Smile voted 4th best album of the decade by Uncut Magazine

[Shady]

http://stereogum.com/archives/list/uncuts_top_20_albums_of_the_00s_093691.html

Awesome.

10 Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
09 Ryan Adams - Heartbreaker
08 Bob Dylan - Modern Times
07 Arcade Fire - Funeral
06 Robert Plant and Alison Krauss - Raising Sand
05 The Strokes - Is This It
04 Brian Wilson - Smile
03 Wilco - A Ghost is Born
02 Bob Dylan - 'Love and Theft'
01 The White Stripes - White Blood Cells

[hypehat]

Putting Smile there is lovely and all that.... but that list is absolutely terrible, with the possible exception of the strokes. Maybe 'Love And Theft', too. Most of those records are average at best.....

[Rocker]

Putting Smile there is lovely and all that.... but that list is absolutely terrible, with the possible exception of the strokes. Maybe 'Love And Theft', too. Most of those records are average at best.....

That's the problem of the current music scene. I don't really know if there are that many great records out there but I doubt it

[Magic Transistor Radio]

Here are a list of great albums that should be on that list:

Kid A - Radiohead
Illinoise - Sufjan Stevens
The Thrills - So Much for the City
Cold Play - (recent one that was recorded in cathedrals across Europe) I forgot what its called

 

[Smilin Ed H]

Love and Theft is good.  Modern Times' inclusion is a joke, surely.  JJ Cale meets Sub-Crosby crooning...

[The Heartical Don]

Am I the only one who is of the persuasion that the decade still has almost 3 months to go?

[Jonas]

this is stupid.

[The Heartical Don]

this is stupid.

Yup. It is the British obsession with lists, probably initiated by a very crude potty training period. MOJO magazine has the list obsession to thank for its downfall. No matter what, no matter how insipid and inane the music or films might be, make a list. And since in the UK a magazine with 'october' on its front tends to hit the shops in february, it all becomes a bit psychiatric.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Not Smile - Brian Wilson Presents Smile. Big difference.

[The Heartical Don]

Not Smile - Brian Wilson Presents Smile. Big difference.

I did not think otherwise. Were there really people who thought about the '67 Smile? 

[Andrew G. Doe]

Not Smile - Brian Wilson Presents Smile. Big difference.

I did not think otherwise. Were there really people who thought about the '67 Smile? 

Just striving for a little historical accuracy. 

[The Heartical Don]

Not Smile - Brian Wilson Presents Smile. Big difference.

I did not think otherwise. Were there really people who thought about the '67 Smile? 

Just striving for a little historical accuracy. 

OK. That's fine with me. Andrew, how is it that UK mags are so, um, obsessed with 'pre-dating' (or 'post-dating' if you will) the month a magazine hits the stores?

[Alex]

http://stereogum.com/archives/list/uncuts_top_20_albums_of_the_00s_093691.html

Awesome.

10 Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
09 Ryan Adams - Heartbreaker
08 Bob Dylan - Modern Times
07 Arcade Fire - Funeral
06 Robert Plant and Alison Krauss - Raising Sand
05 The Strokes - Is This It
04 Brian Wilson - Smile
03 Wilco - A Ghost is Born
02 Bob Dylan - 'Love and Theft'
01 The White Stripes - White Blood Cells

I'd replace A Ghost is Born with Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. And like Magic Transistor Radio said, where are The Thrills, Sufjan, and Coldplay (BTW, the album is called Viva La Vida)? And where are TLOS and Live At The Roxy? Where's Animal Collective? Rilo Kiley? Death Cab? The Decemberists? The Postal Service? Bright Eyes? The Shins? The Explorers Club? TV On The Radio? M.I.A.? Barenaked Ladies? Camera Obscura? Belle and Sebastian? Stereolab? Battles? Justice? Death From Above 1979? Broken Social Scene? Feist?  The Thrills? THE FLAMING LIPS??!!!!!

[The Heartical Don]

http://stereogum.com/archives/list/uncuts_top_20_albums_of_the_00s_093691.html

Awesome.

10 Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
09 Ryan Adams - Heartbreaker
08 Bob Dylan - Modern Times
07 Arcade Fire - Funeral
06 Robert Plant and Alison Krauss - Raising Sand
05 The Strokes - Is This It
04 Brian Wilson - Smile
03 Wilco - A Ghost is Born
02 Bob Dylan - 'Love and Theft'
01 The White Stripes - White Blood Cells

I'd replace A Ghost is Born with Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. And like Magic Transistor Radio said, where are The Thrills, Sufjan, and Coldplay (BTW, the album is called Viva La Vida)? And where are TLOS and Live At The Roxy? Where's Animal Collective? Rilo Kiley? Death Cab? The Decemberists? The Postal Service? Bright Eyes? The Shins? The Explorers Club? TV On The Radio? M.I.A.? Barenaked Ladies? Camera Obscura? Belle and Sebastian? Stereolab? Battles? Justice? Death From Above 1979? Broken Social Scene? THE FLAMING LIPS??!!!!!

UK pop mag editors are notorious for their intense daytime drinking.

[8o8o]

And like Magic Transistor Radio said, where are The Thrills, Sufjan, and Coldplay (BTW, the album is called Viva La Vida)? And where are TLOS and Live At The Roxy? Where's Animal Collective? Rilo Kiley? Death Cab? The Decemberists? The Postal Service? Bright Eyes? The Shins? The Explorers Club? TV On The Radio? M.I.A.? Barenaked Ladies? Camera Obscura? Belle and Sebastian? Stereolab? Battles? Justice? Death From Above 1979? Broken Social Scene? THE FLAMING LIPS??!!!!!

Further down the list. They printed a Top 150 in the magazine. 

[Alex]

http://stereogum.com/archives/list/uncuts_top_20_albums_of_the_00s_093691.html

Awesome.

10 Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
09 Ryan Adams - Heartbreaker
08 Bob Dylan - Modern Times
07 Arcade Fire - Funeral
06 Robert Plant and Alison Krauss - Raising Sand
05 The Strokes - Is This It
04 Brian Wilson - Smile
03 Wilco - A Ghost is Born
02 Bob Dylan - 'Love and Theft'
01 The White Stripes - White Blood Cells

I'd replace A Ghost is Born with Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. And like Magic Transistor Radio said, where are The Thrills, Sufjan, and Coldplay (BTW, the album is called Viva La Vida)? And where are TLOS and Live At The Roxy? Where's Animal Collective? Rilo Kiley? Death Cab? The Decemberists? The Postal Service? Bright Eyes? The Shins? The Explorers Club? TV On The Radio? M.I.A.? Barenaked Ladies? Camera Obscura? Belle and Sebastian? Stereolab? Battles? Justice? Death From Above 1979? Broken Social Scene? THE FLAMING LIPS??!!!!!

UK pop mag editors are notorious for their intense daytime drinking.

Honestly, I think the UK music rags hate pretty much everything I listen to except for Brian and the BBs.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Not Smile - Brian Wilson Presents Smile. Big difference.

I did not think otherwise. Were there really people who thought about the '67 Smile? 

Just striving for a little historical accuracy. 

OK. That's fine with me. Andrew, how is it that UK mags are so, um, obsessed with 'pre-dating' (or 'post-dating' if you will) the month a magazine hits the stores?

I have no idea... and it's getting worse - when I used to manage a newsagents a few years back, we were getting, say, the September issue in mid-July.

[TdHabib]

It's funny, but BWPS is the only album of those ten that would make my top ten of the decade (there's still several months, though).

I hope this isn't derailing, but I'll post my personal top ten soon.

[buddhahat]

Not Smile - Brian Wilson Presents Smile. Big difference.

I'm not trying to be argumentative for the sake of it (as I know this is an incendiary topic) but I don't have a problem with calling BWPS Smile, and certainly don't think it is a cold hard fact that BWPS isn't Smile.

If BWPS isn't smile, what is? Are the unfinished 66/67 sessions Smile? Could a specific combination of the original 66 fragments become Smile? Would Brian need to organise these fragments solely on his own, for this to qualify as a finished Smile? Why does the fact he had assistance (ranging from 0-100%) negate BWPS's claim to being Smile? After all he had assistance on the original sessions.

Or maybe if legal wranglings hadn't prevented them from just calling BWPS, Smile, it would be Smile, i.e. it's merely in name alone that the quibble exists.

Or would the only legitimate Smile have been the one finished in a parallel universe in 1967?

What's Brian's take on it - has he said he finished Smile with BWPS?

I know this might seem like a belligerent post. It isn't meant to be. I just think it's interesting defining why BWPS is or isn't Smile. I certainly don't think it's cut & dried that it isn't Smile.

[Sheriff John Stone]

Not Smile - Brian Wilson Presents Smile. Big difference.

1) Are the unfinished 66/67 sessions Smile?

2) Could a specific combination of the original 66 fragments become Smile?

3) Would Brian need to organise these fragments solely on his own, for this to qualify as a finished Smile?

4) Or would the only legitimate Smile have been the one finished in a parallel universe in 1967?

5) What's Brian's take on it - has he said he finished Smile with BWPS?

1) yes

2) no

3) no

4) yes

5) yes

Just my opinion(s)    SMiLE

[c-man]

What's Brian's take on it - has he said he finished Smile with BWPS?

Yes.
Personally (and that's probably all this is worth), to me BWPS is "finished SMiLE" and '66-'67 SMiLE is "unfinished SMiLE".  Had it been finished in '66-'67 it would've been different than the finished BWPS, but for that matter, had it been finished in '66, it would have been different had it been finished in '67.  In fact, if it had been finished in September '66, it would've been different than had it been finished in December '66, and a December '66 finished SMiLE would've been different than had it been finished in January '67, which would've been different had it been finished in May '67.  See what I mean?  SMiLE only got finished in '04, and now it's finished, but since it's a different set of recordings, there are now TWO SMiLES...unfinished SMiLE and finished SMiLE.  On that note, I'm gonna    

[buddhahat]

there are now TWO SMiLES...unfinished SMiLE and finished SMiLE.  On that note, I'm gonna    

Yes that's about the way I see it. As BWPS is finished and unfinished Smile isn't, I think BWPS actually has more claim to being Smile, than Smile does!

[Sheriff John Stone]

Had it been finished in '66-'67 it would've been different than the finished BWPS, but for that matter, had it been finished in '66, it would have been different had it been finished in '67.  In fact, if it had been finished in September '66, it would've been different than had it been finished in December '66, and a December '66 finished SMiLE would've been different than had it been finished in January '67, which would've been different had it been finished in May '67.  See what I mean?  

Isn't that true with every album Brian produced, or any album by any artist?

If Brian re-recorded "Trombone Dixie", and had a press conference announcing that he would like to NOW close Pet Sounds with "Trombone Dixie" instead of "Caroline No", and insisted that all future pressings be issued this way, which Pet Sounds would you consider finished?

[the captain]

Glad to see BWPS got some respect, as I agree that it's among the top 10 or so of the decade. Right up there, in fact. Love & Theft, too. As for both the magazine's and most of the others here's remaining choices, I'd disagree. And I'd disagree that there wasn't plenty of great music this decade. But really, such things take a while to sort themselves out. No need to decide what ended up the best when we're still here. Check back in 10 years. Or 25. By which time, a whole new crop of old farts will complain about the then-new music, while the younger people bitch about the inclusion of phogies like the Jonas Bros. or MIA in their lists.

[the captain]

Oh, and for the record, my list is probably something like Love & Theft, BWPS, Belle & Sebastian's Dear Catastrophe Waitress, Beulah's Coast is Never Clear, Of Montreal's Satanic Panic in the Attic, Iron & Wine's the Shepherd's Dog, Amy Winehouse's Back to Black, Herman Dune's Giant, Shins' Chutes Too Narrow, and Tom Waits' Alice. Not in that order. And with another 30 discs contending for those same spots.