Smile

Compared to their other albums, the sound is good but I didn't care for most of the lyrics on this one.

Better than I thought!

Dug this more than I thought I would. The Beach Boys are one of the most influential American bands of all time but I didn’t expect to see any solo stuff on here.

Not always enjoyable, but it's a moment in history

2023 covid vaccine fever dream: hearing the most incredible melodies and harmonies in a dream (within the dream), and then waking up (still in the dream) and desperately trying to transcribe what I heard, and then waking up (for real) and not being able to recall a single note. Anyways, this album gave me an uncanny feeling. Both déjà vu and dread? 8/10. Favs: In Blue Hawaii; Our Prayer/Gee; Child Is Father of the Man; Good Vibrations

Despite feeling like a shell of what could have been, it’s a great album with a lot of great songs. There are some parts that just feel glued together though which makes it seem a bit unfinished (which given the context makes sense) but overall it actually all flowed together really well and in a way that made it fresh all throughout. It’s got the distinct Brian Wilson sound to it with the bright, shiny sounding production and the obvious use of harmonies, although it definitely sounds a bit off due to his voice changing after over 30 years. It feels a bit like a kind of compilation album with how it includes songs from other albums and the cover as well just seems like something that would be in a compilation album. Favourites: Roll Plymouth rock, Wonderful, song for Children, Child is father of the man, on a holiday, Mrs O’learys cow, Good Vibrations and heroes and villains. Overall, 7/10.

This is seriously beautiful. It's also Really sad for such a happy carnival sound. It really is dreaming of the good times, before things got tough. But for him, that's all the way back to nursery rhymes. That's tough, man

I thought, "this reminds me of the Beach Boys." I go to read about the artist and it's one of the Beach Boys. Overall, I thought it was nice enough, though I think it didn't fit the vibe for me today.

I was not expecting this to be so surreal and emotional, I had no idea about the background of this album. the Beach Boys make way more sense now.

God, what a lost opportunity. The Beach Boys could be looked at in such a different light? This, following Pet Sounds, would have been a legendary 1-2 punch. Such a missed opportunity. What an album.

The completion of Smile is one of the most hard earned and storied sagas in popular music. When Brian Wilson began working on Smile in 1966, the process just about destroyed him. I can only be happy for him that he was graced with the ability to finish Smile 38 years later in 2004. I have to say, with the scope of this project and the sheer density of the arrangements here, I see why this was just a little difficult to put together. On Smile, all sorts of songs, snippets and sketches come together to make a very cohesive album experience. I'd like to know how many tracks are on some of these songs. Listening deep into this mix, you just keep finding new instruments: xylophone, bass clarinet, vocal harmonies, etc. And every track seems to have a different sound palette too. It's kind of miraculous that this *is* cohesive, but it achieves a certain atmosphere of quirky, joyful, and slightly psychedelic playfulness. Every song contributes towards this goal. I liked this album a lot, but I think it's worth it for just about everyone, if only so you can see the pay-off to one of the more interesting myths in rock history. Besides, this is just about perfectly *executed*, it is at a level of detail that is rarely observed, and I think it's worth it just to be immersed in that detail.

I’m a fan of this album and It rewards multiple listens. Even though it is weird and uneven, there’s a lot of breathtaking stuff and new discoveries around every corner.

Dope

Сложно мне оценить такой альбом. С одной стороны, ничего такого, классическая для 60-х попса (хоть и выпущенная в 2004), что в общем-то, всегда хорошо и приятно, но какой-то очень он позитивный, хоть и с такой, немного, ноткой ностальгии и меланхолии. Не могу сказать что плохо, даже наверное наоборот, но всё таки не моё. Осенью хочется слушать другое.

Il était écrit que le résultat final ne pourrait jamais être à la hauteur de l’histoire, du mythe, qui entourait cet album. Attendu pendant plus de 40 ans, finalement enregistré avec un autre groupe, une voix un peu chevrotante, sans jamais retrouver le son d’époque, une fois passé le soulagement de l’avoir enfin entre les mains et de savoir que Brian Wilson était enfin en paix avec lui même, le résultat ne peut être que décevant. Loin de la symphonie promise, on a plutôt l’impression de se retrouver devant un assemblage de débuts d’idées collées les unes derrière les autres. Ça reste quand même souvent des putains d’idées. Par moment ça décolle et c’est vachement bien (“Heroes and villains”; “Wonderful”...), des fois c’est désarçonnant et pas forcément agréable, comme si on était éjecté d’une montagne russe en plein milieu du tour. Reste un monument indépassable avec “Good vibrations” dans une version d’autant plus formidable qu’elle allonge le pont, suspendu dans le temps, d’une simplicité folle et pourtant sublime. Un album qui fait partie de l’histoire de la musique et de la pop, mais il vaut mieux en garder le souvenir et quelques morceaux, le réconfort ressenti par sa simple existence.

I can smell the music gatekeepers from a mile away. (I'm one of them.) This material is brilliant! So much so that there are dozens of iterations of this album, and each is just as intriguing as the last. The vocal harmonies are some of the most brilliant you'll find on any record, by any artist, anywhere. And sure, the musicianship isn't anything spectacular. If you were looking for the next iteration of Queen's A Night at the Opera, you'll be a little disappointed – particularly as most of the vocals are delivered by 21st-century Brian. But the compositions? Otherworldly. The mind-bending song structures on Heroes and Villains and Good Vibrations and Surf's Up are pretty dang nifty. The song transitions are exciting, smooth, dynamic – allowing any changes in energy/texture to happen within individual songs. For example, the change from Wonderful into Song for Children is completely seamless. It's something seen only very rarely from other artists. There's also a lot of foreshadowing/reprising themes, seen as early as the opening trio (Our Prayer / Heroes and Villains / Roll Plymouth Rock). You hear it again when Song for Children heavily foreshadows melodies from Good Vibrations. Everything is interconnected. Talk about creativity. And there are plenty of excellent standalones here too. Surf's Up is just as haunting, maybe even more so, than the original album version (1971). The high notes, the interweaving vocal parts, the ridiculous chord progressions, the wacky structure that's impossible to comprehend upon a first listen, the breathtakingly beautiful lyrics... Such a brilliant track. Good Vibrations is just as gorgeous as the version that stormed throughout the world back in 1966. In fact, I think the Smile version is slightly stronger compositionally, considering additions like the "I'm pickin' up" just before the choruses, and the "hum-be-num, oh" The sentiment of there being too much "filler" is definitely understandable – particularly as the album is already 10 minutes longer than your standard vinyl LP. 4/5 Key tracks: Heroes and Villains, Surf's Up, Wind Chimes, Good Vibrations

So weird, but good. Not unlike a Beach Boys album with added circus music.

Liked it, but very complex. This will reward on further listens. The vocals are amazing

As one who loves a little bit of whimsy, I enjoyed this quite a bit. Brian Wilson talent and dedication to his craft is evident throughout. Just a great work of art.

Really interesting. That Pet Sounds wall of sound is amazing. I’m not a musician but I can tell it’s an amazing feat to produce and engineer an album with this much going on. Should be a 5, but I rate off of my pure enjoyment factor.

I love a lot of bands influenced by The Beach Boys and have tried many times to get into them but just can’t. This was interesting but unlikely to ever play it again

An interesting concept to re-visit songs writeen decades earlier and record them as a solo project without any other Beach Boys. The songs are fantastic but they need redoing?

Great harmonies

Favourites: Heroes and Villains, Old Master Painter / You Are My Sunshine, Song for Children, Surf's Up, Vega-Tables, Wind Chimes, Good Vibrations

8/10 Smile is an album that needs assessing as a whole, as it’s very much an example of the ‘Album as Art’ rather than as a collection of songs. I’ve done a song-by-song for it, but there is so much referencing of ideas from all over the album in so many of the tracks, including full sections running over into one another, that listening to the odd song is just incoherent and doesn’t do it justice. This album was a long time in the making. It was the album that pushed Brian Wilson over the edge, and for him to eventually come back around to complete a version of it must have been incredibly cathartic. However, the intervening years do weigh this album down a little. Brian’s voice is obviously weaker than it would have been 37 years previously, and he’s seemingly in a more mentally stable place. To that end, the album is a little more uplifting and buoyant than the old recordings were, which adds an extra sheen of saccharine to proceedings, which is doubled down on with the sparkle of modern production. It also means that, rather than being the groundbreaking follow-up to Pet Sounds, there were nearly 40 years of musical invention and development that had happened by the time it was released. With all that being said, there is so much going for this album. The composition and arrangement of the multitude of vocal parts just endlessly flow, dive and soar over one another. The harmonies shift and shimmer and I personally find them incredibly beautiful and, in places, moving. I also get a lot of kicks out of how silly it all is. To some this might be a turn of, but there’s a lot of humour and surrealism in there, not only in the lyrics and subject matter, but in the odd little sound effects, slide whistles and other bits and pieces of ear candy that he throws in to the mix. It’s all just gloriously bonkers, yet musically brilliant, it’s still a joy to listen to. I ran it three times just this morning, and I found new bits to smile at every time. While this was never going to match up to the mythical ’Smile’ that Beach Boys fans had been clamouring for for the previous 40 years, it was a really good effort, and for Brian’s sake, I’m delighted he could finally get the Smile monkey off his back. Our Prayer / Gee - This is the kind of harmonic composition that I refer to when I comment about more ‘static’ harmonisations from the likes of CSN&Y. All of the parts move around one another, modulating through a variety of chords, rather than sticking with a single note, or just moving with the lead. To me, this kind of thing is glorious. It’s a great intro to the album. And then we get a twee little transition that works in a snippet of Heroes and Villains before we get there properly. Heroes and Villains - An absolute classic. The different elements roll over each other and intertwine in an ever-changing blend. It’s unashamedly silly too, with the slide-whistles, laughs and spoken word bits. There’s also an undercurrent of simmering threat about it too. This one kind of encapsulates the madness of Brian Wilson. Brilliant melodic and harmonic writing that’s just a little bit unhinged. Roll Plymouth Rock - This is more sombre in tone. There are a lot of references back to Heroes and Villains and it’s almost a link track in some respects. On its own, this would be completely nonsensical, but in the context of the album, it’s great. Barnyard - A silly little number complete with animal noises. It’s mad, but the musical hook is nice, and I really dig it. Old Master Painter / You Are My Sunshine - Another slice of melancholy madness before we move on. Cabin Essence - Such a beautiful song. It has so much dynamic range, from the little bouncy, low-key sections through to the full sections with the backing vocals rising and falling, before it drops back and then slowly builds back up to the ending. Lovely. Wonderful - Another really lovely song. Brian’s voice is perhaps at its most exposed here, but once the backing vocals come in it’s so good. Love those ever changing harmonies so much. You could never accuse post surf-pop Brian Wilson of creating static music, there’s always something going on, some development, variation or movement taking us forwards. Song for Children - It’s kind of hard to review this album song by song. This again takes ideas from Wonderful and Child Is Father of the Man, works them together, spins out new ideas and throws in bits from other songs too. It’s really bloody good though. Child Is Father of the Man - There’s again a darker tone here. It’s sparse in places and little motifs from all over the album. As with a few of these other short tracks, on its own, it’s mental, but in context it’s great. Surf’s Up - I prefer earlier versions of this song. There are elements of it that still stand up, but it lacks the bereft beauty of the version on the Surf’s Up album. But that wouldn’t work in the context of this album, so here we are. There are still some really beautiful washes of sound on this though. Soaring harmonies and rotating vocal parts that just dance over each other, oh yes. I'm in Great Shape / I Wanna Be Around / Workshop - Another little jumble of ideas that are all nice and a little bit crazy in their own way. Vega-Tables - Yes, Brian is a strange man. But this kind of lunacy connects with me so hard. It’s funny, it has moments of beauty it’s wrapped up with some really interesting composition. On a Holiday - Another silly little one. More calls back to other songs. More moments of melancholy. More beautiful rolling harmonies. Wind Chimes - This transitions from more low-key, small-scale sections into full almost big-bang bombast as it goes along. Another one where it’s kind of hard to separate it from the album, but as part of it, it’s fantastic. Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow - This one’s pretty batty. It’s more of a soundscape than a song in some respects. In some ways it’s quite jarring against the inherently melodic nature of the rest of the album, but it feels dangerous and threatening, which (history suggests) was the point. In Blue Hawaii - This transitions us slowly away from the fiery madness of the previous track, and then boom. We’re back to something more upbeat, with the occasional echoes of sadness. It’s quite nice. Less exciting than some of the rest of the album and more reminiscent of some of Brian’s post breakdown music. But that doesn’t last for long before we dip back to a bit of Our Prayer and on to… Good Vibrations - Well it’s not THE Good Vibrations, is it? That original was magic. Here’ the lyrics have changed, the vocals miss The Beach Boys even more than the rest album, and the production is almost too clean. I mean, it’s still a really, really good track. But when you compare it to the original…

Went in expecting Beach Boys, got Beach Boys but also The Wiggles on ecstasy. It's good to have something that's kind of silly every once in a while

Really great album

Perhaps an album I ultimately respect and recognise as brilliant rather than truly loving like my favourite albums. I feel like you had to be a Beach Boys fan at the time to properly understand how much Wilson recreated and found that sound again decades. One of the most challenging and surprising pop albums you’ll hear.

Yes, ok, it's really bloody good. Happy now?

There’s something potentially weird, of course, about a cultural idea/artifact that doesn’t actually reach the public until decades after the milieu that first sparked it. But the distance—from both 1967 and 2004—helps shake some of *that* weirdness off now. BWPS is genuinely beautiful. In places, it’s so, erm, smooth that you sorta yearn for more edge, even. Despite the smoothness, there are all sorts of unusual effects and sonic places to enjoy. And Wilson’s voice sounds much like it did 35 years before. In the end, it’s an almost brilliant (secular) oratorio from a long-ago era of psychedelia. I can’t quite discern its actual message, if there ever was one. And that’s a problem, of course. But given the beauty, it’s a problem I can live with.

An ode to the joy that is Brian Wilson and his wonderful accomplishment with Smile's delivery.

Finding this one really hard to rate. Some of that is the weird context of the album, but the production is great and I’ve never heard an album flow from one song to the next as effectively—it plays like one fever dream.

Great for lounging poolside to.

Wonderful. To emulate the sound of the Beach Boys so well nearly 40 years later? Wonderful.

Such a talent

OBRA MAESTRA.

This album is pretty decent. Kinda sounds like Beach Boys of course but it almost has a more experimental vibe to it. I enjoyed it.

Whimsical and upbeat, reminds me of the Beatles. Very solid album, would listen again.

Didn’t personally enjoy as much as I expected, but it is definitely genius

Pretty good.

Although it's silly and goofy at times, the compositions, arrangements and vocal harmonies are all reminiscent of the best aspects of the beach boys. A lot of great stuff here

There are some things I like - there’s a lot of variety in the album, pure sounding voice, but sometimes it just sounded like noise. Initially I thought I was listening to The Beach Boys again! But it’s different, and overall I’m liking it.

Feels like a retirement home version of The Beach Boys. Still good tho

Heroes and villains was good I love lyrics and funky music

There is no doubt this album is pure genius. It's very well thought-through. It sounds like a suite, no matter which tempo and chord changes there are throughout the songs. Motives are coming back all through the album. And the arrangements are as complicated and fine as can be. Having said that: the composition is in my humble opinion better than the music. For me it's just not happening. And it's a little outdated. That's not fair criticism, but these barbershop choirs, well, that's an acquired tasje. I haven't acquired it.

This was a hard one for me. There’s a lot of genius on here, and a lot of experimental-sounding or half-finished stuff that is interesting if you’re in the right mood, or like an irritating fever dream if you’re not. I definitely think it’s worth a listen, and I’m interested to hear the 2011 version. I don’t know how to rate this, so am putting a placeholder 4 (for the uneven genius in this record). Brian Wilson was a tortured artist and in many ways a true genius. I hope he found peace and happiness in the end. RIP.

This was a super interesting album. It started off with a very Beach Boys vibe (which, well...duh), and then morphed into something very Sting-like, while still retaining hints of the Beach Boys vibe. Overall a really cosy album to listen to. 4/5

I guess I had gotten too old and dismissive of the Beach Boys as a 60s phenomenon by the time Brian Wilson got around to "finishing" this album twenty years ago, nearly four decades after he started working on it as his perceived ultimate masterpiece. I vaguely remember it coming out, but I honestly don't think I ever listened to it fully until today, the day after his death. It's really quite amazing, and I had a far more positive reaction to it than to a coincidental re-listening to Pet Sounds a couple of weeks ago. The songs of that LP have been just a part of my life since before I was even aware of music, so they tended to underwhelm. This album, while maybe a bit too "slick" at times in its efforts to provide cohesion to some songs that were first written and recorded at a time when Wilson himself lacked complete mental cohesion, really feels like the revolutionary effort Pet Sounds was in its own time. Not perfect, by any means, but really quite great.

#400. 6.12.25

Maybe not the best album from Brian Wilson or the Beach Boys, but still very, very good. Rest in peace to a legend and a musical genius.

Great Brian Wilson sound. But to truly appreciate this, I would need to listen to it on a great sound system, which I didn’t do. I’m sure I would really like this album with a lot of listens.

This is odd. Like an echo of Beach Boys from way back, wrapped in more modern voices and musical layers.

Some really great tracks. Not sure I fully embraced this but a good listen. Will slide it to the 4 side of a 3.5.

Surprising

Fun

Smile was an unfinished Beach Boys' project; intra-band disagreements and Brian Wilson's mental health issues led to the project being shelved. Wilson had envisioned the project as a modern "Rhapsody in Blue," and the Beach Boys had extensive recording sessions related to the album. Historically, the Beach Boys' Smile has become one of the most - if not the most - famous "unreleased" projects in modern music. After a series of concerts in 2003, Wilson decided to revisit the project, and released it to universal critical acclaim, including a Grammy for one of the instrumental tracks. Since the release of this album, much of the original recordings have been published, giving rise to debate over the "real" version of Smile. Smile was to be the Beach Boys', and Wilson's, Magnum Opus. It was conceived as a rock opera, of sorts, in that window of time when bands were attempting this sort of project. It is a good album, but perhaps mythologized as the dream realized from the famous "unreleased" project.

Not sure this was randomly generated, coming a day after his death. Nevertheless, I always love to hear his voice. Even though some of these songs weren't that great, I still enjoyed listening to this album.

RIP

Heroes and Villains // Child is Father of the Man // Surf’s Up // Good Vibrations // 3.5/5

Great album

Excellent

God only knows

i hear fantastic mr fox. i like. rip icon ★★★½

He's clearly one of the greatest musicians ever but I just don't think it's really an album. More a collection of bits of songs

Really good stuff

Magic in a bottle (album)

3.5, rounding up to 4. I love me some Beach Boys so this album was an interesting listen after learning about the lore. Some songs are peak Beach Boys (loved Heroes and Villians & Song for Children) but then others are a bit too silly (looking at you Vega-Tables & Wind Chimes). Ultimately a pleasant bop.

Nice

Quite brilliant but a bit silly. I bounce between loving it and shaking my head. I'll listen more. I do think I'll love it once I give it more time to sink in.

Cover: 5 Have to do multiple listens. The first listen didn't do it, but the second, I got into some of the songs. First six tracks are really just one long song. I guess the second half would be one or two long songs also. It's pretty cool, if you've got the time. The concert is available on YT. Very much worth it if you like this album.

;( It's good, but a bit all over the place

RIP Brian

His fifth album. It's the 12th June 2025, Brian Wilson died today 😢. Brian Wilson is a musical genius. He can hear entire symphonies in his head. He was also a floored man who overcome major mental health issues. This album is him riffing, playing with ideas and having fun. His catalogues of songs will live forever. Thankyou Brian ❤️

I was not expecting it to be such a nice and unique album. Very interesting and just well, very enjoyable.

Wow, given this right after his death. I don't know if it's a coincidence or on purpose but I guess I was meant to listen to this. It's very long for an album and is jam-packed with catchy melodies. Every song is unique and fun, which is mainly what I look for in an album.

Getting this album one day after Brian passed was a strange vibe. This guy had the gift, with no doubt left after the masterpiece that is Pet Sounds. A master of song-craft and harmony, whose legacy will probably live forever. His fingerprints are all over modern music....I can't listen to a Panda Bear record and not think of Brian Wilson. This is a good record. He kind of makes you work for it at times, and that is ok. At times, it does feel incomplete. A likely product of the huge gap from conception to completion, which included a re-visioning. There is also a nagging feeling of competing headspace for McCartney's work at that time. I could be imaging that one though. All in all, a super solid album with some truly beautiful moments.

R.I.P. to the best Beach Boy (I grew up loving The Beach Boys).

Dude... Brian Wilson died yesterday! How bizarre is that! I wonder if this album was purposely generated or if this is just a weird coincidence. I generally love this album. I just don't care for "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow." very obnoxious and off-putting but the rest of this is amazing.

Such beautiful harmonies

I mean the songs on themselves weren’t the best but together it works quite well. R.I.P 4 stars

It’s apt that I got this on the day Brian Wilson died. I assume that it was by design, though maybe because I’d already had Pet Sounds? Who knows. Either way, this review will probably a little biased in light of his passing. I’d never heard this one before but I knew a little about the story of Smile, the Beach Boys album that never was. This was a lovely listen and I particularly enjoying the new version of Good Vibrations. The original is one of my favourite songs and this rework was just as beautiful. Rest in Peace Brian and thanks for all the Good Vibrations, God Only Knows how much we’ll miss you.

Niet heel goed kunnen luisteren, maar volgensmij kan dat zowel goed als slecht zijn. Saai/ kinderliedjes? Wel R.I.P., genie!

This is crazy. 12 hours ago the news broke that Brian Wilson had died. I love Pet Sounds so much, and there are many similarities on this record, which is great. But it lacks some of the magic from Pet Sounds. It’s not as grand, but there are definitely some great, great moments on here. Brian Wilson leaves an amazing legacy behind. Rest in Peace

i enjoyed the short tracks, the beach boys style is just undeniably enjoyable, it feels like a messier album in a good way, very good, rest in peace brian wilson

Day524 - rip brian wilson a real genius and this album might not have the hits but the sounds made me smile

Really good stuff. RIP

lovely touch recommending this "randomly" the day after Brian Wilsons passing. an extra star for the sentiment

June 12, 2025 Album #648: Smile by Brian Wilson Genre: Orchestral Pop, Art Pop, Psychedelic Pop, Americana, Indie Rock I can’t help but believe that my album choice for today was curated, due to the recent passing of the legend that is Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys. With that in mind, there’s some context to this album that’s needed. After releasing *Pet Sounds*, Brian Wilson felt very pressured while making its follow-up album, called Smile, which was very ambitious. However, because of mental health issues and other things, it eventually led to the project being abandoned. However, Brian Wilson completed a new version and reconstruction of the album around forty years later. That reconstruction is what this album is. With that, this album really does sound and like feel like *Pet Sounds* and a Beach Boys album, and I mean that in a good way. This album is very creative with its concepts, execution, and experimentation. The heavenly harmonies and clever lyrics are all there, and it still works in the modern age. Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️, Strong 8 Favorite Tracks: Heroes and Villians, Roll Plymouth Rock, Cabin Essence, Surf’s Up, On a Holiday, Wind Chimes, In Blue Hawaii, Good Vibrations

Favorite Track: Heroes and Villains

The back half of this album is out of this world good. Exactly the kind of madness that makes me feel like warm milk and honey.

So many beautiful harmony's Brian Wilson is a pioneer and a master of his craft. Cabin essence is an amazing song The Super dreamy atmosphere at times makes parts the album bordering on boring

Right, it’s either a crazy fkn coincidence that todays album is a Brian Wilson solo record, or whoever is generating the list is paying their respects by making everyone listen to his work. Either way, R.I.P Brian Wilson, my thoughts are with your family. Upon first listen, I really didn’t like this album. I felt the group vocals were blown out, I felt the instrumentation was goofy and the lead vocal sounded like that cursed cover of ‘Winter wonderland’ by Ozzy Osbourne. Then I put my headphones on for a second listen and my God, this album is great and such a fun listen I foolishly listened to this album in the car for the first time but this album comes to life with a good set of headphones. The mix is incredible, with different instruments and voices jumping out at you from every angle. Initially the songs sounded too silly for my liking but their character and charm has certainly grown on me upon second listen. I don’t love every song but most are great. In mono, not a good listen In stereo, great album

:)

For as famous as it is, I had never listened to it before!

Hadn’t heard of this one. Animal sounds in the background are a highlight for me.

Listening to this the day after Brian Wilson died (along with many others, as the generator pushed relevant albums to people who hadn't already listened to them, a move which honestly made me a little misty-eyed). There's something about the Beach Boys that scratches that musical itch in my brain. I can't explain it or objectively justify it, it's just something about the vocals and melody that feels *right* to me. It makes me want to smile. That being said, Smile is certainly not perfect, which given it's history is hardly a shock. Brian's voice is still really engaging for me, but it's no surprise that it had lost a little spark at this stage in his life. Mind you, Brian Wilson at 75% power was still better than many artists as far as I'm concerned. And I imagine some people's patience will be pushed a bit by songs referencing vegetables or farmyard animals (but as a fan of They Might Be Giants and Barenaked Ladies this feels completely reasonable to me). The album suffers from having Good Vibrations on it, because its so iconic and (whisper it) a patently better song than the rest, but I'm so glad I got this album today. Frankly, had I been forced to listen to God Only Knows I would have been bawling my eyes out... Wishing for half stars again (3.5) but in their absence: 4/5

V good

Barbershop quartet music to slightly dissociate to

Has a Couple of great moments but also a lot of aged ones. Nooit my favorite Beach boys album and they're not my favourite band either. This album is one whose story is more interesting than the album itself. Also an incredibly fitting album for the day Brian died. Musically i might give this album a 3/5, but for the story and the respect for the artist is a 4

A great album! RIP Brian Wilson, thanks for all the great music

Okay senor beach boy I really enjoyed this -- it gave me pretty odd vibes (my fav album) on some songs. I know p odd was inspired by more like beatles and 60s stuff but I SEE SOME SIMILAR VIBES

Good

Brilliant of course, and had it been released on time would have been seen as an influence on Sgt Pepper but I prefer some of the original versions, eg wind Chimes and wonderful, I love the ASMR qualities. Still, Our Prayer is sublime and Barnyard is ridiculous, so gets 4 stars from me. RIP Brian.

rest easy, goat

He’s great RIP

3.5

Some insanely beautiful tracks, combined with parts I don't care too much for. Low 4.5 stars

the transition from in blue hawaii into good vibrations is almost - almost - as smooth as the insane transition from justice into kevin morby the DJ pulled off at our friends wedding

RIP big hero!

3.8 - Just some fun beach boys vibes

Getting this album the day Brian Wilson passed away, and judging by others online, this may have not been a coincidence. If it was forced, there are very few people still alive on this list, maybe Mccartney/Dylan, that would deserve a forced generation, but Brian Wilson is one of them. His impact and pure understanding of the theory of music shines, even 40 years later from the original making of this album. Maybe it's due to him passing, that I took a closer listen and enjoyed it with a heavy heart, despite not being a Beach Boys enthuiast, but you couldn't describe modern music today, without him.

Very fun!

What is this album? Very odd. But Good Vibrations 4eva!

A really good album, I enjoyed the upbeat style of music. I liked Heroes and Villains, Song For Children and Surf's Up the most.

Though I'm very aware of Brian Wilson (my dad used to tell me we were related to the Beach Boys and I got really into learning everything I could about them) I've actually never heard any of his solo work. He passed away today so this is a fitting listen for the day. This does sound a lot like the early Beach Boys sound. Which I've always had a soft spot for the Beach Boys. I love the lightness of the sound mixed with the complexity of the composition. Still, this album feels nostalgic to a time I never experienced. I love how whimsical it is while still feeling very serious. It's so interesting to listen to! But not heavy or stodgy. The perfect blend. All the songs flow really well together too.

Very cool album. I don't see myself going back to it too much, but the joyful soundscape created made for a really pleasant listening experience all the way through. Heroes and Villains is probably my top track.

nostalgic sounds in a modern record

The music is good but the story elevates it.

Beautiful harmonies, interesting arrangements and a true master at work

Good album, but can't help but wonder what it would have looked like in its' intended form. RIP Brian.

I'll give Brian Wilson credit for being able to put together a great sonic landscape. The instrumental of Heroes and Villains is gorgeous. The lyrics to Vega-Tables - not so much.

8.5/10 Not a random album today, I bet a lot of people are revisiting the music of Brian. This is one I am veeery familiar with. Before it came out I had listened to a lot of the bootleg material. A huge “what if” album. Is it good? yes Was it cool to hear this stuff produced in a modern way? Yes is it a bit overproduced and noisy in places? Yes Is it in the same league as the Beach Boys versions where they exist? No to barely Is the rougher BB version later released as the Smile Sessions better? Yes So it’s good, but really comes across as a nice facsimile created as the basis for some live shows. Good for Brian that he got to be somewhat involved in getting the monkey off his back. Listen to Smile Sessions instead. Best: Cabin Essence

4 stars. Ironically, this album came up after his passing. RIP Mr. Wilson. Thank you for the great music.

Brian Wilson said he prefers this version to the Smile Sessions version, but I prefer the latter. There’s something about those original recordings that the 2004 version is missing. It’s an energy, and the vocals by the original beach boys help. Either way, this is still terrific.

Whimsical, with a big W. I just.. It's funny to me. How this album, a soundtrack full of penny whistle swoops and power tools and all kinds of goofy silly imagery was someone's White Whale. That's a golden skit - Paggliachi the Clown, unable to put pen to paper due to anxiety, but when he finally does it's the silliest shit you've ever heard. He honks his nose and the world looks on in amazement, a slow clap erupts, flowers thrown onstage, curtain drop. I get the importance and it really is beautiful, but it's definitely very funny in a way.

With Brian Wilson’s recent passing, listening to Smile felt especially poignant — a long-lost masterpiece finally brought to life by the man who once nearly vanished beneath it. No particular standout tracks for me, but the overall vibe was beautiful, strange, and moving. I'm grateful I experienced it. His legacy truly resonates.

I got this one the day after he died. How cruel. I liked this album, it wasn't really good, but really fun. Vegetable song, sex song, whatever.

listened to again truly brilliant, a real harmonic journey

Did..................... did everyone get this today? If not, that is hella coinkydink. RIP Brian you mad bastard. Everything you'd expect from Brian is here though and the music press went into an absolute FRENZY over it (as did some listeners looking at the reviews). It's a beautiful thing for sure and *probably* deserves it's place on the list. Just.

Ouch. If this thing is truly random, that’s spooky as fuck. (RIP Brian Wilson.) Our Prayer/Gee - Heaven made of harmonies. / The encapsulated BBs. Stripped to the kernel. Heroes & Villains - A personal favorite. Trombone slip n slide. Mini opera of naïveté. Just beautiful. Mercutio’s lament. Roll Plymouth Rock - “Just see what you’ve done to the church of the American Indian”. When Brian writes about a boat, it’s always sad. Barnyard - CA boy romanticizing farm life. I’ll let it slide, bc I love him. Great cello bit. Old Master Painter - A Waits-Ian character digression. Contributes to the toss-it-in-the-wagon vibe of the album. Strings remain a highlight. Sexy sax crawls in the window in the end. Cabin Essence - One of the weirder ones. Symphony (“first movement”) of twinkling bucolic wishes interrupted by martial chorus-ing. Iron horse? Ominously militaristic. Wonderful - Family love and vague religious/existential musing. Harpsichord (shudder). Turns spooky as it transitions into… Song For Children - Medieval or mythological devil’s advocate to the previous “movement”. “Maybe not one…“. Brave Sir Robin with Ben Folds stomp-march. Zeus whispers in here. Child is Father of the Man - A favorite. Refrain in the round. Bohemian Rhapsody vibes give way to Walker Bros lush solemnity, then to silky Isaac Hayes strings & brass making sweet sweet love. Surf’s Up - Back to mostly piano and chorus. Lyrics less vague, more visual. I don’t think anyone does oozin ahhs like BW & the BBs. S/T to a restful nights dreams. I’m in Great Shape/ - Drunken little circus waltz. Transitions to… I Wanna Be Around/ - Sinatra tribute cribbed from a lost TMBG demo. Transitions to… Workshop - We’re back in the circus waltz, but now somebody’s building a deck. Literal workshop sounds. Bless ‘im. Bottom third of an adorable pop Frankenstein(‘s Monster.) Transitions to… Vega-Tables - An ode to leafy greens. Musically, an old dusty saloon. On a Holiday - Another mini-opera. Pirate story played on children’s instruments. Including… Wind Chimes - Meditation (confession?) of wind chimes with a dark undertone. Swells into the choral refrain and then chaos as… Mrs O’Leary’s Cow - Escalating clatter of ambient noise that is enveloped in a roar of guitars and straight Zorn-ian sonic superstorm. Wonder if B knew Goblin. The sound of his nightmares. Into… In Blue Hawaii - Echoey BW over just solemn oohs recalls ‘King of Pain’ and Morphine. Then trotting wood block light Leone gives way to more Hawaiian scat. Much of this record feels like a Wild West theme park in the middle of the Big Island. Pretty little minuet outro into Good Vibrations - Concession or not, this song is a magic spell. Brian’s innocence and hope perfectly distilled. Overall, a messily packed suitcase full of toys, fears, and imagination on a conveyer belt, entering paradise. We’ll miss you, Brian. RIP.

An odyssey through Brian Wilson’s genius. A beautiful and pleasant classic.

This is a fitting album to have the day after Brian Wilson passed away, a nice way to remember him. The song run so seamlessly into each other! Heroes and Villains - bouncy!

RIP, I thought this was a random generator, clearly not! Pretty amazing album, love the layered vocals and instrumentation. Mostly cheery but some sad/ominous moments as well, Mrs. O'Leary's Cow in particular.

Better than I thought it was going to be!

RIP legend. Found myself cracking quite the smile with some tracks here

That was a trip.

SO FUN SO GOOD I LOVE BEACH BOYS 💜

I didn't mind this one. I think I'm going to give it a 4 because I did enjoy it a little more than mid. Not my style but I get it for sure and I may like it more than the Beach Boys, but I have never listened to their deep tracks.

4.5 A celebration of the hard work Wilson originally did (85 sessions before it was abandoned!) on a true passion project. The myth around it is the closest any of the biggest 60s pillars came to a total flop. Wilson and the Wondermints reclaim the songs and give "SMiLE" its rightful place in ambitious studio creations of the Golden Age.

Really nice listening.

Good vibrations I’m in great shape Vega-tables

Dette var nok ikkje rett plate til rett tid

i don't think it's a coincidence i get this album today. Brian Wilson's work with the Beach Boys is some of my favorite music ever. he had such an ear for melody and a truly whimsical and wonderful sense of creativity. i miss him dearly already. i hope he's up there reuniting with Carl and Dennis. rest in peace </3. this is in a strange spot since the 1967 unreleased Smile Sessions officially came out in 2011. generally speaking, the 2011 Sessions are pretty similar (a few finished recordings were used here), but the flow between tracks is much more modern and smooth and Brian Wilson gives new vocal performances. i generally prefer the 2011 release but this rerecording of Child is Father of the Man fucks pretty hard. 4 stars but the Smile Sessions is a 5 deserves to be one of the 1001? in some capacity absolutely, with my preference leaning towards the archival release

Brian Wilson, what a legend

That was a weird ride, but a good ride.

So epic. The beach boys but sad is such a great genre.

This album is absolutely bursting with musical ideas. Honestly though, I almost feel like it needs a little bit dialed back. It's super fun to listen to though.

RIP to one of the greats

Very good.

375/1001 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

This album has big swansong energy, but the fella went on record 6 more albums after this. I'm curious about the history behind it, you can't mention Smile anywhere without people talking about the backstory, so I'll be sure to go and watch the doc. But just off of this alone it's an easy 4. Godspeed you, Brian Wilson!

rip

RIP to Brian Wilson And fuck Mike Love Beach Boys are legendary and this was a cool acapella voice album thing. Enjoyed this one especially Roll Plymouth Rock

Brian Wilson had a wonderful mind for crafting melody and interesting textures (his ear for vocal harmonies is a given being a member of The Beach Boys). Not everything here fully works but god damn I never was bored. I think the first half of this album is definitely the strongest (I find myself humming and singing sections from these tracks more than the rest) and I’d go farther and say the original beach boys era recordings of some of these are superior. Brian Wilson’s vocal performance is just a tad better back then but it all works just fine here. Some latter tracks border close to full cheese and camp, maybe that’s intentional. Standouts: Heroes and villains Roll Plymouth Rock Cabin Essence Wonderful

Étrange, inachevé, farfelu et inventif. Un voyage dans une contrée rarement visitée.

A legend

I miss him so much

Brian suffered so you could listen to Good Vibrations in a Long John Silvers bathroom

In some ways, Smile doesn't exist. That is to say, the Smile that Brian Wilson originally intended to make. This is, instead, Brian's attempt to construct an album out of what he'd already got. Ultimately, it doesn't matter, because it's great. The Wondermints do a great job in being The Beach Boys without being them, and Brian's voice keeps up decently. (And in some ways, his weakened voice actually adds to it). Not everything fits perfectly (the first suite is uneven, and the third suite doesn't actually seem to have a through-line, but I'm just happy it's here, and the second suite is easily the best bit. Tangent: the moment in Heroes and Villains where Brian sings by himself always makes the hairs on my arms stand up. I'm glad he was able to find peace. Favourite Section: Surfs Up Least Favourite: Roll Plymouth Rock Strong Bad Demerit Count: 5

I wasn't in the right mood for this album when it came into the rotation. This is like what I imagine listening to Pet Sounds while on an LSD trip would sound like. There are a lot of really interesting sounds and moments on this album. I'm going with 4 stars because if I'd been in a better headspace for it, I would have absolutely loved this album.

I enjoy this weird old cunt (former, RIP) on his own way more than with the beach boys. Enjoyable easy listening album that just sorta sounds like he’s happy to be there.

Feels like a greatest hits beach boys album that's missing 90% of their best songs Still some great tracks on here though. RIP 7/10

It would be very easy to judge this album through the lens of what it would have been if it came out following Pet Sounds. It would be an easy 5 in that case, the musical equivalent of Klaatu landing on Earth. Judging it like a normal person: I enjoyed this album a lot. I'm also not going to let the wild history of this album and Brian Wilson's personal life cloud my judgement, but seriously it's a great story go read about it or at least watch Love and Mercy. Unfortunately for me, it does feel like this album exists in the shadow of both the Beach Boys and the potential of what Smile could have been if it had been finished forty years prior. Surf's Up and Good Vibrations are great songs but their addition here serves as a reminder of this fact. It also helps to illustrate that this feels like a recreation to me, like a lost language that was reconstituted by a team of linguists thousands of years after the fact. Weird feelings aside, this is still phenomenal. Of the three movements that the album is divided into, the first is my favourite and while the third is very novel it falls flat compared to the first two. This album can feel like a weird circus act at times and I love it for that reason, but it can be a bit much at times. This is a pleasant, joyous album that genuinely gets me grinning and happy listening to it but it's just not quite a 5. Fun fact: when asked, Brian Wilson said his favourite movie is Norbit. Highlights: Heroes and Villains, Child Is Father of the Man, Surf's Up, Good Vibrations

absolute masterpiece made by a genius. more than 30 years in the making. rest in peace. 8/10 fav songs : Heroes and Villains & Surf's Up

Yes, brilliant!

Some great tracks and a very distinctive sound. Brian Wilson was certainly one of a kind

I can see why this has an overall average rating of 3 as it’s going to polarise opinions. Personally I can’t decide if I like or not but it grew on me after a couple of listens. Ok so some tracks are just a bit too out there but plenty to enjoy. I also feel like the list giving us this the day after Brian’s passing is enough to tug on the heartstrings and that’s enough to bump it up from 3.5 to 4 stars today.

For a heroes and villains MEGAFAN, this was really, really cool to listen to. I do think it should be optional listening for us BBheads rather than mandatory, but I didn't make the list

Heroes and Villains, Cabin Essence, Surfs Up, Good Vibrations.

Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys for me have a unique style that always sits close to my heart. They are the canon of surfer pop, that started many niche genres within all sorts of categories, pop, rock, punk, etc. But surf, in itself has a kind of California innocence, a kind of promise of adventure (and often love) that is not yet realized. Maybe I am overstating it, or nostalgic, IDK. But ever since I was a little kid I liked the groove. Still do.

It is genuinely a miracle this thing exists. I wish it existed as he initially intended, but this is a pretty impressive simulacrum.

Interesting revisit of an abandoned album…. with good results!

Gorgeous album

4.0 The "randomizer" strikes again. Got this album the day after Brian Wilson died. Ive sat on this review for a few days now as I wanted to give the album a couple more listens and I am starting to dig it more and more. Avant-garde with pop sensibilities. Equal parts mainstream and madman. Heros and Villains is a burner. The Dewy Cox parody in Walk Hard is hilarious, Baaaa with some urgency

Very lavishly produced with incredible instrumentation. Cellos, organs, harpsichords, all the bells and whistles (literally!). Listening to this album is like an auditory carnival. Nearly a 5* album, but is really missing some memorable hooks.

i really enjoyed this, even if it was strange to hear him singer at a deeper, raspier timbre. time comes for us all. rest in peace, brian <3

i have no clue wtf that was but i think i liked it

Sound like Beach boys. Not much to say except R.I.P Brian Wilson. It's a good album with a lot of interesting songs and well worth a listen. Nice that it finally got released though I get why the other Beach Boys were pissed. Very much a nice vibe album. Weak 4.

+1 for recent death

It was quite a bit better than I was expecting. RIP!

Really great stuff

This is historically significant as the album of Smile as Brian Wilson intended. He was such an influence to rock music that it’s hard to overstate. The arrangements are very lush and beautiful.

One of the few times in history that what if gets answered. Great tracklist, great band, great songs. Brian’s voice (who had died at 83 the day before our group got this pick) shows wear making the whole proceedings more charming than it otherwise would be. Only thing missing are The Beach Boys harmonies.

It's too bad we had to wait until 2004, by which time Brian's voice had long lost its youthful luster, in order to hear this legendary record. Nevertheless, I'm glad the guy got the chance to put this out at all. How brave, after 30+ years, to revisit the masterpiece that wrecked its artist. I hope Brian was happy with his work.

Pretty good even though it’s different.

Probably 5/5, but it’s kind of redundant to listen to this when the Smile Sessions exists.

This album makes me Smiley Smile

Enjoyable. Impressive. Not my music, but it has its moments.

Enjoyable listening experience overall but it did get a bit kooky for my tastes. Some of the early ones toed the line of sounding like glee songs too so that brought it down a bit. Still liked it though and love the lore. Specific rating - 4.1 Fav song- heroes and villains Least fav- vega-tables

Smile(Brian's Version)(From The Vault). Crazy coincidence to get this album the same week we had Pet Sounds. The story behind the album, good vibrations, the sheer joy of some of the songs and the gorgeous harmonies are nearly enough to make it a five star album. But I can't help but feel like it would be even better if it had been a 1967 Beach Boys album instead of a 2004 Brian Wilson album (and sometimes I felt a little thrown about by all the little snippets of different things happening). (feel like I should say good vibrations is my favourite but that's not the song that's been playing non-stop in my head...) Favourite: Vega-Tables Least: Mrs O'Leary's Cow

The big question over this album is whether the myth became more important than the music? I like it but those lost masterpiece expectations were always going to be hard to live up to.

This was a surprise, I didn’t guess I would like this, but I found myself enjoying it. It was fun, and it really held together, almost like one long song. Plus, Good Vibrations.

I love this album!

Bold and creative - a bit dampened by having heard “The Smile Sessions” first, but still a fantastic album with an interesting history.

Muy musical, todo es bien, todo es top. Una maravilla

Didn't know much about Smile or it's story. Watched some of the documentary about it and really enjoyed getting deeper into it. I enjoyed the album itself very much. I don't know if I'd put it over Pet Sounds, but there are some great sounds and ideas. 3.5 rounded up

Soft, ethereal pop. Could even be a 5 on more listens

A fun popy album with great harmonies. Easy to listen to and enjoy.

Feel good music

I like Pet Sounds. This is like a rough, semi-finished Pet Sounds 2. Good stuff.

Muy buen inicio, algo random pero bastante dirgerible.

Best Beach Boys album, even if it's only 1 of the Beach Boys. Favorite song: Good Vibrations.

very cool really enjoyed how each song seemed to flow into the next

Familiar classics woven together beautifully

Didn’t expect to enjoy this as much as Pet Sounds and I suppose I didn’t but it was still really great. Really weird journey with a story behind it that only makes it more interesting. 4 stars

Very cool harmonies. Feels like a continuation of Pet Sounds.

Late works on the clear spirit of the Beach Boys

Cute, enjoyable. Less impressive than beach boys but a happy continuation if you love the sound.

its okay. its got xylophones, saxophones, it's got marching arrangements, there's even a slide whistle and I really like VDP but I'm also a big baby and I like things that make me feel like a toddler learning new jingles but I am not really a beach boys fan I get that they had the chance to be real progressive psych rockers but the corporate machine got them where they wanted them. I guess its really good, I'm talking myself into it.... but good vibrations can suck it , ok I listened to it in its entirety again its better than ok its alright brb I have to go listen to The Smile Sessions (child is the father of the man) idk how is it so different it’s the same song and Pet Sounds now

I do recognize how this is something of a masterpiece... But I can't say I enjoy listening to it at a 5-level.

I’m going to be honest, this probably deserves a 5, but this never it me the way Pet Sounds did. Idk why bye

I love that this album exists, and it's a testament to Brian Wilson that he was eventually able to revisit it and complete it. It's beautifully arranged, whimsical and fun. It's no Pet Sounds, but what is?

Häpäistään 2004…. Heh tod. lisuus on se että.. faktaa on nyt se….. mun sellikaveri lähetettiin kammottavaan paikkaan.. täsyi näisten absence… Kurja paikka pedofiiliraiskaajallkkin.. määr, 3kk tahdosta riippumattomaan hoitoon.. Mutta mikä on hoito jos ei tissiä löydä… Missä on norture… Missä on ihmisen perustarpeista huolehtiminen… Missä osaston firtti on kun kaikki on miehiä… röökikoppi wi ole enää sisäpiha vaan se on 1mx1m huone… karmea paikka.. pedofiiliraiskaajallekkin… albumista… hyvää musiikkia itse inhosin mutta tunnistan mestarin.. helppo 4

Listened to this walking to work on the first sunny day of spring. Sonically beautiful and absolutely crackers at the same time.

++: Our Prayer/Gee, Heroes and Villains, Roll Plymouth Rock, Old Master Painter/You Are My Sunshine, Cabin Essence, Child Is Father of the Man, Surf's Up, Vega-Tables, Wind Chimes, Mrs. O'Leary's Cow, In Blue Hawaii, Good Vibrations +: Barnyard, I'm in Great Shape/I Wanna Be Around/Workshop, On a Holiday +-: Wonderful, Song for Children 8,1/10

I get why this is here, as it serves as a coda to one of the most interesting stories in rock history. But the 2011 Smile Sessions album, which would get a 5/5, is probably a better fit here. This is a beautiful album, and it’s a tragedy it didn’t get released as intended. But Brian’s 60-year-old voice can’t hold a candle to his 25-year-old one. This album is also missing the presence of (some of) his bandmates, Carl in particular. One thing this album is NOT missing is Mike Love. That asshole contributed diddly squat. Fuck that guy.

A lot of this album feels like demos and there are good reasons they weren’t released. However, there are a lot of highs that fit right in with the Pet Sounds era too. It’s an interesting listen.

hey that was gorgeous !!!

The Beach Boys - or is it ?

Awesome album, properly enjoyable and exactly what you want from Brian Wilson! Really enjoyed this!

yeah i liked this

Listened to this passively so I don’t think I can give a fair rating but it’s obviously beautiful

Beautiful and theatrical. Excellent production.

Well composed songs hiding behind the layer of comedy

I think I only listened to this once or twice when it came out. It was a curiosity because a number of the best songs on this were released on an album about 1970 called Smiley Smile that was the leftovers plus a few other tracks from Brian Wilson’s first attempt at Smile. Fave tracks on both — Heroes and Villains and Vegetables. The Smile Sessions box set has 36 takes and variations and segments of Heroes and Villains alone. Smiley Smile would be a 5 if it was in the 1,001 albums — alas, it is not. This is a solid 4.

I loved this album when it came out and for what it is/represents, it still holds up. However, I feel Pet Sounds is better and feels like a more cohesive piece of work. Still gets a 4 out of 5 from me.

I guess I didn't realize that Brian had released his own version of this separate from the Beach Boys release. Pretty cool album that is perfect to listen to right after Pet Sounds, IMO.

Beach elderly men I felt warmth in my heart

It's not perfect but given the context of this album, it's unbelievabley good. It does come very close to the line of being too "kids music" like, but I don't think it goes too far that way. It also has Good Vibrations on it, so that automatically makes it at least 3*.

Silly. Looking up the wiki helped understand this album a lot. Will it be a favorite? Probably not. But I’m feeling good vibrations!

Great album (you are my sunshine Plymouth rock)

It's a hug on a sad day.

I had a bootleg version of Smile on cassette that I practically wore out in college. I think The Beach Boys (later released) Smile Sessions are actually more essential than this - Brian's 2000s era vocals are not as strong as the originals (especially Carl's). But I can't give an album with Surf's Up less than four.

Good vibration 🪩

4.5

Yes

Usually I try to judge an album on its own merits and mostly ignore the story behind them. This one makes that very difficult. After listening to this I went back and listened to Smiley Smile and then went and listened to the Smiley Sessions compilation album before returning to this one again. You can definitely tell that his voice has aged forty years in this one, but it’s still pretty good. It flows as one cohesive piece more than an album with separate songs. This is helped by the callbacks and allusions to future songs in the track list. This album is really great as an idea, but the presence of the other Beach Boys makes the later compilation a better experience overall. Favorite songs were Our Prayer / Gee, Heroes And Villains, Child Is Father Of The Man, Vega-Tables, Wind Chimes, and Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow.

Of all the albums I've gotten so far, this might be the one with the most interesting history. I could go over the history of this album, but if you're reading this, chances are you already know the general history of Smile. This is one of three main projects that have come as a result of the original Smile project, along with the much earlier Smiley Smile from the Beach Boys in 1967, and the later Smile Sessions compilation album from 2011. We're not talking about those though. We're talking about Brian Wilson Presents Smile, the re-recording that Brian Wilson made in 2004. This is a fascinating album right here. The pacing and cohesion of the album is insane and I love it. The songs themselves are generally great. I especially love "Heroes and Villains" and "Good Vibrations." The sound is clearly based on a classic work, but still has some modern-ish elements, I think. I'm not an expert on that kind of stuff though. Brian Wilson's singing definitely has some age here, but I'd say his voice aged pretty well. Here's what I will say about Smile. If this was a Beach Boys album from 1967, I would definitely give it a 5. Hearing this in 1967 with all of the Beach Boys' involvement would've been groundbreaking. However, BWPS as a Brian Wilson solo project from 2004 isn't something that I would score as highly. This is still an excellent album, don't get me wrong, but my ratings are largely based on two things; quality of the album and cultural significance of the album. I do try to focus on the former, but I'm fully willing to admit that cultural impact of an album has absolutely affected my score of the album, for better or worse. In 1967, Smile would've been a groundbreaking record that somehow managed to be almost on par with something like Pet Sounds in innovation and quality. But in 2004, Brian Wilson Presents Smile is a cool look into what the result of an infamously unfinished album could've been, but isn't exactly the cultural game-changer that it could've been. While I do really like this album, I just don't know if I can go all the way with a 5. Still, Brian Wilson Presents Smile is an excellent album with some great ideas that has an interesting place in music history. I respect this album quite a bit. High 4/5.

a spectacle

Wow there is some really cool stuff in here. Like Heroes and Villians really goes all over with its arrangements. This album is wild. I honestly have no idea what to rate it. Good Vibrations after In Blue Hawaii is just nuts.

Cool variety. More nuance than what I know of beach boys. Some experimental/ cool instrumental stuff

If Mr Beach Boy wants to make music as his form of therapy I’m here for it

Nice. Weird but great at the same time.

Good

As a musical documentary, very interesting. To hear the Beach Boys sound in 2024, very interesting. Musically? Well, I just don't love the Beach Boys.

It's a fun album. I listened to it several times when it came out and enjoyed it, but it's not something I have come back to. So that says something. I'd probably give it a 6 or 7 out of 10 (thus 3 stars), but imagining how good this would have been if it had come out in 1968, when it was originally planned (albeit, with some debate about how authentic this is to the original recordings), I'm going to give it an extra star.

This surprised me. I had no idea there was a re-make and never heard of the album. Loved the vocal harmonies.

Love these reimagined Beach Boys songs, from the Beach Boys creative mastermind 40 yrs after the originals.

Just wonderfully weird

8/10…psychadelic pop

I feel like I need to give it another listen. You can tell that a lot of this was conceived during the Pet Sounds era, its fully of drug fuelled styles and lyrics. The album is all over the place and no single song stands out, but it was a cacophony of different moods all thrown together that kind of worked. I started wanting to give it a 2 and then by the end I felt it deserved a 4

I'm a huge fan of The Beach Boys, always have been as was my mum. I pre ordered this album back in 2004 and was a little disappointed until I had played it a few times. I think it helps to know about the life and struggles of the genius Brian Wilson and the story of this album and eventual release. It certainly won't be to everyone's taste but the melodies.... the harmonies.... it's art!

decent album, definitely get the Beach Boys vibes out of it.

This is a weird one. It definitely warrants being on the list. Recorded in the current century but can't break out of the previous one. It is so not of its time. Has all that one would expect of the artist, great songs, exquisite harmonies and inventive arrangements.

Brian Wilson Presents Smile is the fifth studio album by Brian Wilson, originally released in 2004. This is a very important album. Brian Wilson revisits recordings from probably his most productive and experimental era. These songs were originally worked out in 1967 in the wake of Pet Sounds' release. Unfortunately, Wilson was struggling with crippling mental health issues that left him unable to finish the upcoming project (that was originally meant to be called "Smile"). Capitol Records sensed this and put out the half-baked "Smiley Smile" which didn't live up to the hype of Pet Sounds. Brian Wilson returns as a much older and wiser man, but keeps his whimsical nature in these recordings. Although this album is well produced and obviously faithful to Wilson's visions for this project, I can't help but miss the original Beach Boys and Wrecking Crew's presence on here. If this project is at all faithful to what Brian envisioned to release in 1967, this would've been so coveted and probably regarded as one of the best psychedelic pop records of that era. Brian Wilson is able to create such a fun and whimsical aura in these recordings that would've fit perfectly with the LSD-spiked summer of love. Although I wonder "what could've been" with this record, we are very blessed to have heard it. Better late than never!

Sehr coole Songs

The fact that Smile was never originally finished is a crying shame. The question now rises; which one is the truest edition? Brian Wilson’s Smile or the almost complete The Smile Session? I’m honestly not sure. The latter lacks the production value of the first - the first lacks the psychedelia and young Beach Boys energy of the latter. But what a relief nonetheless that Smile eventually was realized one way or the other.

Such a fun album that had me smiling and dancing along the whole time! Now I want to watch the documentary about it!

Obviously very similar to the beach boys so I did like it, but it got very repetitive after a while. However I did really like “Heroes and Villains” as it felt like five different songs in one, very interesting

Very nice. Very pleasant

I actually really enjoyed this CD, although I was tempted to give it a one on the sole basis of the fact that no CD, no matter how good, should take 35 years to produce. It's weird. It's more like a collection of ideas than a collection of songs. But it has the unmistakable magic of classic Beach Boys and some absurdly high high points. "Surf's Up" would've been a top 5 peak-period Beach Boys song (Wikipedia says the Beach Boys actually did record it, but I've never heard that version). It's absolute magic - lushly layered vocals, chilling high notes, perfect counterpoint. "Heroes and Villains" is sort of a microcosm of the CD, it almost has a few separate songs contained within it - but you could say much the same of it as well. Beautiful locals, instrumentation deep like the Grand Canyon (prominently featuring a slide whistle!), and it just sounds like everyone is having fun. And it's hard to give the guy full credit for this alt version of "Good Vibrations", but on the other hand, he did write it and the main version probably isn't going to crack the 1,001 anywhere else (no discussion of the merits of "Good Vibrations" is necessary, although this version is clearly inferior the Beach Boys version). The rest of the CD, even outside the highlights, is just fun and breezy. I'm not sure how much effort it took to put this version together, but the guy should've just half-assed it in 6 weeks and put it out. It's good!

First ever listen and pretty darned good

Beautiful.

Well, it's not every day that I get to review someone's mental breakdown like this, but that's certainly what this album was for Brian Wilson. It's a beautiful album, a worthy successor to Pet Sounds if not quite it's equal. The harmonies are everything you would expect from Brian Wilson. I don't particularly like this version of Good Vibrations with the changed lyrics, but it's hard to mess with perfection 4/5

I'll admit this album was all over the place stylistically, and as much as it tries to be Pet Sounds 2, it's not for so many reasons. But GOD DAMN I'd be lying if I said I didn't eat up every single track. I've never given this album my time, and now I truly regret it. This is the equivalent of going to see Star Wars 7 in theatres. Is it a ripoff of the OG that mostly exists to to provide fan service of what we all loved 40 years ago? Yes. Am I smiling ear-to-ear like a 10 year old boy listening to all the bells and whistles? Also yes. "Oh, oh, you see what he did there?! That's Good Vibrations!" A few months from now my rating won't be nearly as high, but in this moment, I love it. Not a hot take: Good Vibrations may be the best song ever written.

Some incredibly creative pop. The full smile sessions you can find from the Beach Boys is even better and turns this into a real epic, but this is still fantastic. It's a mystery and a tragedy how it never came to fruition right away in the 60s, would've been legendary.

This was just Wonderful. Brought a Smile to my face.

Admirable that Wilson would record this all those years later. The production is incredible and the songs themselves are a joy. It's not quite the same without the rest of the 'Boys, but it's cool that we have this at all. *Heard before

-very interesting… I’ve never really heard anything quite like this and I haven’t even listened to The Beach Boys. I would not have expected an album with a cappella and farm animal noises to appeal to me this much but I indeed really like it -Favorites are Heroes and Villains, Roll Plymouth Rock, and Good Vibrations

Weird and fantastical. I enjoyed more than I didn't

I don't think I'd be capable of disliking this one even if I tried. Is it a perfect record? No. But it doesn't need to be.

Bach for teenyboppers. A most generous rounding up is necessary here, but BW has earned it, really. it's outlandishly musical and undoubtedly ingenious with more than a few winsome touches (the Hawaiian language bits in "Roll Plymouth Rock," e.g.,), But it's also absurdly excessive, borderline surreal and Aspergersically intense and ocassionally infantile (e.g., "Vega-tables) that puts one in the mind of finger painting. It functions like a hymnal for some pop music liturgy. This should not have been exed by the editors for its historical import alone (and certainly not if Dennis W's Pacific Ocean Blue remains in the list). But like a lot of long lost white whales (see Guns in Roses Chinese Democracy album) the anticipation seems to have overwhelmed the actual. That said, "Heroes and Villains" and "Good Vibrations" are all-time contributions to the pop music canon, and a delight to here, even if they aren't really enhanced here. (It's of course worth noting that neither are they reduced in any way, just reinterpreted or supplemented to a moderate extent.) That said, one finds one's patience a bit taxed with all the sudden shifts and constant additions, in that it's just straight up too much. Also, it's worth asking just how much better this is than Smiley Smile? Beyond the production polish, probably not as much as BW would have liked.

I know he's a genius and that this is a brilliant piece of work, with outstanding arrangements and production. Even so, it just doesn't grab me. It probably deserves a 5 but I just cant get there.

Impressive and operatic are the two words that came to my mind when thinking about Smile. The idea that Brian Wilson would come back to this famous "lost" rock and roll album that destroyed him mentally is very impressive and the arrangements show why he is one of the best in pop history. Having said that I do think the actual result is kind of scattered. Wilson seems to be crafting some sort of American pop opera but I could not really find a storyline that carried through here (let me k ow if you guys did). Also it was fun to hear some Beach Boys songs from other albums pop up here since they were actually intended for this album. Good Vibrations shines as a finale for me, as not only is it a familiar classic but the recording quality is sooo good. I can only imagine what The Beach Boys would have sounded like with more modern recording technology in the 60s.

Quite an unexpected rec for me. Like a more dreamy Beach Boys. My friend did enjoy 'Child Is Father of the Man' though, so that's an extra star.

Bit weird and unfinished in places but lots of fun, interresting and enjoyable. And then there is the history. Not getting 5 stars but damn close.

Great vibes

This was excellent and the backstory makes it even more special. A record of pure joy but tinged with sadness knowing what went on when Wilson first tried to record it, but also just hearing his voice, changed by time and sounding older struck a chord with me. A really beautiful record.

Never could get really into the Beach Boys, but have heard about this album with like 40 years of delays. This album is a trip holy hell. Gets too rock-operay sometimes but has some serious moments of genius. Feel like I need to get exceptionally high and listen to this again. Solid 4.

Elite Harpsichord

i have to preface this by saying that i am a huge beach boys and brian wilson fan and have been my whole life. i've listened to pretty much every album they and their members have ever released. i adore the music of SMiLE, but this is not the best version in my eyes. I remember how revelatory this release was at the time, the mythic album finally coming to life! you can hear the long-lost greatness! and, yeah, it's pretty good! unfortunately for 'brian wilson presents SMiLE,' the recreation of this album on the subsequently released 'the smile sessions' blows this one out of the water. to hear the then contemporary recordings of this music is astonishing to me, and this recreation some 40 years later is very good but not the same thing. as i said, i love the songs here, but unfortunately something that i think plagues brian's later career is the production, which almost always comes off as flat, stale, surgical, cold. i think that the way this album sounds does the source material a disservice, which is why i will always prefer the production of brian at the height of his powers in the 60s over this album. it's still a great time, i think it's brilliant music. just not the best it can be.

It is sad to listen to unfinished beauty and wonder what it could have been. Amazing album.

I haven’t listened to Brian Wilson’s solo works but this was a great album that took my by surprise.

It's like Andy Kaufman wrote an album

me gustó bastante lo que me sorprendió me hizo pensar en mad men y siempre es bueno pensar en mad men le doy un 8/10

Interesting. Sort of like what The Beach Boys would sound like mixed with Pink Floyd. It flows so incredibly well, I don’t know if I could even listen to just one song off of it without listening to the whole album.

There's a lot of history surrounding this album that I will not recount so here's my impression of Smile on its own: ambitious. Obviously, Wilson has such an incredible creative mind that allowed him to conceptualize and execute such a forward-thinking, playful album. His age shows a bit, sure, but the scope of Smile is what really counts here. No one dares to make albums like this, because it's practically classical music as pop. Songs flow from one to the next like movements, creating a fuller pop experience that you don't normally get from your run-of-the-mill top 40 radio pop. Even individually, songs like Heroes and Villains, Cabin Essence, and the immortal Good Vibrations hold their own as potential singles. The album is undeniably goofy though, hey? Like, obnoxiously so. Occasionally it finds a stride that I enjoy, but at times I feel like I'm sitting on the "It's a Small World" ride and wishing I could die. However, I'm willing to put that aside and concede to the fact that Smile is an incredibly fun album that breezes past. I think the world is incredibly lucky to have Brian Wilson and the art he's made over the years.

Another wildly beautiful creation from the mind of Brian Wilson. His creations always bring out textures and feelings that only he can conjure. This one has my favorite Wilson compositions: Heroes and Villians. It just makes you smile.

Are we at a carnival? Are we on a farm? Are we on a serious acid trip through Brian Wilsonville? I’m confused as to what kind of vibrations I’m picking up, but I’m ok with that. This was strange, that’s for sure. There’s nothing super catchy about most of these songs, but they were interesting and he obviously had a vision of … something. I appreciate the social commentary in Roll Plymouth Rock and I did enjoy a few of the other songs. Definitely creative. Mrs O’Leary’s Cow felt like it could’ve been played during the twister scene in Wizard of Oz. The second listen made me appreciate it more. Torn between a 3 and a 4 bit I’ve been feeling generous lately.

So powerful. 4/5

"Brian Wilson Presents Smile" is the fifth studio album by American musician Brian Wilson. This album contains all new recordings of music he had originally created for an unfinished and abandoned Beach Boys' album in 1967. Brian worked with keyboardist Darian Sahanaja and lyricist Van Dyke Parks in assembling a three movement album structure. The process of making the album was an emotional undertaking for Brian as he was deeply traumatized by circumstances during the original project. The album had universal acclaim and did well, commercially hitting #7 in the UK and #13 in the US. Movement One and the album start out with "Our Prayer/Gee." It's a two part song with different harmonies in each part. Fairly minimal with only a piano. The songs rolls right into "Heroes and Villians." This sounds like the 60's Beach Boys (sort of). Multiple harmonies. There's a piano and later on a horn, harmonica and strings. This song changes direction and, I guess, complex and busy are good descriptors. I can see why he could never quite get it right back in 1967. Supposedly, it's an Old West story. "Cabin Essence" is an interesting song as it switches back and forth between a waltz and a more pyschedelic rock song. Multiple harmonies, of course. It's a freeze frame of a Union Pacific Railroad trip. All four songs in Movement Two are fairly similar and they flow into and out of each other. "Song for Children" is an uplifting song that brings in the glockenspiel, tuba and flute. This movement ends with "Surf's Up." There's strings and similar to the version on the Beach Boys' 1971 album of the same name. I'd say the version on this album has more harmonies and is not as stark as the 1971 version. Movement Three brings the variety. There's songs about vegetables, holidays and wind Chimes. He gets pyschedelic in "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow." The album closes with a good version of "Good Vibrations." This album is dreamy, psychedelic, complex, busy and,at times, brilliant. The songs blend into each other and sometimes it's hard to tell the difference between songs. In a lot songs, styles change within the song. Yes, the harmonies dominate. There's very good production with lots of detail. I don't know if this an album for everyone but if you're a fan of "Pet Sounds" and 'Surf's Up," you're sure to like at least some of this.

Given that 'Brian Wilson presents Smile' was a re-hashing and finalization of the original 'Smile' - a Beach Boys album that was set to release but scrapped around 1967, I knew for a fact that I would enjoy this. There are even a couple of renditions of BB staples that I love here like 'Good Vibrations' and 'Surf's Up'. Aside from that, it's what you'd expect from a Brian Wilson production - incredibly mesmerizing vocal harmonies, luscious and vibrant production, and child-like natal melodies. Every idea here is immaculately executed, albeit brief, given its medley-esque structure and seamless transitions between songs. It's still very sun-kissed and warm with the occasional switch up like on the eerily cacophonous 'Mrs. O'Leary's Cow'. Writing-wise, Brian and Van Dyke Parks deliver on all fronts, with enigmatic lyrics and a concept that I, admittedly, wasn't able to follow - but upon initial listen, it seems to be religiously and spiritually driven and wrapped in familial imagery. Maybe it's something I'll look into on subsequent listens. What an easy album to love and enjoy.

Lots of interesting things going on in this album. Definitely not traditionally structured and it has some fun surprises. I love that he's just singing about silly things. I think sometimes people think that songwriters always need to write poetic stories all the time but honestly it's kind of nice to get something silly sometimes.

Unexpectedly blown away by this one. I’ve always loved The Beach Boys and especially love Pet Sounds, but this is next level. This feels like the perfect continuation of Pet Sounds that we never got, and the perfect answer to Sgt. Peppers. I’m torn, because I’m saddened that The Beach Boys never got this one out, but I also wonder if the actually quality of recording and the musicians that collaborated on this might be better.. 😬 (heresy, I know.) But still, it would have been cool to actually see The Beach Boys do this and put this in the history of modern music, rather than a really amazing asterisk or after thought. And that is probably the root of my conflict. This record feels like psych rock prog pop. It’s all over the place, but it flows and moves perfectly between each movement and song. It’s layered perfectly between vocal harmonies, deep bass lines, bouncing keys, and excellent percussion. It even gets really weird with some horns and synths. Listening with my big headphones, I was able to pick up on a lot of the cool sounds, reminiscent of Pet Sounds but actually executed better. The lyrics are completely manic, but kind of amazing. The the album really only works as an album the whole way through. Certain songs stick out, but they really make sense in the context of the album. Which is the really the strength and the weakness of the album. I’m really glad Brian eventually pulled it off. I loved it!

It’s not possible to listen to this without comparing it to Pet Sounds. Calling Pet Sounds the greatest album of all time will receive no argument from me, and my understanding is that Brian’s original ambitions for Smile were for it to be the greatest music anyone had ever heard. It’s exciting enough that one of musics great “lost” albums was finally made and released as the primary mind behind it had intended. The result is a very very good album, one that has been called a masterpiece in its own right. For me, it stops just short of masterpiece because any time I’ve listened to it I can’t help it but to want to listen to Pet Sounds instead. Musically it is stunning - Brian’s arrangements are the work of a genius. What it lacks to me is the emotional powerhouse of the lyrics in Pet Sounds and how the words in combination with the music convey all the feelings of innocence, longing, humor, heartache, and wonder of youth. Smile goes for this as well, perhaps with more of a focus on joy, but I always find it falling a tad short. I still love the album.

Schizophrenia be damned, my boy can write some music

heroes and villains

Gear: Focal Clear (ZMFed) Artwork: die Prilblume passt zur Ära, in der das Album anscheinend ursprünglich konzeptioniert wurde - die Bordüre wirkt dazu etwas befremdlich Mix: beeindruckendes Spiel mit der Räumlichkeit. Klingt wie die authentische Aufnahme eines anscheinend fantastischen Konzert-Abends Musik: passender Name! 😊 für einen blutigen Beach Boys-Anfänger wie mich klingt es genau wie erwartet ("Good Vibrations" ist schließlich auch am Start) - großartig! Wertung: 😊😊😊(😊)/5

It's very strange to be two decades out from this second attempt at capturing Smile, and especially strange to be a decade out from the (imo) successful reconstruction of the first attempt via The Smile Sessions. I prefer the Sessions sound more than I like BWPS, but I also appreciate the sound of a man, much older and wiser and with his feet more securely under him, trying to recapture the feeling of play and creativity. Frankly it'd be awesome if Brian came back and did Smile again, one more time for the hellof it. But I'm glad we have this.

I don't like it that much but I gotta give it credit for being really original and different.