Smile

Oh, man! The 500th post was supposed to have been marked with a special post. Brock, you blew it. Just kidding man! Your "Onward and Upward" post was the 500th. Way to go. We'll do something big on 1000.

Speaking of Pet Sounds, Smile was released last week, almost 40 years later. It’s the album that was supposed to have been the grandiose follow-up to Pet Sounds. Issues came up, Brian Wilson went mental, and the album was shelved. The album became mythical, legendary. Boots started popping up everywhere through the years. What was recorded was released in much later years, but without Brian Wilson’s supervision.

So, recently Brian Wilson decided to revisit Smile. But instead of working with the originally recorded material, he decided to redo the whole thing. Not to change it so much, but to have freshly recorded sounds. One major drawback to this, is his voice. It’s definitely not the same. His backup group “The Wondermints” did do a great job in carrying the high notes and harmonies, but it’s just not the same as when it was Wilson and company in their peak.

I haven’t had the chance to listen to all of it at a decent volume yet, so, once I do, maybe I’ll review it. Already, though, it has its high points.