have you seen this !?!?!

i don't know if it's at the top of my list of 'coolest pieces of news i've ever heard,' but it's certainly in the team photo, as they say.

let me briefly explain how i've become at least mildly obsessed with the beach boys:

it began in the summer of 1999, when guided by voices (it always goes back to guided by voices) was on the cover of magnet magazine. i bought the magazine at reckless records in evanston, and did much reading.

among the articles was a brian wilson feature, in which they discussed pet sounds and brian brought out the standard 'it was very spiritual. we prayed together before vocal takes' and 'these were our symphonies to god' and all those other lines he mentions in interviews. smile, as it always is, was brushed over.

i bought pet sounds for a friend the following may, 2000. i cracked the copy open before i gave it away, listened to it once, and didn't get it. that summer, 2000, as i was preparing for wnur, i went to the glenview public library in search of a recording of 'rhapsody in blue.' (god bless united airlines.) i was there, i saw the pet sounds box set, and i checked it out.

i was blown away. fascinated. sold.

so i bought pet sounds, and it arrived in evanston place late august.

as rico and gurs can attest, i spent about 2 months waking up to that record. they've never forgiven "wouldn't it be nice?"

that december saw me receive the sunflower/surf's up double disc for christmas, and also saw me purchase the 15 big ones/the beach boys love you double cd. couldn't get enough of any of the 'good' three (big ones is essentially unlistenable), and even placed sunflower atop my beach boys list.

finally, spring 2001, while i was in austin, i made an internet trade for a few smile bootlegs. i never quite know what to think of the two mixes i have...sometimes they're genius...sometimes they're too haphazard...sometimes they're just background music.

needless to say, i'm fascinated and excited by the possibilities of an official reissue. i've always heard 'good vibrations' placed right in the middle...it'll be a trip as a closer, i'd think.

more information on the 'reissue' is located at www.thesmileshop.net.

in other news, i'm heading to evanston for the indiana game tomorrow. perhaps it's obsessive, but i'm really excited to go. i'll be running low on sleep, but hopefully i'll be high on victory on the way home.

who the fuck is joss stone, and how the fuck does she get away with covering the white stripes' "fell in love with a girl" ? this (a leno performance) is the second-worst thing i've ever seen. (the worst is 'any sean paul performance.')