Smile Sessions reviews anyone?!

[sidewinder572]

Ok so far we have

Uncut - 5 stars
Mojo - 5 stars
The Guardian - 5 stars
The Times - 5 stars
Classic Rock - 9/10 (which is the equivalent of 4.75 stars)
Rolling Stone - 4.5 stars
The Independent - 4 stars
Q - 3 stars

Weighted average 4.53/5

[18thofMay]

5 stars from me for the 1 cd edtition!

[grooveblaster]

Anyone see the Uncut photo of Dennis Wilson and Al Jardine in the studio circa 1966. It's in the latest edition. Anyone know if that photo is in the TSS booklet?

[buddhahat]

The independent review is written by the same guy that did the Word one.

[brother john]

Ok so far we have

Uncut - 5 stars
Mojo - 5 stars
The Guardian - 5 stars
Classic Rock - 9/10 (which is the equivalent of 4.75 stars)
Rolling Stone - 4.5 stars
The Independent - 4 stars
Q - 3 stars

Weighted average 4.46/5

The Times - 5 stars

[ESQ Editor]

Unpacking the SMiLE box set—

http://www.youtube.com/user/ESQEditor#p/a/u/0/6_crIWlK504

[The Shift]

Unpacking the SMiLE box set—

http://www.youtube.com/user/ESQEditor#p/a/u/0/6_crIWlK504

Did you consciously start part one by saying "Okay, we're rolling!"? 

[mammy blue]

I respect the right of each reviewer to blah blah blah, BUT........................

I love it when the criticism is that the rest of the tracks aren't as good as Heroes, Good Vibes, Surf's Up, Cabin, Wonderful, etc... That's like docking Revolver because the rest of the tracks aren't as good as Tomorrow Never Knows and Here There and Everywhere, etc or giving Sgt Pepper a hard time for having some tracks not up to the standard of A Day in the Life, and, well, A Day in the Life. You know what I mean?

[sidewinder572]

Ok so far we have

Uncut - 5 stars
Mojo - 5 stars
The Guardian - 5 stars
The Times - 5 stars
Classic Rock - 9/10 (which is the equivalent of 4.75 stars)
Rolling Stone - 4.5 stars
The Independent - 4 stars
Q - 3 stars


Weighted average 4.53/5

I've updated the list

[shelter]

I love it when the criticism is that the rest of the tracks aren't as good as Heroes, Good Vibes, Surf's Up, Cabin, Wonderful, etc... That's like docking Revolver because the rest of the tracks aren't as good as Tomorrow Never Knows and Here There and Everywhere, etc or giving Sgt Pepper a hard time for having some tracks not up to the standard of A Day in the Life, and, well, A Day in the Life. You know what I mean?

I agree. Sure, not everything on Smile is equally brilliant. But then again, are Fixing a Hole, Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite, Within You Without You, When I'm Sixty-Four, Lovely Rita and Good Morning Good Morning really that great?

[mammy blue]

I love it when the criticism is that the rest of the tracks aren't as good as Heroes, Good Vibes, Surf's Up, Cabin, Wonderful, etc... That's like docking Revolver because the rest of the tracks aren't as good as Tomorrow Never Knows and Here There and Everywhere, etc or giving Sgt Pepper a hard time for having some tracks not up to the standard of A Day in the Life, and, well, A Day in the Life. You know what I mean?

I agree. Sure, not everything on Smile is equally brilliant. But then again, are Fixing a Hole, Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite, Within You Without You, When I'm Sixty-Four, Lovely Rita and Good Morning Good Morning really that great?

Not to derail the thread, but Fixing a Hole rocks my world, actually. Very Brian influenced, that one.

[desmondo]

Billboard

THE BEACH BOYS
"The SMiLE Sessions"
Producers: Brian Wilson, Mark Linett, Alan Boyd, Dennis Wolfe
Capitol/EMI
Release Date: Nov. 1

The Beach Boys' "SMiLE," the first 19 tracks of this five-CD set, is an essential pop music album. The version Brian Wilson released in 2004 for Nonesuch was more polished than this collection of music from the initial 1966-'67 sessions. "The SMiLE Sessions" captures Wilson, session musicians and the Beach Boys in moments that are chaotic, loopy and remarkably in synch. It's a consistently brilliant album. With four CDs reliving Wilson's hours spent shaping "SMiLE," the song "Heroes and Villains" is limned at an extraordinary level, placed under the microscope and ultimately on a throne. Hands down one of Wilson's finest melodies, "Heroes and Villains" is Gershwin-esque in its sweeping moments, hauntingly still at times and cosmically choral in others. Set early on "SMiLE," a healthy amount of listening separates the song from its epic brethren "Surf's Up" and "Good Vibrations," heard here in a more rustic version than the hit single. Those better-known tracks feel perfect in length and structure; "Heroes and Villains" lingers-were SMiLE a Broadway show, theater-goers would hum it while exiting the venue. "SMiLE Sessions" showcases Wilson's production style and temperament, which is oddly calm and precise.

[Ron]

I love it when the criticism is that the rest of the tracks aren't as good as Heroes, Good Vibes, Surf's Up, Cabin, Wonderful, etc... That's like docking Revolver because the rest of the tracks aren't as good as Tomorrow Never Knows and Here There and Everywhere, etc or giving Sgt Pepper a hard time for having some tracks not up to the standard of A Day in the Life, and, well, A Day in the Life. You know what I mean?

I agree. Sure, not everything on Smile is equally brilliant. But then again, are Fixing a Hole, Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite, Within You Without You, When I'm Sixty-Four, Lovely Rita and Good Morning Good Morning really that great?

Yeah, I agree as well.  There's also a method to the madness of having some songs be emotionally overwhelming, and others not so much.  An entire album of Surf's ups would not be pleasant to listen to, IMHO. 

[dmcguire70]

I love it when the criticism is that the rest of the tracks aren't as good as Heroes, Good Vibes, Surf's Up, Cabin, Wonderful, etc... That's like docking Revolver because the rest of the tracks aren't as good as Tomorrow Never Knows and Here There and Everywhere, etc or giving Sgt Pepper a hard time for having some tracks not up to the standard of A Day in the Life, and, well, A Day in the Life. You know what I mean?

I agree. Sure, not everything on Smile is equally brilliant. But then again, are Fixing a Hole, Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite, Within You Without You, When I'm Sixty-Four, Lovely Rita and Good Morning Good Morning really that great?

Not to derail the thread, but Fixing a Hole rocks my world, actually. Very Brian influenced, that one.

Yes you can clearly hear Brians influence of the bass line on Fixing a hole.

[dmcguire70]

Not everybody wants 20 different versions of Heroes and Villains..

We gotta live with that, hard as it may be  

We smiley smilers should protest outside rolling stone for saying that statement

"Occupy Rolling Stone" 

I don't get it, I just read the review and it's very flattering, it ends with "the greatest pop album ever made is in there somewhere", yet they gave it 4 and a half..

I really don't know

They gave it 4 1/2 stars because SMilE was never properly finished . I totally get it.

[dmcguire70]

Another review that's not too hot.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-the-beach-boys-the-smile-sessions-emi-2376705.html

Quote  "the five discs of this outtakes-and-all edition take the (let's be honest) rather meagre delights of Brian Wilson's unfinished "masterwork" and wring the life out of them."

I'd like to wring that reviewers neck!!

[sidewinder572]

All Music has posted their review. Though no star rating yet.

http://allmusic.com/album/the-smile-sessions-r2295926/review

[adamghost]

"Cabinessence" rarely gets the praise it deserves.

I think "Cabinessence" is possibly the best thing the Beach Boys ever did.

I think the fade out to "Cabinessence" is the best thing any pop musician has ever recorded.

[John Stivaktas]

Frankly, a lot of the 5-star reviews were used up for BWPS: http://www.metacritic.com/music/smile/brian-wilson/critic-reviews

This is cleaning up the loose ends.

95 out of 100 for 4 reviews so far for The SMiLE Sessions...early days though.

http://www.metacritic.com/music/the-smile-sessions

[juggler]

Having just checked Google News, I'm very surprised by the lack of Sunday newspaper reviews of TSS.  This release is really flying below radar.  

I missed it, but did anyone catch Brian on "Breakfast with the Beatles" this morning?
http://www.examiner.com/beatles-in-national/beatle-news-briefs-beatle-radio-show-features-beach-boy-paul-helps-out-a-piano

Playlist indicates that the following BB songs were aired:

H&V
God Only Knows
Vega-Tables
Cab
SU '67
http://klos.tunegenie.com/onair/

[shelter]

Also 5 stars on nu.nl, the most visited news site in The Netherlands.

[smile-holland]

Having just checked Google News, I'm very surprised by the lack of Sunday newspaper reviews of TSS.  This release is really flying below radar.  

I missed it, but did anyone catch Brian on "Breakfast with the Beatles" this morning?
http://www.examiner.com/beatles-in-national/beatle-news-briefs-beatle-radio-show-features-beach-boy-paul-helps-out-a-piano

Playlist indicates that the following BB songs were aired:

H&V
God Only Knows
Vega-Tables
Cab
SU '67
http://klos.tunegenie.com/onair/

I tried to, but apparently non US citizens (at least the Dutch ones) weren't able to listen to it (mention of restrictions)

[juggler]

Philadelphia Inquirer - 4 stars
http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/20111030_New_Recordings.html

[harveyw]

5 stars from Record Collector, full page review.

"...a Peerless exploration of pop music's potential..."
"...listen to the version of Surf's Up presented here; an amalgamation of Brian's home demo & existing sessions. It's a breathtaking moment; a man at his absolute artistic peak."
"All of the talk that's surrounded these sessions is conjecture. What's important is that this exists at all and has been presented so beautifully. Listen in wonder...and don't forget to smile. !

[mammy blue]

Elemental suite? What in the world did this reviewer listen to?

http://www.duclarion.com/mobile/entertainment/beach-boys-smile-sessions-a-rock-relic-1.2674395