Well this is simply fantastic. This set placed at #381 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and if it had been properly completed and released in 1967, it might have cracked the top ten. It's that good. And we missed out for more than 30 years. I wouldn't be going out on a limb to call it a masterpiece, even in this rough cut. As the Billboard review correctly notes "It's a consistently brilliant album."
If you go in with the mindset that the discs are full of unfinished song fragments/modules, you'll be better off. The modular approach also provides a convenient excuse not to listen this thing as often as I should, unfortunately.
Heck, the vocal harmonies along are worth the price of admission. Yeah, it's unfinished but I've never heard anything like it and I probably never will.
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| Billboard, October 29, 2011, p. 40 |
The compilation was made available as a single CD, a deluxe 2-CD package, as well as a limited edition deluxe box set composed of 5 CDs, 2 LPs, 2 7" vinyl singles, a poster, and a 60-page booklet that features high quality photographs, essays and recording sessionography. While all the contents of the box set are in English, my promo sticker on the front was printed in French:
I cheated my way through two years of high school French over 35 years ago, so allow me to translate (accuracy not guaranteed): The most anticipated album in the history of rock. Contains the whole SMiLE album + 1967 sessions + a 36 page booklet with text by Brian Wilson + a poster and a SMiLE badge.
The set is beautiful - 2 discs, a poster, liner note booklet, and a pinback. The first disc has the Smile album and other session materials. Disc 2 is all session outtakes. The 5 CD package won the Grammy Award for Best Historical Album. Update: In its 2020 list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, Rolling Stone ranked Smile at #399.
Headphones, closed eyes, and high volume recommended.
Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #27
Tracks: It's difficult to pick favorites, but here goes: Our Prayer, Heroes And Villains, Wonderful, what I'll call the "Surf's Up Suite" (tracks 10-12), and when the all-too-familiar Good Vibrations finally comes around at track 19 (admittedly a slightly different version), you fall into that goodness like it's your own bed after a two-week vacation.
Bonus tracks: the tunes Heroes And Villains and Surf's Up get a lot of attention here (9 of 21 bonus tracks) plus a fair share of demos and session snippets - the same vibe as a lot of the Beatles Anthology discs. I dig track 25 & 26, the simply titled Smile Backing Vocals Montage and a 1967 piano/vocal version of Surf's Up. But they're really just interesting curiosities featuring amazing performances.
Not worth my time is the silly, attempt at (improv?) sketch comedy Brian Falls Into A Piano.
As mentioned above, the second disc consists of session outtakes (it's titled The SMiLE Sessions for good reason) and is only of occasional interest to these ears. I'll admit to getting a kick from hearing the Boys say things between takes like "Danny, do you have any hash joints left? I know you do." or "Do you guys feel any acid yet?"
Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None
Previously revisited for the blog:
That's Why God Made The Radio (2012)
20 Good Vibrations: The Greatest Hits (1995)
Pet Sounds (1966)
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