ghost of miles

The Bing Crosby set, disc 5. Featuring it and tracks from the recent Getz/Barron PEOPLE TIME box for a Memorial Day Afterglow show.

I think hearing the original material is a must. try tracking down the 4 cd box set "Best Unsurpassed Masters ( 62-69). On Disc 4 you will find the Smile lp in very good sound all things considered. I have been lucky enough to have seen Brian live 4 times in the last 5 years twice playing the entire Smile album. Unbelievable and The Wondermints ( his backup group) are just fantastic. I just got a copy of this and I'm about half way through it right now. I have to say so far it's excellent. I haven't heard the 2004 recreation but this is pretty amazing....... The Beach Boys SMiLE - a STEREO reconstruction (or "Not another damn SMiLE mix??!!??") by Purple Chick SBD > ? (many varied sources, I'm sure) > 'original' CDR > EAC > FLAC > you 1: Our Prayer/Gee 2: Heroes And Villians 3: Roll Plymouth Rock 4: Barnyard 5: Old Master Painter/You Are My Sunshine 6: Cabin Essence 7: Wonderful 8: Song For Children 9: Child Is Father Of The Man 10: Surf's Up 11: I'm In Great Shape/I Wanna Be Around/Workshop 12: Vega-Tables 13: On A Holiday 14: Wind Chimes 15: Mrs. O'Leary's Cow 16: In Blue Hawaii 17: Good Vibrations Very Unnecessary Bonus Tracks: 18: Vega-Tables (vocals only) 19: Our Prayer/Gee (mono) 20: Heroes And Villians (mono) 21: Roll Plymouth Rock (mono) 22: Child Is Father Of The Man (mono) 23: Surf's Up (alternate) 24: I'm In Great Shape/I Wanna Be Around/Workshop (mono) 25: Vega-Tables (mono) 26: In Blue Hawaii (with mono sections) 27: Good Vibrations (stereo - original lyrics) Brian Wilson's 2004 arrangement of SMiLE as performed by the Beach Boys back in the day. In glorious STEREO, just like it says on the cover. We decided to do it the way we imagined which necessitated edits, manipulation, speed tempo and pitch correction, etc. Despite killing all the sacred cows it sounds mighty fine to us. seeder's note: There have been many, many other attempts at reconstructing SMiLE. This one is by far the best I've heard. It all flows together beautifully, the arrangements and cuts are probably as good as we're going to get. Also, unlike any other version, it's almost completely in stereo. I think only "On A Holiday" is mostly mono, by necessity. Good Vibrations really packs a punch. I found an informative site RE: Purple Chick's Smile http://www.earcandymag.com/purplechicksmile-2005.htm I really, really dig the Purple Chick reconstruction--I finally listened to Wilson's 2004 release today and found an awful lot to like in it, but some of the music sounds better to me in the original versions, esp. when heard in the context of the PC full-length, simulated-album context. (Which follows Wilson's 2004 running order, btw.)

Thanks for posting the video of the actual incident, Papsrus--until now I'd seen only the clips of Braden yelling at A-Rod afterwards. Before seeing it I was inclined to think, "Hmm, A-Rod's having another 'moment,'" (despite my enthusiasm for his 2009 season, I'm not a kneejerk defender of the guy...I just think he has a good side I'd prefer to see constantly in charge) but after watching what happened...BFD! At least, certainly not worthy of the temper tantrum Braden threw in response. Mountain out of a molehill, indeed...if Braden's so ticked off, put it into K'ing A-Rod three times the next time you face him.

Listening right now...you're talking about the sinking of the Reuben James and your travels across the Atlantic during WWII.

Lately I've been immersed in Vladimir Simosko's excellent bio-discography of Shaw, but tonight I stumbled (quite by accident) across this brand-new book: Three Chords for Beauty's Sake ...is this the same Tom Nolan who wrote a biography of Ross MacDonald? EDIT: Evidently so

Some interesting names in that one from 68. Roseboro hitting the 1-5-3 TP from pitcher Dooley Womack to third baseman Bobby Cox (yes, that Bobby Cox) to Mickey Mantle. I noticed that as well. Weirdly enough, between 1965 and 1968 NY turned three triple plays--years in which the team overall had descended to a stinky level of mediocrity.

Yanks finally dropped one today, but they still took the series from the A's--first time since 1926 that they've won the first five of the season. Impressed that Oakland was able to pretty much shut down the NY lineup over the past two games, even though we won last night, mostly on the strength of Phil Hughes' great outing (man oh man, if he pitches well out of the #5 spot in the rotation all year...look out! ). CC had a good enough game today, just gave up too much in the first inning via two walks and a HR to Suzuki (who definitely has NY's number, based on the stats I've seen). If nothing else, Posada and Granderson got a day of rest, Rivera and Chamberlain stayed in the pen, Tex finally uncorked another HR, and NY turned its first triple play since 1968.

Yankees-A's going into the bottom of the third, and Nick Johnson has already walked twice--bring his season total to 18 BB with NY playing its 14th game tonight. If NJ maintains that pace he will end the season with 208 walks total.

One way to avoid getting tagged by the catcher at home plate: Leap over him!

I definitely plan on checking out the 2004 SMILE. Re: the late-1960s "Wind Chimes" tracks, to me the SMILEY SMILE version sounds like Brian's gone on a bad ludes trip. And while yeah, there's definitely artistic merit and even a weird kind of honesty perhaps at work there, I still dig the luminous spell of the earlier version much more. It's genuinely beautiful--and that's so rare that I find myself going back to it, brief as it is. Track grabbing me right now: Artie Shaw, "Fred's Delight" (Tadd Dameron tune).

McLouth's walkoff: Game over, team gone!

Guru of "Jazz Thing" fame passed away yesterday at the age of 43.

Yes, ghosted by Billy Strayhorn. Doesn't look like this book purports to be a biography, rather more of a "Duke-in-his-times" undertaking. I'd love to read a comprehensive, well-written bio (would have to be two volumes, I'd guess), but not sure one will ever come about... like Miles, Bird, and Trane, I think the best approach may always be to read at least several different at-length takes on their lives and music. Ellington's career on record is what, 50 years? And incredibly dynamic years at that for Ellington, for American music, and for American culture and history. That's a lot to get your ears and head around in 300 or so pages.

Get along, big ol' Aggie! Best b-day wishes to you.

One I'd definitely like to read: Duke Ellington's America

That's what I thought... many thanks, y'all.

...walk into a bar?

Iirc there's been some debate about the gig that makes up part of Columbia's Clifford Brown BEGINNING AND THE END cd...can anybody else weigh in on this? Here are listings from one online discography for Brown (bold emphasis mine): >>Clifford Brown - Max Roach Quintet Clifford Brown (tp) Sonny Stitt (as -8) Sonny Rollins (ts) probably Richie Powell (p) probably George Morrow (b) Max Roach (d) Bob Story (ann) WIOR radio broadcast, "Continental Restaurant", Norfolk, VA, June 18, 1956 1. Just One Of Those Things Philology (It) W 1008-2 2. You Go To My Head - 3. Good Bait - 4. One For My Baby Philology (It) W 1009-2 5. Someone To Watch Over Me - 6. What's New? - 7. These Foolish Things - 8. I Get A Kick Out Of You - * Clifford Brown - Brownie's Eyes, Vol. 7 (Philology (It) W 1008-2) * Clifford Brown - Brownie's Eyes, Vol. 8 (Philology (It) W 1009-2) Clifford Brown Sextet Clifford Brown (tp) Billy Root (ts -1,3) Mel "Ziggy" Vines (ts -3) Sam Dockery (p) Ace Tisone (b) Ellis Tollin (d) "Music City Club", Philadelphia, PA, June 25, 1956 or May 31, 1955 1. A Night In Tunisia Columbia KC 32284 2. Donna Lee - 3. Walkin' - * Clifford Brown - The Beginning And The End (Columbia KC 32284)<< So is the Norfolk gig actually the last recorded performance by Brown that we have?

The Purple Chick mix of the Beach Boys' "Wind Chimes" from the original SMILE sessions: Wind Chimes Beats hell out of the SMILEY SMILE version IMO. Haven't heard Brian Wilson's 2004 version yet, though.

Rain Parade doing "No Easy Way Down" in 1984 or '85 (performance starts about 2:35 in): No Easy Way Down Also a recent story about the Plimsouls on NPR: Plimsouls

Video of Let's Active doing "Waters Part" in 1984: Waters Part Video itself nothing to write home about, but I still love that song (and all of CYPRESS).

Will be interesting for sure--in the first game you guys are going up against Vasquez, who's been one of the few weak links for NY so far, and in the second game against Phil Hughes, who had a pretty decent outing in his first start, but who's still certainly a bit of an X factor in NY's starting rotation. I'm hoping he develops into a solid-to-very-good starter, as Andy Pettitte can't keep pitching forever (and is probably a good bet to retire after this season).

Wish there could've been a recording of Dameron's Lexington band.

for another year of the King's reign!

Man, good thing the Yanks took 2 of 3 from Tampa Bay earlier this month, as TB seems incapable of losing to anybody else so far (and they're currently batting in the top of the 9th with a 7-0 lead over the Red Sox at Fenway, meaning they'll likely end the day tied with NY at 9-3 atop the AL East). Pettitte looked great today for NY, and it was nice to see Gardner (batting lead-off!) and Pena (filling in for Jeter, who has a cold) make important contributions. Gardner racked up three infield hits yesterday and is a menace whenever he gets on... not bad for the guy who normally bats 9th. Beginning to wonder if we should eventually move him or Granderson into the #2 batting slot at some point this season... Nick Johnson has piled up a lot of walks so far, but little else. He's hitting .176, but has a .429 OBP! Crazy...he's also K'd a lot so far (11 times) and has no speed. Hopefully he'll start to get a few more hits. Speaking of slow starts, Tex finally hit a HR today. Overall, NY looks very, very good so far--certainly off to a much better start than last year. Age and the wear and tear of a long season obviously concerns for NY, but we've got two very good back-ups (Cervelli, who's proving to be a dynamic battery-mate for CC, and Pena) to spell two of the vets (Posada and Jeter), so that helps. But man, Tampa Bay is looking awfully good, and Boston's sure to bounce back sooner or later. Going to be quite a firefight in the AL East this year! On another note, here's a NY Times article about former Yankee Alfonso Soriano's struggles with the Cubs so far this season. Whatever Soriano's issues, anybody else wonder if the blog/twitter/non-stop 24-7 sports coverage cycle is provoking fans and journalists to jump the gun more and more on making trade-'em/fire-'em, he's-all-washed-up speculations?