Le Cram was at the local "Rite-Aid" drugstore a few weeks ago and had a puzzling experience. You know how when you're in a market or drugstore there is often generic pop music playing that has commercials for the store between the songs? These songs are always as safe and non-thought provoking as possible. Songs that would most of the time go completely unnoticed. So anyway, Le Cram is walking up the beer aisle looking for the Sam Adams when he hears something familiar. But it takes Le Cram a moment to process what he is hearing because of where he is hearing it( Rite-Aid). So what did Le Cram hear playing between a James Taylor song and a Metamucil ad? "Wind Chimes" by Brian Wilson!?! "Wind Chimes", in case you are not familiar with it, is a track from the legendary lost Beach Boys album "Smile", which was finally released in 2004 by Brian Wilson and his current band. Not the soft banal pop you would expect here, but very complex experimental music by one of the 20Th century's most important composers. Leonard Bernstein, American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist, and best known as music director of the New York Philharmonic, had this to say about "Surf's Up" , another track from the "Smile" album, on a TV special about popular music that aired in 1966 on CBS: "There is a new song, too complex to get all the first time around. It could come only out of the ferment that characterizes today's pop music scene. Brian Wilson, leader of the famous Beach Boys, and one of today's most important musicians, sings his own 'Surf's Up.' Poetic, beautiful even in its obscurity, 'Surf's Up' is one aspect of new things happening in pop music today. As such, it is a symbol of the change many of these young musicians see in our future." Now, Le Cram isn't going to get into how Mike Love of the Beach Boys caused "Smile", the most anticipated album of the 1960's to go unreleased for over 30 years, because that has been discussed a million times elsewhere. But Le Cram would like to share with those of you who may not be familiar with this music, how odd it was to hear at a drugstore.
First, here is the original version from the still unreleased 1966-67 Beach Boys "Smile" sessions:
And next, this is the version that Le Cram heard at Rite-Aid, from Brian Wilson's 2004 release of "Smile":
Who knew Rite-Aid was so hip?
Le Cram would like to mention that "Smile" was a collaboration between Brian Wilson and his good friend and fellow genius Van Dyke Parks, who himself is a composer, arranger, producer, musician, and singer. Brian composed the music, while Van Dyke wrote the lyrics. Van Dyke eventually walked out of the Smile sessions after being hounded one too many time by Mike Love about what the lyrics meant. Here they are in 1967:
And today:
If you are curious about the history of the Smile album, Le Cram strongly recommends the Documentary "Beautiful Dreamer; Brian Wilson and the story of Smile" available on DVD:
And of course, pick up the Smile CD:
Okay, that's it for today's installment of "Le Cram on music". Thanks for listening!
Le Cram leaves you with another track from "SMiLE". Wonderful:
Sincerely,
Le Cram Ford Coley
Mike Love, not war!
ReplyDeleteJust kidding. He sucks!
sOuNds good!
ReplyDeleteWhat about Kokomo?
ReplyDeleteJust because someone is a musical genius, as Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks are, doesn't mean that he/she can write great lyrics all the time. the music of "Wind Chimes" is great, but the lyrics are pretty silly, even for a pop song. That's not to say, though, that Mike Love should have been hassling Parks about them. Why can't we all just get along?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous directly above-
ReplyDeleteThe appreciation of music and lyrics is a totally subjective experience, so one man's "silly" is another man's serious, or insightful, or brilliant, or whatever. I do agree with the spirit of your comment though. By all means, let's get along! I think Le Cram's (and many others) frustration, in relation to Mike Love is understandable. Mike Love's resistance to "Smile", and for that matter "Pet Sounds", was based on his need to take the safe & familiar route musically. Preferring to forever sing about Woody Wagons and flirting with surfer girls at the Malt shop. When you take that safe musical route, you don't get an album like "Pet Sounds". Brian was very curious musically, and that's why his music has that spark. He wanted to always try new things.
Anyway, I have once again gone on for far too long! Very interesting post, Le Cram! Please keep them coming.
-Paul
It's a good time for the great taste!
OMG! That last song, "Wonderful", was so beautiful it made me cry.
ReplyDeleteIt truly is hard not to look at my wind chimes, and a tear does, in fact, roll down my cheek. Tears salted with the fear of the small and defenseless.
ReplyDeleteDamn you, sir! You've stricken me with melancholia! I shall comfort myself carving Justin Bieber's face into my chest!
Oh, I kid you, Brother Le Cram! Except for the part about tears being salted with the fear of the small and defenseless--Fragile tears, dainty and delicate like wind chimes.
...Full circle.
Evel-
ReplyDeleteYou are a true poet. You may show the world your "Evil Clown" side, but those that know you see the true you. One who appreciates beauty in all it's forms, be it a flower, a painting, or a song. I salute you, Sir!
Fondly,
Le Cram
Your kind words shall keep me going, ensure that no one can ever deter me from my true calling.
ReplyDelete...Which is capturing and stuffing innocent and tender remains into my clown car. How many can I fit? I'll never tell!
HONK, HONK!
You two sure like to pat each other on the back. Van Dyke is great though.
ReplyDeleteBrian Wilson wrote a few great surf songs and the wind was completely out of his sails by the mid sixties. All of the music he produced afterwards was pretty much crap. Just because he got stoned and made stoned music for a few years doesn't make him a musical genius. I don't get it. He should have stuck to the formula. Sorry, but just cause crap is whacked out and drug induced doesn't mean is not crap.
ReplyDelete