Smile

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.

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

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.

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.

Boomer nostalgia shit

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.

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.

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

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.

... 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,

I agree with Noel Gallagher on this

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.

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...

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.

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

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

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

“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.

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?

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

Brilliant

What a nice record! I really enjoyed the good vibes it brought. I will definitely listen to this more often.

Really really liked this. Makes you ponder where it would stand had it been released when it was supposed to be, given how iconic Pet Sounds is now. Simpsons: Yes

Holy shit, I think I finally get Brian Wilson / The Beach Boys! The vocal harmonies, the creativity for the hell of it, and the positive vibes - terrific!

:)

Oh my word this was great! Almost sad or uncomfortable at points, yet always felt brilliant and deliberate :)

It may not fire on every cylinder, but I think it's a true gift to the world that Brian managed to get this together 37 years later. The opening track is sublime.

My preference when it comes to *Smile* will always go to the original unfinished album by the Beach Boys that Brian Wilson abandoned in 1967. Indeed, in 2011, *Brian Wilson Presents Smile*'s sequencing served as a blueprint for *The Smile Sessions*, a compilation dedicated to the original Beach Boys recordings, reconstructed through all the tapes recorded in 1967. You just need to listen to the two versions of hit single "Good Vibrations", between the 1966 original one (released to tease the album that never came to fruition) and the 2004 version, to understand where the difference lies. The original is simply iconic, whereas the 21st century version, admittedly endearing and perfectly faithful to the original, is obviously the work of an older man that doesn't possess the voice of his youth anymore, through no fault of his own... https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Smile_Sessions So there's absolutely nothing wrong with this project, which was executed with a profound respect for Wilson's original intents, even with the minor changes here and there. It's just that *Smile* is a product of the sixties, and that even if its 1967 release only occured in an alternate universe, that's where and how its emotional impact is the most potent for me. Pretty sure the off-kilter, experimental nature of the project would have been controversial, had Wilson managed to overcome his insecurities (fuelled by drug use and a schizoaffective disorder) so as to not abandon it at the time. But you can bet your boots that the album would have been considered a milestone decades later. Its complicated history in our world sure added to the myth. But the elegiac, Wordsworth-inspired vocal mantras of "Surf's Up / Child Is Father To The Man", the hypnotic, surreal groove of "Cabinessence" and whimsical adventures of "Vega-Tables" (pointing to far later Animal Collective gems in quite an outstanding manner), or the sly, playful twists and turns of "Heroes And Villains", are as stunning today as they were during the late sixties. Evidence enough of Wilson's mad genius. Number of albums left to review: 74 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 398 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 231 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 298 (including this one, but I'll add *The Smile Sessions* instead).

I’m only giving this 4 stars because I prefer the version with The Beach Boys. This, though is also essential, with more lyrics than the original. What a treasure it was when this came out and we finally had an official document of Brian’s magnum opus. You know what? This gets 5 stars, it’s just too good.

Smile indeed I did. All the way through this glorious LP.

This was 35 years in the making you better give it a 5

Beautiful album. Brian Wilson is a genius.

This was an incredible listen, made all the more impressive given the fact that Wilson was in his 60s at the time of recording. You'd never know from the quality of his vocals -- both in lead and in harmonization. This album is full of beautiful songwriting and display of craft as songs shift back and forth with beautiful layering and plenty of minute details to pick up in the mix. The sequencing here is fantastic as the whole thing maintains a sense of cohesive urgency start to finish. Definitely some kooky, psychedelic workings in the mix here. All the "animal sounds" on Barnyard; the trippy back and forth of concepts on Roll Plymouth Rock; the deeply unsettling flip into You Are My Sunshine; and especially Mrs. O'Leary's Cow, which is far more metal than anything I would have expected here. Some really beautiful songs tucked in here. Surf's Up, I've heard before, but I never tire of it. Same can be said for Good Vibrations. Also love Heroes and Villains. Just a fantastic album. Not quite prefect, but worthy of a low 5.

Sweet.

It’s kind of a miracle that this album was finished and it’s a pretty remarkable call back to Wilson’s younger years. Amazing.

Wonderful!

What a delightfully bizarre and beautiful album. This was cool to listen to having watched The Beach Boys docu just a few weeks back. Loved having the context of the album and knowing the circumstances around its recording. Innovative and troubled and enjoyable and lots more!

Gobsmacking to find this was removed from the book, with the amount of pure dross that's been kept in. The incorrect Rufus Wainwright record was preferred to this. Whereas this literally a piece of musical history from one of the greatest songwriters of all time. Whether you personally like it, that's an actual fact. There's such a story behind it. Probably the greatest crime the editor has committed so far, and I am over 750 albums in. I still remember going down to visit my best friend and we went to London, and he was so obsessed with this album (or rather the unfinished record that turned into this, it was pre-2004) that he talked about almost nothing else all day. I found it slightly annoying at the time as I wasn't well versed, but then I heard this, and the original cuts, and I understood. Ferreting around on internet message boards to find fan-compiled mixes made from the original recordings (PurpleChick was a good one, until it was finally released in 2011) Magical.

Very enjoyable, upbeat, Beach Boys sound

This album was an experience. Relevance to this list: 5/5 Personal enjoyment: 5/5

Purple Chick Smile > Smile Sessions > Brian Wilson's Smile

He’s a genius

I would recommend everyone to take a deeper look into this project, if you're not already familiar with it. Beautiful piece of art.

Beach Boys down half an octive? Sure, I'm in!

Album 328 of 1001 Brian Wilson - Smile Rating : 5 / 5 Favorite Track : Heroes and Villains / Good Vibrations I did smile when I saw this pop up as my album of the day. This is another cd I bought right after it was released back in 2004. I listened to a song or two and then put it back in the case and there it sat for almost 20 years. I pulled it out a year or so ago and it has become one of my favorites. There is a video of the live performance on youtube that should be checked out. Many panned this hard, but I love it. One of those special releases that come along once in a blue moon...even if it takes 20 years to figure it out.

Brilliant. Love the beach boys, love Brian Wilson.

Sometimes an album is waiting for you and you aren't ready for it. I feel like SMiLE has been waiting for me for 20 years and I've never been ready for it. My guitar teacher told me about it when I was 15. I think I've given it a few goes in the time since. Today is the closest I've been to being ready for it. When I put it on this morning, it sounded better than it ever had, any hangups I felt before seemed to have disappeared. I'd always preferred this version of Good Vibrations, the version on this record is probably one of my favourite songs of all time. But everything on this record hits. Its all of a similar standard. The ideas and musicianship are incredible. It feels like a wonderful childlike dream. I wish I had got deep into it when I was first told about it. I have such a soft spot for the Beach Boys album Holland and Pet Soinds is Pet Sounds. This album goes right up there today. I think its a 5, and if it isn't a 5, it's a future 5 because its fantastic

What a joyously perfect record - intertwining harmonies and beautiful songs. This was already a favourite and I remember it took a couple of listens before I really saw its genius - but now I kind of see it as a slightly better brother of Sgt Pepper.

Godlike, beautiful songwriting. Wonderfully pleasing My only problem is that you can tell it was recorded in the 2000s and not the 1960s, it sometimes sounds too modernly polished in a bad way. Guess I need to check out that Smile Sessions album.

Brian Wilson's (and the Beach Boys for that matter) most adventurous project is a fascinating complex patchwork. A song cycle comprising of voices, instruments, tin pan alley, art-rock and theater. Whereas Pet Sounds was all about emotions and feelings of the heart, these are songs for the head with cryptic lyrics, displaying strong influences from early-mid 20th century Americana, along the lines of Gershwin etc. The Beach Boys finally released Smile in 2011, and that version just about gets the edge, but this is still excellent and at times, the music is breath-taking.

Suprised I went to high on this. Blew me away and listened to it 3 times. It’s not new to me, I remember going to the record store and buying the cd the day it came out and I’ve always liked it but not as much as my favorite Beach Boys records nor as much as the now 12-year old Smile Sessions. But this listen, my first in many years - and through lossless on Qobuz was truly eye opening. Yes, it’s an aged Brian, but it almost works better? It adds verses, it tightens the sketches, it sounds more like a fever dream (in a good way) with the extra strain on his voice. The sequencing is so smooth. Idk man, sometimes a record you are intimately familiar with just suddenly HITS DIFFERENT. Now I can’t imagine this not being one of my favorite records ever for the rest of my days.

Loved this album! Brian Wilson is amazing!

5 of 5… could listen any day- happy and light hearted and fun. Love me some Beach Boys music, especially when I’m in a bad mood.

This felt like revisiting the best of Brian Wilson & The Beach Boys. Throughly enjoyed this. 4.5 stars

I have always admired the Beach Boy's complex harmonies. Having seen the movie Love and Mercy, and knowing the story behind this album, I am very glad that Brian Wilson got this opportunity to finally complete this album. But of course this album only leaves us to wonder what the original could've been like.

It’s difficult to separate this album from the original tapes of the Smile from 1967, which I think is one of the greatest artworks of all time. For that reason, I will give this a 5, even if I think the original version is much better. Either way, the compostions remain almost intact so this thing still omits surges of intense beauty even in Brian’s elderly voice.

Good weird stuff

I hate acapella. My friends know this, and I'll even give unsolicited advice to undergrads to never do acapella. That being said, the compositions in this album are incredible, and innovative. The killer motif developed in "Heroes and Villains" introduces so much tension, and only resolves with a simple key (mode? chord?) change. Brian brings that motif right back in Plymouth Rock, but follows the resolution with blaring Bah's, which is such a cool way to interrupt the sense of calm from the resolution. Here are some other unorganized notes, I also like the pairing of Song For Children and Child is the Father of the Man. Our Prayer is absolutely beautiful, and a really nice call back to standard Beach Boys (or my idea of standard Beach Boys at least). Brian keeps pulling back that motif from Heros and Villains throughout the album, which would feel tired if it wasn't so goddamn compelling. My last applause from Brian comes from the fact that Smile has currently dethroned both Bat Out of Hell and Rage Against the Machine as the album I'm listening to this week, no mean feat given both my dislike of acapella, and my longstanding love of Meatloaf. 6/5 stars if I could.

Absolument ludique et joyeux. Instrumentation surprenante et bien utilisée. Harmonies font penser aux Beach Boys, mais beaucoup de variations de rythmes et d'univers

This album should have been as great as Sgt pepers and a step further after the already masterpiece pets sounds, unfortunatly, Brian Wilson who was struggling with serious mental ilness and drugs addiction couln't complete the projet, but he finaly did decades later. I say that altough not all of the songs are wonderfull and exceptional, but as a whole, this album is pretty much a masterpiece, i'll say technicaly better than pet sounds, put pets sounds is more coherent, beautiful and as better songs. The vocal harmony are the best of all beachs boys album, the songs are complexe and ambicious. The best one is of course Good Vibrations wich is on of the best song of all times in terms of complexity and sounds. Wonderfull is very good, heros and vilains, vege-tables and Cabin Essence are my favorites.

This is a very impressive release that really looks like a personal effort of a very dedicated (maybe obsessive) person. It sounds like a continuation of the Beach Boys' work at the same time that includes many new pieces of music highly interesting for any music fan. A mixture of styles and lyrics, and instruments that compounds a masterpiece. Unfortunately, it sounds a bit old for 2004, but having in mind it was planned to be a BB album after Pet Sounds is enough to get all the geniality behind it.

Had it been released in December 1966 as it was originally planned, it would have changed the course of popular music forever. It was ahead of its time by decades. I can be grateful this was released four decades later because it is a brilliant and genius work. The emotions throughout the record, the arrangements, the vocal harmonies, everything is top notch.

Phenomenal. So complex and ahead of it’s time. Easy to understand why Brian Wilson drove himself to the edge with this in his head but never able to get it out to the world. Rating: 4.9

Where do I begin with this most mythic album? I learned of the great lost masterpiece when I was in college in the early 2000s. We would download stem tracks of unknown origins, and people would compile their own hypothetical approximations. The narrative and mystique surrounding SMiLE is the stuff of legend - almost sacred in certain circles, including my own. It was a thing of perfect beauty when it existed only in these little glimmers, and the rest was left to your imagination. Which is why, when Brian Wilson decided to record this version in 2004, I was hesitant to listen to it at first. I was worried it would be too little, too late - afraid it would shatter that perfect vision I had. Boy was I wrong. In fact I'd have to say it far exceeded my expectations. This is one of the most singularly original pieces of music ever recorded, and I am jealous of all those who got to see it performed live around the time of its release. It is not only an incredibly rich musical experience, but the story behind it represents the triumph of the human spirit and creativity itself. The fact that Brian Wilson was able to finally confront, overcome, and ultimately embrace what he considered to be his life's greatest failure is nothing short of miraculous. This has to be the grandest, most beautiful catharsis ever recorded. Its complex structure is anchored by 4 absolute pillars of songwriting; "Heroes and Villains," "Cabin Essence," "Surf's Up," and "Good Vibrations," each of which is like a mini-epic of its own. Those crown jewels are situated in the surrounding material in such a way that they become almost inseparable from their context once you hear it as it was intended. When taken altogether, it truly sounds like a teenage symphony to God. All that being said, I do have a strong preference for the 2011 Smile Sessions version, which uses the original Beach Boys recordings. Although BWPS does contain some notable and interesting differences, I wish it was Smile Sessions which was in its place on this list. If you like what you hear on BWPS, I beg you to give Smile Sessions a listen on a good pair of headphones to experience these songs in their full glory. These 5 stars are for the idea of SMiLE in all its forms. May it live forever alongside the works of the greatest composers.

I grew up hearing a lot of the Beach Boys' "surf music," which I enjoyed. At some point in my late twenties, I asked for 'Pet Sounds' for Christmas, and I was blown away that the same guys who sang "Surfin' Safari" and "409" could make an album like that. I've never listened to any of Brian Wilson's solo work, but I consider him to be the one that led The Beach Boys into their post "surf music" era, so I had high expectations for this album. I was not let down. This album is incredible. Wilson's ability to create beautiful harmonies is showcased throughout this album. The experimental and varied instrumentation is showcased here too; there's plenty of strings, keyboards, guitars, whistles, and Christ-knows-what-else to go around on this album. But even with all of the different instrumental sounds, the album never feels bloated or busy; everything is in its rightful place to create an incredible experience. I don't know much about the history of how this project evolved from its foundations in the sixties to what Wilson put together over 35 years later, but this album reminded me of what I loved about my first time listening to 'Pet Sounds.' I wish that I would have had time to listen to this album a second time today, so that I could put together some thoughts on individual songs, but it just wasn't meant to be. However, I'll definitely be revisiting this album soon.

This album grows on you, just like Pet Sounds. Keep listening and you will become entranced.

Great timing, as I recently finished reading Brian Wilson's autobiography (the one from 2016, not the earlier one). Brian Wilson's story overall in fascinating - the abusive father, the rise of a musical genius, mental health and drug issues, a controlling therapist, and then finally finding love and his recovery and resurgence as an artist. The legend of this album was always the anchor weighing him down, and the fact that he was able to finally complete it almost 40 years after its inception is incredible. Is it as great as the Beach Boys in their prime, i.e. Pet Sounds? I don't think so, but there is still a lot of the brilliance and magic of those earlier times. That, combined with the backstory of this album, is enough to make this a 5 star album for me.

Lovely

This was fantastic. 5 stars.

It's not better than Pet Sounds, but it's just as special

Exaltação da qualidade do pop e rock em simbiose.

Beach Boy floored by Sgt Pepper. Is it better than Pet Sounds? No. Is it great? Yes. It's hard to separate the album from the narrative - a lovely redemption story of a sad old man who lost his way and then found it again three decades later. And why would you? It's a heart warming slice of nostalgia that happily diverts from the shitty world right now.