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The storied history of the Smile album.
For the uninitiated, It was to be the follow-up album to the Beach Boys 1966 masterwork Pet Sounds, a work regarded radically different from the group's previous releases. Pet Sounds was a culmination and maturation of leader Brian Wilson's songwriting and producing abilities. As a result, the general public did not connect with its adult themes and drenching melancholy, albeit gorgeously expansive music. In terms of popularity and sales, Pet Sounds failed in regards to match its "fun-and-sun" predecessors.
Not to be deterred, Wilson continued work on a song titled "Good Vibrations". Wilson spent months in different studios working on the track, which eventually emerged in fall of that year. Even more radically different than Pet Sounds, the song took off and became an international smash. The song is noted for its piece meal construction that is commonly referred to as "modular" recording-the combining musical snippets and movements to form a whole. On the eve of the Good Vibrations release, Wilson began to work on his next project, initially titled Dumb Angel. Dubbed by Wilson as his "Teenage symphony to God", the work would involve a variety of themes and progressions. Eventually the working title was changed to Smile, incorporating all-important humor which played a big part in Wilson's life.
Just as he did with Pet Sounds, Wilson turned to an outside source for lyrical contributions for his project. Wilson chose Van Dyke Parks, a sometime acquaintance to the LA music scene (he played organ on the Byrds "Eight Miles High"). Parks had a way for words and poetry. His work is often considered baroque and abstract, but coupled with Wilson's ever growing cannon of melodies, it complemented the music.
The two began that summer composing the album which seemed to have centered around two themes; one being Americana, the other The Elements (air, earth, fire and water). At the start, great product was being developed. News spread that Brian Wilson was making music that was important and progressive. For those privileged enough to hear, Smile seemed to be a mind-blowing head-spinning array of musical progressions that is could only be summarized as a revolutionary new sound. "It makes Pet Sounds stink", bemused Dennis Wilson. "That's how good it is".
With Good Vibrations hitting the top of the charts, the Beach Boys touring to wild acclaim in Europe, Brian Wilson began to dive deep into the work. Various musical rags of the time(as well as the record company) were pressing for a forthcoming release date which eventually was established for mid December 1966. Capitol ordered cover slicks album jackets and a special "booklet" inside the gatefold sleeve. Billboard ran a full-page ad. To the general public, Smile seemed weeks away.
At the same time Wilson performed a forthcoming song off the album "Surf's Up" on television, as part of "Inside Pop-the rock revolution" hosted by maestro Leonard Bernstein. Bernstein added to the aura of proclaiming this latest piece as "too complex to get the first time around". The song (Wilson explained about a "man at a concert") was to be the centerpiece of the new album. The magnificent lyrical imagery provided by Parks, proved true to that acclamation.
For reasons stated elsewhere, and for which I don't want to go into, the album-despite all of its hype and expectation-never materialized. From that point on until this recent release, all the Beach Boy-Brian Wilson aficionados were left with the "Smile Myth"
Our appetites were wetted though; various fragments appeared on subsequent Beach Boys albums. Even taken out of its original context, the songs and fragments proved remarkably beautiful. Of course, throughout the years, various bootlegs of the 66-67 sessions appeared. We were exposed to songs such as "Child is Father of The Man", "Do you Like Worms?" and "Look", but it just added to our confusion to how Wilson intended the sequencing to be. When the Beach Boys released a thirtieth anniversary boxed set in 1994, Smile tracks and outtakes appeared, but with a finished, if not disjointed feel. Songs like "Wonderful" and "Wind Chimes" introduced in their original vision though grandiose in terms of arrangement and performance, still confused us how everything would have fit together.
Which brings us to 2004. After 37 years Brian Wilson finds the time (and the strength) to compile and complete the work. We are not disappointed.
Wilson, because of legal reasons, re-recorded the entire song cycle from scratch. That in itself a monumental chore, the end result being nothing short of startling. The vocals were completely re-recorded with almost stunning authenticity. He went back to recording everything "live" with mixing down the various parts and the vocals at a later time. The basic track recordings took three days. The mixing three months. Additional new music fragments were recorded, as well as the inclusion of new Parks' lyrics, for which even Parks himself re-integrated with Wilson for the completion of the project. With minor help from his "musical secretary" Darian Sahanaja by his side, Wilson finally sequenced the music, which grew from the original two themes to three, the third being Childhood-Innocence, sandwiched between the Americana and Elements movements. I don't know how this new idea of three movements would've been put on a two-sided record in 1966 without compromising continuity, but the total time still came a tad over 47 minutes.
Finally let's look at the music.
Gone are the crack studio musicians taking take after endless take. It is now Wilson and this band, with augmented strings and horns. If only Wilson had these tools in lieu of the Beach Boys.
From the beginning harmonization of "Our Prayer" to the final notes of the new version of "Good Vibrations", the album though thematically dated, sounds remarkably fresh. We are finally treated to the sequencing that we've been begging for years. "Heroes and Villains", "Roll Plymouth Rock" (formerly "Do you Like Worms"), the Barnyard Suite, "Old Master Painter/You are my Sunshine" and "Cabin Essence" form the Americana movement. Almost all has been released in one form or another, and is not too terribly different from what I expected. (Sorry, no "Heroes and Villains, Part II").
The second movement of Childhood Innocence was quintessential. The harpsichord opening of "Wonderful", the stunning "Song for Children" (formerly "Look") and
egnemic "Child is father of The Man" (re-arranged for this version) and closed by "Surf's Up" comprise the most provocative and expansive performance on the album. The transition between "Wonderful" and "Song for Children" is especially moving-almost seamless with a simple series of chord changes. Though more lyrics may have been added to "child", it was still a worthy effort, even Wilson garners up some inspiration and delivers solid vocals throughout the suite-almost matching his 1966 originals.
The final movement featuring the "Elements" proved to be the most patched-up and reworked. "I'm in Great Shape" segued with "I Wanna Be Around" and "Workshop" (formerly "Friday Night") start off, and the three combine to be a somewhat satisfactory recollection of sessions from the smile era. Good reinvention of the beginning track, complete with a new string arrangement. The band does a terrific job re-enacting the workshop sound effects of sawing, drilling and hammering. This is followed by "Vega-tables", unlike the previous version on the boxed set, this version lacked punch and spontaneity but sequences nicely with the next track "On a Holiday" (i.e. "Holidays"). New Parks' lyrics appear and fill nicely. The tag at the end (whispering winds) introduces us to "Wind Chimes" which remains about the same arrangement wise. The next track, "Mrs. O' learys Cow"-the legendary "fire" track-appears next. Note for note, the sound is replicated exactly how the original sessions were recorded (sans studio trash burning). Background vocals were added for effect. We are aware about the history of this song and heard via bootleg versions what transpired at the original sessions. Truth be told the track might have been impressive as presented in late 1966, but today, It sounds like musical whimsy, time was not kind to the song. "Blue Hawaii" (the reworked "I love to Say Dada") or the "water" track proves interesting, incorporating the water chant from 1970's Sunflower cut "Cool, Cool Water" and new lyrics. The song ties the entire album to the beginning with a brief reprise of "Our Prayer" and concludes with a new version of "Good Vibrations", most notable for the addition of Pet Sounds Lyricist Tony Asher original lyrics.
The album is not the proclaimed "Teenage Symphony to God" but it is-and remains-an ambitious, gorgeous song cycle. Had it been released in late 1966, It might and I stress might, have been heralded as THE greatest album of the rock era. Having to follow-up this project , however, might have proved devastating for Wilson, especially when the summer of love, Monterrey Pop, Sgt. Pepper and the human "be-ins" were only six months away. Pet Sounds still remains as his best work, simply because of the emotional content. But Smile, with it's lyrical ambiguity, then-groundbreaking production techniques, proved to his most adventurous.
It is noted that David Anderle, the Beach Boys' business manager at the time, tried earnestly to convince Brian to release the Smile album as a solo effort just as The Beach Boys rejected it. Now after 37 years, that time has finally come.
The crazy world of 1966-67 was very different than the crazy world of 2004, but the music is the same; it can be digested the same. Even though Brian wilson will never be that unabashed ambitious young musical guru genius from yesterday, the legacy which is Smile can now be offered by its creator-and enjoyed for the ages. Wilson-whose reputation is now cemented as one of the twentieth centuries' best composers-can rest assured knowing that the one chapter of Beach Boys history that always yearned for closure, is now closed.
Brian Wilson didn't have to kill Smile this time, instead he made amends with it and finally came to terms of his yesterday.
That's more than a reason to Smile.
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- Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2004
- Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2004
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Em KaReviewed in Germany on March 5, 2021
Verspäteter Pop-Klassiker mit tollem Flow & klasse Vibes!
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