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

I'd marry "You're Welcome" with the "POOF!" coda at the end of "Mama Says" from "Smiley Smile"..a better ending,and funnier,too!

 

Some samples of the distortion on Side 4 of the vinyl cut (files are FLAC,Foobar playable):

Cabinessence distorted

Windchimes distorted

Winchimes distorted 2
As comparison, here's the mono windchimes on side 3
Wind chimes normal Side 3

 

Haven't seen the photo but I doubt that was written at the time of the recording - rather it's a description of what's on the tape by someone listening to it after Smiley's Wonderful had been released. I'd guess Desper during the Smile tape research 1971-72.

 

Thanks for all the input. I'll start but with the 2 cd set and go from there.

 

Hello Folks,

My unboxing of the box set is at:

http://vimeo.com/31549268 .

Consider this a rough cut please.

As you can see, my 45's were loose and the vinyl partially out of there sleeves. At least one side is scratched. Some of the cd's were not all the way in their slots as well. After the video was done, I checked the LP's and there are scuffs and fingerprints.

I played the LP's and they are not completely quiet but almost so. Very nice. Good mastering job as well. More dynamic than CD1. I ripped (Mac Pro using iTunes) CD2 which came scratched and played the rips with Audirvana and they were some clicks. Really nice packaging only works if the humans do there part correctly.

BTW, There is lots of breath on some of the segments as well so they likely tracked with an old style compressor with a slow release. Some had no release setting. A few are still that way. Often back then, EQ and compression were applied during tracking. Fortunately that is less common these days as it limits what one can do with/to a track.

Oh, one more thing on the sound quality, someone said BWPS is better and I disagree. In terms of the LP's, 1-19 sound clearer and less processed than BWPS by a significant amount. I really like BWPS and it sounds good for a modern recording but it is no match for most of 1-19.

Y'all be cool,
Robert

 

Some samples of the distortion on Side 4 of the vinyl cut (files are FLAC,Foobar playable):

<stuff removed>

I will check mine and let you know,
Robert

 

I noticed that. It could be Brian looking ahead, or I suppose also that someone could have written it on the box long after the fact when trying to figure out what went where. (What Lou said).

 

A dream come true !!!

 

I think it's great to be honest but I don't think there is one song in which I would call a super classic that people would rank with "A Day in the Life" or "Stairway to Heaven". I think the album is better than most albums I have heard in that time period.

 

Thinking about Da Da....

Marilyn says Brian wanted to drink from a baby's bottle while writing it. This was a very important detail for me.

We hear him trying to insert the "CIFOTM" chorus into the song as a sort of bridge. This seemed weird because we associate DADA with Cool Cool Water, but let's not do that. Let's hear Dada as a song about infantilism. Let's move Dada from the elemental "3rd movement" and put it back into the "cycle of life" for a minute.

Maybe he had already discarded "CIFOTM" and Dada was going to fill the void. I really wish we could hear his instructions to the musicians on the box.

 

Certainly not 1966/67... and maybe not 1972, either.

 

I was listening last night and at the end of Holidays I thought 'you know, Good Vibrations would follow this very nicely'.

 

Very doubtful, as they would have simply pulled the mono master out for that.

 

Gee, I can think of two, Good Vibrations and Surf's Up.

Love the Fabs and The Zep, but GV and SU can stand beside anything.

Robert

 

Hi, this is essentially my first post to this thread. I think I made a remark somewhere burred back in page 4? Who knows lol. Anyway, although I havent posted I have been following each day this thread. Reading the experts thoughts, reading the casual fans thoughts. Some very interesting comments some like a "smile code" that I leave to those who have been digging into SMiLE since the time it never came out ( how bizzare does that sound lol). I have enjoyed the exploration and even read a lot of the old SMiLE board thread. Thank you guys and ladies. Its a fun read.

I would consider myself not an expert but not a casual fan either of this piece of art. I got into SMiLE after I saw a group of SMiLE geeks (its ok to be a geek about things you are passionate about) *on this forum talking about this unfinished album. My mind works photographically, so I was automatically drawn to the attraction of filling in the greatest pop album of all time in my mind. I went back to the Good Vibrations box set that I had long before I knew there was a SMiLE and after listening to Surfs Up and having a hard time swallowing I was hooked. Ive heard pieces of fan mixes but really SMiLE was, to me, the pieces on Good Vibrations box set. I bought the BWPS album and played it until my then girlfriend was ready to commit me. Something so ready to spin off its wheels in some western carnival merry go round. Then Chris M goes and mentions it should have been a 12 song album and I was like "Damn right, I can see that!" lol. So many little cool twists and turns in my relatively short journey to discover this album. Its been something that I can say has made me smile all in all. And I guess thats what Brians goal was. So if it makes me smile then maybe its finished? Just a thought.*

Sorry, I guess this is long winded and has nothing to do with the exploration of SMiLE Sessions. I havent even heard the SMiLE Sessions yet. Not to get too personal but Im not at a very good place in my life right now in some aspects. Ill leave it at that. I went by Hastings the other day thinking I have to have this, but it was 38$! Not paying that much. Not that it isnt worth it but as I walked on I thought, "You dont need this at this time. Lets wait and enjoy it at a better happier time, you will appreciate it more". *It just didnt feel right. So I dont have it. Look forward to it though when the time comes.

Funny thing is, a person who I love very deeply and whos life makes mine look like heaven was able to buy SMiLE Sessions, Pet Sounds and BWPS all at once after I suggested the albums to her. They are going trough a time that I cant imagine mentally going through. These albums that they had never heard are bringing them such joy and smiles and celebration that I am sure if Mr Wilson could see the results he would never doubt his work worthy on SMiLE again. This person suffers from mutiple mental issues, many the same as the composer of SMiLE, and its been therapuetic to say the least in a transitional time. A gift. Sometimes artists dont realize how far reaching love can be in their creations. Thanks Brian, The Beach Boys and Mr Parks for your teenage symphony to God. It did exactly what your goal had always been. You made her SMiLE.*

 

Hey,

I haven't listened to your clips but here's what I noticed on side 4 of the box vinyl. There is some distortion on the initial vocal on Vegetables which is track 2 I believe. Also some distortion on the solo vocal on SU. Some fuzz in another place that probably belongs there.

I noticed in several places there are vocals that are somewhat distorted or not up to the quality of the others. I'm guessing a combo of poor mic choice and overloading the mic preamp(s). Maybe some of that is from acetates?

And what is the deal with the low fi section in Cabinessence where I cannot tell what the boys are singing? It is clear in one of the segments but horrible elsewhere. Was there an inferior setup at one of the studios?

On the other hand, much of this proves how clear things can be if left unfutzed with! I have done a few live recordings at 24/96 and the difference before processing is not subtle. Unprocessed is usually much clearer. This is also true of good quality reel to reel analog.

BTW, the slam on the vinyl is quite good. Slam as when they hit an object the sound being distinct and dynamic. Perhaps Mr. Bellman's best?

Y'all be cool,
Robert

 

Like some have mentioned, it would be great if it were possible to make a few things not included available for download, such as through the beach boys website. Not only "Barnyard" with the backing vocals, as has been said..but the full acetate version of "Child". Would be nice bonuses.

 

I have to agree with this. For some reason, the excellence of their individual voices in addition to the vocal blend they got really struck me on listening to this set.

There were a few things where it was noted that Brian was singing all the parts. Those too were eye-opening (in a good way).

The Smile music really is at least a few steps ahead of anything that was happening at the time (or since) in "pop music". It's perhaps too diffuse to be really popular, but from a strictly musical standpoint, no one was even close, including you-know-who.

 

nice...and best of luck to you and your friend. Maybe, she'll share it with you, until you can get one of your own. If you haven't already, try the "Friends" album, it's a very special record.

 

Well, SMiLE's release has only reinforced my own original 12 song tracklist, guess that's to be expected. I posted it once on page 6,732. If you missed it here it is with my own rationalizations. Stuff that's too orchestrated without that Beach Boys bounce is gone. Following album sequencing 101, the singles are located on side one tracks 1 & 3, and side two track 1.

I've never understood the fixation of "Worms" as track two, it's much too plodding after (the also plodding, but in a good way) H&V. I put "Look" there. I love Look, for me it's the link between Brian's mastery of sunshine pop (best example GV) and the sophistry of SMiLE. This position, track two, anticipates GV later; "Worms" comes on side two, and recalls H&V earlier. The rest I'll leave without explanation, but it works for me.

1
Heroes And Villains
Look
Vega-tables
Wonderful
Child Is Father To The Man
Cabinessence (18.56)

2
Good Vibrations
Do You Dig (sorry!) Worms
Wind Chimes
Fire: The Elements, part one (leave the title like that, a little mystery!)
Our Prayer (always preferred it titled like that)
Surf's Up (18.48)

Beyond other justification for my choices, these are just the tracks I like best...

 

In my defense, I didn't get the LPs.

 

I got my question in about this over at iconfetch, so hopefully, they'll ask Mark in their next interview. I'd love it if they made a few more of those items available to us via download, including new stereo versions and especially that alternate Child mix.

I was listening to Zappa's Lumpy Gravy last night, recorded right around the same time as Smile, and he was the only other 'pop/rock' artist working at that level of sophistication, IMO. Totally different sensibility, of course, but they both loved working variations on a theme.

Great post, thanks for sharing. I imagine Brian would be moved to hear it and I hope he knows how much this music has meant to so many. We all have our own stories about discovering Smile, putting the pieces together and then finally seeing it come to fruition. It's a one of a kind work of art. You've got a big treat in store there for you when you're ready.

 

+1000

 

The big boxset finally arrived yesterday and for the last 24 hours I've had to decide between working on three projects with tight deadlines, or listening to all these tracks.

Sorry, projects.