Time To SMiLE

After a forty-four year gestation period, Capitol records will release the Beach Boys' SMiLE Sessions tomorrow in a variety of configurations ranging from a two CD set, a two LP set, a box set with five CDs, two LPs and two 7" singles, not to mention a super-deluxe set that includes your own personal SMiLE surfboard signed by the surviving members of the band.

How much SMiLE do you need? Since I don't surf, I settled for the two LP set (my local record shop had a few copies out early). Sides one through three are the album as it has been pieced together by Mark Linett and others, and side four presents a few alternate stereo takes. I know some people derive great pleasure from listening to various tracking sessions, demos and alternate versions of songs, but I am not one of those people. Personally, I am very grateful to people like Mark Linett for doing the painstaking work of editing this material into something coherent.

From what I understand, piecing together the finished product in ProTools was an incredibly arduous task, so it is no wonder that Brian gave up in frustration in 1967 with only scissors and tape at his disposal. Much has been written about Brian's deteriorating mental state in 1967, as well as resistance from certain factions within the band, but in my opinion what it comes down to is the fact that the music in Brian Wilson's head in 1967 was about forty years ahead of the technology necessary to complete it.

Much ink has been spilled about SMiLE over the years, and the release of something like a complete, finished version will no doubt spark much further conversation: Is this really what Brian would have released if had finished the album in 1967? Would the album have been hailed as a masterpiece or received as a curiosity? Would it's legacy loom as large if it had not had the aura of "lost masterpiece" surrounding it for so many years? How would the Beatles have responded to SMiLE? What would it's influence have been had it been released in 1967? Would we have still had to suffer through the Doobie Brothers and Journey, or might popular music have gone in an entirely different and more interesting direction? As fun as it is to speculate about such things, I'll leave debate about questions that can't possibly be answered to others.

I do have a couple things to say.

First, the vinyl pressing of this album is exceptional. That is not always the case with Capitol, but they wisely outsourced the cutting of the vinyl lacquers to Chris Bellman of Bernie Grundman mastering, and Chris is one of the best in the business. I don't know where the lacquers were pressed, but vinyl quality itself is also excellent, virtually free of surface noise and pressed (on center) on heavy weight vinyl. The packaging is absolutely beautiful, and the set is also reasonably priced at around $25 (less than average for a 180 gram double LP). I have no reservations whatsoever about recommending the vinyl version.

Second, I just want to say that I am so happy for Frank Holmes, the artist who created the cover image for the album, to finally have his work available the way it was meant to be seen. I talked to Frank a few years ago about the SMiLE artwork. Frank is a lovely and diplomatic person, but even after the passage of so many years I could hear in his voice how heartbroken he was about the fact that Capitol destroyed the covers they had printed up for the album. I did not detect a hint of bitterness in Frank, but he still sounded devastated by that loss. I don't know how he felt about the fact that Brian went with different artwork for Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE in 2004, but I'm glad that his legendary album cover is now actually, finally, an album cover. I hope Frank has a big smile on his face today. I know I do.

Other Record Store Day 2011 Releases

Generally, I try to keep things positive here, so in that spirit I wanted to point out a few of the Record Store Day 2011 releases that do look cool to me, and that I will pick up if I can.

The one I really want is the Television Live At The Old Waldorf 2 LP set. This was originally released as a 5,000 copy limited edition CD by Rhino Handmade several years ago. It promptly sold out, and I really regret missing the boat on it the first time. It is available as a download from iTunes (and probably other places), so the music is available. But for me, music on a hard drive never totally cuts it, and damn it, I want this on LP. Am I a hypocrite for wanting this on vinyl (even though I have the music in some form already) while criticizing the Beach Boys 78 RPM set? Possibly. But, want it I do. (In the words of the great philosopher David St. Hubbins: "It's such a fine line between stupid and clever.") Live At The Old Waldorf is limited to 3,000 copies, so hopefully my local record store gets a copy or two.

Another interesting looking release is Big Star's Third (Test Pressing Edition). For those who don't know the history of this album, it originally appeared as a very limited edition test pressing that was never released commercially. Several years later the album was issued by PVC on LP with a different track listing and song order, but many prefer the way the album was originally intended to be sequenced. If I can find this, I'll buy a copy, but it's limited to a pressing of 1,000. I expect this one to be difficult to obtain and quickly fetch big collector dollars on eBay. Such is life.

Another promising release is a new single by The Fleet Foxes, "Helplessness Blues" b/w "Grown Ocean," I have no idea if either of these songs will show up on their upcoming album release, but I am very much looking forward to hearing new music from this band.

Finally, there is Rhino's "audiophile" reissue of Fleetwood Mac's Rumours, pressed as both a 2 LP 45 RPM set and a standard 33.3 RPM set. I think this is only getting grouped in with Record Store Day releases by circumstance because it was supposed to have been released years ago, but got held up for one reason or another. The LP was cut by Steve Hoffman and Kevin Gray (who cut the best sounding version of Joni Mitchell's Blue I have ever heard, along with many other fantastic sounding LPs).

Much as I respect Hoffman and Gray's work, I'm a little nervous about hearing this album remastered, because I love how the original LP sounds so much already. When I drop the needle in the groove of the original album a million memories and sensations from 1977 wash over me. It's like my own personal 33.3 RPM time machine. The sound of this one really defined its era, for better or for worse (I love it). Still, I'm looking forward to hearing this album presented in a different way (I imagine with no compression and limited EQ). I don't doubt the 45 RPM version will sound spectacular, but I really don't care for 45 RPM sets (the sides are too short), and have an order in for the 33.3 version instead. The 33.3 version is not a limited pressing, so it should be no problem to get a copy. The 45 RPM set is limited, so if you want it, act fast.

There are some other releases that look interesting, but that I will probably pass on.

It's good to see The Flaming Lips first 5 Warner LPs get reissued on premium vinyl (especially given what some of the original LPs go for on eBay), but I'm not made of money, and will happily settle for the CDs I already own.

Shuggie Otis's Inspiration Information: World Psychedelic Classics 2 is getting a limited 2 LP repressing by Luaka Bop. I already own a copy of that, and can't recommend it highly enough. The 2 LP set I own sounds much better than the CD to my ears (less compressed, less harsh EQ, etc.). And, of course, the music on this release is absolutely essential; funky, soulful, weird, inventive, passionate, it is absolutely one of my all time favorites, and the Luaka Bop set also adds the best tracks from the nearly as good Freedom Flight. Grab one if you can!

It also looks like the dB's have a new single coming out called "Picture Sleeve" as well, hopefully that means there will be more new music from this legendary combo around the bend.