The Country Air \

[Jay]

Has there ever been an explanation of why there is a strange buzz on the song Country Air? Was it a deliberate sound effect? Or was it a master tape problem?

[Jason]

Problem with the connections in the Baldwin.

[rogerlancelot]

Why didn't he just do another take?

[Jay]

Or just leave the Baldwin out, in favor of another keyboard?

[XY]

That's a think that always bothered me. How did this get over the producer's quality control? Kinda shows that someone lost interest in unsullied perfection.

[Jay]

There is also a very jarring, poorly done edit in " I'd Love Just Once To See You" that bugs me every time I hear it.

[Andrew G. Doe]

I've always assumed it's supposed to be there, bit like that 'edge-of-hearing' guitar on one fragment of "BWTL".

[hypehat]

I wouldn't mind so much if it didn't sound quite so much like the sound speakers make as your phone is about to recieve a call.....

[Jon Stebbins]

I've always loved that buzz in Country Air...it adds a little bit of a sinister vibe, a scary acid flashback overtone, amid the beauty and simplicity of the track. I know Brian left it there because he dug it at the time. The "jarring" edit in I'd Love Just Once To See You is also one of those mistakes that creates an organic hiccup that really works for me. Hard to explain but it adds rather than detracts. If either of those things were pro-tooled out of there I'd miss them for sure.

[sockittome]

To me, Country Air is one of the most breathtakingly beautiful songs on WH (along with Let the Wind Blow), but when I hear that keyboard buzz, I have an urge to go grab a flyswatter!  Seriously, though, it's not distracting enough to ruin the song for me.

I'd Love Just Once is a different story.  I'm a mathematical kinda guy.  That edit throws me off enough to where I lose my place in the tempo.  Subconceously, I'm thinking "1-2-3-4,1-2....1....uh, no 1....where are we?"

This is a little different than the time signature changes that bands like Kansas liked to do deliberately.

[variable2]

To me, Country Air is one of the most breathtakingly beautiful songs on WH (along with Let the Wind Blow), but when I hear that keyboard buzz, I have an urge to go grab a flyswatter!  Seriously, though, it's not distracting enough to ruin the song for me.

I'd Love Just Once is a different story.  I'm a mathematical kinda guy.  That edit throws me off enough to where I lose my place in the tempo.  Subconceously, I'm thinking "1-2-3-4,1-2....1....uh, no 1....where are we?"

This is a little different than the time signature changes that bands like Kansas liked to do deliberately.

it's just a bar of 2.. actually sounds quite deliberate, whether it was originally or not..

[the captain]

Kinda shows that someone lost interest in unsullied perfection.

But even in his prime, Brian was prone to letting imperfections into mixes (such as Pet Sounds). He was never a perfectionist in terms of technical product.

[c-man]

I've always assumed it's supposed to be there, bit like that 'edge-of-hearing' guitar on one fragment of "BWTL".

The "Country Air" buzz reminds me of a muted trumpeter's swan, so I dig it.

[Jay]

I've always assumed it's supposed to be there, bit like that 'edge-of-hearing' guitar on one fragment of "BWTL".

Are you talking about the version on the 1990 "twofer" of Smiley/Wild Honey? Can you point me to where in the recording(how many minutes, etc...) you're talking about?

[Jay]

Speaking of Country Air, there is a booted "stereo" version, with even more of the buzz than the 1990 "twofer" version.

[Jason]

It's true stereo, prepared sometime around 2001 or so.

[Andrew G. Doe]

I've always assumed it's supposed to be there, bit like that 'edge-of-hearing' guitar on one fragment of "BWTL".

Are you talking about the version on the 1990 "twofer" of Smiley/Wild Honey? Can you point me to where in the recording(how many minutes, etc...) you're talking about?

We're talking about the only version there is, going back to the original 1967 vinyl release... and it's clearly audible, even on a dubious UK pressing. Try listening.

[Jay]

It sounds great to me. I hope the rest of the album sounds that good in stereo. Although, I wasn't very impressed with the stereo version of "Let The Wind Blow"

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

I've always assumed it's supposed to be there, bit like that 'edge-of-hearing' guitar on one fragment of "BWTL".

Are you talking about the version on the 1990 "twofer" of Smiley/Wild Honey? Can you point me to where in the recording(how many minutes, etc...) you're talking about?

We're talking about the only version there is, going back to the original 1967 vinyl release... and it's clearly audible, even on a dubious UK pressing. Try listening.

I think he was referring to the 2fer version of BWTL as opposed to the box set version.

[Jay]

I've always assumed it's supposed to be there, bit like that 'edge-of-hearing' guitar on one fragment of "BWTL".

Are you talking about the version on the 1990 "twofer" of Smiley/Wild Honey? Can you point me to where in the recording(how many minutes, etc...) you're talking about?

We're talking about the only version there is, going back to the original 1967 vinyl release... and it's clearly audible, even on a dubious UK pressing. Try listening.

I think he was referring to the 2fer version of BWTL as opposed to the box set version.

Thanks. I wasn't quite sure what to make of the above comment.

[Andrew G. Doe]

I've always assumed it's supposed to be there, bit like that 'edge-of-hearing' guitar on one fragment of "BWTL".

Are you talking about the version on the 1990 "twofer" of Smiley/Wild Honey? Can you point me to where in the recording(how many minutes, etc...) you're talking about?

We're talking about the only version there is, going back to the original 1967 vinyl release... and it's clearly audible, even on a dubious UK pressing. Try listening.

I think he was referring to the 2fer version of BWTL as opposed to the box set version.

Apologies - I thought the track in question was "Country Air" My bad.

[sockittome]

I'd Love Just Once is a different story.  I'm a mathematical kinda guy.  That edit throws me off enough to where I lose my place in the tempo.  Subconceously, I'm thinking "1-2-3-4,1-2....1....uh, no 1....where are we?"

This is a little different than the time signature changes that bands like Kansas liked to do deliberately.

it's just a bar of 2.. actually sounds quite deliberate, whether it was originally or not..

I think you're right, but it sounds to me like the 2 isn't even a full beat.  The splice is very abrupt.

[sockittome]

The "Country Air" buzz reminds me of a muted trumpeter's swan, so I dig it.

Maybe it's the bees making that Wild Honey!

[Amazing Larry]

Not his Baldwin, but a Chamberlin or however you spell it.
I doubt a Baldwin would make that buzzing.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Not his Baldwin, but a Chamberlin or however you spell it.
I doubt a Baldwin would make that buzzing.

Not a Chamberlain - why would they use that on an album like Wild Honey ?