From: derekbill@allsummerlong.com   
      
   In article , subw75    
   wrote:   
      
   > matt wrote:   
   >   
   > >   
   > > I've been listening to various "Smile" boots for about 9 years.  I was   
   > > never   
   > > really impressed.  Most of the music was a little creepy.  I went out last   
   > > week and bought the new version.  I'm still not impressed.   
   > > Can somebody please tell me what makes this album so great?  What makes it   
   > > a   
   > > masterpiece?  Is it because it went unreleased for almost 40 years?  Is it   
   > > because it was SUPPOSED to be groundbreaking in the late 60's?  Is it   
   > > because everybody thinks of it as an artsy-fartsy album?  Is it simply   
   > > because it's an album written by Brian Wilson?   
   > > It CAN'T be because the music is great.   
   >   
   > I'm a fairly casual BB fan (heard the bootlegs only once, blown away by   
   > Pet Sounds). I'm not a musician either, but I can hear elements of   
   > classical music and jazz that you don't normally hear from musicians who   
   > aren't either trained or highly experienced. The fact that he was 24   
   > when he wrote this, and to me (amateur) it sounds much more complex than   
   > traditional pop music. As someone was trying to explain to me earlier (I   
   > think), his vocal arrangements alone are nearly as complex as an   
   > orchestra. Not to mention that the melodies are beautiful. And the   
   > harmonies! Our Prayer sounds like Bach.   
   >   
   > My opinions, of course.   
   >   
   >   He   
   > > often doesn't make sense, and he gives conflicting answers to simple   
   > > questions from interview to interview, indicating that he's either so   
   > > nervous that he can't concentrate, or that he's losing his mind (I tend to   
   > > think it's more the former than the latter, but you never know).   
   > > Back to the Leno show....some people were giving him high praise for (get   
   > > this) smiling on stage and offering a handshake to Bill Cosby.  I don't   
   > > mean   
   > > to be cruel, but the praise some people give Brian is analogous to the   
   > > praise you would give a retarded child who ran a race in the Special   
   > > Olympics.  "Great job, Brian!  You shook somebody's hand in public!".  Come   
   > > on.   
   > >   
   > Again, I only know what I've read about him, but someone with extreme   
   > emotional problems/stage fright and everything else would have a hard   
   > time with these things. I think people are just happy that he's finally   
   > stepping out of his shell a little bit. He's given so much to music that   
   > it's nice to see him enjoying himself.   
   >   
      
   Man, I must admit, I like your answers better than mine.   
      
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