SMiLE is hands-down a beautiful piece of work from beginning to end. I am 28 and an avid collector of all styles of music from old school hip-hop to rock in its various forms to jazz/r&b/blues/funk. etc. This album is an absolute delight to listen to.

I wasn't around in 1967 to anticipate the original would-be release of this record. In fact I had never even heard of the project until its release in 2004. I had studied music enough to understand the importance of Pet Sounds and Good Vibrations, so I could appreciate the amibtion of Wilson's direction. But plain and simple, this record could be considered a masterpiece during any era of pop/rock history. It's just fun to listen to and manages to take you away from everything. It really is worlds away from anything I had heard before.

Don't listen to the naysayers who feel this album doesn't live up to some expectation created by self-righteous music critics in the late sixties. This is just bizarre, atmospheric fun and has cemented Brian Wilson in my personal list of musical geniuses.

Beach Boys' mastermind Brian Wilson originally conceived and recorded an album to be known as "Smile" in 1966-67. "Smile" (1967) was the Beach Boys' follow up to the lushly-orchestrated melancholy "Pet Sounds." "Smile" (1967) was never finished or released. Wilson's 2004 solo album is a complete recreation. He and co-writer Van Dyke Parks collaborated on both words and arrangements.

I've heard few albums this good.

Americana, household ephemera, marching riffs, stabs at vaudeville humor, jazz, bluegrass, horns, slide whistles and other exotic and novelty instruments. Overpowering multi-part harmonies and lush musical arrangements. Variety in the song writing and arrangements, yet with a cohesiveness. Cross fades. "Fire": violins depict the siren swirl of a tortured soul like a Van Gogh sound painting.

The story behind this album, as you probably know, is as long and convoluted as any self-respecting five-year-old's explanation of why the broken lamp in the hall by the kitchen door isn't his (or her) fault. Suffice to say, after the release of 1966's Pet Sounds, Brian Wilson wanted to make an album that'd leave even that masterpiece in the dust. He wrote (and co-wrote) bunch of songs, recorded a good deal of them, but was soon overcome by the massive burden of the project. The whole thing was scrapped, and the Beach Boys spent the rest of their career trying to outlive the project's failure. Of course, songs from the aborted album popped up on official releases (such as 1967's Smiley Smile) and bootlegs, making fans drool for the real thing. Finally, after the Beach Boys had passed into history, Wilson decided it was time to give it another go. He re-recorded all the songs, assembled them into three little mini-suites, and released it in 2004.

So, it seems that Ahab finally caught his whale. Smile (or, rather, SMiLE) really is a brilliant album, a strange sort of American dream full of evocative melodies and strange, dreamy pop. It's an album full of warmth and humor and emotion, and dizzying instrumental constructions that bubble under cosmically sun-splashed vocals and lyrics that take a bent, funhouse mirror approach to this country's history (for our friends from overseas, "that country's"). It's like "Surfin' U.S.A." gone gorgeously postmodern, and works really well here. The first section of the album (it's arranged into three mini-suites) features some of the most beautiful art-pop ever set to tape: There's the classic "Heroes And Villains," (one of the first Smile recordings to see the light of day back in the 60s) with its gushing melodies and startlingly good dynamics, and "Roll Plymouth Rock," a surprisingly smart (and lazily catchy) denouncement of America's treatment of Native Americans. "Cabin Essence" is the suite's resident stunner, a gorgeous swirl of bewitching harmonies and heart stopping imagery, with a closing coda that builds an almost unbearable amount of tension. The album's second section (a somewhat abridged take on childhood and aging) features the labyrinthine harmonies and interlocking melodies of "Child Is Father To The Man" and the quiet, gorgeous introspection of "Surf's Up." The final section, a loose tribute to the elements, features that old chestnut, "Vega-Tables," the infernal instrumental "Mrs. O' Leary's Cow" (a more chaotic version of "Fall Breaks And Back To Winter (Woody Woodpecker Symphony)" from the Smiley Smile album) and the cheerful little throwaway that is "On A Holiday."

The album's best moments are full of life and joy and bursting with ideas and poetry. It's smartly constructed goofball psychedelia, and the world's a better place for it. Still, it's hard to see this as being better than Pet Sounds, or more emotionally uplifting. Smile's playfulness often comes at the expense of depth- which is by no means a bad thing, but it does weaken its claim to "artistic triumph" status in the eyes of some. Plus, not all of the songs are good: The re-recording of "Good Vibrations" is absolutely nothing compared to the original, and a few of the between-song connecting snippets kind of ruin the flow of the album. But, aside from those little nitpicks, this is kind of a masterpiece, and we should all be incredibly glad that it exists.

Here's my advice: When you listen to SMILE for the first time, discard all your assumptions and expectations about pop music, and approach it as if you've never heard the Beach Boys or other pop music before. SMILE's closest approximate musical cousin is SGT. PEPPER, but in truth there is nothing like SMILE in the history of pop music. From the standpoint of orchestration, harmony and integration of musical styles, it is unique...its own genre. The only way to listen to SMILE is from start to finish with no interruptions. Think of it as one big song with lots of parts, or metaphorically as a train ride through a big country where the colorful landscape is constantly changing, and everything is new or unexpected or evokes a memory of something else. Every time I listen to SMILE, I feel sad when it ends, because I love the place it takes me to and I want to keep going! The bottom line is that it is a sonic feast of American musical styles and idioms. It is fascinating, diverse, surprising, beautiful and awe-inspiring.

This is where Brian Wilson the composer was going 40 years ago, but his train got derailed by the other Beach Boys, particularly Mike Love, who liked being rock stars and didn't want to stray from the formula in order to be fellow-travelers on Brian's creative expedition. Who knows where Brian's music would have taken him next, had he been able to bring SMILE to fruition at the time and keep his creative momentum going? Instead, the project got shelved and with it, his enthusiasm for life for many years. However, he and we have much to be thankful for, as his family, friends and musical colleagues convinced him to resurrect the project and finish it. What's 40 years in the historical panorama of timeless, great music?

In 1967 when Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys failed to release SMiLE ... the face of music was deprived of a REAL guiding light. Brian fell into a deep funk that slowly but surely engulfed him to the point where he became virtually invisible. Finally ... 37 years later he mustered up the courage and the conviction to finish composing the album...and with the help of some new 'Friends' re-recorded, organized and released the album that would have set the world on its collective ear...all those years ago.

SMiLE is a remarkable achievement. The live dvd performance is even better. Not unlike a fine wine...SMiLE improves still further with age. One of the finest albums ever recorded...THIS album/cd is a MUST own for any MUSIC lover. In a world of formula sounds and almost total ignorance of what can be done with the human voice...SMiLE is finally the guiding light it always should have been.

Thank you Brian Wilson [et al]. May you enjoy even more success with your next release...'That Lucky Old Sun'.

This is an amazing combination of vocals and instruments that is perfect for your quiet time of day when you want to relax with random thoughts. Envision "Electric Light Orchestra instrumentals and atmosphere meets the imagery of late 60's Beatles lyrics, sung in Bee Gees harmony with a hint of Bohemian Rhapsody timing shifts", and you'll get the idea. The overall effect is quite surreal.

If you equate the Beach Boys with sing-along surf music, you might not find this to your liking. But if you are looking for something to which you can listen when you are all by yourself and need to reflect on your life or kick-start your creativity, then this is definitely the music for you.

Though I missed the hype over this release, I can see why people who heard the demos in the 60's called it revolutionary and lamented its delayed release. There certainly wasn't anything in the rock world that was remotely like it at that time, nor is there much now to touch it. The musical complexity is astounding. I can't imagine what the score of this looks like, but I'm pretty sure that Mozart came back as Brian Wilson. Yes, it really is THAT creative and original. Give it a shot.

For those people trying to relive the glory that Pet Sounds represented, along with the musical genius of Brian Wilson--a genius that seemed not to have reached it's full potential--this is the album for you. Listen to it and wallow in the pits of your despair over what might have been and rejoice in the vague scraps of genius on Smile to fuel your nostalgia. But the truth of the matter is that this cd is lackluster. The liner notes describe the songs lyricist Van Dyke Parks as "visonary." Well what was the guy looking at? They're abstract for sure, but not brilliant. Some of the lyrics--such as the ones to Vega-tables--are outright stupid. Wilson's voice is also not what it was and the vocals on the album do not contain the clear, magnetic harmonies the Beach Boys were famous for. This album is drenched in what could have been. Looking at it beyond its historical context the album simply doesn't cut it.

To those of us that were around at the time,we heard all the rumors,all the hype,the anticipation that Smile was the genius follow-up to Pet Sounds. I seem to remember that Brian left the Smile project unfinished, because he had a serious mental meltdown, and has never been quite the same, since. Chopped up the master of what WAS done.We all thought that it was the masterpiece, that never quite was, and probably would never be. Well....nothing that Brian does today,never quite surprises me. After 30-odd years, he decides to complete Smile.I thought, " OK. Let's see". I wish that I could have joined all of those that think that this was worth the wait. I can't. Brian should have left this alone, and simply just let the legendary Smile project be, what it was---a memory that could have been, but wasn't.

I am a huge Brian Wilson fan. I love what he has done and respect him very much.
Putting aside all this folklore and history assocaited with the album, this record is just ok. I used to listen to it thinking it was so good. Having heard the old soundbites and seeing Brian in concert. I slowly stopped listening to it. Then I decided to pop it in recently and I was very surpised to find that I really didnt want to hear any of the songs. I find them very silly and goofy, they dont need a girl singing on the album, and the vocals arent great.

People seem to go either one way or the other on this album. I see the same thing in the revews of the "Citizen Kane" DVD -you'll find quite a few one-star reviews among the five star ones there. That's fine with me; it takes all types. I just think this is wonderful music for people who really enjoy music for itself, not just as a soundtrack while they're cleaning the house. There are sections that are so gorgeous they would be milked to death on a modern pop album; here they last a minute or less. I particularly like the segue into "Wind Chimes", and the whole third suite: its powerful, complex, fully realised music. I was prepared to be let down by this but it was worth the wait.

Being not the biggest Beach Boys historian as I am about other groups (Yes, Beatles, Pink Floyd, etc.), I didn't know the story about this album. Recently I read about it after listening to a Beach Boys greatest hits compilation. I was very intrigued by it (viewing it as buried treasure that virtually no one has ever heard). I immediately ordered it and Pet Sounds. I've always read about Pet Sounds and what a big album it is. However, I never got it. I always only had "Greatest Hits" albums of the Beach Boys.
I was not disappointed. The Sgt. Pepper era of the Beatles is the era of the Beatles I like the best. Pet Sounds and Smile add to my like of that era. Both get 5 stars.
After receiving the Smile cd, I immediately printed out a copy of the Beach Boys Smile album cover that never got used and put it over the Smile cover that came with the cd. I suppose Brian choose not to include that photo in the booklet that came with the cd due to the fact that the other members of the Beach Boys had nothing to do with Smile. Also, it may have had to do with legal reasons or, simply, his disinterest in including the story about the cover in the booklet. To him, Smile is His project, not the Beach Boys. And it is...as well as virtually every Beach Boys song from the 60's and 70's. To me, Brian Wilson IS the Beach Boys. There are a couple of songs on the cd that I didn't care for. But 95% of it I like. The cd will definately grow on me. The new version of Good Vibrations is very nice. It's nice to hear the lyrics that Brian originally intended to have for that masterpiece.
However, I would never play this album to the casual Beach Boys fan, or to one that only knows the "Hits". This cd will not be to their liking. Because, as previously mentioned, it is a concept album, NOT a "singles" album.
I love progressive rock, art rock, or whatever you like to call it. Groups like Yes, ELP, Genesis, Camel, etc. are my type of music. I like music that is creative, not the run of the mill stuff. I get bored with that stuff real easy. Country bores me too death!
My hat goes off to Brian for this masterpiece. It's so good that he never forgot it and finally let us hear what was in his mind back in the 60's and today. Though I feel some of it may have been influenced due to his drug use (I could be wrong), I still admire it. To me, you don't have to be on drugs to write such classics as Dark Side Of The Moon, Sgt. Pepper, Close To The Edge, etc. You just have to have a creative mind that doesn't care about the trends. My Hat Off To You, Brian!!

This music on this album is quite good, but the lyrics are just goofy, irrelevant and boring. The don't really seem to make much sense beyond one man's fantasies about 19th century agriculture. Good for him, but who cares? It's a shame really because it marrs what is otherwise some truly great music. They should have just left the lyrics out.

Let me preface by disclosing that I'm 24 years old, because I believe that age was one of the biggest factors in shaping my opinion for this album. If you're older than me, you'll arguably appreciate it more than I did; if you're younger, possibly even less.

The truth is that this album reached legendary status before it was ever released, as long as forty years ago. More than likely, there are scores of fans that waited faithfully for the entire forty odd years it took to Wilson to cultivate it. Unfortunately, I am not one of those fans.

I am quick to point out in my own defense, however, that my musical tastes are nonetheless diverse. I appreciate music in all shapes and sizes, and I have as broad a range of musical interests as anyone I know. However, when listening to Smile, I am unable to silence the inner critic which says that despite all of its successes, Smile is an album that feels noticeably outdated. I listened for the harmonies and arrangements, and even listened all of the way through a few times, just as the critics insisted. But to call this album a masterpiece as so many before me have would only mask my true feelings.

The fact is, if Smile had been released years ago as planned, it may have changed music as we know it. Wilson's popularity rivaled The Beatles, and The Beatles wrote some of the most "important" albums of all time during those years. Smile may have been on that list. But it didn't come out then, and it's not nearly as influential, important, or even relevant by today's standards.

I have a feeling that much of the critical appeal derives from sentimentality for the subject matter rather than the work itself, and may have been a form of giving credit where credit would-have-been-given if the album was released on time. Furthermore, you can't help but applaud Wilson for having the drive to finish what he started, and to sound great during the process. But since I'm writing this review for the reader and not Wilson, three out of five stars is a more accurate score, because unlike some albums, this one really shows its age.

Let's forget the folklore for a moment -- the 37 years, the genius of Brian Wilson, the "teenage symphony to God," the best record never made, all that -- and focus on the music itself. It's unlistenable. A bunch of silly, goofy, "songs," sung in funny voices and with lots of goofy background noises. This might be appealing to a toddler -- seriously, it sounds like something you might hear on Sesame Street -- but I don't see the appeal to anyone over the age of 3. In a lifetime of listening to music, there have been very, very few records that I couldn't get through at least once. I don't think I made it through the first 4 "songs" on this CD. Think of the worst CD you ever listened to. This is worse than that. Pure sonic agony.

These days words such as genius and masterpiece are used way too frequently, but in Brian Wilson's case it`s definitely fully deserved. The ex-Beach Boy, who created the masterpiece "Pet Sounds" (1966), finally completed the wonderful "Smile" and blessed the world with a second masterpiece in 2004. Love your music, Brian!

I normally buy albums that are collections of songs and this recording of Smile by the original Beach Boys creator Brian Wilson and his 2004 band of collaborators is out of the ordinary in that it is more a song-suite of interlinked musical pieces than a string of self-contained songs. Although I like it a lot, I think that some of the music is esoteric and lyrically rather weird, but then that is a product of its genesis in the psychedelic era of 1966-67. How glorious is Smile's centrepiece section comprising Surf's Up, Wonderful, Child Is Father Of The Man and Song For Children !! This is one of the best pieces of music I have ever heard, because the vocal composition and arrangement sounds so beautiful. There are many other fine moments on the album to remind us of the great musical talent that Brian Wilson has. The recording and instrumentation are absolutely first-rate on this 2004 CD.

What rating to give such a unique, unusual and long-awaited CD ? Well, truth in advertising says give it 5 stars, as any CD that can make me Smile and can deliver strong positive Good Vibrations every time it gets played deserves top billing in my (and everyone else's) record collection !

In 2004, Smile was finally released by Brian, a project 37 years in the making (or waiting). It's a difficult album to review nowadays since so much music now deemed as classics have come and passed within those 37 years: Sgt. Pepper through Abbey Road, Led Zeppelin I-V, The Dark Side of the Moon, London Calling, and a slew of others. Smile was supposed to precede ALL of them. Alas, so many great albums have now long been engraved into our conscience that Smile's late arrival treaded on risky ground. In other words, the belated Smile, an album that was originally intended for the late 1960's, had a LOT to live up to.

So what is 2004 Smile's music like? It was released 37 years after its intended release date. Does it sound outdated, corny, or dumb by today's standards? Actually, none of the above. In fact, the music is hard to categorize. Even in today's music world, Smile is an album that is so fresh and bursting full of ideas that one has to wonder how the music world would've reacted to it in 1967. All the classic songs are here and redone with majestic enthusiasm: "Heroes and Villains", "Surf's Up", "Cabin Essence", "Vega-Tables", "Wonderful", and "Good Vibrations". You get a sense of Brian's satisfaction of finally being able to realize these songs in the ambitious project they originated for.

Many reviewers here say that Smile has no meaning. It does. There's a reason why Wilson dubbed this work as a "teenage symphony to God". Whereas Pet Sounds was a collection of emotions and youthful naivety, Smile is a collection of fun, happiness, and spiritual freedom. It tackles the ideas of health, nature, prayer, laughter, sarcasm, and adventure, all conveyed through offbeat, whimsical poetry rife with Americana. "Child is the Father of Man" is not a jibberish saying. Before adulthood we are children first, hence the song title. As children, we are free from the harsh realities of adulthood; we're untainted and innocent, thus childhood is objective, quirky, and happier. The song cycles in Smile revolve around these ideas. People criticize Smile's silliness, but silliness is actually one of the points.

To admit, it takes a few listens for this album to sink in. It's difficult to enjoy at first because of its fabled history and hyped final release. For what this project has been through however, I will still rate this album five stars. Its ambitious songwriting, concept, and lyrical finesse is quite unparalleled, then and now. There is a lot going on in this album than at first glance. Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks created something truly unique. I'm glad Brian has finished his masterwork and I hope he finally finds inner peace and happiness, as conceptualized in the sounds of this album. Smile everyone.

I throughly enjoyed "Smile". I am glad Brian Wilson went back to the drawing board on the original recording and completed "Smile" the correct way. Nice easy listening from "Our Prayer/Gee" to the remake of "Good Vibrations". Note: on "Good Vibrations" That ending chorus of "om de om", was on the original 1966 master recording demo. Brian has faithfully put it back on this version of "Good Vibrations". I heard this chorus version of "Vibrations" on the "Good Vibrations" EP as I was shocked and just thought Brian added it recently in 2004. This cd is more like a journey of Brians artistic mind, and I was glad to take that journey. The literature booklet is full of information and song lyrics. "Smile" was conceived from the abandoned 1966-Smiley Smile/Wild Honey1967 "Smiley Smiles" sessions, 37 years in the making and finally completed and released in 2004. I did like some tracks from the original "Smiley Smile" but overall it was a disaster as Brians over endulgences and strife with the other Beach Boys got the better of him in the late 1960s. As the songs says "God Only Knows" what Brian could have accomplished during the post "Pet Sounds" era if not for bad habits. I'm glad you rerecorded "Smile" Brian, I beleive you did great work ressurecting this once abandoned project. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED LISTENING!!!!! WAY TO GO BRIAN!!!!!!!!

This is a cd that was promoted as the greatest album not released and THAT was the idea of a genius. The mystery...Everybody followed that.
I did follow that too, and now i have a cd that i like because of it's packaging.
that's why it has 2 stars. nice packaging huh? but i still feel that the music is silly. Sorry, i really respect Wilson, but this is a marketing masterpiece

I'm not necessarily a Beach Boys fan although I think Pet Sounds is a REALLY great album. I was kind of expecting more of something similar with Smile but that is not at all what's there. The album consists mostly of some really silly music -- silly lyrics, silly sound effects, it almost seems to be an intentional mockery of itself. Not only is all the silliness a distraction, but the underlying music isn't any good either.

A lot of people are writing comparing Smile to the Beatles's Sergent Peppers and that comparison is not without some merit. Personally, it sounds to more like their White Album. That is, a collection of somewhat interwoven songs all pushing the boundaries of what a pop song could and/or should be. I like both of those albums a good bit. I'll admit that upon reflection a lot of that Beatles material comes off as being silly too. It's just different with Smile though. While those Beatles albums sounded interesting, fresh and original, Smile, just sounds contrived.

Considering all the good press this album got when it came out, I am just plain stunned. I think many people were just so in love with the story of Brian and the album that they succumbed to a kind of mass mesmerization with regard to the music. Sadly, that music is just not worth a damn.

Phenomenal! For anyone who likes eclectic material, picture a Beach Boys version of Dark Side of the Moon and the trippiest of the Beatles material. Amazing! I can see where Mr. Bungle got some of an influence, too.

Very possibly the worst CD I have ever heard in my life. I could barely FORCE myself to listen until the last song was blissfully over.

This is not music. It is stupid noise!!

For all you geeks out there, the answwer is simple. If you're a fan of the Beach Boys, you probably have finished versions of the key songs on this album. If you have a sound editing program, you can mix the old songs with the new. The keys and tempos are identical. I did it, and it sounds amazing. Brian's voice from the 60's is angelic, and combined with the new musicians, it's magic. So if you're so lnclined, give it a try, SMiLE will sound as fresh as if it were recorded yesterday.

Finding this fascinating album is like digging up buried treasure. A free-form cycle of song fragments in diverse styles woven into three extended suites held together with numerous recurring themes. A sophisticated melange implausibly constructed from sounds emanating from the realm of surfboards and hot rods. If Smile had been released in 1967, it would have revolutionized popular music. The era was just waiting for something like this, and even given the ensuing era of prog-rock, it is remarkable how little there is to compare this album with. Unfortunate though it may be that this music missed its moment, those with a sympathetic ear for 1960s rock will be glad to have this. The complex vocal arrangements are one of the album's strong points. Brian Wilson would make a great madrigalist.

One would rarely put Brian Wilson or the Beach Boys in the same rock sub-category as The Moody Blues, King Crimson, Pink Floyd, Supertramp, or The Velvet Underground, but Wilson is attempting their type of avant-garde thematic album with "Smile." It's not that he's trying to sound like any of those bands -- he's not -- any more than he was trying to sound like the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper." But in "Smile" you do not get the usual collection of individual songs, you get one overall storyline where each song is part of a bigger show -- like an opera made up of several arias that collectively tell one tale.

Does it work? Well, yes...and no.

It does work in that it captures a range of varied elements of American life and history, flowing them into an artistic interpretation of a moment in time (circa 1966) in America. It is musically fresh and somewhat twisted even today. It's fun and involving, if you think of it as one scene-by-scene show, and if you stay with it throughout. In that sense, it's like Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" -- one overall story as an album, but with individual songs that stand out due to their air play.

What doesn't work, however, begins with the fact that few people go into "Smile" understanding the above -- that it is one thematic story. They don't know this because (a) no one told them when the CD was finally released, (b) they are not accustomed to hearing that from the Beach Boys or Wilson, and (c) the art/prog rock era faded a long time ago, so who would expect that?

The other key problem is that most people already know "Heroes and Villains," "Good Vibrations," and, to a lesser extent, "Vega-tables" from years ago. Thus, because they learned them as individual songs, outside the context of "Smile," it's difficult to hear them as part of the "Smile" storyline. Add to that the fact that Parks' lyrics ARE a bit nonsensical in places and it can also be hard to follow the story, even with the lyric book in front of you. Also, of course, given it's linear story progression, it you listen to it with your CD or mp3 player on shuffle, it'll NEVER make any sense.

So is "Smile" a great album? As a thematic presentation -- a show -- yes. As a launching point for great individual songs? Not so much. It seems as though the best songs are the ones I already know, although I'm willing to listen several more times in the hope that others grow on me. I do enjoy the twists and turns the journey takes me on, but it's hard to have the time these days to take that journey all at once.

Also, it's easier for me to call it "great" if I mentally go back to when it SHOULD have been released -- before Sgt. Pepper, before Dark Side, before any of Supertramp or ELO's thematic albums, etc. In that mindset, I can see it as a great musical experiment that would have confused many, but would also have put the Beach Boys a notch above their usual "surf music" descriptor among critics.

All in all, I do recommend the album. At the very least, you've got to hear it because the existence of "Smile" was such a part of Wilson's "will he or won't he" rock heritage for so long that if you consider yourself a rock music fan, you've got to discover what all the fuss was about. Just give it the chance it deserves.

"Smile" bothers me. It bothered me back in 1967 when I started reading ads in the music journals about it's impending release. Here are some ideas to share with you about why I am, and was, bothered by this project.

Many fans of the Beach Boys complain loudly about Mike Love not liking the "Smile" project. He didn't appreciate some of the way-out music or the obtuse lyrics. I used to think Mike was a "neanderthal" who didn't appreciate the "genius" of Brian Wilson. My opinion has changed. I think Mike's opinion had validity, as a "Beach Boy" opinion of a Brian Wilson project.

If you compare what the Beatles were doing at this time ("Sgt. Pepper") with what the Beach Boys were doing you will see some interesting contrasts. All four Beatles were actively involved in the writing/arranging/recording of "Pepper." Brian Wilson was the only Beach Boy actively involved in the writing/arranging/recording of "Smile." In 1967 the Beatles had stopped touring and had no plan to ever perform the songs from "Pepper" on stage. The Beach Boys were still an active touring band in 1967. When Mike Love heard the tracks for "Smile" I'm sure he was thinking- "How are we ever going to perform any of these songs live? Brian spends all of his time in the studio while we're out busting our butts on the road. We come back to the studio to overdub vocals on top of instrumental tracks with every conceivable instrument under the sun! I'm singing lyrics that are nonsense to me!"

The delay of the release of "Smile" didn't help the Beach Boys' career. They were riding high with the release of "Good Vibrations" in late 1966. Their label, Capitol Records, and their many fans were anxious to hear an album. The release kept getting pushed back and the recording sessions kept dragging on and on.

"Smile" would probably have worked better as a Brian Wilson "solo" album back in 1967 with Brian handling all the vocals. I think his impulse to "beat" the Beatles in the recording studio alienated him from many members of his band. The Beach Boys were never the same after the demise of the "Smile" project. Of course, had the other Beach Boys been more actively involved in this project, it may never have gotten off the ground. Perhaps it's not such a great idea to have a band so dependent on the muse of one individual member.

As a long time Beach Boys fan who is in his 50's, I was rooting for Brian Wilson to pull this off. Unfortunately, this is a very mediocre album and in places really grates on me. My wife made me take it out of the player in the car. "Good Vibrations" and "Heroes and Villains" realize the potential of the 60's versions and shine as the albums best cuts. Most of the rest of the album is unlistenable. It is Pet Sounds progressing to the next level (not a good thing) and almost sounds like a Pink Floyd "Dark Side of the Moon" wanna be, only 35 years too late, and not as listenable.

This is just a big, fat, pretentious bunch of bits and pieces. There are only 3 "hummable" songs on it, and I already have two. Brian Wilson is/was a master, no doubt. But this is not a good example. I'll take the recording Holland (my favorite) anytime. The Beach Boys sum is definitely better than the sum of any of its parts. Too bad they can't get back together.

One day a dear friend of mine came home and in his trusty back-pack he brought a copy of a new cd he had downloaded and burnt in his computer. It was called 'Smile' and he went on with the story we have all heard about Wilson's lost album. I kept it and never gave it back (or maybe he gave it to me as he would often do). Being a fan of the beach boys and of 60s and 70s rock i loved every minute of my 'un-official' copy of SMILE. So when i saw this i bought it thinking ths was a 'remake' with the old tapes. Not so. This is a brand new recording with Wilson being (i think) the only original member from the earlier tapes. And it needs to be said, this is one tremendous piece of work. But i much prefer the original 60s sound. How can you reproduce the sound of a recording like 'Good Vibrations' the SMILE version?!? Good luck with that one!...But it's an ear-candy...nice to hear the new Smile album with 21st century recording quality anyways...

_Smile_ was a revelation when it came out in incomplete form in 1967, especially "Good Vibrations," which remains and always will remain as a cornerstone of innovative form and overwhelming feeling in pop music (with this song the Beach Boys put psychedelic pop AND hard rock on the map for good; seriously, listen to the cello outro at the end and tell me that Deep Purple and Zeppelin didn't base their entire careers on this repetitive and still consciousness-expanding riff). This album was a five then. Brian Wilson's redux is a six; the only albums I can compare it to as far as providing the entire package and so much more are _Sgt. Peppers_, Patti Smith's _Horses_, SY's _Daydream Nation_, Radiohead's _Kid A_, Wilco's _Yankee Hotel Foxtrot_, and Mars Volta's _De-loused at the Comatorium_.

And like these, this album frustrates those who want "Good Vibrations" over and over. This is not "Little Deuce Coupe" Beach Boys beyond the fun harmonies. This is orchestral pop that veers all over the place, a classical masterpiece from an emotional genius with no classical training. Which is why it is still rock and roll. I defy you to put this on after a hard day at the office or wherever you spend your time and not feel your preoccupations slip away after the opening vocals of "Our Prayer." Then you should be absorbed by the strange and infectious concoction that is "Heroes and Villains." With "Roll Plymouth Rock" you should be singing along for the rest of the album (after you memorize every single note, that is). Once your sing-along starts it's more or less an hour of chills and ineffable emotions. Not exactly the sensation of hearing a Beethoven symphony (considering Beethoven's music is wordless), but as completely engrossing and oblivion-inspiring. And that, in a nutshell is the purpose of good music: to get you out of the every-day and into infinity. _SMiLE_ does this every time.

What makes this better than the original are the greatly increased production values, the laser focus of Wilson here, the complete orchestra, and the missing pieces of the puzzle. The highlight amongst these missing pieces, in my opinion, is "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow," which I am skeptical was actually in the works in 1967, unless it was on a subsconscious level in Brian's admittedly fertile mindscape. This sounds like grunge with the bells and whistles of a fully-outfitted symphony hall. Nevertheless, it puts an appropriately distracting spin on this already consistently distracted sound-palette, which before this point has stuck to more typical 1960s tropes.

Brian is back to this with "In Blue Hawaii," with the appropriately discombobulated segue that begins with "Is it hot as hell in here/ or is it me?/ It really is a mystery" and then into a Lord's Prayer allusion. After all the echoes and low "wah-wah" harmonies, we are back to the familiar lyrical and musical Maui fantasy. "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow" has brought us through the hell of manic depression and we have arrived in heaven: being poured a "holy holy cow" at a luau. As elusive as this alcohol-inspired holy of holies might have proven for Wilson, we are back at the beginning of "SMiLE" within a few seconds of "Our Prayer" before we arrive at what must certainly be the theme song of nirvana. You have to be one pretty uptight mofo to not be singing along and playing air drums on this faithful yet vastly improved rendition of the original classic. "I don't know where,/ but you take me there." Indeed, Brian that is what you do for a legion of rightfully adoring throngs. I click my Mai Tai with yours at the incomparably varied, rich, and ingeniously-realized party that goes on forever thanks to your unswerving vision that refused to wane even after thirty-seven years away from your unfinished masterpiece. Cheers!!!

The Beach Boys / Brian Wilson have been on my list to `check out' for a couple of years now. Born in the 70's, I missed the boat the first time around but with time now and the desire to explore our musical past I picked up `Pet Sounds' last month and then started listening to `SMiLE' last week. What a time I've been having with this `new' (to me ) music!
The music speaks for itself. I've heard it referred to as "Musicians' music" which seems to be true. You will be astounded by the number influential sounds and techniques the original album spawned (Beatles anyone?). Gorgeous music. Like most great albums, this one takes several listens to get into but once you understand you are hooked! Musical themes and lyrics blend together from song to song/ scene to scene in such beautiful ways. My favorite passage is from the start of `Wonderful' through `Surf's Up', including the whole `Child is the Father of Man' segment which is absolutely breathtaking.
If you are interested in a religious-type musical experience from an album that will SO obviously stand the test of time, pick up `SMiLE', learn the songs, then let them work on you. It's like being in love. Thank you Brian!!

Please, please, everyone listen to this album. It makes me feel happy and at peace.

Smile sounds like music of the 1960s, and the harmonies, instrumentation and Phil Spectorish production seem dated. There is brilliant material here, but the world has moved on.

Eight of the tracks have appeared on other albums, including: Wind Chimes, Wonderful, Vegetables, Heroes and Villains, Good Vibrations, Cabin Essence, Our Prayer and Surf's Up. One could argue that the best songs had already been released. I must confess Surf's Up remains one of my favorite songs.

It's nice to listen to, but it's almost as if time has stood still since 1967.

I got this album for my mom Christmas a year or so ago, she was a Beach Boys fan, and I didn't know much about the Beach Boys at the time. They did all that surfing music and stuff, and I had a couple of their songs, I had heard of Pet Sounds, my mom had Pet Sounds and that was about it. Not much. Knowing what I know now, I should have never bought her SMiLE. She only liked their hits, and not any of their good stuff. She though Pet Sounds was "all right", mom code for she really didn't like it, but I do if you do. She hated SMiLE. She called it "weird" and "bad" and she gave it to me. I gave a listen to the alternate version of Good Vibrations, and tossed in a pile of other CD's.
Fast foward a year and a half, I decide on a whim to burn Pet Sounds to the compy and throw it on my iPod. I paid no attention for a few weeks to it, then I gave it a chance. It hit me like a sack of bricks. This was the greatest album of all time. I love Pet Sounds. I still listen to it once a day at least. I remember SMiLE, and burn it to my iPod again, figuring if Pet Sounds was this good, SMiLE must be fantastic!
It's not. It's a damn good record, don't get me wrong. It's pretty good. I was just so blown away by the first track that the rest of the album dissapointed me. I make it to around Cabin Essence and skipping to Surf's Up and Vega-Tables, and turning it off. Why? I don't know. I just can't get into it. Believe me I tried. But is this the greatest album of all time? This is what some people have waited 30 years for? This is what some people have dedicated their lives too? I don't get it.
That being said, let's answer some questions:

Is it Pet Sounds?
No.

Is it Sgt. Pepper?
No

Well then what is it?!?!?!?
It's SMiLE. Dig it. It's not the best album ever made. It won't be. It should've been.

Would it be better if it had been released in '67?
I gotta say..........yeah. I think so. A reputation builds with time. My dad hated the album Ziggy Stardust when he first heard it. He had to listen to it 5 times. Now he loves it. I listened to it one time, and I was floored. Maybe in 20 years this will be great. I don't know. What's most distracting to me is the vocals. That's not Brian Wilson's voice. It's the voice of a drug addict who barely made it out of the '60's alive. If it had been released 30-some odd years ago with the vocals of the Wilson bros., Mike Love, and Al Jardine, it might've been great. But it's not. That being said, you may love SMiLE. I'd recommend a borrowing from a friend, or downloading a few tracks. It's worth listening to at least once. That's my two cents.

Smile, as reconstructed here, is hardly the masterpiece that we expected. Aside from the brilliant "Good Vibrations" and "Heroes and Willains," there is a lot of fluff here. Childish nursery style melodies that aren't complete songs, pointless or pretentious lyrics, silly junk such as Mr's. O'Leary's Cow, etc. A disappointment.