Prog bands influenced by The Beach Boys' SMiLE

That is a toughie.   Phenomenal record in all its incarnations.   I'd guess the biggest influence would've been on what became known as 'avant garde';  Zappa, early Floyd, some of the Beatles later stuff, and maybe guys like Morgan Fisher and Dave Greenslade.   But the album broke so many rules and is so bizarre at times I can't see how it didn't have an impact on almost everyone.   At least those who listened.

How do you Like Brian's re-recording ?




Edited by Atavachron - June 14 2014 at 00:15

 Agreed, I love both equally for different reasons (though you can't beat that first issue)

Even if they're not listed on PA (nor should they, just like The Beach Boys shouldn't), you definitely want to check out Animal Collective. Sounds like what you're looking for. Personally I consider albums like Strawberry Jam and Merriweather Post Pavilion, as well as the solo album from Panda Bear - Person Pitch to be modern heirtakers to the experimental sway of SMiLE.

Got me a little confused on this one as the original Smile sessions were pretty much scraped and  what was salvaged was the inferior Smilely Smile album after Brian "lost it". I personally think the material on the recently released Smile Sessions album is overrated with the exception of the song Surfs Up. Back to the question on Beach Boys influence, Pet Sounds undoubtably influenced the Beatles to use the recording studio as an instrument for the first time, a key component of early prog as well as helping McCartney to envision the bass guitar as more of a lead instrument  and freeing it's role from that of a rhythym instrument only. I don't know off hand of anyone else they influenced then as their street cred quickly nosed dived but I heard a song recently from alt/folk rockers Fleet Foxes that was pure vintage PS and SS era Beach Boys, so obviously someone has been listing to these albums lately.






Edited by SteveG - June 16 2014 at 15:37

The Residents must have been influenced by this:

Atavachron wrote:  ^ So you don't like Smiley Smile and you don't like Smile.   That means you probably wouldn't have liked the original album as conceived back in '67, which if given the proper attention likely would've rivaled Sgt. Pep for new and original pop music.   Smiley Smile, even as released in its stillborn state, was bold;  a whole new way of looking at experimental rock music which in '67 made Piper at the Gates of Dawn and Freak Out look undisciplined, and the Beatles tame.   It is a breakthrough if completely unacknowledged masterwork.

If the original Smile album was released as conceived back in 1967, I highly doubt that it would have rivaled Sgt. Pep. any more than the Four Season's Genuine Imitation Life Gazette album did when it was released in '69, as the musical times had quickly changed with the advent of acid rock mixed with social consciousness. As Jimi Hendrix once opined after first hearing Hereos and Villians, the song sounded to him like a  "psychedelic barber shop quartet". (His observation was not meant to be a compliment.)  However, without a machine to alter past events, the best we can do is speculate.





Edited by SteveG - June 16 2014 at 15:39

SteveG wrote: Atavachron wrote:  ^ So you don't like Smiley Smile and you don't like Smile.   That means you probably wouldn't have liked the original album as conceived back in '67, which if given the proper attention likely would've rivaled Sgt. Pep for new and original pop music.   Smiley Smile, even as released in its stillborn state, was bold;  a whole new way of looking at experimental rock music which in '67 made Piper at the Gates of Dawn and Freak Out look undisciplined, and the Beatles tame.   It is a breakthrough if completely unacknowledged masterwork. If the original Smile album was released as conceived back in 1967, I highly doubt that it would have rivaled Sgt. Pep. any more than the Four Season's Genuine Imitation Life Gazette album did when it was released in '69, as the musical times had quickly changed with the advent of acid rock mixed with social consciousness. As Jimi Hendrix once opined after first hearing Hereos and Villians, the song sounded to him like a  "psychedelic barber shop quartet". (His observation was not meant to be a compliment.)  However, without a machine to alter past events, the best we can do is speculate.

Smiley Smile makes Pepper look like commercial trade music, even unfinished.   And how do you know Hendrix meant his comment as a slight?   Do know the context of the statement, or are you assuming that's how he meant it?   I gather the latter, as it fits your viewpoint.   In reality, Mr. Hendrix was quite adept at where pop music and rock 'n roll was headed and would have seen the LP for what it was: an innovation.   He was too sensitive and open to all musics, and besides 'Heroes and Villains' is just one cut off the record, and a great one BTW.   It was "Psychedelic Barbershop", that was the point.   Hendrix heard that new sound and probably wished he'd been as good and well-organized as the Beach Boys.   They did as much or more for the art of rock than Jimi ever did when he was alive.

A Rum Tale by Procol Harum has instrumental characteristics of a quirky Brian Wilson ballad. It's in 3/4 and has the feel and odd but melodic chord voicings often stroked by Wilson. The Residents seemed to grab the instrumental style on Smile and that is evident  on Mark Of the Mole, Tunes of Two Cities, Fingerprince. 10CC were influenced vocally and occasionally instrumentally on Original Soundtrack, Sheet Music, and How Dare You. Very Smile related and also on Godley and Creme.

Dean wrote: For many years (erm... 40?) SMiLE was more a myth than a reality so the number of bands that could have even remotely been influenced by it would be pretty small. Of course some may have been influenced by the myth of SMiLE, or at least the idea of SMiLE, but more would have been influenced (at the time) by Pet Sounds. <span style="line-height: 1.2;"></span> <span style="line-height: 1.2;"></span> <span style="line-height: 1.2;">Anyway, someone mentioned BEno...</span> <span style="line-height: 1.2;"></span> <span style="line-height: 1.2;">Ba-ba, barbarian...</span>

Dean, great suggestion. I remember being a young music fan that, along with my friends, tried so hard to reconstruct the lost Smile album from outtakes, bootlegs, and the like, that we probably never even seriously considered the music!! So, I can clearly see how someone could have been influenced by the myth or idea of Smile. Again, well done.

Edited by SteveG - June 17 2014 at 16:18