The Beach Boys original SMiLE released on CD and vinyl LP...(part 13)

I think this was Carl's conception of the thing too in the early 70's. I believe that article we linked to sometime back indicated that, in this possible incarnation, H&V would kind of run throughout the album as a linking device. Obviously, he didn't get too far with it--maybe he was wise not to get sucked into that vortex!

 

The 1st "bicycle rider" SI for H&V was 1/67. For me, that is the point where the LP was scrapped. From there out it's 4 months of looting Smile songs for bits to use in H&V and Vega-Tables. The album became progressively less complete from there on out. This is why I'd like 1CD that represents the songs at their most finished 12/66 state and another CD with H&V and Vega-Tables sessions, Da Da, 4/67 Wonderful & Child, Cool Cool Water, With Me Tonight, etc.

The Holidays/Worms bit you mention is interesting, that would explain Al's "that's not Worms" comment. I'm not sure it's much to go on since, as you know, Brian isn't exactly the most reliable source of info when interviewed. Do you remember when he mentioned it? If he belted out plymoth rock after hearing Holidays for the first time in 40 years that would be give it added weight. What's your feeling on it?

 

Apparently it's more valuable the handful of vintage 1966 Brian Wilson mono mixes not on the set or "Look" without the vocal fly-ins that sound like Cher "Believe"

 

This may be a question with an obvious answer but it isn't all that obvious to me. On The SMiLE Sessions box set, disc 1, why does the organ on "Good Vibrations" abruptly drop out mid-intro and go from blaringly loud to soft and subdued in the background? Was that supposed to happen? Was it intentional?

Also, listening to disc 5, and all the recording sessions for the GV backing track, I keep humming the theme to Sesame Street whenever I hear the piano pounding out the chords in the chorus, stripped of most of the other instruments around it. Am I the only one who hears the similarities?

 

IIRC, that's exactly what happened. It was Darian that mentioned it, when describing the songwriting/arranging for BWPS.

 

In the Early Show interview, Brian says that Smile was a three movement album covering early Americana, middle americana, and finally Hawaii.

 

Some deal though!

Chris

 

So I'm a little late to the game and with 13 pages, it's tough to dig around, but can anyone give a glossing overview of differences with Smile Sessions vs. released versions of the songs. For instance, are "Good Vibrations" and "Heroes and Villains" different? Are any versions on the box "definitive"? I know "Surf's Up" is different than what was later cobbled together by Carl, so would this version be considered more "definitive" than that?

Sorry if this has been discussed ad nauseum but I can't really find any straight answers online.

 

you're in another dimension if you think its only 13 pages thus far...

 

Yep, both Heroes and Villains and Good Vibrations are different. Heroes is basically the 2004 version. The single edit, with the Cantina section and the instrumental section on the end. Good Vibrations has the hum de hum vocals back in, as well as a slightly different fade. The definitive track on here as far as album edits go is Vega-Tables which is by far the best edit of the song available.

 

Did anything happen in the other 12 threads?

 

hahaha, yeah, there is that too...

 

Dumb question that might have been answered in the previous 5000 posts. Just playing disc one and my player identifies it as an HDCD. Is this correct?

 

The US copies are HDCD. The logo is printed on the label side of each disc. Mark Linett usually encodes in HDCD.

 

Both the US 2 CD set CDs are mastered in HDCD,Miles.

 

Cool, knew you guys would have the answer.

 

Well, some of the versions on Disc 1 are more or less the same (Cabinessence) but most are either slightly modified (Good Vibes, Wonderful) or radically transformed (Vega-Tables). Are these versions definitive? Wow, that's tricky--is anything definitive with Smile?!--and it really depends on who you ask. Here's a quick run down of some high points:

H&V - Basically combines the single version with the Cantina section, like BWPS. Not my definitive version necessarily, but good for what it is.

Worms - The best version I've heard of this. It includes the full Bicycle Rider bit, plus it fixed the warped vocal part. The only thing I don't like are the woo-woos at the end.

OMP/YAMS - Definitive. Dennis vocals, plus Barnshine at the end.

Wonderful - Perfect. It just adds some yodels in the middle.

Child Is The Father - Mixed bag. Some nice new vocals, but I would have preferred more leisurely pacing.

Surf's Up - Similar to the '71 version but with Brian singing lead throughout. Some people don't like the fly-in vocal effect, but it works well for me.

Vega-Tables - Love it! This song has never sounded so good. The demo version included here sounds great too.

Wind Chimes - Also definitive, better than the GV box, IMO.

Fire - Some people don't like the flown in vocal bit, but I like this overall.

Dada - Not sure what I think about Carl's flown in scat vocals here yet. . .

GV - Pretty much like the original, but with the "hum-be-dum" bit added in.

I guess a lot depends on how open you are to the flown in vocals and new edits. Some of the purists hate it, but most people seem to enjoy the new versions.

 

So I've been absorbing this great music for days and what's the song that gets stuck in my head? Teeter totter love goes up. . .

Damn you, Jasper!!!

 

Oops! What's wrong with this picture?



Who owns the box set to compliment this one?

 

I'm glad that 'You're Welcome' was added after 'GV' on disc one. I always felt that it would have made a nice coda to 'Smile' and perhaps Brian had the same idea and hench it's inclusion. Overall, very satisfying.

Another thought, do you think Brian and the remaing Boys should have added new vocals to some of the tracks like Mick Jagger did on the reissue of 'Exile' and the up-coming 'Some Girls'?

 

On a few boots there is a track called "Indian Summer", which is organ based, so it may be from the Smiley period, but it is not on this set. Also, there's the session for I'm In Great Shape that has the rock and roll styled bass guitar with the delay on it. That seems to be absent as well.

 

WOW , DHL just delivered my SMiLE box !

 

Don't know if anyone's posted this yet, but here is the release with Brian in Long Beach:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sv2_JLAOUPU&feature=channel_video_title

Jeff

 

I was just about to ask if we could discuss (or if it was even wise to) bootlegs and fan mixes, cos, you know, I might have some and it would be interesting to figure what's now been duplicated by having this set.

 

Does anyone know anything about track 10 of disc 2 on the 'Secret Smile' set? It's simply called 'untitled instrumental'.
It's thin & likely unfinished and is certainly not SMiLE box worthy, but I'd like to know more about it, if there is any info, that is.