Smile

2,5

Trippy!

beach boy hangover. not better than the original

no

eh

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.

This album’s necessity has been surpassed by 2011’s Smile Sessions, but its significance is not to be overlooked. This is my first exposure to anything Smile-related, and even the Beach Boys as a whole are still fairly alien to my ears. But this is what I’d expect from Wilson. A forty-seven minute exposition in sunshine-y harmonies, taking on various mid-century pop hits and a fair few Beach Boys originals. Capitulating in a (barely differential, but noticeable all the same) rendition of one of the most stratospheric songs in popular music, Good Vibrations. Looking at each individual song of itself will likely reveal all sorts of intricacies with songwriting and production excellence, but an overview of the entire escapade will only produce a haze of baroque harmonies, and that’s just fine, I suppose. I guess I need to listen to “every good song by the Beach Boys. All the underground hits. All the Modern Lovers tracks.”

Beach elderly men I felt warmth in my heart

This is just not for me. Usually I can find a redeeming quality on almost any album, but this one I just couldn't sit through. I had to pull the plug half way through the second song.

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*.

Not my thing

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

Weird mix of beachboys find and kind show band yacht Rock. Not terrible

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

Brian Wilson is arguably the most important U.S. pop musical artist of the rock and roll era other than perhaps Elvis Presley and I had the great fortune of seeing him perform Smile live in 2004. Just great!

Not great but a interesting add on to pet sounds personally. Would recommend to listen it after Pet Sounds if someone haven't heard it yet. Makes the album better in my opinion.

This is hard. I wanted to love his magnum opus more than I actually did. It pains me to say that the actual, finished Beach Boys albums that Brian Wilson did were the best versions, in my opinion.

I feel like 2004 has better representative albums, no need to dust off the 1960s vibes of The Beach Boys.

Genius, brilliant, my only criticism is that Brian didn’t get to record it this way when his voice was younger.

cabin essence is the only song on here that i prefer to the beach boys smile

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)

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

It's a hug on a sad day.

Brian Wilson is in that category of “he’s so genius he’s crazy or so crazy he’s genius” (he’s mentally very similar to David Lynch to me). He’s undoubtedly unique though and it was quite an experience listening to this all the way through, I love the way the sound smoothly progresses across the album. It sounds like the ache of nostalgia, pretty and sad.

This is one of those albums that I think if I liked the Beach Boys at all I would have cared so much more but as it stands it just really didn’t make an impression on me.

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.

This album gets 6 stars from me for originality and inventiveness. Brian Wilson finally realized his vision for the follow up to "Pet Sounds" and it's quite amazing. Bands like the High Llamas and others owe their careers to the atmospheres created by the likes of the various versions of "Smile" that have circulated across the decades. For me, though, this album is "Good Vibrations", an absolute '60s masterpiece of production, performance and songwriting, and "Vega-tables" and "Heroes & Villains" and a bunch of other tracks that I don't have the patience for. I don't know why I imprinted on "Vega-tables" in it's "Smiley Smile" incarnation back in the day, but I still like that version better than the cacophony of this "Smile"'s version. I get why people call this a masterpiece, but if someone told me I had to listen to a Beach Boys album I would almost always pick "Pet Sounds".

Good vibration 🪩

acapella beach boys wont be listening again

4.5

5/5. It feels pretentious to give this a 5 but with every listen, I notice a different song and it's crazy these were thought of in 1967 and how progressive they are. It feels like the evolution from Beastie Boys debut to Paul's Boutique. Keeps the same genre but really evolves it to almost a new genre in and of itself. I always think about something I read that said pop music would be very different if this actually came out in 1967. We would have artists try a lot more things if this came out. A lot of people say Beatles albums were progressive but only in one direction. This goes everywhere and it's 100% an album that needs to be listened to front to back. It's a 5 for audacity and innovation alone, plus it's a fun listen. The original recordings version is better that came out later but still great here. Best Song: Heroes and Villains, Surf's Up, Wonderful

Yes

I much prefer Smiley Smile to this boomer nostalgia tour. I mean, it's good and all, but there's nothing new here except Brian Wilson's less-good voice.

What was this? Good Vibrations was good. The rest....self-indulgent? Unfinished songs? Drug-trip?

As an unrepentant Beach Boy fan, this was delightful suggestion. However, I can see why the project was originally scrapped in the 60s. Nothing on here is as compelling as early Beach Boy stuff. In fact most of it seems very childish - they always had some playful songs, but these are just too much at times. Barnyard is a very weird song. So is Vega-tables...I am deducting points just for those two. Bummer, I so wanted to like this.

Ok, pretty much justs the beach boys

It’s like a drug fueled Beach Boys children’s album. Unsettling.

RIP Brian. Unfortunately this did not work for me - its a sonic assualt of ideas / snippets and lesser versions of Pet Sounds tracks and a song about effin vegetables.

This did absolutely nothing for me. The songs were bordering on nursery rhyme, and honestly I was bored throughout. Standout Song: Good Vibrations (although I’d rather just listen to the original) Score: 1/5

Brian Wilson was a tortured genius, and Pet Sounds was proof of the genius. Smile, in it's resurrected effort decades later, is proof of the torture. It attempts to revive the brilliance of Pet Sounds, but it just comes off as chaotic and haphazard. Even the reworking of Good Vibrations is just...less. Perhaps that's why it's was included, so Brian Wilson could subtly tell us not to judge this effort against the 1960s brilliance, but use this as a guidepost on which to compare where the true high water make may have been if this had been completed back then. As it is, it feels like a disoriented children's album.

has clawed its way in the last couple years to become my absolute favorite version of smile...almost makes me glad that the initial sessions fell apart purely so this version could exist in this form, with this old man brian wilson voice and this full breath technicolor production. smile is an album people get lost in even when theyre not listening to it, hearing the stories and putting together the pieces in various configurations...but it shouldnt be discounted that the record itself is , for me, one of the definitive Get Lost In listening experiences, utterly engrossing with the beach boy harmonic style and the brian wilson melodic style taken to absolute extremes in a series of dreamlike suites so real that u can reach out and touch them. and unlike what i thought for years (though it sounds so obvious in hindsight), this doesnt lose the hauntological appeal of the sessions one tiny bit, in fact it probably has it even more strongly...so much has changed, but smile refuses to die in whatever form it takes. a good contender for the single most vibrant and colorful record ever made. and the best ever in general, tbh.

Sorry but this is an irritating mess. Good Vibrations is great though

Some of this is excellent, and some of this is maybe the most beautiful music I have ever heard, stopping me in my tracks and bringing me to the verge of tears. I have been superficially aware of Smile and Brian Wilson's struggles with the album from the 1960s (shamefully, I was only made aware by one of my favorite movies; Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story), but I didn't know it was actually completed in 2004. This has been the best "never heard it before" album from this list for me. I'm definitely adding this to my personal collection and will be listening again. Probably today, actually...

It’s ok… a little over the top

Usually I try to judge an album on its own merits and mostly ignore the story behind them. This one makes that pretty easy. Good album though. Favorites were Good Vibrations, Roll Plymouth Rock, and Old Master Painter (s/o my goat)

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.

columnated ruins domino

A psychedelic album about Americana and humor really only appeals to that generation who had access to less tainted drugs, could own homes with ease, and every job they fell ass first into had a pension waiting for them. I like The Beach Boys, Brian Wilson is clearly talented. But I’m not smiling.

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

One of the best. I count myself lucky to have seen this album performed live in Denver in the early to mid ‘00’s. Made me a fan of Brian Wilson’s genius.

I don’t get it. Why are you having me listen to an album of children’s music? I’m a grown up.

I know Brian Wilson is part of the Beach Boys, but this records is too Beach Boys. Shouldn't it be different? Or else, shouldn't this be a Beach Boys record? Cool, but not cool.

The Beach Boys have never been my thing, and this is the same thing.

What a really strange album. The story behind it existing is pretty incredible and I'm glad to see that it came to fruition, but I do want to be sure to take that element out of because I think that would give it an unfair advantage in ranking. Without the story of how the album came to be in mind, this feels a bit unfinished. It's like a bootleg of demos and tracks that often stop in the middle of the song and pick back up with something else which makes it feel all over the place. There's an extremely haunting, melancholy darkness to this whole thing. The music is often child-like and carnivalesque with lyrics that sound brooding and dark. I can appreciate what the album is trying to do, but I just don't feel like this wholly works for me. There's something about this that reminds me of that revival of 'Oklahoma,' where everything appears sunny and cheery but there's a dark underbelly hidden below the surface. I appreciate that artistic intent, but wish it was executed fully (or even purposefully?).

Vanity project?

Excellent recording but I don't see myself listening to it again

unrelated but im too dedicated to this 1001 album journey. you ever just get home from a long ass of doing work with very little breaks and you want to sleep but then you remember you have to listen to a Brian Wilson because a website told you to. im lowkey a weak minded individual its cute i supposed. its a fine body of work, i like the acapella stuff its so jolly. never listening to this every again tho. type of album that you to be miserable and insufferable to not like. im might be miserable and insufferable because i lowkey hate some songs on this album

I appreciate this album for what it is and for what other people see in it. Wilson's vocals are great and I love the harmonies, but the more experimental style is a little lost on me. Great musically but not for me conceptually. A little sporadic.

Brilliant

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.

Maybe I don’t get this one, pretty nice though

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

So there are a couple iconic songs on here, namely Surf’s Up and Good Vibrations. But outside that, it’s pretty self indulgent

Shit

Beach Boys without the name

Some instrumental - not my fsvorite

Good vibrations

It was pretty neat, but not really my jam. I'm glad he was able to make this on his own terms though.

Mehhhhhhh not my thing

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

Brian Wilson may be a genius, but whatever this is, I don't get it. The whole album just blends into one. I could put any track on from this album at random and it wouldn't matter. The whole thing is 'Good Vibrations' (but slightly less good) 17 times. It sounds like when a character in a cartoon or dumb film daydreams, then the weird effect plays on screen. Strange sound effects, warped, dream like or on acid sounding music. That's this whole album. The type of music a 70+ year old would put on and then says that music in their day was so much better. I feel like the whole album suffers from the bad stuff from prog rock and psychedelic music. The weird sounding, dream like, LSD inspired noises. Weird, quirky eccentricity in place of where the actual music should be. One star does seem very harsh considering who it is, but I genuinely don't think I'd go back to any of this unless I had a real hankering to listen to cartoon daydream music.

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

come on give me something that will make me...

So abrasive I can’t even

Nice. Weird but great at the same time.

Good

Not for me personally

⭐ Good vibrations

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.

I did not get this at all. The random noises, sound effects, and the incessant whoops were just annoying. Every time I started to enjoy a song (which was rare), it would be drowned out by the noises, or a completely different song would suddenly interrupt for a few seconds. Songs that I particularly hated include Barnyard and Vega-Tables. Contrary to the title, this overly long and irritating album did not in fact make me smile

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

This was not enjoyable.

really boring, and I lost interest really quickly. The only reason that this isn't a one-star is because it looks like someone has created this album cover on Microsoft Paint

It was fine. Although I spent the whole album thinking I’d rather be listening to Pet Sounds

3- Stars (7/15)

Didn't recognize at first but Heroes and Villains I recognized and I like the album overall.

So it's good but mostly weird. Not really the definitive version of the good songs and the other songs are just there.

Heroes and Villians is an alright track but the rest of it is kinda forgettable

Meh

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.

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

Listen to Wonderful. This is when I decided no higher than two stars.

Not one for me.

This album annoyed me.

Just wonderfully weird

Sounded like a beachboys album...

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

Nice vocals. Don’t love it don’t hate it. Decent

Good vibrations is the only song I enjoyed on this album, and that's because he actually changed pitch for once. Even then I skipped it towards the end just to get over this album. Didn't enjoy the high pitched singing over high pitched layers of him going 'Do-Do' all the way fucking through. Literally felt like I was trapped in a Willy Wonka Nightmare. Another old white man track to the list of 1001 boomer albums.

Absolutely zero smiling going on when listening to this album. Cheers Brian.

I think Brian Wilson is a genius, Pet Sounds is an incredible album. A very interesting man, a sad and complicated life. A lot of this albums hype came from the achievement to BW, having finally released it after it sat unfinished since the 60s, overcoming his mental battles ect ect. It's a bit circus music in places, just doesn't have the same charm as Beach Boys, all a bit Disney at points with the slide whistles and sound effect. I certainly wouldn't pop this album on. Good Vibrations always slaps though tbf It's a shame because I think the man is brilliant otherwise lol.

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!

I just couldn’t get along with this. It was very hard work. Harmonies just like the beach boys but I never felt like any of the songs actually came together as songs. Just Brian Wilson doing Veian Wilson.

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

Lemppari: Heroes and Villains Vähiten lempparit: Barnyard, Vega-Tables

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.

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

Well there is of course the backstory to this, a re recording of one of the famous lost albums of the 60s. Originally intended to the the follow-up to Pet Sounds, everything went awry as Brian Wilson hit the rocks with mental health issues that took him out of action for decades. This album definitely sounds like Brian Wilson's Beach Boys of yesteryear - possibly due to similar collaborators, and garnered quite a bit of press adulation. I'm not really persuaded it's *that* good. After three listens, it was really coming across as a bit of a pastiche of Pet Sounds era Beach Boys.

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!

A little slow, as a lot of The Beach Boys style can be. I appreciate it for the cultural impact it had but it is not my kind of music.

Sehr coole Songs

Horseshit, lahme Songs, manche Songs einfach nur komische Geräusche, holt mich nicht ab. Für die Geschichte und einzelne Songs, gerade noch 2 Sterne gerettet.

This is a pretty unorthodox way for me to be introduced to The Beach Boys. Or more specifically Brian Wilson. By far one of the most well recognized and respected songwriters of the 60s, and probably ever. People love this guy. And 100%, wholeheartedly believe he is a genius. I have no connection to him, his brothers, or their music. But I was surprised to learn he had solo material that made this list. Smile is a very interesting album to say the least, and one with an incredibly storied history. Originally intended to be the follow-up to Pet Sounds, Smile was eventually scrapped and became regarded as the most legendary unreleased album ever made. Brian had a pretty deep emotional connection to this material, and suffered from some trauma regarding that time period and the creation of the record. So the fact he even came back to make this is probably a miracle. There is a lot to talk about, so before I get into the music, I want to comment on Wilson himself. For a man who was in his early 60s when this was recorded, he sounds pretty damn good. Now the music. I’m not totally sure where to begin. And that’s because I don’t know if I fully processed what I heard. No doubt, the arrangements that are present here are incredible. Some of the strongest and most unique that I’ve heard so far. It’s clear a lot of effort was put into the recording part of that aspect. They are super varied and never really boring. But the pacing of each section is so quick, that I found it hard to keep up at times. I mean Heroes and Villains alone feels like it has 6 different songs contained within itself. It definitely justifies that progressive pop label. But I don’t know if they are pieced together and sequenced as well as they could be. This album comes off as more like one big continuous adventure. It doesn’t have a lot of replay value unless you are listening to it from start to finish. But as one big musical journey, it’s super fun and a ride to remember for sure. It has an almost barbershop quartet, doo-wop feel to it. I’ll be completely honest though. Some of those background singers sound a lot like My Singing Monsters to me. It’s not that I don’t like what I’m hearing on most of these songs, I just found it difficult to digest. I don’t know if personally I could consider Brian Wilson a genius yet, but I need to hear how he comes together with his fellow band mates. Rating: 6/10

I fucking hated this.1/5

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

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!

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!

This sounded like a YouTube parody video where someone is doing prog songs in the style of the Beach Boys. I really didn’t enjoy it, it was just a bit strange.

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!

Credo sia uno skit, una parodia di qualcosa che non capisco, ma le canzoni sono piacevoli. Ah no ok pazzesco, è tipo una leggenda, rilasciato 40 anni dopo averlo registrato e Brian Wilson è dei Beach Boys. 3 stelle comunque.

First ever listen and pretty darned good

I could not get into Pet Sounds when I tried years ago, so a discount Beach Boys album is obviously not going to be epiphanic. (Though I remain slightly hopeful for when the former inevitably shows up for me on this list.)

I don't see how this appeals to an audience beyond hardcore Beach Boy fans of which I was never one.

Sorry, but this is so unappealing to me.

Beautiful.

Really weird. I do think Brian is a genius

Beautiful harmonies and of course the production and the arrangements are Brian Wilson's greatest strength. Each listen offers new details that keep the music fresh and interesting. The songs are not as strong as Per Sounds but still a fascinating listening experience 3.5 stars

Føles som om han tog Pet Sounds og prøvede at gøre den bare en smule mere artsy, men Pet Sounds er lige præcis så artsy som den skal være

Bare meget mindre imponerende fra en ældre herre i 2004 end det ville have været fra en ung mand i 1967, men lyder rigtig godt ikke desto mindre!

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

If you like Pet Sounds, you'll like BWPS. Great version of "Good Vibrations".

:)

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

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.

Wince.

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.

It’s as if a beach boys cover acapella group was led into a studio, given psychedelics and told they were unchained and could now use instruments. It’s like Winnie the Pooh happened upon a bunch of heffalumps that love The Beach Boys. It’s both a very familiar childhood sound and very unmoored.

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.

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

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 don't get it

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

I appreciate this

Ain't nobody got time for this

-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

Great in retrospect. But this sound is very dated. Good historical reference but no longer valid or listenable.

What a weird album, seems to jump all over the place

This is a tricky one. Yes, there’s a couple of great songs on here. I hate myself for thinking it and I’m a horrible person for saying it and it is completely normal unfair, but, most of this album sounds like Pet Sounds cosplay. I’m glad Brian got to finally make this album, and one of his pinkies has more talent than one hundred of me put together, but this album fell flat with me overall. Less life changing vibes and more straw hat wearing taffy makers at an amusement park.

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.

I’ve done a deep dive or two on The Beach Boys, and I saw Brian Wilson live when he did his Pets Sounds tour. It was an OK concert. I remember when this came out and all the hub bub. I have a good friend that was particularly interested in it. I’ve heard different versions of several of these songs, as well as this album before. I think this is a solid album, but does not capture the magic Brian Wilson used to be capable of. Still, a nice enough listen.

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.

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

The Brian Wilson harmonies you expect, but with much fewer hooks and choruses to sing along to.

5/10 I listened some songs from thst album 3 days ago ir so and haven't managed to remember any. (Needs reconsidering)

Interesting but not the work of genius some claim.

After reading the Wikipedia article for this album, it makes a lot more sense. I thought it was just The Beach Boys, which technically, yes. What I didn’t like about it was how many songs in the first half of the album just stop and switch to a B side of the song. It took me out of the listening experience. “What are they doing?” Was what I would say to myself. I really liked the three part song of Song for Children, Child Is Father of the Man, and Surf’s Up. This album was overall good, but I’d much rather listen to a different, finished Beach Boys project. Standouts: Heroes and Villains, Surf’s Up, Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow, and Good Vibrations.

Nada comercial, parece muito um continuum de músicas de um musical da broadway ou da disney. Talvez se houver um contexto, uma história por trás, faça algum sentido legal. Mas, pra ser sincero, sentar e ouvir isso é um pé no saco, se dissociado do contexto que parece existir por trás. A música não é cativante sem o contexto ou filme que deveria existir com ela. Portanto, pra mim é nunca mais.

FWIW I’m enjoying this listen a lot. I put it on a bunch in 2004/2005 when it was new and haven’t thought about it since but these melodies/etc actually did stick in my subconscious and I’m having that ‘familiar and good’ feeling I guess it’s notable for its notoriety and the fact that it was finally ‘completed’ after decades of waiting. I think this can’t be what Brian had in mind when it was conceived though -> my initial impressions were that it didn’t live up to the hype. This is also SUPER happy - it’s kind of like Brian is writing songs about what he thinks it must be like for people to be happy (having been incapable of it himself for 50 years)

It's like they just gave Brian Wilson some acid and let him loose in the studio playing with the equipment. PEt Sounds may be a masterpiece, but this is some real half baked sort of songs that wasn't a great listen

Hate the fucking Beach Boys

Not good. Some tracks are a vague harmony with a bunch of noise. Despite it's mellow tones, somehow it's not pleasant to listen to. Good vibrations is a good song I guess. But this is just a rehash of the old version. I don't get what the big deal is about Brian Wilson. Seems pretty mediocre.

Some fine moments.

It was a fun, happy vibe. A nice casual listen.

A 2004 release of a reworked 60s album is symbolic of the old fartyness of this list. Even though an old fart myself I've never felt able to fully access the cult of Brian Wilson. I can tell he is uniquely talented and has a vision unlike anyone else. There some brilliant tunes and arrangements on here but sometimes it's all a bit cutesy for my taste. The one I didn't know but really liked was Mrs O'Leary's Cow.

Very Brian Wilson. I think you need to like Brian Wilson a lot to really like this album

Fun ride.

I really never understood the hype about The Beach Boys. Their stuff is ear wormy, bubblegum surf pop. Yeah, they did nice harmonies, but, like, what else am I supposed to be hearing? This is much worse. I don’t get it. This sounds like a less lispy Randy Newman. And I don’t get him either. Third song has me homicidal, so I’m abandoning. 1/5

Allt í lagi, ekkert súper dúper.

I saw Vega-Tables and was thinking about options... and then it went into health food. -sigh- :P

I accidentally read reviews on this album before I listened to it, so my rating is a bit skewed, I think. I like the Beach Boys, and I liked the new versions of Heroes & Villains and Good Vibrations, but the stuff in between sounded like unfinished songs that were pieced together.

I could respect the history behind the making of this album, but I wasn't a fan

I'll need to relisten to this. Some I enjoyed, some I appreciated, some just wasn't what I wanted to listen to at the time.

2.5/5

Its rich, more like robust. Like he used every knob in the sound room and every instrument in the studio and used that constantly irritating beach boys harmony.

This is such a hard album to rate. On one hand, I don't love the way it sounds, it's not bad but it's nothing spectacular. I'm not a lover of the beach boys sound in general so hearing a more modern version of it is a bit jarring to me. But the history of this album is interesting and makes me want to rate it higher. So we'll stick in the middle with a 3. Fav songs: - Heroes and Villains - On a Holiday - Wind Chimes - Blue Hawaii - Good Vibrations

I appreciate the troubled history and I remember critics wetting themselves but it just has a giddy moronic happiness that wears after a while. That's possibly too harsh but so what...

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

Some lovely stuff on here but doesn’t have the spark of the 60s stuff

Not my type of music

Reading the wiki page made it sound like this would be the most phenomenal album I'd ever heard. It was fine - guess you have to be a big Beach Boys fan to really understand the phenomenon

A little indulgent, maybe?

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.

Sounded fine but the whole flow of the record felt a little jumpy. Not much here that I would listen to over the full band.

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.

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

Strange to hear a 60s record from the 00s

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.

Beautiful album. Brian Wilson is a genius.

Irritating songs with some interesting musical effects.

Maybe need to relisten but did not care for it at all, not interested in the weird, whimsical, almost fantasy-esque stuff. Maybe just not in the mood for it now, but did not like it

I dislike everything about the Beach Boys. It was crappy, schmalzy music back in the 60s and is worse now. I didn't enjoy it even a bit.

I'm getting so damn sad sitting here thinking about the paralyzing trauma and anguish Brian Wilson must've languished in for years....(I mean, truly paralyzing artistically, psychologically and socially), and would love the storybook ending of a groundbreaking work ultimately being released 40 years later, as the "myth" of Smile's release suggests...but let's face it: Other than Heroes and Villains (which is outstanding), this is really a collection of (albeit, mostly pleasing) soundscapes, snippets, ideas, and experiments that have not been fully executed and actualized into a cohesive album. And the thought of admitting that makes me sad...because I really wanted the storybook ending.

Great vibes

-Nice vocals -Nostalgic vibe -so many different Instruments -Best Songs: Heroes and villains, surf‘s up /Least Fave Songs: Roll Plymouth Rock, Mrs. O‘Leary‘s Cow -Barn yard has interesting sheep noises

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.

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.

Acapella, more like acapell-NAWWWW Mrs. O'Leary's Cow was a trip. Interesting concept, didn't care for the execution. Definitely grew on me towards the end though.

Well that was really weird. I felt like I was stuck in a terrible acid trip that I could not escape. It at least had some portions of cool instrumentals but the singing was freaking me out the whole time. This get a 2.0000000000000001 star

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.

2.5

took Brian Wilson nearly 40 years to get this album made and then i just came on here and gave it two stars for having too many annoying clown sound effects

Just annoying isn't it

I’m not much of a Beach Boys fan. I can appreciate some of their more upbeat material, and I admire their commitment to psychedelia, but I just don’t connect deeply. The harmonies are pretty, of course, at least for a little while, but that seems simply a matter of technical skill. I just don’t understand the need to revisit a whole bunch of old tunes so many years later. They’re clever tunes, but not emotionally engaging, and I woulda just left ‘em where they were. Actually, I listened to the demo sessions of the old material, and quite preferred it.

Sweet.

This was a big deal when it was first released and I was pretty excited to hear it. I was mostly disappointed on the first listen. I've gone back to this a few times, it's helped and I enjoy more of it but overall it's still just ok, perhaps my expectations were set too high.

Missing the energy and fun of The Beach Boys. Ambitious without a payoff. Also kind of weird.

Interesting. It's really the triumph the hype would have you believe. I miss the old harmonies that were the core of the best Beach Boys songs. I don't think i'd listen to this again.

I didn't hate listening to this and parts of it I really liked. But it's missing something, and something big. Might be the harmonies, might just be youth, I'm not sure. I'm glad that this exists and I heard it, but I don't know if I'll listen to it again.

3.5 really ambitious, kind of lost itself a couple times but the recordings are jam packed with creative ideas

Ok enough as background music but hard to listen to straight up

Elite Harpsichord

Classic Brian ilson

So cheesy and awful.

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.

Annoying artsy-fartsy music with no groove or whatsoever. I'm so sleepy. Wulle, wulle, wap, wap, kille, kille, klapp, klapp.

Brian Wilson is a musical genius, but it’s mainly for The Beach Boys and the writing behind that more than this album. Smile is a good rendition of what made The Beach Boys special and a nostalgic look at the music then and now. There’s not much wrong with this album but it’s not anything more than a revisit to popular music from the 60s with an older person take on it. 6.7/10

spamming Beach Boys harmony

A bit all over the place - mixes several genres in one album, hard to follow.

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

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.

That's not my taste in Musik. But ok

If this algum were realeased in the 70’s, maybe it would be good.

I don't have the patience for this jolly hokum. Immaculate production of course; of a caterwauling cavalcade of sideshow tinged, swanee-whistle riddled, clippety-clop, honky-tonk nonsense.

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

Wonderful!

It was fine. All those years in the making for that? Not bad but not at all exceptional.

big meh

It's like Andy Kaufman wrote an album

Perfect for a Sunday morning

So clownish, not the best Top tracks: Good Vibrations

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!

Terrible stuff. Not my vibe at all!

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.

Its nice and an interesting rebirth of material, I just am not a big fan of the Beach Boys and find this to not be as good as Pet Sounds and I don't see myself wanting to listen to it again.

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.

I don't know how to rate this. I've never liked the Beach Boys and I've never understood why people compared them to the Beatles. These harmonies are what I expect from the main Beach Boy. But they are boring. So it's just me waiting for the album to end.

Very enjoyable, upbeat, Beach Boys sound

Not bad but sounds very much like the Beach Boys. A little weird to think that this came out in 2004. I probably won't listen to this again but I don't regret hearing it.

No thanks

A reason i'm not a big 60s fan is because there often are a lot of silly musical ideas used. The hits are still good but a lot of songs sound like musicals or kids songs which is not really my cup of tea. Not bad, just not my style

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.

An enjoyable album but if I’m going to listen to something I’m just throwing on The Beach Boys over Smile.

This style of music really doesn't carry well to today.

Ok so normally people say this was not what I expected and I loved it…..so here we go - this was not what I expected and it kinda sucked. It all feels a bit half assed. I like the Beach Boys which is what saved this from getting 1 star. Barnyard was a particular low point but by no means the only one - that’s right I am looking at you Vega-Tables! I feel I am starting go on a bit but this reminds me of the solo efforts of Syd Barrett and John Frusciante. They were all better in their respective bands where they had others to rein in the worse of their creative excesses.

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.

this blowed

It's a smart album that takes us back to the artist's roots. Beach sounds. Staying close to his core competencies.

I guess it was an answer to an interesting question... what would a more modern take on the Beach Boys sound like? For this, Brian seems to have doubled down on classic harmonies and declared success. Unfortunately, though the harmonies are clean, I have the same enthusiasm for a barbershop quartet or some sideshow singers. Its nothing without actually having good songs. And maybe this was intended at a elementary school audience (i'm looking at you vegetable song), but that you can still have decent songs. The fact that they put a version of Good Vibrations on the album is just a painful reminder of what a good song would sound like. A slog to get through.

cute and relaxing

So at first I liked it but then I was just confused and stayed that way. I wanted to smile but I just couldn't get past my sense of confusion plus burning was particularly amazing or revolutionary. It felt like the guy at the party that is way high and thinks he is amazing and making something amazing and everyone is looking at him like he is crazy

I don't even know. I'm going to leave alone terms like "good" and "bad" and just say that I was very confused by this album. My ears really had a hard time hearing it. Not my thing.

I bought this upon release in 2004 while riding the internet music media hype machine. The Beach Boys/Brian Wilson are certainly interesting and groundbreaking but they’ve always come off as too comical and child-like for me to take them seriously. They lack an outright cool factor that other bands like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones wallow in. This album is not bad at all, its good for what it is trying to be…it’s just not the upper echelon musical experience old music critics claim it to be.

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.

I still don't really get the Beach Boys. Apart from 5 or 6 songs that are legitimately genius, they just don't click with me, and I'm starting to think they never will. They were fantastic singers, wrote great melodies and harmonies. But the rest is just like animal noises and weird sound effects. A lot of this sounds like a soundtrack to a children's cartoon. Not that I'm opposed to that in small doses - I don't think all music needs to be taken super seriously. But it just leaves me scratching my head to think that they were pitted head to head with The Beatles at the time. It just makes me feel sorry for them; it was a contest they were never going to win. They were just fine in their own way though.

Our Prayer/Gee 3.2 Heroes and Villians 3.3 Roll Plymouth Rock 3.2 Barnyard 3.1 Old Master Painter/You Are My Sunshine 3 Cabin Essence 2.9 Wonderful 2.8 Song for Children 2.7 Child is Father of the Man 2.7 Surf's Up 2.5 I'm in Great Shape/I Wanna Be Around/Workshop 2.3 Vega-Tables 2 On a Holiday 2.2 Wind Chimes 2.4 Mrs. O'Leary's Cow 2.6 In Blue Hawaii 2.5 Good Vibrations 3.4 Score: 2.752941176

Nicht meine Richtung

Olfos, es que es el de los Beach Boys. De hecho, por eso le doy un 3, porque me ha parecido un poco tostón.

Mostly not my sound but has a couple of good songs that sound a lot like Animal Collective

Cant tell if this is a band just doing covers? Not my thing

Well that's crazy. We went from the Beach Boys to Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys. lol. I don't think I've ever heard any of his solo stuff. This album came out in 2004!? This first track is pretty. Just acapello. This will be interesting. Heroes and Villains is on this album a song featured on Fantastic Mr. Fox. Recognized it right away. There were definitely some very interesting songs on this album. I'm not sure if I liked it very much. I'll give it a 3.

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.

Old man sings the hits.

Not my style

Not *everyone* wants to listen to *everything* by Brian Wilson. It's that simple. I love Pet Sounds as much as the next music nerd and I am sympathetic to Wilson's personal struggles, but the circus-sounding music grates on me. Even the best songs on this record are tough to enjoy.

was gonna make it a two because it just felt all over the place BUT good vibrations brought it back

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.

Couldn't even finish heroes and villains. One of my least favourite bb songs. Was not my cup of tea at all.

Felt like an affirmation for the harmonies Brian and the Beach Boys were notable for. Perhaps a vanity piece, but not an unpleasant entertainment

I don't hate it, but I don't need to hear this again. Good vibrations tho. 2.5.

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

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!

ugh. why does it sound like that. llike someone d wording....anyway

Convoluted

vilssonin veljekset taas riehumassa heheh mussukoita mussukoita.. dementiikkoja elää menneisyydesdä, nähnyt monta kertaa tälläistä surutapaus, murheellusten laulujen maa oikeesti vaikka kuulostaa ensikuunnelma whimsical, hulvaton. kun jaksaa miettiä oikkiriikkuisen syvemmälle, aivan vitun kauhistuttava teos.. portti ihmismielen kierouteen ja kaamokseen... selkäpiitä alkaa karmimaan karmivaan pikkuhiljaa jos vähä mietuskelee.. good vibrations

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.

Nope.

Poor, poor Brian Wilson. I feel like this album suffers under the weight of its legend. Had it come out in ‘67, it truly may have been one of the greatest albums ever made. It didn’t, though, not in the way Wilson intended. And this version isn’t the album he intended to put out, either. This is still a rough listen, though, because you can so clearly hear *what* the vision was here, but time hasn’t been kind to Wilson, and the weight of his tragedies are so evident in every note. Listen, though. It’s still essentially a Beach Boys record, and I love The Beach Boys, so I didn’t hate anything here. And there’s moments on Smile where the skies part and the colors become more vibrant and you start to hear one of the greatest albums ever made. Unfortunately, those moments are too infrequent and very fleeting. There’s also a lot more fun moments of silly inversions of school yard songs and nursery rhymes, and you chuckle and find it endearing, but your joy feels a bit forced, because it sounds like Wilson is forcing a smile, and what you’re actually hearing is a wince. And maybe that’s the point, sure, but in this version, I think it’s really, really hard to listen to it without the knowledge of all the years between its conception and the actual release date of the music. And that’s the biggest issue — this is a record full of hindsight, and that hindsight ruins a lot of its magic. And while it’s still The Beach Boys, it’s also not; the harmonies aren’t as textured, the session players aren’t the Wrecking Crew, and 40 whole years have passed, and the world where The Beach Boys meant something has long disappeared and now we live in a world where The Beach Boys mean something else entirely, and unfortunately, Smile contains very little of what they meant *or* what they mean. One day, I’ll get around to listening to the bootlegs/The Smile Sessions, because I think there’s a lot of potential on display on this belated version. But on face value, this version of Smile is not the masterpiece it could have been, and potential and concept are not enough if the music doesn’t actually come together in the end.

The Beach Boys are an iconic band and have such a unique sound. Not a ton of variety in the sound, but what they do works. I expected a lot of that to carry into this album, and it kind of does, but it also has so many other things going on--mostly to the album's detriment. Many songs feel like they change completely verse by verse, and it really starts to sound like it was made in an asylum. The schizophrenic nature of the songs mixed with the happy singing style is almost unsettling. Couple that with the title Smile it almost gives off the elements of the Joker. However, it's obvious that wasn't the intention so that just makes it a bit awkward. Favorite track "Good vibrations" 2/5

It’s just really not my jam

Schizophrenia be damned, my boy can write some music

Like a B-sides collection from the Pet Sounds era. I was WAY into this era of Beach Boys when this came out and listened to it a lot. It's good but the songs feel like sketches instead of those perfect little three minute radio tunes that the group is known for.

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.

heroes and villains

Cool story behind the album, and I know what a great artist Brian Wilson was (is?). But this was a weird listen… some songs had cool harmonies calling back to Beach Boys hits, but then other songs were a fever dream during a drug binge. Disjointed flow between songs with some hard transitions, where some faded well. I wanted to like it more than I did. 2.5/5