| Author | Message | ||
     skulldisco Member Username: Skulldisco Post Number: 1142 Registered: 10-2008 |
big big news for beach boys fans, but can't believe brian wilson doesnt appear to be involved in this reissue. from pitchfork "The Beach Boys' Smile is quite possibly the most storied lost album in rock history. The album was stalled in 1967 by sonic mastermind Brian Wilson's nervous breakdown, and its songs were heavily bootlegged in the ensuing decades. Wilson released a much-loved, reworked solo version in 2004, but all sorts of issues with record labels and band members prevented the official release of the original Smile. But now, Billboard reports that Capitol is finally planning to release The Smile Sessions later this year. According to Billboard, Mark Linett, who recorded and mixed Wilson's 2004 Smile, and archivist Alan Boyd are co-producing the release, which will be available as a download, a double-CD set, and a box featuring four CDs, two vinyl LPs, two vinyl singles, and a book by Beach Boys historian Domenic Priore. Although no release date has been set yet, and previous plans throughout the decades to release Smile have fallen through, EMI exec Bill Gagnon assures Billboard that "it's coming out," saying that all of the band members and associated parties have given their support. Linett and Boyd are working to construct a version of Smile that's as close as possible to Brian Wilson's original vision, with the album proper taking up one CD or three sides of vinyl, and outtakes claiming the rest of the space. In a statement given to Billboard, Wilson says, "I'm thrilled that the Beach Boys' original studio sessions for Smile will be released for the first time, after all these years. I'm looking forward to this collection of the original recordings and having fans hear the beautiful angelic voices of the boys in a proper studio release." | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 2165 Registered: 10-2004 |
This is exciting news, and I can TOTALLY see why Brian Wilson wouldn't be very involved in it. I mean, no offense, but the guy's kind of a vegetable. Having Linett and Boyd involved is probably better. But what's great is that once this is out, I'll no longer have to cope with the Brian Wilson version that he did several years ago, complete with his tragically destroyed singing voice and blatantly non-Beach Boys harmonies. So, I can't wait! | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 3837 Registered: 05-2005 |
This is great news. | ||
| Michael Bachman Member Username: Michael_bachman Post Number: 2119 Registered: 01-2005 |
There sure have been plenty stories and tales about Brian Wilson and Smile. I've read just a few of them and get a general felling. However there is certainly a great depth to the story that continues to unfold the more one looks into it. Just reading the Wikipedia entry for Smile gave me more background then I previously knew. It will be interesting to explore the release in a few months and compare it now to the other great ones that did get released as scheduled in 1967. | ||
| David Gagen Member Username: David_g Post Number: 348 Registered: 02-2007 |
Jeez Jeff harsh desrciption of Brian. I saw the Smile show that Brian et al did a coupla years ago and he seemed remarkably cogent and in fine voice. Harmonies were unbelievably good (mayb not quite BeachBoysesque) but thow in half of Pet Sounds and a greatest hits as well, it was one of the very best shows I have ever seen. | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 2166 Registered: 10-2004 |
I saw them a few years back and Brian was not in fine voice (he's not even in "fine" voice on the 2004 Smile), and the band often had trouble hitting the highs with those harmonies. It was a fun show, but it seemed like Brian's keyboard wasn't even plugged in. He even collapsed on stage midway through the show and had to take a 10 minute break due to what the guitarist said to the crowd was a "bad burrito." He was there, but was really being propped up by his band in every way. Don't get me wrong, I'm probably the biggest Beach Boys fan on this board, but I just don't see Brian as being together enough to tackle a project of this magnitude without abundant input from others, hence my not being surprised at his limited role in cobbling together the original Smile. | ||
| skulldisco Member Username: Skulldisco Post Number: 1145 Registered: 10-2008 |
the brian wilson version of smile from 2004 is fantastic. but it will probably be made almost redundant when the "lost" album finally gets reissued. | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 2167 Registered: 10-2004 |
I disagree about the 2004 Brian Wilson Smile being fantastic. I was excited when it came out, mainly because I could finally hear the album as it was originally intended, and not as a cobbled-together bootleg. And they did a good job of nailing the music. But Wilson's singing is not very good: he's auto-tuned, and obviously, having lost the entire upper register of his singing voice, he sounds very different. Plus, the back-up harmonies don't really sound like the Beach Boys (since they're not!). My question about the original Smile, however, is that I was under the impression that some of the tracks were not completed. Did they unearth completed mixes, or will we be hearing these in incomplete form, similar to, but in better fidelity than what's popped up on the bootlegs over the years? | ||
| skulldisco Member Username: Skulldisco Post Number: 1146 Registered: 10-2008 |
Jeff, we can agree to disagree then. i dont mind the vocals on smile - brian was never the best singer in the beach boys anyway was he? i speak as someone who is usually highly critical of what i consider to be crap vocalists. mind you what do i know, some of my favourite vocalists are lydon, me smith, winston rodney, neil young and ian curtis, none of whom are technically great singers | ||
| Guy Ewald Member Username: Guy_ewald Post Number: 260 Registered: 02-2005 |
I'm very excited about the SMiLE box coming out. I'm sure it will be wonderful and I'm sure I'll have lots of nit-picking criticisms, as will most uber-fans. I'm not happy to read that they're planning to use "Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE" as the blueprint for the hypothetical Album-In-Progress. That was an amalgm of fan-sequencing projects edited/assembled by his young team and the idea of an official 3-sided 3-suite vinyl issue is just wrong. It was going to be a regular single album of 12 or 13 songs with a groovy lyric booklet and some beautiful and challenging music. There may have been thematic links, but all this elaborate suite-sequencing is revisionist history. I never liked BW Presents SMiLE too well. I'm glad it came out and I'm sure it was a cathartic experience for Wilson, so that's great. But his voice on that album... it's like listening to Homer Simpson or something. I could never get past that. And there was something awkwardly audio verite about the recording; it was like a soap opera video production rather than a nuanced film production... live-in-the-studio I guess. Wilson's vocals on That Lucky Old Sun were vastly superior, more relaxed and natural-sounding. A lot of this comes from my own SMiLE obsession. If I hadn't farted around with this music on cassette, minidisk and CDR for so many years I wouldn't have such precise expectations. | ||
| Guy Ewald Member Username: Guy_ewald Post Number: 261 Registered: 02-2005 |
The album wasn't completed in '66-67 and from what I've read they are not planning on recording any fresh parts or finishing the vocals. So it will be a work-in-progress hypothetical sketch with additional CD's worth of alternate takes, studio chatter, etc. My own take on SMiLE is that the core songs, the titles that were given to Capitol for the (prematurely printed) LP sleeves are what the album should be. Through the years I've done different sequences, but the more I edit the thing down to the core songs - no extra intros or link-tracks - the better it sounds. Simpler is better. Brian and V.D. Parks had a clear vision in 1966, but things unraveled quickly in 1967. | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 2169 Registered: 10-2004 |
Kevin - I'm afraid I agree with Guy on this one. Homer Simpson is apt. I usually described Wilon's 04 Smile vocals as inebriated, smarmy uncle. By contrast, Brian's vocals in the 60s were positively angelic. He could nail some of those higher notes with more confidence than his brother Carl (just compare the piano/solo version of Brian singing "Surf's Up" with the Carl-sung, completed version - Brian's vocals sound more in control, more effortless). His 60s voice was perfectly suited to this music, and it soared, confidently leading the songs. His '04 voice, while not unlistenable, really changes the overall mood and feel of the music in a detrimental way. I like a lot of the same "crap" singers as well, but Brian Wilson having to sing everything an octave lower in a somewhat controlled slur is just not as good as hearing him in his prime. Guy - I agree - a simple 1-disc album of the core songs would be really appealing. It's those core songs that, imo, are the strongest. | ||
| Geoff Holmes Member Username: Geoff Post Number: 728 Registered: 05-2005 |
Whooo Hoooooo!!!!!! The REAL "Holy Grail" of the 60's! I loved the Wilson Smile and saw the show at the Opera House (of all places). His voice was a shadow of his 60's voice but who COULD maintain a voice like THAT for 4 decades?? (Be wary Fleet Foxes!!!!) Great to hear those songs but still preferred the "bootleg" Bicycle riders theme from 1967 to the 2004 version. The original STILL makes my hair stand on end. Since then, I've downloaded some other Smile songs from the Beach Boys box set thing but have always wondered when they were going to release the full archives like they did with Pet Sounds. I even got half way through trying to create "the real" Smile by splicing original Beach Boys stuff with the Brian Wilson 2004 stuff filling in the blanks. Can't wait for the original. I wonder this is the result of Mike Love protesting about the Wilson album? If so, at least he did one good thing in his life!!! | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 3839 Registered: 05-2005 |
I really liked Brian Wilson's Smile when it came out, but it was a touch overpraised by people (me included) who were just so relieved it wasn't awful. | ||
| skulldisco Member Username: Skulldisco Post Number: 1365 Registered: 10-2008 |
http://pitchfork.com/news/43847-the-beac h-boys-emsmileem-sessions-get-tracklist- release-date/ | ||
| skulldisco Member Username: Skulldisco Post Number: 2010 Registered: 10-2008 |
http://pitchfork.com/news/48008-beach-bo ys-mike-love-kicks-brian-wilson-al-jardi ne-and-david-marks-out-of-the-band/ Isn't this a bit like Mick Taylor sacking Mick n Keef from The Stones, or Mo Tucker telling Lou Reed he was no longer needed in The Velvets? | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 4907 Registered: 05-2005 |
They played in Sydney recently. I didn't go. I didn't want it to spoil the magic of having seen Brian Wilson in Dublin in 2002. He made a cold February night in Ireland seem like summer in California. | ||
| skulldisco Member Username: Skulldisco Post Number: 2011 Registered: 10-2008 |
They were on Jools Holland, broadcast live on TV on Tuesday night at 10pm UK time, must have been literally hours before this decision was taken. They were crap, an embarrasment. Brian Wilson had an air of detachment that looked like he didnt even know where he was. They did an accapella version of Barbara Ann with attention seeker Jools bashing away in a honky tonk style on the piano, it was dreadful. | ||
| cosmo vitelli Member Username: Cosmo Post Number: 567 Registered: 05-2005 |
Yes I saw the Jools thing and it was indeed dreadful, it was like an evening sing song at the local old peoples home. With regard to the band it is a matter of public record that Mike Love is a total **** and his actions are affirmation of this. | ||
| cosmo vitelli Member Username: Cosmo Post Number: 568 Registered: 05-2005 |
and as Kev points out he is sacking a man without whom the band he was sacking him from wouldnt exist to be sacked from | ||
| cosmo vitelli Member Username: Cosmo Post Number: 569 Registered: 05-2005 |
that last sentence just opened up a black hole in the musical universe through which Mike Love will be sucked in to an alternate one where bigoted baseball cap wearing Republicans stand around a piano singing badly to the end of time | ||
| skulldisco Member Username: Skulldisco Post Number: 2012 Registered: 10-2008 |
Just mulling over what I said about Mick n Keef being sacked from The Stones and how ludicrous that would have been. But then again they effectively sacked Brian Jones and the Stones were technically his band I suppose. Which begs the question, how do they decide whose band it really is in the first place? I guess with The Fall there is no debate, without MES there is no Fall, it really is as simple as that. He runs that band like a dictator! |