Smiley Smile.

We seem to be having a bit of an Indian summer here at the moment. Long may it continue. I haven’t been out today, but I did a bit of pottering about in my garden, cutting down stuff that has died off for this year and putting it in the compost bin. Nothing too strenuous. Earlier in the day I read that 54 years ago this week Smiley Smile by The Beach Boys was released, so I was listening to it. When it was released in 1967 it was a disappointment for many of the fans after the brilliance of Pet Sounds. It was also the so-called Summer Of Love in 67 and people were getting into music like Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd. The Beach Boys were considered to be unhip and passe. They were in decline commercially. They weren’t in decline with me though. I thought it was a great album, and still do. I think the critics have reassessed the album these days, and it is now regarded as a minor masterpiece. 

It contains two of the greatest singles of all time, namely Good Vibrations and Heroes And Villains. Brian Wilson collaborated with Van Dyke Parks who wrote the lyrics for Heroes And Villains which were considered too cryptic and mysterious for some, including Mike Love who apparently didn’t get on with Van Dyke Parks. He also wrote the words for the humorous Vegetables which is sung by Al Jardine. You can hear the sound of chopping vegetables in the background. The song came about because Brian was going through a health food fad at the time. Another humorous song is She’s Going Bald which Mike Love sang. One of my favourite songs is Little Pad which is very minimalist compared to some of the complex production on Pet Sounds for instance. It is a gentle heartfelt song about wanting a little place to live in Hawaii, played on Hawaiian guitar. I also really like Wind Chimes which is a psychedelic masterpiece. (I have shared Wind Chimes to this page if you want to hear it. It gives an idea of the quirky charm of the album) 

Brian Wilson in 67.

You can tell that the band, or some of them were under the influence of something while recording the album. There is quite a lot of stoned laughter going on at times. The singing and the harmonies are wonderful throughout all the songs. This is a great happy little album and even has a quote of Indian wisdom on the back cover, ‘The smile that you send out returns to you’, which is a nice thought. I’m glad I listened to it again on this pleasant September Day.