Just finished a fan reconstruction of the SMiLE album with all the original material from the unreleased 1966-67 version.
If this record had been released, the Beach Boys would easily have become the most influential band of all time (beating out the Beatles, imo). They were decades ahead of their time. Hell, we're STILL trying to catch up to where they were. Unfortunately, he shelved it. It was so close to being finished, Brian Wilson's masterpiece, and his brothers/bandmates forced him to shelve it.
WTF.
Now, Brian Wilson finished and finally released SMiLE in 2004, but he re-recorded all the vocals. When this album was originally being composed he was 24. In his prime. On the 2004 SMiLE, Wilson was 64. He also did a lot of drugs in the late 60's into the 70's which destroyed his vocal range. WHICH VOCAL TRACK DO YOU THINK WAS BETTER?
Of course, it's not just the vocals that suffered from his eventual finishing of his masterpiece. He chose a 'power-pop' group to be his backing band for SMiLE 2004. Sure, they're all great musicians, but their sound is a little different from classic Beach Boys. This sort of killed the relaxed and 'effortless' sound which is a subtle touch that makes SMiLE 1966 the genius work it is.
I dunno.
But yeah, I never really gave the Beach Boys a thought outside of their 'surfer' music. I regret that. SMiLE is friggin' genius.
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