Rooster_Ties Posted March 13, 2011 Report Posted March 13, 2011 (edited) Confession: I've never heard Pet Sounds, save for two or three tracks (and probably not more than 6-8 Beach Boys tunes ever, at random times over the years). That said, "God Only Knows" is an absolutely beautiful tune. I had someone arrange it for the handbell group I directed, and it's really a stunning tune. Edited March 13, 2011 by Rooster_Ties Quote
.:.impossible Posted March 13, 2011 Report Posted March 13, 2011 You really ought to find the time to listen to Pet Sounds. If for nothing else, so that you can re-edit the above post. Quote
Jazzmoose Posted March 15, 2011 Report Posted March 15, 2011 I've always been kind of glad that I missed the whole Beach Boys thing (too young). It's a period of time and style of music that holds zero interest to me. No kind of about it for me; I never got the Beach Boys. I can get into some of the surf scene stuff, but even there the Beach Boys always sounded like pure bubblegum to me. Quote
Quincy Posted March 15, 2011 Report Posted March 15, 2011 (edited) I've always been kind of glad that I missed the whole Beach Boys thing (too young). It's a period of time and style of music that holds zero interest to me. No kind of about it for me; I never got the Beach Boys. I can get into some of the surf scene stuff, but even there the Beach Boys always sounded like pure bubblegum to me. I had the best of Endless Summer as a teen in the late '70s and didn't play it much as I just wasn't that into surfing songs. A little later I picked up Pet Sounds and like Bev I was a little disappointed given the big build up. Fast forward into my 40s and I finally give Friends and the "failure" Smiley Smile a chance. Wow! If Smiley Smile is a failure give me more failures! Subtract 1 song from Friends about babies and it's excellent. I've since come to appreciate Pet Sounds more but for sheer enjoyment I play the other 2 more frequently (and I have since picked up other albums, but those 2 are my favorite.) I'm glad I didn't miss them. Edited March 15, 2011 by Quincy Quote
Teasing the Korean Posted March 15, 2011 Author Report Posted March 15, 2011 I've always been kind of glad that I missed the whole Beach Boys thing (too young). It's a period of time and style of music that holds zero interest to me. No kind of about it for me; I never got the Beach Boys. I can get into some of the surf scene stuff, but even there the Beach Boys always sounded like pure bubblegum to me. I agree with you guys. I also think jazz is the worst music out there, because I've heard Kenny G and I think he sucks; therefore we all know that jazz is crap. Art Tatum is a fraud. Quote
JSngry Posted March 15, 2011 Report Posted March 15, 2011 Friends is beautifully, brilliantly tender, naive, and a little wack...like Love You in a lot of only ways, only Brian was still mostly connected to reality & was just looking to chill out. Check out the bass playing on "Busy Doin' Nothing"... nice....very nice... Quote
Chalupa Posted March 16, 2011 Report Posted March 16, 2011 Check out Purple Chick's version of Smile. Well worth hunting down. http://www.earcandymag.com/purplechicksmile-2005.htm Quote
ghost of miles Posted June 11, 2011 Report Posted June 11, 2011 Street date for THE SMILE SESSIONS is Aug. 9, or so someone on the Internets sez. Quote
JSngry Posted June 11, 2011 Report Posted June 11, 2011 So they're still packaging it as "sessions" and not a "finished" version? That would be the right thing to do, but...if you do bootlegs in any form, what are you going to hear that you've not heard already, that's all I'm wondering. Quote
felser Posted June 17, 2011 Report Posted June 17, 2011 I think that Van Dyke Parks is the only great lyricist that Brian ever worked with. I don't know if Tony Asher is a great lyricist or not, but you couldn't ask for lyrics more suitable to the topic at hand than those he wrote for Pet Sounds. I mean, "Caroline, No" - . "Where did your long hair go?", "It's so sad to watch a sweet thing die", ""Will I ever find in you again things that made me love you so much then?"....in context, as the end of an arc that goes from eternally optimistic teenage to devastated uncertain young adult, that's one of the most devastating lyrics ever written. Hell, they all work perfectly on that album, not just individually, but as a cohesive whole. From "Wouldn't It Be Nice" to "Caroline No"....wow... But what else has Tony Asher done that's that great? Nothing that I know of. With you on the song cycle music/lyrics for Pet Sounds. Love the album, especially as it emotionally crescendos at the end with the amazing "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times"/"Pet Sounds"/"Caroline No" triad. I'm also a big fan of "Surf's Up" the song, (need to revisit the album), and the finished Brian Wilson 'Smile'. Incredibly sympathetic group he has for that period, with Darian Sahanaja, Scott Bennett, etc. The "Smile" and "Pet Sounds" live DVD's are very moving experiences for me, and I was thrilled to experience Wilson in as good of shape and voice as he was. Quote
JSngry Posted June 17, 2011 Report Posted June 17, 2011 "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times" is one of the most guileless pop songs ever written and also one of the most amazingly produced pop records ever made. That the two qualities co exist as naturally as they do is nothing shot of miraculous, what with human nature and the record business interacting like they do. Quote
medjuck Posted June 17, 2011 Report Posted June 17, 2011 There's about a dozen cuts from the Smile sessions on the "Good Vibrations" box set. Though I never bothered to do it I always thought that you could make your own "original" version using those cuts with the new version as a guide. Notice the difference between Mike Love's lyrics to "Good Vibrations" and those that Brian seems to prefer. The only time I saw the Beach Boys live was when they were touring in support of "Holland". No Brian, but Blondie Chapman, 'The Captain (sans Tennile) and an extra drummer as well as several other musicians. A great show but but Mike Love acted like a jerk. Quote
JSngry Posted June 17, 2011 Report Posted June 17, 2011 There's about a dozen cuts from the Smile sessions on the "Good Vibrations" box set. Though I never bothered to do it I always thought that you could make your own "original" version using those cuts with the new version as a guide. There's been a cottage-industry of people doing that for years now, although it was going on before the material was officially released, and there was/is more material available than what was on the box. But yeah, there's dozens, if not more, versions of Smile floating around out there, all using pretty much the same sources, just with different sequencings, transitions, and occasionally EQ-ing. My favorite single outtake that I've heard is "George Fell Into His French Horn", a really goofy track where Brian gets the horn players to start talking into their horns. One thing leads to another, and before you know it, it gets pretty out there. Hopefully it'll be on this upcoming box. Quote
felser Posted June 17, 2011 Report Posted June 17, 2011 (edited) Friends is beautifully, brilliantly tender, naive, and a little wack...like Love You in a lot of only ways, only Brian was still mostly connected to reality & was just looking to chill out. Listened to a lot of Beach Boys today. After a relisten (first time in many years) I agree on 'Friends', to me it is the best of their post-Pet Sounds albums by a good distance, truly charming. I also enjoyed parts of '20/20' quite a bit (realize it is a collection of scraps, not a proper album) and Wild Honey held up well for me. 'Sunflower', on the other hand, has not held up at all for me, just sounds fussy and troubled and weird, in the same way that so much of 'Smiley Smile' was so bizarre sounding. The "Surf's Up" album hasn't held up either for the same reasons, but the title cut and "Til I Die" are gorgeous (if inscrutable lyrically), and I got a retro kick out of silly old "Student Demonstration Time". I'll go through the rest of the early 70's stuff on Monday, but don't expect a lot of revelations after the letdown of 'Sunflower'/"Surf's Up" (though it will be good to hear "Sail On Sailor"). 'Holland' is where I get off the train, I never cared for 'The Beach Boys Love You', and have never known anyone to care for any of the other later albums (featuring Mike Love,mystical musical genius). Edited June 17, 2011 by felser Quote
JSngry Posted June 17, 2011 Report Posted June 17, 2011 Ah, but Sunflower has "This Whole World", which in every regard (and in less than 120 seconds!) is about as close to a musical manifestation of The Benevolent Comforting & Loving Universal God We All Would Love To Believe In as White American Pop music is ever gonna be able to muster. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xz5QDsYSto It also has "All I Wanna To Do", the only song (out of more than a few) that was able to bring me down from the one bad acid trip I had. So Sunflower is ok with me. Quote
MomsMobley Posted June 18, 2011 Report Posted June 18, 2011 (edited) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2OXUnGTpzc Edited June 18, 2011 by MomsMobley Quote
Teasing the Korean Posted June 18, 2011 Author Report Posted June 18, 2011 I think that you can get a pretty solid album combining the best of Sunflower and Surf's Up, but there's a lot of filler and/or schmaltz on both records. Quote
WorldB3 Posted June 19, 2011 Report Posted June 19, 2011 (edited) Friends is beautifully, brilliantly tender, naive, and a little wack...like Love You in a lot of only ways, only Brian was still mostly connected to reality & was just looking to chill out. Listened to a lot of Beach Boys today. After a relisten (first time in many years) I agree on 'Friends', to me it is the best of their post-Pet Sounds albums by a good distance, truly charming. I also enjoyed parts of '20/20' quite a bit (realize it is a collection of scraps, not a proper album) and Wild Honey held up well for me. 'Sunflower', on the other hand, has not held up at all for me, just sounds fussy and troubled and weird, in the same way that so much of 'Smiley Smile' was so bizarre sounding. The "Surf's Up" album hasn't held up either for the same reasons, but the title cut and "Til I Die" are gorgeous (if inscrutable lyrically), and I got a retro kick out of silly old "Student Demonstration Time". I'll go through the rest of the early 70's stuff on Monday, but don't expect a lot of revelations after the letdown of 'Sunflower'/"Surf's Up" (though it will be good to hear "Sail On Sailor"). 'Holland' is where I get off the train, I never cared for 'The Beach Boys Love You', and have never known anyone to care for any of the other later albums (featuring Mike Love,mystical musical genius). Everything from Smiley Smile to Holland has 2-4 good to great tracks. Lots of stuff not so great also. I love Surfs Up though for Long Promised Road, Feel Flows and the great tile track. Even Holland has Sail on Sailer and Trader. I probably like 20/20 the best which has the two great Smile tracks in Our Prayer and Cabinessence. Edited June 19, 2011 by WorldB3 Quote
JSngry Posted June 19, 2011 Report Posted June 19, 2011 From 20/20, I'm a sucker for "I Went To Sleep"..such a peacefully narcotic yet scrupulously detailed little gem of yawny bliss! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acyPC4aww2c Quote
felser Posted June 21, 2011 Report Posted June 21, 2011 Friends is beautifully, brilliantly tender, naive, and a little wack...like Love You in a lot of only ways, only Brian was still mostly connected to reality & was just looking to chill out. Listened to a lot of Beach Boys today. After a relisten (first time in many years) I agree on 'Friends', to me it is the best of their post-Pet Sounds albums by a good distance, truly charming. I also enjoyed parts of '20/20' quite a bit (realize it is a collection of scraps, not a proper album) and Wild Honey held up well for me. 'Sunflower', on the other hand, has not held up at all for me, just sounds fussy and troubled and weird, in the same way that so much of 'Smiley Smile' was so bizarre sounding. The "Surf's Up" album hasn't held up either for the same reasons, but the title cut and "Til I Die" are gorgeous (if inscrutable lyrically), and I got a retro kick out of silly old "Student Demonstration Time". I'll go through the rest of the early 70's stuff on Monday, but don't expect a lot of revelations after the letdown of 'Sunflower'/"Surf's Up" (though it will be good to hear "Sail On Sailor"). 'Holland' is where I get off the train, I never cared for 'The Beach Boys Love You', and have never known anyone to care for any of the other later albums (featuring Mike Love,mystical musical genius). Everything from Smiley Smile to Holland has 2-4 good to great tracks. Lots of stuff not so great also. I love Surfs Up though for Long Promised Road, Feel Flows and the great tile track. Even Holland has Sail on Sailer and Trader. I probably like 20/20 the best which has the two great Smile tracks in Our Prayer and Cabinessence. Finished relistening to the early 70's stuff. The live album from '72 was really good, best of their live recordings I think. The rest, as you said, had the occasional standout song amidst a bunch of gloop. I actually sort of liked 'Holland' OK, not sure why it has such a bad rep compared to the previous albums. I thought the production on it sounded good. But I think I basically get off the train after 'Friends' and '20/20', the end of their Capitol/60's era. I do see myself revisiting those two titles a good bit. Quote
ghost of miles Posted September 15, 2011 Report Posted September 15, 2011 Amazon listing with street date of November 1: Smile sessions Quote
A Lark Ascending Posted September 16, 2011 Report Posted September 16, 2011 I can't wait for: 14. Psycodelic Sounds: Brian Falls Into A Microphone (11/4/66) 1:10 (Hidden Track) Quote
JSngry Posted September 16, 2011 Report Posted September 16, 2011 I can't wait for: 14. Psycodelic Sounds: Brian Falls Into A Microphone (11/4/66) 1:10 (Hidden Track) That might be an excerpt from "George Fell Into His French Horn" an interesting-enough-for-a-few-times stoned improv with some horns doing all sorts of things. A bit of it can be heard starting @ 2:06 here: Quote
medjuck Posted November 3, 2011 Report Posted November 3, 2011 So has anyone heard this yet? Is the reconstructed "Smile" very different than what one could do oneself with the material from the sessions on the "Good Vibrations" box set? Quote
Teasing the Korean Posted November 3, 2011 Author Report Posted November 3, 2011 I pre-ordered a copy but have not received it yet. I'll report back. Quote
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