Having listened to countless bootleg versions of SMiLE over the years, I am convinced that the love this album gets isn't due to the music itself, but is due to the fact that it was never released nor completed. A few things should be pointed out: First, in its now-official form, the album runs the length of an LP-and-a-half. Had it been released in 1967, it would have been cut by a third,Having listened to countless bootleg versions of SMiLE over the years, I am convinced that the love this album gets isn't due to the music itself, but is due to the fact that it was never released nor completed. A few things should be pointed out: First, in its now-official form, the album runs the length of an LP-and-a-half. Had it been released in 1967, it would have been cut by a third, or else the band would have had to press on and add even more material--highly unlikely, and which may have made it a better or worse album, but would have assuredly pushed the release date into 1968. Two LPs or one LP, the album would not have been released until the end of 1967 at the earliest, by which point there was a big backlash against the psychedelic scene (see: "Their Satanic Majesties Request"). If it had come out then, it almost inevitably would have been called overlong, pretentious, meandering, and a letdown compared to "Pet Sounds"--which, really, it is. There's some good tracks here and there--Heroes and Villains, Vega-tables, and, of course, Good Vibrations are all standouts. Surf's Up is a nice ballad, Wind Chimes is quite charming, and the opening prayer is a nice touch. But the rest is middling, tossed-off, and forgettable. Tracks like Child Is Father of the Man, Love To Say Dada, and Cabin Essence really don't hold up and, frankly, are kind of annoying. Unfinished(?) tracks like Holidays and Mrs. O'Leary's Cow are pointless filler that don't go anywhere. As much as many reviewers want it to be, SMiLE is no Sgt. Pepper, Are You Experienced, or Piper At The Gates of Dawn. Even Country Joe & The Fish's "Electric Music For The Mind and Body", as much of a period piece as it is, stands head and shoulders above SMiLE. Not to say SMiLE is a totally worthless album. Its highlights merit repeat listening, and the link tracks are weirdly endearing, although, as mentioned before, much of this material would have been cut had it come out as a single LP back in 1967. So, it is what it is. The official SMiLE isn't much different from all the bootlegs we've heard over the years, and like most of them, it's even mixed in mono. And, like those bootlegs, the official version is a lot more hype than it is substance. But it is weird, and I like weird pop music. As far as Beach Boys albums go, it's one of the best. But that's not saying much. Whatever your take on it, one thing is for sure: its unofficial status made this weird but underwhelming album into a legend. And after all these years, it's nice to have it on the shelves instead of behind the counter… Expand
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