User Score
Generally favorable reviews- based on 522 Ratings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 398 out of 522
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Mixed: 39 out of 522
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Negative: 85 out of 522
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dickjOct 5, 2004Ambitious, banal, silly, over-produced, schlocky, depressing, sappy, 37 years too late and egotistic
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DuncanL.Jan 2, 2010The great thing about this being the best rated album by the music critics is that it shows very clearly just how superficial and sheep like those critics actually are. This is no more than a piece of fluff good for a couple of spins and then put away at the back of the cupboard with that Nirvana record. But hey there are plenty of other sheep who agree with them so they must be right.
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erikbMay 7, 2007one of those albums that you'll force yourself to hear all the way through because you "should," and then realize it is totally impossible to listen to. Can't really say I enjoyed this one at all, which is tough to admit given all the hype. Maybe I don't "get it" but I think the emperor's new clothes comment got it right.
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DaveNAug 5, 2005Who would have thought that the band Brian really wanted to play in was the Moody Blues?
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MattMNov 7, 2004Pretty freakin' boring. The only really good songs are the ones we've heard before: "Good Vibrations" and "Heroes and Villains."
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brianwilsonOct 2, 2004It sucks, overrated piece of trash.
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BigStuartOct 9, 2004It has *sheep sounds* in it! god sake! and his voice is incredibly annoying! this sucks so very very bad.
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DustinBOct 26, 2005
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JohnDJan 7, 2005Just awful.
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harrypotterOct 9, 2005Opt for the Beach Boys originals instead. This is the sound of some demented old geezer trying to relive his glory days while equally demented old critics and musos oddly lap it all up. The emperors new clothes springs to mind. Waste of time. Complete and utter.
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AndyMcDJul 5, 2005Ummmmm... We get it Brian, you like singing "doo wop." Just because this was acceptable in the 60's, doesn't make it so now. Pretty darn overrated.
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ScottYJul 9, 2005I don't get the high ratings this one receives. The music just seems like a slightly updated version of the stuff the Beach Boys were doing in the 1960s. What's so great about this album these days?
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ElMoAug 1, 2005
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WilliamTSep 23, 2005first they told me Revenge Of The Sith had redeemed George Lucas. Heck many critics said it was even better than Star Wars. Then I hear Smile scores 97 on the metatcritic score so I goes out and buy it. "It's impossible for words to describe what is necesassary, for those who do not know what... horror...means"
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DanSJan 12, 2006Holy shit this album sucks. Its the #1 album on metacritic of all time? Ive lost all faith in critics and user ratings for life, with the exception of the few of you who trashed this piece, youve all lost your minds, much like Wilson. If you bought this album i feel sorry for you.
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DrewMMar 18, 2006Oh my God. This album is absolutely fucking horrible. Anybody who rated it high needs a good smack. Really. Get a life, people.
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[Anonymous]Mar 6, 2006pretty poor stuff if we're honest with ourselves
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chipdIIIOct 13, 2004Why did it take 37 years before it came out Brian? "Because it's mostly utter cock and it took me to completely lose my mind before I gave in to my money loving bastard label. ha ha ha wibble." This should have a really remained a myth.
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DavidDec 16, 2004No No No No!
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BruceOct 27, 2004You can take a pile of horse manure, mould it into the shape of the Statue of David and people will call it art, simply because that's what they are supposed to say. Of course in reality, it's really just a pile of shit. I'm sure Brian Wilson is "smiling" all the way to the bank !
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mattfOct 27, 2005I just don't get it and I've listened to the album many times. Best album of 2004. No way!
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KeithOct 28, 2005Utter sonic drivel, bought this for a friend, feelin' a tad guilty....must think i hate em.
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reynOct 3, 2005Worst CD. Ever.
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Rev.RikardOct 5, 2005I tried! I really did! This may be the most overrated album ever. No song touched or moved me; and it has become one of the few albums in my collections that is probably permanently shelved. Sorry Brian, but the years of sabbatical did little to make this work inspiring.
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DaveApr 12, 2005
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TboneMJun 29, 2005Most. Overrated. Ever.
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WaldoSep 11, 2005Horrific. And irritating. There's a reason that it took 37 years to get this material out--it ought to have remained in the dustbin.
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PeterFramptonSep 11, 2005Sounds rather like a lost, misguided composition clobbered together by the Moody Blues, George Michael, and a drunken aardvark. The drunken aardvark is the best, too. Save your money.
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JackhammerSep 11, 2005Wilson's voice is shot. He sounds like Neal Young with pneumonia--and is freuqently garbled. Easily the most grating album, as well as most overrated, on the market.
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BrianSApr 9, 2006Bought this album based on Metacritic review - deeply dissapointed
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JacobQNov 16, 2005Those demons in ol Brians head should have stayed there and not recorded on cd. I'm putting this "gem" on ebay...
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NoobyFJan 22, 2006Brian Wilson is ancient OKAY! Get it through your head. I thought the album was so thoroughly boring, as his other stuff was. So I'm one hundred percent behind you, Dan S. It's terrible.
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NickWMar 22, 2006I agree with Drew M
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JakeMNov 21, 2004These songs are stupid and I cannot comprehend this albums critical acclaim. This guys brain is obviously fried. His songs aren't about anything at all and they all sound the same. The choruses are terrible. I HATE it. Come back Beach Boys!! How could this even be compared to Pet Sounds!!!!!!!!
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MackG.Nov 26, 2004
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GiovanniOAug 17, 2006Why are most reviewers giving this album a 10? When you rate an album do you consider overall enjoyability for adults that did not grow up in the 60's? As an open minded individual I can appreciate any music regardless of age or type, but as a reviewer I could not give a 10 to an album based on its history or lenght of creation. Rome was not built in a day but it fell in one...
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danielbMay 3, 2007
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DanDFeb 13, 2010It sounded like Brian Wilson threw mud at the wall while high on drugs through this entire album until "Good Vibrations" magically appeared. Frankly it was the only track where the mad combination of his doo-wops and strings and novelty sounds worked together. I'm sorry, but even a monkey could type the Iliad if he tried enough times.
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engelbertcockswallowerOct 10, 2004gee this suxx!! get sum papa roach doodes!!
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AHNov 20, 2006Credit must be given to the level of creativity and variety on this album. In saying that however, variety without purpose and cohesion can be a bad thing and this album, after about Track 11, becomes really tiresome. Track 12 Vega-tables is just a montage of goofy sounds and nonsense.
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NathanGMay 6, 2006The Emporer Has No Clothes
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EricYJun 17, 2006why critics always against the good musics, this is the E era, young peoples are the main consumer of the music industry!!
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JasonFJan 10, 2007Complicated? Yes. Good? Helllll no. One of the worst albums I've ever heard. I really wanted to like it too.
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ClifC.Jun 22, 2008
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ButchAutomaticAug 11, 2008Ouch! Brian, like Paul McCartney, should relaize when it is time to sit back and enjoy their spoils. Guys - you did well - it's time to stop before you implode and totally ruin what could be fond memories for us. LEARN A NEW HOBBY!
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kaylixAug 9, 2008What is going on here? This wasn't as great as the reviewers claim. I could barely listen to the whole album. Based on the reviews I kept hoping there was something better in the next track. I gave up and deleted it from my music library.
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AncaMMay 10, 2006big disappointment! it's not the 60's or the 2000's, it's a very weird mixture that personally i don't understand and can't relate to it!
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MaxM.Dec 3, 2007Who?
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JPubliusApr 15, 2007
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CarlesI.Sep 26, 2007This is the best album of 10 years ago, please close this web.
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RoyceLNov 2, 2008This album does absolutely nothing for me.
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KenS.Mar 1, 2008Were it not for "Good Vibrations", I would have given it a ZERO. What a disappointment. Pitiful.
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GavinFMay 21, 2008I downloaded this purely because of the high ranking it received on this site and I have to say I though it was dreadful. It's all bee-boop-a-doo-daa non sense. Good Vibrations being the only exception.
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nickc.Aug 25, 2008
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JohnE.Nov 1, 2009
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MIkeYNov 20, 2009I give it a 2 because there are only two real songs on the album. The two are excellent (Good Vibrations and Heroes and Villains). The rest does not make any sense.
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JohnCMay 17, 2009
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radarOct 13, 2005It sounds cold and overproduced. Go for the originals, folks. This was done just as good before.
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JereWJul 18, 2006Brian Wilson's "Smile" is ridiculous. I laughed when I saw this score...
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BenCApr 28, 2007The original is incredible, this is mediocre at best. It has so many stops and starts in the middle of songs that it gets annoying. Tedious is the one word i would use to describe this new album
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CGJan 23, 2008Completely overrated, unless it is placed in the children's section. By the way, I still think "Pet Sounds" is as charming as ever. I would normally give this a 4 or so, but it seems my duty to help average out all of the Wilson worship. The only musical "genuis" more overrated is Frank Black and that whole Pixies mess.
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ConnorMNov 4, 2009Looking at the comments I think either nostalgia has taken this website by storm, or a company was hired to vote positively, comment positively, etc. this album on websites.
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DenisLMar 17, 2009Absolutely useless.
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Jul 29, 2019Just like the beach boys and most of the music from this time. It's boring repetive and not very good. Maybe I am just a cynical person but I couldn't stand this albumm
Awards & Rankings
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Smile is quite simply the greatest triumph in the history of pop music.
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Smile's post-adolescent utopia isn't disfigured by Brian's thickened, soured 62-year-old voice. It's ennobled--the material limitations of its sunny artifice and pretentious tomfoolery acknowledged and joyfully engaged.
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Los Angeles Times"Smile" emerges as a beautiful and cohesive work, at times deeply moving, at others oddly whimsical, at still others eerily disturbing but celebratory. [27 Sep 2004]