and now for your enjoyment

[sidewinder572]

I present to you the official Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE bad reviews thread aka the dumbing down of society thread. All reviews taken from metacritic, amazon, and rateyourmusic

Jere W gave it a0:
Brian Wilson's "Smile" is ridiculous. I laughed when I saw this score...

Eric Y gave it a0:
why critics always against the good musics, this is the E era, young peoples are the main consumer of the music industry!!

Drew M gave it a0:
Oh my God. This album is absolutely fucking horrible. Anybody who rated it high needs a good smack. Really. Get a life, people.

one of my favs

Dan S gave it a0:
Holy sh*t 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.

reyn gave it a0:
Worst CD. Ever.

Jackhammer gave it a0:
Wilson'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.

Waldo gave it a0:
Horrific. And irritating. There's a reason that it took 37 years to get this material out--it ought to have remained in the dustbin.

El Mo gave it a0:
This Supposed Masterpiece, is the worst music i have ever listened to, that's why it was never released and should have stayed that way. If Brian wilson had stayed with Mike Love and produced the album, the result would have been a lot different, and maybe i would have like it, but no! I think this album was only bought because Brian Wilson's name was on it. And a hell of a lot of people are being polite.

engelbert cockswallower gave it a 0:
gee this suxx!! get sum papa roach doodes!!

Big Stuart gave it a 0:
It has *sheep sounds* in it! god sake! and his voice is incredibly annoying! this sucks so very very bad.

dick j gave it a 0:
Ambitious, banal, silly, over-produced, schlocky, depressing, sappy, 37 years too late and egotistic

Don't even go there
this album is a desperate attempt by a washed up freak looking for some extra cash!
the arrangements are Beach Boys annoying, the songs are all the same sh*t!
The Beach Boys are Sun Flower and Pet Sounds, That is it!

Don't Buy

Just some easy money for Brian Wilson

overrated, boring, sounds dated even though its new, bad, bad album. Brain Wilson should have stopped making music a long time ago

BRAIN WILSON PRESENTZ "sh*t" IS MORE LIKE IT!!!!!!!

absolute mess!, November 2, 2006
Reviewer: MEB "music lover" - See all my reviews
Very possibly the worst CD I have ever heard in my life. I could barely FORCE myself to listen until the last song was blissfully over.

This is not music. It is stupid noise!!

Did Not Like "Wrong Order", March 17, 2006
Reviewer: Corey Mcgee - See all my reviews
     
That was not the Brian Wilson CD I wanted, I do not like it! I spent my money and you sent me the wrong CD

The emperor has no clothes!, September 1, 2005
Reviewer: Robert A. Lippman (Gansevoort, New York USA) - See all my reviews
     
This disk is just self indulgent junk - the lyrics make no sense and the music has no direction. Bad acid.

[Magic Transistor Radio]

"If Brian wilson had stayed with Mike Love and produced the album, the result would have been a lot different"

This has got to be the stupidest statement I've ever heard!!

"this album is a desperate attempt by a washed up freak looking for some extra cash!"

If Brian has a week point, it is business sense! Plus, Smile would be the last thing that I would say was for the money. Mike Love's BBs is about the money!!

[the captain]

"If Brian wilson had stayed with Mike Love and produced the album, the result would have been a lot different"

This has got to be the stupidest statement I've ever heard!!

Actually, it is a very true statement. The result would have been a lot different. It doesn't say it would be better or worse! Obviously it implies it would be better, but i'd leave that for others to debate. I have my opinion.

I think that entire list of quotes, more than anything, how stupid people look when they completely dismiss any music as being bad instead of explaining what they don't like about it. It' what makes criticism boring to read, and what sometimes drags this and other boards down, too. Rather than saying, "I don't like when...." or pointing out specifics, some people just say "That SUCKS! There is nothing good about that sh*t!" and they sound stupid because of it. I can understand why people might not like BWPS, and that's their right. But these quotes don't do their opinions justice, that's for sure.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

I think that entire list of quotes, more than anything, how stupid people look when they completely dismiss any music as being bad instead of explaining what they don't like about it. It' what makes criticism boring to read, and what sometimes drags this and other boards down, too. Rather than saying, "I don't like when...." or pointing out specifics, some people just say "That SUCKS! There is nothing good about that merda!" and they sound stupid because of it. I can understand why people might not like BWPS, and that's their right. But these quotes don't do their opinions justice, that's for sure.

And I'd like to add my opinion, that it's just as damaging when people unabashedly praise a piece of music without explaining what they like about it.  To me, that's just as boring.  Although, I'd rather have praise without reason than people trying to pass off lyrical discussion as musical discussion.  "Would you still like the music itself if everything was sung using wordless vocals?"

[the captain]

... people trying to pass off lyrical discussion as musical discussion.  "Would you still like the music itself if everything was sung using wordless vocals?"

That is actually a very interesting idea. To me, the two must be joined when you're dealing with songs, because they are two elements of a song. To ignore one or the other is the same thing as saying you like the notes, but not the rhythm, or you like the melody, but not the arrangement. It is entirely possible, of course, but the entirety of the song includes all of the above. Each element of a song carries some weight, and a song that is perfect other than its lyrics, but features terrible lyrics, can't be "the perfect song" for me. It is perfectly legitimate to criticize either the music or the lyrical content, but I suppose it is just as important to realize that a song can have brilliance in one part or the other with its complement a piece of sh*t.

On an entirely different level of the same topic, I think you could argue that lyrical content is a valid part of musical discussion when you are discussing songs. Songs are a form of music. And lyrics are intrinsically part of songs--songs are by definition words set to music. If they are an essential part of the musical form, then I don't see the harm in discussing that part of the form as "musical discussion." (This argument only carries weight with the formal definition of "song," not the commonly used version of the word, in which we call pretty much anything that is music a "song.")

[Roger Ryan]

I am intrigued by the reviewer who apparently likes "Sunflower" and "Pet Sounds", but sees no value in "SMiLE". I can understand the guy who'd rather listen to Papa Roach; I doubt he sees any value in the Beach Boys at all. But someone who's gone as deep as 1970 Beach Boys dismissing "SMiLE" material out-of-hand must have pretty narrow parameters in music taste.

[Aegir]

BRAIN WILSON PRESENTZ "merda" IS MORE LIKE IT!!!!!!!

Pure comic gold.

[sidewinder572]

Oh my God. This album is absolutely fodaing horrible. Anybody who rated it high needs a good smack. Really. Get a life, people.

This is my all time favorite. This guy is so upset that people actually like this album, that he believes anyone who likes it should be physically harmed.

He must lead an interesting life

btw read all the reviews on metacritic. There's one guy who gave it a 10 and said that the people giving the good reviews seem genuinely smarter then those giving the bad reviews. It's actually true