Smile: stereo or mono?

Of course if SMiLe had come out in 1967, Capitol would have put out a Duophonic version...so where's that? (Seriously, someone should do this).

 

I think that would be a really fun listen!

 

I agree with Doug. They should have done a stereo mix of the "main" portion and included that as well. Keep the mono, of course, but nice to have the stereo too.

 

That's because mono is so lifeless and boring. When I heard this was mono..I decided to pass on it.

 

You must find most '60s Beach Boys recordings lifeless and boring then.

 

I would welcome a duophonic version.

 

I've been listening to this set on headphones for a week now, and I have to keep reminding myself that it is mono. It sounds so good, I keep forgetting.

Free your mind from the 'conventional wisdom' that mono is boring, and you will definitely be rewarded with a LOT of good music that need not apologize for being mono.

BTW -- the stereo mixes we DO have are stunning! But all that says to me is that they did the ones they could, and would have done more if they could have.

 

Mono.

 

I want both !!

My preference is stereo, so I'm really pleased to have the stereo session material that I can use to make my own comp. For the stereo mixes I prefer to follow the BWPS sequence

That said, I also want to be able to make a 12 track comp (based on the 1966 cover slick tracks) that incorporates vintage mono mixes, based on tape or acetate sources. Tend to follow a "shapshot" scenario based upon what was available in late 66. Not necessarily all that satisfying to listen to, but interesting nonetheless.

 

Since stereo wasn't possible for many of the songs I'm glad they did the entire thing in mono. I like the stereo bonus tracks though. For a full stereo version there's always Brian Wilson's 2004 recording.

 

If they had given us stereo where possible, people would be voting for the mono in this thread...

 

Knowing that they put this together from a wide variety of sources (Multi-Track tapes, mono mixdowns and acetates) I think it's best that they mixed it into mono. It's consistent to Brian's original vision of Smile had it been released in 1967.

To me, it would have been an jarring experience to hear a song in full stereo suddenly switch to mono, or an album that bounces back and forth from mono to stereo.

Still I would have loved to had stereo mixes of the songs they could mix into true stereo as bonus tracks. The remix of "Heroes and Villains" sounds great.

 

Wait till the 50th Anniversary in a few years. I'm sure they'll figure a way to present it in stereo and nab a few more bucks out of us.

 

Having never heard any of this before yesterday (except the Smiley Smile Vegetables and of course GV and Heroes and Villains) and not being a fan at all of Pet Sounds I wasn't sure what to expect...it started out brilliantly, I immediately felt had this been released in 67 it would have been up there with Pepper as one of THE classic albums of the 60s. Then it dragged a bit. Then it seemed some bits were longer than they should be and others were too short...but overall, very very interesting, way ahead of its time, I could hear prototypes of various groups that followed years later with lesser efforts at what Brian had already accomplished (but had gone unheard). Overall the Sessions showed a brilliance and psychedelic grasp that Brian had that was amazing (Fire element alone is a powerful sound picture) and had he just gotten it finally finished it and released at the time the group would never have fallen out of favor with the 'hip' heavy music crowd that was emerging then.

As I said, Pet Sounds (except the 'hit' songs) always left me cold (so take anything I say with a grain of salt, since I am in a distinct minority) and knowing how Smiley Smile was, again, other than a few tunes a bunch of scraps of tripe, I expected nothing much but found myself very impressed and happy to (re)discover 'new' old music.

As to sound (and mono vs. stereo), I marvelled aloud to my son (23) who was in the room hearing it along with me that he was not even listening to stereo, the depth and breadth of the mono mix was so excellently done, the placement of sounds and how back then they really knew how to make a mono mix pop. He had to agree, he was surprised what he was hearing was not in fact stereo. I agree the bass seemed quite prominent, though I had no problem with high end overload, then again I do not have Golden ears, in fact I have yet to attain Tin ear, but I am hopeful still at this advanced age.
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Is it possible for them to create a new stereo mix of Good Vibrations using the master backing track and vocals, or are the vocals missing?

 

The best solution would have been to follow the model of the Pet Sounds Sessions box: give the fans both stereo and mono mixes, and that way everyone is happy. I realize that it may not be possible to create a complete 1967-vintage Smile stereo mix, but I would appreciate one that was as complete as possible, with mono sections where it is technically impossible to create a stereo mix.

 

I'm glad they did it in mono, but I wish they'd done stereo mixes of "Heroes & Villains" and "Good Vibrations" and put those on side 4 of the vinyl instead of the outtakes. That'd have much more value to me personally.

 

If you think about it, they'd have to give us a 6th CD. I mean, we already got 5, which is a LOT. They did stereo mixes of some songs on side 4 vinyl and that's pretty neat. They could have stuck something like the backing vocals montage or whatever on there, but they decided to give us some bonus stereo mixes, which is quite cool. ZERO complaints from me.

 

They should have given us a three-LP set, with LP 1 mono, LP 2 split, and LP 3 stereo.

 

I think the final tape in the chain is missing. Brian compiled a mono backing track which was on one track of a new multitrack tape and the vocals dubbed on that... and that vital tape is the one that's missing preventing a full stereo mix being made.

As for the OP's question, I just wish they'd given us both mono and stereo mixes of the main album. I was very annoyed when it was announced it would be mixed in mono for this release "because that's how Brian would had done it" is a cop out. You listen to all the stereo bonus tracks and they sound stunning so it annoys me to listen to the main item, we're stuck with muddy mono when it cries out for full stereo. Considering all the trickery that went on to create the mono mix, then there was no excuse to not do a stereo version. So, they should had done both - mono for the purists and stereo for everybody else. It's silly because since the set has been released I'm sure there are many out there who have been creating their own stereo versions... I cobbled together a stereo version of "Heroes and Villains" part two since all the stereo parts are there in the set and much prefer listening to that in stereo than mono... but I've always been a stereo type anyway.

 

+1. I like the mono album, but would've liked more stereo mixes as bonuses where possible

so for my ipod ripping, the main album tracks are all mono, and ALL bonus cuts are stereo?

 

I vote for Duophonic

 

so? please the fans and give us Stereo.

Chuck was there...