Superimposing Muzak strings onto a simple rocker like “Fun, Fun, Fun”
or “Kokomo”, a song that no one but Mike Love remembers fondly, is a terrible
idea. Productions such as those on Pet
Sounds are already sufficiently orchestral. Yet there are possibilities. Some
of The Beach Boys’ more unfinished-sounding tracks—say “Cool, Cool Water”, much
of Smiley Smile, or oddities such as
“Can’t Wait Too Long” –might have been interesting if finished off with
arrangements more in the experimental spirit of such pieces. The fairly
complementary and relatively dissonant orchestrations on “Heroes and Villains”
(the only track exclusively recorded for Smiley
Smile in the bunch) support this. The one other track that survives the
orchestral treatment is “Darlin’”, which receives an understated bed of
sweeping strings in the Philly Soul vein. However, by mostly playing it safe
and only tampering with The Beach Boys’ most familiar tunes instead of seeking
out oddities that might actually benefit from this concept, conductors/composers
Steve Sidwell and Sally Herbert smear a layer of pap over some of the most
perfect productions in pop.
