New Beach Boys release will make you 'SMiLE'

[bgas]

Even if "Smile" had been released back then, The Beatles(with their "Sgt.Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" & "Magical Mystery Tour" albums) were still going to leave Brian behind in the dust.

Wait, are we on the Hoffman board here?!

No, (laughs): I'm a banished ex-Hoffman board member; banished back in 2009.

OK, I'm intrigued - what did you do/say ?

I openly asked one of the Hoffman board censors why a post of mine had been deleted. I find great vindication and validation that people continue to participate in Hoffman board threads that I created, and/or that the forum's present-day members to continue to "import" (into the Hoffman forum) quotes from my participation on other forums(such as IMWAN). It confirms that I still have useful information, that I still have something to say that is worth saying.

Must have been in the way you said it? 

As to Brian being "left in the dust": POPPYCOCK! 
No one knows/will ever know. I'd venture a timely ( January 1967) Release of SmiLe, would have left the Beatles in Brian's dust and changed forever the music scene, altering the Pepper production and splintering the time/space continuum as we know it today.

[buddhahat]

You want my take ?  Someone took him outside, shook him a little, maybe slapped him upside the head once or twice and told him "go and recant what you said, OK, and keep your damn mouth shut in future, and in the meantime we'll carry on as if you'd not said anything and get it ready."

That's my take. 

Does seem weird that on the one hand he was saying that they "didn't do any new recording", but is now saying “I don’t know if we even have enough parts to put it together or not. May have to record some more.” Of all the reasons to not put smile out, not having enough parts and having to record new stuff seems the least feasible explanation me.

[A Million Units In Jan!]

You want my take ?  Someone took him outside, shook him a little, maybe slapped him upside the head once or twice and told him "go and recant what you said, OK, and keep your damn mouth shut in future, and in the meantime we'll carry on as if you'd not said anything and get it ready."

That's my take. 

Does seem weird that on the one hand he was saying that they "didn't do any new recording", but is now saying “I don’t know if we even have enough parts to put it together or not. May have to record some more.” Of all the reasons to not put smile out, not having enough parts and having to record new stuff seems the least feasible explanation me.

And at this point, my greatest fear with this is that they decide to 'finish' it. Although I think Brian's camp would be in an uproar. And wouldn't they need to get approval from Brian's people first? Since he finished it, and it's his and VDP's songs. Still, for some reason, I'm getting  some Bad Vibrations.

[PhilCohen]

I doubt that 'Magical Mystery Tour' would have helped leave Brian behind in the dust.

Despite the fact that "Magical Mystery Tour" is (technically speaking) a compilation, it had lots of innovative sounds. Groups like Electric Light Orchestra wouldn't have been possible without the influence of "Magical Mystery Tour". Jeff Lynne & Roy Wood admit that that they were heavily influenced by "I Am The Walrus". There's nothing on "Smile" that would have been influential on other artists, and the nature of Smile's songs would have made them (for several reasons) unsuitable or too inaccessable to be covered by other artists.

[bgas]

I doubt that 'Magical Mystery Tour' would have helped leave Brian behind in the dust.

Despite the fact that "Magical Mystery Tour" is (technically speaking) a compilation, it had lots of innovative sounds. Groups like Electric Light Orchestra wouldn't have been possible without the influence of "Magical Mystery Tour". Jeff Lynne & Roy Wood admit that that they were heavily influenced by "I Am The Walrus". There's nothing on "Smile" that would have been influential on other artists, and the nature of Smile's songs would have made them (for several reasons) unsuitable or too inaccessable to be covered by other artists.

See, this is what I don't get:   you seem to consider yourself an authority on the matter, yet you mix the known with the unknown and declare it as fact;  For you to claim nothing on Smile would have been influential on other artists is ludicrous.
Smile, even in it's non-finish/release has been influential on countless artists; if you want to advance your Beatles only agenda, I suggest you peddle it on a Beatles message board, and maybe they'll appreciate your lunacy.
While it's a given this is your opinion, as it is for us all, you should have huge warnings on everything you write:
"This is Just My Opinion, and we're all bozos on this bus"   

[Runaways]

I doubt that 'Magical Mystery Tour' would have helped leave Brian behind in the dust.

Despite the fact that "Magical Mystery Tour" is (technically speaking) a compilation, it had lots of innovative sounds. Groups like Electric Light Orchestra wouldn't have been possible without the influence of "Magical Mystery Tour". Jeff Lynne & Roy Wood admit that that they were heavily influenced by "I Am The Walrus". There's nothing on "Smile" that would have been influential on other artists, and the nature of Smile's songs would have made them (for several reasons) unsuitable or too inaccessable to be covered by other artists.

lol this is ridiculous.  

[Shady]

I'll forgive Al for "Santa Ana Winds" if this release happens

[?]

I doubt that 'Magical Mystery Tour' would have helped leave Brian behind in the dust.

Despite the fact that "Magical Mystery Tour" is (technically speaking) a compilation, it had lots of innovative sounds. Groups like Electric Light Orchestra wouldn't have been possible without the influence of "Magical Mystery Tour". Jeff Lynne & Roy Wood admit that that they were heavily influenced by "I Am The Walrus". There's nothing on "Smile" that would have been influential on other artists, and the nature of Smile's songs would have made them (for several reasons) unsuitable or too inaccessable to be covered by other artists.

lol this is ridiculous. 

Yeah.  Even unreleased, Smile was and continues to be a huge influence on other artists.

[PhilCohen]

I doubt that 'Magical Mystery Tour' would have helped leave Brian behind in the dust.

Despite the fact that "Magical Mystery Tour" is (technically speaking) a compilation, it had lots of innovative sounds. Groups like Electric Light Orchestra wouldn't have been possible without the influence of "Magical Mystery Tour". Jeff Lynne & Roy Wood admit that that they were heavily influenced by "I Am The Walrus". There's nothing on "Smile" that would have been influential on other artists, and the nature of Smile's songs would have made them (for several reasons) unsuitable or too inaccessable to be covered by other artists.

lol this is ridiculous.  

Yeah.  Even unreleased, Smile was and continues to be a huge influence on other artists.

An influence on whom, other than Darian Sahanaja? Much of Smile's vocal complexity & lyrical abstraction would have precluded anyone covering these tracks. Admittedly, Brian was never particularly interested in recording studio technological "tricks" to the extent that The Beatles were, but The Beatles' use of those "tricks" proved to be quite influential. I'm a fan of both The Beatles & The Beach Boys(having lived in that era, and experienced their music in the context of its' time, the 1960's).
                                  The Beach Boys publicists & friends did their share of hyping "Smile"(both in 1966/67, then later in 1972 in an attempt to rebuild the group's popularity via an article in Rolling Stone magazine). The question that I'm posing, is have we fans talked ourselves into thinking "Smile"(as a whole, as opposed to its' 5 best songs heard a la carte) is something better than it really is? It is a question that we should be asking after the recent raising and crushing of the fans' hopes.  Is there valid reason to continue this "Smile" obsession?

[Cam Mott]

Yeah.  Even unreleased, Smile was and continues to be a huge influence on other artists.

I don't know the extent to which it has been an influence but I got to agree.

[?]

An influence on whom, other than Darian Sahanaja?

Should we start at Sagittarius Present Tense and work our way to present day?  That would take all night...

Much of Smile's vocal complexity & lyrical abstraction would have precluded anyone covering these tracks.

It didn't stop Laughing Gravy.  Or whoever it was that did the Do You Like Worms cover that made it to the Vigotone boot.  Or Apples in Stereo from doing Heroes and Villains. Or, again this would take all night...

Admittedly, Brian was never particularly interested in recording studio technological "tricks" to the extent that The Beatles were, but The Beatles' use of those "tricks" proved to be quite influential.

What???  Do you know how many different studios Good Vibrations was recorded in?  And I don't recall the Beatles ever recording a song that sounded like a roaring inferno.

I'm a fan of both The Beatles & The Beach Boys(having lived in that era, and experienced their music in the context of its' time, the 1960's). The Beach Boys publicists & friends did their share of hyping "Smile"(both in 1966/67, then later in 1972 in an attempt to rebuild the group's popularity via an article in Rolling Stone magazine). The question that I'm posing, is have we fans talked ourselves into thinking "Smile"(as a whole, as opposed to its' 5 best songs heard a la carte) is something better than really it is? It is a question that we should be asking after the recent raising and crushing of the fans' hopes.  Is there valid reason to continue this "Smile" obsession?

I wasn't born back then.  I heard a version of Smile for the first time around 1999.  Before it was played for me, I thought the Beach Boys were just a lame oldies act.  And it blew me away.  So no, I talked myself into nothing.  The music did the talking and it still does.

[Runaways]

philcohen certainly thinks he knows a lot huh

[pixletwin]

So many posts. So many pages into the thread and I am left with one thought...

Nick Mason sang Vegetable Man and Scream Thy Last Scream? That's news to me. 

[mtaber]

Obviously Smile is great but I think its success if released in '67 would have been limited by the fact that the group pre-dates the Beatles.  If you think about it, no group that reached popularity before the Beatles ever had much album success in that era.  But if any album could've overcome the odds, it would've been Smile...

[Runaways]

whenever i wanna hear smile influenced music today.  I just click on something from the elephant 6 crew.  

i mean. listen to this ha.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D02Dp6D0z1g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s73iSXURYPo

modern spin to my ears.

[PhilCohen]

So many posts. So many pages into the thread and I am left with one thought...

Nick Mason sang Vegetable Man and Scream Thy Last Scream? That's news to me. 

Indeed, Nick sang 90% of the lead on "Scream Thy Last Scream", and does much of the backing voices  on "Vegetable Man"

[Musketeer]

I doubt that 'Magical Mystery Tour' would have helped leave Brian behind in the dust.

Despite the fact that "Magical Mystery Tour" is (technically speaking) a compilation, it had lots of innovative sounds. Groups like Electric Light Orchestra wouldn't have been possible without the influence of "Magical Mystery Tour". Jeff Lynne & Roy Wood admit that that they were heavily influenced by "I Am The Walrus". There's nothing on "Smile" that would have been influential on other artists, and the nature of Smile's songs would have made them (for several reasons) unsuitable or too inaccessable to be covered by other artists.

You don't think songs like Heroes And Villians had any influence at all on the ELO sound? 

[PhilCohen]

I doubt that 'Magical Mystery Tour' would have helped leave Brian behind in the dust.

Despite the fact that "Magical Mystery Tour" is (technically speaking) a compilation, it had lots of innovative sounds. Groups like Electric Light Orchestra wouldn't have been possible without the influence of "Magical Mystery Tour". Jeff Lynne & Roy Wood admit that that they were heavily influenced by "I Am The Walrus". There's nothing on "Smile" that would have been influential on other artists, and the nature of Smile's songs would have made them (for several reasons) unsuitable or too inaccessable to be covered by other artists.

You don't think songs like Heroes And Villians had any influence at all on the ELO sound? 

In one obvious instance, Yes: on "Across The Border" from the album "Out of The Blue".

[Musketeer]

How about Turn To Stone?
I mean, don't you think there was a reason Jeff Lynne wrote a song with Brian back in 88?

[Chris Brown]

whenever i wanna hear smile influenced music today.  I just click on something from the elephant 6 crew.  

i mean. listen to this ha.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D02Dp6D0z1g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s73iSXURYPo

modern spin to my ears.

Never heard those before - awesome stuff! 

[PhilCohen]

I think that for many of us, after a day of spending so much time in front of our computer screens venting our anguish & disappointment over the cancelled(or perhaps never-planned/non-existant) "Smile" CD project, that all this time spent in front of the computer(though I could have played music on my computer while doing my web surfing & forum posts) could actually be better spent listening to music on my main sound system/home theater, ideally, someone else's music(other than Beach Boys).
                                 Whether it's getting upset over CD release date postponements(no, I'm not refering to "Smile" here!), CD shipments lost in snowstorms, the recent UK to U.S.A. postal delivery crisis(a situation caused by U.S.A. government restrictions on incoming foreign mail, affecting my ability to obtain foreign CD's), the joyful things about listening to music are getting lost in all the anguish and hassles. It's time to go listen to some music that is 180 degrees opposite of The Beach Boys, like some jazz-rock fusion, progressive rock or heavy metal.
                                 All of this "Smile" stuff has turned into a frown. That's not what music listening and collecting is supposed to be about.

[pixletwin]

So many posts. So many pages into the thread and I am left with one thought...

Nick Mason sang Vegetable Man and Scream Thy Last Scream? That's news to me. 

Indeed, Nick sang 90% of the lead on "Scream Thy Last Scream", and does much of the backing voices  on "Vegetable Man"

I hate to hijack this thread but can you give me a link as to what 90% he sang. This subject interests me greatly.

[c-man]

Yeah.  Even unreleased, Smile was and continues to be a huge influence on other artists.

An influence on whom, other than Darian Sahanaja? [/quote]

Lindsey Buckingham.
Super Furry Animals.
Velvet Crush.
High Llamas.

[PhilCohen]

So many posts. So many pages into the thread and I am left with one thought...

Nick Mason sang Vegetable Man and Scream Thy Last Scream? That's news to me.  

Indeed, Nick sang 90% of the lead on "Scream Thy Last Scream", and does much of the backing voices  on "Vegetable Man"

I hate to hijack this thread but can you give me a link as to what 90% he sang. This subject interests me greatly.

Everything, except an 8-note phrase at the end of each verse(that brief bit was sung by Syd)

[Runaways]

whenever i wanna hear smile influenced music today.  I just click on something from the elephant 6 crew.  

i mean. listen to this ha.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D02Dp6D0z1g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s73iSXURYPo

modern spin to my ears.

Never heard those before - awesome stuff!  

yeah of montreal is pretty great.    Just gotta be careful what album you choose.  Sometimes they go overboard with songs in segments, can't really follow.  BUT that album is a good one.  it's called "satanic panic in the attic".  they've gotten more dance and crazy lately, but that album was their breakthrough.  "sunlandic twins" is good, as is "hissing fauna".  hissing fauna is pretty dance.  Sunlandic twins is like david bowie.  cept more poppy.

actually their album "the gay parade" is like smiley smile piano stuff the whole time.  sounds like it too, lo fi but charming. of course, this is probably because they weren't popular yet and had no budget.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxoOU0U63mY

anyway. they're good.  a good example of beach boy influence.  Satanic Panic in the attic is probably a good place to start.