Product Description

30 years in the making, this is the Beach Boys' legendary "lost" album, originally planned for release after their classic 'Pet Sounds' but scrapped amidst inter-band wrangling and frontman Wilson's deteriorating mental state. Now re-recorded note for note by Wilson with the aid of 21st Century studio technology, this is a glorious Technicolor epic and a worthy addition to the Beach Boys' canon.

Track Listing

1. Our Prayer
2. Heroes and Villains
3. Roll Plymouth Rock
4. Barnyard
5. Old Master Painter / You Are My Sunshine
6. Cabin Essence
7. Wonderful
8. Song for Children
9. Child Is Father of the Man
10. Surf's Up
11. I'm In Great Shape
12. Workshop
13. Vega-Tables
14. On a Holiday
15. Wind Chimes
16. Mrs. O'Leary's Cow
17. In Blue Hawaii
18. Good Vibrations

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #21639 in Music
• Released on: 2004-09-27
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
There should be fanfares. Every contributor to pop's legacy should respectfully bow down in silent thanks that Smile has finally been officially released. It may not be the original album (the tragic deaths of Carl and Dennis Wilson, and perpetual legal wrangles ensure The Beach Boys remain steadfastly estranged from this re-recording, and each other), but that won't matter to fans who devoured bootlegs, worshipped the recycled Smile songs that appeared on later albums and obsessed over literature such as "Look! Listen! Smile! Vibrate!" or Andrew Doe and John Tobler's Definitive Beach Boys guide.

Imagine waiting 37 years for a train to the best theme park in the world. Finally, there you are, and despite the paint job, it still doesn't fail to delight. Well, that's what it is to listen to Smile. The ideas may seem far-out initially, but they soon reveal themselves as pop-art at its absolute zenith. Who can argue with the sublime "Cabinessence"? The majesty of "Surf's Up"? And (least of all) the jewel in the crown of pop music "Good Vibrations"? Modern music may have caught up, but Smile's joyous trundle through Americana will leave mouths open wide in wonder. The gripes over the absence of Beach Boy vocals, (particularly Carl Wilson and Mike Love) may be valid, but Wilson's band are respectful imitators, and this is the best Brian's sounded in years--his world-weary, poignant voice conveys Van Dyke Parks' impressionistic lyrics more maturely than his younger self.

It's impossible to give a definitive opinion, because it's something that everyone needs to hear, history or no history, and though it may not quite satisfy 37 years worth of anticipation, or stand up to the original version (this version shows Brian was so, so close to originally finishing it), it's unquestionably the album of the decade. --Thom Allott

Album Description
Smile is inarguably the most long awaited album in modern pop history. It's been more than 37 years since the title first appeared on a label release schedule, intended as the January, 1967 follow-up to the groundbreaking art-rock of the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. But Smile never made its initial release date. Today, this album is not a mere reconstruction of past performances, but something entirely new, a serious summation of a project that has been gestating for nearly four decades.

Customer Reviews

Just Perfect
This Is my Fave album ever!
Everthing about it is perfect.
If you dont own it i swill tell you to buy it.
It's different and very very open minded.
Brian Wilson is a ledgend!
But this is the masterpiece of his life.
It's worth every year of waiting for this album to come out.
Personally Vegetables is my fave track!
It's the only album i own that i dont want to skip a track!
I just Love it.
10/10

Only 38 years to make and worth the wait, but the live DVD is even better!!!
When the original project was aborted in 1967, only 'Heroes and Villains' and 'Good Vibrations' really saw the light of day.

The completed album in 2004, was by Brian Wilson and his own band, which was appropriate in many ways, as the rest of the Beach Boys were unhappy with much of the material.

The key to all this is knowing what to expect. Those who do will not be disappointed. Live performances of this, to promote the album, were sold out for nearly 18 months. It is my opinion that fans are better off with the live SMILE DVD.

Experts rated the live DVD performance as the 5th greatest concert of all time, and the exact same material is covered.

Let it Be
I think this is the first review I've written on here for a piece of music. I am not sure really how valuable such reviews are because music is such a personal preference. I have seen some of the albums I adore absolutely dissed on these forums, proof that we're all different. And that's surely a good thing.

But the fact that I am writing a review despite these reservations is a reflection on how strongly I feel about this CD.

For me, a piece of music is the sum of many things: the singer; the song; the performance; and the era it encapsulates. I really don't think you can take a piece of 60s psychodelia, tart it up, and release it as performed by only one of the original line up, and expect it to stand up in the 00s. It bears as much resemblance to the original concept as those 'Top of the Pops' albums we used to get in the 70s (cover versions of chart hits done on the cheap by session musicians). It isn't the real thing anymore.

Imagine Paul McCartney releasing today a freshly recorded version of Abbey Road, with the other parts played by session artists. It would be of interest to die-hard fans, but that's about it.

I really like Smiley-Smile and Surf's Up, but I am going to be selling on my copy of this Smile CD - something I seldom do.