Smile Classic vs. New Smile

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Smile Classic vs. New Smile

Post by apropos of nothing » Sun Nov 06, 2005 11:39 am

For my money, Brian Wilson Presents smile just sounds too clean and polished. It seems to do disfavor to the tunes. Whereas the old crackly version of Smiley Smile off of vinyl is much more of its era, and the songs have proper sonic context, if you will.

Discuss.

(As a sidebar, I understand that Dump/AKA Jason McNew/AKA the bassist for Yo La Tango has done a version of Smile. My local indie-record store is working on getting it for me. Can't wait to hear that!)

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Post by joeysimms » Sun Nov 06, 2005 5:16 pm

I listened to the unfinished Smile stuff too much. when i finally heard the 'completed' remade version, it lacked a bit. The old stuff is far darker.
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Re: Smile Classic vs. New Smile

Post by mjau » Mon Nov 07, 2005 6:46 am

apropos of nothing wrote:(As a sidebar, I understand that Dump/AKA Jason McNew/AKA the bassist for Yo La Tango has done a version of Smile. My local indie-record store is working on getting it for me. Can't wait to hear that!)
Wow! You just made my day. Must find that.

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Post by spectralgrey » Mon Nov 07, 2005 9:45 am

I think I've heard someone compare the new Smile to a cast recording of the Tommy musical. It makes sense because both are recordings based on live performances based on albums.

When Smile was to be performed in 2004, Brian Wilson and Darian Sahanaja weren't even thinking of finishing the Beach Boys' album. They were just trying to find a way to perform the music from '66-'67 in a live setting. When it came time for them to record it, it was mainly based on the live performance with some studio embellishments.

I think the new Smile is so far removed from the old one that they are hard to compare. The new Smile is just one of many possible finished versions of Smile.

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Post by I'm Painting Again » Mon Nov 07, 2005 10:34 am

the new smile is awesome imho..

never heard the original..

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Post by TapeOpLarry » Tue Nov 08, 2005 1:12 pm

I like both a lot. I think Mark Linett did a great job on the new one. The old one has that cool odd quality too though
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Post by dumbangel » Tue Nov 08, 2005 9:49 pm

When i first heard the new completed version, after years of listening to the bootlegs, i thought it wasn't as bad as I expected. I think they did a pretty good job really. Still, i'd love to see the old smile sessions being released as a box set some day.

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Post by joeysimms » Tue Nov 08, 2005 11:28 pm

dumbangel wrote:When i first heard the new completed version, after years of listening to the bootlegs, i thought it wasn't as bad as I expected. I think they did a pretty good job really. Still, i'd love to see the old smile sessions being released as a box set some day.
Yeah - my feelings exactly.
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Re: Smile Classic vs. New Smile

Post by wedge » Wed Nov 09, 2005 8:29 am

apropos of nothing wrote:For my money, Brian Wilson Presents smile just sounds too clean and polished.
Hear, hear...

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Post by Rivers » Mon Nov 14, 2005 9:29 pm

Some of this may have to do with the band.

I saw Brian and extended gang do the complete Smile album a few months ago and it was AMAZING.
Just spot on.
Great players and singers.Not a wrong note or false step all night.

If you have a chance go see this live.
Smell the Magic.
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Post by red cross » Thu Nov 17, 2005 12:30 am

What I miss most about the new Smile is the sound of the Beach Boys voices. The new group just sounds too "show-bizness-y", if that makes any fucking sense. Somehow the blend of the voices just didn't sound right. Anyway. One just wonders about how the course of musical history would've taken a really different road if only those stupid bastards had just shut the fuck up and sang the fucking songs like Brian wanted.

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Post by musikman316 » Thu Nov 17, 2005 1:35 pm

I really enjoy it a lot. The bootleg I have sounds like crap (quality that is, not the actual performances) so I really can't say much about the original recordings.

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i wish....

Post by junkyardtodd » Thu Nov 17, 2005 2:28 pm

i wish i could write music so great it would give me a nervous breakdown and split up my whole family.....

(sigh)
Yes, I am one of THOSE people, up in the attic, trying to recreate the magical sounds of my youth (cheap trick, boston, pavement) on the family 8 track recorder.

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Post by surf's up » Fri Nov 18, 2005 3:11 am

My anticipation when I heard about the new smile was very high - the demos from the 60s had just floored me, and I was very excited to see this be released in its entirety. But the 2k4 smile was very disappointing. The songs are great. The arrangements are great. But the room ambience sounds so clinical and stale compared to the old recordings. And Brian's voice , understandably, has declined. And as someone else mentioned, the absence of that "genetically linked chorale" that is so familiar is a big letdown. But I think part of it is just not being happy with what we have from the 60s - admittedly not the complete artist's vision like Pet Sounds, but still a handful of outstanding songs.

One thing the smile experience has given me is a newfound contentness with Songs From the Black Hole by Weezer. Even though the demos are rough as heck and we dont have all of them (and we still arent certain of rivers' master tracklist), we have what we have and there is a lot of good stuff in there. Eventually the rest of the demos will be released to the public, though it seems unlikely the thing will ever be re-recorded.

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Post by aeijtzsche » Sun Nov 20, 2005 2:53 pm

though it seems unlikely the thing will ever be re-recorded.
Which may or may not be a good thing...

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