It was announced today at Billboard.com that Capitol Records is indeed releasing a SMiLE sessions box set that will include original Beach Boys sessions in three versions: a two-CD set, an iTunes LP digital album and a limited-edition boxed set containing four CDs, two vinyl LPs, two vinyl singles and a 60-page hardbound book written by Domenic Priore, Alan Boyd and Craig Slowinski. Engineer Mark Linett and Boyd are co-producing the release, which Capitol has titled The Smile Sessions.
Of the music Mike Love has said, “I like the avant-garde approach and stretching the limits the way Brian (Wilson) did. It went beyond conventional music at the time, and I kind of thought that was pretty cool." When Al Jardine was asked if he thought it was significant music he said, “Oh God, yeah. It reminded me of all the great painters when they painted from the Left Bank. It’s just one of a kind stuff. I think it’s going to last forever. The music is so moody and all-encompassing.”
In addition to the well-known centerpieces “Good Vibrations” and “Heroes and Villains,” Wilson created an impressionistic musical canvass that enveloped American history and humor. One track in particular, “Cabin Essence,” explored the building of the Grand Coulee Dam and the early construction of the railroad. The sections of the song are titled: “Home On The Range,” “(Have You Seen) The Grand Coulee Dam” and “(Who Ran) The Iron Horse.” When asked about this great track Wilson stated, “’Cabin Essence’ is a poetic lyric; it’s where Van Dyke Parks describes what he means [visually] with lyrics."
Parks remembers, “We wanted to create an American fantasy. ‘The Grand Coulee Dam’ alluded to the Chinese laborers who built these railroads. They brought the railroads together with a golden spike. … We worked hard with great enthusiasm, and I think that shows in the life force of the pieces even today. … The words were not the creative department. The creative department was the music. The words were in the reactive department. I reacted to the music. The music never changed one syllable.”
The Beach Boys SMiLE sessions are considered to be the most legendary in the history of rock music. The collection is set to include both mono and stereo mixes. There is no official release date yet, but look for it to materialize later this year.
© David M. Beard/All Rights Reserved
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