![Brian Wilson presents Smile [DVD]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51EMtSkDFNL._SX300_SY300_QL70_ML2_.jpg)
Buy this DVD for:
- a brilliantly-shot and -recorded complete performance of SMiLE that will open the music up to you in a way that simply listening to the CD never will. Worth the price of admission for this alone.
- some fascinating behind-the-scenes footage shot during the CD recording sessions.
- some revealing and often moving sequences shot during the process leading up to the debut performance of SMiLE in London in 2004 (contained in the "Beautiful Dreamer" documentary).
Do not buy this DVD for:
- the true story of why the Beach Boys' original "Smile" was never finished, and why Brian Wilson essentially disappeared for the next 25 years.
"Beautiful Dreamer" is an interesting addition to the ever-growing list of books and documentaries about Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys, but it shouldn't be your only source if you're looking for a balanced view.
Produced by and largely populated by current Wilson insiders, "Beautiful Dreamer" tries very hard to whitewash the story that's been told and re-told by many others who were there at the time. Dismissing any discussion of the destructive power of drugs (drug use only served to expand Brian's consciousness and make him more productive, we're told) or of any form of mental illness other than "undiagnosed depression," the film lays the blame for the abandonment of "Smile" at the feet of... the other Beach Boys. Apparently it was their rejection of the work that sent Brian into that 25-year spin.
I don't criticize the film for not trying to tell Wilson's complete life story. The focus here is on SMiLE, as it should be. But after shaping a narrative that takes genius Brian to the point where he was about to re-order the landscape of American popular music, only to be cruelly rejected by his brothers and cousins, the timeline literally jumps 25 years into the future, skipping everything that happened to Wilson that turned him into the clearly damaged man we see on the screen today.
No mention is made of the fact that a good half of "Smile" was subsequently recorded and released by the Beach Boys in the form of individual songs, none of which are heard in this film. (And it's jarring to hear contemporary recordings of the songs while the original 1966 sessions are being discussed.)
Much, much better is the second half of the documentary, which picks up at a point where Wilson and his current band are already a functioning unit, having performed "Pet Sounds" and toured as a successful concert attraction. It's clear the decision to finish 'Smile" is not an easy one for Brian, but he has an existing support team already at hand, talented musicians who are fully equal to the task of helping Wilson get through an emotionally arduous process (sometimes, apparently, by doing all the work themselves).
The film lightly traces the process of reconstructing the original tracks, establishing where the gaps were, choosing a running order, filling the gaps with new or remembered music, deciding to focus the project on debuting as a concert work in London in April 2004, and then rehearsing, rehearsing, rehearsing. Throughout, we are never allowed to forget that for Wilson this is an emotion- and memory-laden process that appears to be causing him pain and sometimes causes him to withdraw.
Still, the London debut is triumphant, and the sequences shot before, during, and after the concert are riveting and often moving.
Aside from the music itself, much of the appeal here -- both during the second half of the documentary and throughout the concert on Disc 2 -- is Wilson's large, talented, and engaging band, who are clearly devoted to Wilson and his music while having a great deal of style and presence of their own.
In all, this is a very generous package with a scintillating concert video at its core. The documentary and the bonus material (including several of the full interviews that were exerpted for the documentary) all offer insight into the Brian Wilson story, even if it's sometimes necessary to read way between the lines to see it. Highly recommended.
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Customer reviews
Wrong region. Can’t play. At all. I am not pleased.
Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2020
I finally tried had tine to play this dvd all alone in my home with no husband ir fsmily around. Finally! But...At first I thought it was my dvd player. Then I tried it on our upstairs dvd players. On both the screen said ‘check region’ or ‘wrong region’. I never heard of that. So I googled the term and discovered this DVD is NOT my region(1) . It is region 2/3/4/5. I want to return it.
Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2020
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Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 30, 2005
INSANITY AND GENIUS,THE SMILIN EYES OF BRIAN WILSON.......AN INCREDIBLE MUSICAL ADVENTURE WITH AMAZING VIBRATIONS...............
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 6, 2007Top reviews from other countries
Les Bushell
Its been a long wait for the follow up to Pet Sounds
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on August 24, 2013A. Capel
Found this really interesting, 37 years to complete a ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on February 16, 2015
