#Smiley Smile

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brian wilson, dean torrence and american spring, circa 1972?

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Them Wilson Boys

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[wallisninety-six]

Kick-starting the Rock n’ Roll Revival - The Post-Psychedelic Fun of “Wild Honey” (1967)

1967′s Smiley Smile painted the image of a Beach Boys that is thoroughly, energetically, and creatively spent- especially following the immense stress with the band’s collapse of success, drugs & mental health issues, and the collapse of Smile. But with Wild Honey- the band has never felt more unified and alive. And not only that, they helped initiate major changes not just from within the band, but also to the music world as well thanks to one move...going back to rock and roll’s roots and embracing R&B.

After total burnout and a severely stressful 1967, and with a lot of the music world lambasting the band as “ball-less choir boys” the band sought to re-invent themselves as a self-contained rock act, intentionally distancing themselves away from the lush, theatrical and extremely complex compositions of Pet Sounds and other psychedelic acts that filled the market, and make music that the band could actually enjoy making- recording at Brian’s home with only band-mates and their talents; only a love for R&B, Soul, and Motown driving their music process, more lo-fi than Smile.

However to call this lo-fi, either musically or instrumentally is almost misleading- not less because the newer 2017 stereo transfer of it shows greater musical depth and complexities in the background than ever heard before. Indeed, perhaps the Beach Boys’ greatest yet most underrated talent is their ability to immediately & effectively evoke worlds of fun, love and summer. This is used to great effect in tracks like “Let The Wind Blow”, “Country Air”, and their fantastic single “Darlin’“ and cover of Stevie Wonder’s “I Was Made to Love Her”- using their stripped-down approach with great precision and shining beautifully here. The landscapes they paint with their songwriting and musical chops help blur the lines between psychedelia and rock and roll, in various moods, setting, and form- from hazy countrysides, frantic parties, and flowering declarations of love.

The transition to blues rock for people unaware of the Boys’ later work sounds very unusual- some tracks you’d swear were made by The Rolling Stones in the late-60s. Yet, the psychedelic sound is still here, some songs can’t help feeling still a wee bit druggy or floaty throughout the album- but this shows how the album is considered to be an important transition point from psychedelia to the back-to-basics trend rock made after the Summer of Love, predating such work made by The Beatles, The Band, and even the Doors’ later work in Morrison Hotel- perhaps consequentially enough, Jim Morrison himself was a fan of Wild Honey.

But in the midst of musical evolution, and the return of Brian Wilson and Mike Love’s songwriting partnership- perhaps the real standout star from Wild Honey is the youngest Wilson brother: Carl. Carl Wilson’s voice and performance is even more powerful, that much more soulful and at times raw. His performances in the title track and “Darlin’” command the listener’s attention for just how much the man is giving his all and singing his soul out due to his immense love of Motown and blues music. And as Brian was very slowly ceding his leadership role, Carl’s increased presence in Wild Honey and future albums was consequential as he would soon become the de-facto leader of the band after 1970.

Considering that after 1967, the band members grew older, got married and had kids, and shifted to a more mature image and sound- Wild Honey feels like the final burst of youthful energy from a band that gained its fame partially for their songs’ focus on teenage summer love and fun- it’s still here and very much alive, but the form it takes on is notably different. Considering it’s historicity for being one of the first back-to-basics rock album, and its consequential influence on other major acts, Wild Honey comes close to being as important in music history as Pet Sounds and even Smiley Smile before it- As summer rolls around, it deserves a listen while we ourselves try to find a youthful love of fun & sun once more.

[guerrilla-operator]

The Beach Boys // Heroes And Villains

I've been in this town so long that back in the city I've been taken for lost and gone And unknown for a long long time Fell in love years ago with an innocent girl From the Spanish and Indian home Of the heroes and villains Once at night, cotillion squared the fight And she was right in the rain of the bullets That eventually brought her down But she's still dancing in the night Unafraid of what a dude'll do In a town full of heroes and villains Heroes and villains Just see what you've done Heroes and villains Just see what you've done

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SUNDAY MUSIC VIDEO MATINEE: “Dumb Angel” live in concert— https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1adaRT-TVpU   …This surrealistic pop song* came to me from a dream about where I grew up in Avis, Pennsylvania. In the dream, Brian Wilson showed up at my door, smoking a cigarette and driving a big car. He drove me and some kids to a Bible study at the CMA Church in Avis (now torn down). In the church sat Lewis Carroll, and near him was Elvis Presley, crying with his head in his arms. How I de-coded this dream is another story. 

In the context the word “angel” references the old Hebrew definition of cherubim as God’s messengers. The angel in this song is dumb, as in not being able to speak, yet he still delivers a message. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1adaRT-TVpU

* “Dumb Angel” was also the original working title of The Beach Boys masterwork, SMILE. On a cosmic jukebox, this song would play next to songs from the 1967-68 SMILEY SMILE/WILD HONEY/FRIENDS period of Beach Boys.

#dumbangel #angel #dream #avisPA #pennsylvania #brianwilson #beachboys #lewiscarroll #elvispresley #johnnyjblair #singeratlarge #biblestudy #smile #smileysmile #wildhoney #friends #chapel #ChristianMissionaryAlliance #CMAChurch

[dailyalbumrecs]

Smile Sessions - The Beach Boys

After the Beach Boys fantastic album Pet Sounds, they were working on a followup that would have and that album was going to be Smile. Smile was never released, but in 1967 Smiley Smile was released featuring songs from it, an album named Brian Wilson Presents Smile was released in 2004, and the compilation Smile Sessions was released in 2011. Smile Sessions contains a reconstructed track listing of the Smile album as well as a bunch of bonus tracks. Personally I am a bigger fan of the Smile album reconstruction in Smile Sessions than Smiley Smile or Brian Wilson Presents Smile. My favorite song is Heroes and Villains.

Apple Music:

Spotify:

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Compare and Contrast

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Feels like a clothing optional morning! ☀️ Vv xo

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★😁🙂SMILEY FACE GRAPHICS🙃😄

Found on 💛 & 💭

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The real reason Charlie was hired

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STIM - eggliencreations

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