In Their Own Words:
General Comments During Smile

“Psychedelic music will cover the face of the world and color the whole popular music scene. Anybody happening is psychedelic.”
-Brian Wilson (“Look, Listen, Vibrate, Smile” Domenic Priore, editor. 1988)

“I think there will be more and more adventures into spiritual music-chants, choral prayers, hymns and all that. But it’s difficult to predict.”
-Brian Wilson (“Look, Listen, Vibrate, Smile” Domenic Priore, editor. 1988)

“I used to have to work at writing and producing. While we were on the road, I’d sit down and say I’ve got to write a song. Just got to. But that’s over. Now I just wait for the ‘feels’. The strange thing is that they come more often, they get better and all of a sudden complexity has become a pleasant exercise.”
-Brian Wilson (“Look, Listen, Vibrate, Smile” Domenic Priore, editor. 1988)

“This LP will include ‘Good Vibrations’ and ‘Heroes and Villains’ and ten other tracks. I’ve written them all in collaboration with Van Dyke Parks, who’s been a studio organist in Los Angeles for ages-he also records on his own.”
-Brian Wilson (“Look, Listen, Vibrate, Smile” Domenic Priore, editor. 1988)

“It makes Pet Sounds stink—that’s how good it is”
– Dennis Wilson (“The Beach Boys & The Southern California Myth” by David Leaf. 1979)

“The album will include lots of humour-some musical and some spoken. It won’t be like a comedy LP-there won’t be any spoken tracks as such-but someone might say something in between verses.”
-Brian Wilson (“Look, Listen, Vibrate, Smile” Domenic Priore, editor. 1988)

“1967 should bring a series of surprises for everyone from the Beach Boys.”
-Brian Wilson (“Look, Listen, Vibrate, Smile” Domenic Priore, editor. 1988)

“Spiritual…I think pop music is going to be spiritual. White spirituals, I think that’s what we’re going to hear. Songs of faith. Anyhow, that’s the direction I want to go. I’m very religious. Not in the sense of churches, going to church; but like the essence of all religion. Yeah, the essence of all religion.”
-Brian Wilson (“Look, Listen, Vibrate, Smile” Domenic Priore, editor. 1988)

“I got to the piano and play ‘feels’. ‘Feels’ are specific rhythm patterns, fragments of ideas. Once they’re out of my head and into the open air, I can see them and touch them firmly. They’re not ‘feels’ any more.”
-Brian Wilson (“Look, Listen, Vibrate, Smile” Domenic Priore, editor. 1988)

“I’m writing a teen-age symphony to God”.
-Brian Wilson (“Look, Listen, Vibrate, Smile” Domenic Priore, editor. 1988)

“You know we’re not going to release ‘Heroes And Villains?’ It’s all finished and ready, but we’re not putting it out. In a way, we feel that we’ve released the title-and that’s good enough for the moment.”
-Dennis Wilson (“Look, Listen, Vibrate, Smile” Domenic Priore, editor. 1988)

“So that’s what I’m doing. Spiritual music.”
-Brian Wilson (“Look, Listen, Vibrate, Smile” Domenic Priore, editor. 1988)

“About a year ago I had what I consider a very religious experience. I took LSD, a full dose of LSD, and later, another time, I took a smaller dose. And I learned a lot of things, like patience, understanding. I can’t teach you, or tell you, what I learned from taking it. But I consider it a very religious experience.”
-Brian Wilson (“Look, Listen, Vibrate, Smile” Domenic Priore, editor. 1988)

ABOUT H&V:

“I was completely satisfied with the record two months ago. I haven’t done anything about it after that time. I see it like this: every Beach Boy record has it’s own story, not only musically, but also the lyrics. This story has to be told in 3 or 4 minutes, it’s just like a book. The persons come alive, they speak, and have their wants. That’s why we need so much time for every record.”
-Brian Wilson (“Look, Listen, Vibrate, Smile” Domenic Priore, editor. 1988)

ON H&V:

“A new improvement of Brian’s capacities in this job. Once again, he knows exactly what we can and what we can’t. There’s a lot of things happening on the record, just like on ‘Good Vibrations’. We sing in 3 different ways: barbershop, quartet, and opera choir. It’s really fantastic. The flip side is incredible. The title is ‘You’re Welcome’. No other lyrics. I don’t know how Brian did it, but there’s no accompaniment.”
-Mike Love (“Look, Listen, Vibrate, Smile” Domenic Priore, editor. 1988)

ABOUT THE ALBUM:

“We are finishing it now. We knew the title and the songs months ago already. Only Brian played the tapes again a few times and found it necessary to skip some songs. That’s what happened. Capitol finished the sleeve in April already. I don’t know how many sleeves they can throw out now, just because the lineup of songs and some songs have changed completely.”
-Mike Love (“Look, Listen, Vibrate, Smile” Domenic Priore, editor. 1988)

WHY THE SINGLE WAS DITCHED?:

“Oh, we got a little frightened. We’ve got a lot of songs recorded, but we got nervous about whether they were good enough.”
-Dennis Wilson (“Look, Listen, Vibrate, Smile” Domenic Priore, editor. 1988)

ON THE NEW ALBUM:

“Yeah, ‘Smile.’ It’s going to be great. We’re 50% done with it.”
-Dennis Wilson (“Look, Listen, Vibrate, Smile” Domenic Priore, editor. 1988)

HEROES AND VILLAINS:

“a three-minute musical comedy. I’m using some new production techniques that I think will surprise everyone. I can’t actually describe the effect-you have to hear it.”
-Brian Wilson (“Look, Listen, Vibrate, Smile” Domenic Priore, editor. 1988)


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