Album of the day (#7119): The Smile Sessions by The Beach Boys

BestEverAlbums — Mon, 4 May 2026 16:00:27 GMT

Author: BestEverAlbums

Posted: 05/04/2026 20:00

Today's album of the day

The Smile Sessions by The Beach Boys (View album | Buy this album)

Year: 2011.
Country:
The Beach Boys discography rank: 2 (out of 76 listed on BEA)
2011 rank: 3
2010s rank: 28
Overall rank: 242
Average rating: 85/100 (from 843 votes).

Tracks:
1. Our Prayer
2. Gee
3. Heroes And Villains
4. Do You Like Worms (Roll Plymouth Rock)
5. I'm In Great Shape
6. Barnyard
7. My Only Sunshine: The Old Master Painter / You Are My Sunshine
8. Cabin Essence
9. Wonderful
10. Look (Song For Children)
11. Child Is Father Of The Man
12. Surf's Up
13. I Wanna Be Around / Workshop
14. Vega-Tables
15. Holidays
16. Wind Chimes
17. The Elements: Fire (Mrs. O'Leary's Cow)
18. Love To Say Dada
19. Good Vibrations

indicates a top-rated track.

Top voted comments:

"Finally, after more than forty years, the Beach Boys' unfinished album "Smile" has been released in its entirety - to the extent possible.
"Smile" was in 1966 Brian Wilson's most ambitious project, and he wanted to create music that was as innovative as that of the Beatles - a group which he both admired and wished to match.
Wilson dropped tour-life to concentrate on writing and recording music, while the other Beach Boys occasionally came in the studio and recorded vocals on the new songs.
The amazing single "Good Vibrations" was an indication of directions Wilson's musical ideas took. The single became a huge hit and there were naturally great expectations for the album that would follow.
Unfortunately, Wilson broke down under the stress of the high expectations and his own ambtions before the album was completed. In fact, a cover drawn with a charming beautiful colorful front and a back side with a preliminary tracklist.
Some of the songs were practically finished, while others were under development when the project was dropped. However several of the Smile songs appeared on the next Beach Boys albums where the overall musical ambitions were lowered and the other Beach Boys began to take more part in the songwriting.
The best of these are now well known classics, especially "Heroes and Villains," "Surf's Up," "Wind Chimes" and "Vegetables."
In early 2000 years Brian Wilson re-recorded the Smile songs and also went on tour with them. Although these were fine and impressive performances, they also meant that the wishes the the original versions, with different beautiful Beach Boys voices, became even stronger.
This 2 CD version contains the versions of the many Smile recordings which Brian Wilson believes are the best. CD 1 contains the finished versions of the songs, or in some cases as finished as possible. CD 2 gives a little insight into the work in the studio, and numerous recordings and overdubs behind these contemporary loose shots.
Since there never was any final decision on tracklisting, anyone can try to put an album that may match or perhaps overpass the group's previous album "Pet Sounds" which is considered as the group's masterpiece. I have put such an album together which after the contemporary standards has14 songs and which lasts about 40 minutes. In fact, I think this "album" in respects in on the level of "Pet Sounds", which after all also does contain songs of lesser significance
Side one of this imaginary vinyl version looks like this: Side one 1. You're Welcome / 2. Good Vibrations / 3. Surf's Up / 4. Wonderful / 5. Cabin Essence / 6. Child Is Father Of The Mon 7. Look (Song For Children) - Side two 1. Our Prayer / 2.Heroes And Villains / 3 Holidays / 4. Wind Chimes / 5. Vega-Tables / 6. Gee / 7. Do You Like Worms (Roll Plymouth Rock).
I've played this compilation many times and am very satisfied with it, and I believe it would have received deserved recognition in its time, even if individual numbers may seem a little incomplete.
In any rate, this bunch of beautiful songs constitute an important part in music history."
- Rovers (Rating: 95/100)
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"At the risk of my first strike...what (descriptive insult edited) listed this as a compilation? Look...a twisted genius, full of weed, acid, pills and depression, scraps his most ambitious project due to the onset of mental illness and releases the relics of said project on numerous albums to follow. About 35 years later, almost fully recovered, he decides to sequence the work into a cohesive unit.
Remove the compilation tag. This document does not fit the standard definition."
- daftpunter (Rating: 100/100)
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About album of the day: The BestEverAlbums.com album of the day is the album appearing most prominently in member charts in the previous 24 hours. If an album, or artist, has previously been selected within a x day period, the next highest album is picked instead (and so on) to ensure a bit of variety. A full history of album of the day can be viewed here.

Best Ever Albums

Album of the day (#7119): The Smile Sessions by The Beach Boys