Beach Boys ~ Smile

[Reverend Rock]

It's been two years (as of February, 2006) since Brian Wilson unveiled his lost Beach Boys masterpiece, SMiLE, in London during a series of concerts there. SMiLE had been intended to be the follow-up album to the legendary and influential Pet Sounds, but for a lot of complicated reasons, the sessions were scrapped and the tapes locked away.

In spite of the fact that SMiLE was released in 2004 as an album of completely new recordings by Brian Wilson and his current touring band, the music remains very much an artifact of the 1960s psychedelic era. For that reason, I've decided to place this thread in the 60s forum.

There's a lot to discuss about SMiLE. Tracks surfaced on late 60s and early 70s Beach Boys albums, and bootlegs of the SMiLE sessions (which circulated widely from the 1980s to the present) were directly involved in the process that resulted in Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks revisiting the project in 2003 to prepare it for peformance. It's a very fascinating story with lots of unexpected twists.

So who around here has heard SMiLE (whether via the '04 CD release, the '05 concert DVD, or boots of 60s sessions, or all the above), and what are your feelings and opinions?

 

[algernon]

Re: The SMiLE Thread

A masterpiece that leaves all other rock concept albums in the dust. It's a blessing that it wasn't finished in the sixties, IMHO, because it was way ahead of its' time.

 

[Martin Q. Blank]

Re: The SMiLE Thread

A masterpiece that leaves all other rock concept albums in the dust. It's a blessing that it wasn't finished in the sixties, IMHO, because it was way ahead of its' time.

I agree completely.

I think it's pretty sad that most reviewers tend to focus far too much on the history and the "what if?" factor of "SMiLE" rather than critiquing the music on its own merits. The history is interesting, but I don't think it should sway people's opinions on what has been released and finished in 2004.

And as you say, I'm not sure the world would have been ready for it in 1967. Critically, it may have done well, and the Beatles would probably have been influenced by it on their next album, but I think it would have flopped commercially, much like "Pet Sounds" did (in the US, at least).

On that note, I think "SMiLE"--at the very least, on a conceptual level--DID influence the Beatles. Look at side two of "Abbey Road." We know that Paul and George Martin had very much been looking forward to "SMiLE," and Paul even contributed to one track ("Vega-tables").

Before Brian finished it, I had a conjecture mix made by Ryan Guidry. Although I liked some of the songs, it didn't make much sense to me. But the first time I heard the mp3s of the debut concert from London, I almost wept, it was so good. It finally made sense.

All hail Brian Wilson!

 

[algernon]

Re: The SMiLE Thread

It made no sense to me either, Marty, hearing the fragments over the years. I considered it the beginning of Brian's creative decline...certainly not in a class with PET SOUNDS. When I finally heard it in finished form I was struck by the cohesiveness...the fragments that I'd heard that I hadn't liked suddenly sounded great in context of the piece...and that's really what SMiLE is to me: one continuous piece and not a group of songs. It's really more like theatre or opera.

 

[Reverend Rock]

Re: The SMiLE Thread

I think the reason that so much is said about the "history" of this project is simply because no other project in the entire history of music has such a "history"! A work whose creation spans four decades and a cult of fans begging for its completion until one of those fans ends up a member of the creator's touring ensemble and is instrumental in bringing the dream to fruition--that is truly unique.

That said, I totally agree that SMiLE should be evaluated apart from its "history", no matter how spectacular it is. And I agree with the consensus thus far that SMiLE is a work without peer in the rock era. In the two years since it has been completed and released, it has become my favorite all-time pop music creation. I can't even begin to explain why, except that it's simply a work of genius which was truly far, far ahead of its time.

Anyway, while we listen to SMiLE "without the burden of its history", I'd like to see that history freely discussed on this thread as well. It's amazingly fascinating stuff.

 

[Martin Q. Blank]

Re: The SMiLE Thread

That said, I totally agree that SMiLE should be evaluated apart from its "history", no matter how spectacular it is. And I agree with the consensus thus far that SMiLE is a work without peer in the rock era. In the two years since it has been completed and released, it has become my favorite all-time pop music creation. I can't even begin to explain why, except that it's simply a work of genius which was truly far, far ahead of its time.

Oh, I completely agree. I think it's a masterpiece. I just think it's a shame that some critics deem it as such but put so many qualifiers on it. "Well, it'd be a masterpiece...IF it'd been released 37 years ago." To me, it's a phenomenal piece of work, regardless of when it was released.

The only possible critiques I have are re: Brian's lack of vocal dynamics on the new "Surf's Up," and the reversion to the old lyrics of "Good Vibrations." But again, those are only criticisms one can make by looking at the past.

 

[newdawnfades]

Re: The SMiLE Thread

Well alot of the material being released many years ago certainly does dampen it's effect on some level. Smile's got alot of historic value so I guess it's interesting to chat about. I am pretty ambivalent about it for the most part though.

 

[Martin Q. Blank]

Re: The SMiLE Thread

Well alot of the material being released many years ago certainly does dampen it's effect on some level.

A lot? Let's see..."Good Vibrations" and "Surf's Up" were both released. "Vega-tables," "Wonderful" and 'Wind Chimes" came out, but in drastically different forms. So that's maybe, what, a 1/4th of "SMiLE"?

We did get some of the uneleased tracks on the "Good Vibrations" box in the mid-'90s, though.

 

[Martin Q. Blank]

Re: The SMiLE Thread

Here's the inevitable question:

How big of a role do folks here think Mike Love played in Brian abandoning "SMiLE"?

 

[algernon]

Re: The SMiLE Thread

I think Love was a creative downer for sure, but also it was the TIMES..the Beach Boys were considered passe...they were denigrated by the hip culture. PET SOUNDS was not as commercially successful as their greatest hits LP and was (in fact) a disappointment. All of this, plus the Beatles, played against Brian's fragile psyche.