can figure out what the other instrument is, because the more I listen to the Stack O Tracks track, the more it sounds like the same instrument.

It makes a sort-of vibrating slur sound. Some keyboard with a weird effect??

[SMiLE-addict]

Also, do I hear a harpsichord buried in there, I Get Around-style? In the line "And now before he tries it ..." and the corresponding verse later in the song.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

What you are hearing is guitar.  What is interesting about it is the treatment of it.  It seems to me that they did something unique with the reverb--in fact the reverb may have been split somehow.  If you play around with the backing track and do some OOPSing and balancing, it seems that the guitar feed might have been sent to the "main" reverb, but also to either an EMT plate or even a spring reverb, and that return was sent to another track.  It's very metallic, and really lags behind the dry signal.  Another really cool effect that we will truly never know how exactly it was achieved.  There is some natural chorusing because two guitars are playing the line.  I suppose there could be some light amp tremolo on there too.

There is no harpsichord or organ on the track, either.  There are two keyboards, a piano, and what sounds to me to be a Wurlitzer electric piano that really only plays during the choruses, hammering chords.

[SMiLE-addict]

Thanks! Was starting to wonder if it might be some engineering trick.

As for the other line, might not be a harpsichord, but something "hard" does kick in at that spot. If you've got headphones listening to the stereo version, it's in the right side. Almost sounds like it could also be a tambourine, played far away from a mic. Or something like that. Whatever it is, it sounds "hard" - maybe it's the Wurlitzer. This one isn't a big deal though, was mostly wondering about the other one.

[I. Spaceman]

There is some natural chorusing because two guitars are playing the line. 

Yeah, seems pretty obvious to my ears. It is similar to the guitar effect on California Girls.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

Thanks! Was starting to wonder if it might be some engineering trick.

As for the other line, might not be a harpsichord, but something "hard" does kick in at that spot. If you've got headphones listening to the stereo version, it's in the right side. Almost sounds like it could also be a tambourine, played far away from a mic. Or something like that. Whatever it is, it sounds "hard" - maybe it's the Wurlitzer. This one isn't a big deal though, was mostly wondering about the other one.

What spot are you talking about, now?

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

Upon further listening, I think what they did is sent the two lead guitars to different reverbs, one guitar maybe to chamber and the other one to the spring or plate.  But then they brought the returns back from each to the same track, which is a different track than the one they printed the "dry" or should I say drier guitars on.

[SMiLE-addict]

What spot are you talking about, now?

The one I thought might have a harpsichord in it, mentioned above (repeated below). No big deal.

Also, do I hear a harpsichord buried in there, I Get Around-style? In the line "And now before he tries it ..." and the corresponding verse later in the song.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

What spot are you talking about, now?

The one I thought might have a harpsichord in it, mentioned above. No big deal.

Are you talking about the chordal instrument that comes in at that point?  That's a trebley acoustic guitar.

[SMiLE-addict]

BTW, I don't know anything beyond basic stuff for this engineering stuff (even though my father did a fair amount of it himself!), so pardon what may seem to be beginner questions.

[SMiLE-addict]

Hmmm, I guess it could be an acoustic guitar, though to me it still sounds more like pounding on a keyboard. But I suppose it's hard to tell. If it *is* an acoustic guitar that would explain why I thought it maybe sounded like a harpsichord (plucking - or strumming - strings). It first kicks in about 17-18 seconds into the song.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

It's an acoustic guitar, no doubt.

If memory serves, lhrw is a track for which no AFM sheet has circulated, so we don't have the luxury of having an idea who was paid for the session, so it's harder to sort of mathematically eliminate different possibilities.  Nevertheless, the session out takes confirm that it's a guitar, and that there's no harpsichord on the track.

[pixletwin]

Wow, that is a crazy guitar sound. I always thought it was vibraphones.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

Wow, that is a crazy guitar sound. I always thought it was vibraphones.

There's a vibraphone on LHRW also.

[DonnyL]

I noticed in these threads when we're all listening, trying to pick out instruments ... I think maybe people are discounting the influence and power of the echos/reverbs and the tape sound on these tracks. Certain phasing effects are inevitable on multi-track tape recorders, which is even more pronounced after going through a couple generations. If you print some of the echo to tape on one track, combined with room bleed and maybe another echo on an adjacent track ... it will become a subtle 'effect' in and of itself. Not to mention maybe a reverb going back through a chamber again. Brian's most important instrument until Wild Honey !

[Alex]

Not to be pedantic, but the verse chords are e-flat minor 7 to a-flat minor 7, then d-flat (still) minor 7 to g-flat 7.

But it's sooo much easier on the wrist to just slap a capo on the first fret and play it as open Em7, Am7, Dm7, and G7.

[Mark H.]

Perfect song - amazing backing track and stunning vocals!  Better than several on PS.

[SMiLE-addict]

Does anyone know what month(s) this song was recorded?

An inquiring mind needs to know!

[SMiLE Brian]

Does anyone know what month(s) this song was recorded?

An inquiring mind needs to know!

AGD's website has the info
http://www.esquarterly.com/bellagio/

[Lowbacca]

Does anyone know what month(s) this song was recorded?

An inquiring mind needs to know!

June/July, at least according to the Wiki page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Let_Him_Run_Wild

[SMiLE-addict]

Thanks! Somehow I missed the Wiki article on it.

[Quzi]

Thanks! Somehow I missed the Wiki article on it.

I only got it back on Wikipedia a few days ago so if you searched for it prior to then, you wouldn't have found it. There's a possibility Google hasn't archived the revived article yet as well.