Life in Big D: Brian Wilson's "Smile"

Originally Released: September 23, 2004

Featuring: Brian Wilson, The Brian Wilson Band

Best Lyric: "I bet I know what she's like and I can feel how right she'd be for me. It's weird, how she comes in so strong and I wonder what she's pickin up from me?" - Good Vibrations

Best Song(s): "Surf's Up" & "Cabin Essence"

Personal Review: This may be a little bias because of the fact that I am a huge Brian Wilson fan. I feel like he gets a bad rap. Yeah, he is pretty messed up now-a-days, but look at what the man has been through. It seems like your typical musician's story: He had an abusive Dad who tried his hardest to get rich and famous by playing music, so as a young boy Brian began to learn to play the piano to try to get on his father's good side. Once Brian's father realized his son had a gift he pushed him until he cracked. From all of the books and DVDs I have read and seen it truly is a sad story. Brian was on top of the world after the release of Pet Sounds he had already moved to a back seat role with the Beach Boys no longer touring with them and simply focusing on writing new material. So while the Beach Boys were touring Brian came up with the idea for Smile. It was something that had never been done, this scared the other Beach Boys. When the Beach Boys returned from their tour to see what Brian had come up with they were not pleased. The music and lyrics had become extremely abstract, the Beach Boys and especially lead singer Mike Love thought Brian had lost it. The Beach Boys wanted to play Beach Boys music, they felt Smile was too 'out there'. This sent Brian into a protective shell, from all the years of abuse by his father Brian had become extremely sensitive and everything he did depended on what others thought, he just wanted to please other people. When the Beach Boys turned down his months of hard work he had a nervous breakdown.

Until 2004, when the idea of finishing and performing Smile came up. I have a DVD Documentary entitled "Brian Wilson's Smile" that follows the process of Brian telling the story of Smile in the sixties through to the performance in 2004 that resulted in the album. It really is visible to tell in the DVD that the memories of Smile still haunt Brian to this day. But with the help of his band and long time partner in writing Van Dyke Parks the team finished the album, put it all together and performed it in London, England on February 20, 2004.

The album itself may be a little out there for conventional music listeners, but if you have a interest in music and songwriting then this album is definately for you. Some of the melodies even seem somewhat childish but they are so well put together that the final product is unbelievable. The layers that Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys can be found all through out the album, using voices as instruments (much like CSN) adds a whole different level to the album. Their are songs such as "Surf's Up" where the lyrics seem like gibberish: "Surf's up aboard a tidal wave, come about hard and join the young and often spring you gave, I heard the word, wonderful thing, a children's song" but put together with the beautiful piano playing of Brian the words just flow and make perfect sense.

So if you are into deep melodies and extremely well put together songs then Brian Wilson's Smile is definately a must have.

The following is a clip from the DVD mentioned earlier:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x00vPV1nKbU

(Its important when listening to music to not be judgmental - don't judge people - Brian may be affected by all he has been through but the man is genius.)

This is a clip of Brian performing "Surf's Up" in 1966. To me it's absolutely perfect.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBDqRLkA8ew

Other Recommended Brian Wilson Albums/Affiliates/Books: