Smile (Brian Wilson album)
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| SMiLE | ||
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| Studio album by Brian Wilson | ||
| Released | 28 September 2004 | |
| Recorded | April 13–April 17, 2004 Overdubs: May–June 2004 |
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| Genre | Pop rock | |
| Length | 46:59 | |
| Label | Nonesuch Records | |
| Producer(s) | Brian Wilson | |
| Professional reviews | ||
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| Brian Wilson chronology | ||
| Gettin' in Over My Head (2004) |
Smile (2004) |
What I Really Want for Christmas (2005) |
SMiLE is a solo album by Brian Wilson that is a revised and completed version of a legendary unfinished album project by his former band, The Beach Boys. It was released in the fall of 2004 with back-up from members of his touring band, The Wondermints.
Contents |
[edit] From Smile To Smile
Work on the original Beach Boys version of SMiLE began in 1966, following the release of their album Pet Sounds, and based on the recording mode of their single "Good Vibrations". But a combination of tensions within the band, recording difficulties, and Brian Wilson's eventual mental breakdown led to the collapse of its sessions. Remnant recordings from the 1966-67 sessions have since surfaced on bootleg recordings and official Beach Boys greatest hits compilations.
[edit] Smile Resurrected
On February 20, 2004, 37 years after it was conceived, a complete version of Smile was performed by Wilson along with his backing band, which includes former Beach Boys guitarist Jeff Foskett and members of The Wondermints, in a live performance at the Royal Festival Hall in London. This performance was made whole by the addition of either lost or newly-composed lyrics that filled the gaps left open by the original 1966-67 Beach Boys sessions. This show was followed by subsequent performances elsewhere in Britain.
Recording of the new version of Smile 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.
On September 28, 2004, Brian Wilson released his newly recorded studio version of the Smile album, to critical praise. For the new version, Wilson, Wondermints leader Darian Sahanaja, woodwind player/string arranger Paul Mertens, and lyricist Van Dyke Parks based their arrangements on the original, unreleased Beach Boys tapes to give Smile a coherent and fresh, updated sound.
Interestingly, although Brian was reported to have only included "Good Vibrations" in the original Smile track listing at Capitol's insistence, a new version of the song—featuring Wilson's Pet Sounds collaborator Tony Asher's original lyrics, rather than the later Mike Love lyrics—was included as the closing track of the album.
The new Smile album was followed by two U.S. tours, with its featured stop in New York's Carnegie Hall (this concert was broadcast on radio's NPR network). Wilson and company also took the show to Australia and New Zealand, as well as many countries throughout Europe.
The Showtime cable network released a documentary film about the making of Smile known as "Beautiful Dreamer: Brian Wilson and the Story of Smile." in the fall of 2004. And a DVD of a live version of the new Smile (shot in an L.A. studio) was released in May 2005, along with the Showtime/"Beautiful Dreamer" documentary.
Smile received multiple 2004 Grammy award nominations, including Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical (For Mark Linett). The album won one Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental Performance (for "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow"). In 2005, Smile won graphic artist Mark London and Rhino Records the 2005 ALEX award for Best Vinyl Package.
[edit] Track listing
[edit] Official 2004 Release
All songs by Brian Wilson/Van Dyke Parks, except where noted.
- "Our Prayer/Gee" (Brian Wilson/William Davis/Morris Levy) - 2:09
- "Heroes and Villains" - 4:53
- "Roll Plymouth Rock" - 3:48
- "Barnyard" - 0:58
- "The Old Master Painter/You Are My Sunshine" (Haven Gillespie/Beasley Smith) - 1:04
- "Cabin Essence" - 3:27
- "Wonderful" - 2:07
- "Song for Children" - 2:16
- "Child Is Father of the Man" - 2:18
- "Surf's Up" - 4:07
- "I'm in Great Shape/I Wanna Be Around/Workshop" (Brian Wilson/Van Dyke Parks/Johnny Mercer/Sadie Vimmerstedt) - 1:56
- "Vega-Tables" - 2:19
- "On a Holiday" - 2:36
- "Wind Chimes" - 2:54
- "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow" (Brian Wilson) - 2:27
- "In Blue Hawaii" - 3:00
- "Good Vibrations" (Brian Wilson/Tony Asher/Mike Love) - 4:36
Smile (Brimel/Nonesuch 79846) hit #13 in the US during a chart stay of 17 weeks. It reached #7 in the UK.
[edit] Further reading
One of the principal sources of original information on Smile, and the basis for much of its legendary status, was Jules Siegel's article "Goodbye Surfing, Hello God!" which appeared in the first issue of Cheetah Magazine in October 1967. Almost equally influential was Domenic Priore's 1987 book Look, Listen, Vibrate, Smile.
In Lewis Shiner's novel Glimpses, the time-traveling protagonist meets and befriends Brian Wilson, and encourages Wilson to complete Smile over the objections of his bandmates. Glimpses won the 1994 World Fantasy Award for Best Novel.
[edit] External links
- Album prerelease prevue
- Brian Wilson on SMiLe: the making of
- Rockument-Beach Boy's Smile Sessions with commentary and links to music
- http://www.thesmileshop.net
- http://dumbangel.comicgenesis.com
- Brian Wilson's official site
- Van Dyke Parks' official site
- Smile live at Carnegie Hall, presented by NPR
- http://theelements.ca/hnv/heroesandvillains.htm
- Stylus Magazine article
- Wilson explains SMiLE
| Brian Wilson |
|---|
| Studio Albums |
| Brian Wilson | I Just Wasn't Made for These Times | Imagination | Gettin' in Over My Head | Smile |
| Live Albums |
| Live at the Roxy Theatre | Pet Sounds Live |
| Christmas Albums |
| What I Really Want for Christmas |
| With Van Dyke Parks |
| Orange Crate Art |
| Related Articles |
| The Beach Boys |
