brian wilson singing

general questions, comments and ideas about recording, audio, music, etc.
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inverseroom
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Re: brian wilson singing

Post by inverseroom » Tue Feb 15, 2005 4:16 pm

I think we can cut Brian a break. He should be allowed to sing like shit in public. Even if he's autotuned on Smile, he still sounds as he should--like a burned out genius who late in life has found a way to be superb again.

May we all suck in that manner in our sixties.

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Re: brian wilson singing

Post by these_go211 » Tue Feb 15, 2005 5:06 pm

yea, i knew i'd get flogged for this! :)
"well, it's one louder, isn't it...."

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Re: brian wilson singing

Post by Picker » Tue Feb 15, 2005 5:15 pm

I really want to get a copy of Smile. Did he use any of the original tracks? Or did he cut them all again from scratch from his original concepts?

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Re: brian wilson singing

Post by spectralgrey » Tue Feb 15, 2005 6:36 pm

Short answer: SMiLE is all rerecorded based on original concepts.

Long answer: The new SMiLE wasn't originally intended to be recorded. Brian Wilson, and collaborators Darian Sahanaja and Van Dyke Parks made a complete SMiLE with the intention of it being performed in London in early 2004.

First, Brian Wilson's collaborator Darian Sahanaja put all of the available original SMiLE material onto his laptop. Then the two sat down and pieced all of the fragments together in Pro Tools to form a cohesive album. One of the biggest problems in 1967 with the original SMiLE was simply trying to figure out what order to place all of the pieces, since the whole record was recorded in a modular fashion. Pro Tools made that much easier. To make the transitions between some of the tracks flow more smoothly, some orchestral segues were written and added to the lineup. Later, Van Dyke Parks came in to help add lyrics to some songs that were incomplete and also to provide his recollections of the original ideas.

Once all of the writing and arrangement was complete, Brian, Darian, and a group of musicians learned to play the music live and perform the vocal arrangements and in a series of concerts last February, SMiLE was revealed to the world in live form.

After the success of the performances, it was decided that this version of SMiLE would be recorded and released as an album. Recording began in April 2004 and the basic instrumental tracks were recorded in just four days with the whole band and an 8 piece orchestra playing the parts live with minimal overdubbing. Some original ideas that were harder to reproduce in the live setting were brought back to the album in the studio. Once the vocal sessions were wrapped up in June, the album was mixed in July and it was released in September.

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Re: brian wilson singing

Post by Scodiddly » Tue Feb 15, 2005 6:37 pm

I just got SMiLE a couple weeks ago, and it's starting to grow on me.

Would be an incredible live show, seeing them pull it off on stage.

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Re: brian wilson singing

Post by Slider » Tue Feb 15, 2005 6:39 pm

They were all bad sounding (Billy Joe included), but Brian was the worst I've ever heard him.

The STP guy doing a REALLY bad Bowie imitation made my girlfriend and I both fall on the floor laughing.

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Re: brian wilson singing

Post by spectralgrey » Tue Feb 15, 2005 6:56 pm

I think Brian's biggest problem these days isn't in his overall vocal ability, but rather his consistency. He can be really great, or...well...you know.

When he was promoting SMiLE on the Ellen show and Leno, I was getting worried. His voice was lacking and his overall stage demeanor was simply awkward. I had tickets to see him in a few weeks and I had a feeling I was going to be let down. Then I saw him on the SMiLE Tour, and his vocal performance surpassed the record and blew away all of the television performances I saw. It was amazing.

If his performance at the Grammies and other recent TV appearances were as good as that single concert, this thread wouldn't even exist. He always puts me in shock and awe, but unfortunately it's not always for good reasons...

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Re: brian wilson singing

Post by dogcow » Tue Feb 15, 2005 11:36 pm

I recently realized who Brian Wilson's voice always reminded me of all these years: Bill Murray

Am I crazy?

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Re: brian wilson singing

Post by Fieryjack » Wed Feb 16, 2005 6:43 am

he still sounds as he should--like a burned out genius who late in life has found a way to be superb again.
Very true....kind of like Matisse who reinvented his art by cutting out shapes instead of painting because he was too old (in his 80s.)

I wonder if Brian considered including Al (Jardine). He played a key part in those early harmonies (2nd tenor) that's OFTEN overlooked completely, and sang many of the difficult 7ths, etc. Still has a great voice, too!

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Re: brian wilson singing

Post by joeysimms » Wed Feb 16, 2005 7:19 am

Brian gets all kinds of slack in my book - but it's still sad to hear how wrecked he got himself after years of abuse. He's a living PSA, and it pisses me off that nobody did anything about it while it was going on - oh yeah, they were too busy kowtowing to his "genius".
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Re: brian wilson singing

Post by joeysimms » Wed Feb 16, 2005 7:32 am

double posted ham fisted beef brisketed bourgeoise boobalunk.
Last edited by joeysimms on Wed Feb 16, 2005 8:21 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: brian wilson singing

Post by the brill bedroom » Wed Feb 16, 2005 7:56 am

I've never been a huge Green day fan, but I was pretty impressed with Billy Joe the other night. That was a really bad version of "Across The Universe" (wonder which clever cheese merchant decided to changed the lyrics at the end), but ona stage full of really good singers, Billy joe was the only one who didn't completely embarass himself. I mean, Steven Tyler has stood tall in a career that would make others hide under a rock at times and I bet he wanted off that stage right away.

Also, when Green Day did their American Idiot tune, it rocked. I like rock. Besides, it seems that being the lead singer of Green Day gets one a super hot punk rock babe for a wife, and you have to respect that.

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Re: brian wilson singing

Post by tonewoods » Wed Feb 16, 2005 10:05 am

Yeah, Brian's inconsistant, but so what?...

On Leno about a month ago, vox clams were rampant and not even close... :oops:

But the first performance of Smile at Festival Hall in London on February 20, 2004 sounds damn good and is a great listen...

Here's the setlist for you BW fans...

Disc I

1) Intro
2) And Your Dreams Come True
3) Hawaii
4) In My Room
5) Please Let Me Wonder
6) Good Timin'
7) You're Welcome
8 City Full of People
9) Sloop John B
10) Wouldn't It Be Nice
11) God Only Knows
12) Soul Searching
13) California Girls
14) Keep An Eye On The Summer
15) Catch a Wave
16) Dance, Dance, Dance
17) Don't Worry, Baby
18 The Night Was So Young
19) City Blues
20) Marcella
21) Sail On Sailor


Disc II Smile

1) Prayer
2) Heroes and Villains
3) Cantina Section
4) Do You Like Worms?
5) Heroes and Villains/Bicycle Rider
6) Barnyard
7) The Old Master Painter/You Are My Sunshine
8 Cabinessence
9) Wonderful
10) Child Is Father Of The Man/Look
11) Surf's Up
12) I'm In Great Shape
13) I Wanna Be Around
14) Veg-A-Tables
15) Holidays
16) Wind Chimes
17) Chicago Fire
18 Water/Blue Hawaii
19) Good Vibrations

20) Band Introductions
21) Do It Again
22) I Get Around
23) Help Me Rhonda
24) Barbara Ann
25) Surfin' USA
26) Fun, Fun, Fun
27) Love and Mercy
"You see, the whole thing about recording is the attempt at verisimilitude--not truth, but the appearance of truth."
Jerry Wexler

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Re: brian wilson singing

Post by greatmagnet » Wed Feb 16, 2005 10:15 am

My buddy got to see the San Francisco performance at our amazing symphony hall, and he sat fourth row. He said it was amazing and perfect, and he also got to sit next to/meet one of his lingtime heroes, Niel Young. Must have been a magical eveing. I can only imagine how those vox harmonies sounded in a real opera house.

Yeah...he's got "old man voice" now, but fuck it...it's kinda funny and cool. The way he turns his "s" sounds into "sh" sounds.

When I first got the album, my iTunes re-shuffled all the tracks into the wrong order. Once my buddy cam over and put 'em into the right order for me it was like a veil had been lifted. Now I LOVE it!
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Re: brian wilson singing

Post by Fieryjack » Wed Feb 16, 2005 11:30 am

As mentioned, I saw the Carnegie Hall show last October. Way above any other concert I've ever seen (and I've seen many across many genres).

Arrangements were staggering....BW was totally in control of that audience and turned it on its head. Initially, people were clapping because they felt indebted to the guy/sorry for the guy.

By the end, mouths were gaping and applause was uncontrollable, literally.

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