Unit 43: Special Subject Investigation - Written Piece

Why did the album "Smile" by The Beach Boys not get released until 40 years after its initial recording sessions?

The Beach Boys were a group of musicians and vocalists comprised of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love and school friend Al Jardine. They first gained notoriety for a string of successful singles appealing to the youth of early 1960s America, which were joyful and harmonious tunes about surfing, cars and life as a young person living in California at that time. The songs that they made early in their career reflected the music Brian Wilson had loved hearing on the radio growing up, and learned to play at the piano in his youth, which was typical 1950's rock 'n' roll and was broadcast from live shows and performances. The band enjoyed success in the singles market and had a following of a similar magnitude to that of The Beatles when they first breached US shores in 1964 to compete in the American market where The Beach Boys were seeing success. The songs though catchy were little more than pop ditties, but did show the writing talents of the band members, most importantly Brian Wilson, who would become the creative leader of the group during the years my article will document. There are important factors to answering my topical question in the groups early career, and the early life of Brian Wilson. Brian and his brothers didn't have an ideal up bringing due to the strict and often violent parenting from their father Murray, who would appoint himself as the bands manager during their early years while first gaining popularity. He was a looming threat in Brian's life and the two often came to blows until Brian, in November of 1964, had a nervous breakdown from the combined stress of working with his father, touring and writing on the road. This lead to some dramatic changes, which introduce us to the start of the story of Brian Wilson, the SMiLE project and The Beach Boys as a group during the rapidly changing culture of the mid 1960's. Firstly Brian took the decision to retire from the touring group and stay at home to write songs for his band mates to come home and perform for recordings, and also his father was fired from managing the group. To replace Wilson on the road, musician Bruce Johnston stepped in and became another member of the touring band. This is all the important introductory information leading us into the main segment of this article, but holds key information to the story of Brian Wilson writing smile as it shows where his writing style was during their early career and how he came to progress musically, but also shows the signs of possible personal problems with his mental health and personal relationships due to his youth and family life.

While Brian stayed at home to write for the group, youth culture was beginning slowly to change, and as it's well documented, Brian's adventurous mind was keen to be on board with the developments and progressions of modern life, as after all he was providing music that would need to reflect the times to stay relevant and for the group to remain successful. A key step forward in Brian's creative mind was his first experience with LSD, a drug which was legal in 1965 when it was first being suggested to be used by musicians as a hallucinogenic experience that would allow you to be more creative and expansive in songwriting and composition. Brian Wilson claims to have had the idea for their 1965 hit "California Girls" while experiencing his first acid trip.
The introduction of drugs was indeed a progression, but as was the case with many things at that time the health implications weren't always known, and prominent in the mind of the user, so while drug experiences from the use of marijuana and LSD were great for creativity, they wouldn't have been at all helpful for Brian's already fragile mind, and his possible mental health problems that could first have manifested in his breakdown in late 1964, due to the pressure upon him in his life. But for the meantime this was a good step forward in creativity, and upon hearing Beatles albums "Rubber Soul" and later "Revolver" Brian was more inspired than ever to embark on writing the most creative, progressive and intricate music of his career, in a sort of creative battle with The Beatles for supremacy in the musical world.
Brian's first efforts at this new songwriting were on The Beach Boys album "Pet Sounds", released in 1966. It contained 13 songs composed by Brian Wilson and co-written in eight tracks by Tony Asher. It was the first work to showcase his ambitious studio production, and contain instrumentation performed by session musicians and band The Wrecking crew, who Brian had seen working with producer Phil Spector and drafted in for this project. The writing was ambitious in it's musical properties and arrangements, and has been described by classic songwriter Burt Bacharach as "One of the great albums" and numerous other songwriting peers like Jimmy Webb, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Elvis Costello and Eric Clapton all said it influenced them or that they loved the album, even as some of these artists hadn't yet began a career. It did however only chart at number 10 in America, and no single reached number 1 despite making the Top 40, so many people at the Capitol record company and certain members of the band felt this musical exploration shouldn't be repeated again, and that they should aim to repeat the formula they had in their Surfing singles. This disappointed Brian after the work he'd put in, and some of the compliments he'd received from people like Lennon & McCartney, but he at least felt a certain triumph in that he'd achieved what he set out to do, and wouldn't be deterred from further musical exploration from a few skeptics in the group and the music industry altogether. The album is regarded as a classic experimental pop record today, mirroring Brian Wilson's concerns for himself in the song "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times" truly showing how he know how advanced his work was at the time.  

During 1966 when work on "Pet Sounds" was complete and the album was released, things were further changing in music and youth culture. The Beatles had expressed their dislike for touring after comments made by Lennon had been misinterpreted leading to mass hysteria across America, and the fact that as they progressed musically, the crowds weren't appreciating their musical progression or indeed listening to them at all. The Vietnam war was a massive topic of debate that caused a giant political division between the youth and older generations in America, and attitudes over topics of religion, education and life were seeing a size mic shifts between the youth and their parents. The Beach Boys, Beatles and bands of popularity with the youth market at that time were seen as idols, and their progressions in music, their interests in Indian Spirituality, drug related exploration, freedom of expression and radical new ideas were emulated by the youth of the time. Though many of the groups didn't advocate or encourage their fans to partake in this, a culture was born in 1966 referred to as a "psychedelic culture", the upmost example of this being the Haight Ashbury district of San Francisco where youth culture and the "hippie" and naturalist movements of the times were concentrated to this area as a sort of youth mecca for experiencing the new cultural revolution. Changes in views of peoples race, heritage, sexuality and personal views made for a more open and accepting community with an anything goes attitude reflected in "free love" and the summer of love in 1967, when the culture was at it's height. Many of these things can be mapped from the musical and lyrical content of popular songs and albums made during this time.
These changes would've been impossible for groups to ignore, and given that they almost kick started this revolutionary change, their music would surely need to change dramatically. Brian Wilson believed so, and as The Beach Boys toured again, he teamed up with a new lyricist and writing partner Van Dyke Parks, who had impressed Wilson when conversing with him, meaning he wanted Van Dyke to work with him on songs for the upcoming project. Meanwhile, The Beatles had been inspired by Pet Sounds, and were setting to work on their next exploratory sessions with producer George Martin, which would eventually result in Singles like Strawberry Fields Forever and eventually their landmark album Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band released in early 1967. Brian Wilson was most definitely a key figure in the musical progressions of the time, and now the pressure was on him to produce the goods that were expected of him from his band mates, peers, record label and fans alike.
The songs Van Dyke and Brian began to create contained lyrics far more advanced than typical pop tunes being played on the radio at the time. The lyrics touched on theme's of all sorts, but most definitely reflected Brian's interests in philosophy and spirituality, to which Van Dyke had contributed. The lyrics ranged from distant metaphor's to incredibly frank and obvious speech, with topics being as simple as eating vegetables in the song "Vegetables" to as complex as the cryptic poetry of "Surf's Up", with lyrics that could be interpreted to mean a number of different things, and allude to many subjects. As well as individual themes in certain movements, there was constant reference made to a cyclist traveling from Plymouth Rock to Diamondhead, which gave the album a constant narrative, allowed the writing to explore and comment on landscapes and events synonymous with certain places and give the music a classic Americana feel, which almost ties in with the legendary "American Dream" well documented in literature and music of all sorts since the American depression of the 1930's, which is this dream of individuals in American, leaving their working class routes and traveling to find success and money. Musically Brian and Van Dyke were both talented pianists, so the core of the tunes they were writing was piano based, and the intricacy of the pieces they were creating were up at a level of classic composers and writer's that had preceded Brian, the one he notes most favorably being George Gershwin who wrote Rhapsody In Blue in 1924, which Brian quotes as the piece he's loved since his childhood. These two key ingredients made for pieces of music far more advanced than most in the pop game of the time. For me though, the real elements that set their pieces apart came from the method in which they were devised, and the spin that put on the tunes making them so unique for their time. By saying this I'm alluding to them writing songs with a piano in a sand box for example, feeling sand under their feet and allowing this to almost involuntarily conjure up emotions, lyrics and musical ideas to poor into their work. Other instances similar to this include role playing for the song Vegetables, not only by totally committing to eating healthily and exercising when many weren't, but each taking on the role of a certain vegetable, in the hope that this would help them with their composition. Whether these bizarre methods were so informative to the songs or not could only be recognized by those involved in the writing process, but what it most definitely did was act as a constant reference to the ethos of the album which was indeed to make people smile, enjoy life and live a healthy and nourished life. It's suggested this was to counteract many bad events going on at the time, most notably a controversial war in Vietnam that would be plastered all over the news and papers of the time.  

The eccentricity of the writing process would be mirrored by the complexity of the recording process when Brian decided songs should be put to tape. He, as the producer had learned his craft from greats such as Phil Spector (Brian had reportedly craved the sound Spector had achieved on his recording of Be My Baby by The Ronettes). He knew he wanted to make exceptional music, but the indecision came from the sheer possibility of what could be achieved from one composition, which would explain the suites and endless variations of tracks on the tapes that remained when the project was eventually shelved. Brian and Van Dyke had so many ideas for certain pieces that the recording process would take longer, the musicians would have to play very difficult pieces and Brian's pioneering method of modular recording meant finished pieces didn't take shape in a linear fashion on the tape, they'd select favoured sections to use in tracks, and compositional elements from one tape could be injected into others giving a unified feel to the tracks, and a further out music vibe with the inevitable changes in key, tempo and time signature that would occur from this method of comping. Brian at first seemed level headed and stood by this method. The first track cut in this way was the single "Good Vibrations", which cost a reported $65,000 to make in the studio, but achieved the band their first number one record and sold millions of copies so more than justified this process. However, the lyrics to that single were written by band member Mike Love, who became dead against the lyrical progressions Brian and Van Dyke later made in the albums recording, and the fact that he'd provided the lyrics for this piece may answer as to why.

Brian persevered in the studio, and his and Van Dyke's work began to come to life from the playing of the Wrecking crew session musicians. His production angle was unconventional, and his direction may sometimes ask a performer to work out of their comfort zone and go further than their contracted requirements to create the sounds, for example to paraphrase Brian's comments, he asked a percussionist to make it sound more like jewellery when shaking a metallic percussive object. Also he pushed the limits of studio safety, bringing a burning oil drum into the live room when they were recording a suite based on the elements, to represent fire and make the players play with the intensity and urgency that'd you'd imagine you'd play with when faced with a fire in the studio. He also had the players where fire service hats as well. These techniques were odd, and could arguably be decisions he wouldn't have made without the influence of increasing drug use, simply to aid him with the work load he was facing, and relax him to heighten creativity. However, on the recording of "the fire tape" things became too much for Wilson, as on the same day they recorded this a nearby warehouse burned down, convincing Brian his actions in the recording studio had created this fire. It was becoming clear to those involved that the project was moving away from the original theme of the recordings, and was declining at a similar rate to Brian's mental health. Brian said in interview that he had been taking a prescribed relaxation drug (which I unfortunately cannot find to understand its effects and purposes) and had heard on his car radio The Beatles first release from their latest recording en-devours which was Strawberry Fields Forever. He claims he pulled over the car to listen, and upon hearing it's inherent genius felt as if the race to find and present the new pop sound was over, that The Beatles had done so and he'd been devastated by it's affect. After all his studio work was taking so much longer than theirs to do because of his techniques, and although he had equally great work in the pipeline, he must have began to doubt it when it didn't almost happen automatically. The final straw must have come when the other band members came to hear the instrumentals Brian and Van Dyke had prepared and learn the parts for the vocals they would provide. It became clear that Mike Love in particular didn't like the new music, and took particular dislike to a Van Dyke lyric in Surf's Up: "Collumnated  Ruins Domino" stressing he didn't know what it meant, didn't feel it made sense or indeed that this sort of artistic direction had a place on Beach Boys records. Brian knew he could sing all the vocal parts himself, but wanted "that Beach Boy blend" so continued battling to get their vocals on as much material as possible. Van Dyke had total confidence in his and Brian's work and is quoted in The Beautiful Dreamer documentary saying "It sure is tedious explaining lyrics" referring to the exchange with Mike Love during these vocal sessions. 

I feel having researched and followed this project that the pressure on Brian Wilson during the making of this record was the key reason for it's abrupt ending. Many things have already been referenced in the writing of this piece, but Brian was literally bombarded with comments from all angles, and deflecting these wasn't helped by his drug use, undiagnosed depression and media investigation on his work and life. They could be compiled into a long list but the key pressure came from four areas: The Press and Public, The Record Label, His Band mates and Peers and finally himself. Firstly, the media were keen to hype up this project, and were maybe coming to terms with Pet Sounds brilliance and therefore massively anticipating the next release to come expecting greater things. As time passed and the project missed several release deadlines, this only grew among the media and fans of the group. Months before the start of the recording process, the band had recruited the Beatles publicist Derek Taylor as their publicist, and he had set to work making sure no one could miss the imminent arrival of the SMiLE album. His move to work with The Beach Boys almost suggested he felt the greater work was coming from them, and he was keen to paint the picture of Brian Wilson: The Genius across the pages of the NME and such music publications. This wouldn't have helped Brian at all, and would've annoyed other band members that he was being singled out as the important member of the group. They also had television coverage, as Brian performed a solo piano version of Surf's Up for a Leonard Bernstein programme on the importance of advanced popular music in the 20th century, and though as Van Dyke said it was "validation" for their work, it also gave people this impression that what they were waiting for would be remarkable enough to impress even the toughest critics of popular music, which was yet more pressure to produce the goods. The Record Label were as eager as the press and public for this albums completion, but they cared less about its content, and more the profit it would inevitably generate given the coverage it was receiving. They were keen to get the record out, and set deadlines for the projects release that were missed, the most notable being that for its release in January 1967, which had a commercial clip contained in the Beautiful Dreamer documentary (53.30), containing a quote from the narrative of the advert which clearly says; "we're sure to sell a million units...in January!". This clearly shows the label were adment the record would be ready by that time although Brian was yet to have finished recording and sequencing the work. They also were pestering the band for a tracklisting to create artwork, and on the vinyl release of 2011, the back cover shows an approximated list of tracks provided by Brian, with the note "see label for correct playing order". They were so resolutely sure they wanted to LP out that they were willing to compromise Brian's creative vision and jeopardize the quality of the product they were to be releasing! This prompted the band to file a law suit against the label, which saw the departure of more key figures in the process of making the record and preparing it for release, further slowing the process. Some of his bandmates still remained against the direction of the music, adding more pressure to Brian as he felt he had to convince them before he could convince the world of his projects quality. Finally this created the pressure he would have inevitably put on himself, as it was down to him to prove everybody wrong, and make executive creative decisions on the album, shaping everything that was the album. All these things would've been crippling for him, making creative freedom none existant, and massive slowing proceedings in key stages of the record. There were master tapes containing masses of material, and aside from engineers with theoretical knowledge, it was his sole responsibility to sequence them into individual tracks, and into a complete album of work. Many key men and women departed during these latter stages, including Brian's writing partner and creative supporter Van Dyke Parks, who felt he was too integral to the project, jeopardizing the band dynamic and was unhappy with the circumstances that the project had been put in by the label, and felt they should enforce restrictions upon the artist. 
Although many of these people that were involved in the project testify that drug use had no negative impact on the making of the record, the same cannot be said about the effects they had on the creative leader of the project. It was clear that he wasn't happy with the difficult situation he was in and as the project began to stop, he became depressed and physically ill according to friends. Drug use cannot be completely written off as an important contribution to the holting of the project, as many people involved were having their own experimentation with drug use, and its needless to say that with marijuana being used during the duration of the project that no one would be 100% fit to work productively under its influence, despite the possible creative benefits. In conducting my research I was put in touch with a man who knew lots about The Beach Boys and had ties with musicians who had worked with them at later stages of their career and he put across a very interesting point that's quoted below:

"The drugs also 'medicated' him from the pressures of being sole writer producer arranger for the Beach Boys but only served to exacerbate his problems. It's interesting to compare his situation in 1966-7 to that of The Beatles who shared all their responsibilities and had a producer in George Martin. The Beatles drug taking, particularly Lennon's was largely taken in his stride and worked to enhance his creativity. Brian wasn't made of such strong stuff!"

This is an interesting and valid point, as its true that The Beatles could experiment with drugs with less immediate effect on the progression of their projects, as they had four members all working on the album, three of them writing material and a straight producer in George Martin who was always on hand to do the work and keep the project rolling. In interviews Paul, John and George hadn't hidden the fact they'd used LSD, and as songwriters it had helped them write and then when it came to the studio they weren't needing to use during that time so heavily for creative purposes and they had people around them to help, whereas Brian worked as a solo creative director and producer, he had no one to bounce of creatively and was using drugs to assist his creative endeavors because he was so ambitious and sought so many possibilities in his music. This highlights a key different between two groups, at the height of their careers, the one not touring and dedicating all to a solid recording set up paid diffidence.

The shelving on the project seemed certainly the only answer for Brian, though it pained him to do so, and his subsequent health declined after this decision. The label didn't have their product, and it would be arranged that future releases were from Brother records, though still distributed by Capitol, and more creative freedom was handed to Carl Wilson. Many fans were deeply disappointed at the shelving of the project, not to mention Beatle producer George Martin who said himself how he and The Beatles looked forward to hearing it. It'd arguably did little to ease the tension between the band members, and Brian's health remained a problem throughout later projects into the 1970's. Capitol released a Beach Boys compilation in the 1970's containing Good Vibrations, and very minimal versions of Wonderful and Vegetables were included on the replacement SMiLE album smiley smile in late 1967, also a more complete sounding Heroes and Villains was used, but nothing promising the grandeur and beauty of the SMiLE project that should've been their staple release of 1967. There's no doubt in my mind that The Beach Boys longevity and status was harmed by the loss of this album, though they are remembered as legendary today, they had no releases to coincide with the summer of love or any youth movement resembling it, and The Beatles provided the unofficial anthem of the period with their track "All You Need Is Love". Also these things combined must have been devastating for Brian, paired especially with the irony of the SMiLE project causing the exact opposite as was intended for the key figures involved. Needless to say, the project was avoided by Brian for some time, both in interview and in creative work. In the run up to 2004 however his life took several steps for the better, as he met and wed Melinda Wilson who gave him emotional stability and a new purpose in life with making music. He was reintroduced to music, becoming a concert performer which would've given him more confidence in the build up to deciding to re-work SMiLE, and finally with a new set of talented musicians and vocalists around him he performed Heroes & Villains at a concert in his honour in 2001, and the reception it got was enough to convince him that this music was worth reviving on the stage with The Brian Wilson Band, who were instrumental in reviving the tapes and sequencing the work into a performance that would massively resemble the album package that followed it.

In the run up to the 2004 gigs, there was speculation as to whether this was a good idea, and many thought Brian wouldn't be able to work on the project again without it having a negative effect on him like it had in 1967. However this time, technology was able to give massive assistance to the project, and the band around Brian was able to learn and perform everything Brian was arranging in the studio back in '67, and all Brian would need to do for the performance at least was perform the vocals. So band member Darian Sahanaja first worked alongside Brian by converting all the material on the tapes to digital files, and putting important musical elements into a sequencer allowing the two of them to sequence the works quickly and non-destructively, which simply wasn't possible in 1967, when Brian wanted to sequence the album in essentially the same way. This enabled them to complete songs and movements in structural terms, and also to brainstorm new ideas and add lyrics that weren't recorded or even written for certain sections, with Van Dyke Parks once again providing his services, though doing so with trepidation as he knew only too well what committing to this could do to Brian again. It's definitely worth mentioning at this point that what was and wasn't prepared and completed when work was revisited is very unclear without access to original materials or the expanded box set, and it's therefore also unclear which parts were overdubbed recently in the  2011 recordings release, and what was originally there in it's entirety or just as an idea or snippet. Either way, what the three came up with certainly sounded like three complete movements and a solid idea of what the album could've been, and when it was performed live it was well received, which must have encouraged the next move, which was to provide a complete picture of what the LP could've been if it were completed in 1967.

The 2011 release I have, and have listened to for the duration of this writing sounds brilliant. It is in Mono, as many of the tapes were made prior to stereo reproduction, so not all sources could be made into stereo mixes, and Brian also felt due to his production techniques, that having a record in Mono was the only way he could guarantee the listener heard what he intended, given the same sound comes from the Left and Right speaker in a stereo setup. The record contains extended and elaborated versions of songs listeners were teased with on the Smiley Smile release of 1967, with crucial short instrumentals and tracks between, showcasing the recurring sections of music, themes and lyrics, with incredibly detailed and intricate sections, and clever combinations of odd instruments both percussive and melodic to revive and present the compositions in the most complete sounding way they've ever been. The box set release, with the 19 track double LP, stereo mixes of some tracks and studio out takes and alternate takes was given a 10/10 review from Pitchfork, which aren't handed out so often. They referenced the expansive sound of the album, and the genres or sounds it derived from saying:

"Cowboy songs, cartoon Native American chants, barroom rags, jazzy interludes, rock'n'roll, sweeping classical touches, street-corner doo-wop, and town square barbershop quartet are swirled together into an ever-shifting technicolor dream." 

They continued to say how the decision to dedicate a side of vinyl to each of the three movements was a key choice, and talked of how each contained a pop masterpiece:

"Each movement has at least one pop masterpiece. On the first, there's "Heroes and Villains" and "Cabin Essence", both exploring western themes in Parks' bent style. Here and especially on side two's "Surf's Up", the level of Parks' writing is astounding. He had the sound-driven jumble of imagery of contemporaneous Dylan, but his words were far tighter and more disciplined. He also understood the power of a good pun. Sounds are slurred together to take on new meaning through clusters that extended beyond the spaces between the words. So, "The music hall, a costly bow," in "Surf's Up" also sounds like, "The music holocaust," and lines like, "canvas the town and brush the backdrop," layer image atop image with breathtaking efficiency."

This review finally when referencing the mass of bootleg's and people's craving to hear the completed album said:

"(if you want only the record proper, the 2xLP, with key outtakes added on the fourth side, is absolutely the way to go)"

And I agree most definitely with this comment having heard certain offerings, this package sounds as complete as an obsessive fan could imagine, and the outtakes on the fourth side provide the most crucial outtakes and studio banter as I've heard when looking for it. The movements sound complete, and seem to resolve as you'd expect, so nothing leads me to think this album falls short of the mark, and so that's why  I decided to use it as the record I reference when commenting on the sounds of the record.

The record does indeed tick all the boxes for a fan of fine music. The album opens with a barbershop vibe accapella tune named "Our Prayer" which is contains remarkably complex harmonic melodies, each changing of it's own accord, making it impossible to secong guess where will vocal part will take the short movement. It then flows into "Gee" which provides the first hints at the chords and melody of Heroes and Villains which proceeds it as the first large instrumental song of the album. This song lyrically chops and changes between themes, but is compelling to follow, and sets the scene perfectly for the rest of the movement to follow. Tracks "Do You Like Worms", "I'm in Great Shape", "Barnyard" and "Old Master Painter" contain reminders of the distinctive melody of heroes and villains, and move the themes further from the start point keeping the momentum of the songs going, with Old Master Painter/You Are My Sunshine introducing the first minor key and softer sound of the record showing some of Brian's vulnerability, also exhibiting the way he can cleverly manipulate an existing tune and fit it seamlessly into this movement. The short track "I'm in Great Shape" contains the first sniff of a modern adittion, as the transition from the track to the next is with a building echo/delay which sounds distinctly modern, although it may have been an idea from the original sessions. The side finishes with Cabinessence which is the most instrumentally rich track on the first side, moving from simple banjo, piano and vocals to a massive chorus with surging bass and string section, arrivals and departures of strange percussion and a xylophone, with layered vocals become almost indecipherable in parts with so many syllables being squashed into sections of the track. The second side of the record is introduced in the opposite manner, with the very soft vocals of Brian Wilson over a harpsichord with only the introduction of backing vocals and a desolate horn for 2 minute track. This moves into "Look (Song For Children)" which introduces the chords and lyrical phrasing of "Child Is Father of the Man", which shows just how ambitious Brian was being in stretching his compositions. "Child Is Father of the Man" also showcases some of the most complex group vocal arrangements on the album, with many different vocal phrases being staggered and introduced on and off beat, and it also contains a melody without vocals, which in the SMiLE live performance contained lyrics with it, and this is the case for several tracks on the record given the volume of ideas of how they could present songs. The final song of this movement is "Surf's Up" which fans in 1967 may have heard a performance of on Leonard Bernstein's "Inside Pop: The Rock Revolution" documentary. It contains some of Brian and Van Dyke's most far out lyrical work, and exhibits Brian Wilson's excellent falsetto vocal range, as he hits an F an octave above middle C, a note unattainable for many pop singers then and today. This track is described by Brian as the best song he and Van Dyke wrote together, and many suggest that in the obscurity and madness of the lyrics are metaphors suggesting problems with events at the time, like the Vietnam war to name an example. For the third and final movement the mood is lightened with the introductory track containing a soft jazzy vibraphone and field recordings of workshop tools, again showing another facet of Brian's imagination. This runs into "Vegetables", which is the most experimental use of percussion on the record, containing all sorts of strange sounds, many of which were overdubbed in the revisiting of the project. Supposedly Paul McCartney provided the sound of biting through celery, another example of the respect renowned artists have for Brian's work. This track also contains the melody of Heroes & Villains as the bridge, showing the versatility of the work as well as the imagination of Brian. The song "Holidays" is mostly instrumental, containing melodies from earlier tracks and the following track "wind chimes". "Mrs O'Leary's Cow" is a short instrumental section from the elements suite, and the session in which fire was brought into the studio and there was a coincidental fire nearby, first suggesting Brian's instablility from the drug use. "Love to say Dada" follows with subdued vocals, and ends with a section of the acapella vocals from "Our Prayer" acting as the perfect segway to the final track "Good Vibrations" the smash hit single of 1967 containing the distinctive Tannerin in the chorus, acting as a reminder to the listen the initial intentions of the project before its collapse. Assuming this is as close to the finished album as we can ever expect to hear, which those involved believe it is, then it is one of the strongest pieces of work I've heard, and would fit effortlessly among the classic albums of its time, and our current time. The detail,complexity and experimentation for me holds significance with why the album was never released for more than 40 years, and I think the sheer quality of the work is massively underestimated as a factor in it's shelving in 1967. I as a musician know first hand how difficult the music is from trying to work out how to play it myself, and spending hours trying to work out certain chords and inversions that aren't apparent until you try  to play them yourself. It's a shame the work was never completed in 1967 or 1968, as the concerns over it's experimental nature may not have been such a problem after all, given that The Beatles were making songs like "Revolution 9", and a whole host of artists like Jimi Hendrix, The Electric Prunes and The Doors were experimenting more with the studio equipment, as albums approached what's regarded as a golden age. 

It cannot be underestimated how large the weight of expectation was for this record to be released, and that combined with the craving to make a perfect record undoubtedly contributed to Brian Wilson's struggles during this time. We've established that the drugs, along with their relatively vague guidelines on usage side effects could have done terrible things for Brian Wilson's mental health and well-being, and that the disorganization of those around him, and the misinterpretation of Brian Wilson's creative ideas would've been enough to convince a fragile musician whose intention was only to create great music for people to enjoy, to shelve his most ambitious project and return to the more sterile chart tunes that had first gained him and his band mates multinational notoriety. In my opinion the work is as appreciated today as it deserved to be all those years ago, and though few understood its true intentions and subliminal themes of happiness and slight leads of Brian's instability, it makes for a complete sounding and joyful record, which should most definitely be listed as one the finest works for all the members of The Beach Boys efforts. I do believe in conclusion, that no one factor can be picked above the others as the reason why SMiLE was not released until 40 years after the recording sessions, but as it was the most unreleased album up until its completion and release in 2011, it was never doubted that Brian Wilson was one of the most talented songwriters, and that the work would indeed have been as strong as we now know it to be. 



 Bibliography:

Beautiful Dreamer: Brian Wilson and the Story of 'Smile' (Documentary October 2004)
Documentary Link
The astonishing genius of Brian Wilson (The Guardian June 2011)
Guardian Article Link
The Resurrection of Brian Wilson's Smile (Sound on Sound October 2004)
Sound on Sound Article Link
Goodbye Surfing, Hello God: Brian Wilson's tortured effort to finish 'Smile' (Rolling Stone November 2011) Rolling Stone Article Link
The Beach Boys - Smile Sessions Album Review (Pitchfork November 2011)
Pitchfork Review Link
Interview Questions with Peter

Unit 43: Special Subject Investigation - Conducting Research

After conducting my research by the research plan, I have been able to find out lots of information about certain areas, and can form a good structure to write my final investigation. Below is how I will layout my write-up and write about the information I've learned during research:

• P1 Introduction - Introduce the band members, and brief early career information. Talk most specifically about Brian as the songwriter, and that his earlier life and career could provide answers to his mental illness during the time. Also talk about the project, who worked on it and what the concept was and how they wanted it to turn out.*
• P2 Pet Sounds - Lead into success prior to Smile with this album. Influence on the groups sound and progression, what the fans and label thought.
• P3 Life in 66-67 - Talk more briefly about life generally in america in 1966, things happening to influence songwriting of Brian and Van Dyke, legal drugs, changing attitudes, war etc.
• P4/5 Songs & Session - Talk in depth about the songs written and the sessions as these are the core of the album and the subject. Talk about what was "completed", the complexity, the other band members input, the wrecking crew, the ambition of the project, songs and session.
• P6 Pressure on BW - Largest section of writing, sub categories from spider diagram, how things got too much for him, what it lead to.
• P7 Shelving/Project Aftermath - Why they shelved the project, everyone involved and affected by this.
• P8 Sound of 2011 LP - What the collected work is like, is it complete sounding, does extra material compare/enhance. Answers for why original tapes never finished/left so long before revisiting.
• P9 Conclusion - Personal view, address the title question, try to provide an answer and bring the piece to a close.

* I'm analysing the double LP release with 19 mono tracks as "the album" because although their are 100's of different takes, versions and suites using parts of songs, I feel this is what was decided should be the final album, and although not everything recorded in the sessions made the album, the core of the project was the songs written by Van Dyke Parks and Brian Wilson and these are the ones that feature in this album, so I'm analysing that.

This structural plan will help me to write fluently, and ensure I don't miss out any crucial information. The span of my research has helped me determine what happened when, so I've planned to try and write things chronologically as well as referring to things as they're important to be mentioned. Also I hope by following this structure the investigation will be easy to follow for a reader who knows nothing of the story.

Below are seven spider diagrams I made to present my research in a different way to just writing paragraphs. These were decided when I was conducting research, mostly from watching the Brian Wilson documentary which alluded to important factors in the shelving of the project. These lead me to making seven spider diagrams, which hopefully cover all areas important to the answering of my question.

Also, when conducting my research  I was put in touch with a Beach Boys fan, who has ties with musicians that had previously worked with Wilson's after this project was shelved. I was able to ask him some questions to aid my investigation, and the answers to these are below. I hope to refer to these as often as possible, as they definitely match up with knowledge I've gained from research, and also provide a personal opinion on the work too, which is imperative to have in this write.


1. What do you believe is the biggest contributing factor to the Smile project being shelved in 1967? Do you think drug use was or wasn't a contributing factor as this seems constantly debated as I've been researching.

Josh, I think it was a combination of things compounding against Brian. I think the drugs tipped him over the brink, but only because he was already damaged from growing up in a dyfunctional family, particularly because of his abusive father Murray. The drugs also 'medicated' him from the pressures of being sole writer producer arranger for the Beach Boys but only served to excacerbate his problems. It's interesting to compare his situation in 1966-7 to that of The Beatles who shared all their responsibilities and had a producer in George Martin. The Beatles drug taking, particularly Lennon's was largely taken in his stride and worked to enhance his creativity. Brian wasn't made of such strong stuff!. The other element was his relationship with cousin Mike Love who famously didn't like Brian's new musical direction nor his drug intake. He wanted Brian to stick to 'the formula' ie, Car & surf songs. I think Brian felt betrayed and unsupported by the group.
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2. Do you think the complexity of the music being made for this project was too much for the band members includi ng Brian Wilson to complete it?

No, because Brian used the most 'hip' session musicians on the West Coast at the time, many who were jazz musicians who were already used to playing complex off the wall music.!. He was writing in fragments at the time, what he called 'feels' and that might have been a sticking point for some players who were used to recording songs in one take.  I think he didn't complete it because he lost faith in his own abilities.
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3. Do you believe the collected work from the Smile Sessions is among the best that the band has ever made or do you prefer a different era or LP of theirs?

The great thing about the Beach Boys music is that it has distinct developments akin to The Beatles. SMiLE has to be the most experimental phase. Personally I like all the changes and thrill at their breath-taking development with captain Brian at the helm. I'm very fond of their albums once Brian is no longer at the helm, when Carl his brother takes over the baton in albums like 'Sunflower' 'Surfs Up' 'Carl & The Passions' and '.Holland' I don't like much of their output after that time.
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4. I have the 2011 Smile Sessions Double LP with 19 mono songs, and some stereo mixes on the fourth side, if you've heard this package of tracks, do you think it sounds sequentially like a complete project/album or do you think it should've included different material?


Well, I know it was completed with Van Dyke Parks and some of his new band, Darian & scott in particular. I think Van Dyke has said it was completed from memory of what was intended and some new ideas added.. so it can never be what it would have been.if . I used to buy bootlegs on cassette at University and knew every single part of the album from those old bootlegs, so three was nothing new for me in the 2011 album other than the new additions..

hope that's of help! - do ask me more if you need to GOOD LUCK!.
Having conducted all this research, and gained information from many different sources, I feel I'm in a position to write up my investigation in a well rounded and unbiased manor, without missing out any crucial information to form an answer to my title question.

Unit 43: Special Subject Investigation - Creating A Research Plan

Creating a Research Plan

Given that The Beach Boys were an internationally successful group in the 1960's and the "SMiLE" album was eagerly anticipated, there has been quite a lot of things written and made about it since it was supposed to be released in 1967, right up to it's final completion and release in November of 2011. Also this means there are 44 years worth of events to take into account to compile a well rounded article. Therefore as well as splitting my research into sources in different formats, I will also ensure it's relevant not just to 1960's culture but to all the time between the ideas conception and the final album release, as profiling Brian Wilson's life through the decades this album lay dormant may provide important information to why it was finished when it was. Below is a table showing my sections of research and how I will categorize them, and also by what time I will have finished researching them, to start my final write up on this topic.

After conducting this research using these methods there maybe unforeseen areas I want to look at so this plan may not cover every aspect I want to talk about in my final write-up as I could discover more when I actually research, but for now I feel this is sufficient. I will create detailed spider diagrams to present this research, as this will allow me to expand from the question or topic, and move into broader areas of research without compromising necessary  detail in the information. Also, I will keep notes recording where certain pieces of information and quotations have been lifted from so I can refer to them in the report, and in the bibliography also. 

Unit 29: Live Sound Techniques - Video Task 2

Unit 29: Live Sound Techniques - Video Task 1

Unit 29: Live Sound Techniques - Tech Rider

This task specifies all the equipment needed for two acts to perform a concert, in the form of a technical rider detailing the equipment necessary for each act and justification for those pieces of equipment being used over other viable options. Tech riders are crucial for the smooth running of a gig and achieving the best sound for the acts, so is a vital thing to issue to venues.

PA System/Monitoring:
For front of house speakers I will use 2 Yamaha DXR15 active speakers suspended from a rig facing down upon the audience at 45 degree angle, suspended using specific UB-DXR15 brackets for hanging these speakers in this way. I'm using these as they're two way bi- amplified with an FIR-X Tuning crossover meaning they split signals into appropriate signal bands to be passed through either the loudspeaker horn or cone so they can be amplified more efficiently. Also combined they provide 1400W of continous power peaking at a combined 2200W, which when paired with the bass bins will be ample power for the 500 capacity venue. They have a frequency response up to 20KHz which means no frequencies will be lost in amplification. These are well reviewed by Sound on sound magazine who are a reliable source for information when choosing industry standard equipment. I will pair these with DXS15 active subwoofers which provide bass response as low as 45Hz, and the bass can output high SPL levels due to a band pass style of casing, which allows waves to escape through the cone and also an enclosure on the side with space behind it for the waves to bounce around and gain energy before emmiting. These too are highly regarded and recommended to be paired with the DXR15's so I will use them. Combined they provide 1200W of continous power and 1800W at peak power which when combined with the DXR15s will make 2.6kW of continuous power, and 4.1kW of peak power which will be adequate for the 500 capacity venue. I will need kettle leads also for the mains power these require. For band monitoring I will need 6 Yamaha DXR12 monitors, which both acts will use. These have a very similar specification to the DXR15s being used as front of house monitors, and will therefore provide the same quality and clarity, only they're smaller cabinets than the DXR15s so are more practical to be dotted around stage, and are discreet so won't spoil the visual of the band from audience perspective. All these speakers are active meaning they generate their own amplification so there's no need for pre- amplification. The configuration of the monitors is shown in the stage diagrams at the bottom of the page in which they're numbered 1 to 6 and correspond to numbers on the channel sheets for sending certain channels to certain monitors for what the performer needs to hear.

Outboard:  
Graphic EQ - 1 x DBX 1231  - It has two sets of 31 EQ band faders, covering a frequency range of 20Hz to 20KHz, which mirrors the range of human hearing so will eliminate all necessary frequencies that visibly feedback through the vocal mics on stage. Having two sets means a lead vocal mic and backing vocal mic used on stage at once can have their own levels set as each may respond to the environment differently. Also having more bands to control means that what's removed can be more specific, as with less bands you may have no choice but to remove frequencies that are fine because they're in the same band as a frequency that's feeding back, which could compromise the clarity of the final front of house sound.
Crossover -1 x DBX 223xs - My crossover only needs to split sound into two bands as my Yamaha DXR15 speakers have a built in crossover for high and mid signals, so I just need enough to split the signals into lows and mids/highs and output them via XLR to L and R speakers. This crossover is capable of doing this, and has 40Hz high pass filter for the mids to accentuate the sound, and the controls for which frequencies are being split to each channel are good as you can control the input and output level, invert the phase if necessary for a fuller sound and define which frequencies should be classed as low or mid/high. This will be good enough for my speakers to perform at their best.
Compressor - 6 x Drawmer DL241 XLR - I need six compressors as they're useful for shaping instruments sound regardless of their dynamic range, so these will be in use on my snare and kick, but also the lead and backing vocals, acoustic guitar and bass DI signals. The DL241 has balanced jack inputs and outputs so will connected to the desk with patch cables. It has controls for the threshold of sound and ratio which is how the signals above the threshold are acted upon, so they can be set to suit instruments with different properties to their sound. The output level and gain controls allow you to put signals back to the volume they were before this process but now with a fuller amount of sound in a smaller frequency band to be sent to the speakers.
Noise Gate - 2 x Drawmer DS201 - I need two noise gates for my kick and snare on both kits as they only play at a constant volume, so can avoid have no sound sent to the mix unless they're played, and this will clear up the mix of drums preventing spill. The DS201 has controls for the attack and release of the gate, which help to shape the sound which gets through, and mean that the full impact and resonance of the drum can be allowed through before the gate closes again, and there's also useful filters to take unwanted high frequency that could be present from cymbals out of the signal also.
Reverb Unit - 2 x Lexicon PCM92 - These will be used for lead vocalists and backing vocalists and the snare drums of both kits to give them a more natural character. They will have signals sent to them via 2 stereo channels on my desk, and signals will be sent to those by auxiliaries pots on individual channels so we will end up with dry and wet signals to blend. This digital effects units has many presets to suit the instrument they're used on, for example there will be plate reverb suited for a snare drum to use on these, and the sound of natural vocal reverb in settings like large halls or outside spaces to play around with and give the singers a nice sound. This will also be used to give singers a comfort reverb in their monitors, and these mixes are sent by auxiliaries in the master to the monitors. This effects unit has high sample rates and bit rates so the effects added to the signals will sound pure and natural, and there's also a useful tap tempo button if a delay is required to be paired with a specific type of reverb, but the multi-effects unit can also cover this. 
Multiple Effects Unit - 1 x Lexicon MX200 - This has many features of reverb unit but also more outlandish effects presets like phasers, delays, tremolo etc. It wouldn't be used as regularly though as not many instruments or effects would need them all the time, but an example could be delay on the snare drum after the hit in a slower song to add character to the track. It has many presets, and a useful tap delay button so the delay can be set in time to the beat of the kick drum avoiding any problems with the effect. It has balanced jack inputs and outputs so would need XLR to jack cables to connect to a stereo channel, otherwise inputs of channels on jack to jack.
Mixing Desk:
For this gig I will be using an Allen & Heath GL3800-832C analogue mixing desk with 32 channels and 10 Auxiliary sends. The reason I have specifically chosen the C configuration is because that gives me 4 stereo return channels right of the master section which I'd need for my effects units, and the 32 channels are for my 26 instrument channels and 6 monitors which each need their own channel. A channel list for both acts at the bottom of the page will justify the necessity for this many channels. The auxiliaries are to send monitor mixes to each act (aux 1 to 4 for rappers delight, 5-8 for dead flowers) and then the final two are for outboard like the reverb unit. I chose this desk as any house engineer will be familiar with analogue controls and can provide the band with a nice sound, but also as it has channels with mono and stereo functionality which are really useful for the stereo outputs of mixers which the decks mixer and keyboard mixer use, as each side can be controlled and processed down one channel and controlled with one fader making blending all instruments together easier. Other important features include pre/post aux on each channel meaning a channel can be used for monitors where signals have to be pre fader so they're not removed from a monitor when balancing, and post fader when controlling reverb applied to a channels output so when the signal is removed the reverb effect isn't left behind in the mix. Also each channel has a 100Hz low pass filter meaning channels with instruments not in the lower frequency band can have this removed leading to a cleaner more spacious mix. Also channels have individual phantom power meaning any mic's requiring phantom power which in this case is 5 channels (5,6,16,17 and 21) they can be sent to just those microphones and not restrict the grouping of channels and instruments on the mixer, as if it worked in band, each acts microphones may have to be mixed up to provide them all with phantom power which would create confusion for the engineer and send unnecessary phantom power to some dynamic microphones. Finally each channel has assignable talkback which is very helpful during the sound check pre-gig as the engineer can easily route the SM58 to each monitor to talk to performers through their monitor to check their levels are ok, helping to speed along the sound checking process.
Alternative Desk:
The Yamaha LS9 digital mixing desk would be a viable digital alternative to the Allen & Heath GL3800 I have chosen to use. It has the same amount of mic/line channels available and each of those has built in processing in it to apply to the signals on that channel, which would remove the need for outboard, however you're stuck with those options, so having the lexicon reverb unit would give far more diversity and options than channel presets. It's lightweight, supposaidly enough for one person to carry and setup which is a benefit over the GL3800, but could this be as a result of compromising rugged and strong materials to build both the exterior and the interior components? It also has multiple fader functions, meaning as well as faders controlling volume they can control EQ bands in the mix, but this could lead to mistakes from the sound guy and make troubleshooting more difficult if a problems occured on a channel or in a certain frequency band that a fader was also in charge of. There's an effects interface which allows all effects to be controlled from one place on one screen, which could be very convenient when organizing what effect to apply to what channel, but could again be a problem when trying to make changes as you'd have to flick through settings to find the problem. All in all, this is a good alternative to use with it's pros and cons, but I feel the analogue desk and outboard gear makes more sense as the physical connections can be easily accessed and troubleshooted, and they also give specific controls which allow you to shape the sound with more detail. 
Multicore:
I will use 2 proel EBN2408 multicore's as I need 26 multicore inputs so will have to go across two boxes, and I need 10 outputs so will use 4 on one for the 4 FOH speakers and the other six to send signals to my on stage monitors. This is a multicore made by a reputable company with rigid and durable materials, and it also has coloured cables to quickly identify sends and returns which speeds up set up. It is a slight inconvenience having to use two seperate multicore's, but the extra channels will be helpful for any technical problems before or during the gig, so ammendments can be made if sockets are faulty.
Microphones:
2 x AKG D112 Dynamics for kick drums on both kits. Good low frequency response and can withstand high SPLs so is the perfect candidate for a kick drum microphone.
6 x Sennheiser E604 Dynamic microphones ideal for toms, snare and percussion which come with stands that clip to the rim of a drum, meaning they're discreet and securely attached to the instrument they're recording. These will be for the two toms and snare of each drummers kit.
4 x Audix ADX51 These condensers are suitable as overheads to pick up cymbals and toms including the floor tom, and can withstand SPLs of up to 142dB with the pad over the caging, meaning they shouldn't be damaged by loud cymbals and can be placed more flexibly and discreetly for the drummer and audience sake.
2 x Shure SM57 For Dead Flowers' electric guitar amps as they can be placed up against the skin of the cabinet and pick up all the neccessary frequencies to give a good recreation of the amp sound.
4 x Shure SM58 Ideal vocal microphones for both bands backing vocalists and lead vocalist/MC as they're durable and well performing stage mic's specifically designed for the voice.
1 x Sennheiser E906 A dynamic instrument mic with good frequency response and an optional high boost on to excentuate the brass sound of the trumpet and bring it out in the mix of instruments. also it shape and clip allow it to be positioned at a comfortable angle for the player, which many other dynamic instrument mic's don't do.
1 x DPA 4099 This is a small clip on condenser mic for the acoustic guitar in Dead Flowers set. It clips to the body of the guitar like a vice mechanism, with padding so not to damage the imstrument, and the the head moves freely to get different tones and not restrict the performers playing.
2 x Radial Pro-DI Passive DI Box This DI box will be used to take the line output of the DJ mixer and turn the signal from line level to instrument level, and output it via an XLR which is compatible with inputs in the multicore. So it amplifies the signal and gives suitable means to send it the multicore. It's made of durable materials, and has a shielded transformer which means the component is isolated from other internal electrical components so cannot be susceptible to interference, and is less likely to distort signals due to its high impedance level.
4 x Radial Stage Direct Muting DI Box These DI boxes will be used for each bass player in each band, and the keyboard player in Dead Flowers. They're good for stage use as they have a filter to effect the peaks of output signals and a -10dB pad for the high outputs of instruments like keyboards or basses. It has an output to XLR and amplifier so a DI signal and amplified bass amp could be used together for a richer sound with a phase allign switch to allow the signals to work together, and also there's a mute button which allows a bassist to quietly re- tune their instrument when a tuner is connected to a tuner input in the side of the DI box. As they're active they require phantom power which will be sent down the instruments individual channels in the desk to the boxes.

Other:
Tall Stand (Boom Mic Stand) - 9 x K&M 27105 - Reinforced material and adjustable height making them suitable for all vocalists, trumpet player and drum overheads. 9 in total for both groups equipment to members to be mic'ed where required as detailed on the channel list.
Small Stand - 4 x K&M 25935 - These shorter stands are made from the same durable materials but are far shorter to mic up instruments or amplifier cabinets placed on or close to the ground, which will be 2 kick drums and 2 guitar amps.
2 x Intellistage Mobile 2x2m riser - These risers will hold each drum kit, allowing the first acts kit to be placed in front of the headliners and then wheeled of stage allowing the other to be wheeled forward for the next performance. They have a wide enough bass for a 5 piece kit and drummer, and they have brakes to hold the riser still during performance. They will make the change over much quicker and have health and safety benefits preventing unnecessary heavy lifting.

Channels 1 to 12 for Rapper's Delight

 Channels 13 to 26 for Dead Flowers

These diagrams below show a layout for the two bands, the top one for Rapper's Delight and below that for Dead Flowers. This explains the "Send to Monitor (Via Aux)" column on my channel list as I have only 8 auxiliary sends available on my mixer to use for monitor mixes, but each band has six monitors, so for each act there are 4 aux sending 4 different mixes to 6 monitors, so some of the mixes are the same on different monitors. Hopefully this column shows which monitors need to play which instruments to the performers enabling them to play in time with the rest of the group and comfortably hear their playing and singing in the case of the lead and backing vocals. Both groups will have their equipment set up on stage at once, meaning the first group will perform using the front half of the stage, then have their equipment removed for the second acts performance. The diagrams below show how the first group will be set up allowing the headline acts equipment to be positioned behind it, and then the headline act can utilize the whole stage on the second diagram.

Venue Plan

Here's a diagram showing the layout of my 300 capacity venue. It shows key sections like the stage, standing area and sound engineer box.

Unit 25: Music Production Techniques - Unmixed Multi-track

Unit 25: Music Production Techniques - Finished & Mixed Multi-track

How I mixed the track:

The first thing I did to the track was editing the audio regions and adjusting their position to ensure that timing was correct. I first tried to time everything to the kick drum, as that plays constantly through the track and would be good to allign the rest of the drums and instruments to. I made slight timing alterations to some parts of the guitar track, but didn't make any extreme changes like beat mapping. I used strip silence on each of my tracks to eliminate background noise, but didn't on my left and right overheads as these picked up sounds from the whole drum kit, and strip silencing them may cause balancing issues, and loose certain sounds, changing the characteristics of the drums. So the strip silence worked effectively I changed the threshold and seconds of silence before action settings so that it worked effectively. I also shortened regions with silence at the start and end so the track wasn't swamped with unneccessary background noise.
The next step was to EQ channels to create a sound that worked individually when the channel was solo'd and with the rest of the instruments in the entire track. The first thing I EQ'd was my kick drum, And I used the EQ bands to scoop out unneccessary frequency bands, which would create space for other instruments to occupy and hopefully give my completed mix extra clarity and definition to the instruments. I applied EQ to all the instruments but not to the left and right overheads as they contain lots of drums at different frequencies so removing certain frequencies may have a detrimental affect on the sound of the kit. Also when EQ'ing I tried to compensate for some sounds, for example the bass recording sounded quite dull so I made a little EQ band to excentuate frequencies around 250Hz which made it sound nicer. After all the EQ was done I then added compression to some instruments. The compression creates a threshold to how loud a sound can go and gives a ratio setting which dictates how a sound above the threshold is acted upon. Ultimately the compressor brings all the sounds down, and then gain is added to bring them up to the level they were at before, but with less dramatic changes in pressure levels and volume, meaning it sounds more settled in the mix with other instruments. I added compression to my lead and rhythm guitar, bass and  kick and snare drum to make sure these weren't ever too loud or quite throughout the tracks duration.
I didn't have any massive timing issues in my track so I didn't need to use time flex or map kick drums to a timeline, but I did make small ammendments to the guitars where occasional strums were out. To do this I either cut out an incorrect strum and replaced it or dragged it into time with a fine movement selected. Also whenever I cut an audio region I added a cross fade over the cut so there isn't an obvious click if the waveform isn't at zero as it moves from one region to the other.
After all this I started to change the characteristics of the sounds and making the mixer sound nicer with effects like reverb to add depth to sounds, and also using amp designer to create a nice distorted guitar tone for the lead guitar. I first put the amp designer plug in on the lead guitar track and created a nice tone by moving the parameters like middle, treble and bass and then experimented with some pre-set sounds before deciding on a final sound. The reverb could be used as an effect itself or to give the end product a unified sound that sounded like a group recording and not different elements brought together. I used a plate reverb setting on my snare drum to give it character and then later applied reverb in groups to the drums as a whole.
The final step was adding plug ins and effects to the master fader. These were not to alter the instruments but to bring the entire mix up to a professional standard of 44,100 KHz and 16Bit. It's worth noting also that by this stage I'd bounced all my tracks to audio files and put them in a fresh project so not to be distracted by effects plug-ins as that stage was finished. I created a "smile curve" to give the illusion of extra volume, and also brought levels up to a maximum of 0.3 on the master fader so nothing was clipping, but ensured the dynamic range was still intact so the track wasn't boring with very little dynamic interest. Once all this was done the track was finished.

Unit 7: Composition - Full Length Composition 3

Unit 7: Composition - Full Length Composition 2

Unit 7: Composition - Full Length Composition 1

Unit 7: Composition - Short Ideas 1 to 7

Unit 7: Composition - Extended Idea 3

Unit 7: Composition - Extended Idea 2

Unit 7: Composition - Extended Idea 1

Unit 43: Special Subject Investigation - Proposal

1. How has Tape Delay helped to define the sound of Dub Reggae?
I decided that I wanted to choose a question on Dub Reggae because I first heard it recently and was very interested in the alterations made to the original reggae tracks to create the interesting sounds of dub. I identified that one of the most distinctive sounds in the majority of tracks was the Tape Delay applied to certain instruments to make the track sound spacious along with extra reverb on instruments like the drums and snippets of vocals with delay also applied to them. Because of this I thought it would be best to research the reasons behind using such a dominant effect to shape the sound of a new sub genre, who used it first and how it has not only defined the sound of the genre but had an influence on music prior to it, and resulted in tracks from genre's like hip hop and experimental/drone having dub versions of their tracks. The tape delay effect is was created using hardware equipment before the digital era, and this means there's lots of equipment to research into, and see what devices created certain sounds and applied certain characteristics to the tracks. An example of one is the Roland re-201 space echo, which would've been used during the 1970s when dub reggae was forming as a sub genre.
Other areas that interest me are the remixing and alteration of existing tracks, and this is one of the earliest examples of taking pre-recorded music and changing and manipulating it in a creative way. Another reason I'm drawn to the topic is that the Jamaican producers responsible for kick starting the dub movement were already producing reggae and rocksteady, which I know very little about but I like the examples of this music that I've heard, so I'd like to find out which famous tracks from reggae and rocksteady were turned into successful dub tracks. Having looked online I've found a website which tells a story of dub revolution and then sites various books, articles and websites used to create that article, and the shows me there are lots of resources available for me to make a complete investigation.
Here's the link
http://debate.uvm.edu/dreadlibrary/bush.html
2. Why did the album "Smile" by The Beach Boys not get released until 40 years after its initial recording sessions?
Firstly, I wanted to write about this topic because I recently became very interested in the music of The Beach Boys and the songwriting of the band members (Brian Wilson in particularly) which has been acclaimed as some of the best songwriting of the 1960's. I liked the songs I'd heard and then heard about an album called Smile which was started in the mid 60s and never released, until work resumed over 40 years later and was released in a box set and still not as a definitive album, with no guarantee that it is how the album would've turned out if they kept working on it in the 1960s until it was done. I liked the mystery that surrounded the recording and the relationship between band members at that time, and how that all contributed to the album's abandoning.
During the recording sessions, Brian Wilson who wrote the majority of the songs and co-produced the recording used some interesting and innovative techniques to create the album. Examples of these are creating an interesting mix and blend of instruments within the restrictions of mono recording and playback, and also the decision to assemble a backing band as session musicians to perform the musical parts so they knew that they could get a good take without wasting time or tape during the sessions. They had previously created an innovative sound on the 1966 release "Pet Sounds" which influenced many bands including The Beatles, and they were set to go further on Smile, but maybe some of the band members weren't comfortable with the creative changes that were being made. As The Beach Boys are such a popular band there have been lots of things written about this subject making it easy to research, and also due to the recent release of extra material there will be fresh information from the band members themselves and people reviewing the release.
3. David Bowie: Follower or creator of fashions?
David Bowie is as famous for his image and iconic style as he is for his music. Often era's of his musical career are defined by the characters he has played during them, like the character Ziggy Stardust which he created on with his album "Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars". He was one of the first musicians to express himself in more than just a musical way, by also applying his knowledge of other arts like drama and artistry to create the a unique act that no other musician could match at that period of time. I'm interested in what persuaded Bowie to act in such a way and not just be a straight forward musician, or in fact an actor or artist. I'm interested in how much of his image was down to his own creation, and how much was inspired by or possibly stolen from underground art or fashion movements. I'm also interested on how his image changed throughout his career, and the correlation between it and the style of music he put out at the same time.
David Bowie often changed the genre of music he made, and worked with different musicians to achieve these changes, so I'd want to find out whether the style dictated the music or the music dictated the style. There are lots of documentaries about David Bowie's career which focus on his music and image, so it would be easy to find information on this, and also the recent release of his first album in seven years may have brought him to peoples attention again.
Conclusion:
I've decided that of the three subjects I would like to research my second topic, Why did the album "Smile" by The Beach Boys not get released until 40 years after its initial recording sessions? I believe I'm most interested in this out of my three subjects, and feel I could produce the best article on this subject due to the extensive research others have done into it, and the mass of material the band produced for the SMiLE project. I've been able to create a spider diagram which helps to break down the subject, and has lead me to think I can create a detailed and accurate investigation, and this image below shows those spider diagrams that I've done to start planning my research.