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Heroes and Villains is one of the few tracks I liked on it. It was disapointing because I expected more and love Brian Wilson's work. Glad I'm not alone because I was feeling kind of guilty for not liking it.

When I first heard Brian had and unreleased album from the late 1960s, the first thing that popped into my mind was another great album in the vein of Today, Summer Days (and Summer Nights) and Pet Sounds. After reading all the positive reviews of the live presentations of Smile and reading the quote from Brian that said he thought it was the greatest music he ever created, I immediately began to look forward to Pet Sounds 2.

When the track list was released, I became confused after seeing Heroes and Villains and Good Vibrations on the list. I was indeed expecting an album of 100% previously unreleased songs. So, being the curious person I am, I researched the whole thing on what Smile is exactly and why it was abandoned.

I recall reading the great positive reviews on the album on Amazon.com the day it was released. My brother, who was at Wal-Mart at the time called and I told him to pick it up for me. Continuing to read the reviews, I became quite excited and anxious. After Heroes and Villains and the continuing melody on Plymouth Rock was over, there wasn’t much that caught my attention, except maybe In Blue Hawaii, which is one I keep going back to, although it’s short and not meant to be taken as an individual song.
Comparing Smile to Pet Sounds is like comparing Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks to Moondance. Totally different types of music, so comparison is out of the question.

So, in summary, I have to agree and disagree with the posts here. I don’t understand all the overwhelming positive reviews that say it’s the best thing ever. You would have to think people are just giving it that because of the history behind the curtain. I also disagree that it’s bad or horrible music, which is certainly not true. It’s a very listenable piece of music and nothing on there makes you really want to hit the stop button. I’d listen to Smile over most of the other stuff that’s popular today.

So, I think it’s neat and creative, but really overrated. Not a disk I’m going to put on every day, but one that I will keep in my collection.

Still, there’s something in me that wants to hear the Beach Boys versions of the Smile tracks that were recorded back then, and the watered down versions on the Smiley Smile LP didn’t itch the scratch by a long shot.

.....and "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow:" What is UP with THAT????? Brian on drugs??????????

The whole vegetables, I'll eat my vegetables thing. Odd and drug induced I would say. What it does is give you a glimpse into a disturbed, drug altered brain.

Anybody want my copy? I'm mailing some packages this week, so it would be no trouble. I think I can live w/out it, but if anybody wants a free copy, give me a yell.

Wow. It's intresting to see how abstract or "artsy" music dosn't flow well with parrotheads.

I do encourage everyone here to pick up Brian's other 2004 release instead, "Gettin' In Over My Head" which retains the old pre-Pet Sounds sound of early Beach Boy recordings, no art-like material.

Parrot Monkey wrote:Wow. It's intresting to see how abstract or "artsy" music dosn't flow well with parrotheads.

Um, no...it's just bad music that doesn't flow well with us. As much as I enjoyed the Beach Boy's music, "smile" is just terrible. Face it, Brian is fried...his "performance" at the Daytona 500 pretty much sums up what is left of his ability.

rednekkPH wrote:

Parrot Monkey wrote:Wow. It's intresting to see how abstract or "artsy" music dosn't flow well with parrotheads.

Um, no...it's just bad music that doesn't flow well with us. As much as I enjoyed the Beach Boy's music, "smile" is just terrible. Face it, Brian is fried...his "performance" at the Daytona 500 pretty much sums up what is left of his ability.

My thoughts exaclty. I like alot of artsy types of music. There are other artists who have done some alternative stuff, such as Elvis Costello, that I've enjoyed. I tried to like this. And there are times when I put it in and do housework and stuff with it as background noise. I can sort of enjoy it then. Or maybe to nap to. But Brian Wilson has definite problems. And I say again it strikes me as more of an insight into a mentally disturbed person's mind. You can sort of follow the way his thought process was going as you listen to the music. There is pretty much no style of music I don't listen to and on some level appreciate. I tried with this and just wasn't getting it. Somebody should tell the emperor he has no clothes on.

rednekkPH wrote:Um, no...it's just bad music that doesn't flow well with us. As much as I enjoyed the Beach Boy's music, "smile" is just terrible. Face it, Brian is fried...his "performance" at the Daytona 500 pretty much sums up what is left of his ability.

Not bad music, just different and it’s not for this crowd, and I understand that. I don’t find myself going back to it that much either, but I know it’s a far cry from being “bad”. All I said was it’s intrusting to see the same reviews by everyone who’s posted here, never did I imply anything that said everyone’s not entitled to their own opinion. Since “Smile” dates back to the late 60s, the material has nothing to do with Brian being “fried”.

I have to agree on the Daytona 500 performance, but I blame the producers for even allowing him to perform. They chose a very difficult song to do, the production has cheesy (what was with that surfboard crap?) and they didn’t take any accommodations Brian needs to successfully perform live nowadays into consideration. He’s not completely “out of steam”, as all his talent is still there in the studio.

You should really check out (like a said above) the other album of 2004 by Brian, “Gettin’ In Over My Head”. I don’t see any reasons PHs would dislike that one. You’ll see that it’s really a shame that Smile overshadowed this great album.

That Daytona performance was awful. That is one instance where a lip sync would have been acceptable.

I stick to Brian WIlson by BareNaked Ladies - that is the way to go....

Parrot Monkey wrote:

rednekkPH wrote:Um, no...it's just bad music that doesn't flow well with us. As much as I enjoyed the Beach Boy's music, "smile" is just terrible. Face it, Brian is fried...his "performance" at the Daytona 500 pretty much sums up what is left of his ability.

Not bad music, just different and it’s not for this crowd, and I understand that. I don’t find myself going back to it that much either, but I know it’s a far cry from being “bad”. All I said was it’s intrusting to see the same reviews by everyone who’s posted here, never did I imply anything that said everyone’s not entitled to their own opinion. Since “Smile” dates back to the late 60s, the material has nothing to do with Brian being “fried”.

I have to agree on the Daytona 500 performance, but I blame the producers for even allowing him to perform. They chose a very difficult song to do, the production has cheesy (what was with that surfboard crap?) and they didn’t take any accommodations Brian needs to successfully perform live nowadays into consideration. He’s not completely “out of steam”, as all his talent is still there in the studio.

You should really check out (like a said above) the other album of 2004 by Brian, “Gettin’ In Over My Head”. I don’t see any reasons PHs would dislike that one. You’ll see that it’s really a shame that Smile overshadowed this great album.

I think we're talking about a slight generation gap here, PM. OCG, Rednekk, and I all grew up listening to Beach Boys and Brian Wilson. We know what Brian Wilson sounds like when he's good. We know the difference between bad music and artsy music, at least in Brian's case. I don't know anything about the Daytona 500 performance, but I know the difference between "artsy" Brian Wilson and just plain "stoned Brian" from the 60's.

Try as I might, I still don't "get" Pet Sounds and it's one of the most heralded albums ever. Perhaps one day it will come to me but that day has yet to arrive, I don't rule it out though.

Jahfin wrote:Try as I might, I still don't "get" Pet Sounds and it's one of the most heralded albums ever. Perhaps one day it will come to me but that day has yet to arrive, I don't rule it out though.

I'm with you on that. In some way I think the worst thing that ever happenend to the Beach Boys was being introduced to the Beatles. I liked them much more when their music was mostly light-hearted fluffy stuff about surfin' and cars...

Any generation gap here I think I’ve overcome, as I do own many Beach Boys albums on CD and know a lot of the history behind the group and their recordings.

I like Pet Sounds, I just don’t get the rave of it being the best thing (or one of the best albums) ever. I guess it was revolutionary at the time. What’s funny is the album they recorded to fulfill a recording contract obligation and buy Brian time to write Pet Sounds (“Party!”) actually surpassed “Sounds” in sales.

My favorite Beach Boys album has to be Pet Sounds’ preceder, “Summer Days (and Summer Nights!!)”