[Erasmus]

Do you mean the recent Brian Wilson remake of Smile, or the various ones that people have pieced together out of the bits and pieces ca. 1967?

The remake sounds quite different, due to the change in the vocal forces (especially Brian's voice), and the new arrangements.

To me, at least as interesting as the remake is the box set that assembled the album from legacy materials, and included all available outtakes. I am speaking of the non-bootleg release by Capitol that had some artistic input from Brian.

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I got interested in the BB when Good Vibrations came out. Now there was a new and interesting sound! Way out of the generally boring mainstream of rock-n-roll. So I began seeking out their music. Some of their previous tunes, certainly, but especially their albums from 1970-73.

Hearing Surf's Up for the first time (from the album of the same name), I decided that nobody, including Brian Wison, would likely ever top what he and VanDyke Parks had achieved. That opinion has stood the test of four decades.

Ironically, the post-Capitol era, the era of Surf's Up, Sunflower, and Holland marked both their artistic peak and their commercial decline.

[vetvetdoug]

Yes, I was referring to the Smile that was released I believe about four years ago. I have it on my boat and there are some days its all that gets played.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I have a copy of Pet Sounds, pre-stereo.

[Lancey Howard]

Wasn’t ‘Smile’ the album Brian Wilson (basically) threw in the trash before it was done after he listened to ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band?

[kabumpo]

I think Pet SOunds was one of the best.

[Windflier]

Hearing Surf's Up for the first time (from the album of the same name), I decided that nobody, including Brian Wison, would likely ever top what he and VanDyke Parks had achieved. That opinion has stood the test of four decades.

Gotta agree with that.

Surf's Up blew my mind when I first heard it in 1971. I grew up with the Beach Boys, and was probably as pleasantly surprised as any of their fans, by that masterful recording. It went so far beyond anything they'd ever done before.

I absolutely love that album. Out of the 1,000 or so tunes burned to my hard drive, Feel Flows and Surf's Up are in my top ten favorites.