If only this was the Beach Boys original release... as I think them performing it in their prime would have only made this album so much more amazing. I love this and feel it is more of a masterpiece than Pet Sounds. It also makes me happy that Brian was able to triumph over mental health issues and complete this awesome work.

IMO, the greatest album ever made. Such an experience. This album transcends pop and is in the same league with the classical masters.

Amazing. Granted, The SMiLE Sessions vocals sound better because, well, its the Beach Boys in their prime and almost nothing tops them. However, Brian and his band sound great here and its still a worthwhile and amazing listen, even with the SMiLE sessions easily available. Took me a while to warm to it, but its now easily in my top 25 for last decade.

Conceived and started work on in 1966 "SMiLE" was intended by its creator Brian Wilson as the follow-up to "Pet Sounds". That didn't happen, the project collapsed and instead, Smiley Smile was released. The original master tapes were shelved left to gather dust and although tracks from the project popped on later Beach Boys records, lusting fans still desired to hear "SMiLE"in its full glory. As time went on it's cult reputation grew, as did countless series of bootlegs versions. The album took on legendary status as the holy grail of music. Then it happened, the second coming. The project was resurrected, and a newly recorded version was released in 2004 by Brian Wilson, 37 years after its conception. Now fans had a "blueprint", to work with, in addition to the already vast amount of sessions released both officially and unofficially, making it a lot easier to construct "correct" bootlegs of the Beach Boys'"SMiLE". It should be noted that the original track listing and running order never was decided on until 2004. So is this the album we would have got if released in 1967? Doubtful. With "Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE" what remains of the original are songs. These songs are wonderfully crafted.“Good Vibrations”, "Surf's Up","Cabinessence" and "Heroes And Villians" are still unparalleled. Leonard Bernstein said Brian Wilson was one of the greatest composers of the 20th century. He was not wrong.

I love Brian Wilson's naivete, combined with a remarkably mature musical vision. Extremely catchy and simple themes are weaved into a complex web. The payoff at some points is great, as is the case of the refrain of "child, the father of the man" at the end of "surf's up". Doubtless Macca's presence at the Smile sessions was the origin of the great medley at the end of Abbey Road.

I love Pet Sounds, and I even saw the Beach Boys live a few years back. So why do I find this to be so flat on first listen? Was it digitally mastered or something?

...childish music? wot.

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