Yeah, but would the instrumentals fit the TM theme?

The cover of my new alternate universe idea!

We (and by we, I mean me) all know that it's my greatest, fondest dream that Mike Love shake off the failure of Summer in Paradise and put out a TM concept album!



You know you want to, Mr. Love!

HAH!  That 'naked Brian' cover is definitely going onto my "The Beach Boys Are Going To Jail" idea. :-P

No and let's hope not. Nothing against meditation, just these whacky compilation ideas. If you're really that bored, might I suggest taking up hardcore drug use? And no, there aren't enough BB songs about that to make up an unnecessary album either.

Or I'll continue to do what makes me happy and you can mind your own business.

How about this?  "Smiley Smile done right.... if it were held off until 1971." :-P

SIDE ONE
01) Our Prayer  [20/20 version]
02) Heroes and Villains  [stereo Smiley version]
03) Cabinessence  [20/20 version]
04) Wonderful  [stereo Smiley version]
05) Little Bird
06) Surf's Up  [Surf's Up version]

SIDE TWO
01) Vega-Tables  [stereo Smiley version]
02) Mama Says  [stereo bootleg version]
03) Wind Chimes  [stereo Smiley version]
04) Fall Breaks And Back To Winter  [stereo version]
05) Cool Cool Water  [Sunflower version]
06) Good Vibrations  [stereo Smiley version]

Try it, it works great!

I should mention, too, that the Rutles have a new CD called "Live + Raw" - almost certainly that Ricky Fataar is nowhere to be found, though, as this was recorded by the current touring version of the band.

Good!  I'll throw this together.... "Love and Devotion" seems like a clever title. :-P

Well, it beats the hell out of my other concept album idea - throwing all of Brian's creepy/suspicious songs from the 15 Big Ones-Love You era into a concept album called "The Beach Boys Are Going To Jail."   

In my discography (basically a giant DOC file I keep for myself), I do include that, in the "Beach Boys In Concert" entry.

I do know about "Cows In The Pasture", but I wasn't certain how much Brian did on it (as in, actual audible contributions) outside of serving as producer.  Likewise, I wasn't sure to include the unheard Charles Manson LP, because I wasn't sure if the Wilsons actually would've played on it.

(Seriously though, I wish that Bellagio page would update its Unreleased Albums section!  Andrew......?)

I was thinking.... did the Beach Boys do enough TM-related songs to string together into a concept album?

Off the top of my head:
* Transcendental Meditation  [Friends]
* Anna Lee, The Healer  [Friends]
* TM Song  [15 Big Ones]
* He Come Down  [So Tough]
* All This Is That  [So Tough]
* Spiritual Regeneration  [Mike with the Beatles - slated for release on 'Mike Love, Not War']

Surely there must be more??

[THE BEACH BOYS AS A GROUP]

Every now and then, I like to go back and try to update a discography I maintain for myself.  I haven't done it in a while, so..... here is a very quick list of everything I cover in it.  Any omissions?  (I know Brian has an album coming out, I know I don't have anything about it - and wasn't David doing another album??)

THE BEACH BOYS AS A GROUP

Oct 62 - SURFIN' SAFARI
Mar 63 - SURFIN' USA
Jun 63 - SHUT DOWN  [minor Beach Boys involvement]
Sep 63 - SURFER GIRL
Oct 63 - LITTLE DEUCE COUPE
Mar 64 - SHUT DOWN, VOL. 2
Jul 64 - ALL SUMMER LONG
Oct 64 - BEACH BOYS CONCERT
Dec 64 - CHRISTMAS ALBUM
Mar 65 - THE BEACH BOYS TODAY!
Jun 65 - SUMMER DAYS (AND SUMMER NIGHTS!!)
Nov 65 - BEACH BOYS PARTY!
early 66? - REMEMBER THE ZOO?  [nonexistent / hoax]
May 66 - PET SOUNDS
Nov 66? - 'LIVE IN MICHIGAN'  [unreleased]
Jan 67 - SMILE  [unreleased until Nov 2011]
Sep 67 - SMILEY SMILE
Fall 67? - LEI'D IN HAWAII  [unreleased]
Dec 67 - WILD HONEY
Jul 68 - FRIENDS
Aug 68 - STACK-O-TRACKS
Mar 69 - 20/20
Summer 70? - REVERBERATION (THE FADING ROCK GROUP REVIVAL)  [unreleased]
Early 70? - SUN FLOWER  [unreleased]
May 70 - LIVE IN LONDON (BEACH BOYS '69)
May 70? - ADD SOME MUSIC  [unreleased]
Aug 70 - SUNFLOWER
2nd half 70? - 'LANDLOCKED'  [unreleased]
Aug 71 - SURF'S UP
May 72 - CARL AND THE PASSIONS: SO TOUGH
Jan 73 - HOLLAND
Nov 73 - THE BEACH BOYS IN CONCERT
Jan 75? - CARIBOU ALBUM  [unreleased]
Fall 75? - (BEACHAGO LIVE ALBUM)  [unreleased]
Jul 76 - 15 BIG ONES
Fall 76? - NEW ALBUM  [unreleased]
Mar 77 - THE BEACH BOYS LOVE YOU
Fall 77 - ADULT/CHILD  [unreleased]
Nov/Dec 78 - MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE BEACH BOYS  [unreleased]
Spring 78 - CALIFORNIA FEELING  [unreleased]
Summer 78 - WINDS OF CHANGE  ['unreleased' - slightly reconfigured]
Sep 78 - M.I.U. ALBUM
Mar 79 - L.A. (LIGHT ALBUM)
Mar 80 - KEEPIN' THE SUMMER ALIVE
late 80? - (ECOLOGICAL CONCEPT ALBUM)  [unrecorded]
late 82? - (CLEVELAND LIVE ALBUM)  [unreleased]
late 82? - COUSINS, FRIENDS AND BROTHERS  [unreleased]
May 85 - THE BEACH BOYS
1985 - SILVER SUMMER  [with Dean Torrence]
Aug 89 - STILL CRUISIN'
Aug 92/Jun 93 - SUMMER IN PARADISE
1993? - MASTERPIECE  [unrecorded]
1993? - UNPLUGGED IN PARADISE  [unrecorded]
Aug 96 - STARS AND STRIPES VOL. 1
late 1990's? - STARS AND STRIPES VOL. 2  [unreleased]
Feb 98 - THE BEACH BOYS SALUTE NASCAR
Mar 03 - GOOD TIMIN': LIVE AT KNEBWORTH 1980
May 06 - SONGS FROM HERE AND BACK
Jun 12 - THAT'S WHY GOD MADE THE RADIO
May 13 - LIVE: THE 50th ANNIVERSARY TOUR

BRIAN WILSON

late 69? - A WORLD OF PEACE MUST COME  [with Stephen Kalinich, delayed until Sep 08]
1987? - THE WILSON PROJECT  [with Gary Usher, unreleased]
Jul 88 - BRIAN WILSON
1990? - BRIAN  [unreleased]
1991 - SWEET INSANITY  [unreleased]
Aug 95 - I JUST WASN'T MADE FOR THESE TIMES
Nov 95 - ORANGE CRATE ART  [with Van Dyke Parks]
late 96? - SOUL SEARCHIN'  [with Andy Paley, unreleased]
Jun 98 - IMAGINATION
Jul 00 - LIVE AT THE ROXY THEATRE
Jun 02 - BRIAN WILSON PRESENTS 'PET SOUNDS' LIVE
Jun 04 - GETTIN' IN OVER MY HEAD
Sep 04 - BRIAN WILSON PRESENTS 'SMILE'
Oct 05 - WHAT I REALLY WANT FOR CHRISTMAS
Sep 08 - THAT LUCKY OLD SUN
Aug 10 - BRIAN WILSON REIMAGINES GERSHWIN
Oct 11 - IN THE KEY OF DISNEY
forthcoming - NO PIER PRESSURE

DENNIS WILSON

Fall 72? - HUBBA HUBBA (POOPS)  [unreleased]
Sep 77 - PACIFIC OCEAN BLUE
Fall 78 - BAMBU  [delayed until Jun 08]
n/a - TORNADO  [unreleased, very little info available]

CARL WILSON

Mar 81 - CARL WILSON
Feb 83 - YOUNGBLOOD
Jun 00 - LIKE A BROTHER  [with Beckley and Lamm]

MIKE LOVE

May 78 - ALMOST SUMMER  [Celebration]
late 78? - DEADMAN'S CURVE  [with Jan and Dean, unreleased]
Feb 79 - CELEBRATION  [Celebration]
1979 - DISCO CELEBRATION  [Celebration]
1979? - FIRST LOVE  [unreleased]
1979? - COUNTRY LOVE  [unreleased]
Mar 81 - LOOKING BACK WITH LOVE
1982 - A BAKER'S DOZEN  [with Adrian Baker, unreleased]
Mar 83 - ROCK 'N' ROLL CITY  [with Dean Torrence]
Sep 83 - CHRISTMAS PARTY  [with Dean Torrence]
1996 - CATCH A WAVE
2005 - MIKE LOVE, NOT WAR (UNLEASH THE LOVE)  [unreleased]

BRUCE JOHNSTON

Jun 63 - SURFER'S PAJAMA PARTY  [Bruce Johnston Surfing Band]
Jul 63 - SURFIN' USA  [Hot Doggers]
Aug 63 - SURFIN' ROUND THE WORLD
Jan 64 - REV-UP  [The Vettes]
Feb 64 - HEY LITTLE COBRA AND OTHER HOT ROD HITS  [Rip Chords]
Apr 64 - KUSTOM CITY USA  [Kustom Kings]
Jul 64 - THREE WINDOW COUPE  [Rip Chords]
Sep 64 - FUN  [The Catalinas]
May 77 - GOING PUBLIC

MIKE LOVE AND BRUCE JOHNSTON

1998 - SYMPHONIC SOUNDS: MUSIC OF THE BEACH BOYS  [with the Royal Philharmonic]
2001 - SUMMERTIME CRUISIN'

AL JARDINE

Spring 99 - (NO TITLE KNOWN)  [unreleased]
2001? - BIG SOUTH  [unreleased]
Sep 01 - LIVE IN LAS VEGAS
Jun 10/Apr 12 - A POSTCARD FROM CALIFORNIA

DAVID MARKS

1968 - WITHOUT EARTH  [The Moon]
1969 - THE MOON  [The Moon]
2000 - WORK TAPES
Dec 03 - SOMETHING FUNNY GOIN' ON
2004? - LOW KEY INTENSITY  [unreleased]
Dec 06 - I THINK ABOUT YOU OFTEN
2006 - LIVE @ BLUE DOLPHIN  [The Marks-Clifford Band]
Dec 12 - THE CIRCLE CONTINUES
2013? - MAKING UP FOR LOST TIME  [unreleased]

THE SURF CITY ALL-STAR BAND

Aug 05 - SCRAPBOOK  [with Mike Love]
Nov 06 - LIVE IN CONCERT  [with Al Jardine and David Marks]
Oct 09 - ACOUSTIC VIBRATIONS  [with Al Jardine and David Marks]

BLONDIE CHAPLIN

1977 - BLONDIE CHAPLIN
1992 - OSTRICH MAN  [Skollie]
1999 - FRAGILE THREAD  [unreleased]
2006 - BETWEEN US

THE FLAMES - Ricky Fataar and Blondie Chaplin

1965 - UMMM! UMMM! OH YEAH!!!
Apr 67 - THAT'S ENOUGH
Oct 67 - BURNING SOUL!  [first LP with Blondie]
Apr 68 - SOULFIRE!!!
Apr 68 - SOUL MEETING!!  [with Una Valli and The Peanut Butter Conspiracy]
Mar 70 - THE FLAME
late 71? - (NO KNOWN TITLE)  [unreleased]

THE RUTLES - Ricky Fataar

1977 - 'SWEET RUTLE TRACKS'  [unreleased]
Feb 78 - THE RUTLES
Oct 96 - ARCHAEOLOGY
Jun 10 - LUNCH  [web stream only, physical CD unreleased]

God, I hope that's all.

I moved "Heroes and Villains Part 2" to the end of side one.  I don't necessarily like this (it spoils the Smiley Smile flow of "side ending watery song, then Good Vibrations") but eight minutes of H&V right at the start seems like overkill.

Besides, the "Gee" intro after "Cool Cool Water" just... works.

I replaced "I Love To Say Da Da" in my line-up with "Cool Cool Water" - the June '67 version, rather than the more familiar version in the SMiLE box (which was recorded after 'Smiley Smile' actually came out).

It brings the side to a much more satisfying close.

Why not step into the Smiley Smile Shop?

Tee hee.

'Cause I can't stand "She's Goin' Bald"? :-P

Anyway, irregardless of what the haters think, this is my 'new' Smiley Smile...

SIDE ONE
01) Heroes and Villains, Part 1
02) Heroes and Villains, Part 2  (note - these aren't the Smile Sessions single versions exactly, because I don't 100% agree with their editing choices; the ending of Part 2 is a mess!!)
03) Vega-Tables  (Smile Sessions sans segue)
04) Mrs. O'Leary's Cow
05) He Gives Speeches
06) I Love To Say Da-Da

SIDE TWO
01) Good Vibrations  (with 'hum-be-dum's)
02) With Me Tonight  (Smile Sessions)
03) Wind Chimes  (Smile Sessions sans segue)
04) Cabin Essence  (Smile Sessions)
05) Wonderful  (Smile Sessions)
06) You're Welcome

In all seriousness, yeah.... something is very, very wrong here with your sound quality (and the volume has major surges as well).

WHOA, HOLY COW DISTORTION.

Oh come on, I can't be the only one who considers the single/SS edit of "Heroes and Villains" to be butchery.

In my opinion at least, the Cantina section should never have been removed.

Because it was the Beach Boys doing slooooooow, whispered versions of songs that everyone heard were supposed to be grand and majestic, thus major boner-kill?

Really surprised no one agreed with swapping "You're Welcome" for "Whistle In"!  Ending the album with a repetitive chant song?  Hmmmm?

As for "Smiley Smile" being a cohesive artistic statement......... isn't it simply 'we threw together lousy stoned versions of Smile songs instead of just using the amazing Smile versions'?  I mean come on, "Wind Chimes" on SS is truly, truly spoiling a wonderful song.

I've just been kicking around an idea, since I was disappointed with the results of Priore's SMiLE... what would it sound like if one put together a 'proper' version of Smiley Smile?  Well, take a look at the track list, you'll see what I mean:

SIDE ONE
01) Heroes and Villains - 'Smile Sessions' version, spliced to single version (so that the last chorus fades)
02) Vegetables - 'Smile Sessions' version without opening segue
03) Mrs. O'Leary's Cow - 'Smile Sessions' version
04) He Gives Speeches - obviously standing in for "She's Goin' Bald", it's short but it fits.
05) I Love To Say Da Da - since there isn't a Smile equivalent of "Little Pad", this seems to be the best fit, complete with Water Chant at the start.

SIDE TWO
01) Good Vibrations - 'Smile Sessions' version with hum-de-dums.
02) With Me Tonight - 'Smile Sessions' version??  Doesn't that one end rather abruptly when someone knocks something over, though?
03) Wind Chimes - 'Smile Sessions' version without opening segue
04) ...................no clue.  I need to fill the spot left by "Gettin' Hungry".
05) Wonderful - 'Smile Sessions' version
06) You're Welcome - Seems like a reasonable replacement for "Whistle In", another round chant.

As they do on BWPS.  And the fact that there are multiple takes of the Great Shape 'tape explosion' makes me wonder why they felt the need to re-create it with digital reverb on the boxed set....

Yeah, Weird Al's cover of "What Is Life" blew me away.  That's the only other time I've heard him do a serious cover - he often does "Radio, Radio" if something in his concerts goes wrong.

Another serious "what was he thinking?" transition - cutting DYLW? right after the piano melody at the end slows down and stops for the first time (before it starts back up again and fades out), and jumping right from that moment to "The Old Master Painter".

Just awful.