Didn't think much of Heroes and Villains either, when it came out. Start and stop, start and stop. It just didn't seem to go anywhere and what the heck was it supposed to be about?
I fear that, had SMiLE been finished in 1967, this might have been the general reaction to the album as a whole. Remember, the masterpiece Pet Sounds didn't go that high in the charts either. You never know, of course.
I really don't think so. Honestly, this whole idea that SMiLE was "too weird to be popular" is a bit overemphasized imo. Yes, Pet Sounds disappointed in sales, but consider why that might be. Not because it was "too good" for the ignorant masses or any silly idea like that. It's because it wasn't promoted well by Capitol and was very melancholy and depressing compared to what BB fans were used to. They released a hits compilation which also confused the public and created internal competition.
SMiLE, in whatever form Brian eventually decided on, was gonna be weird. And good. And in California, 1967...that's just what the doctor ordered. Seriously, consider how weird Sgt Pepper, Piper at the Gates of Dawn, Red Krayola, After Bathing at Baxter's and all the other far out classics of '67 and '68 were. The times they were a'changin' and only Brian seemed to realize that in the Beach Boy camp. I have no doubt that a 1967 release of SMiLE in any form would've not only lived up to the success of GV (speaking of "weird" music...) but also would've stolen Pepper and the Beatles' thunder and become the anthem of the aquarian age. Add a Monterey performance to this alternate timeline and I can see the BBs effortlessly transitioning with the times, perhaps becoming as synonymous with psychedelia as Hendrix (hey, more "weird" music!)
But, as we know, that didn't happen. None of the other Boys had the foresight to see how radically the music scene was changing, and wanted to play it safe. Brian second-guessed himself, ran out of time, and withdrew into himself. Smiley was a misfire. It's a brilliant, one of a kind work of art. But it misfired. Not because it was "weird" but because it lacked the psychedelic grooves and high production values of its competitors. That's what makes it so great now, but back then it was seen as a sign the band was out of touch. Again, not for being "too weird" so much as "not the right kind of weird."
I do think, however, that the H&V single was doomed to disappoint from the start. It's a great track, the backbone of what would've surely been hailed as a groundbreaking album, but there was little chance of topping GV, especially with a 4 minute musical comedy about the old west. I never considered this, but some other poster in this thread suggested that Cabin Essence be the lead in single. I think that would've had a much better chance at success. Perhaps with CIFOTM (a finished, fleshed-out, 3,3:30 long version) as a double a-side?
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