.gif)
Smile (Brian Wilson album)
Encyclopedia
Smile, sometimes typeset with the idiosyncratic partial capitalization SMiLE, or referred to as Brian Wilson Presents Smile is a solo album by Brian Wilson
, with lyrics by Van Dyke Parks
released on September 28, 2004 on CD and two-disc vinyl LP. Wilson, Parks and Darian Sahanaja
completed the legendary unfinished album project, started in 1966 for Wilson's former band, The Beach Boys
. It was released in September 2004 with back-up from members of his touring band, including three members of Wondermints.
, and based on the recording mode of their single "Good Vibrations
". The original artwork and cover design was done by Frank J. Holmes.
It is a long-known fact that a combination of resistance from the other members of the band (especially Mike Love
) and Capitol Records
, technical recording difficulties (as many of Brian's ideas were so inventive and new that the technology hadn't been created yet to record his true vision), Brian's growing dissatisfaction (and increasing paranoia) with the project itself, led to the collapse of its sessions and his mental breakdown into severe depression, which went unchecked for decades.
Remnant recordings from the 1966-67 sessions have since surfaced on the occasional bootleg recordings and official Beach Boys greatest hits and rarities compilations, but only very few recordings were completed by the band and released on other albums between 1967 and 1971.
The album was conceived as a musical journey across America from east to west, beginning at Plymouth Rock and ending in Hawaii, as well as traversing some of the great themes of American history and culture, including the impact of white settlement on Native Americans, the influence of the Spanish, the Wild West, and the opening up of the country by railroad and motorway. It seems chronological, moving from early America through the Victorian era and ending with the 1960s drug culture ("Mrs O'Leary's Cow") and the Hawaii of "In Blue Hawaii" which, in terms of American statehood (since 1959), was still a very new state when the album was still just a project.
The first section represents early Americana, from Plymouth Rock to the Old West, farmlands, the building of the railroad and new housing - it begins with "Our Prayer
" which is coupled with a 1950s doo-wop song "Gee", including the lyrics "how I love my girl." This segues into "Heroes and Villains
" which was conceived as the cornerstone of the entire album. The lyric "My children were raised, you know they suddenly rise, they started slow long ago, head to toe, healthy, wealthy and wise" ties in with the childhood/fatherhood theme of the second suite. "Roll Plymouth Rock
" partly reprises the "Heroes and Villains" theme and features lyrics in Hawaiian, a theme that is returned to in the third suite. The easy-going "Barnyard" features band members mimicking farmyard animals. The clanging sound of metal evident on "Cabin Essence" is echoed in "Workshop" in the third suite.
Some of the themes of the second section are childhood and fatherhood, and it features some music box-style melodies. Of this section the most obvious is "Surf's Up
," which has arcane, mysterious lyrics and considerable wordplay, which could represent youth slowly approaching adulthood, with all of their enthusiasms and eagerness.
The third section represents "The Elements Suite" that Brian had also mentioned. It begins with the partly waltz-like "I'm In Great Shape", which then features an upbeat vocal and gradually grows darker, which is reminiscent of the kind of score that would be used at moments of growing tension or drama in cartoons, such as those by Disney. Lyricist Parks has said that Brian has a "cartoon consciousness." "I Wanna Be Around" suggests the literal physical repair of a broken heart. "Vega-Tables" epitomizes an interest in health and fitness that Brian had at the time. The song, like several on the album, has a carefree, humorous quality. "Vega-Tables" also represents the 'Earth' theme of "The Elements", which is part of the third suite. "On A Holiday", originally an instrumental, has a reprise of the "Roll Plymouth Rock" lyric and a distinctly jaunty pirate theme with some nursery rhyme-style lyrics such as "And isn't that a moon for a milky way?" The song segues into "Wind Chimes," the "Air" part of the "Elements" with the line "Whisperin' winds send my wind chimes a-tinklin." This is followed by the "Fire" element, the Grammy-award winning "Mrs O'Leary's Cow", which has an almost ghost train/fun house kind of sound. The song is regarded as something of an expression of Brian use of psychedelic drugs at the time and the title refers to the suspected cause of the Great Chicago Fire
, a cow that knocked over a lantern. The following song, "In Blue Hawaii" (the "Water" element), also makes reference to a cow, "Wholly Holy Cow!" The song acts as a soothing solution to the intense heat of the previous song: "I could really use a drop to drink, somewhere in a placid pool and sink."
The album's final track, the magnum opus "Good Vibrations
" (which has been described as a "pocket symphony"), is undoubtedly the best known song on the album. However the SMiLE version was recorded with the original lyrics penned by "Pet Sounds" lyricist Tony Asher
, rather than the later lyrics that appeared on the "Beach Boys" single, written by Mike Love
. It also includes the previously excluded "Humm-Be-Numm" harmony section prior to the final refrain. "Good Vibrations" broadly goes through three distinct phases, as the album does, and makes full use of sounds from an Electro-Theremin
, which until 1967 had only previously been used mainly in horror films.
In subsequent interviews to promote the album, Brian has concentrated on the happy, humorous qualities of the music, which are evident. However, there is also a clear sense of melancholy in his voice and throughout the album, especially on "Old Master Painter"/"You Are My Sunshine" and "Surf's Up." The lyrics to "You Are My Sunshine" have been altered to past tense, adding a reflective somberness. The intensity of the chorus on "Cabin Essence" and of "Mrs O'Leary's Cow" show that the humor had become entwined with a dark, powerful, intensity, especially as evidenced by the famous stories surrounding the original creation of the abandoned 1960s album such as Brian Wilson's belief that he had caused a nearby building to burn down because he had created the 'Fire' instrumentation, which was recrecorded as 'Mrs O'Learys Cow' on the 2004 Smile album. Another famous story is that he sat in a sand pit to gain inspiration.
After many years of being asked about possibly completing the album (or even performing any of the songs from it) to mostly negative responses, Brian began to perform a few songs solo at his home studio. He decided in late 2003 to not only revisit and complete the entire album (from mostly memory), he shocked many of his peers and even his bandmates by deciding to perform it live in concert. The new version of the album and its performance was made whole by the addition of either lost or newly composed lyrics by Parks that filled the gaps left open by the original 1966-67 Beach Boys sessions.
A live performance of the newly-completed version of the album was performed by Brian along with his backing band, which included former Beach Boys guitarist Jeff Foskett
, members of The Wondermints
and percussionist Nelson Bragg, in a live performance at the Royal Festival Hall
in London
on February 20, 2004, 37 years after it was conceived. Among the people in attendance that first night was Beatles producer George Martin
and Beatle Paul McCartney
. It was received with a standing ovation that lasted almost 5 minutes and Brian then invited a tearful lyricist Parks onstage. This show was followed by subsequent performances elsewhere in Britain.
As a majority of the original master tapes were only one- and two-minute fragments, Brian decided to re-record the entire album from scratch, but using the original scoring, which still gave it that "Beach Boys" sound. Recording of the new version began in April 2004 with his ten-piece touring band, augmented by a ten-piece string section and an acoustic bassist. The basic tracks were taped at Sunset Sound in just four days, with overdubbing and mixing continuing through April, May, and June.
's estimations of various critics reviews. For the new version Brian, Wondermints leader Darian Sahanaja, woodwind player/string arranger Paul Mertens, and lyricist Parks based their arrangements on the original, unreleased Beach Boys tapes to give it a coherent and fresh, updated sound. Although originally Brian included the song "Good Vibrations" on the original album's track listing at Capitol Record's insistence, a new version of the song featuring "Pet Sounds" collaborator Tony Asher's original lyrics were used rather than the later Mike Love lyrics as the closing track of the album.
The "new" album was followed by two U.S. tours, with its featured stop in New York
's Carnegie Hall
; a combination of the two shows were broadcasted on NPR
's Creators at Carnegie series. The concert series also went to Australia
and New Zealand
, as well as many countries throughout Europe.
The Showtime cable network
released a documentary
film about the history of and the re-creation of the album known as Beautiful Dreamer: Brian Wilson and the Story of Smile in the fall of 2004. A DVD of a live version of the new Smile (shot in an L.A.
studio) was released in May 2005, which also features the documentary as an extra.
and Van Dyke Parks
, except where noted.
Bonus tracks
The first of these tracks appeared on the second-edition CD release of Smile; all of them constitute side four of the vinyl release.
, making it tied as the fourth highest rated album on the website, behind Pinkerton
by Weezer
, London Calling
by The Clash
and Exile On Main Street by The Rolling Stones
.
Rolling Stone
gave the album five out of five and said, "Smile is beautiful and funny, goofily grand." Robert Christgau
, who was skeptical of the album back in the '60s, was also impressed: "I considered the legend of Smile hot air back then, this re-creation proves he had plenty more to make of it." Cokemachineglow writer Scott Reid praised the album for surpassing hype, "Defying most all fan fears, not to mention several laws of logic and nature, SMiLE has arrived as incredible and ground-breaking a record as any of us could have hoped." Pitchfork Media
awarded the album 9.0 out of 10 and later named it fifth best album of 2004 and the 25th best album released between 2000 and 2004. John Bush of Allmusic commented that Smile was "a remarkably unified, irresistible piece of pop music", yet decreed that it was "no musical watershed on par with Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
or Wilson's masterpiece, Pet Sounds".
The album also received multiple nominations for the 2004 Grammy Awards, including Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
(for Mark Linett). The album won one Grammy, in the category of Best Rock Instrumental Performance (for "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow," the same track which had caused Wilson such mental anguish at the end of the original recording sessions).
In December 2009, Rolling Stone
placed Smile at number 88 on their list of the decade's 100 best albums.
One person not pleased with the ultimate release of Smile was Beach Boy Mike Love
, who sued Brian Wilson in 2005 over it, claiming that Wilson's re-recording of songs originally recorded by the Beach Boys caused millions of dollars in damages to a partnership between himself and Wilson. However, Love's lawsuit was thrown out of court in 2007 by a federal judge, who determined that no such partnership existed between Love and Wilson at the time of the re-recordings and that none had existed for decades.
Brian Wilson Band
Stockholm Strings 'n' Horns
other musician
Brian Wilson
Brian Douglas Wilson is an American musician, best known as the leader and chief songwriter of the group The Beach Boys. Within the band, Wilson played bass and keyboards, also providing part-time lead vocals and, more often, backing vocals, harmonizing in falsetto with the group...
, with lyrics by Van Dyke Parks
Van Dyke Parks
Van Dyke Parks is an American composer, arranger, producer, musician, singer, author and actor. Parks is perhaps best known for his contributions as a lyricist on the Beach Boys album Smile....
released on September 28, 2004 on CD and two-disc vinyl LP. Wilson, Parks and Darian Sahanaja
Darian Sahanaja
Darian Sahanaja is a singer, songwriter, and is currently playing in the Brian Wilson band with The Wondermints. He has also collaborated with numerous other artists in the genre of orchestral/underground pop, including Baby Lemonade, Wonderboy, Aimee Mann, Now People, Lisa Mychols and Donna Summer...
completed the legendary unfinished album project, started in 1966 for Wilson's former band, The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
. It was released in September 2004 with back-up from members of his touring band, including three members of Wondermints.
History
Work on what would have been the original Beach Boys version of Smile began in 1966, following the release of their album Pet SoundsPet Sounds
Pet Sounds is the eleventh studio album by the American rock band The Beach Boys, released May 16, 1966, on Capitol Records. It has since been recognized as one of the most influential records in the history of popular music and one of the best albums of the 1960s, including songs such as "Wouldn't...
, and based on the recording mode of their single "Good Vibrations
Good Vibrations
"Good Vibrations" is a song by American rock band The Beach Boys. Composed and produced by Brian Wilson, the song's lyrics were written by Wilson and Mike Love....
". The original artwork and cover design was done by Frank J. Holmes.
It is a long-known fact that a combination of resistance from the other members of the band (especially Mike Love
Mike Love
Michael Edward "Mike" Love is an American singer/songwriter and musician with The Beach Boys. He was a founding member of the band along with his cousins Brian, Carl, and Dennis Wilson, and their friend Al Jardine, and continues to perform with the band to the present day...
) and Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
, technical recording difficulties (as many of Brian's ideas were so inventive and new that the technology hadn't been created yet to record his true vision), Brian's growing dissatisfaction (and increasing paranoia) with the project itself, led to the collapse of its sessions and his mental breakdown into severe depression, which went unchecked for decades.
Remnant recordings from the 1966-67 sessions have since surfaced on the occasional bootleg recordings and official Beach Boys greatest hits and rarities compilations, but only very few recordings were completed by the band and released on other albums between 1967 and 1971.
Theme of the album
In interviews the album has been called by Brian a "teenage symphony to God," and is in the form of three suites.The album was conceived as a musical journey across America from east to west, beginning at Plymouth Rock and ending in Hawaii, as well as traversing some of the great themes of American history and culture, including the impact of white settlement on Native Americans, the influence of the Spanish, the Wild West, and the opening up of the country by railroad and motorway. It seems chronological, moving from early America through the Victorian era and ending with the 1960s drug culture ("Mrs O'Leary's Cow") and the Hawaii of "In Blue Hawaii" which, in terms of American statehood (since 1959), was still a very new state when the album was still just a project.
The first section represents early Americana, from Plymouth Rock to the Old West, farmlands, the building of the railroad and new housing - it begins with "Our Prayer
Our Prayer
"Our Prayer" is a song written by Brian Wilson for the American rock band The Beach Boys. It was released on their 1969 album 20/20 and was produced by The Beach Boys. The main vocals were recorded on October 4, 1966 with the additional vocals being recorded at Capitol Records Studios in Fall, 1968...
" which is coupled with a 1950s doo-wop song "Gee", including the lyrics "how I love my girl." This segues into "Heroes and Villains
Heroes and Villains
"Heroes and Villains" is a song by the American rock band The Beach Boys, co-written by the group's leader Brian Wilson and lyricist Van Dyke Parks. Originally intended by Wilson to be the centerpiece of the ambitious but shelved album Smile, a re-recorded version of the song was released on Smiley...
" which was conceived as the cornerstone of the entire album. The lyric "My children were raised, you know they suddenly rise, they started slow long ago, head to toe, healthy, wealthy and wise" ties in with the childhood/fatherhood theme of the second suite. "Roll Plymouth Rock
Roll Plymouth Rock
"Roll Plymouth Rock" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks in 1966 for the unreleased Beach Boys album Smile. The song is based on the incomplete Beach Boys recording "Do You Like Worms?" which was first published on Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of The Beach Boys, a boxed set which...
" partly reprises the "Heroes and Villains" theme and features lyrics in Hawaiian, a theme that is returned to in the third suite. The easy-going "Barnyard" features band members mimicking farmyard animals. The clanging sound of metal evident on "Cabin Essence" is echoed in "Workshop" in the third suite.
Some of the themes of the second section are childhood and fatherhood, and it features some music box-style melodies. Of this section the most obvious is "Surf's Up
Surf's Up (song)
"Surf's Up" is the title of a song written by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks. The song was intended as one of the centrepieces for the aborted Beach Boys' album Smile, which was begun in late 1966 but shelved in mid-1967. It was reworked and used as the title track for the twenty-second official...
," which has arcane, mysterious lyrics and considerable wordplay, which could represent youth slowly approaching adulthood, with all of their enthusiasms and eagerness.
The third section represents "The Elements Suite" that Brian had also mentioned. It begins with the partly waltz-like "I'm In Great Shape", which then features an upbeat vocal and gradually grows darker, which is reminiscent of the kind of score that would be used at moments of growing tension or drama in cartoons, such as those by Disney. Lyricist Parks has said that Brian has a "cartoon consciousness." "I Wanna Be Around" suggests the literal physical repair of a broken heart. "Vega-Tables" epitomizes an interest in health and fitness that Brian had at the time. The song, like several on the album, has a carefree, humorous quality. "Vega-Tables" also represents the 'Earth' theme of "The Elements", which is part of the third suite. "On A Holiday", originally an instrumental, has a reprise of the "Roll Plymouth Rock" lyric and a distinctly jaunty pirate theme with some nursery rhyme-style lyrics such as "And isn't that a moon for a milky way?" The song segues into "Wind Chimes," the "Air" part of the "Elements" with the line "Whisperin' winds send my wind chimes a-tinklin." This is followed by the "Fire" element, the Grammy-award winning "Mrs O'Leary's Cow", which has an almost ghost train/fun house kind of sound. The song is regarded as something of an expression of Brian use of psychedelic drugs at the time and the title refers to the suspected cause of the Great Chicago Fire
Great Chicago Fire
The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned from Sunday, October 8, to early Tuesday, October 10, 1871, killing hundreds and destroying about in Chicago, Illinois. Though the fire was one of the largest U.S...
, a cow that knocked over a lantern. The following song, "In Blue Hawaii" (the "Water" element), also makes reference to a cow, "Wholly Holy Cow!" The song acts as a soothing solution to the intense heat of the previous song: "I could really use a drop to drink, somewhere in a placid pool and sink."
The album's final track, the magnum opus "Good Vibrations
Good Vibrations
"Good Vibrations" is a song by American rock band The Beach Boys. Composed and produced by Brian Wilson, the song's lyrics were written by Wilson and Mike Love....
" (which has been described as a "pocket symphony"), is undoubtedly the best known song on the album. However the SMiLE version was recorded with the original lyrics penned by "Pet Sounds" lyricist Tony Asher
Tony Asher
Tony Asher is an American lyricist who co-wrote much of The Beach Boys 1966 album Pet Sounds in conjunction with front man Brian Wilson, including such classic songs as "God Only Knows" and "Wouldn't It Be Nice"...
, rather than the later lyrics that appeared on the "Beach Boys" single, written by Mike Love
Mike Love
Michael Edward "Mike" Love is an American singer/songwriter and musician with The Beach Boys. He was a founding member of the band along with his cousins Brian, Carl, and Dennis Wilson, and their friend Al Jardine, and continues to perform with the band to the present day...
. It also includes the previously excluded "Humm-Be-Numm" harmony section prior to the final refrain. "Good Vibrations" broadly goes through three distinct phases, as the album does, and makes full use of sounds from an Electro-Theremin
Electro-Theremin
The Electro-Theremin, often called the Tannerin, is an electronic musical instrument developed by trombonist Paul Tanner and amateur inventor Bob Whitsell in the late 1950s to produce a sound to mimic that of the theremin. The instrument features a tone and portamento similar to that of the...
, which until 1967 had only previously been used mainly in horror films.
In subsequent interviews to promote the album, Brian has concentrated on the happy, humorous qualities of the music, which are evident. However, there is also a clear sense of melancholy in his voice and throughout the album, especially on "Old Master Painter"/"You Are My Sunshine" and "Surf's Up." The lyrics to "You Are My Sunshine" have been altered to past tense, adding a reflective somberness. The intensity of the chorus on "Cabin Essence" and of "Mrs O'Leary's Cow" show that the humor had become entwined with a dark, powerful, intensity, especially as evidenced by the famous stories surrounding the original creation of the abandoned 1960s album such as Brian Wilson's belief that he had caused a nearby building to burn down because he had created the 'Fire' instrumentation, which was recrecorded as 'Mrs O'Learys Cow' on the 2004 Smile album. Another famous story is that he sat in a sand pit to gain inspiration.
Resurrection, performance, re-recording
As portrayed in the 2004 Showtime cable network released documentary film Beautiful Dreamer: Brian Wilson and the Story of Smile:After many years of being asked about possibly completing the album (or even performing any of the songs from it) to mostly negative responses, Brian began to perform a few songs solo at his home studio. He decided in late 2003 to not only revisit and complete the entire album (from mostly memory), he shocked many of his peers and even his bandmates by deciding to perform it live in concert. The new version of the album and its performance was made whole by the addition of either lost or newly composed lyrics by Parks that filled the gaps left open by the original 1966-67 Beach Boys sessions.
A live performance of the newly-completed version of the album was performed by Brian along with his backing band, which included former Beach Boys guitarist Jeff Foskett
Jeff Foskett
Jeffrey Foskett is a guitarist and singer best known for his work with Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys.Foskett originally came from San Jose, California, where in the early-1970s his first band was a surf group named "Cherry", after the Willow Glen area street on which he lived. He attended Willow...
, members of The Wondermints
The Wondermints
Wondermints is a band from Los Angeles, California, United States. The main members are Darian Sahanaja , Nick Walusko and Mike D'Amico...
and percussionist Nelson Bragg, in a live performance at the Royal Festival Hall
Royal Festival Hall
The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on February 20, 2004, 37 years after it was conceived. Among the people in attendance that first night was Beatles producer George Martin
George Martin
Sir George Henry Martin CBE is an English record producer, arranger, composer and musician. He is sometimes referred to as "the Fifth Beatle"— a title that he often describes as "nonsense," but the fact remains that he served as producer on all but one of The Beatles' original albums...
and Beatle Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
. It was received with a standing ovation that lasted almost 5 minutes and Brian then invited a tearful lyricist Parks onstage. This show was followed by subsequent performances elsewhere in Britain.
As a majority of the original master tapes were only one- and two-minute fragments, Brian decided to re-record the entire album from scratch, but using the original scoring, which still gave it that "Beach Boys" sound. Recording of the new version began in April 2004 with his ten-piece touring band, augmented by a ten-piece string section and an acoustic bassist. The basic tracks were taped at Sunset Sound in just four days, with overdubbing and mixing continuing through April, May, and June.
Releases on vinyl, CD and live DVD
On September 28, 2004, Brian Wilson released his newly recorded studio version to critical praise, and it is the greatest-scored album based on MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
's estimations of various critics reviews. For the new version Brian, Wondermints leader Darian Sahanaja, woodwind player/string arranger Paul Mertens, and lyricist Parks based their arrangements on the original, unreleased Beach Boys tapes to give it a coherent and fresh, updated sound. Although originally Brian included the song "Good Vibrations" on the original album's track listing at Capitol Record's insistence, a new version of the song featuring "Pet Sounds" collaborator Tony Asher's original lyrics were used rather than the later Mike Love lyrics as the closing track of the album.
The "new" album was followed by two U.S. tours, with its featured stop in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
's Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
; a combination of the two shows were broadcasted on NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
's Creators at Carnegie series. The concert series also went to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, as well as many countries throughout Europe.
The Showtime cable network
Cable network
A cable channel is a television channel available via cable television. Such channels are usually also available via satellite television, including direct broadcast satellite providers such as DirecTV, Dish Network and BSkyB...
released a documentary
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
film about the history of and the re-creation of the album known as Beautiful Dreamer: Brian Wilson and the Story of Smile in the fall of 2004. A DVD of a live version of the new Smile (shot in an L.A.
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
studio) was released in May 2005, which also features the documentary as an extra.
Trivia
In 2005, the album won graphic artist Mark London and Rhino Records the 2005 ALEX award for Best Vinyl Package.Track listing
All songs written by Brian WilsonBrian Wilson
Brian Douglas Wilson is an American musician, best known as the leader and chief songwriter of the group The Beach Boys. Within the band, Wilson played bass and keyboards, also providing part-time lead vocals and, more often, backing vocals, harmonizing in falsetto with the group...
and Van Dyke Parks
Van Dyke Parks
Van Dyke Parks is an American composer, arranger, producer, musician, singer, author and actor. Parks is perhaps best known for his contributions as a lyricist on the Beach Boys album Smile....
, except where noted.
- "Our PrayerOur Prayer"Our Prayer" is a song written by Brian Wilson for the American rock band The Beach Boys. It was released on their 1969 album 20/20 and was produced by The Beach Boys. The main vocals were recorded on October 4, 1966 with the additional vocals being recorded at Capitol Records Studios in Fall, 1968...
/Gee" (Brian Wilson/William Davis and Morris LevyMorris LevyMorris Levy was an American music industry executive, best known as the founder and owner of Roulette Records...
) – 2:09 - "Heroes and VillainsHeroes and Villains"Heroes and Villains" is a song by the American rock band The Beach Boys, co-written by the group's leader Brian Wilson and lyricist Van Dyke Parks. Originally intended by Wilson to be the centerpiece of the ambitious but shelved album Smile, a re-recorded version of the song was released on Smiley...
" – 4:53 - "Roll Plymouth RockRoll Plymouth Rock"Roll Plymouth Rock" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks in 1966 for the unreleased Beach Boys album Smile. The song is based on the incomplete Beach Boys recording "Do You Like Worms?" which was first published on Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of The Beach Boys, a boxed set which...
" – 3:48 - "Barnyard" – 0:58
- "Old Master Painter/You Are My SunshineYou Are My Sunshine"You Are My Sunshine" is a popular song first recorded in 1939. It has been declared one of the state songs of Louisiana as a result of its association with former state governor and country music singer Jimmie Davis. The song is copyright 1940 Peer International Corporation, words and music by...
" (Haven GillespieHaven GillespieJames Lamont "Haven" Gillespie was an American Tin Pan Alley composer and lyricist. He was the writer of "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" as well as "You Go to My Head", "Honey", "By the Sycamore Tree", "That Lucky Old Sun", "Breezin' Along With The Breeze", "Right or Wrong," "Beautiful Love",...
and Beasley SmithBeasley SmithJohn Beasley Smith was an American composer. That Lucky Old Sun, one of his better known works, was covered by many well-known artists. He often worked with Haven Gillespie....
/Jimmie DavisJimmie DavisJames Houston Davis , better known as Jimmie Davis, was a noted singer of both sacred and popular songs who served two nonconsecutive terms as the 47th Governor of Louisiana...
and Charles Mitchell) – 1:04 - "Cabin Essence" – 3:27
- "Wonderful" – 2:07
- "Song for Children" – 2:16
- "Child Is Father of the Man" – 2:18
- "Surf's UpSurf's Up (song)"Surf's Up" is the title of a song written by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks. The song was intended as one of the centrepieces for the aborted Beach Boys' album Smile, which was begun in late 1966 but shelved in mid-1967. It was reworked and used as the title track for the twenty-second official...
" – 4:07 - "I'm in Great Shape/I Wanna Be AroundI Wanna Be Around"I Wanna Be Around" is a popular song. In the lyrics, the singer declares that he "wants to be around" when the woman who spurned him inevitably gets her heart broken....
/Workshop" (Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks/Johnny MercerJohnny MercerJohn Herndon "Johnny" Mercer was an American lyricist, songwriter and singer. He is best known as a lyricist, but he also composed music. He was also a popular singer who recorded his own songs as well as those written by others...
and Sadie Vimmerstedt/Brian Wilson) – 1:56 - "Vega-TablesVegetables (song)"Vegetables" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks for the American rock band The Beach Boys. It was released on their 1967 album Smiley Smile with Al Jardine and Brian Wilson on lead vocals.- Information :...
" – 2:19 - "On a Holiday" – 2:36
- "Wind Chimes" – 2:54
- "Mrs. O'Leary's CowMrs. O'Leary's Cow (song)"The Elements: Fire" is an instrumental song, also known as "The Elements", "Fire" and "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow", which was written by Brian Wilson. The title is in reference to the Great Chicago Fire. The song was originally intended for The Beach Boys famous unreleased album Smile as part of the...
" (Brian Wilson) – 2:27 - "In Blue HawaiiCool, Cool Water"Cool, Cool Water" is a song written through several incarnations by Brian Wilson, Van Dyke Parks, and Mike Love for the American rock band The Beach Boys.-Premise:...
" – 3:00 - "Good VibrationsGood Vibrations"Good Vibrations" is a song by American rock band The Beach Boys. Composed and produced by Brian Wilson, the song's lyrics were written by Wilson and Mike Love....
" (Brian Wilson, Tony AsherTony AsherTony Asher is an American lyricist who co-wrote much of The Beach Boys 1966 album Pet Sounds in conjunction with front man Brian Wilson, including such classic songs as "God Only Knows" and "Wouldn't It Be Nice"...
and Mike LoveMike LoveMichael Edward "Mike" Love is an American singer/songwriter and musician with The Beach Boys. He was a founding member of the band along with his cousins Brian, Carl, and Dennis Wilson, and their friend Al Jardine, and continues to perform with the band to the present day...
) – 4:36
Bonus tracks
- "Heroes and Villains" (Instrumental) – 4:46
- "Cabin Essence" (Instrumental) – 3:27
- "On a Holiday" (Instrumental) – 2:36
- "Wind Chimes" (Instrumental) – 2:54
The first of these tracks appeared on the second-edition CD release of Smile; all of them constitute side four of the vinyl release.
Reception
Smile received high critical acclaim from music critics, earning a 97 on MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, making it tied as the fourth highest rated album on the website, behind Pinkerton
Pinkerton (album)
Pinkerton is the second studio album by American alternative rock band Weezer, released on September 24, 1996. After finishing tours in promotion of their 1994 album Weezer, the band originally planned to record a space-themed rock opera entitled Songs from the Black Hole...
by Weezer
Weezer
Weezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...
, London Calling
London Calling
London Calling is the third studio album by the English punk rock band The Clash. It was released in the United Kingdom on 14 December 1979 through CBS Records, and in the United States in January 1980 through Epic Records...
by The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
and Exile On Main Street by The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
.
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
gave the album five out of five and said, "Smile is beautiful and funny, goofily grand." Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...
, who was skeptical of the album back in the '60s, was also impressed: "I considered the legend of Smile hot air back then, this re-creation proves he had plenty more to make of it." Cokemachineglow writer Scott Reid praised the album for surpassing hype, "Defying most all fan fears, not to mention several laws of logic and nature, SMiLE has arrived as incredible and ground-breaking a record as any of us could have hoped." Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
awarded the album 9.0 out of 10 and later named it fifth best album of 2004 and the 25th best album released between 2000 and 2004. John Bush of Allmusic commented that Smile was "a remarkably unified, irresistible piece of pop music", yet decreed that it was "no musical watershed on par with Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is the eighth studio album by the English rock band The Beatles, released on 1 June 1967 on the Parlophone label and produced by George Martin...
or Wilson's masterpiece, Pet Sounds".
The album also received multiple nominations for the 2004 Grammy Awards, including Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
The Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical has been awarded since 1959. The award had several minor name changes:*In 1959 the award was known as Best Engineered Record - Non-Classical...
(for Mark Linett). The album won one Grammy, in the category of Best Rock Instrumental Performance (for "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow," the same track which had caused Wilson such mental anguish at the end of the original recording sessions).
In December 2009, Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
placed Smile at number 88 on their list of the decade's 100 best albums.
One person not pleased with the ultimate release of Smile was Beach Boy Mike Love
Mike Love
Michael Edward "Mike" Love is an American singer/songwriter and musician with The Beach Boys. He was a founding member of the band along with his cousins Brian, Carl, and Dennis Wilson, and their friend Al Jardine, and continues to perform with the band to the present day...
, who sued Brian Wilson in 2005 over it, claiming that Wilson's re-recording of songs originally recorded by the Beach Boys caused millions of dollars in damages to a partnership between himself and Wilson. However, Love's lawsuit was thrown out of court in 2007 by a federal judge, who determined that no such partnership existed between Love and Wilson at the time of the re-recordings and that none had existed for decades.
Charts and sales
Smile opened at #13 in the US for a chart stay of 17 weeks. It reached #7 in the UK, going gold (100,000).Singles
Three singles were released to promote the album:- "Good VibrationsGood Vibrations"Good Vibrations" is a song by American rock band The Beach Boys. Composed and produced by Brian Wilson, the song's lyrics were written by Wilson and Mike Love....
" was released on CD and 7" vinyl prior to the album's release and included live versions of "Our Prayer" and "Good Vibrations" from the live debut of Smile recorded at Royal Festival HallRoyal Festival HallThe Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected...
, in LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on February 20, 2004. - "Our PrayerOur Prayer"Our Prayer" is a song written by Brian Wilson for the American rock band The Beach Boys. It was released on their 1969 album 20/20 and was produced by The Beach Boys. The main vocals were recorded on October 4, 1966 with the additional vocals being recorded at Capitol Records Studios in Fall, 1968...
" was released in the United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
as a one-sided 10" single on clear vinyl. The track was remixed as the Freeform Reform Version by the London band Freeform. - "Wonderful" had a limited release of 5,000 on blue, green, and yellow vinyl backed with "Wind Chimes". The vinyl only release charted at number 29 in the UK singles chart in its first week of release.
Personnel
- Brian WilsonBrian WilsonBrian Douglas Wilson is an American musician, best known as the leader and chief songwriter of the group The Beach Boys. Within the band, Wilson played bass and keyboards, also providing part-time lead vocals and, more often, backing vocals, harmonizing in falsetto with the group...
– writer (music), vocals, and keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - Van Dyke ParksVan Dyke ParksVan Dyke Parks is an American composer, arranger, producer, musician, singer, author and actor. Parks is perhaps best known for his contributions as a lyricist on the Beach Boys album Smile....
– writer (except "Good Vibrations")(LyricsLyricsLyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
) - Tony AsherTony AsherTony Asher is an American lyricist who co-wrote much of The Beach Boys 1966 album Pet Sounds in conjunction with front man Brian Wilson, including such classic songs as "God Only Knows" and "Wouldn't It Be Nice"...
– writer "Good Vibrations" (LyricsLyricsLyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
)
Brian Wilson Band
- Scott Bennett – vocals, keyboards, malletMalletA mallet is a kind of hammer, usually of rubber,or sometimes wood smaller than a maul or beetle and usually with a relatively large head.-Tools:Tool mallets come in different types, the most common of which are:...
s, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Nelson BraggNelson BraggNelson Bragg is a drummer-percussionist-vocalist from Rockport, Massachusetts.-Early years:Nelson Bragg played in several bands from 1979 to 1999 including positions as a pit drummer for over 20 stage musicals...
– vocals, percussion, whistleWhistleA whistle or call is a simple aerophone, an instrument which produces sound from a stream of forced air. It may be mouth-operated, or powered by air pressure, steam, or other means...
s, celeryCeleryApium graveolens is a plant species in the family Apiaceae commonly known as celery or celeriac , depending on whether the petioles or roots are eaten: celery refers to the former and celeriac to the latter. Apium graveolens grows to 1 m tall... - Jeffrey FoskettJeff FoskettJeffrey Foskett is a guitarist and singer best known for his work with Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys.Foskett originally came from San Jose, California, where in the early-1970s his first band was a surf group named "Cherry", after the Willow Glen area street on which he lived. He attended Willow...
– vocals, guitar, hammerHammerA hammer is a tool meant to deliver an impact to an object. The most common uses are for driving nails, fitting parts, forging metal and breaking up objects. Hammers are often designed for a specific purpose, and vary widely in their shape and structure. The usual features are a handle and a head,... - Probyn GregoryProbyn GregoryProbyn Gregory is a composer and musician who was raised in the disparate climates of New Hampshire and California, and is now based in Los Angeles...
– vocals, guitar, brass, tannerin, whistles - Jim Hines – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, mallets, sawSawA saw is a tool that uses a hard blade or wire with an abrasive edge to cut through softer materials. The cutting edge of a saw is either a serrated blade or an abrasive...
, sound fx - Bob Lizik – bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, guitar, beretBeretA beret is a soft, round, flat-crowned hat, designated a "cap", usually of woven, hand-knitted wool, crocheted cotton, or wool felt, or acrylic fiber.... - Paul Mertens – woodwinds, saxSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
, semi-conductorConductingConducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble... - Taylor Mills – vocals, power drill, leg-slap
- Darian SahanajaDarian SahanajaDarian Sahanaja is a singer, songwriter, and is currently playing in the Brian Wilson band with The Wondermints. He has also collaborated with numerous other artists in the genre of orchestral/underground pop, including Baby Lemonade, Wonderboy, Aimee Mann, Now People, Lisa Mychols and Donna Summer...
– vocals, keyboards, mallets, drill - Nick Walusko – vocals, guitar
Stockholm Strings 'n' Horns
- Staffan Findin – bass trombone
- Andreas Forsman – violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
- Erik Holm – violaViolaThe viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
- Anna Landberg – celloCelloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
- Malin-My Nilsson – violin
- Björn Samuelsson – tromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
- Victor Sand – saxophone, fluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
, clarinetClarinetThe clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed... - Markus SandlundMarkus SandlundMarkus Sandlund was a Swedish cellist.-Biography:He began playing the cello when he was six years old and he studied at the Royal College of Music, Stockholm, Sweden. He played in several orchestras in Sweden and has also played on many studio recordings. He also played with Ray Charles on a tour...
– cello
other musician
- Dave Stone - acoustic bassAcoustic bassThe term acoustic bass may refer to one of the following bass instruments:*Double bass - an upright contrabass violin*Acoustic bass guitar - the acoustic version of the bass guitar...