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ivan@stellysee.de
| From | Career Records <eldeluxe@mcn.net> |
| Subject | smile v smiley smile v smile |
| Date | Sun, 03 Oct 2004 13:14:16 -0700 |
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I've just been spinning the new Smile for the wife. She loved it. Then I
played Smiley Smile, and we both loved it. It took Karen a minute to
catch on, 'cause when smiley smile started up, she said, yeah I know
these songs. I play this all the time....
My reaction to SS after listening to the new one was: what a criminally
underrated album. I can disagree when Carl is quoted saying "instead of
a grand slam, we got a bunt", but jeez if this is a failure, then there
isn't much other music of the time that could be called a success.
Reading the liner notes, David Leaf keeps saying it didn't sell 'cause
it didn't sound like any previous BB album. Duh! I do like the way it
distilled the idea of smile into something a little less cerebral and
more organic. I knew there was a reason that this album was the one that
got me back listening to the Beach Boys after the shock of Party....
I've said this before, I was so disappointed when that album came out,
instead of what was suppose to be their "new" album (PS) that I just
ignored PS. Good Vibs and Heroes and Villains got my attention.
My other reaction was, Brain couldn't have been totally shattered after
the collapse of Smile, if he could come back and do this. No slight on
Smile, but he did get Smiley Smile done and out.
Now to confuse the wife a little more, I put on one of the three smile
boots I have this morning. This one has a running order very close to
the new one. She was buzzing... I finally told her it was the original.
She just likes the songs and music, doesn't really matter how it got
there. My reaction was that it is great to hear the BB's singing that
material. Also it seemed just a little more "laid back" than the new
one. Some of the pieces are a little less finished than others, but it
sure sounded great.
All this again makes me appreciate the effort to do the new version, and
how good it sounds. It doesn't have any nasty modern artifacts. The
music is flawless, which is probably the only reason they could have
done a new version and succeeded. Well it all just backs up what I've
thought since the very start, Brian Wilson was/is a genius. The Beach
Boys really were something special, and it a shame so much of their
music never got the proper respect at the time from the larger audience.
When I played the second movement of Smile on my radio show Friday,
someone called me up and asked me if I ever heard Pet Sounds. He didn't
really grasp what Smile was. It took me a few moments to get him to
understand what I was playing. But these are people who still won't
investigate the rest of the BB catalog. Go figure.
But look at today. People here are discussing the finer points of the
last bits of the Beach Boys, from a time when they had fully run their
course, and are still trying to find something to salvage. I appreciate
this chat, cause it will make me go back to LA and MIU, KTSA, and
maybe(but most likely not) BeachBoys. I hardly consider that a "real"
Boys record, and the ones after are just a brand name.
I wonder if all this has got Mike's turban in a knot. I'd also be
curious as to what Al makes of it.
RS
-- Ronald Sanchez
Director Of A&R
Career Records
www.CareerRecords.com
The Donovan's Brain Web Site
www.Donovans-Brain.com
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