Are any of you musicians?

[the captain]

And don't get me started on chord progressions (ie. I-IV-V)...For the life of me that stuff is confusing. I'm much more comfortable with "play C them play Em then play G" than with trying to figure out what chords I, IV, V, etc. are supposed to stand for.

I recommend you give it a shot. For me, anyway, learning music theory made everything much easier, because you no longer just learn this set of chords, but this set of chord types in succession. So your C-Em-G is all well and good as a I-iii-V (or maybe IV-vi-I), and thus it's the same as an A-C#m-E, for example. You quickly see the function and structure, so that music isn't a matter of memorizing specifics, but understanding mechanics.

On the other hand, by most accounts Brian had somewhere in the not-much range of understanding theory, so it's not as if it's essential.

[Alex]

And don't get me started on chord progressions (ie. I-IV-V)...For the life of me that stuff is confusing. I'm much more comfortable with "play C them play Em then play G" than with trying to figure out what chords I, IV, V, etc. are supposed to stand for.

I recommend you give it a shot. For me, anyway, learning music theory made everything much easier, because you no longer just learn this set of chords, but this set of chord types in succession. So your C-Em-G is all well and good as a I-iii-V (or maybe IV-vi-I), and thus it's the same as an A-C#m-E, for example. You quickly see the function and structure, so that music isn't a matter of memorizing specifics, but understanding mechanics.

On the other hand, by most accounts Brian had somewhere in the not-much range of understanding theory, so it's not as if it's essential.

Honestly, I'm more intrigued by effects, recording and mixing techniques, etc. than I am about musical notes, chord changes and progressions, etc.

[Big Bri]

  As I'm going through the process of recording my CD "The Human Experience" I find mySELF more and more interested in capturing EMOTION and Feeling moreso than the technical aspect of piecing this together.
And amazingly I'm writing material on the spot as I'm recording!!  Very cool creative "high" I'm on with my CD.

Cheers,
Bri

[the captain]

Honestly, I'm more intrigued by effects, recording and mixing techniques, etc. than I am about musical notes, chord changes and progressions, etc.

You'd never get me to discount those, either. And even less so the items Big Bri mentions about feel and emotion. In my personal opinion, though (as opposed to my NON-personal opinion??) the recording is the least important aspect of a song. Everything counts, adding to or taking away from the final experience. But my ears would rather hear melodies, harmonies, interesting constructions, emotion, wit, etc. than a perfectly engineered kick drum or funny phaser. Clearly opinion and hopefully understood only as such.

[Rocker]

Just wanted to say that I gave the other members of my band some youtubelinks for possible Beach Boys-covers. I hope we'll decide next week, which one we're gonna do for this fan-cd

[Alex]

Honestly, I'm more intrigued by effects, recording and mixing techniques, etc. than I am about musical notes, chord changes and progressions, etc.

You'd never get me to discount those, either. And even less so the items Big Bri mentions about feel and emotion. In my personal opinion, though (as opposed to my NON-personal opinion??) the recording is the least important aspect of a song. Everything counts, adding to or taking away from the final experience. But my ears would rather hear melodies, harmonies, interesting constructions, emotion, wit, etc. than a perfectly engineered kick drum or funny phaser. Clearly opinion and hopefully understood only as such.

Oh, don't get me wrong, I love emotion/feel and good musicianship in a song...if I didn't like that stuff I wouldn't be listening to Smiley Smile or Wild Honey...the best engineering in the world won't save a crappy piece of music...It's just that the recording process draws more attention from me than the songwriting process. Or something like that.

[the captain]

Totally understood.

[matt-zeus]

I'd be up for doing something, I have a myspace here;

http://www.myspace.com/brigadiermusic

I did a cover of 'that special feeling' some time ago too.

[Camus]

I'd be up for something too, here's my myspace page:

www.myspace.com/josephrichards

Funny really, I've just started to rehearse a whole heap of Brian Wilson songs for a solo tribute type of gig I was thinking of doing.

My preference would be to cover Surf's Up.

[The Heartical Don]

I could do a good approximation of Brian at the 1981 Long Beach concert!!

OK. I will do Carl in Melbourne then, including the apologies. Done deal.

[Rocker]

So, well, should we start making a list now? I asked the other guys in my band and we're now gonna do "Wild honey".

Check out "The Orange Whip" in my signature to get a small idea of our sound

EDIT: Oh, and do you think if this "CD" is gonna turn out good, that it could be used on fan-meetings, etc? I think that would be cool...

[hypehat]

So, well, should we start making a list now? I asked the other guys in my band and we're now gonna do "Wild honey".

Check out "The Orange Whip" in my signature to get a small idea of our sound

EDIT: Oh, and do you think if this "CD" is gonna turn out good, that it could be used on fan-meetings, etc? I think that would be cool...

Good choice! I'm currently a bit obsessed with BW88 at the moment, so might do something off that - 'Walkin' The Line' or 'Melt Away' being my main contenders. I'll have a go on them tomorrow, see what sounds better. Anyone else game?

[SmileySam]

Just picked up 'Bicycle Rider' on my keyboard. That is some FUN to play, or as I should say, it's fun fun fun to play

[Don't Back Down]

I just have to figure out what tune to do, or an instrumental medley, & I'm up for this.

[Fall Breaks]

I'm in! I'm in! I'm in!

"You Still Believe In Me"

[Rocker]

I'm in! I'm in! I'm in!

"You Still Believe In Me"

That sounds interesting. The vocals are not easy.

[Fall Breaks]

I'm in! I'm in! I'm in!

"You Still Believe In Me"

That sounds interesting. The vocals are not easy.

Oh, so the result has to be good? 

No, I know, they're quite tricky. I'm not even sure I've picked them out correctly. Well, that'll show.

[Rocker]

I'm in! I'm in! I'm in!

"You Still Believe In Me"

That sounds interesting. The vocals are not easy.

Oh, so the result has to be good? 

No, I know, they're quite tricky. I'm not even sure I've picked them out correctly. Well, that'll show.

I've got confidence in you....

[Thunderfingers75]

aight folks, I'm starting the thread in the musicians section. Stake your claim now....

[Fall Breaks]

I'm in! I'm in! I'm in!

"You Still Believe In Me"

That sounds interesting. The vocals are not easy.

Oh, so the result has to be good? 

No, I know, they're quite tricky. I'm not even sure I've picked them out correctly. Well, that'll show.

I've got confidence in you....

Then we're one...

[Fall Breaks]

So, well, should we start making a list now? I asked the other guys in my band and we're now gonna do "Wild honey".

In its original key? Looking forward to that!

[Rocker]

So, well, should we start making a list now? I asked the other guys in my band and we're now gonna do "Wild honey".

In its original key? Looking forward to that!

Yep, key of G. I already recorded a demo-version but just found out that a cable is missing and I can't get it onto my computer (still recording analog).

[Rocker]

Guys, I got a question. Would it be okay, to upload our recording on our MySpace-site, after we finished this CD? I don't know about all this copyright-stuff, but I'd like to have it there for other people to listen to....

[Rocker]

Sorry to bring this up. I just thought in case anybody is interested in participating in our own little Beach Boys-tribute I'd post the link again:

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,7740.0.html

We're shooting for March 31st