Smile (CD)

Received my SMiLE Sessions box promptly and in good condition. Small complaint that the plastic on the front of the "store window" is a bit warped but probably a manufacturing defect and no biggie. Yes, please move your CD discs to safe lodgings when you remove them (very cool effect with CD folder illustrated w/ session reel tape boxes). Well, everything you wanted to hear about SMiLE is here and more. Stereo mixes sound glorious and leave you wishing for more but the Mono tracks are all breathtaking as well. If you have listened to any of the many poor-sounding "bootlegged" releases of the SMiLE material you'll be stunned at the quality and clarity of the audio on the official release. There is no doubt in my mind that had Wilson been able to complete this project on schedule it would have been enthusiastically embraced by critics and the listening public at large and would have changed the face of pop/rock music to such a degree that Sgt. Pepper would have likely just been another record cut in 1967 with a couple of shining moments that was obviously inspired by the musical genius of Wilson. But, alas this was not to be whether the blame can be laid on outside forces or Brian's own demons or the combination of both is a subject that can fill large tomes full of facts and opinions. But I would rather focus on the music. There is some small controversy about the sequencing, that we will really never know just how Wilson might have put the sessions together for final release. The more you listen to SMiLE the more you will appreciate the fact that there is continuity between many of the tracks and similar elements that tie certain sessions together musically. What you may not know is there are forums online where they discuss in detail how a lot of this was done by "fly-ins" by the engineers, meaning there is some digital fiddling-around and moving things about with Brian's original raw recordings. That might be a little disillusioning, but still its very obvious that Brian had to have had some "master-plan" for all this recorded material -- I think the 2011 version is not far off possibility from that "ideal" sequencing and the overall effect is very pleasing. So, its pretty obvious that SMiLE was a concept LP and also a "complete work" very much like the various movements of a classical symphony meant to be listened to all in one sitting to be fully enjoyed. Really, once you start critically listening to this album you are rewarded over and over again by its different combinations of sonic complexities, sincere elemental simplicity and sheer brilliance. What may not be so obvious to the casual listener, is even despite the above-mentioned "fly-ins" that provided some extra "linkage" between tracks -- the underlying structure of many of the songs in SMiLE are akin to another Wilson masterpiece...recorded prior to the SMiLE sessions. So keep listening, I know that I will!

This boxset is for every music fan and/or Beach Boys collector! It's design is unequalled. The most important thing of course is the music in this beautiful package! Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys present the original recordings (utilizing "Brian Wilson present Smile" from 2004 sequence as the foundation) for this first official release! In 1993 The Beach Boys released already 11 songs (and 4 bonus tracks) from the "Smile Sessions" on their " Thirty Years of The Beach Boys Good Vibrations" boxset. Combine them with the songs "Good Vibrations" and the "Heroes and Villains" demo from the "Endless Harmony Soundtrack" and you have "Smile"! That's what I thought ... but I was wrong! "Smile" was recorded in many different little pieces. And many of those pieces have different variations. (For instance: cd2 has 32 tracks of "Heroes and Villains" sessions!) Now, the beautiful thing about this masterpiece is that Brian created an infinite number of ways that the songs could be assembled. But at the same time this posed a problem. The 1960's recording technology had its limitations. To look for the right sequence of the pieces to give the song its most beautiful colour would take days or weeks. "Good Vibrations" was recorded in the same way and that took nearly six months before Brian was satisfied! Almost all of the songs on the "Smile Sessions" are assembled in a different way than the ones that were previously released . Adding pieces of music or vocals that were never before used. Only "Our Prayer" and "Cabin Essence" are the same versions as on the "Thirty Years ..." boxset. Is it better? That's for you to decide! The album was unfinished and it still is. Some pieces were never recorded or only exist as a demo. Some sections flow beautifully into the next one but some don't! For me has the song "Look (Song For Children)" the same feel as "Child is the Father Of The Man" and would better be an outtake. But hey ... maybe that's what the producers want with this box! With 4 cd's full of session material and the right software on your computer you can create your own version of "Smile"!

Well Finally It's Here This Morning And I Love The 3D Box Front And Reverse And It Also Weighs A Ton! You Must Buy The Deluxe Set To Really Get The Smile Experience With All The Session Material Cd's, Vinyl's Etc. I've Heard A Lot Of This Session Stuff On Bootlegs, But The Quality Here Is The Ultimate. The Album Is Sequenced The Same As The Solo Wilson Smile Project And Runs Smooth,And Sounding Amazing And Is As A Finished Lp As We Will Ever Get. Extensive Book With Notes And Session's And A Nice Big Poster. Only One Small Quibble The Lp Sleeve Does Not Feel Quite Up To The Normal Cardboard Quality, But Minor Really. Overall An Amazing Experience And I Feel That Had It Came Out In 1967, I'm Sure It Would Have Been Regarded As An Equal To Sgt Pepper And Regarded As One Of The Greatest Albums Ever Made!

Following a delay of 26 years, in 1993 The Beach Boys 'Thirty Years of The Beach Boys Good Vibrations' Box included 'authentic' SMiLE material, following this 'taster' the Boys intermittently sanctioned the ad-hoc release of further gems. Finally, 44 years overdue, a more comprehensive than might have been expected compilation of arguably the best known 'lost' album from the 1960's has arrived, well worth the wait, well worth the money!

Beautiful music by one of the best groups of all time and a huge effort to finally have this stuff released. The packaging is superb. It's pricey but 2 vinyl singles, 2 vinyl albums, 5 CDs, a book and a superb 3D box to hold it all in.... wonderful stuff!

Die SMILE Geschichte: 1966 begann Brian Wilson - das musikalische Herzstück der Beach Boys - an dem Nachfolgealbum von Pet Sounds zu arbeiten. Aus dem Tagesgeschäft der Band hatte er sich schon länger zurückgezogen. Nun konnte er sich im Studio auf seine geniale Arbeit konzentrieren. Ihm schwebten keine klassischen Songs vor. Alles sollte wie ein Baukastenprinzip funktionieren. Einzelne Fragmente wurden aufgenommen und sollten zu einem großen Ganzen zusammengeführt werden. Die Hitsingle "good vibrations" gibt einen wunderbaren Eindruck was sich Wilson wohl in seinem Kopf erdachte. Es kam damals aus verschiedenen Gründen nicht zur Veröffentlichung. Die Plattenfirma Capitol stand nicht hinter dem Projekt, sondern wollte weiter die "fun in the sun"-Welle reiten / das Projekt verschlang eine große Summe an Dollar und der Geldhahn wurde zugedreht / Wilson war psychisch labil / Die Drogen sorgten dafür, dass der Plan im Kopf nicht mehr überschaubar war / die anderen Bandmitglieder konnten sich nicht mit dem Projekt anfreunden - auch wenn sie heute gerne Gegenteiliges äußern. Capitol zog die Reissleine und veröffentlichte Smiley Smile - eine misshandelte Version von Smile-Songs. In den Folgejahren wurden immer wieder Beach Boys-Platten aufgewertet indem man auf Songs der Smile-Sessions zurückgriff, wie beispielsweise auf das geniale "surf's up". Es gab Aussagen von Leonard Bernstein, der Brian Wilson aufgrund der Smile-Sessions auf eine Ebene mit Mozart hob. Das Album wurde zum Mythos. Kernaussage: Die Welt hat das beste Pop-Album aller Zeiten nicht zu Gehör bekommen. Eifrige Beach Boys-Fans - hier schreibt so einer - haben Plattenbörsen und Flohmärkte nach Bootlegs durchstöbert. Ab und dann wurde man fündig. Die Aufnahmequalität war sehr unterschiedlich und nie wirklich gut. Qualitativ gute Fragmente wurden auf der tollen "good vibrations"Box 1993 veröffentlicht. Man saß daheim und stellte sich sein SMILE Pojekt zusammen, wie hat sich Brian das wohl gedacht!?!... 2004 hat Brian Wilson nach langer Genese SMILE neu eingespielt. Der Fan freute sich, war aber nicht begeistert. Zum einen, weil man sich eingestehen musste, dass nicht 100% alles was er damals im stillen Kämmerlein erdachte, genial war. Zum anderen, war da natürlich die Stimme eines älteren Mannes, die so gar nicht zu der "teenage symphony to god" - inoffizieller Untertilel von SMILE - passen wollte. Und Carl Wilson - sein Bruder mit der noch besseren Stimme -> "wonderful" war nicht mehr unter uns. Dann Anfang 2011 die überraschende Mitteilung. SMILE soll angemessen veröffentlicht werden und Brian Wilson, Mike Love (!), Al Jardine & Bruce Johnston arbeiten mit. Das Box Set ist unter den gegebenen Umständen das Non-Plus-Ultra und die nicht kleine Investition absolut wert. Ich persönlich hätte die Vinyl-Beigaben nicht gebraucht, hätte mich über einen etwas geringeren Preis oder eine Flmdoku auf DVD mehr gefreut, aber ok ... Die Box ist hochwertig gestaltet. Allein die 3D Darstellung des alten Artworks ist der Hammer. Der Folder für die CDs sehr schön. Endlich werden auch die Texte veröffentlicht, die Seesions werden dokumentiert; ausführliche Liner Notes; alles inhaltlich und optisch top. Und die Musik ?! Soundtechnisch das Geld wert; werde meine Bootlegs einmotten. Der Versuch als Gesamtwerk orientiert sich an der 2004-Veröffentlichung von Brian Wilson. Eine schöne Gelegenheit es am Stück zu hören. Wir werden nie erfahren, ob Brian Wilson es sich damals so erdachte. Oder ob noch geniale Songs in seinem Kopf hängen geblieben sind. Es bleibt immer eine bitterer Beigeschmack. Was wäre gewesen, wenn die Umstände anders gewesen wären... ?! Die Musik ist zu 90% genial. Allein für "wind chimes" "wonderful" "good vibrations" "heroes & villains" "surf's up" "cabin essence" kann man Wilson nicht genug loben. Kein Lennon, kein Mc Cartney, kein Ray Davies ist je in diese Sphären vorgestossen. Für den Fan ist es eine musikalische Entdeckungsreise sich durch die Sessions zu hören. Nur in dieser ausführlichen Ausgabe macht es Sinn. So können wir wieder dasitzen und an unserer SMILE Ausgabe tüffteln. Danke an alle Verantwortlichen für diese Box, die alle Erwartungen erfüllt.

録音当時に大量な音源が収録されたにもかかわらず、また、ブライアンが自らの最高傑作にすべく心血を注いだ作品にも関わらず発表されることはなくビーチボーイズのグループとしての存在価値をも揺るがすことになったロック史上の大事件。その後無数の海賊盤音源が市場に溢れ、正規版が発売されるという噂も一度ならず流布した。ルイス・シャイナーの１９９３年発表の「グリンプス」という小説では（創元推理文庫和訳あり１９９７年発行）音の描写も含めて詳細に描かれ、これを読むとますます聞きたくなった。それと同時期に発売された「グッド・ヴァイブレーションボックス」では遂に正規版として多くのスマイルセッションからの未発表音源が日の目を見た。録音から２７年もの歳月を経てである。さらに音楽界の一線にカムバックしたブライアン・ウイルソン自身が２００４年にソロ名義で完成したものを発表、このときはＣＤのみならずコンサート映像や制作ドキュメントを収録したＤＶＤも感動的な内容であった。録音からはさらに年を重ね３８年となっていた。この時点でスマイルの歴史に終止符が打たれ、ビーチボーイズバージョンは封印されるのだと思った。 本日、この驚愕のボックスは僕の手元に届いた。まず、ジャケットがあのおなじみのスマイルショップのデザイン。しかも手作り感のある立体だ。中には５枚のＣＤとＥＰレコード２枚、ＬＰ２枚組、分厚い表紙のブックレットとポスターがパッケージングされている。ブックレットには録音当時のメンバーのフォトと各人のコメント。さらには作詞を受け持ったヴァンダイク・パークスのフォトとコメント。歌詞やポップな６０年代風イラスト。詳細なレコーディングデーターやスマイルセッションの時系列の表示などが記載され文句のつけようのない出来栄えだ。 さて問題の音であるが、ＣＤ１には先にブライアンが完成させたスマイルと同じ構成でセッション各曲が新たに編集され収録されている。結局この構成が完成形としては譲れないということだろう。ボーナストラックではコーラスパートやステレオミックスが追加されている。音質は驚くほど素晴らしくまるで現代の技術で録音されたのではないかと思うほどで逆に幻の蔵出し音源を聞いているという実感は皆無である。若々しいブライアンのボーカルにほれぼれと聞き入る。他のメンバーとのハーモニーもこの時期のビーチボーイズならではの味わいがあり最高だ。ＣＤ２から５までにはこのセッションの模様が詳細に収録されているようだがまだ最期までは未聴なのでこの週末にかけじっくり聞くのが楽しみだ。２枚のＬＰは重量あるビニルで作成され温かみのあるモノラル音声がＣＤにはない醍醐味を醸し出すのでやはり同梱はうれしい。現在のところ入手に関してはそれほど困難にはなっていないようなのでスマイルという作品に深く興味のある人にはこの高価なボックスを購入する事をお勧めする。

Everything about this box set is amazing and worth it. The box itself is intricate, the vinyl (the double LP and 2 singles) are top quality, books and full color images and interesting essays, the CD set is invaluable (though I suppose not 100% comprehensive) with regards to music history - plus this is the only way to get exclusive hidden tracks, and it comes with a large album cover poster which is a bonus for me. A+!!!

Fan des Beach Boys depuis l'origine (ayant assisté à leur premier concert à PARIS en 1964, puis à nouveau en 1970 et 1980), je détenais déjà la quasi-totalité de leurs albums vinyles d'origine (dont quelques imports des USA) et tous les CD'S (souvent fruits de rééditions plus ou moins remastérisées), ce qui m'avait déjà donné un aperçu de ce dont la non réalisation de "SMILE" nous avait privé! La version de SMILE sortie en 2004 tant en CD qu'en DVD par Brian WILSON et son nouveau groupe ne pouvait qu'ajouter à mes regrets, et j'avais moi-même commencé à mettre bout à bout les morceaux originaux dispersés sur différents albums plus ou moins récents des BEACH BOYS. Inutile de dire que j'ai été l'un des premiers à commander le coffrets de deux CDs paru fin 2011, et auquel j'aurais sans doute attribué plus de cinq étoiles si cela avait été possible, considérant que nous avions raté en son temps ce qui aurait été l'Album du Siècle (sauf en France bien entendu, où les Beach Boys n'y étaient précisément que fort peu entendus !). Profitant d'une offre alléchante d'AMAZON.fr, je n'ai pu résister à l'idée de m'offrir pour mon soixante-cinquième anniversaire, le Coffret complet objet du présent commentaire, qui m'a certes séduit par sa présentation, mais ne m'a pas apporté grand chose d'autre part rapport au précédent ! Il s'agit vraiment d'un album réservé aux inconditionnels (dont je suis certes), mais dont l'écoute intégrale est quelque peu lassante, voire frustrante quant on entend le même morceau repris plusieurs fois sans trop comprendre en quoi la dernière des prises était vraiment plus satisfaite que les précédentes ! Sans doute faudrait-il pour cela maîtriser parfaitement l'américain que parle Brian WILSON, ce qui est loin d'être mon cas ! Reste qu'il y a dans tout cela un tas de morceaux - ou d'embryons de morceaux - dont on regrette de ne pas avoir profité plus tôt (c'est à dire quand on avait quarante ans de moins !) et dont on comprend bien qu'ils n'auraient jamais pu tenir sur un album de l'époque, même double, ce qui aurait conduit à des choix que personne n'a osé faire à l'époque ! Pour en finir, ce que j'aurais aimé, c'est que la maison de production ait pris l'initiative de mettre bout à bout toutes les versions définitives des "backing tracks" de "PET SOUND" (ce que j'ai fais moi même en son temps, mais sur une cassette aujourd'hui illisible) et de "SMILE", ce qui pourrait donner lieu à une sorte de "suite symphonique" particulièrement remarquable ! Merci de transmettre aux intéressés si cela les intéresse ! Alain LAURENT

Note: This review also applies to The Smile Sessions (2CD) Other than The Beatles' GET BACK album, which still has not been released in its original form (the Spectorized Let It Be (Remastered) and the remixed, de-Spectorized Let It Be... Naked notwithstanding), The Beach Boys' SMiLE project is the most famous (and maybe infamous) unreleased album in rock history. Originally planned as a follow-up to 1966's Pet Sounds , Brian Wilson scrapped the project in mid-1967 after months of work, believing he had lost his competition with The Beatles, and the pressures from the other Beach Boys, plus legal problems with Capitol Records, finally wore him down. A replacement album, Smiley Smile , cobbled together by the group using only the "Good Vibrations" single and fragments from the original sessions - the rest of the album was rerecorded - was a critical and commercial flop. Fragments of SMiLE were issued on later Beach Boys albums such as 20/20 and Surf's Up . In 1993, about an hour of lost SMiLE music was issued on the Good Vibrations: Thirty Years Of The Beach Boys boxed set. Then, in 2004, Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks completed a new version of SMiLE and recorded it with Brian's new band, The Wondermints ( Brian Wilson Presents Smile ); a live concert version, recorded earlier that year in London, was also issued on DVD. Now, with the impending 50th anniversary of The Beach Boys approaching, Capitol Records, along with Brian, has released two versions of THE SMiLE SESSIONS - a basic two-disc version, and a nine-disc box set (five CDs, two vinyl LPs, and two vinyl 45 RPM singles). The first CD, which contains the same contents in both releases, contains a newly revised SMiLE album, using the same running order as the 2004 remake, giving us an idea of what the album would have sounded like in 1967. Most of the tracks are mono, as Brian always preferred; he was deaf in one ear, and could not hear stereo sound properly, and as a producer, he believed that only mono mixes could present the music to the listener as he wanted it heard. Stereo, Brian believed, left too much to the listener's equipment setup. While I would have loved to have a stereo version of the album, as was done with The Pet Sounds Sessions box set in 1996, the producers explained that unlike Pet Sounds, most of the multi-track masters and many of the components were lost, so a stereo remix of SMiLE was impossible to produce. The second CD of the first version contains session highlights from "Our Prayer" to "Good Vibrations" - more than enough to satisfy the casual Beach Boy fan. The deluxe box set is aimed more at collectors and die-hards, and what a collection it is. CD1 is identical to the first version, but CDs 2 through 5 contain a very comprehensive view of the SMiLE sessions. So comprehensive, in fact, that the "Heroes and Villains" sections take up about 90 percent of CD2, and the "Good Vibrations" sessions take up all of CD5. While somewhat repetitive, the session tapes offer fascinating listening, showing Brian's perfectionism and dedication to getting the right sound. I'm sure he drove the other musicians and the other Beach Boys crazy, but it was obviously worth the effort. The two-LP vinyl album in the deluxe edition follows tracks 1-19 of CD1 for the first three sides. The fourth side contains rare stereo mixes that are not included on the CDs. The two 45s are the singles that never were, the two-part "Heroes and Villains" single, and the "Vega-Tables"/"Surf's Up" single. Packaging and amenities are impressive. The two-disc set includes a colorful 36-page booklet, a SMiLE button, and a fold-out poster of the album artwork. The deluxe edition is even more impressive; the artwork on the box cover has 3-D graphics; the inside of the box lid has the original back cover of the Duophonic (fake stereo) release of the album, had it been issued. Inside the box are a 60-page hardcover book with additional essays and a complete sessionography; a double-gatefold sleeve with slots for all five CDs and the two vinyl 45s; the two-record vinyl album in a mono jacket with a gatefold sleeve and a 10" photo album inside; and a giant-economy-size version of the album artwork poster. The casual fan will probably make do with the two-disc set, but collectors will want both. I'd love to see The Beatles and Apple do a similar box set for the GET BACK SESSIONS, not to mention the long-lost LET IT BE DVD. Some additional observations: 1) The vinyl LP and singles sound fine. I especially enjoyed the stereo mixes on Side 4, but wish that they had been on the CD releases. Although I grew up with vinyl, after listening to CDs for over 20 years, vinyl just sounds flat. 2) The 45 versions of "Vega-Tables" and "Surf's Up" are the same as on the LP and CD. 3) If you have the big box set, "Heroes and Villains Part 1" and "Heroes and Villains Part 2" are only available on the vinyl 45, though the individual modules for these tracks are probably scattered throughout the four Sessions CDs. The only way to get the full versions of "Heroes and Villains Part 1" and "Heroes and Villains Part 2" on CD is to buy the two-disc set (Tracks 2 and 3 on CD2). All of the other tracks on that disc can be found on the session box set, although some of them are edited (particularly the "Good Vibrations" sessions). 4) I compared the 20/20 versions of "Cabin Essence" and "Our Prayer," and the 1971 version of "Surf's Up," to the SMiLE versions. Save for stereo remixing and overdubs, the versions are almost identical. It's amazing that the 1968 overdubbed vocals on "Our Prayer" are almost perfectly in sync with the 1966 originals - another tribute to Brian's production genius.