SMiLE

[joannajewsom]

How do you guys feel about the lost Beach Boys album, later recorded by Brian Wilson in 2004? If anyone has heard any bootleg versions (I have the Purple Chick reconstruction), what are your thoughts on it? Had it been completed and released in '67, what kind of impact do you think it would have had?

[telefunker]

i've heard the 2004 version start-to-finish and some of the tracks from the bootleg reconstruction (i have both).. i can't say that i'm particularly enthralled by any of it.. i guess it was the next stage in brian wilson's burgeoning production vision, but for me it was lacking the kind of inspired, timeless melodies he'd crafted previously

i definitely think he was aiming for a kind of epic, larger-than-life bombast in the vein of sgt peppers, but paul mccartney and nervous degeneration beat him to it.. who knows, it may well have been revered to that extent aswell, but i personally think it's best he's remembered for pet sounds - the pinaccle in pop, surf pop and the ultimate expression of everything he'd ever done before..
_________________
no fat chicks

[RFNAPLES]

I listened to SMiLE repeatedly in the summer of 05. It was an album that received critical praise and many awards and some commercial success (the video did better). While I still own it, I don't think I have listened to it since. If I want to listen to The Beach Boys, I’ll choose Pet Sounds.
_________________
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by RFNAPLES
Bubbling Under The Top 100 Greatest Mus...y RFNAPLES

[joannajewsom]

Well, it's definitely no Pet Sounds-- nothing is like Pet Sounds-- but I think it still has a few melodic gems on there. I can't help but think it would have turned the world on its head, had it been released. The bootleg is up there with my top ten pop albums, and it wasn't even finished. It's definitely the earliest album deserving of the progressive pop label.

I like the 2004 version, but let's face it, Brian's voice ain't what it used to be. I still think it's great, though.

[CellarDoor]

I have the "Smiley Smile" and "Wild Honey" CD.

"Smiley Smile" might not be the ultimate achievement in pop as Brian Wilson intended, but I like the quirky light-hearted feel to the album.

It does lack coherence in structure and production, but not exactly the failure you could expect.
"Pet Sounds" was near impossible to top anyway.

vege, vege, vege, tables

[Mr. Shankly]

There's definitely great moments on Smile. Heroes and Villains is a great song. So is Surf's up. I have a soft spot for Cabin Essence too. For 1967, I think you can argue the structure of the songs and song cycles was kind of a new approach for pop music in 1967. As for 2005 though, it wasn't quite as ingenious or innovative anymore. Overall, I think Smile is more a testament to Wilson's eccentricity than to his genius. Then again, its' been said that there's a thin line between madness and genius.

[joannajewsom]

CellarDoor, SMiLE shares a few tracks with those two releases, but they're different projects. Smiley Smile wasn't intended to be Brian's ultimate achievement in pop. Did you mean to say SMiLE? SMiLE was abandoned and they released Smiley Smile instead.

[Mr. Shankly]

[Mr. Shankly]

Oops. I now see you were addressing Cellar Door.

[CellarDoor]

I'm aware that "SMiLE" and "Smiley Smile" are different entities, but from what I gather, Brian Wilson never managed to finish the much-hyped "SMiLE" project in reasonable production time, only to release "Smiley Smile" instead (with the songs he had already completed for "SMiLE").

I don't think they are 2 independant projects, but just one that misfired.

Mr. Shankly, your post was very confusing..