The Smile Sessions

By Paul Casey

As Paul Williams said in 1997—prematurely as it turns out—upon the release of 30 minutes of the SMiLE music on the Good Vibrations box set, SMiLE is Done. The release of The Smile Sessions by EMI and Capitol Records on November 1, 2011, is the end of a long strange journey. You can read my thoughts on the phenomenon of SMiLE in my other article, but this one is purely about the music.

The Smile Sessions comes in many forms, the two most significant being the two-CD set, and the extremely large box set. In all forms of The Smile Sessions, the first disc is the album, as assembled by Mark Linett, Alan Boyd, with input from Brian Wilson. This is the one which will cause the most elation, consternation, and pointless bickering.

Based on the still-brilliant 2004 completion of the SMiLE concept, this album exists as a cohesive, thrilling journey through Americana as well as trippy health food and spiritual morsels. There is no What Brian Would Have Done, friends; we should know that by now. And as Linett and Boyd go to great pains to express in the liner notes, this is not an attempt to present what would have been. It is an attempt to present the material in its best light, as a fully functioning album in the here and now.

As it follows the template of Brian, Darian Sahanaja, and Van Dyke Parks’ completion of the concept from 2004, SMiLE has a great flow to it here. Songs move into each other, and there is a feeling of a real honest to goodness workable order to the songs. Not simply in how one moves to the next, but in the composition of each song. “Vega-Tables” is the clear standout here. To me, this song has never felt right in any of its SMiLE forms, always seeming confused and aimless. The mix on The Smile Sessions is a transformative experience, turning a bunch of ideas into a song that moves with the same fierce energy of “Good Vibrations” and the “Heroes and Villains” single.

“Heroes and Villains” exists here in basically its Brian Wilson completed single form, with the addition of the Cantina section and the instrumental ending. As most everything on the album proper, it respects where the song went, as well as presenting a view of what might have been. It is the best extended mix of the song which you will hear, and works well for the album’s narrative ambitions.

There are many artistic choices that have been made on the album which have already rankled some. To present more vocals, the Humble Harv demo has been used on both “I’m In Great Shape” and “Barnyard” and synced with the backing tracks. To do this, some time shifting has been required. At the start both sounded awkward to me—especially “Barnyard”—but the context of the album proper makes a big difference. It’s obviously a compromise, but seeing as it runs just over a minute total within a collection of several hours, it’s not something I would worry about.

The other alterations—such as using the “Whispering Winds” section from the Smiley Smile version of “Wind Chimes” and putting the “Fall Breaks and Back To Winter” vocals on “Mrs. O’ Leary’s Cow”—are resounding successes, and choose to honor the creative decisions that were made in the completion of Smiley Smile. Even the surprising inclusion of Carl’s vocal from “Cool Cool Water” (more on that later) on “I Love To Say Da Da” works, even though obviously pitch shifted. Considering that Brian did a similar trick on both “She’s Goin’ Bald” and on the backing vocals of the Smiley Smile version of “Wonderful,” it seems appropriate.

Another of the great bits of tinkering that were done for this release is the pairing of Brian’s vocal from the piano version of “Surf’s Up” with the backing track and the backing vocals and tag from the 1971 version. If you are a bootleg head you have probably heard someone try this before, but this is the only time where I have heard it work. Having access to the vocals without the damn clanking piano makes a big difference, as does being able to put the backing vocals from the completed ‘71 version on there. When the group backs Brian up on “Columnated Ruins Domino,” you will lose it.

There aren’t too many unheard things on the album as far as vocals or sections, although the few moments are startling when they occur. There are new vocals on the chorus of “Child Is Father of the Man” which give you the same feeling as when you first heard these hidden tracks.

The previously mentioned vocals on “Barnyard” and “I’m In Great Shape” go to make the inclusion of the “Barnshine” section at the end of “You Are My Only Sunshine” a much bigger deal. Three snippets form one rustic flow. Hearing Mike’s half heard vocals on the tag in beautiful sound quality is one of the reasons to buy this. (The sound quality overall is the reason to buy this.) Previously crinkly, muffled songs are now pristine and clean. Many parts jump out as never before.

How about the rest of the set? The second CD on the two-disc version is a “Best Of.” For who aren’t particularly invested in the specifics of these tracks, this is definitely your best option. There is a nice smattering of session excerpts, and a taster of what you are in for should you want to go for the more expensive option. More important though, are the bonus tracks on Disc One, which are some of the most incredible SMiLE related things you will ever hear.

The “Backing Vocals Montage” is something which will turn a non-fan to an obsessive in under ten minutes. It deftly shows the real area of complexity in these songs, that of the layering of backing vocals. Hearing the backing vocals for “Vega-Tables” is particularly revealing. Then there is the “demo” of “Vega-Tables,” which features alternate lyrics, a co-lead vocal between Brian and Mike, and delirious, joyous backing vocals. “Round, round, round, Dig a Hole in the Ground!” These are brilliantly used on the single version for the beautiful replica vinyl 45 that is included in the box set.

Then, there is the single greatest thing on the set. The recording of “Surf’s Up” from 1967 by Brian Wilson, solo, with a piano. A totally different reading, with a depth of expression that manages to somehow eclipse both the 1971 version and his earlier piano version from late 1966. Recorded during the Wild Honey sessions, it is one of many signs that Brian was by no means finished with these songs, and that the cut-off point was certainly not May of 1967.

Although the packaging of the two-CD set is beautiful, the big box is probably the greatest single box set to have ever been produced. It is a huge box, with a reproduction of the iconic Frank Holmes front cover in 3D, two reproductions of the original single sleeves that house the 45 singles, an LP that reproduces the original with the booklet that was set to be included, a giant SMiLE poster, and a giant hardcover book with liner notes, sessionography, and anecdotes. The attention to detail is unparallelled. The liner notes are detailed, accurate, and honest. Brian Wilson’s essay which opens the book is perhaps the finest explanation and tragedy of the music that has ever been put forward. It made me cry.

That’s not even getting to the music. An LP-sized folder houses five CDs, as well as the two 45s. CDs two, three, and four are sessions from SMiLE, with the fifth being dedicated to “Good Vibrations.” There are many great things here, but my favorite moments are probably on Disc Four, which has the development of “I Love To Say Da Da,” which ends in a previously unheard version of “Cool Cool Water” recorded during the Smiley Smile sessions. “Da Da” kept moving. The much ballyhooed cut-off point when Brian stopped SMiLE is seen to be vague at best, a complete sham at worst. The second version of “Cool Cool Water” also contains moments from “Child is Father of the Man,” again blurring the line of the development of these songs.

The many versions of “You’re Welcome” which close out Disc Four are guaranteed to make you smile, as will the new substantial edit of “You’re With Me Tonight.” There are many crazy enticing moments included, such as when Brian suddenly breaks into a never before heard melody for “Do You Like Worms?” or when he does the same for “Holidays.” There are some things which are oddly excluded, such as the near complete absence of material from Smiley Smile. Considering that such peripherally related tracks like “Three Blind Mice” have been included, and Smiley vocals were used for the album, it seems like an unusual move.

Nevertheless this is a supremely satisfying release, and one which will give you many years of pleasure, especially if you are new to this music. There are three albums that now exist, based off of the SMiLE concept: Smiley Smile, Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE, and now The Beach Boys’ SMiLE. It’s time to embrace what’s real. It’s time to enjoy what exists.