Another bizarre Van Dykes Parks lyric that seems to have etched a niche into my cerebrum. I had to be one of the few teenagers who had 1966-'67 Beach Boys "SMiLE" recordings going on in his head and humming under his breath that was featured on the 1991 box set release of "30 Years of Good Vibrations" that I was listening to in the mid 90s. I still wonder how "SMiLE" would have done in 1967 had it been released, which would had been around early summer & the time "Sgt. Peppers" had turned everything upside down. Tho judging by "Pet Sounds" piss-poor charting, probably not very well. Tho when given the choice of either "Pet Sounds" or "Sgt. Peppers" in the 1990s until 2004, people I know seemed to prefer "Pet Sounds" 'cause it rocked more.

This is brought up because I recently dug up Brian Wilson's "SMiLE", 2004 studio edition, and gave it a whirl. And of course, stuck in my head are "Roll Plymouth Rock" (originally Do You Like Worms) "Surf's Up" (released spruced up in 1971) "In Blue Hawaii" (with lyrics now) and Pet Sounds-era version of "Good Vibrations" which is a minute longer. After reading about the 3 themes of the album, it makes a whole lot more sense than the almost-completed-but-unfinished 1960s stuff I grew up on, but man, it sure would had been nice to hear the Beach Boys in their prime do the harmonies & vocals instead of The Wondermints; Wilson's backup vocalist band. I, as well as most people, thought they just used remastered old tape for the music. But no. It was all recreated in 2004 note-for-note and some instances, using the old equipment in the old Sunset Studio in California from back in the day.

Tho basically the following was already made available before this 2004 realease:
Our Prayer (20/20) (30 Years…)
Heroes and Villains (Smiley Smile) / (30 Years…)
Roll Plymouth Rock (30 Years… Do You Like Worms)
Barnyard (bootleg sans lyrics)
Old Master Painter / Are You My Sunshine (bootleg sans lyrics)
Cabin Essence (20/20) (30 Years…)
Wonderful (superior Brian-vocal version on 30 Years… / lackluster Carl-led vocal on Smiley Smile)
Song For Children (new / probable bootlegs)
Child Is Father of the Man (unfinished bootleg)
Surf's Up (Surf's Up '71 & two versions on 30 Years…)
I'm in Great Shape - I Wanna Be Around – Workshop (Workshop at end of 'Do It Again' )
Vega-tables (Smiley Smile / 30 Years… )
On A Holiday (unfinished bootlegs)
Wind Chimes (Carl-led superior vocal on 30 Years / lackluster Carl-led version on Smiley Smile)
Mrs. O'Leary's Cow (Heroes and Villains Intro on 30 Years… / bootlegs)
In Blue Hawaii (bits of Heroes and Villains on 30 Years…) new lyrics
Good Vibrations (most of Pet Sounds era lyrics & extended bit on 30 Years… / bonus track versions) plus many 'Heroes and Villains' bits showed up on the updated songs.

Well all I have to say, is I like it, (other songs have have stuck from other times) and I'm glad Brian lived long enough to complete it. It's not a bad album, just different, tho not a true Beach Boys album for the times. The 3 themes of early Americana, from Plymouth Rock to the Old West, farmlands, the building of the railroad and new housing. 2nd of with childhood and fatherhood. And the 3rd of 'The Elements Suite' & 'Elements' of Earth with food, wind, fire, water.


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