Mellotronists

Hit "Delete" if you don't care about "Smile".

On the urging of list members, I picked up Brian Wilson's "Smile".

I also have "Smiley Smile" from years ago.

AND one of the boots of the original "Smile":

http://www.discemail.fsnet.co.uk/bbsmile.htm

It is great to be able to compare/contrast all three.  As with Pete 
Townshend's "Scoop", one can see what goes into the creative process and 
how they get from there to what we have here (or hear :-) ).  Are there any 
other downloadable "Smile" boots?  That's the only one I found.

The original was going to be a good mix of commercial and off-beat but fun 
elements.  "Smiley Smile":  They took whatever commercial bits they could 
and used them, and as a result you have a mixed bag that doesn't flow--but 
would sell.  "Smile" would have flowed nicely in its final state.  The 
latest "Smile" to me sounds like an "I give in" version of "Smile"---let's 
get it done after all these years.  It really doesn't take chances and 
doesn't come together completely, but it gives you a bit of a flavor of the 
original.  It's very weird hearing the original lyrics for "Good 
Vibrations" and more of the "Heroes and Villains" suite.  But where's the 
"Woody Woodpecker" theme...?  :-)

The one thing of which I am sure:  The original "Smile" should have been 
completed.  It is unfortunate that Brian Wilson's mental state went a bit 
off track, and as a result the world lost out on something special.  Ahhh, 
maybe someday Brian will go back and do it for real using any original 
tapes he can find.  I'm not holding my breath.

Hell, ya know, the original "Smile" might have been up there 
with...ummm..."A Feeling of Far"!  ;-)

...kl...
M400 #805 - uhhh...Mellotron content, anyone?
M400 #1037 - yeah, what about us...???

** Ken Leonard - Web Table of Contents:  http://www.kleonard.com
** Get Outdoors New England:  http://www.GONewEngland.org
** Bush/Kerry--blecch??  Want an alternative?  http://www.badnarik.org/

>Are there any
>other downloadable "Smile" boots?  That's the only one I found.

Motherlode:  http://copenhafer.dynu.com/smile/

It's very slow, though.

I neglected to mention that it appears that little -- if any -- of the 
original "Smile" sessions seemed to be present on "Smiley Smile".  "Smile" 
was a bit more "raw", I'd say, "Smiley Smile" a bit more commercial.

...kl...
M400 #805 - uhhh...ENOUGH ALREADY
M400 #1037 - boot *this*!!!

** Ken Leonard - Web Table of Contents:  http://www.kleonard.com
** Get Outdoors New England:  http://www.GONewEngland.org
** Bush/Kerry--blecch??  Want an alternative?  http://www.badnarik.org/

Early December KL.  The album is at the pressing plant as I write.


fd

>There are *no* original session tapes on the new release. It was all
>done from scratch.

Quite.  I've been running across stuff on the web indicating that---with 
the possible exception of "Good Vibrations", recorded during the "Pet 
Sounds" sessions, no?

>('Smiley Smile' was more commercial? Are you sure
>about this? It was a serious flop!)

Well, "commercial sounding", then?  I mean, listen to "Heroes and Villains" 
on the boot or on the new release vs. "Smiley Smile" where it's radio play 
material.  "Heroes and Villains" was Brian Wilson's "A Quick One" (or was 
supposed to be).  Back then I imagine that Capitol/Brother wanted 2 minute 
thirty or 3 minute thirty hits out of those guys and left the rest of the 
tracks for fill.  Might explain the flop--the rest of the album was 
Smile-esque at best but needed to hold together.


Well, well...I see Fritz has an update for us...Not long now!!  (I was just 
listening to the "A Feeling of Far" teaser---it *still* floors me.)

...kl...
M400 #805 - was not really on "commercial" radio
M400 #1037 - not commercial enough

** Ken Leonard - Web Table of Contents:  http://www.kleonard.com
** Get Outdoors New England:  http://www.GONewEngland.org
** Bush/Kerry--blecch??  Want an alternative?  http://www.badnarik.org/

> I neglected to mention that it appears that little -- if any -- of the
> original "Smile" sessions seemed to be present on "Smiley Smile".  "Smile"
> was a bit more "raw", I'd say, "Smiley Smile" a bit more commercial.

There are *no* original session tapes on the new release. It was all
done from scratch. ('Smiley Smile' was more commercial? Are you sure
about this? It was a serious flop!)

Mike Dickson (tron@...) M400 #996
The Official Cynic of Streetly Electronics
Streetly Sample Library http://www.blackcat.demon.co.uk/tron/