Album of the day (#3181): The Smile Sessions - Music

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Today's album of the day

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

Year: 2011.
Country:

Overall rank: 298
Average rating: 86/100 (from 682 votes).

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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

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.

CA Dreamin

Gender: Male
Location: LA

I had to wait 5 years between first experiencing Pet Sounds and the release of Smile Sessions. Can you imagine waiting 45 years?
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baystateoftheart
Neil Young as a butternut squash

Age: 29
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CA Dreamin wrote:

I had to wait 5 years between first experiencing Pet Sounds and the release of Smile Sessions. Can you imagine waiting 45 years?

One year for me. No, I can't. Also, this should be in the top 100. Simply amazing record.
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Jimmy Dread
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Not sure if it’s because I heard it first, but I still prefer listening to the more complete Brian Wilson’s Smile to The Smile Sessions, which might come over as sacrilegious but in actual fact is testament to how good the ‘67 LP could have sounded had Brian not retreated to his sandbox and got spooked by Californian fires.

That said, this is still an unmitigated slab of 20th century genius which I still sends shivers down my spine every time I listen to it, especially the “Cycle Of Life” suite from ‘Wonderful’ to ‘Surf’s Up’.
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baystateoftheart
Neil Young as a butternut squash

Age: 29
Location: Massachusetts

Jimmy Dread wrote:

Not sure if it’s because I heard it first, but I still prefer listening to the more complete Brian Wilson’s Smile to The Smile Sessions, which might come over as sacrilegious but in actual fact is testament to how good the ‘67 LP could have sounded had Brian not retreated to his sandbox and got spooked by Californian fires.

That said, this is still an unmitigated slab of 20th century genius which I still sends shivers down my spine every time I listen to it, especially the “Cycle Of Life” suite from ‘Wonderful’ to ‘Surf’s Up’.

Interesting. I also heard Brian Wilson's solo version first (although maybe not front to back before this came out, can't remember) and for me it's never been close. That said, his solo version is also quite good.
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CA Dreamin

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Location: LA

Jimmy Dread wrote:

Not sure if it’s because I heard it first, but I still prefer listening to the more complete Brian Wilson’s Smile to The Smile Sessions, which might come over as sacrilegious but in actual fact is testament to how good the ‘67 LP could have sounded had Brian not retreated to his sandbox and got spooked by Californian fires.

That said, this is still an unmitigated slab of 20th century genius which I still sends shivers down my spine every time I listen to it, especially the “Cycle Of Life” suite from ‘Wonderful’ to ‘Surf’s Up’.

Interesting, respectfully disagree, but not sacrilegious. The 2004 solo version is decent enough. But personally I much prefer the original studio recordings with Brian's twenty-something year old voice, as opposed to sixty.
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RoundTheBend
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Jimmy Dread wrote:

Not sure if it’s because I heard it first, but I still prefer listening to the more complete Brian Wilson’s Smile to The Smile Sessions, which might come over as sacrilegious but in actual fact is testament to how good the ‘67 LP could have sounded had Brian not retreated to his sandbox and got spooked by Californian fires.

That said, this is still an unmitigated slab of 20th century genius which I still sends shivers down my spine every time I listen to it, especially the “Cycle Of Life” suite from ‘Wonderful’ to ‘Surf’s Up’.

Jimmy Dread and I agree on something!

I too like the more holistic feel of the completed one, even if the unfinished version has some energy to it you don't get from the 2005 (6?) release. Both are fantastic. The sessions are just a tad annoying at times for not being complete, but then again sometimes leave you begging for more, which is nice at times.

theblueboy

I had an old bootleg version of the smile sessions so never felt compelled to listen to the official version but I think it must be the same thing. I also go for Smile solo release over the sessions as i like the way each section flows together-though I do think it loses some of the eery loveliness of the original recordings.

Would a 60s Smile have been as good as Pet Sounds? I'd say no but it still would have been great.

Hayden

I'm still iffy on whether or not to put awkwardly released albums like this on my charts (even including the new Jai Paul), but I recently decided it deserves my #1 of 2011.

It's great. And what a build-up once it came out. I'd never argue against someone saying it's one of the best albums ever made.
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RoundTheBend
I miss the comfort in being sad

Location: Ground Control

I put this in controversial music opinions when I realized I meant to put it here.

I'd have to agree with Brian Wilson... As much as I dig Smile (like I really do).

Quote:

Wilson told a Rolling Stone interviewer in 1987 that when he started Smile, he was "trying to beat" the Beatles; when asked whether Smile would have topped his rivals' subsequent release, Wilson replied: "No. It wouldn't have come close. Sgt. Pepper would have kicked our ass."