Birrkuta: Wild Honey [Import]

Birrkuta: Wild Honey [Import]

Birrkuta: Wild Honey [Import]

Track Listings
 
1. Tears for Law (Garrathiya Run)
2. Yolngu Woman
3. Ngarrpiya (Octopus)
4. Superhighway
5. Bapane
6. Djatpa
7. Timor
8. Matter of Choice
9. Stop That
10. Lorrpu
11. Spirit of Peace
12. Yirrmala
13. Honey (Birrkuta)
14. Cora
15. Mice and Men

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Long-awaited new album for Australia's most famed aboriginal / dance combo.

Birrkuta: Wild Honey,Yothu Yindi,Mushroom Records,Aboriginal,Aboriginal Rock,Dance Music,Int'l & World Music,Pop,World Beat,Worldbeat
Smiley Smile/Wild Honey
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • An Elegantly Flawed Disc
  • Goodbye Surfing, Hello God !
  • Smiley Smile 2 stars - Wld Honey 4 stars
  • Smiley Smile- 4 Stars Wild Honey- 5 Stars
  • An awesome CD!
Smiley Smile/Wild Honey
The Beach Boys
Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  1. Friends/20/20
  2. Sunflower/Surf's Up
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  4. Little Deuce Coupe/ All Summer Long
  5. Carl & The Passions - So Tough / Holland

ASIN: B00005ABX0
Release Date: 2001-04-10

Tracks:

  1. Heroes And Villains
  2. Vegetables
  3. Fall Breaks And Back To Winter (Woody Woodpecker Symphony)
  4. She's Goin' Bald
  5. Little Pad
  6. Good Vibrations
  7. With Me Tonight
  8. Wind Chimes
  9. Gettin' Hungry
  10. Wonderful
  11. Whistle In
  12. Wild Honey
  13. Aren't You Glad
  14. I Was Made To Love Her
  15. Country Air
  16. A Thing Or Two
  17. Darlin'
  18. I'd Love Just Once To See You
  19. Here Comes The Night
  20. Let The Wind Blow
  21. How She Boogalooed It
  22. Mama Says
  23. Heroes And Villains (Alternate Take)
  24. Good Vibrations (Various Sessions)
  25. Good Vibrations (Early Take)
  26. You're Welcome
  27. Their Hearts Were Full Of Spring
  28. Can't Wait Too Long

Amazon.com

These albums mark nothing less than a watershed in the Beach Boys' and Brian Wilson's careers. Fresh from the artistic triumph of Pet Sounds and the landmark single "Good Vibrations," Wilson began work on Smile, a project that would become a music fan's Rashomon: pop's most (in)famous unreleased album; artistic Waterloo for Wilson; near career-ruination for the band. Smile seemed an attempt to expand on the jigsaw session methodology Wilson had applied to "Vibrations." What went wrong has been debated for decades, but Smiley Smile was the album that followed in the summer of '67--a "bunt instead of a home run," as Carl Wilson admitted. Bookended by the glories of the "Vibrations" single and its truncated follow-up, "Heroes and Villains," Smiley can seem an exercise in creative schizophrenia. There's an earthy quality to remakes of Smile tracks "Wind Chimes," "Vegetables," and "Wonderful," while Wilson's "Fall Breaks," "Little Pad," and "Whistle In" underscore his playful, off-center instincts. But this album also anticipated the roots-conscious retrenchment that the Beatles and Bob Dylan would undertake at the end of the '60s.

Wild Honey has taken its place as a cult fave among fans, and rightly so. Its surprising R&B influences (epitomized by the buoyant title track, "Darlin'," and "Here Comes the Night") were not only a brave turn for a band just then at a low ebb, but a prescient pointer to the black music explosion of the early '70s. This great twofer edition includes some of the series' best tracks: a near seven-minute "in progress" suite of "Good Vibrations" outtakes as well as a complete early version; the odd, Smile-era B-side "You're Welcome"; a beautiful live rehearsal rendition of the a cappella showcase "Their Hearts Were Full of Spring"; and another suite of edited session takes for the unreleased standout "Can't Wait Too Long." -Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars An Elegantly Flawed Disc.......2007-05-22

I feel that this grouping of albums is a blessing in that you can get two important but slightly flawed albums of Tehe Beach Boys for a low price. The music is unbelievable especially Smiley Smile. It is exhilirating to hear Brian Wilson's genius in this stripped-down form. What is there just teases you as to what it would have been if all the problems of Smile hadn't occured. The second half, Wild Honey, is just fun Beach Boys, no psychedelia at all, just fun. It's a great summer album all together, the first half for when your blazing, the second for when your driving around in the hot summer air. I recommend this album.

5 out of 5 stars Goodbye Surfing, Hello God !.......2006-07-16

Smiley Smile - The "released" version of Smile is here in a smaller scale. If you ever wanted to hear what the Beach Boys would sound like on Hashish and laying on their backs while singing harmony stoned, get this, it's really good.
Wild Honey - White soul before there was white soul and 10 years before Hall & Oates and the white Philly soul movement, The Beach Boys did it in 1967.

3 out of 5 stars Smiley Smile 2 stars - Wld Honey 4 stars.......2005-11-16

Smiley Smile simply is the moment when the Beach Boys died. It maybe impossible to imagine now, but up to 1966 the Beach Boys were as respected as artists as the Beatles. Smiley Smile is a rushed album, with practically no instrumentation whatsoever and many under-rehearsed vocals, except for Good Vibrations and Heroes and Villians. If Capitol ever releases a Smile box set as they promised, Smiley Smile will be then send to oblivion, in the hall of shame where it belongs. The world never took the beach boys seriously after that. Wild Honey is actually a very good album, not better than Pet Sounds or Smile, but different than anything they ever did before. Some of the songs and arrangements are totally Brian Wilson at his best. Some of the 'soul' vocals I find difficult to digest and I miss the Beach boys blend on the songs. The extra tracks on the album are ESSENTIAL to any serious beach boys fan, so, if you are, you need this album.

5 out of 5 stars Smiley Smile- 4 Stars Wild Honey- 5 Stars.......2005-08-23

Letting go of the "what could have beens" with Smile hasn't been easy for many Beach Boys fans- yet it tarnishes a lot of what they did afterwards. There have been many bands that have had aborted projects- some songs found life in other projects. In the progression of The Beach Boys circa 1966-67 there's Pet Sounds, the "Good Vibrations" single, Smiley Smile, and then Wild Honey. There was a time when I might I have thought that Smiley Smile and Wild Honey were steps back artistically; especially when I would put myself to wondering about the aborted Smile project; but in my maturity the steps back artistically have become steps forward humanly. The proceeding albums had less flair and "ambition"; the staple became more and more friendly and subtle- especially when you include the wonderful Friends album.


The enormous ambition that was so much the core of Brian Wilson's progress had turned into personal flights of fancy. The remnants of this, Smile, was rerecorded and turned into Smiley Smile. Parts spooky and haunting, parts comical and silly, the music is complex yet at times astonishingly simple- it was an exorcism and slow return to being the Beach Boys. One major change that started occurring during the recording of this album is that the Beach Boys started recording the music themselves without the assistance of the Wrecking Crew (a famous group of LA session musicians).

Although I have preferred the "Smile" versions of Wonderful, Vegetables, Wind Chimes they are not without plenty of charm. She's Going Bald and Little Pad are fun ditties that have some experimental elements. Although this is a personal estimation I think some of the songs could be very disregarded by the most serious fans such as Fall Breaks Back Into Winter and Getting' Hungry.


Within the same year they had switched tracks to a much more earthy less psychedelic sound. The result is the highly enjoyable Wild Honey. This is a truly great album by the Beach Boys- this was their back to basics album with a new found interest in R&B. It was a group effort on many levels- the song writing was very good and the performances had a passion and honesty that I have found on Pet Sounds without the self indulgence. Songs like Darlin', Wild Honey, Here Comes The Night and Aren't You Glad are on my list of top Beach Boys songs. The Stevie Wonder cover I Was Made To Love Her is actually a surprisingly good cover; Carl sounds quite soulful.

Finally I have to mention Let The Wind Blow- a touching reminder of the power of love- the deepest and most important thing in the world. The sentiment came during a time when many were writing protest songs about everything that was wrong with the world. The simplicity of the desire to give and feel love to one special person in his life resonates so strongly in contrast to the protests and criticisms of inhumanity. The song itself is so simple that it's easy to past right by it but with the feeling of the song hits you it is a sincere plea for more love.


The bonus tracks a cool- there is an amazing live recording from another aborted album; Their Hearts Were Full Of Spring is a cover of a Four Freshmen song that harkens back to Brian's youth. There's also a good version of Can't Wait Too Long once again from the Smile sessions.


I highly recommend these albums. They come as a twofer but both albums are remarkably short; many albums back then clocked in at 40 minutes long because of the time constraints of records-- Wild Honey is only 23 minutes long!)
Also check out Sunflower, Friends, Holland, and Dennis Wilson's Pacific Ocean Blues (if you can find it) all top notch albums.

5 out of 5 stars An awesome CD!.......2005-08-22

Smiley Smile is a terrific album, and definitely should rank among the most underrated, overlooked masterpieces of the last 200 years.

Sure, it wasn't "SMiLE", but it stands alone as a great work of art with its own merits. The songs, "Heroes and Villains", "Good Vibrations", and the several rare bonus tracks make the CD well worth buying, yet the CD offers much more than that.

If you like offbeat, eclectic songs, you will love Smiley Smile. This stuff is far wackier and stranger than anything the Beatles, Pink Floyd, or anyone else was doing at the time, or really since. But the songs aren't just strange and mystifying; they're also quite beautiful and enchanting.

The vocal harmony work on Smiley Smile is among the best the group ever did. The instrumentation is sparse on some songs, and deliciously rich and intricate on others. The album is an amazing tapestry of wild sound effects, beautiful vocals, haunting instrumentation, gorgeous melodies, psychedelic clownery, and genius concepts.

I could go on and on about Smiley Smile. It's one of my personal favorite albums and I never get tired of listening to it. But Smiley Smile is only half (in volume) of what the CD offers. I don't have much to say about Wild Honey other than there are several good songs on it, and it's a solid album with a consistent sound. The production is minimal as is most of the instrumentation. Overall, it's a good album worth owning if you like the Beach Boys.

The bonus tracks on this disc are just amazing. You get to hear an alternate version of Heroes and Villains often referred to as the "Cantina" version, and some of the tracking sessions for Good Vibrations, which is really quite cool. There's also a wonderful a capella song, originally from the 4 Freshman, that the Boys do with incredible grace and remarkable beauty. "Can't Wait Too Long" is apparently a SMiLE-era outtake that was never used, but it's hard to see why; it's a great song.

Basically, if you are a Beach Boys enthusiast and really like Brian's experimental side, you must get this CD. These Capitol "two-fers" are a great value, and this one in particular is a real gem.
Porgy & Bess
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Absolutely peerless
  • once-in-a-lifetime greatness
  • We love this album
  • Simply great
  • Porgy and Bess
Porgy & Bess
Ella Fitzgerald , and Louis Armstrong
Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  5. Ella & Louis Again (Dig)

ASIN: B0000046Z5
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

  1. Overture
  2. Summertime
  3. I Wants To Stay Here
  4. My Man's Gone Now
  5. I Got Plenty O'Nuttin'
  6. Buzzard Song
  7. Bess, You Is My Woman Now
  8. It Ain't Necessarily So
  9. What You Want Wild Bess?
  10. A Woman Is A Sometime Thing
  11. Oh, Doctor Jesus
  12. Medley: Here Come De Honey Man/Crab Man/Oh, Deh's So Fresh And Fine (Strawberry Woman)
  13. There's A Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon For New York
  14. Bess, Oh Where's My Bess
  15. Oh Lawd, I'm On My Way

Amazon.com

Getting the two most personable voices in jazz to sing an hour's worth of George Gershwin's opera Porgy & Bess (Ella doing all the female parts, Satchmo all the male) was a good idea, but not quite as great as it sounded. Armstrong savors the down-and-dirty Charlestonisms that inspired the cadences of the music and lyrics, and they fit his happy rasp like an old shoe; Fitzgerald, conversely, sounds almost prissy every time she has to sing the word "ain't," though her melodic genius gets Gershwin's bold, supple tunes over. The arrangements are full-throttle Broadway, with a few leaps into Dixieland (including some fine Armstrong trumpet solos), but the disc works best when the vocalists break character and let their jazz side out. --Douglas Wolk

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Absolutely peerless.......2006-11-17

"Porgy and Bess" has just opened (with some controversy) in London's West End, though as a musical and not as an opera as it was originally conceived. Reviews have been promising and I aim to go down and see it soon. I decided to listen to this CD to put myself in the mood. I hadn't listened to it for years and I'd completely forgotten how good it actually is. Ella's voice blends with Louis' perfectly and Russell Garcia's orchestration gives them a dreamy landscape to perform against. I have one or two other CDs by Louis and Ella but this one is by far my favourite. The CD opens with "Overture" and its orchestral performance of classics like "Summertime", "I Wants To Stay Here", "I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'" and "It Ain't Neccessarily So" set the tone nicely, leaving one ever so keen for the vocal versions. Louis Armstong has a very rough tone to his voice but the emotion he packs with it is moving, most especially on the mournful "Bess, Oh Where's My Bess?" And we get all this and Louis' wonderful trumpet playing too?

Gershwin and Gershwin must be among the top composers of the last century and this opera showcases their talents more than anything I've heard. Ella and Louis are peerless as a vocal duo and though I doubt the West End performance will capture the magic in the same way they did, I still remain very keen to go see it. Is it opera or is it a jazz performance? I don't really know. I just know that I love it. And strongly recommend it.

5 out of 5 stars once-in-a-lifetime greatness.......2006-10-06

Two thousand five hundred musicians have recorded "Summertime" --- it's a classic. (I bet most Americans can name Janis Joplin and no other singer.) As for "Porgy and Bess," the folk opera from which "Summertime" springs, it's such a classic that it's hard to believe anyone ever had a harsh word to say about it.

But after its premiere in 1935, no less than Duke Ellington said, "It has grand music and a swell play, but the two didn't go together. It does not use the Negro musical idiom --- the times are here to debunk Gershwin's lampblack Negroisms."

A quarter of a century later, the producers of the film version had trouble assembling a cast. Harry Belafonte rejected their offer to play Porgy. Sidney Poitier took the part --- and wished he hadn't. Poitier later wrote that the movie insulted black people; when he chose clips of his best performances for his tribute at the American Film Institute, he picked nothing from "Porgy and Bess."

And in 1985, when Grace Bumbry was a sensation as Bess in a Metropolitan Opera production, she slammed the opera: "I thought it beneath me, I felt I had worked far too hard, that we had come far too far to have to retrogress to 1935."

All that may be. All I know is that I have, in a long life, rarely been confronted with more genius than in the Fitzgerald/Armstrong recording of "Porgy & Bess." Set aside the achievement of George and Ira Gershwin in transforming DuBose Heyward's novel into a folk opera. Let's just focus on Armstrong and Fitzgerald, who were at the peak of their popularity when this record was made in 1957.

"Summertime" --- the first song --- sets the tone. A baleful horn figure, then violins. And then Armstrong's trumpet: slow, steady, dignified. But wait --- here comes a slurred note. And a cool little improvisation. Just enough of each. Very tasty.

Fitzgerald sings a verse. She is cool and formal. A lady. Not to be taken lightly. Now it's Armstrong's turn. Tender, but let's not kid ourselves --- this is not singing as others define it. This is melodic speech: rough, gutteral. And thus he is ideally cast: His Porgy may have his charms, but he'll have to stretch to keep Bess.

And so it goes throughout the CD. Trumpet mastery --- Armstrong has dazzling control. His tone is bright, but never shrill; there's a warmth in his playing no one else could produce. And Fitzgerald is just a study in inevitability; to hear her is to wonder how anyone could sing these songs any other way.

"I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'." "Bess, You Is My Woman Now." "A Woman Is a Sometime Thing." "There's a Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon for New York." "Bess, Oh Where's My Bess?" "Oh Lawd, I'm on My Way."

All brilliantly conceived, orchestrated and recorded.

The greatest trumpet player in this history of jazz.

The father of scat singing.

The queen of the jazz vocal.

There are no-brainers, and then there is this Ella Fitzgerald-Louis Armstrong collaboration --- music that imprints on your soul.

5 out of 5 stars We love this album.......2006-08-22

We hope they will someday bring this beautiful story back to the stage

5 out of 5 stars Simply great.......2006-03-04

The fusion between the great two voices and the orchestra is just brilliant. Very good brass and violins that accompany Fitzeralds and Armstrongs magic voices leaves you with your mouth open.

A must have for everyone!

5 out of 5 stars Porgy and Bess.......2005-10-14

Could not find this anyway locally. It is a great recording
Pet Sounds / Smiley Smile / Wild Honey
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Pet Sounds / Smiley Smile / Wild Honey
    Beach Boys
    Manufacturer: EMI Int'l
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
    Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
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    ASIN: B000B8651E
    Release Date: 2005-11-29

    Album Description

    Pet Sounds (Stereo & Mono)/Smiley Smile & Wild Honey. New series of 2CD sets from EMI featuring two studio albums packaged in a slipcase. 57 tracks in all. 2005.
    Wild Honey Dreaming
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      Wild Honey Dreaming
      Riley Lee & Matthew Doyle
      Manufacturer: New World Music
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      GeneralGeneral | International | Styles | Music
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      ASIN: B000050RAY
      Release Date: 1997-07-01

      Tracks:

      1. Daybreak At Katatjuta
      2. Ancestral Beings
      3. Child's Lament (Mother Where Are You)
      4. Wild Honey Dreaming
      5. Ghost Gums And The Moon
      6. Spirit's Dance: The Wind Of Change
      7. Traveller's Song
      8. Desert Stars
      9. Space Time Transformation
      Smiley Smile/Wild Honey
      Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
      • Smiley Smile is one of the best psychadelic albums ever.
      • JUST SIT BACK AND SMILE
      • Trippy, but still great!!!
      • Not a bad substitute
      • Not Smile but Smiley Smile
      Smiley Smile/Wild Honey
      The Beach Boys
      Manufacturer: Capitol
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      GeneralGeneral | Pop | Styles | Music
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      5. Made in U.S.A.

      ASIN: B000008DA5
      Release Date: 1990-08-07

      Tracks:

      1. Heroes and Villains
      2. Vegetables
      3. Fall Breaks and Back to Winter (W. Woodpecker Symphony)
      4. She's Goin' Bald
      5. Little Pad
      6. Good Vibrations
      7. With Me Tonight
      8. Wind Chimes
      9. Gettin' Hungry
      10. Wonderful
      11. Whistle In
      12. Wild Honey
      13. Aren't You Glad
      14. I Was Made to Love Her
      15. Country Air
      16. Thing or Two
      17. Darlin'
      18. I'd Love Just Once to See You
      19. Here Comes the Night
      20. Let the Wind Blow
      21. How She Boogalooed It
      22. Mama Says
      23. Heroes and Villains [Alternate Take][*]
      24. Good Vibrations [Various Sessions][*]
      25. Good Vibrations [Early Take][*]
      26. You're Welcome [*]
      27. Their Hearts Were Full of Spring [*]
      28. Can't Wait Too Long [*]

      Album Description

      Digitally remastered two-on-one reissue with this pair ofalbums that Capitol first released in 1967, the latter ofwhich reached #24 that year. Features a 24 page booklet withpreviously unreleased photos & extended liner notes,original cover art and a total of 28 cuts, including sixbonus tracks: 'Heroes & Villains' (Alternate Take), twoversions of 'Good Vibrations' (Various Sessions & EarlyTake), 'You're Welcome', 'Their Hearts Were Full Of Spring'& 'Can't Wait Too Long'. 1998 Capitol release.

      Album Details

      Two Classic Albums on One CD, Both from 1967. The Disc is Digitally Remastered, Contains a 24 Page Booklet with New Photos (In Addition to the Originals) and New Recording Notes, plus Six Unreleased Tracks. Reissued in 1998.

      Customer Reviews:

      5 out of 5 stars Smiley Smile is one of the best psychadelic albums ever........2004-01-31

      Despite the whole debacle (which in recent years turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Brian Wilson) of the Smile album, Brian still created a very unique sounding album without even trying.

      This album was recorded in only 3 weeks, and it's brilliant. It was recorded at Brian's newly built home studio, and everything sounds really organic, and demo quality (which people hate about it, but i love that about it). The piano and organ are very eerie sounding, and the band naturally experiments together as a group the first time in years. The group harmonys are still amazingly gorgeous.

      People try to make the mistake that this is supposed to replace Smile, but if you forget the whole circumstances towards which this album was recorded, whether this was just a contractual obligation or not, you'll find Brian created some of the weirdest, druggiest, psyched out songs of his career. Sometimes even more messed up then the stuff he was recording on Smile. If this was any other band, or if Brian happened to release this without all of that overblown hype that killed Brian's motivation, more people would understand the greatness of this album.

      I have a different opinion than most people in that i'm glad this album was recorded. It's sad that Brian declined after Smile, and eventually got worse psychologically, but this album has an awesome sound which can be closely described as the aftermath of a shipwreck. The boys sound sad on here, and it gives the album this ultra spiritual (though sometimes it gets scary, maybe even disturbing) and beautiful quality. I think it'd be perfect music for during a funeral. Some people don't like that about it, but that's the main charm of the record for me.

      "Good Vibrations" sticks out like a sore thumb on the record, but it's an amazing song and one of the highlights on here so we can forgive that. "Heroes And Villians" is the other main highlight, and in some ways is even more brilliant than "Good Vibrations". I think THIS single version is the definitive version and not the Smile version. The Smile version only works in context of Smile, this version is the perfect one to release out of context as a single. Works wonderfully within Smiley Smile too, although a bit more produced.

      That's all anyone would usually buy this album for, those 2 singles. But there's more! "Fall Breaks And Back To Winter" is a brilliant mood piece, made years before mood pieces became more known as a genre. It's plenty weird, and it's great to hear Brian do stuff like this, 2 years after the cheerful innocent "California Girls". "She's Goin' Bald" is also weird, playin' like a psychadelic 50's tune, mixed with some latin influence in the first part. Most people only mention about 16 second intro when they talk about "Little Pad". Why's that? The rest of the song is gorgeous! It's like a spiritual hawaiian song. The intro is weird, with the boys all stoned and giggly over the voice track of an incomplete piano/voice version of the song, but that's only 16 seconds out of 2:33. And it's interesting anyways, so who cares? "With Me Tonight" is beautiful, with awesome group vocals again and an emotional quality through the whole thing, "Gettin' Hungry" is very very unique. Weird all the same, but you've never heard that weird mix of bass heavy hammond organ and woodblocks before. The verses are just as weird, with the only instrument playing is a bass and an echoy fingertapping electric guitar over Mike and Brian's (hilariously over enthusastic) vocals. It's an awesome song, though we can see why it didn't chart as a single. And "Whistle In" is very catchy, has a great melody and great Carl vocal.

      As for the Smile songs (besides "Heroes And Villians, and the other suspectedly Smile tunes), i don't see them as inferior to the SMile tracks, i see them as different creations forgetting that Smile even existed. "Vegetables", "Wonderful", and "Wind Chimes" are very creepy, beautiful, spiritual, and along with the rest of the album show why indie rockers or modern psychadelia fans love this album. You just never heard songs like this on any other album, so in a sense, that's where Beach Boys beat The Beatles. You can't hear anyone imitate the bands sound and succeed at imitating.

      So this is really one of my personal favorite Beach Boys albums. From Pet Sounds till Friends is my favorite Beach Boys period ever. I recommend this album to anyone who is willing to listen to this as a classic psyched out psychadelia album away from the Smile stuff, especially if they like albums like Big Star's Third or Syd Barrett's Madcap Laughs. Both are similar in ways ("Holocaust" by Big Star sorta reminds me of Smiley Smile).

      5 out of 5 stars JUST SIT BACK AND SMILE.......2001-04-24

      i have been obsessed with the smiley smile record for quite some time now. oh, sure, i own a few smile bootlegs that hint at a more magnificent record, but smiley smile definitly stands on it's own. although the version of heroes and villians on this record is a near travesty, everything else shines, even compared to their smile counterparts. vegetables is amazing. and lets not forget wild honey, a good album in it's own right, worth about three or four stars. the title track has an amazing hook in the chorus.

      4 out of 5 stars Trippy, but still great!!!.......2001-03-28

      I just acquired this 2fer album and have only listened to it once before writing this review, but I can honestly say I like it. Who knows how much more I'll love it after I've given it a few repeated listens, which I would have to say this album definitely calls for. That given, the fact that I still like it on the first try speaks for itself. Why 4 stars and not 5? It is a little on the trippy side, but if you expect it to be different from the Beach Boys' norm and go in open-minded I'm sure you'll enjoy it. It has a very "fun" feel to it as most of it seems to be recorded while the boys were high. The liner are great, explaining how Smiley Smile came to be as a substitute for Smile, how the Beach Boys were rejected by the San Francisco "counterculture" movement at the time, and how Wild Honey was an attempt to get back to their rock n' roll basics/roots.

      4 out of 5 stars Not a bad substitute.......2001-03-17

      I purchased and listened to smiley smile/wild honey hoping that it would capture some of the essence of my smile bootleg lp's. Regrettably it did not.

      As others have said already, smile could have been a touchstone of rock music and was stillborn.

      Get the bootleg if you can. If you can't this is not a bad substitute.

      4 out of 5 stars Not Smile but Smiley Smile.......2001-03-09

      The Beach Boys found themselves at a crossroads musically in 1966 and Brain Wilson was the one leading the way. The release of "Pet Sounds" baffled Capitol records selling only 35,000 records and leaving the public confused. It was not until years later that "Pet Sounds" would reach masterpiece status. Brian set out to record the follow up to "Pet Sounds" a teenage symphony to God as he would call it. The album was originally called "Dumb Angel" but then later "Smile". If "Good vibrations" was a taste of "Smile" well then we were going to be in for a treat but unfortunately "Smile" was never finished. The Beach Boys instead hastily released "Smiley Smile" to take the place of "Smile" and there are few tracks like "Hereos and Villains", "Vegetables", and "Wonderful" that were probably intended for "Smile". "Smiley Smile" is a trippy little record that does not sound like a Beach Boys album but I think the experiment worked. "Wild Honey" was a getting back to roots album that features more a r&B style to it. If you are looking for a Beach Boys album that is out of the ordinary then "Smiley Smile" is your pick, just listen to the boys and Paul McCartney munching on vegetables as the percussion on "Vegetables". "Smiley Smile" may not be "Smile" but it will not disappoint if your into trippy music.
      Wild Honey
      Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
      • The Beach boys best album
      Wild Honey
      Beach Boys
      Manufacturer: EMI
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      GeneralGeneral | Pop | Styles | Music
      Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music
      CompilationsCompilations | Pop | Styles | Music | Dance Pop | Easy Listening | General | Oldies | Traditional Vocalists
      Psychedelic RockPsychedelic Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
      PopPop | Imports | Stores | Music
      ASIN: B00005J4XB
      Release Date: 2001-06-27

      Tracks:

      1. Wild Honey
      2. Aren't You Glad
      3. I Was Made To Love Her
      4. Country Air
      5. Thing Or Two
      6. Darlin'
      7. I'd Love Just Once To See You
      8. Here Comes The Night
      9. Let He Wind Blow
      10. How She Boogalooed It
      11. Mama Says
      12. Their Hearts Were Full O Fspring

      Album Details

      Japanese Re-release Digitally Remastered with a Bonus Track: Their Hearts were Full of Spring.

      Customer Reviews:

      5 out of 5 stars The Beach boys best album.......2007-03-23

      this is close to perfect, a little gem of an album
      Wild Honey
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        Wild Honey

        Manufacturer: Solajazz Productions
        ProductGroup: Music
        Binding: Audio CD

        GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
        ASIN: B0001LD8JI
        Release Date: 2001-01-09
        Locusts & Wild Honey
        Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
        • Captivating
        • Very Good Album!
        • Topley sets you free
        Locusts & Wild Honey
        The Blessing
        Manufacturer: Polygram Records
        ProductGroup: Music
        Binding: Audio CD

        GeneralGeneral | Pop | Styles | Music
        Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
        GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
        Similar Items:
        1. Sea Fever
        2. Prince of the Deep Water
        3. Feasting With Panthers
        4. Best of the Blessing
        5. Mixed Blessing

        ASIN: B000009CMF
        Release Date: 1998-07-07

        Tracks:

        1. Razor's Edge
        2. Soul Love
        3. Magic
        4. River Dries Up
        5. My Soul Cries Out
        6. Burning
        7. Zion
        8. Sail On
        9. Tony English
        10. Sweetheart
        11. Your Game
        12. Singer's Shoes

        Customer Reviews:

        5 out of 5 stars Captivating.......2000-01-20

        This CD captures your attention through William Topleys distinct and wonderful voice but as you get quiet and truly listen to the lyrics you become fascinated with the talent not only for his musical abilities but for his awecome lyrical content.I am collecting all of Topley's work....

        5 out of 5 stars Very Good Album!.......1999-07-15

        This album, "Locusts and Wild Honey" is an mature follow up to one of the most powerful albums I have ever owned. Filled with some very listenable tracks as well as a few that will simply take time to "grow" on you. Vivid lyrics bring to mind times when the islands were not accessable by airlines, but by Barquentine ships. While not as generous an offering as, "Prince of Deep Water" this album is filled with a distinct Jamacian flavor and strong songwriting. A definate buy when available.

        5 out of 5 stars Topley sets you free.......1999-03-09

        I have been a fan of The Blessing since 1991, when the first album, Prince of the Deep Water was released. Since then, I have tried to buy everything of the Blessing I can get hold of, and it is strange that I was only able to get the second album, Locusts and Wild Honey, last week. This was after I had had William Topley's first solo effort, Black River, for a year. Obviously, something's gone wrong with the marketing of these absolutely first-rate products, and I am only thankful that I was fortunate enough to notice the wonder of this music before it passed me by. I am absolutely enthralled by the passion, hunger, thirst, soul, drama, melody and power of William Topley's music. Just his voice alone is something that is so enrapturing, that together with music and lyrics like that, there is no equal. Quite why The Blessing never became one of the biggest bands in the world I don't know, but I am very grateful for that, because William Topley's music seems to be evolving naturally, as it should be, in fact getting better in its change. If this music doesn't conjure up images of tropics, pirates, slaves, hardships, love and loss, then nothing will.
        Birrkuta: Wild Honey
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          Birrkuta: Wild Honey
          Yothu Yindi
          Manufacturer: Mushroom Records
          ProductGroup: Music
          Binding: Audio CD

          Australia & New ZealandAustralia & New Zealand | International | Styles | Music
          GeneralGeneral | International | Styles | Music
          InternationalInternational | Imports | Stores | Music
          ASIN: B00008FGBH
          Release Date: 1996-11-26

          Tracks:

          1. Tears for Law (Garrathiya Run)
          2. Yolngu Woman
          3. Ngarrpiya (Octopus)
          4. Superhighway
          5. Bapane
          6. Djatpa
          7. Timor
          8. Matter of Choice
          9. Stop That
          10. Lorrpu
          11. Spirit of Peace
          12. Yirrmala
          13. Honey (Birrkuta)
          14. Cora
          15. Mice and Men
          Wild Honey Dreaming
          Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
          • Wild Honey Dreaming - my wife's favorite album.
          Wild Honey Dreaming
          Riley Lee & Matthew Doyle
          Manufacturer: New World Music
          ProductGroup: Music
          Binding: Audio CD

          Australia & New ZealandAustralia & New Zealand | International | Styles | Music
          GeneralGeneral | International | Styles | Music
          GospelGospel | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music
          Christian AlternativeChristian Alternative | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music
          GeneralGeneral | New Age | Styles | Music
          Space RockSpace Rock | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
          Adult AlternativeAdult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music
          GeneralGeneral | New Age | Indie Music | Stores | Music
          Australia & New ZealandAustralia & New Zealand | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music
          ASIN: B000005DKD
          Release Date: 1997-06-03

          Tracks:

          1. Daybreak At Katatjuta
          2. Ancestral Beings
          3. Child's Lament (Mother Where Are You)
          4. Wild Honey Dreaming
          5. Ghost Gums And The Moon
          6. Spirit's Dance: The Wind Of Change
          7. Traveller's Song
          8. Desert Stars
          9. Space Time Transformation

          Customer Reviews:

          5 out of 5 stars Wild Honey Dreaming - my wife's favorite album........2001-12-13

          We saw Riley Lee and Mathew Doyle on tour 4 years ago (1998) with an acoustic guitarist accompanying their shakuhachi flute and didgeridoo sound. What great, unique music! We bought a CD at the performance - we think the best musical investment of the decade. You do not get tired of this music, instead, it lends a soothing tone that really settles the Soul. These artists are relatively unknown, but the combination of instruments and quality of their artistry is universal. This is my wife's favorite CD.

          Music Review:

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          7. Do It to the Music [CD-single] [Import]
          8. Dossiers, Vol. 2
          9. Dream Dance, Vol. 1 [Import]
          10. Electric Ladyland, Vol. 4

          Music Review

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