A BEAUTIFUL MESS😮🔥 Our Prayer (3:47) Gee (5:06) Heroes and Villains (6:49) Do You Like Worms (Roll Plymouth Rock) (10:51) I'm In Great Shape (13:38) Barnyard (14:57) My Only Sunshine (The Old Master Painter/You Are My Sunshine) (16:12) Cabin Essence (18:46) Wonderful (21:57) Look (Song for Children) (23:44) Child Is Father of the Man (25:56) Surf's Up (28:30) I Wanna Be Around (Workshop) (32:52) Vega-Tables (34:15) Holidays (37:36) Wind Chimes (39:36) The Elements: Fire (Ms. O'Leary's Cow) (42:25) Love to Say Dada (45:00) Good Vibrations (46:57) You're Welcome (51:50) Uncut Reaction: patreon.com/dariusdevon Like, Comment & Subscribe✅
Beach Boys from 65 to 72 and their album Love You are classics and worth listening. Most of them are under or around 30 minutes, so it'll pass through pretty quickly. Love You is a bit strange, but a lot of fans think it's among their best. If you're looking to react to an atrociously bad album for whatever reason, Summer In Paradise is the choice. You'll have to look it up on RUclips, though, because the Beach Boys took down official releases on streaming due to how terrible it was.
I think you should listen to "Black Foliage: Animation Music" by the Olivia tremor control, they were really inspired by the beach boys and beatles, but are also 90's psych rock from Georgia (the state)
Man, I'm so damn glad you got to this Darius. You can FEEL Brian's struggle in this music, the utter chaos within his head at that point in his life. It is beautiful, childlike, haunting, INCREDIBLY psychedelic, and yes, messy and unfinished music. It's a wonderful tragedy. It's the most awe-inspiring creative project I've ever experienced and I'm forever grateful for Brian Wilson.
I think you'd love the movie "Love & Mercy". It's about very pivotal moments in Brian Wilson's life in the 60's and 80's(goes back and forth). It's a great look at the man who created these great albums(inside and out).
Love and mercy wasn't really great but the official documentary when Brian recreating the 2004 version is more moving and joyful ruclips.net/video/0SriaRRcA6w/видео.htmlsi=a7JmBwyv29xfZymM
@@kevink1098 haven't seen the documentary yet I don't think. I recently watched the movie since I just got into them a few months ago(16 yrs old) and it gave me a good background on who he was esp mentally. I'll have to check out the docu though.
@@kevink1098 The 60s scenes in Love And Mercy are great and *mostly* factual albeit with a few things moved around here and there, but the 80s scenes are more "Hollywood" and dramatized although Eugene Landy really did some horrible things to Brian in real life though.
I thought Love and Mercy WAS great, so obviously it's a matter of opinion. Using Paul Dano and then John Cusack to capture two utterly different states of the man fascinated me. I heartily recommend it.
The reason why the songs are so short is because they are supposed to one cohesive listen, kind of like the Dark Side of The Moon. This is the first album concept of its time that intended every song to transition smoothly into the next. Like one long song!
@@JulioLeonFandinho I don't know if it was meant to be 3 suites in 1967, but it's waht Brian decided to do in 2004. I think if he included Can't Wait Too Long, Speeches, and a few others, this could have been a double album. Perhaps 4 suites? 😁
You really dove into the deep end with this one! I would have recommended something like the BEACH BOYS TODAY!, which combines a Pet Sounds feel with their earlier style. (It's three albums before Pet Sounds but lays the groundwork for it.) And it ROCKS! Come on, @lifeofdariius, BEACH BOYS TODAY!
This could have been the most groundbreaking album ever. But Brian went crazy trying to make it. It's kind of a weird album, but it was cutting edge. I highly recommend you go on youtube and watch the 2004 SMiLE live concert. It was the first time brian wilson ever played the album live. And it took decades for him to revisit this project. Paul Mccartney was in the audience, giving him a standing ovation
@@lowenbad Not that version either. The Smiley Smile version was re-recorded in mid-1967 at Brian's home studio. Paul was present for one of the tracking sessions for Vega-Tables while he happened to be in LA, but no one knows exactly which take it was. It may be the take that's on the SMiLE Sessions or it may not be.
@@infectioussneeze9099 Personally, my favorite version is the Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE concert from 2004 which is a lot better than the studio version imo, and there are uploads of it on RUclips. I love the SMiLE Sessions especially for its historical value, but the problem is that the Beach Boys never finished it and it shows. I've gotten to the point where I'd honestly listen to "completed" fan mixes over the actual SMiLE Sessions boxset although the bonus tracks are pretty cool. The Dae Lims version is great, but I ended up making my own mix using Dae Lims, SMiLE Sessions, and a few more sources to make a "complete" Beach Boys version of BWPS lol
@@Logan912 and thats the cool thing about this album that anyone can mix it they want, personally the best mix out there is tragiclifeforms mix of the album. Dae lims didnt really change any structure and more so removed from it like removing songs and re eranging the intro? but his use of ai voices is just umberable to listen to. The reason why the smile sessions is so much greater for me is that its what brian at the time, with all of his genius created. You cannot replicate the same mood feeling and atmosphere that these tapes bring out, so many of these tracks just have so much life that just listening to the instrumentals of the songs are incredible. And the main staple of the beach boys brand are their sophisticated harmonic blends with eachother which out of everything else carries the songs more than any other version.-not even ai can replicate that BB blend, sorry DAE...
The most amazing thing about this to me, besides the music of course, is that this album was scheduled to be released months before the Beatles Sgt. Pepper's released! And on top of that, the Beach Boys were scheduled to headline the Monterey Pop Festival that summer with a set list consisting of Smile songs and Pet Sounds songs! The stars were seriously beginning to align for the Beach Boys to finally shed their "square" surfer image and truly soar to even greater heights, but unfortunately, various issues led to the project's collapse and the rest is history...
A small disclaimer: the tracklist for The SMiLE Sessions is based on that of Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE (BWPS), which is a studio version of the live performances by Brian and his solo band, who played a "reconstruction" of the album. I emphasize the word reconstruction because the album that Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks originally planned was quite different. Thanks to interviews with Van Dyke Parks, the album's lyricist, and cover impressions from the time, it is known that SMiLE was to be a 12 to 14 song album, without being interconnected or including recurring fragments as is the case with The SMiLE Sessions or BWPS. This original album would have been less than 40 minutes long. The known tracklist, with the songs that were intended at the time, is as follows: Do You Like Worms Wind Chimes Heroes And Villains Surf's Up Good Vibrations Cabin Essence Wonderful I'm In Great Shape Child Is Father Of The Man The Elements Vega-Tables The Old Master Painter Many of the songs included in BWPS and, consequently, in The SMiLE Sessions were discards or fragments of other compositions. For example, Look, Holidays, and I Wanna Be Around/Workshop were discarded songs. Likewise, fragments such as Gee, I'm In Great Shape, Barnyard, and The Old Master Painter were parts of Heroes And Villains or discards from it. That's why pieces like The Old Master Painter and I'm In Great Shape feel so short and incomplete despite being part of the songs intended to be part of the album is because; it would seem that Wilson wanted to expand these ideas so they wouldn't be part of Heroes And Villains, but didn't have the time before the album's cancellation to fully develop them.
I absolutely love smile sessions. Thank you so much for also listening to this and not only pet sounds! Edit: I love Heroes and Villains btw. It's amazing to me
You NEED to listen to the albums “Friends” and “Today” by The Beach Boys Friends is just a cosy, super chill album, and “Today” is their best pre Pet Sounds album, 1st side of fun bangers, 2nd side of ballads that you’d cry to
Your reactions to this album were freaking priceless. The perfect quote from you to describe this album is “What the f*ck”. I think the more you research this album you will understand the meaning and “development hell” that went on from this. And songs like Surfs Up just sound better the more you listen. You probably enjoy their album “Sunflower” it’s both fun and heartfelt.
he’s got a movie out about him called love and mercy, totally watch it if you love this stuff. really good depiction of what he was going through at the time
if you're going back to beach boys, do "Today!". It's probably their 2nd best. Smile takes a few listens to fully soak in and be understandable, same w/ pet sounds, but smile is even crazier. It's meant to be an album experience, and that you can also listen on shuffle, everything is related.
On cabin essence when you say you can hear other lines it’s cuz in the “who ran the iron horse” bit there’s a whole other verse by Dennis Wilson buried in the mix. He says “truck driving man, do what you can” and some other lines.
Hey Darius - I continue to be seriously blown away by your visceral reactions to music. Impeccably researched, deeply felt and intelligently critiqued. Cheers and best wishes from your fellow November 19 Aussie fan. 👍🏼 🇦🇺
Good reaction, btw if you're a fan of The Beatles. Get back(2021) might be a series you would want to check out. It's amazing, and gives an amazing insight into the band and it's final years. Even if you don't do a reaction on it, you should check it out as a Beatles fan.
Bro, yes, this haunted us fans for years and years, we could hear the fragments of what might have been. But then, he got his brain together and finished it. It's called Brian Wilson Presents Smile, around twenty years ago. He's older, and his voice just ain't what it was, and that's a shame. But, the songs aren't pieces, they're FINISHED, they're songs. And that's a huge plus... especially the first time around. That's worth doing, Love & Mercy is worth doing, the documentary is worth doing... you can just Smile yourself to death. Have fun!
I just left a long review on your Pet Sounds video about why you should review this. Then I saw this video. Hyped and immediately liked. You're a great reviewer and I'm just gonna go to your channel and watch it all I guess now, shit. I won't blow up your comments though, I was just excited. Thanks for doing these. Edit: I'm gonna edit to mention I like your edits. They're funny and add to the appreciation of the music.
I hadn't heard this whole album before, but that song surfs up is one of my favorite from them and it's on one of their later albums by the same name, you gotta check that album out and their album Sunflower.
Sunflower, Holland, and surfs up are albums where the other beach boys contribute a lot more Friends is mainly written by Brian and comes a year or two after all this was going down and it sort of Brian trying to chill and come to terms with all the insanity
This took so long to make due to technological restraints of the late 60s and Brian's mental state thoughout the decades. it is a triumph and a masterpiece that exceeds music. Glad you appreciate.
This is an urban legend. Bruce Johnston and Mike Love surfed. For all I know, they still surf. Mike wrote the lyrics to "Do It Again" after a day spent surfing with an old friend.
@@AndyMakesPlaylists Maybe Dennis was the only that could have been considered a "Surfer"at the group's genesis in 1961 and Bruce wasn't around till 1965. Mike Love certainly did surf at times. Brian Wilson has been on a surfboard in the ocean on at least 2 occasions (one on SNL )
Also this is or would of been a concept album, split into 3 movements. The first part was Americana, which was a journey from one side of America to another. The middle part was child to father man, from innocence to…..whatever the opposite of that is as you grow up, and the third part was Elelments, Earth, Wind, Fire & Wind, which is a great concept imo, and the songs sound like these elements
Thank you. I really enjoy your videos. I am a huge Brian Wilson/Beach Boys fan. It’s awesome to hear the Smile Sessions. They give a valuable glimpse into Brian’s production process. I absolutely recommend checking out the Brian Wilson Smile-Live Video on RUclips. He and his stellar band performed the completed entire album. It’s a stunning thing of beauty. I was fortunate enough to catch that tour live in Chicago. Thanks again!
Definitely listen to the Brian Wilson 2004 Smile album. They finished the album with lyrics into something cohesive and wonderful and the Smile Sessions are based on that version
They pieced this together following Wilson’s 2004 set. Some of these originals here are not completed. No,way to tell how it would have sounded in 67 nor how it would have been received.
This disarray of the songs during this session heavily reflect the state of Brian Wilson’s brain during this time. Just a bunch of scattered bits of genius from his over use of drugs during the late 60s. I suggest watching Love and Mercy, the Brian wilson biopic that covers his burnout and eventual recovery pretty well.
This has been mentioned already, but the movie “Beautiful Dreamer: Brian Wilson and the Story of Smile” is on RUclips and it’s a great documentary on the rise and fall and rebirth of Smile, told by the people who were there.
to explain why some tacks like child is father of the man sound so poor or are not mixed well is because the complete multi tracks (a complete stack of tapes which can be listened to individually) are missing so they're left with old acetates of songs which aren't the best in quality and dont offer to much in mixing. also brian wilson presents smile is the best smile documentary so if you're interested you know where to go 👍
I haven't checked all the comments so apologies to anyone who already mentioned it - however Brian Wilson did finish Smile in 2004, well worth a listen
DAMN awesome reaction man. Lots of positive vibes on your channel. YT recommended this to me as i'm in a deep Beach Boys appreciation phase, and the rabbit hole is neverending! Smile is a mess, but there's some gems (you called out the same ones I dig also), although Heroes and Villains grows on you over time. For more reaction goodness, you should totally check out their album Holland, and "Carl and the Passions" (which is the album's name believe it or not). Some of the early 70's stuff is damn good, there's an entire album called Surf's Up that is pretty killer, which has the Surf's Up song on it too! They re-used some of the Smile tracks over the years for other albums. Keep up the good work with the channel, Darius! Earned a sub here. 🔥
I find Our Prayer, when I have my iPod on shuffle (yes I still use one), it works as the perfect intro to every song that comes after it. Surf’s Up sounds so complete, which is amazing because it took years to finish. A version was released four years later (1971) with Carl on the lead. The backing track was only half recorded (the orchestral portion). They added more percussion and harmonies as well as Carl doing a lead vocal. For the second half, they took a demo recording of Brian performing the song on piano for a tv show, added harmonies, percussion, and synth bass. The Smile Sessions version though, using digital technology, separated Brian’s demo vocal and placed it on top of the track to replace Carl’s vocal (except for one line). According to legend, the Great Chicago Fire was started by a cow, belonging to a Mrs. O’Leary, kicking over a lantern in a barn, causing the destruction of a city. The intro to the song gains a bigger meaning with that context. It sounds like fireman scrambling and rushing down the street, dodging pedestrians and trying to clear the road to reach the fire. Then they reach the fire and it sounds like the depths of hell with the harmonies (the screams of those trapped in burning buildings), a bass like a heart skipping a beat, and drums like buildings crashing.
yoooo dude i'm so happy u picked this version of the album too. i discovered u through the pet sounds vid and i been binge ur beatles vids. also brian wilson heard rubber soul and that inspired him to write pet sounds the way it was :) love ur vids dude
Brian heard the Capitol-configured version of Rubber Soul (not the original UK version which opened with Drive My Car), which had more of a folk rock sound, and Brian had the impression that it had no filler tracks.
The whole album is "modular". It contains short, compartmentalized finite pieces of music, ALL INTERCONNECTED THEMATICALLY, that can more or less be taken apart and re-assembled in any (or no) particular order. THE WHOLE ALBUM. Which is basically what drove Brian Wilson to the point of insanity. Not the recording aspect -- you can hear they are near complete in the recording phase. Smile's downfall was, as they say, all in the edit.
To this day I don't like the Brian Wilson Smile album. He added too much, stuff he wrote NOW to go with the original. I still listen to the random fan made eidt I obtained in the early 2000s. I saw 3 different live performances of Brian Wilson and the Wondermints and crew.
So you can work your way back to their earlier surf music (which is still good and fun) but what made me really get deep into the band is their songs after smile. Their late 60s and early 70s stuff really helps you get to know each band member.
I think the reasons why he didn’t finish the album from my perspective and also if I can remember what Brian Wilson said about it: 1) He was overbeared with all the fragments and couldn’t get to finish the job 2) Mike Love didn’t dig it. I think some other group members couldn’t relate to the vision 3) Strained relationships with his dad 4) Pressure from the record company to finish 5) Declining mental health 6) Worried the music was too advanced and people wouldn’t get it. Remember Pet Sounds wasn’t received well at the time
A lot of these songs were completed by Brian in 2004 on his version of Smile. The best version of that is the live performance version. It’s on RUclips.
You have to remember that he never really finished this album. Everything you're hearing, he cobbled together from the recordings and the masters to finally assemble what he wanted to accomplish. The 2004 Brian Wilson smile sessions album is much more cohesive.
Ya if you want to listen to the soulless version listen to a ai rendition. It’s alright but honestly doesn’t add anything to the album, more takes away in its poor quality.
Wow definitely wasn’t expecting this!! Great reaction! If you do more beach boys, I’d recommend Today! (Their best album pre pet sounds) and Sunflower (best album post pet sounds)
The work ethic is unreal 💪💪 Bro puts out more content than other channels and still manages to be more insightful too. No notes. No recommendations this time. We locked in for whatever’s next 🫡
A beautiful mess about sums it all up. This is where the group drops off for me personally. I suggest going backwards to the Beach Boys Today album. It's sort of Pet Sounds lite.
There were a lot more fragments to Heroes & Villains, and I can’t recall but I think altogether it clocks in at like 11 minutes. Even the song Gee / How I Love My Girl, repeats the harmony “Heroes & Villains in the background. Then in the Roll Plymouth Rock song, the Bicycle Rider segment has the same melody as Heroes & Villains. I really think this would of been a groundbreaking album.
Lot of people here saying to go back in the discography but I’d recommend going forward. Most of the albums from from Pet Sounds to Carl and the Passions So Tough are fantastic.
Besides the ones you've covered so far, Wild Honey and The Beach Boys Today! are probably the two albums by this band to listen to. Beyond that...well, their discography gets a lot spottier than the Beatles'. I’d also recommend XTC’s Skylarking, an album often regarded as the Sgt. Pepper/Smile of the 80s.
Next, you should listen to The Beach Boys Today and Summer Days and Summer Nights next. Today is amazing and Summer Days has some great ones as well! Enjoy!!
great album although I don't remember half the tracks 🗣️ I wanted to suggest The Kinks, another great band from the 60s that is somewhat forgotten. Especially the album "Face To Face", which was a turning point for them. It's a short uphill journey to "Village Green", which I consider the best of them. Great video as always 🙏
My favorite band is the Beach Boys. My brother's is Pink Floyd. The biggest difference between Brian Wilson and Syd Barret is that Brian ultimately had a support system that Syd didn't.
If you found that disjointed I’d highly recommend Brian Wilson presents: SMiLE (2004). It’s a solo album by him specifically that re-records these songs in a more cohesive way. Combining some of the shorter ones into more fleshed out pieces.
This entire album was written as little tiny snippets that were meant to be put together into full songs. Some of the snippets never found proper homes, and one part of why it fell apart was that Brian just couldn’t figure out how to put it all together.
I could be wrong, but I think that was Hal Blaine playing drums on Holidays. Dennis didn’t play very much on Pet Sounds and Smile. Wild Honey was the first BBs album with Dennis as the main drummer since probably Shut Down Vol. 2 or All Summer Long.
I would implore you to check out the beach boys "party" album. They recorded it due to pressure from the record label to put out and album, but Brian was working on Pet Sounds so they just recorded some live songs in a room full of a few friends. It rules.
No way man! I've been tryna make a video essay on Smile to cover everything about it, as most of them aren't conclusive. Thanks for reviewing my favorite album, and if you want watch that when I do make that I'd appreciate it a lot!
Imma just let you know I get hyped for ur vids to watch with dinner like i used to when i was little with gaming vids, these vids are so good and your video quality is so much better than you'd expect for a channel under 100k. keep up the great work man ill be here for ur 100k special 🫡
I 100% recommend the AI version on Dae Lims’ channel! I hope you do it publicly on RUclips because it feels complete and would love to see your reaction! I know loads of people still feel iffy about AI but this one album needed it. Please consider doing a reaction on it here 🥹 you’ll love it 👏🏻
Hell yeah brother, another one! Anyway this is the creative Peak of Brian at this point! They still had some amazing stuff from then on. After this point, you'll hear some phenomenal songs written from Brian's brothers Carl and Dennis. Bruce Johnston and Al Jardine wrote some beautiful tunes as well. In the late 70s Dennis did the unthinkable by making a solo album, Pacific Ocean Blue and his unfinished album Bambu. I highly recommend it after checking out their 70s catalog 👌
I’d argue Pet Sounds is his creative peak, since he actually finished it. Smile was the peak of his ambition. The complexity and enormity of creating it is part of why he failed to complete it (obviously his mental health was the biggest factor).
@@thomaspappalardo7589thats a good argument there and I see where you're coming from. The reason I said so is the fact is that the creative processes and techniques Brian conducted was just far out and advanced (in both departments of vocalizations and instrumentations) at the time and impressive for a 25 year old. Heroes and Villains, Cabinessence, the elements and the Child sequences are out of this world compared to anything from Pet Sounds and that's crazy to think since PS is my all time favorite.
The Beach Boys put out some of these songs on future albums. It made the albums really lackluster but those songs are a lot of the time complete versions and mixed better.
Great video as always! Love your channel, Darius! You should do "Beach Boys Today". The album before pet sounds, with lots of similar stuff like Pet Sounds. Bet you'd love it. Has really beautiful songs on there as well.
It's a bit of a music history shame this wasn't finished and released in 66 or 67. On this mix (that follows the order of Brian Wilson Presents Smile from 2004, prior to that no one, likely even Brian knew how it was supposed to go together), there is work done in 1971 (Surf's Up), 1968 (Our Prayer / Cabinessence) and parts from the immediately adjacent Smiley Smile and Wild Honey ( Smile Sessions "finished" in May). The lead vocals (and some piano) on Barnyard and I'm in Great Shape is pulled from a recording of Brian trying to explain Heroes and Villains to a radio DJ. Many tracks are missing lead vocals like Holidays, Look and Do You Like Worms. Smiley Smile contains a number of lo-fi stoned in the home studio versions of a number of these tracks like Wonderful and Wind Chimes. For decades people were making their own Smile mixes based on bootlegged session tapes. Despite not being released it's my favourite Beach Boys Album (Pet Sounds just sits under it), I should mention that while I consider 80% of this album is Brian Wilson in terms of melody, arrangement, production,etc but a few people deserve mention. Most lyrics here were written by Van Dyke Parks, basically a NY hipster who Brian likes (and these days is an accomplished songwriter and singer and helped Brian "finish" Smile in 04). Further the other Beach Boys do sing all over this album and they all do leads at some point (at least of the main 5) and do play on a few tracks . Of course The Wrecking Crew gets props for delivering Brian's instrumental vision. Other great Beach Boys albums worth listening too are Friends (1968) a very chill and laid-back album with plenty of nice Wrecking Crew instrumentals and Sunflower (1970) which is also lush and shows pretty nice songs from Dennis Wilson as well as Brian Wilson and Bruce Johnston and lots of work by Carl Wilson. Love You (1977) is freaking weird and excellent and shows Brian coming back from years in "bed" . The early stuff that led up to Pet Sounds is full of excellent album that often go toe to toe with the Beatles like 1963's Surfer Girl, the first album Brian properly produced and the 2nd to have double tracked vocals. 1964's All Summer Long is an ode to an early 60's summer and 1965's Today! is very wall of sound with an upbeat Side A and down beat Side 2 that rivals Pet Sounds. Summer Days (1965) has big production too and a few of their biggest songs.
A BEAUTIFUL MESS😮🔥
Our Prayer (3:47)
Gee (5:06)
Heroes and Villains (6:49)
Do You Like Worms (Roll Plymouth Rock) (10:51)
I'm In Great Shape (13:38)
Barnyard (14:57)
My Only Sunshine (The Old Master Painter/You Are My Sunshine) (16:12)
Cabin Essence (18:46)
Wonderful (21:57)
Look (Song for Children) (23:44)
Child Is Father of the Man (25:56)
Surf's Up (28:30)
I Wanna Be Around (Workshop) (32:52)
Vega-Tables (34:15)
Holidays (37:36)
Wind Chimes (39:36)
The Elements: Fire (Ms. O'Leary's Cow) (42:25)
Love to Say Dada (45:00)
Good Vibrations (46:57)
You're Welcome (51:50)
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Three of the Beach Boys did surf: Dennis Wilson, Bruce Johnston and Mike Love. The others did not.
Legend has it that Mrs. O'Leary owned the cow that kicked over a lantern, setting all of Chicago on fire -- the Great Chicago Fire.
Beach Boys from 65 to 72 and their album Love You are classics and worth listening. Most of them are under or around 30 minutes, so it'll pass through pretty quickly.
Love You is a bit strange, but a lot of fans think it's among their best. If you're looking to react to an atrociously bad album for whatever reason, Summer In Paradise is the choice. You'll have to look it up on RUclips, though, because the Beach Boys took down official releases on streaming due to how terrible it was.
@@reginaldcampos5762 and Holland which is 1973
I think you should listen to "Black Foliage: Animation Music" by the Olivia tremor control, they were really inspired by the beach boys and beatles, but are also 90's psych rock from Georgia (the state)
normally i like to comment a fun fact about the album but this time i just want to say how much i love surf's up
one of (if not the) best songs they've made 🗣️ for sure
@@Gaiaphage father is the child of man into surfs up is like a religious experience every time
You ever seen the Vince Gill version? So great
One of the best songs ever written.
Came here to say this
Man, I'm so damn glad you got to this Darius. You can FEEL Brian's struggle in this music, the utter chaos within his head at that point in his life.
It is beautiful, childlike, haunting, INCREDIBLY psychedelic, and yes, messy and unfinished music.
It's a wonderful tragedy. It's the most awe-inspiring creative project I've ever experienced and I'm forever grateful for Brian Wilson.
I think you'd love the movie "Love & Mercy". It's about very pivotal moments in Brian Wilson's life in the 60's and 80's(goes back and forth). It's a great look at the man who created these great albums(inside and out).
Love and mercy wasn't really great but the official documentary when Brian recreating the 2004 version is more moving and joyful
ruclips.net/video/0SriaRRcA6w/видео.htmlsi=a7JmBwyv29xfZymM
@@kevink1098 haven't seen the documentary yet I don't think. I recently watched the movie since I just got into them a few months ago(16 yrs old) and it gave me a good background on who he was esp mentally. I'll have to check out the docu though.
@@zk3k447 you will definitely love it, it's the greatest documentary about him and what happened with smile
@@kevink1098 The 60s scenes in Love And Mercy are great and *mostly* factual albeit with a few things moved around here and there, but the 80s scenes are more "Hollywood" and dramatized although Eugene Landy really did some horrible things to Brian in real life though.
I thought Love and Mercy WAS great, so obviously it's a matter of opinion. Using Paul Dano and then John Cusack to capture two utterly different states of the man fascinated me. I heartily recommend it.
The reason why the songs are so short is because they are supposed to one cohesive listen, kind of like the Dark Side of The Moon. This is the first album concept of its time that intended every song to transition smoothly into the next. Like one long song!
It was supposed to be structured in 3 "suites" everyone refering to one general idea, divided in songs and small pieces.
@@JulioLeonFandinho I don't know if it was meant to be 3 suites in 1967, but it's waht Brian decided to do in 2004. I think if he included Can't Wait Too Long, Speeches, and a few others, this could have been a double album. Perhaps 4 suites? 😁
You really dove into the deep end with this one! I would have recommended something like the BEACH BOYS TODAY!, which combines a Pet Sounds feel with their earlier style. (It's three albums before Pet Sounds but lays the groundwork for it.) And it ROCKS! Come on, @lifeofdariius, BEACH BOYS TODAY!
Totally agree! Some really beautiful songs on there too. Some of my favourites really!
Beach boys today is fantastic
Most of this album was recorded before Sgt Pepper was released.
💯 agree!!
Wild Honey is great too. The Beach Boys did no wrong, probably the best white soul album and one of Jim Morrisons favorites too
Ms. oleary’s cow… the cow was blamed for kicking over a lamp that burned down the city of Chicago. Thus fire
Good Vibrations is one of the most famous Beach boys songs. It's a masterpiece!
genuinely the last thing i expected you to review holy shit
You’re listening to what was going on in Brian Wilson’s head at the time - madness touched with glimpses of sheer genius.
Genius touched with glimpses of sheer madness.
Good vibrations was the most expensive song produced at the time of its released which explains how well put together it is
This could have been the most groundbreaking album ever. But Brian went crazy trying to make it. It's kind of a weird album, but it was cutting edge. I highly recommend you go on youtube and watch the 2004 SMiLE live concert. It was the first time brian wilson ever played the album live. And it took decades for him to revisit this project. Paul Mccartney was in the audience, giving him a standing ovation
Brian Wilson got some folks together and re-recorded and "finished" Smile like 40 years later. not a bad listen.
Even got the original lyric writer, Van Dyke Parks, to help finish it, so that makes the 2004 Smile “official” enough in my book.
no way you reacted to this so fast
most people would agree this is the greatest album that was never made
Paul McCartney "played" a celery stick on the Vegetables track, true story. :)
Not on this one. He’s on the Smiley Smile version. 🤓
@@lowenbad Not that version either. The Smiley Smile version was re-recorded in mid-1967 at Brian's home studio. Paul was present for one of the tracking sessions for Vega-Tables while he happened to be in LA, but no one knows exactly which take it was. It may be the take that's on the SMiLE Sessions or it may not be.
@@Logan912 I know that distinctive celery playing ;)
The completed/remade version from 2004 (Brian Wilson Presents Smile) is worth listening to also.
Ya but this is the definitive version imo
The documentary is also a masterpiece ruclips.net/video/0SriaRRcA6w/видео.htmlsi=a7JmBwyv29xfZymM
@@infectioussneeze9099 Personally, my favorite version is the Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE concert from 2004 which is a lot better than the studio version imo, and there are uploads of it on RUclips. I love the SMiLE Sessions especially for its historical value, but the problem is that the Beach Boys never finished it and it shows.
I've gotten to the point where I'd honestly listen to "completed" fan mixes over the actual SMiLE Sessions boxset although the bonus tracks are pretty cool. The Dae Lims version is great, but I ended up making my own mix using Dae Lims, SMiLE Sessions, and a few more sources to make a "complete" Beach Boys version of BWPS lol
@@Logan912 and thats the cool thing about this album that anyone can mix it they want, personally the best mix out there is tragiclifeforms mix of the album. Dae lims didnt really change any structure and more so removed from it like removing songs and re eranging the intro? but his use of ai voices is just umberable to listen to. The reason why the smile sessions is so much greater for me is that its what brian at the time, with all of his genius created. You cannot replicate the same mood feeling and atmosphere that these tapes bring out, so many of these tracks just have so much life that just listening to the instrumentals of the songs are incredible. And the main staple of the beach boys brand are their sophisticated harmonic blends with eachother which out of everything else carries the songs more than any other version.-not even ai can replicate that BB blend, sorry DAE...
@@Logan912You NEED to hear the Anonymouse Smile mixes, they’re insane
The most amazing thing about this to me, besides the music of course, is that this album was scheduled to be released months before the Beatles Sgt. Pepper's released! And on top of that, the Beach Boys were scheduled to headline the Monterey Pop Festival that summer with a set list consisting of Smile songs and Pet Sounds songs! The stars were seriously beginning to align for the Beach Boys to finally shed their "square" surfer image and truly soar to even greater heights, but unfortunately, various issues led to the project's collapse and the rest is history...
A small disclaimer: the tracklist for The SMiLE Sessions is based on that of Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE (BWPS), which is a studio version of the live performances by Brian and his solo band, who played a "reconstruction" of the album. I emphasize the word reconstruction because the album that Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks originally planned was quite different.
Thanks to interviews with Van Dyke Parks, the album's lyricist, and cover impressions from the time, it is known that SMiLE was to be a 12 to 14 song album, without being interconnected or including recurring fragments as is the case with The SMiLE Sessions or BWPS. This original album would have been less than 40 minutes long.
The known tracklist, with the songs that were intended at the time, is as follows:
Do You Like Worms
Wind Chimes
Heroes And Villains
Surf's Up
Good Vibrations
Cabin Essence
Wonderful
I'm In Great Shape
Child Is Father Of The Man
The Elements
Vega-Tables
The Old Master Painter
Many of the songs included in BWPS and, consequently, in The SMiLE Sessions were discards or fragments of other compositions. For example, Look, Holidays, and I Wanna Be Around/Workshop were discarded songs. Likewise, fragments such as Gee, I'm In Great Shape, Barnyard, and The Old Master Painter were parts of Heroes And Villains or discards from it.
That's why pieces like The Old Master Painter and I'm In Great Shape feel so short and incomplete despite being part of the songs intended to be part of the album is because; it would seem that Wilson wanted to expand these ideas so they wouldn't be part of Heroes And Villains, but didn't have the time before the album's cancellation to fully develop them.
I absolutely love smile sessions. Thank you so much for also listening to this and not only pet sounds!
Edit: I love Heroes and Villains btw. It's amazing to me
You NEED to listen to the albums “Friends” and “Today” by The Beach Boys Friends is just a cosy, super chill album, and “Today” is their best pre Pet Sounds album, 1st side of fun bangers, 2nd side of ballads that you’d cry to
Don’t forget to watch “Beautiful Dreamer” all about Brian’s creative process during Pet Sounds and Smile. Also, the movie Love and Mercy.
Your reactions to this album were freaking priceless. The perfect quote from you to describe this album is “What the f*ck”. I think the more you research this album you will understand the meaning and “development hell” that went on from this. And songs like Surfs Up just sound better the more you listen. You probably enjoy their album “Sunflower” it’s both fun and heartfelt.
he’s got a movie out about him called love and mercy, totally watch it if you love this stuff. really good depiction of what he was going through at the time
Smiley Smile is the album they released after Smile fell apart-could be an interesting listen-it’s verrrry odd but underrated
"There's no way Brian Wilson is in here writing about wind chimes" .... yep, that's what he's doing! Haha
That’s nothing! Later he gives out directions to his house in a song.
Wait till he knows about Ding Dang
@@paninovevo1162 he's not ready for Love You yet. Give him time xD
@@MisterMoccasin😂
if you're going back to beach boys, do "Today!". It's probably their 2nd best. Smile takes a few listens to fully soak in and be understandable, same w/ pet sounds, but smile is even crazier. It's meant to be an album experience, and that you can also listen on shuffle, everything is related.
B-Wil's voice is truly angelic
@@Bururaian the best ever!
On cabin essence when you say you can hear other lines it’s cuz in the “who ran the iron horse” bit there’s a whole other verse by Dennis Wilson buried in the mix. He says “truck driving man, do what you can” and some other lines.
Hey Darius - I continue to be seriously blown away by your visceral reactions to music. Impeccably researched, deeply felt and intelligently critiqued. Cheers and best wishes from your fellow November 19 Aussie fan. 👍🏼 🇦🇺
Brian Wilsons SMILE album is partially a little more complete. It has 2004 Brian Wilson vocals so it's not the same. But it's still beautiful.
i’ve been waiting for this one
Good reaction, btw if you're a fan of The Beatles. Get back(2021) might be a series you would want to check out. It's amazing, and gives an amazing insight into the band and it's final years. Even if you don't do a reaction on it, you should check it out as a Beatles fan.
49:33 really good use of the Theremin instrument
i would definitely recommend Smiley Smile and Friends for the next one. Some of my favorite beach boy albums.
All the albums from today to Holland (maybe L.A. 🤔) has some awesome tracks and hidden gems
Friends is a great and overlooked album for sure.
Friends is lovely
Just watched the pet sounds video an hour ago, amazing timing
Bro, yes, this haunted us fans for years and years, we could hear the fragments of what might have been. But then, he got his brain together and finished it. It's called Brian Wilson Presents Smile, around twenty years ago. He's older, and his voice just ain't what it was, and that's a shame. But, the songs aren't pieces, they're FINISHED, they're songs. And that's a huge plus... especially the first time around. That's worth doing, Love & Mercy is worth doing, the documentary is worth doing... you can just Smile yourself to death. Have fun!
can't tell if it's crazier to listen to SMiE with or without the context of the early pre-pet sounds surf/cars/beach songs
Lmao your description of Heroes and Villains being Beach Boys Hell is spot on 😂
I just left a long review on your Pet Sounds video about why you should review this. Then I saw this video. Hyped and immediately liked. You're a great reviewer and I'm just gonna go to your channel and watch it all I guess now, shit. I won't blow up your comments though, I was just excited. Thanks for doing these. Edit: I'm gonna edit to mention I like your edits. They're funny and add to the appreciation of the music.
I hadn't heard this whole album before, but that song surfs up is one of my favorite from them and it's on one of their later albums by the same name, you gotta check that album out and their album Sunflower.
I’d recommend checking out Dae Lims’ SMILE AI. Even tho it’s technically not official, it does a good job at completing what could have been
Came to say this.
You should definitely read up more on The Beach Boys. They have one of the most interesting stories in rock n roll history.
Sunflower, Holland, and surfs up are albums where the other beach boys contribute a lot more
Friends is mainly written by Brian and comes a year or two after all this was going down and it sort of Brian trying to chill and come to terms with all the insanity
The guy who wrote the lyrics to this Van Dyke Parks is quite a character
I just love how much he still hates Mike Love to this day
There’s a rumour that’s it’s Paul McCartney who is chewing the celery on Vega-Tables
This took so long to make due to technological restraints of the late 60s and Brian's mental state thoughout the decades. it is a triumph and a masterpiece that exceeds music. Glad you appreciate.
Dennis Wilson was the only Beach Boy who actually surfed.
This is an urban legend. Bruce Johnston and Mike Love surfed. For all I know, they still surf. Mike wrote the lyrics to "Do It Again" after a day spent surfing with an old friend.
@@AndyMakesPlaylists Maybe Dennis was the only that could have been considered a "Surfer"at the group's genesis in 1961 and Bruce wasn't around till 1965. Mike Love certainly did surf at times. Brian Wilson has been on a surfboard in the ocean on at least 2 occasions (one on SNL )
dude can't wait for you to listen to surf's up
Masterpiece one of the greatest
Dennis’s solo record is great too.
Also this is or would of been a concept album, split into 3 movements. The first part was Americana, which was a journey from one side of America to another. The middle part was child to father man, from innocence to…..whatever the opposite of that is as you grow up, and the third part was Elelments, Earth, Wind, Fire & Wind, which is a great concept imo, and the songs sound like these elements
Thank you. I really enjoy your videos. I am a huge Brian Wilson/Beach Boys fan. It’s awesome to hear the Smile Sessions. They give a valuable glimpse into Brian’s production process. I absolutely recommend checking out the Brian Wilson Smile-Live Video on RUclips. He and his stellar band performed the completed entire album. It’s a stunning thing of beauty. I was fortunate enough to catch that tour live in Chicago. Thanks again!
Definitely listen to the Brian Wilson 2004 Smile album. They finished the album with lyrics into something cohesive and wonderful and the Smile Sessions are based on that version
They pieced this together following Wilson’s 2004 set. Some of these originals here are not completed. No,way to tell how it would have sounded in 67 nor how it would have been received.
This disarray of the songs during this session heavily reflect the state of Brian Wilson’s brain during this time. Just a bunch of scattered bits of genius from his over use of drugs during the late 60s. I suggest watching Love and Mercy, the Brian wilson biopic that covers his burnout and eventual recovery pretty well.
This has been mentioned already, but the movie “Beautiful Dreamer: Brian Wilson and the Story of Smile” is on RUclips and it’s a great documentary on the rise and fall and rebirth of Smile, told by the people who were there.
to explain why some tacks like child is father of the man sound so poor or are not mixed well is because the complete multi tracks (a complete stack of tapes which can be listened to individually) are missing so they're left with old acetates of songs which aren't the best in quality and dont offer to much in mixing. also brian wilson presents smile is the best smile documentary so if you're interested you know where to go 👍
I haven't checked all the comments so apologies to anyone who already mentioned it - however Brian Wilson did finish Smile in 2004, well worth a listen
DAMN awesome reaction man. Lots of positive vibes on your channel. YT recommended this to me as i'm in a deep Beach Boys appreciation phase, and the rabbit hole is neverending! Smile is a mess, but there's some gems (you called out the same ones I dig also), although Heroes and Villains grows on you over time. For more reaction goodness, you should totally check out their album Holland, and "Carl and the Passions" (which is the album's name believe it or not). Some of the early 70's stuff is damn good, there's an entire album called Surf's Up that is pretty killer, which has the Surf's Up song on it too! They re-used some of the Smile tracks over the years for other albums. Keep up the good work with the channel, Darius! Earned a sub here. 🔥
I find Our Prayer, when I have my iPod on shuffle (yes I still use one), it works as the perfect intro to every song that comes after it.
Surf’s Up sounds so complete, which is amazing because it took years to finish. A version was released four years later (1971) with Carl on the lead. The backing track was only half recorded (the orchestral portion). They added more percussion and harmonies as well as Carl doing a lead vocal. For the second half, they took a demo recording of Brian performing the song on piano for a tv show, added harmonies, percussion, and synth bass. The Smile Sessions version though, using digital technology, separated Brian’s demo vocal and placed it on top of the track to replace Carl’s vocal (except for one line).
According to legend, the Great Chicago Fire was started by a cow, belonging to a Mrs. O’Leary, kicking over a lantern in a barn, causing the destruction of a city. The intro to the song gains a bigger meaning with that context. It sounds like fireman scrambling and rushing down the street, dodging pedestrians and trying to clear the road to reach the fire. Then they reach the fire and it sounds like the depths of hell with the harmonies (the screams of those trapped in burning buildings), a bass like a heart skipping a beat, and drums like buildings crashing.
yoooo dude i'm so happy u picked this version of the album too. i discovered u through the pet sounds vid and i been binge ur beatles vids. also brian wilson heard rubber soul and that inspired him to write pet sounds the way it was :) love ur vids dude
Brian heard the Capitol-configured version of Rubber Soul (not the original UK version which opened with Drive My Car), which had more of a folk rock sound, and Brian had the impression that it had no filler tracks.
The whole album is "modular". It contains short, compartmentalized finite pieces of music, ALL INTERCONNECTED THEMATICALLY, that can more or less be taken apart and re-assembled in any (or no) particular order. THE WHOLE ALBUM. Which is basically what drove Brian Wilson to the point of insanity. Not the recording aspect -- you can hear they are near complete in the recording phase. Smile's downfall was, as they say, all in the edit.
To this day I don't like the Brian Wilson Smile album. He added too much, stuff he wrote NOW to go with the original. I still listen to the random fan made eidt I obtained in the early 2000s. I saw 3 different live performances of Brian Wilson and the Wondermints and crew.
Not only the edit, but also corralling the Boys to get the vocals recorded, which was like herding cats.
One of my all time favourite albums. Vocal harmonies from the heavens.
Surf's Up is a song i will always love.
pls go back and listen to ‘today’ and ‘summer days summer nights’ they’re so amazingggg 😊
So you can work your way back to their earlier surf music (which is still good and fun) but what made me really get deep into the band is their songs after smile. Their late 60s and early 70s stuff really helps you get to know each band member.
I think the reasons why he didn’t finish the album from my perspective and also if I can remember what Brian Wilson said about it:
1) He was overbeared with all the fragments and couldn’t get to finish the job
2) Mike Love didn’t dig it. I think some other group members couldn’t relate to the vision
3) Strained relationships with his dad
4) Pressure from the record company to finish
5) Declining mental health
6) Worried the music was too advanced and people wouldn’t get it. Remember Pet Sounds wasn’t received well at the time
A lot of these songs were completed by Brian in 2004 on his version of Smile. The best version of that is the live performance version. It’s on RUclips.
SMiLE feels like the best kind of circus carnival acid trip lol
You have to remember that he never really finished this album. Everything you're hearing, he cobbled together from the recordings and the masters to finally assemble what he wanted to accomplish. The 2004 Brian Wilson smile sessions album is much more cohesive.
As well as the video of them performing BWPS at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Worth a watch!
I’d recommend Brian Wilson’s completed version of SMiLE from 2004, or the dae lims take on SMiLE. Both are really good
Ya if you want to listen to the soulless version listen to a ai rendition. It’s alright but honestly doesn’t add anything to the album, more takes away in its poor quality.
Wow definitely wasn’t expecting this!! Great reaction! If you do more beach boys, I’d recommend Today! (Their best album pre pet sounds) and Sunflower (best album post pet sounds)
The work ethic is unreal 💪💪
Bro puts out more content than other channels and still manages to be more insightful too.
No notes. No recommendations this time. We locked in for whatever’s next 🫡
I appreciate that Matt forreal 🙏🏾 Had to come back with a bang
A beautiful mess about sums it all up. This is where the group drops off for me personally. I suggest going backwards to the Beach Boys Today album. It's sort of Pet Sounds lite.
There were a lot more fragments to Heroes & Villains, and I can’t recall but I think altogether it clocks in at like 11 minutes. Even the song Gee / How I Love My Girl, repeats the harmony “Heroes & Villains in the background. Then in the Roll Plymouth Rock song, the Bicycle Rider segment has the same melody as Heroes & Villains. I really think this would of been a groundbreaking album.
Hes not crying about wind chimes ... the song is about being so high starring at wind chimes that his eyes stare tearing becuase hes not blinking
Lot of people here saying to go back in the discography but I’d recommend going forward. Most of the albums from from Pet Sounds to Carl and the Passions So Tough are fantastic.
bro having a little mixed drink on the beach a lil edible action and kokomo hit so hard
Besides the ones you've covered so far, Wild Honey and The Beach Boys Today! are probably the two albums by this band to listen to. Beyond that...well, their discography gets a lot spottier than the Beatles'. I’d also recommend XTC’s Skylarking, an album often regarded as the Sgt. Pepper/Smile of the 80s.
Spotty? No way! Summer In Paradise and Salute To NASCAR are masterpieces!!! /s
Next, you should listen to The Beach Boys Today and Summer Days and Summer Nights next. Today is amazing and Summer Days has some great ones as well! Enjoy!!
If you want a Beach Boys album that’s more like The Beatles, listen to their 1968 album Friends. It’s very psychedelic.
Our Prayer, Gee, and Heroes and Villains should all be listened to as if they’re all one song.
This is one of my favorites by the Beach Boys 🔥
great album although I don't remember half the tracks 🗣️
I wanted to suggest The Kinks, another great band from the 60s that is somewhat forgotten. Especially the album "Face To Face", which was a turning point for them. It's a short uphill journey to "Village Green", which I consider the best of them. Great video as always 🙏
You’re brave to dive into Smile, not personally what I would’ve recommended after PS just due to how wild these Sessions are. Appreciate the vid bro
i like the songs not overstaying their welcome. the short songs punctuate the album listening experience
Surfs up is a perfect song imo
Good Vibrations was a huge hit single before Smile. Smile was supposed to be an entire album of Good Vibrations type songs.
My favorite band is the Beach Boys. My brother's is Pink Floyd. The biggest difference between Brian Wilson and Syd Barret is that Brian ultimately had a support system that Syd didn't.
If you found that disjointed I’d highly recommend Brian Wilson presents: SMiLE (2004). It’s a solo album by him specifically that re-records these songs in a more cohesive way. Combining some of the shorter ones into more fleshed out pieces.
This entire album was written as little tiny snippets that were meant to be put together into full songs. Some of the snippets never found proper homes, and one part of why it fell apart was that Brian just couldn’t figure out how to put it all together.
Brian is a whole other type of genius
I could be wrong, but I think that was Hal Blaine playing drums on Holidays. Dennis didn’t play very much on Pet Sounds and Smile. Wild Honey was the first BBs album with Dennis as the main drummer since probably Shut Down Vol. 2 or All Summer Long.
I would implore you to check out the beach boys "party" album. They recorded it due to pressure from the record label to put out and album, but Brian was working on Pet Sounds so they just recorded some live songs in a room full of a few friends. It rules.
No way man! I've been tryna make a video essay on Smile to cover everything about it, as most of them aren't conclusive. Thanks for reviewing my favorite album, and if you want watch that when I do make that I'd appreciate it a lot!
Imma just let you know I get hyped for ur vids to watch with dinner like i used to when i was little with gaming vids, these vids are so good and your video quality is so much better than you'd expect for a channel under 100k. keep up the great work man ill be here for ur 100k special 🫡
I 100% recommend the AI version on Dae Lims’ channel! I hope you do it publicly on RUclips because it feels complete and would love to see your reaction! I know loads of people still feel iffy about AI but this one album needed it. Please consider doing a reaction on it here 🥹 you’ll love it 👏🏻
Hell yeah brother, another one! Anyway this is the creative Peak of Brian at this point! They still had some amazing stuff from then on. After this point, you'll hear some phenomenal songs written from Brian's brothers Carl and Dennis. Bruce Johnston and Al Jardine wrote some beautiful tunes as well. In the late 70s Dennis did the unthinkable by making a solo album, Pacific Ocean Blue and his unfinished album Bambu. I highly recommend it after checking out their 70s catalog 👌
I’d argue Pet Sounds is his creative peak, since he actually finished it. Smile was the peak of his ambition. The complexity and enormity of creating it is part of why he failed to complete it (obviously his mental health was the biggest factor).
@@thomaspappalardo7589thats a good argument there and I see where you're coming from. The reason I said so is the fact is that the creative processes and techniques Brian conducted was just far out and advanced (in both departments of vocalizations and instrumentations) at the time and impressive for a 25 year old. Heroes and Villains, Cabinessence, the elements and the Child sequences are out of this world compared to anything from Pet Sounds and that's crazy to think since PS is my all time favorite.
@@Mirandelorean Also a good argument there as well. At the end of the day, Brian was just out of this world.
Respect for taking walks 🫡
The Surfs Up album is an absolute must, I think you’d love it! Basically every album after Smile into the early 70s are strongly worth hearing
i think Mrs. O'Leary's cow was what started the Gtrat Chicago Fire in the 1800's
First mistake: not having a blunt ready for a Beach Boys album. Great reaction though
The Beach Boys put out some of these songs on future albums. It made the albums really lackluster but those songs are a lot of the time complete versions and mixed better.
Lackluster.... You mean Surf's Up, smiley smile, etc.? Come on man. "Mixed better" more like "mixed to my preference"
Great video as always! Love your channel, Darius! You should do "Beach Boys Today". The album before pet sounds, with lots of similar stuff like Pet Sounds. Bet you'd love it. Has really beautiful songs on there as well.
It's a bit of a music history shame this wasn't finished and released in 66 or 67. On this mix (that follows the order of Brian Wilson Presents Smile from 2004, prior to that no one, likely even Brian knew how it was supposed to go together), there is work done in 1971 (Surf's Up), 1968 (Our Prayer / Cabinessence) and parts from the immediately adjacent Smiley Smile and Wild Honey ( Smile Sessions "finished" in May). The lead vocals (and some piano) on Barnyard and I'm in Great Shape is pulled from a recording of Brian trying to explain Heroes and Villains to a radio DJ. Many tracks are missing lead vocals like Holidays, Look and Do You Like Worms. Smiley Smile contains a number of lo-fi stoned in the home studio versions of a number of these tracks like Wonderful and Wind Chimes. For decades people were making their own Smile mixes based on bootlegged session tapes.
Despite not being released it's my favourite Beach Boys Album (Pet Sounds just sits under it), I should mention that while I consider 80% of this album is Brian Wilson in terms of melody, arrangement, production,etc but a few people deserve mention. Most lyrics here were written by Van Dyke Parks, basically a NY hipster who Brian likes (and these days is an accomplished songwriter and singer and helped Brian "finish" Smile in 04). Further the other Beach Boys do sing all over this album and they all do leads at some point (at least of the main 5) and do play on a few tracks . Of course The Wrecking Crew gets props for delivering Brian's instrumental vision.
Other great Beach Boys albums worth listening too are Friends (1968) a very chill and laid-back album with plenty of nice Wrecking Crew instrumentals and Sunflower (1970) which is also lush and shows pretty nice songs from Dennis Wilson as well as Brian Wilson and Bruce Johnston and lots of work by Carl Wilson. Love You (1977) is freaking weird and excellent and shows Brian coming back from years in "bed" .
The early stuff that led up to Pet Sounds is full of excellent album that often go toe to toe with the Beatles like 1963's Surfer Girl, the first album Brian properly produced and the 2nd to have double tracked vocals. 1964's All Summer Long is an ode to an early 60's summer and 1965's Today! is very wall of sound with an upbeat Side A and down beat Side 2 that rivals Pet Sounds. Summer Days (1965) has big production too and a few of their biggest songs.