Smile

Do I appreciate the history? YES Would I ever listen to this again? NO

This album is breathtaking. I nearly wrote a whole thing about separating art from its context. About how my appreciation of BWPS really has very little to do with the music itself. About how Smile plays more like a great documentary about the making of a great piece of art that was never actually made. About how it all feels a little nostalgic, a little "Disney." About how there's a quality to the mix and production of BWPS that I find unpleasantly nostalgic, stale, flat, over-produced. There's an element certainly that feels like a museum piece—the ornate stitching around the album art helps hit that home, as does the word "presents" in the album title. Not too mention the fact that there are far better recordings of many of these songs scattered across various post-Smile-sessions Beach Boys' albums, and that BWPS doesn't feature any other Beach Boys members. But—now that I've gotten those asides out of my system—I can reaffirm that this album is truly breathtaking. I think those struggles I have with BWPS are accurate, but the truth is listening to this album is an experience unlike any other I can think of in modern music. Recorded and released nearly 40 years after the 24-year-old originally sat down and attempted to record it, had a nervous breakdown, and ultimately abandoned the project, Smile is packed with so much emotional drama, so much story, so much humanity...it really makes me want to cry just thinking about Brian Wilson's personal struggle and ultimate success with this piece art. Sure, a part of me wonders constantly about the version of Smile that might have been recorded in 1967 as originally envisioned (and I can't help but miss the younger Brian Wilson's falsetto in these songs, either). But that doesn't take away from my thoroughly enjoying the version that the elder Brian Wilson released in 2004. In fact, it's an essential part of the experience of listening to BWPS. Listening to this album is to reflect on time, art, and age. To wonder about our younger selves and older selves, and if they're really the same person. To wonder if the art that we might have made in our youth could ever truly be re-created in our middle-to-old age. And to marvel specifically about the emotional journey Brian Wilson took in revisiting this material; reflecting on his younger self—a younger self in the throes of his traumatic, emotionally wrought, defining hours no less—and reclaiming a forgotten dream. I admire this album a great f***ing deal. This album is as great a champion of the human spirit as I can think of. And actually listening to the music, only heightens the emotional pull of that experience. Many moments on this album seriously make me want to cry in the same way I almost always cry listening to "God Only Knows." It's the music itself, but it's also the tragic, heartbroken figure of Brian Wilson inside of it. To hear him struggling through his music. Expressing his deepest feelings and personal anguish and doing it through the traditionally rigid confines of a 1960s pop format. Not to mention, there are some wonderful melodies and great pop experiments here. The whole album has a wonderfully cohesive, downriver flow to it. It's a very strange storybook sort of experience to actually sit down and listen to it. To unpack its movements, its textures, its characters, its geography, and musical histories. It's magical. But I'm also a Brian Wilson fanatic. In the liner notes for this album, author David Leaf asks, "Does Smile exist?" It's a legitimate question. And as an album that I think requires knowing some backstory to appreciate, it's hard to argue that this album really stands on its own in the way it might have in 1967. But does anything? BWPS is the realization of dream. It's music that soars well beyond the confines of music. It exists in our cultural unconscious; in our minds and in our hearts. Of course Smile exists. It always has. I was going to give them album a 4 but screw it, it's a 5.

Boomer nostalgia shit

I waited all my life for this, there's no way it's getting a bad review. I loved Smiley Smile, the 'best effort' that was put out when the label realised it would never be finished. Any album that contains Heroes and Villains and Good Vibrations is a clear contender for best album ever. That it also contains the delightful Vegetables too is just gilding the lily. Is it better than Pet Sounds? It's genuinely a possibility. One was ambitious but still sounded traditional. This might be a step too far ambition wise (certainly it was for Brian Wilson's mental health), but it reaches for the stars and sometimes comes tantalisingly close to touching them.

Half a dozen great songs, and then a bunch of snippets and unfinished music fragments stitched together and padded out to album length. Lots of good ideas, but most don’t really feel fleshed out. Not the masterpiece that critics and a lot of people will tell you it is.

I listened with an open mind and even tried to like it, but, sorry folks, just bored me.

Wow. This is something. I'm glad I had the time to give it a focused listen. I think it might not be quite so great in the background but, as an activity all its own, this album's got layers galore to explore. It's symphonic with its movements and recurring motifs, one piece of music rather than a collection of songs. Tantalizing snippets of the familiar melody from Good Vibrations appear early in the album in Song for Children. Heroes and Villains and Surf's Up are similarly teased before those songs actually start. The instrumentation is incredible: strings, brass, woodwinds, a deep percussion bench, whistles (so many whistles!), power tools. So much to discover on repeated listens. (I appreciated the inclusion of the instrumental Heroes and Villains bonus track to hear some of the sounds I missed the first time through.) Lyrics are often child-like and nonsensical, often just repeated words, phrases and sounds, using the voices as more instruments as opposed to a means to tell a story. I'm so grateful that Brian Wilson found the strength to come back and finish this after a tough 40 years. It did indeed make me SMiLE.

01) Our Prayer/Gee - 4,0 02) Heroes and Villains - 6,0 03) Roll Plymouth Rock - 5,0 04) Barnyard - 3,0 05) Old Master Painter/You Are My Sunshine - 3,0 06) Cabin Essence - 7,0 07) Wonderful - 6,0 08) Song For Children - 5,0 09) Child Is Father of the Man - 5,0 10) Surf's Up - 5,0 11) I'm in Great Shape/I Wanna Be Around/Workshop - 3,0 12) Vega-Tables - 4,0 13) On a Holiday - 5,0 14) Wind Chimes - 5,0 15) Mrs. O'Leary's Cow - 5,0 16) In Blue Hawaii - 5,0 17) Good Vibrations - 8,0 TOTAL: 4,94 (49/100) Maybe I'm just too tired, but I don't get this. It's like snippets of the songs, repeating all over again. "Cabin Essence" is the only song I hear, the rest are all 30 seconds snippets. Is this like a children's album? My favorite vegetables? WTF? Oh, I'm too tired, it's been a long day...

So on films or cartoons whatever, when a character is sitting there and that weird effect comes on the screen as there about to daydream and it goes a bit warped with a strange sound as the transition takes place, that’s this whole album. I felt like I was on my way to daydream but never fucking get there. I dunno man. I couldn’t tell you if this album was 40 minutes long or if I am going to look in the mirror and I am 62 years old.

Don't get this at all. Clearly I'm in the minority, as it's so loved ... but to me, load of old guff

This would be considered too clownish to be a soundtrack to a toddler’s cartoon. If this is a masterpiece, then a toilet spewing the contents of a backed up septic is evidence of divine design of the universe. Nothing on this album is fun, listenable, or anything short of droning and irritating. Good Vibrations is on this for some reason, possibly to remind you what a weak song it is, despite its popularity. I suppose if you like the sound “ooooooh” a lot and really wish there was a more modern take on the barbershop quartet, this is probably for you. Otherwise, I highly recommend keeping functioning ears far away from this album which goes on so long, I’m fairly certain it exists to make sure it doesn’t end before you’ve forever lost the ability to smile. Wheeee, zzzzzip, pop pop pop, wheeeeeeeeeeee.

I just don't like the Beach Boys and I don't like this. There is the odd OK moment - but those slide whistles - jeez!

I'm just saying: If you want to hear the best version of the Smile album, listen to the 2011 released original 1967 album. Not that this album is bad and it definitely was better than 'Smiley Smile' but 'The Smile Sessions (2011)' is just the proper way to enjoy these tracks best. Anyway, if you are not familiar with what this album is: basically Brian Wilson (from the Beach Boys) had a project planned after 'Pet Sounds' but had to scrap that after the were more and more disagreements within the band. The songs were stripped down into 'Smiley Smile' (1967) and Wilson did not touch the album due to the formation of a trauma as he began to drift into schizophrenia and depression. In 2003 he made a live version of the album with new overworked melodies/structures and decided to make that into a studio album a year later. Movement One: The albums beginns with the vocal-only intro of 'Our Prayer / Gee' that turns halfway through into a piano driven and typical Beach Boys vocal harmony. I don't mind the song but I am not much interested in it either. The end of that song announces the next 'Heroes and Villains' a song filled with a lot of vocal harmonies and (considering 1967) experimental pop takes that in 2003 were simply artistic choices rather than "weird". Still, the song is very memorable and moves through different stages and has a couple of "false" endings where you think the song is over for a second but then it comes right back with more vocal harmonies. My only real criticism is that it feels a bit streched halfway through. Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys were great in making short but effective pop songs but at nearly 5 minutes it does get a bit ponderous. A song that might not be as strong in terms of being as instantly recognisable and catchy, 'Roll Plymouth Rock' still has a lot of great moments and I think it doesn't loose its momentum as much as 'Heroes and Villans'. The Hawaiian part is also really catchy and I at first thought he sang "Hallelujah" but no, it's Hawaiian. 'Barnyard' is a pretty short but cute interlude between the songs. I like the animal sounds and all around. It's cute, that's it. 'Old Master Painter / You Are My Sunshine' is another "interlude" type song but instead of being pretty cute, it's rather boring. I feel it only deserves to be here as a bridge between 'Barnyard' and the next song. And speaking of the next song, 'Cabin Essence' is a pretty good song. It has a nice transition between cowbells, violins and harmonica that make the song just flow in between its parts. Movement Two: The second half beginns with 'Wonderful' a pretty nice song that has a very lush warmth to it. It isn't anything crazy but it works and that is what counts. That song transitions into 'Song for Children' that works a lot with multiple transitional harmonies in the chorus that switch between the singers with Wilson taking the main presence. A really neat song that adds another memorable piece to the album. 'Child Is Father of the Man' takes a darker approach to the same song that was 'Song for Children' and it surprisingly works. The duality that are both songs make it a great transition without even having one noticable. A great idea with a great execution. The song 'Surf's Up' became the title track for the Beach Boys 1971 album. Nontheless, it was a part of the Smile Sessions and I'm happy they included it here as it is one of the best tracks on the album. It has a somber start that works while taking most of the song but when the chorus starts, the song is elevated even more. It is one of my favourite moments and near the end the "Father of the Child" motive is repeated once more closing of this second half perfectly. Movement Three: The last part starts with the short medley of 'I'm in Great Shape / I Wanna Be Around / Workshop' that works much better compared to 'Old Master Painter / You Are My Sunshine'. It's transitions are noticable but not disruptive and the workshop part is really funny. A much weirder song is 'Vega-Tables' that actually features much less vegetables than the original version and as I am not a big fan of the vegetables, I actually prefer this version although I still don't like it as much as other tracks. The vocal harmonies are pretty good though. Another repetion of an earlier motive has 'On a Holiday' that has the 'Roll Plymouth Rock' chorus integrated. That transitions into 'Wind Chimes' another more laid-back but effective song that strips down on a lot of the "wall of sound" instrumentation. The result is a cute song in which every detail is noticed. And then out of nowhere comes it all back with loud and dense instruments and as fast as it cames and vanishes before re-appearing to form the songs outro. And although there is a lot of dynamic, I am not the biggest fan. A pretty weird song 'Mrs. O'Leary's Cow' with all the "gnome laughing" and goofy sound effects that actually elevate this song more than one would think. Still a rather forgettable song. 'In Blue Hawaii' is the best one on this part of the album so far. It is catchy, interesting and doesn't disrupt as much as other songs. The vocal effects are also really adding to the experience of the song. And of course, to close it all off: 'Good Vibrations'. The legendary and incredible song that is good in every version that the Beach Boys or BW recorded. And while I prefer the original, this is still the best song on the album. A worthy and perfect closing track. If I had to rank all three movements it would be: 1. Movement 2 (Wonderful -> Surf's Up) 2. Movement 1 (Our Prayers / Gee -> Cabin Essence) 3. Movement 2 (I'm in Great Shape / IWBA / WS -> Good Vibrations) favourites: Good Vibrations, Surf's Up, Song for Children + Child Is Father of the Man least favourites: Old Master Painter / You Are My Sunshine, Our Prayer / Gee, Mrs. O'Leary's Cow, Vega-Tables Rating: strong 7 https://rateyourmusic.com/~Emil_ph for more ratings, reviews and takes

I agree with Noel Gallagher on this

Phenomenal. Animal Collective owes him so much

The Beach Boys’ lost masterpiece is at last given the arrangement it has so long cried out for. Deeply emotional, satisfyingly complex, it represents the apex of Brian Wilson’s songwriting skill.

This album is nearly perfect and just absolutely incredible. Particularly for how good it sounds after so much time and history and gestation. What an accomplishment for Brian Wilson--a true masterpiece. We should consider ourselves lucky and fortunate that this even exists.

I went through a phase a few years ago when I had Pet Sounds on very heavy rotation, so it’s fair to say I love the songs by the Beach boys that I’ve already heard. Google says this is Brian Wilson’s version on an unreleased Beach Boys album from many moons ago. I’m excited to listen! Songs I already knew: Good Vibrations Favourites: Heroes and Villains, Cabin Essence I know this is a bold thing to say, but this was an actual perfect album. I’ve never been a believer of there being no such thing as perfection and this is a prime example of this. Brian’s composing is far beyond anything I’ve heard before. The opening track Our Prayer is comparable to a symphony, but with only voice. Heroes and Villains is much the same, but with a typical orchestra thrown into the mix too. There is so much going on with this music, and yet it manages to never sound too busy or overwhelming. It’s common knowledge that Brian Wilson isn’t the most mentally well man in the world, and being able to write something as beautiful as this in the midst of ongoing hallucinations should inspire people everywhere to never let anything stop you from doing what you love.

Brian Wilson is a genius, I don't know if I need to say anything else. I honestly think I like SMiLE more than Pet Sounds. The fact that this was unable to be released in this manner in the 60s is a tragedy. This world has been so unkind to Brian and I am so glad that he found the strength to fulfill his dreams after so many years of abuse and adversity.

This album has been a top five album for me for quite a while. Though I’m more partial to the 2011 release made with the original 1967 tapes, this release is more fleshed out and features lyrics that were never recorded by The Beach Boys. I won’t rehash the history of this album, but it was intended as The Beach Boys’ follow up to Pet Sounds. I firmly believe that if this album had been completed and released, it would have eclipsed Sgt. Pepper in its influence. Just its mystery alone, along with bootlegs cobbled together by fans as speculative releases gave credence to this album’s supposed genius. And genius is exactly what I would call this album. It is a kaleidoscope of Americana with ponderous and abstract lyrics by the great poet Van Dyke Parks told through Brian Wilson’s incredible and complex songwriting. Themes arise and are revisited and inverted to thread the album together to culminate in the emotional release of Good Vibrations in what is perhaps the most satisfying ending to an album ever. Surfs Up remains my favorite pop song and this album is always in heavy rotation.

Bon jovi

I still feel like a Beach Boys/Brian Wilson novice - I haven’t even listened to PET SOUNDS yet for crying out loud - so I’m not sure I’m ready for SMiLE, but here goes… Talk about an aptly named album! The choir opening leads into “Heroes and Villains” and I couldn’t help but smile. It’s fun and inventive and I instantly loved it from beginning to end. Old favorites like “Surf’s Up” and “Good Vibrations.” Vegetables. Sea shanties. Barnyard animals. SMiLE is a genuine adventure! Despite the inevitable changes in Brian Wilson and the world in the nearly 40 years it took to complete SMiLE it feels like a vision fully realized. I’m stunned by this mythical creature that has appeared in my headphones. I love listening to this. I love that Brian Wilson created this. I love that this can exist. I love SMiLE.

Not a fan. This is the type of music your boomer uncle puts on when he tries to persuade you and your cousins that "music was so much better in my day." This was like an LSD trip at a haunted circus where the clowns are zombies chasing you for your brain. No bueno. There is no redeeming factor in this. At all.

I have been known to not like the Beach Boys as a knee jerk reaction, so upon first seeing today's album, I didn't hold out much hope that Brian Wilson's solo stuff would be any different. Boy was I right. This is actually much worse than anything the Beach Boys ever put out as a group. Apparently Brian started this album as a Beach Boys record, as a follow up to their album Pet Sounds in the 60's, then had a mental breakdown, and ended up taking 40 years to get his life back in order. As a nod to the Barenaked Ladies song: Brian Wilson should have stayed in bed. First off, as with every Beach Boys song ever released, there are so many layers of La La La's, Ooo Ooo Ooo's, and Do Do Doo's that it's sometimes hard to hear what Brian is saying. Not that it matters, because his lyrics are mostly nonsense. Also, I found it very hard to get into the groove and listen to this album because in one song, Brian may change up instruments, tempos, and storylines about 50 fucking times. I don't know if Brian was on good drugs, or bad meds but my fuck, at least the Beach Boys music had a direction. A lot of the time this music made me think there was someone who owned an obscure music shop who kept going out back and fetching new instruments, and the exchange would be like: I have this trumpet.. OK, I'll play that for 22 seconds... How about this choir bell? Perfect, I'll use that for 36.5 seconds... A tambourine? Excellent I'll wail on that for 56 seconds... How about this fucking drill and hammer? Excellent, I'll make a whole song using them!! For some reason, it seems like Brian was obsessed with the harpsichord on a lot of this record for some reason, so all I could think of is the Addam's Family theme song with many layers of shit laid over top. This "compilation album" is garbage, and I truly think I would take the lowest rated album on this list: Einsturzende Neubauten's Kollaps over this any day. A horrible listen, and I will never listen to it again. I barely got through it once today. Favourite song: if forced to pick, Heroes and Villains Least favourite songs: the whole album, but most of all, Mrs. O'Leary's Cow 1/5

What the actual hell ? That was just annoying

Utter rubbish, only managed to listen to a few tracks before giving up. Beachboys on an extremely off day.

To me, a Brian Wilson Beach Boys song always sounded like a mathematical proof. Something perfect and eternal, that just hadn’t been expressed musically before. Somehow, he saw the shape of these sounds that had always been around and had the ability to translate them to music. There’s a satisfying completeness to a Brian Wilson Beach Boys song. Everything is being covered. Does any of this make sense? Alas, I’d like to think this album is self-evident even with the loss of the legendary Brian Wilson. This is a beautiful soundscape. Not a note misplaced, from second one. Pure joy, pure honey. Brian was just showing us something that had always been there. He was the one who could access it. May he rest in peace.

There’s a real sense of triumph to this album. A man’s lifelong dream that caused him so much stress and trauma, finally realized. Maybe not to the extent he hoped, but it’s pretty darn good. The compositions are so deep and complex, the sound is so rich, it’s hard not to be completely engrossed in it. I was worried before listening that this would be an instance of the story behind the album being more interesting than the album itself. That is definitely not the case. When you put the story and the album together, it really is an experience you cannot get anywhere else. It’s an album I really look forward to revisiting in the future. Absolutely loved it.

It can't get a 5 because I feel it is lacking the magic and fun of the original recordings. It's brilliant and beautiful but original flavour is always the best.

The answer to the question of do we need a drummer? Naw let's just get 6 dudes to go bum bum bum da bum bum bun

Too chaotic - didn't even know when it changed songs.

... wow... I know some B-Boy fans may be ga-ga over this, but I thought it is a hot mess. The vocals and melodies are there, but man-o-man I can't un-hear this. Don't lump what Brian was trying to create here.... 2 only because he threw in a "Good Vibrations" redo,

You're doing this today? Fuck OK. Five.

While it was nearly impossible for Brian Wilson to recreate the pure vision and inspiration behind the Beach Boys' lost 1967 masterpiece, he has created something here that gives us the closest peek yet behind that curtain. The songs are both playful and technically brilliant, with all of the humour and depth that was originally intended. Unfortunately, it 𝙞𝙨 impossible to recreate the state of the music industry and the world in 1967 so we'll never be able to appreciate this work in context to understand the cultural and historical place it might have held. It may have had an even more significant impact than Sgt Pepper once Lennon and McCartney got their hands on a copy. But we'll never know. Fortunately, the music alone is good enough to stand on its own and deserve all of the plaudits and mystique that it earned even after nearly 40 years sat on a shelf and buried in Brian Wilson's mind. I've been a fan of this album and its story for a long time and I'm no stranger to this iteration or the original 1967 release, 𝘚𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘚𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦. If people ever ask me for my favourite song of all time, I choose Good Vibrations. It's a genuinely perfect song that I could hear every day and never get bored of. I knew I loved it from a very early age, having had it on tapes recorded from Dad's records as far back as I can remember. The strange, beautiful sounds, the ghostly theremin, the chugging cello, the harmonies and of course the ‘na-na-na-na-naaa’ chorus outro. And while it sits at the end of this album, it feels like the centrepiece of the project. Everything else on the album seems to me like it was crafted as the supporting cast for its perfectness. The zany rhapsody of Heroes and Villains, the gentle humour and thumping bassline of Vege-tables, the breathless warmth of Wonderful all setting the scene for 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘶𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘳. I was always going to spend time today sitting with some of Brian's greatest work in memory and tribute, but it was fitting to have an added bit of purpose and direction with it. Many of his peers were lost before their time and we may never know the peak of their potential but luckily for us, we got to walk the earth with this genius until he had more or less finished sharing his creative spark with us all. His legacy will live on in the many great musicians and artists who continue to make music inspired by his wonderful life's work. Thank you, Brian.

Listened to it twice in a row. Good stuff.

Originally drafted after “Pet Sounds” as a “teenage symphony to god”, SMiLE was abandoned by Beach Boys frontman Brian Wilson after numerous setbacks and mental breakdowns, as well as the release of Sgt. Pepper. Now, nearly 40 years later, Brian finally brought a fully matured version of SMiLE to listeners, presenting what is probably the greatest pop album in the 2000s. The album lives up to its title and then some. It’s just so… fun. Are there better performances of the songs on other existing Beach Boys albums? Yes. But this album’s flow between them all is unmatched. Infectious pop hooks framed with an orchestra and packed vocal section, glazed with witty lyrics by original SMiLE collaborator Van Dyke Parks, all come together with the trademark Beach Boys harmonisation to dazzle the listener. And not a dull moment is heard on this album. Truly one for the ages, and a worthy fulfilment of Brian’s promise all those years ago. Standout Songs: “Heroes and Villains” “Roll Plymouth Rock” “Surf’s Up” “Vege-Tables” “In Blue Hawaii” “Good Vibrations”

Incredible. If Brian was able to record this at the Beach Boys’ prime as intended, this would have undeniable GOAT status, but even now it’s unbelievably gorgeous music. A

I can't believe I never listened to this album! What an emotional conclusion to Smile. The first two songs made me tear up, thinking of what this must have been like to actually finish after so many years. I'd listened to the Smile sessions dozens of times before, but I would always come away confused its overall direction. It felt beautiful and far advanced from Pet Sounds, but incomplete. This really feels like all the pieces of the puzzle are in their place. And what a treatment! Brian's writing is incomparable... wide-eyed and childlike, but always with some complexity lurking. Now that everything is arranged the way it was intended to be, it makes so much sense. The album plays out like a film or musical... very strong arcs. I could gush about this more, but I mean... it's one of my favorite and most cherished songwriters, finally realizing a vision that was a dream for 40 years. Emotional and captivating. 5 absolutely deserved stars. As an album, it feels completely realized, in a way that I never appreciated before

Well… that was a bloody brilliant, beautifully bonkers ride through Brian Wilson’s mind. A true creative maverick and songwriting genius.

I have heard of this album and even had added it to my library a while back, as I was curious about it. Today was my first listen, however. I am glad I have finally taken the time to explore it! The album was not an assembly of singles, but rather a musical event meant to be experienced in it entirety. The recurring musical themes and deliberately designed transitions make the album more of a work of art...one that I can appreciate. I will say that for some of the tracks where I am already familiar with the versions from The Beach Boys, I was not always thrilled. However, as an overall album, I can totally dig it!

UM HOLY SHIT??? HE JUST DIED??? this isn't some kind of site-wide memorial thing where everyone gets specifically this album today right??? (edit: I think it was lmfao) anyway I love the beach boys, even if this is only one of them it still has the same youthful vibes and surf/beach lyrics that remind me of my childhood. however it's also a lot proggier, with many songs having distinct parts similar to "good vibrations" (which is also on this album). it's nothing mind-blowing but it is a really nice, rewarding listen. also shout-out to brian (rip) for still having such a good voice at 62. favorite song: "good vibrations" obviously. overall: 8/10

A few re-recordings in particular stood out as not comparing to the originals, but in general, I had a pretty damn good time with this. Post-Pet Sounds is my favorite BB era, but I've taken precious little time to fully immerse myself into the full lore of Smile; between Brian's passing and enjoying this quite a bit, that may change soon. I'm grateful they rigged the generator in his honor. Rest in peace, Brian. 4/5

7/10 I’m a little underwhelmed I feel like I should’ve liked this way more than I did the orchestration just really wasn’t doing it for me with Brian Wilson’s style, sorry

Brian Wilson Presents Smile I remember buying this when it came out and there was quite a bit of excitement, although I don’t think I listened to it a great deal then. Kind of an odd one, and tricky to separate the context from the actual music, although I’m not sure its worthwhile to do that - the context of finishing the album he never finished and that caused him to have a mental breakdown is the album and is the music. Listening today I thought it might sound dated to 2004, but it has aged really well (apart from a drum fill on Wind Chimes), it sounds lovely, with a lot of warmth and depth, and his voice sounds also great, the age and the years in it suit the themes of childhood nostalgia and fantasy in the songs and add an extra layer of being sung 40 years after they were written and first sung. I think the three suites work well, suiting the recurring motifs and musical references as well as the themes, and going through it song by song misses the point, although the songs already recorded by the Beach Boys do stand out: Heroes and Villains, Cabin Essence, Surf’s Up, Vega-Tables. The version of Good Vibrations is fine, but does lack the charm and freshness of the original recording. The music of the Beach Boys, and it’s uniqueness is probably a separate conversation, but I really enjoyed this, both for what it is musically in its own right, but also for the context and history - I really like the palpable sense of catharsis turning into joy as he re-visits and tries to finish the album that was in his head in 1967, and there’s no doubt of his skill as an arranger and pop orchestrator. It may not hit the heights of the Beach Boys but its a solid 4 for me. 🙃🙃🙃🙃 Playlist submission: Heroes and Villains

A blast out of time. Feels modern and vintage at the same time. Almost saccharin sweet. I feel like the harmonies aren't quite as perfect as Beach Boys, but very close.

I really liked the variety of this album. At some points there was spook and others it was very happy which made me wondering what mood would come next. I really liked the last song and its eerie mood. Very good album and I could see a lot of simulators to the Beach Boys of course and I liked it.

Gets pretty dark in places!

This album obviously has the sounds and charm of a Beach Boys album, but the lyrics are something else. There are large religious themes through many of the songs, but also one of the songs is about organic vegetables. Its definitely a fun album with some interesting messages throughout.

First time I've heard this and it's great.

Really interesting, especially reading the history. Like a symphony at times, but bouncing between rich harmonies, complex songs, and goofy, childish tunes. Only a few that can really be called songs. A huge range of instruments.

72% Best: Heroes and Villians; Surf's Up; Good Vibrations Must-Hear? No. RIP Brian Wilson

Crazy this came out in 2004. Even knowing the history it sounds exactly like a record conceived in the 60s and then recorded with contemporary technology in the 2000s. So it sounds new and dated simultaneously. Never been the largest Beach Boys fan although when they hit for me they really hit. Glad I listened to this but I’m not sure I’ll come back to it. 3/5

Så märkligt. Dagen efter Brian Wilsons bortgång slumpas hans livsverk fram. Trots att det sätts och blötts i en evighet innan det till slut gavs ut låter fortfarande som ett skissblock. Ideer som prövas och avlöser varandra utan riktning i ett vansinnigt tempo. Samma tre-fyra melodier upprepas om och om igen. Eller är 50 olika låtar fördelade på 17 spår? Det är klassisk Beach Boys, det är pretentiöst, det är samtidigt tramsigt. Är det bra? Kanske snare intressant. I all sin ombytlighet blir det till slut enformigt

The album felt very convoluted. While I enjoy Pet Sounds, there seemed to be something missing from this one. Some good songs like Heroes and Villians and Good Vibrations, but other than that just a decent album.

Never really understood the lost masterpiece narrative around this album. It ain’t got nothin on Pet Sounds.

It's good but why listen to this when Smile sessions actually exists now

“Surf’s Up” is a sparkling title that’s an odd fit to a song that’s shambling, hesitant and sluggish, not easy to remember in part or entirety. It’s carefully wrought and reaches for the deep parts while also sounding rushed, thrown together and unsure of itself - and this is how the album hits me as a whole. I’m a “Pet Sounds”-liker, am glad this exists, but I prefer thinking about it to listening to it: “Smile” works as a sequence of distractions, but the challenge with presenting a pop album of songs built from many modules is that it needs several times as many tunes as a regular album to hold the ears. “Good Vibrations” is masterful, “Heroes and Villains” has kick, and the rest is a sometimes-intriguing mash, with the inevitable, detestable carnival music interval making a cameo to remind you what decade this comes from.

Probably rock’s most mythical album, Smile stayed unrealized for nearly 40 years before being recreated by Brian Wilson in 2004. Had it been released in 1967, I have the feeling it would have been a pretty divisive record. Because of its ambition, it likely would have received mixed reviews, it’s not anywhere near as immediate as Pet Sounds or any of The Beach Boys’ prior work. Over time, however, it likely would have gained appreciation, as listeners and critics had the opportunity to revisit the record. On a personal level, I think the historical aspect of Smile is more interesting than the reality of this decades-later recreation, as excellent as it is. 2011’s Smile Sessions Boxset, is an exhaustive companion to this and mostly allows you to hear the record as it would have been released in 1967, with recordings of these songs from that time.

Maybe the originally conceived album would have been great. I know Brian recorded what he considers the definitive version. There is some really great stuff on here, but also some half baked ideas. Ultimately, too many underdeveloped ideas. If all the songs ended up as good as Heroes and Villains and Good Vibrations, we would have a 5-star album on our hands. But Mrs. O'Leary's cow is not gonna get you into 5-star land.

A multitalented songwriter with a tremendous grasp of musical styles, but the songs are all too disjointed to feel like you ever really get “into” it.

WHY NOT PET SOUNDS

Not for me

Coincidentally (or not), I tried to listen to this storied album last year. I made it 4 songs into the record before abandoning it. One year later, against the background of Wilson's death, nothing has changed. All of Wilson's trademark sounds are here - the obnoxious harmonies, the busy vocal multi-tracks... And the fact it all unfortunately does not interest me in the least.

I admire the backstory to this album but this sounds like some weird silly children’s album

4/10 - What started out as an optimistic listen sadly turned into acceptance that this just isn't my album. Smile to me, feels like Brian Wilson unleashed, it displays not only his deep understanding of complex harmonies, but also his full creative extravagance. Unfortunately, I believe this extravagance is what tanked the album. Whilst I can see What Brian was trying to achieve, really, all he needed some creative direction, someone to say, 'Brian, this sounds like ass.' Potentially it needs multiple listens to fully grasp. RIP my guy.

The instrumental for Lady Gaga's Poker Face is better than this whole album. :/

It is a matter of perspective, but I am the sort of person who doesn't want to see what they could have won, so this a painful listen. Other than the spectre of Brian Wilson - who I highly suspect was being puppeteered at this point in his life - there isn't a crumb of genuine Beach Boys magic to be found here really. It's too clean, too slick, too boisterous and feels hollow. If you consider No Way Sis, Antarctic Monkeys, Lez Zeppelin, Non Jovi and Joanne Joanne to be just as good as the real thing I would suggest you grab Surf's Up and Pet Sounds and dream of what Smile could have been instead.

I listened to this with no knowledge of the album's history, and really didn't enjoy it. Felt like I was listening to a kid's album. Read the back story afterwards. While I can now appreciate the significance for Beach Boys fans, I still didn't enjoy it.

He got there in the end, but was it worth the wait. Complex harmonies, counterpoints all over the place, tight vocal performances throughout. Gets way too nursery-rhymey through the middle and the crisp production never lets any of the Casio samples hide. Songs aren't at all memorable.

Well, this was strange… Some children’s songs, some instrumental, some creepy, and one familiar.

Smile reeks desperately of trying to the Beatles. It’s clear why this was abandoned for almost 40 years. Brian Wilson pales in comparison to The Beatles. The fact this album is ever mentioned in the same sentence has Sgt Peppers is disgraceful. It’s an overly long mess, sounds like a musical that goes nowhere and just throws in a bunch of random sounds and harmonies of mediocre melodies. It’s offensive only in what it tries to be, not in how it actually sounds. 4.5/10

It was fine. Think there are much better Wilson/Beach Boys albums.

I know this album is supposed to be legendary but I think it's just not my thing. I appreciate the bleeding/overlapping elements between songs, and that each song has multiple distinct parts, but it's a bit of a double edge sword because it's hard to pick out key songs that stand out when it's a bit of a repetitive blob of an album. Talented, but a little too messy and rambling for my taste. 2/5

Why?

Initial fun then repetitive tedium. For serious fans only.

Maybe this needs a more in-depth listen but other than some glimmers of the genius that Brian Wilson once was, there was nothing for me here

A thoroughly weird album. I would not want to listen to this on LSD. It kind of falls into this uncanny valley between pop sensibility and avant garde inaccessibility Our Prayer/Gee starts with a pleasant chant before leading into a classic Beach Boys a capella and immediately into Heroes and Villains, which is kind of like Zappa and Oingo Boingo had a baroque/doo-wop/barbershop wedding with tempo changes, caesura and disjointed organ phrases. The a capella continues with Roll Plymouth Rock except now with what sounds like tongue twisters. Barnyard evokes late period Residents replete with sheep and chicken noises. Old Master Painter/You Are My Sunshine is a wilted Kenny G rendition of the classic. Cabin Essence brings out a bazouki to imitate a banjo as far as I can tell. Wonderful goes back to Zappa weirdness in the vocals and scale and chord changes. Song for Children plagiarises Good Vibrations but without any of its catchiness. Child is Father of the Man - all you need to know is in the title. A sort of cool string and piano outro I guess. Surf's Up is probably the closest thing to a pop song but Park Van Dyke's vocals have this jowly Flinstones thing going on. I'm in Great Shape/I Wanna Be Around/Workshop is just hiding the fact that Wilson had some sketches lying around that he couldn't figure out how to finish. Vega-Tables is about vegetables but nowhere near as funny as Zappa on the same subject. On a Holiday is only surprising in that it took this long for the album to break out the slide whistles and sea shanties. "Though its hard/I try not to look at my wind chimes" - genius. Mrs. O'Leary's Cow provides some welcome relief with an actual guitar riff and anxious moaning from the ersatz beach boy choir. What I do like about the album is it leans into the vaguely sinister aspect of all Wilson's songwriting and this song is where the curtain comes down and you discover the monster. That monster is quickly shuffled away in Blue Hawaii and then as if Wilson is in terror that you'll ask more questions he punches out a rendition of Good Vibrations. Heroes and Villains (instrumental) was not necessary. Without the vocals the unfinished aspect of this is really clear. Its unfinished and it sounds like its been realised on Soundblaster general MIDI. I have no problem with Brian Wilson getting some love in the list but I'm not convinced this should be here. Nonetheless this is so bizarre its charming.

Overall it's just okay. I'm not north american so maybe that's why I don't have strong feelings for Brian Wilson or The beach boys music and consequently this album.

Friendly, weird, ominous and creepy. This album makes me feel like I'm about to be assaulted by a clown. Overall though, the music is easy to get along with, just kind of cheesy. The vegetable-eating-sound adlibs on "Vega-Tables" is wild, but I dig the creativity - the whole album is kind of like this.

Vanity project?

This album annoyed me.

I always thought that the Beach Boys were a one-trick pony and other than a handful of songs, I wasn't really a fan. Despite all of the accolades this album seems to receive and even though no one else in the band was involved, it sounds like a boring, B-sides Beach Boys album with some real turds on it. It didn't make me smile.

I don’t really know the complicated backstory for this project but I do know I didn’t particularly like it or find it interesting! 2/5

Tjah.. lidt en sjov samling af sange.. meget føltes som noget man havde hørt før, bare i en lidt ringere version

“Lying in Bed Just like Brain Wilson Dead” I understand Brian Wilson covered this Bare Naked Ladies’ song on one of his tours. Why wasn’t there room on the 1001 for a Bare Naked Ladies’ LP? They could have left this Brian Wilson album off the list.

1,4/5

This sucks. A lot. I can't stand The Beach Boys, but I tried to go into this with an open mind, because solo music doesn't always sound exactly like the band the artist was in. Except this shit absolutely does. And it sucks. How did this album come out in 2004? It just sounds like some shitty 50s Beach Boys outtakes. I don't get it, there even appear to be Beach Boys covers? I don't know, and I can't be bothered to look it up. If you like this album, congratulations on having made it to your 80th birthday, I guess.

Jesus Christ what is this shit? Did someone record an open mic at a kindergarten? Van Dye Parks is a fucking self-satisfied charlatan. It's certainly no Pet Sounds..

A confused and very inconsistent record. Perhaps this is explained given the context of the original production of the album, but I can't help but think that the many interesting ideas on this are even half realised. This is an album for big fans of The Beach Boys, but not so much the average listener. Best Tracks: - In Blue Hawaii Worst Tracks: - Vega-Tables - Barnyard Rating: 2/10

Horrible album cover. How is this from the early 00s? It's Beach Boys Brian Wilson with absurd man-made animal sounds. How is the album on here?

I know it’s sacriligious to say but: I am massively annoyed.

The productions just sounds uncomfortable. The timing seems off. Sounds a little like when a movie distorts the audio when a character is on depressants. The layers feel like they don't mesh. Probably should have just stayed existing in hearts and minds Someone should make a horror movie based on this album with it as the soundtrack.

Listened to this while playing the ship maintenance phase of ISS Vanguard. I liked this album when it came out, but we were all young and stupid once. Seriously...whoever was responsible for putting this on the list deserves to listen to "Vega-tables" on a loop for eternity. I honestly would die more happy if I never have to listen to this again.

My apologies fellow travellers, the nostalgia is so lost on me, even after reading of the emotional journey needed to do this work. Suitable listening alongside a Brian Wilson biography perhaps?

Loved this

Radiating with a big Smile.

Cannot imagine the pressure of finishing an album you abandoned 40 years ago. The production on this is immaculate, an almost magical quality. Some real experimental stuff on here especially Mrs O'Leary's Cow. I didn't know much Beach Boys / Brian Wilson before he died. I'm glad I got this and could appreciate this in the sun.

I liked it

Five stars, no notes. Unreal, surreal experience. RIP

Fitting tribute!