Brian again

Chris,

Your experience of the Oxford gig was repeated at RFH on Tuesday night.

Brian was accompanied by an assistant (he later reported a 'Back Problem') and led to Stage Right. The Band performed the opening part of the set in a semi-circle, which tuned everyone in to the glorious harmonies performed all night.

I think the microphones used probably cost more than some bands entire rig. I had never experienced a gig that was set up to focus so much on voice and the usually cast off sounds of percussive instruments.

The Band (inc Wondermints) were truly awesome and probably far exceed the original Beach Boys musicianship. The vocal talents (did I mention harmonies before?) of the band were equally stunning all night.

I Guess the most amazing thing for me in the 'Smile' performance was how it was played by segueing each song. I was unaware of the original 'Smile' tracks, so when Surfs Up started it sealed the night for me.

Each time Brian left stage between sets his discomfort in walking was painfully obvious. He must have been in agony sitting at his keyboard and it wouldn't have surprised me to here him cancel the next 3 nights.

This gig also had the most number of songs I have heard and must have reached 33,37?

If there is a bootleg from this gig, you will here the crowd singing 'happy birthday' to Probyn Gregory. A Gushing night was had by all.

Denis (smilecouldbethebestalbumreleasedthisyearrollonseptember)

I was at the RFH last Sunday as well, and when walking offstage he tripped over a monitor, which I think caused the back problem. Hopefully just a blip, as he'd been on terrific form on the bass for the encores.

Chris,

Was Oxford a better Venue for Brian than RFH (i.e seating/view/sound)?

Denis

I was at the RFH on Tuesday as well, really enjoyed it. The audience was interesting: young whippersnappers; hardcore BB/Smile scholars; oldies; and a smattering of minor celebs.

We noticed Brian's frailty, and also his magnificent paunch. And what were all those odd hand gestures about?

I have to say, though, that although individual songs are magnificent, Smile as a whole is rather baffling. Anyone agree? And, even in this Brian-sanctioned version, I still don't think it's a patch on Pet Sounds (Good Vibes, Surf's Up and Heroes & Villains excepted) - I dunno, it lacks the exquisite miniaturism and sealed-room melancholy of Pet Sounds.

Anyone agree?

Kevin (Harmonia: Deluxe)

PS Anyone buy the programme? Some of the text was a bit gushing, and at £10 it was a little pricey, but it was a beautifully-presented and fascinating read.

I think Oxford was as near perfect a sound as I've ever heard in a rock concert. Probably better than most classical concerts too. At the RFH I was maybe a little too close, but I think the sound wasn't quite as clean. Mind you, ten years ago I saw Van Morrison at the same Oxford venue, in the upper balcony, and the sound was pretty awful.
The best concert hall acoustics I guess are Birmingham Symphony Hall. I expect when the RFH is re-vamped they will learn lessons from this (apart from the rubber suspension for the whole auditorium).

As far as Smile's coherence, I personally feel it does have more impact than PS, but then I've been listening to the bootlegs since 1982 and am very familiar with the individual parts (or at least the ones that were available). PS has a cumulative effect - one great 3-minute track after another - Sloop John B notwithstanding - but Smile is more interesting really. I think the way the Heroes and Villains fragments have been stitched together to produce the sort of effect Brian must have had in mind in 1966-7 is brilliant. And, for me, the second section - Wonderful/Children/Child/Surf's Up - couldn't have been better.

It's certainly better than the first Jefferson Airplane LP.

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Originally posted by Chris Metcalfe:
It's certainly better than the first Jefferson Airplane LP.

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By "it" you mean Smile? Why this particular comparison? Just curious.

Also, I assume you mean Jefferson Airplane Takes Off? Not my favorite, either. However, Surrealistic Pillow can hold its own just fine.

Fred,
OK the second one then! My feelings when I heard Smile for the first time in February, apart from the fab music, was that it sounded just like a great 1967 psychedelic LP - which is what it would have been. Airplane were at no 1 with White Rabbit as I recall.

Right, White Rabbit was on Surrealistic Pillow.

But are you saying that's the album Smile is "certainly better than," or is it the merely average first Airplane album, Takes Off?

As you can see, I'm trying to pick a fight.

Well, it couldn't have been better than Piper at the Gates of Dawn...

I'll be buying the new version of Smile when it's available...

Well, Piper would have been better with Arnold Layne and See Emily Play on it. Smile has Good Vibrations and Heroes and Villains as well as all the other stuff. I think Wonderful, Surf's Up, Cabinessence and the rest would have blown people's minds in Summer 1967, just as Pepper did. Don't think it would have been more commercially successful than Pet Sounds in the USA though - which is probably why Brian has snubbed the States so far on this tour.

As far as the Airplane go, I'll have to listen to Surrealistic Pillow again - though I lurved White Rabbit. Recently heard Volunteers again - good in its way, but more dated than 'Surfer Girl'!!!

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Originally posted by Chris Metcalfe:
Well, Piper would have been better with Arnold Layne and See Emily Play on it.

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Actually, the first version of Piper that come out in the 'States was on Tower Records, a subsidiary of Capitol; It didn't have Astronomy Domine or Flaming on it, but it started off with Emily, and ended with Interstellar Overdrive . That's the version I think of when daydreaming about halcyon days of pop...

Speaking of all the above (as influences): Living in Swindon, do you ever see any of the XTC guys about in public?

Andy Partridge is frequently spotted going to local Indian restaurants, and Dave Gregory once or twice though not recently. I've been to a couple of gigs and seen Colin Moulding, whose son also plays in a local band. Barry Andrews used to be seen in pubs.

I don't know why all this fuss about Partridge's garden shed, his garden must be about 25 foot long at the most!

Actually I moved a few miles outside but I've forgotten how to change my profile (!).

?????