Josiah Reynolds's Album Reviews
A little bit unpolished, a little bit beautiful, and a little bit mad; this is Brian unhinged, with his wild studio experimentation and radical songwriting coming to life, in one form or another. Smiley Smile may not have turned out as envisioned by its mastermind, but what resulted was still a wonderfully trippy, whimsical outpouring of oddball sounds and charmingly original ideas in all regards; sonically, musically, and lyrically.
You may associate a few things with 1967 in the realm of pop music; goofy concepts and themes in The Who Sell Out, revelatory dives into all things new and intriguing in the monolithic Sgt. Pepper's, the first glimpse of a shining star burgeoning from within the underground psych scene with Syd Barrett and Pink Floyd's mind-boggling debut, the game-changing Hendrix and his Experience, and the more grounded and steadily growing blues influenced rock coming from bands such as Cream...
but Smiley Smile has no grandiose statement. It is content to simply be brilliant.
At least, that's the impression it gives off, thanks to its unrefined and slightly incoherent nature (regardless of intention), and I like that about it. That doesn't mean it's less impressive than competing efforts by The Beach Boys' big-name brethren - it just means it's less abrasive. So, while this may have been intended as another Pet Sounds, (at least in terms of ambition) it doesn't suffer greatly from its ultimately more understated nature, and it remains a delightfully intriguing record all through its brief run-time.
I certainly recommend this album to fans of Pet Sounds, fans of psychedelia, and fans of The Beach Boys in general. It borders on crazy at times, but it always feels good spirited, and it maintains that signature joyful Beach Boys sound that naturally results from their gorgeous harmonies and intensely musical arrangements. Smiley Smile is a gem.
You may associate a few things with 1967 in the realm of pop music; goofy concepts and themes in The Who Sell Out, revelatory dives into all things new and intriguing in the monolithic Sgt. Pepper's, the first glimpse of a shining star burgeoning from within the underground psych scene with Syd Barrett and Pink Floyd's mind-boggling debut, the game-changing Hendrix and his Experience, and the more grounded and steadily growing blues influenced rock coming from bands such as Cream...
but Smiley Smile has no grandiose statement. It is content to simply be brilliant.
At least, that's the impression it gives off, thanks to its unrefined and slightly incoherent nature (regardless of intention), and I like that about it. That doesn't mean it's less impressive than competing efforts by The Beach Boys' big-name brethren - it just means it's less abrasive. So, while this may have been intended as another Pet Sounds, (at least in terms of ambition) it doesn't suffer greatly from its ultimately more understated nature, and it remains a delightfully intriguing record all through its brief run-time.
I certainly recommend this album to fans of Pet Sounds, fans of psychedelia, and fans of The Beach Boys in general. It borders on crazy at times, but it always feels good spirited, and it maintains that signature joyful Beach Boys sound that naturally results from their gorgeous harmonies and intensely musical arrangements. Smiley Smile is a gem.
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