In a message dated 9/7/00 7:38:27 AM Eastern Daylight Time, Nick.Dastoor@guardian.co.uk writes: << Poor old Brian went mad eventually, trying to come up with a punchline to some fantastically elaborate gag involving vegetables and Red Indians that would completely rewrite the book of comedy >> Is this a reference to the legendary "Smile" album? The greatest album never made? (in my estimation) If it is, Nick has won my undying adulation and is the reciepient of my Wookie "life debt" as it were. There just isn't enough talk about Smile these days. You would think a 16 track concept album devoted to capturing Americana and The Elements on the same slab on vinyl would at least merit an occasional namecheck. Perhaps not. Speaking of monstrous concepts, I would have thought with the all WHO fans who live around here SOMEONE at sometime would have brought up "Lifehouse" by now, but that too goes unmentioned. Our heroes gave their sanities to make albums that they would eventually junk, the least we can do is pretend we've heard them. Brian Wilson really did have some fucked up jokes though. He would always tell the really corny, proto-typical Beach Boy ones to the studio muscians when they were cutting a record (sample: "I really dig my new shoes man...they've got a lot of "sole". [silence] Now let's try this tambourine bit again...") The Beatles obviously had the brains and wit of the Pan Atlantic rivalry but Brian had the innocence, charm and mental instability, all of which adds up to a much more interesting story. I'm sorry, I love the Beatles as much as the next guy but I don't think "Motherless teen duo goes on to become greatest songwriting team in history" compares very well with "Partially-deaf, overweight, paranoid-schizophrenic overcomes thieving father and sadistic cousin to write, arrange, produce and market several of the greatest albums of all-time." Beatles: rich, arrogant, self-aggrandizing...Brian Wilson: rich, arrogant, doesn't know where the hell he is. I like Ringo very much, but then again I'm a drummer so maybe thats why. He wasn't a very technical player (Paul was rumored to be light years better) but his stuff just fits so well and ended up being such a Beatle trademark that anyone who says the Beatles were soiled in any way, shape or form by his presence is not a very good listener. How about She Said, She Said? A Day In The Life? Come Together? Long, Long, Long? I rest my case. I'm addicted to Fantasy (American) Football... Steve C. *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* "Which Paul?" "BLAH!" visit http://callowkids.tripod.com or your crush will hate you forever Call WRNR 103.1 at (410) 269-1031 and request Callow's "Lessons in Shut-eye" or you will have bad luck...forever or something. +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the undead Sinister mailing list +---+ To send to the list mail sinister@missprint.org. To unsubscribe send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to majordomo@missprint.org. WWW: http://www.missprint.org/sinister +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "tech-heads and students" +-+ +-+ "the cardie wearing biscuit nibbling belle & sebastian list" +-+ +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +-+ "pasty-faced vegan geeks... and we LOST!" - NME April 2000 +-+ +-+ "peculiarly deranged fanbase" "frighteningly named +-+ +-+ Sinister List organisation" - NME May 2000 +-+ +----------------------------------------------------------------------+