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Rating: A brief recap of previous episodes. There was a time, around the mid-Sixties, when the rivalry was not Beatles or Rolling Stones, but rather Beatles or Beach Boys, or better yet Lennon/McCartney vs Brian Wilson.
Whatever the first ones wrote, Brian Wilson had something even more revolutionary in mind, but a few months later the Beatles would release another masterpiece, before the Beach Boys raised the bar once again. It was a constant chase, studying each other, challenging each other. After the Beatles' "Revolver," the Beach Boys released "Pet Sounds" and, damn, Wilson seemed to have done it. "Pet Sounds" is not better than "Revolver," that's not the point: "Pet Sounds" was simply a step forward in the pop concept – a big step forward, the bar was set very high. So high it seemed that only Brian Wilson himself could surpass it. He was on the verge of triumph, the leader of the Beach Boys and here, further proof of his greatness, he comes out with "Good Vibrations," a track that takes your breath away. It’s done, in short. No, not yet, the album is still missing, the one that will forever change the history of pop music. Wilson is working on it, Lennon and McCartney are working on it. The latter are moving at a brisk pace, the Beatles no longer play live, they spend their days in the studio writing, recording, cutting, mixing, experimenting: they’re in great form. Brian Wilson works hard too, he’s a perfectionist, never satisfied, makes and unmakes, throws everything out and starts over and over again: and then there’s the drugs, the paranoia, it’s tough, very tough. Everyone is waiting for "Smile," the Beach Boys’ masterpiece, but instead arrives the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band." And it’s a shock, it’s June 1, 1967 and never had anything like it been heard before. And neither had Brian Wilson ever heard anything like it, his already fragile psyche collapses, he can’t take it anymore, he destroys months of work on "Smile," enters into a crisis, it’s the end. The Beatles have won.
"Smiley/Smile" is the offspring of "Smile." It was born from those recording sessions, but rather than being animated by Brian Wilson’s genius, it is pervaded by his weaknesses and his sense of inadequacy. What was meant to be his masterpiece would be his failure. The album that was supposed to be a concept inspired by the four elements (earth, water, air, and fire) turns into a collage of less than modest tracks, nothing holds them together except the sense of defeat they inspire. Apart from "Good Vibrations" and "Heroes and Villains," the rest is confusion, melancholy, scraps, poorly or underdeveloped song ideas. "Wonderful" is chilling, with its almost lullaby rhythm, as if caressing Wilson’s mental fatigue, subjected to pressures bigger than him.
"Smile" would be heard only 37 years later, in 2004, when a reborn Brian Wilson decided to complete it: and it would be a joy for the heart and ears. But in 1967, Brian Wilson sank into the abyss just as he was about to ascend the throne, and the Beach Boys entered the tunnel of oblivion, ending up representing only the stereotype of California sun-sea-beach-surf.
Almost as a partial compensation, Paul McCartney, the mind behind "Sgt. Pepper," would admit on more than one occasion his debts to Brian Wilson and his "Pet Sounds."
Tracklist and Lyrics
01 Heroes and Villains (03:37)
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
Home of the heroes and villains
Once at night Catillian 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
Stand or fall I know there
Shall be peace in the valley
And it's all an affair
Of my life with the heroes and villains
My children were raised
You know they suddenly rise
They started slow long ago
Head to toe healthy weathy and wise
I've been in this town so long
So long to the city
I'm fit with the stuff
To ride in the rough
And sunny down snuff I'm alright
By the heroes and
Heroes and villains
Just see what you've done
Heroes and villains
Just see what you've done
02 Vegetables (02:07)
I'm gonna be round my vegetables
I'm gonna chow down my vegetables
I love you most of all
My favorite vege-table
If you brought a big brown bag of them home
I'd jump up and down and hope you'd toss me a carrot
I'm gonna keep well my vegetables
Cart off and sell my vegetables
I love you most of all
My favorite vege-table
Oh oh taba vega vegel
I tried to kick the ball but my tenny flew right off
I'm red as a beet 'cause I'm so embarassed
Sleep a lot eat a lot brush em like crazy
Run a lot do a lot never be lazy
Sleep a lot eat a lot brush em like crazy
Run a lot do a lot never be lazy
Oh oh dum do dum de dooby do
Oh oh dum do dum de dooby do
Oh oh dum do dum de dooby do
oh yeah
Oh badumday oh dum do dum de dooby do
Oh badumday oh dum do dum de dooby do
I throw away my candy bar and I ate the wrapper
And when they told me what I did I burst into laughter
I know that you'll feel better
When you send us in
Your letter an'
Tell us the name of your
Your favorite vege-table
06 Good Vibrations (03:36)
I, I love the colorful clothes she wears
And the way the sunlight plays upon her hair
I hear the sound of a gentle word
On the wind that lifts her perfume through the air
I'm pickin' up good vibrations
She's giving me excitations
I'm pickin' up good vibrations
(Oom bop bop good vibrations)
She's giving me excitations
(Oom bop bop excitations)
Good good good good vibrations
(Oom bop bop)
She's giving me excitations
(Oom bop bop excitations)
Good good good good vibrations
(Oom bop bop)
She's giving me excitations
(Oom bop bop excitations)
Close my eyes
She's somehow closer now
Softly smile, I know she must be kind
When I look in her eyes
She goes with me to a blossom world
I'm pickin' up good vibrations
She's giving me excitations
I'm pickin' up good vibrations
(Oom bop bop good vibrations)
She's giving me excitations
(Oom bop bop excitations)
Good good good good vibrations
(Oom bop bop)
She's giving me excitations
(Oom bop bop excitations)
Good good good good vibrations
(Oom bop bop)
She's giving me excitations
(Oom bop bop excitations)
(Ahhhhhhh)
(Ah my my what elation)
I don't know where but she sends me there
(Ah my my what a sensation)
(Ah my my what elations)
(Ah my my what)
Gotta keep those lovin' good vibrations
A happenin' with her
Gotta keep those lovin' good vibrations
A happenin' with her
Gotta keep those lovin' good vibrations
A happenin'
Ahhhhhhhh
Good good good good vibrations
(Oom bop bop)
(I'm pickin' up good vibrations)
She's giving me excitations
(Oom bop bop)
(Excitations)
Good good good good vibrations
(Oom bop bop)
She's na na...
Na na na na na
Na na na
Na na na na na
Na na na
Do do do do do
Do do do
Do do do do do
Do do do
07 With Me Tonight (02:17)
On and on she go dum bay do da
On and on she go dum be do
On and on she go dum bay do da
On and on she go dum be do
On and on she go dum bay do da
On and on she go dum be do
Good
On and on you go dum bay do da
On and on you go dum be do
On and on you go dum bay do da
On and on you go dum be do
With me, tonight I know you're with me tonight
You're with me, tonight I know you're with me tonight
For sure you're with me, tonight I'm sure you're with me tonight
On and on you go dum bay do da
On and on you go dum be do
With me, tonight I know you're with me tonight
With me, tonight I know you're with me tonight
For sure you're with me, tonight I know you're with me tonight
On and on you go dum bay do da
On and on you go dum be do
On and on you go dum bay do da
On and on you go dum be do
With me, tonight I know
On and on she go dum bay do da
Onnnnnn
On and on she go dum bay do da
Onnnnn
08 Wind Chimes (02:36)
Hanging down from my window
Those are my wind chimes
On the warm breeze the little bells
Tinkle like wind chimes
Though it's hard I try not to look at my wind chimes
Now and then a tear rolls off my cheek
Close your eyes and lean back now listen to wind chimes
In the late afternoon you're hung up on wind chimes
Though it's hard I try not to look at my wind chimes
10 Wonderful (02:21)
She belongs there, left with her liberty
Never known as a non-believer
She laughs and stays in the
Won- won- wonderful
She knew how to gather the forest when
God reached softly and moved her body
One golden locket quite young
And loving her mother and father
Farther down the path was a mystery
Through the recess the chalk and numbers
A boy bumped into her
Won- won- won- wonderful
Na na na na na na na
Hey bobba reba
----Everybody should
Wa bobba lee
Just start collecting
Hey bobba reba
Oh yeah
Wa bobba lee
Kept a-comin on
Hey bobba
Just to be a cool guy
Hey bobba
He bobba reba
Don't think you're God
He bobba reba
Vibrations
Go for a ride
Wa bobba lee
Just go for a
He bobba reba
Just keep goin
Wa bobba lee
Said it
Just keep goin'
Hey bobba
All you gotta do is
Hey bobba
Cool it vibrations
He bobba reba
Ah just gotta do it vibrate
la la
Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba
She'll return in love with her liberty
Never known as a non-believer
She'll smile and thank God
For one won- won- wonderful
Na na na na na na na
11 Whistle In (01:04)
Dum dum dum dum dum dum dum
Dum dum dum dum dum dum
Whistle in
(All Day)
Remember the day day
(All night)
Remember the night night
All day long
Whistle in
(All Day)
Remember the day day
(All night)
Remember the night night
All day long
Whistle in
(All Day)
Remember the day day
(All night)
Remember the night night
All day long
Whistle in
(All Day)
Remember the day day
(All night)
Remember the night night
All day long
Whistle in
(All Day)
Remember the day day
(All night)
Remember the night night
All day long
Whistle in
(All Day)
Remember the day day
(All night)
Remember the night night
All day long
Whistle in
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By easycure
This album was supposed to be called Smile; due to the opposition of the other group members and his rather paranoid personality, Brian never managed to release the album.
Good Vibrations alone, or the greatest three and a half minutes ever written in rock history (probably!).
