The Beach Boys - Smiley Smile/Wild Honey
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Music CD Cover Artist: The Beach Boys Edition: Music CD Format: Extra tracks, Original recording remastered CD Release Date: 2001-04-10 Music Label: Capitol Soundtracks:
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Free Music Notes for Smiley Smile/Wild Honey Album
Free Music Review: The end of an era and the beginning of a new one
Hit: 5 Stars
This is not how Brian Wilson planned things to be. In early 1967, the ambitous SMILE album (hyped as the greatest album recorded - which it was) was the most anxiously-anticipated musical event in history, especially after "Good Vibrations" became a phenomenon. Unfortunately, due to Brian's increasing drug use (which slowed his progress), his emotional problems and The Beach Boys' startling lack of support for their leader, SMILE was shelved and Brian began his slow withdrawal from public life and initiation into drug addiction and, gradually, mental illness. It had been over a year since PET SOUNDS had been released (an eternity in 1967) and The Beach Boys scrambled to get an album together, while The Beatles' SGT. PEPPER was released and received all the fame SMILE had coming to it. Mostly recorded in Brian's home studio (because he didn't want to leave his house), SMILEY SMILE (containing many SMILE re-recordings) was the end result and was issued in September 1967, after the hip counter-culture declared The Beach Boys passe and square (without any warning or justifiaction). SMILEY SMILE was received with mixed reviews at the time due to the band's sagging US popularity and the album's bizarrely underproduced and trippy demeanor was seen as a creative anti-climax. "Heroes And Villains" (originally meant to be SMILE's centerpiece) was still a brilliant creation and Brian's swan song to the band in terms of his dynamic producing. The unlikely combination of barbershop and rock gave the song a truly unique feel. "Vegetables" is another infamous song with very typical SMILEY SMILE characteristics (sparse production, dry, trippy vocals). It features the band chewing on veggies! The understated sound implied that Brian Wilson (then only 25) didn't want to compete anymore, but even though he wasn't trying to be influential, he was and SMILEY SMILE has grown enormously in stature and has long since been re-evaluated as a classic - and one of the weirdest albums you'll ever hear! But it's those funny quirks that make SMILEY SMILE so appealing. "Fall Breaks And Back To Winter (Woody Woodpwecker Symphony)" is very interesting with its bass pedal and tapping noises (representing the bird pecking the tree, hence the title). "She's Goin' Bald" and "Little Pad" are evidence of the band's stoned state at the time - strange, but still enjoyable. In the middle of all this we get "Good Vibrations" which sounds completely out of place here (The Beach Boys insisted it went on, Brian didn't agree). The quirkiness resumes with "With Me Tonight" and continues through the dark and enchanting following titles "Wind Chimes", "Gettin' Hungry", "Wonderful" and "Whistle In". Give SMILEY SMILE a few listens before passing final judgement. Yes, it's weird, but ultimately worth the effort. With the band taking more control, they returned to their roots and a basic rock style (before Bob Dylan, The Beatles or The Rolling Stones) with WILD HONEY, a December 1967 release. A solid album, if lacking in the harmonics the band was known for, it was still trashed at the time of release (in the US), but has also grown to be considered a classic. The whole album is great: the title track is a soul/r'n'b original which became a small hit, "Aren't You Glad" is a great tune with positive lyrics, "I Was Made To Love Her" was a faithful rendition of Stevie Wonder's classic, "Country Air" is one of the only songs to feature harmonizing and is most welcome. "A Thing Or Two", "Darlin'" (a hit in early '68) and "Here Comes The Night" are 3 great Brian Wilson songs and tight rock numbers. "I'd Love Just Once To See You" is hilarious (listen to the last line) and "Let The Wind Blow" is another gem - a great ballad, while "How She Boogalooed It" is one of their fastest songs replete with electric guitar and organ. The concluding "Mama Says" was originally part of the SMILE version of "Vegetables" and was re-used here to great effect. Both SMILEY SMILE and WILD HONEY were big Top 10 albums in the UK, but minor hits in the US due to The Beach Boys' cruel and unjust "square" stigma which followed them for many years. These two albums, aside from being musically unique and great, are historically important as well because they represent the death and re-birth of two sides of the band. SMILEY SMILE marked the end of Brian's reign and WILD HONEY was the obligatory re-birth of the band as a self-conatined rock combo. It began the process which led to later albums such as SUNFLOWER, SURF'S UP and HOLLAND. The bonus tracks are great too. We get a SMILE recording of "Heroes And Villains" from early '67, its single B-side (in July 1967) "You're Welcome" (another SMILE song), "Good Vibrations" sessions and a gorgeous out-take from late 1967/early 1968 called "Can't Wait Too Long". Buy this CD. Yes, it's untypical Beach Boys, but impossible to forget once you let it work its wonders.