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ivan@stellysee.de
| From | <jim@groovedisques.com> |
| Subject | Smile (let the graphic artists set case at random!) |
| Date | Fri, 7 Jan 2005 14:50:44 -0500 |
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> I tend to disagree that SMiLE is overrated, because I
> think that you have to view it as a culmination of a 37-
> year process...
Was it a "process" or a serious rehabilitation and reconstruction effort in the man's personal life? Hell, that record would have been wrapped up and judged on its own merits if poor Brian had the emotional and psychological fortitude to keep going at full strength. The guy was pretty much out on disability for 30 years. I say this is not like - I don't know - Michelangelo's painting of the Sistine Chapel, which actually required a painstaking process and many years.
> ...It is easy to criticize the new versions of the
> classic songs, and Brian singing lead on every song...
Sure, but it's also easy to criticize them simply because they're not that appealing to, oh, a certain listener or two. As much as I tried, I never cared for the bootleg versions friends and I tracked down as some holy grail. I think most of the songs on Smile lack important characteristics that made the Beach Boys so appealing to, oh, a certain listener or two up to that point: great melodies, fun beats, and - now here is where I've always felt Smile falls short - a core group of songs on each album that expressed some sincere sense of longing, desire, and joy. There's "Surf's Up", the always excellent "Good Vibrations", and then a bunch of juvenile, navel-gazing gibberish that can only come from the minds of giddy, stoned 25 year olds. To tell the truth, in terms of simply executing an interesting idea, I thought this new version did a very credible job.
By the way, by expressing my crankiness, I'm not trying to convince you that you shouldn't like the album or that you're "wrong" or anything like that. I'm just trying to find a reason to post something that I can care about. At a certain point, I'm not the biggest fan of throwing around accusations of things that people may sincerely like as being "overrated," but the praise for this album raises a lot of questions and answers a lot of questions. (How's that for being vague?)
Anyhow, please believe me when I say I'm taking issue with the work more than anyone's reaction to it.
Jim
www.groovedisques.com
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