If you don't like She's Goin' Bald

[DSamore]

Whenever I jam Smiley Smile on iTunes and not on my 180 gram LP, I take H & V and GV off the album. Stole the idea from this board- it makes it feel more cohesive.

[Mike's Beard]

Nah, that remark wasn't pointed at you personally...it's pointed at anyone who sees fit to bitch and moan about peoples' opinions and "I'm gonna leave if you don't apologize" or some lame merda like that. You're 2 cool 4 school, broseidon.

Opinions are much like assholes - everyone has one and many are full of sh*t. 

[DSamore]

exactly. even mine can be considered poop. there I said it, "poop." If that word doesn't diffuse some tension and make you smile, I don't know what will! 

[filledeplage]

Nah, that remark wasn't pointed at you personally...it's pointed at anyone who sees fit to bitch and moan about peoples' opinions and "I'm gonna leave if you don't apologize" or some lame merda like that. You're 2 cool 4 school, broseidon.

Opinions are much like buttholes - everyone has one and many are full of merda. 

But what would you do without yours?  

(your "opinion" of course)

[DSamore]

poop myself from a poop implosion! hahahahaha or in this case, listen to Kanye West and believe him to be poetic genius.

[filledeplage]

poop myself from a poop implosion! hahahahaha or in this case, listen to Kanye West and believe him to be poetic genius.

Good!!!

Some humore from DSamore!

We need it! 

Grazie!

[Jason]

We're all just poopers spreading our poop all around this poopy world of ours. The world is full of poop and poopers.

[Mr. Cohen]

You're right, AGD, I've changed my mind somewhat. People evolve. I still think Smiley Smile was a prank on Brian's part to an extent. Though I think he was very into the recording of the songs, I'm sure he knew that the record company would hate it.

[Runaways]

i love she's going bald.  It's a good tune and funny.  I love singing/playing along with it

[Jason]

Smiley Smile was Brian's first big "f*** you", aimed at Capitol, the Beach Boys, and everyone else who doubted him during Smile. Basically it was "yeah, you don't like my masterpiece? Well, I'm gonna make another one that's even weirder just to spite all of you and you'll put it out in order to keep the band afloat!"

[smile-holland]

May I - again - suggest to make use those lovely smileys that can be added? It makes it so much easier to understand each other's replies (if they're serious, funny intended, sarcastic, sad, whatever), especially when the topic seems to become a bit tense, and replies (or the tone of them) are sometimes mis-understood.


Or did I just spoil the fun in a spicy discussion? 


- I'm glad btw that there's no smiley to emphasize the poop side-discussion -

[Cam Mott]

Smiley Smile was Brian's first big "foder you", aimed at Capitol, the Beach Boys, and everyone else who doubted him during Smile. Basically it was "yeah, you don't like my masterpiece? Well, I'm gonna make another one that's even weirder just to spite all of you and you'll put it out in order to keep the band afloat!"

See we can disagreeably.

I just can not see this happening. Maybe if it had not been under the Beach Boys name and not under the Brothers banner with Capitol only the distributor. All Capitol would lose was an opportunity cost, the group would lose real competitive standing and real money and lots of it. This would go against Brian's and the Boys' very nature imo and would not have the supposed desired effect anyways. They for sure were up for inside jokes and pranks and tweaking the suits but nothing with these sorts of consequences. Imo, again.

Or maybe you were being ironic or satirical, in that case never mind.

[Jason]

Listen to the session tapes. Brian's clearly in charge on Smiley Smile. He knew exactly what he was doing. He was under the impression that people thought his direction with Smile was "weird". And when he junked that it became a means of throwing their accusations back in their faces.

[A Million Units In Jan!]

See, I never saw it as a joke album. I mean yeah, there are parts that are supposed to be 'funny', although I don't see it as 'A Big F U to Capitol and my bandmates' kind of joke, which I suppose would make it a personal joke to Brian. I always took it as, Brian was getting burnt out on all of those intricate musical pieces-the constant shuffling and re-shuffling of the sections was taking a toll on him mentally (along with alot of other things we've talked about a million times before). I thought it was him just 'cooling out' and doing an album like SMiLE with stripped down pieces of music that were easier for him to put together.
In any event, I would prefer somebody sit down with the Beach Boys and/or Brian and ask them pointed questions about SS. Sort of like the way they used to about SMiLE. I think that SS is more of a mystery at this point than SMiLE is.

[rab2591]

Smiley Smile was Brian's first big "foder you", aimed at Capitol, the Beach Boys, and everyone else who doubted him during Smile. Basically it was "yeah, you don't like my masterpiece? Well, I'm gonna make another one that's even weirder just to spite all of you and you'll put it out in order to keep the band afloat!"

That is one thing that bugs me about every Beach Boys book I've read: not enough information about 'Friends' or 'Smiley Smile'...Carlin's book didn't cover it as much as I would have liked. White's book didn't really cover it. I'll have to re-read Priore's take on it. But anyways, it is such an interesting album, not only for the music but for the history behind it.

I'd love to read about the sessions and Brian's rethinking the tracks...whether or not he half-assed it or did put effort into reworking them or whether SMiLE was meant to be a middle-finger to capitol or if it was just Brian trying to get an album out.

[Cam Mott]

Listen to the session tapes. Brian's clearly in charge on Smiley Smile. He knew exactly what he was doing. He was under the impression that people thought his direction with Smile was "weird". And when he junked that it became a means of throwing their accusations back in their faces.

I agree that Brian is solidly in charge and doing exactly what he wanted but I don't hear him under the impression that he thought people thought his SMiLE direction was weird. He has made it clear back then and since [until 2003] that HE thought it was too weird. I hear he was in charge and he knew exactly what he wanted to do and did it with Smiley [and SMiLE]. What I hear is, there is no reason to think other than what is on the tapes, that Brian was fully committed to Smiley as their new direction and mood.

The consequences were squarely on him and themselves. Some think its brilliant, some think it is crap, let Brian and the Boys own it as part of the legacy of their taste/feelings/decisions.

It may have been a short time from beginning to completion [largely because there weren't long pauses between booked studios with the home studio] but it seems to me really Brian worked much longer [man hours] and harder [participation] on recording that album than any previous album and I think that probably is true of the whole group too.

All only my opinion, except maybe the work invloved in making the album compared to other albums. I could just be flat wrong there.

[Mr. Cohen]

What I hear is, there is no reason to think other than what is on the tapes, that Brian was fully committed to Smiley as their new direction and mood.

Oh, I think Brian was very much into Smiley Smile artistically. However, I think he also had to know that it was very self-indulgent and that not a lot of people would get it.  Releasing it as the next Beach Boys was very much going against the establishment. Those were the times. f*** the man, man.

[Cam Mott]

What I hear is, there is no reason to think other than what is on the tapes, that Brian was fully committed to Smiley as their new direction and mood.

Oh, I think Brian was very much into Smiley Smile artistically. However, I think he also had to know that it was very self-indulgent and that not a lot of people would get it.  Releasing it as the next Beach Boys was very much going against the establishment. Those were the times. foder the man, man.

That I agree with that, as in being the next new thing, being out front of their competition, but not as a f' you to anyone. Especially one  that would hurt only them and give the competitive advantage to their competition.

[Mike's Beard]

poop myself from a poop implosion! hahahahaha or in this case, listen to Kanye West and believe him to be poetic genius.

If you don't like Kanye West then you are uncultured. 

[Bill Ed]

Releasing it as the next Beach Boys was very much going against the establishment. Those were the times. foder the man, man.

And in the process, foder the fan.

[MBE]

I became a fan in 1988 after seeing AAB on VH1 I was 12. I like some of the 1976-77 music but I am a much bigger fan of Brian from 1961-74. I just can't get over his voice on the later stuff, nor the lyrics, nor the synth productions. It's just not my kind of sound. Oh there are maybe 8-10 songs I really like from the early 76- mid 77 period but from Shut Down Vol 2. to Holland there are only maybe 6-8 songs I don't like period.

I can get into Smiley pretty easily. I don't LOVE it but it's fun including Bald. Bald scared the hell out of me really when I first heard it  as a kid but I grew to like it quite a bit. Still I just don't "get" Love You or why people dig it. I'll Bet He's Nice is stong as is The Night Was So Young. Ding Dang is a fun little trifle and Good Time is great but of course these two are much earlier. I'll grant you that Brian sang with a lot more emotion from 75-82 then he has since, but some of his vocals just hurt to hear. Go back to 1961-74 you get the emotion and the beauty.

Just to clarify here are the Brian recordings  I like from 75-82
Back Home (old song remade well), It's O.K. (it's older too but a lot of work was done in 1976), That Same Song (at least the TV special version),  Lazy Lizzie , I'll Bet He's Nice, The Night Was So Young, My Diane, Still I Dream Of It, It's Over Now, Everybody Wants To Live, It's Like Heaven, Do Ya, Matchpoint, Mike Come Back, She's Got Rythm, Wontcha Come Out, Our Team, Winter Symphony, Go and Get That Girl, Santa Ana Winds,  California Feelin' (ok Brian may not be on it and it's not a great version but I hear the potential), Good Timin (another old one that Brian may not be on but I can't not include it), Goin' On, Stevie, Oh Lord, City Blues.  I exluded covers and songs writen by other members but I must give props to the covers of Michael Row The Boat Ashore and Drip Drop!

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Smiley Smile as a whole will always be one of my personal favorite albums, as it was the first BB album I ever bought/heard (shortly after buying BW on tape for 99 cents at a Blockbuster Music store). Having knowing almost nothing about the band's music besides the stuff on the oldies station that I didn't care for and reading the ghostwritten autobiography, I went in blind. And dammit, I love the album just as much now as I did then. So there.

[The Heartical Don]

See, I never saw it as a joke album. I mean yeah, there are parts that are supposed to be 'funny', although I don't see it as 'A Big F U to Capitol and my bandmates' kind of joke, which I suppose would make it a personal joke to Brian. I always took it as, Brian was getting burnt out on all of those intricate musical pieces-the constant shuffling and re-shuffling of the sections was taking a toll on him mentally (along with alot of other things we've talked about a million times before). I thought it was him just 'cooling out' and doing an album like SMiLE with stripped down pieces of music that were easier for him to put together.
In any event, I would prefer somebody sit down with the Beach Boys and/or Brian and ask them pointed questions about SS. Sort of like the way they used to about SMiLE. I think that SS is more of a mystery at this point than SMiLE is.

Completely agree.

First this: if it is true that SS is a true cannabis album, then we may throw the idea of a 'f*ck you Capitol' or 'it's my sabbatical joke!' out of the window. These two considerations imply that it was made by a sober, albeit frustrated and tired person. Which, if my premise is true, is not the case. If Brian was stoned all of the time, he truly may have thought that it was art, real inventio as the old Romans would have it.

Compare it to the cocaine sessions of 1980. The merest  hint of a melody made Bri scream out things like: oh my god Dennis listen to what I just came up with isn't that gorgeous???... and no doubt the coked up Brian meant what he said, the music was not ironic or aggessively directed at anyone in particular at all.

I find SS a one of a kind wonderful thing. Without reservations or second thoughts. No manual necessary.

[18thofMay]

Ok here is my eight and a half cents worth..for what it's worth!! Music as it progresses can move and change the senses. Music or even art that is more complex can require more to understand or break down to understand. It is not doubted that some forms of art/music can at time require a greater understanding of ones senses and sensiblity. My thoughts are this Brian wrote some music that was way above the masses that had been so easy to appease. His peers understood this and progressed accordingly. Easily accessible music or art is also for the most easy to dismiss and forgettable (Brittany etc). I am not putting anyone down but to the lazy casual listner some of Brians/BB's music is not easy to digest. Same can be said about the Beatles, The Who and many more..
My first listen of Smile Smile was a WTF moment.The beauty had to be scratched away.. i heard it in 07 after BWPS and many other twofers that were realesed in Oz at the time. I listen to the Album all the time to hear more of Brian, more creativity in a scaled down cool drug induced wacked out space!! The album is a time capsule, it is precious! The songs altough not easily accesible are moments of crazy, fun, drug addled madness before Brian's sh*t was spinning on the fan!!

[punkinhead]

Whenever I jam Smiley Smile on iTunes and not on my 180 gram LP, I take H & V and GV off the album. Stole the idea from this board- it makes it feel more cohesive.

While you're messing around with the tracklisting of Smiley, add the rehearsal of GV from Hawthorne CA and see how cohesive it is then.