SMiLE

Every art form has its holy grail. In popular music, one of those lost masterpieces is The Beach Boys’ unreleased album SMiLE.

To the joy of many fans, Capitol Records just announced it will be releasing a SMiLE sessions box set later this year with the blessing of the remaining Beach Boys. It will include mono and stereo mixes in three versions: a two-CD set, an iTunes LP digital album, and a limited-edition boxed set containing four CDs, two vinyl LPs, two vinyl singles and a 60-page hardbound book.

SMiLE has taken on an almost mythical status over the years. In 1966, right after the release of the seminal album Pet Sounds, Beach Boys mastermind Brian Wilson teamed up with Van Dyke Parks to make “a musical story of America.” Unfortunately, the recording process was capsized by internal bickering, record label power plays, and Wilson’s undiagnosed depression. Brian has recently returned to form and his 2004 “Smile” album serves as a blueprint for the current project.

Parks remembers, “We wanted to create an American fantasy. ‘The Grand Coulee Dam’ alluded to the Chinese laborers who built these railroads. They brought the railroads together with a golden spike. … We worked hard with great enthusiasm, and I think that shows in the life force of the pieces even today. … The words were not the creative department. The creative department was the music. The words were in the reactive department. I reacted to the music. The music never changed one syllable.”

For an interview with engineer Mark Linett, see this link:

billboard.com: beach-boys-engineer-talks-about-smile

(Unreleased Cover Art: Frank Holmes0