Beach Boys... Smile

[TDPRI]

A week or so ago, someone was posting about the Beach Boys Smile album that was never released and how the Good Vibrations Box Set had most of the songs. So, I pulled that box set out today and found about 60% of the long lost Smile cuts on it.

They were pretty nice, but I couldn't get much of a feel for the album.

So, with the wonders of the internet I did some searching and of course I found dozens of Smile websites. I even found one site with what they claim is a complete Smile bootleg from original tapes.

I don't know if it's true, but when put together it was a pretty nice album. It's a shame that Album didn't come out in 1967. It truly might have given some competition to the Beatles.

It's no Sgt Peppers, but I think it surely would have made people think differently about the Beach Boys.

Thanks
Paul
If you're a BB fan email me and I tell you how I did my searching.

[Tony Dogs]

....but I think I'll stick with what Brian wanted us to hear. What I'm saying is a lot of the stuff that's called "never before released" etc. was never released for a reason. As we all know Brian's a perfectionist and the stories about making Pet Sounds are legend (particularly the bridge in Wouldn't It Be Nice-apparently it took forever). Don't get me wrong, hearing some of these lost gems is neat, but I'm happy with what got out there on Friends and Smiley Smile. Nice of you to offer to share the results of your efforts though. Its what makes this board great. Thanks.

[jakd602]

I've always thought it was a shame the Beach Boys music didn't have quality production. I think Brian was a musical genius, but he should have left the recording process to someone who knew more about that end of the business. Their music was great, but almost all of it lacks quality fromthe production end.

[jvc]

If the songs were not produced by Brian, they would not be the same. The magic of the songs was and is the total and exact way they were done, thru the genius of Brian Wilson. Not one person could ever change a single note or word or alter the actual sound to make anything "better". It's like the Beatles, you cannot top perfection. The flaws are a unique part of the magic. For example, I would rather hear Keith Richards having a bad night than Steve Vai having a good night. Gimme the raw stuff! jvc

[Wally]

The Beatles and many other of the 'English Invasion' groups were astonished and much influenced by the Beach Boy's 'Pet Sounds' album and that era. 'Pet Sounds' was one impetus for the change in direction from pure pop to the 'alternative culture' approach for much of that part of the music industry. The American public lost touch with the Becah Boys along with much of the rest of American pop music, but the English musicians always drew influence and inspiration from the artists on this side of 'the Pond'.I am a big fan of the lost Beach Boy time...Pet Sounds, smile, Carl and the Passions' albums from the early '70's. It holds up after all these years.

[Jon C]

Originally Posted by jakd602

I've always thought it was a shame the Beach Boys music didn't have quality production. I think Brian was a musical genius, but he should have left the recording process to someone who knew more about that end of the business. Their music was great, but almost all of it lacks quality fromthe production end.

Wow, this is kind of an amazing view... have you ever listened to the "Pet Sounds" boxed set to see how Brian constructed the many seemingly random parts into the incredibly cohesive finished result? It's brilliant, even the session musicians like Barney Kessel & Hal Blaine, as they played their parts, wondered what the heck Brian was doing, and when they heard the finished tracks they were bowled over.

As someone said, if Brian didn't produce it it wouldn't have been true to what he was trying to achieve, i.e., putting the sound he heard on record.

I think he's one of the most gifted producers ever. And btw, Paul, the Beach Boys were competition/inspiration for the Beatles, "Pet Sounds" is still McCartney's favorite album and they admit it inspired Sgt. Pepper and pushed them in ways they otherwise wouldn't have gone. Commercial competition, maybe not, but artistically, Brian Wilson & the Beatles were definitely linked.

best,
Jon

[Wally]

Brian Wilson's only limitation in the production of his music was that he was deaf in one ear. Even with that, he produced some of the most memorable and artistically valid music of his time.

[Telecaster]

For example, I would rather hear Keith Richards having a bad night than Steve Vai having a good night. Gimme the raw stuff! jvc

Thanks man I needed that!

[Captain Simian]

Originally Posted by Wally

The Beatles and many other of the 'English Invasion' groups were astonished and much influenced by the Beach Boy's 'Pet Sounds' album and that era. 'Pet Sounds' was one impetus for the change in direction from pure pop to the 'alternative culture' approach for much of that part of the music industry. The American public lost touch with the Becah Boys along with much of the rest of American pop music, but the English musicians always drew influence and inspiration from the artists on this side of 'the Pond'.I am a big fan of the lost Beach Boy time...Pet Sounds, smile, Carl and the Passions' albums from the early '70's. It holds up after all these years.

I've only really started to listen to other BB albums recently (I discovered Pet Sounds about 9 years ago). Over all I wasn't impressed with the 70's stuff at all. That said, there were some brilliant songs hidden on those albums. Angle Come Home is one of the best songs the Beach Boys ever recorded. I have a brilliant version that they performed on Midnight Special back in '79 with Dennis on lead vocals (Carl wrote and sang it on the studio version). Has anyone ever listened to Dennis' solo album, Deep Ocean Blue? It's long long out of print but if you find it get it. It's just a small masterpiece.

[Mickey]

I think I may have started this by mentioning that "Smile" was my favorite album on a thread a couple of days ago.

I don't know, I think that it's unfinished is part of the charm. Kafka couldn't finish half of his ideas, but figring out what the heck he was trying to say is most of the intrigue. A guy becomes a bug? What does THAT mean?! I don't know, but it sure is eerie and curious. I feel the same way about Smile. Because its not complete it really forces me to think about musical ideas, phrases, lyrics, directions the album could have taken. Because it's ideas are suggestive but are also incomplete, the whole thing seems interactive.

Besides that, I find what exists of it to be the most "inside" or "in-your-head" material put down in a studio. The mood is kind of sad, but kind of hopeful. It's dissonant and screetchy and high pitched whiney, but it's also smooth and pop-like. The words are pretty senseless, but they seem to mean something; the chord progressions are unusual but seem to work 'naturally'; song structures are strange, sometimes without choruses or bridges or anything that you'd think needs to be there to hold a song together, but it it all swims along very smoothly so that if you weren't listening carefully you'd think he was following every rule in the songbook. And in fact he was breaking every rule.

I don't know, I guess it's my favorite album because it makes me think the most. That may not be everyone's ideal, (and sometimes I do just like to feel the funk) but I'm an 'inside' kind of listener. Not a ranting, in your face, preachy, kind of thinking, but a FEELING kind of thinking. Smile puts me in a thoughtful mood, that's it. that's what I'm trying to say.

As does "What's going On" my other favorite album. As do Johnny Cash songs.

A bomb: the Beatles rarely make me think. Maybe Abby Road does (ok, Abbey Road definitely does) but I really don't 'get' Sgt. Pepper.

OK, enough.

PS. this page rocks.