Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE

From The Smile Shop

Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE
Format:	CD
Label:	Nonesuch
Cat. No.:	79846-2
Date:	28 September 2004
Total Duration:	46:59

"To all the fans who have waited all these years for me to finish Smile. I dedicate this to you..."

-- Brian Wilson

Track listing

All tracks written by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks, except where noted.

1. "Our Prayer/Gee" (Brian Wilson/William Davis/Morris Levy) - 2:09
2. "Heroes And Villains" - 4:52
3. "Roll Plymouth Rock" - 3:48
4. "Barnyard" - 0:58
5. "Old Master Painter/You Are My Sunshine" (Haven Gillespie/Beasley Smith/Jimmie Davis) - 1:03
6. "Cabin Essence" - 3:29
7. "Wonderful" - 2:07
8. "Song For Children" - 2:16
9. "Child Is Father Of The Man" - 2:17
10. "Surf's Up" - 4:08
11. "I'm In Great Shape/I Wanna Be Around/Workshop" (Brian Wilson/Van Dyke Parks/Johnny Mercer/Sadie Vimmerstedt) - 1:56
12. "Vega-Tables" - 2:19
13. "On A Holiday" - 2:36
14. "Wind Chimes" - 2:53
15. "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow" (Brian Wilson) - 2:27
16. "In Blue Hawaii" - 2:59
17. "Good Vibrations" (Brian Wilson/Tony Asher/Mike Love) - 4:36

Credits

Brian Wilson - Music, vocals, keyboards

Jeffrey Foskett - Vocals, guitar, hammer. Probyn Gregory - Vocals, guitar, brass, tannerin, whistles. Nelson Bragg - Vocals, percussion, whistles, celery. Bob Lizik - bass guitar, beret. Scott Bennet - Vocals, keyboards, mallets, guitar. Darian Shanaja - Vocals, keyboards, mallets, drill, secretary. Nick Walusko - Vocals, guitar, eye-patch, carrots. Jim Hines - Drums, mallets, saw, sound fx. Paul Mertens - Woodwinds, sax, harmonica, semi-conductor. Taylor Mills - Vocals, power drill, leg-slap.

Stockholm Strings 'N' Horns

Words by Van Dyke Parks

Produced & Arranged by Brian Wilson. Recorded & Mixed by Mark Linett. Mix produced by Brian Wilson & Darian Sahanaja.

Reviews

The Greatest Album That Never Was finally is. The Beach Boys' uncompleted 1967 album Smile has remained the elusive touchstone of Brian Wilson's brilliant, star-crossed career for decades. Artistic Holy Grail and troubling professional Waterloo for Wilson, a tantalizing prism of unfulfilled promise to his loyal cadre of fans, its story has become pop music's Rashomon. Finally completed via spring 2004 recordings with his stellar, longtime touring band (none of the original '60s sessions were used, though they've been recreated here with often stunning authenticity), it's arguably as alien to contemporary pop as it might have seemed in its intended '67 context--even to ears freshly primed by the glories of Pet Sounds.

Collaborator Van Dyke Parks's impressionistic, often mischievous lyrics conjure a collage of arcane 19th-century Americana that's equal parts artful ellipse and aloof nostalgia. But wed to Wilson's innovative composition and recording techniques (echoing beat author William Burroughs's fabled cut 'n' paste methodology and exemplified by the modular "Good Vibrations"), the resulting semisuite confections challenge the boundaries of both song and album form, but with an insouciant charm that's as different from Pet Sounds as that landmark was from "I Get Around." Turns out those hypothetical comparisons to Sgt. Pepper's weren't so far off the mark. -- Jerry McCulley