Heroes And Villains Sessions 1 And 2

The Beach Boys

Wilson Records SURF 001

Front cover is taken (I think) from a picture sleeve from that area - six colour photos featuring (clockwise) Dog (with Brian peering round the back), Bruce (in blue and white check shirt), Carl in a rowing boat, Brian in the pool, Dennis (adopting strange posture behind US policeman) and Al in a park emptying a wheel-barrow full of dead leaves (don't ask why!).

Now to the music divided (very arbitrarily) into 10 "tracks".

1. In The Cantina (2:56)
Sounds to me like the whole Cantina version from the twofer - only in sub-standard sound quality.

2. Evening Session (8:35)
Someone rehearsing the organ part of "Fire". Someone rehearsing the low chromatic piano licks that constitute "Fire". Studio chatter / "Fire" Snippets from the extended 7-minute version released on the box set. "Mama says" segment.

3. Vocals (6:15)
Vocal rehearsals of that acapella segment which also turns up in "All Dressed Up For School" and "Goin' On" - you know the one I mean. Lots of studio chatter between takes.

4. With Me Tonite (15:27)
Someone tinkering on a piano - vaguely melodic but not heard in any released version. With Me Tonite - fast version that appears on the Vigitone boot. Vocal rehearsals for the dit-dit-dits before "How I Love My Gal" Studio chatter Farmyard noises Vocal rehearsals for the dum-dum-dums

5. Vocal Sessions (9:46)
Studio chatter and more dum-dum-dums Cello rehearsals for H&V verses (very interesting) -almost swamped in the final mix. Piano rehearsals (I think it's VDP) for the Cantina section Organ licks - weird bits previously unheard.

6. Take 3 (5:36)
Rehearsals for the lush strings on the 7-minute version Brian is directing the musicians throughout.

7. Dil Dog (11:30)
Backing vocal rehearsals for the slow "sunny down snuff" section. NB - Mike is really into this - this evidence suggests he had no qualms about singing these notes.

8. Do We Have To Do It Again (3:59)
Backing vocal rehearsals for the bom-bom-boms as the song slows down just before sunny down stuff.

9. Dum Dum Dum (4:26)
Deep dum-dum-dums just before the weird noise near the end of the alternate two-fer version. More backing vocal rehearsals of the high doo-doo-doo bits just before the All Dressed Up/Goin On section.

10. Heroes and Villains
A few seconds of someone tinkering at the piano.

Well there you have it. Possibly the most pointless thing ever committed to CD or possibly a very interesting historical record of the creation of a major work of art. (Or possibly something in between.) Sound quality is mostly very good. If you want studio chatter from the era and evidence of Brian's total control of the studio environment then this is certainly for you.


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