The Beach Boys: The Smile Sessions

Label: Capitol

I'm not going to get into the long, tortured saga of the Beach Boys' Smile, recorded some 45 years ago but not officially released until last week; I'm just going to tell you that it's the finest album of 2011. Seriously, nothing released this year comes within miles of Brian Wilson's baroque masterpiece, and not because I'm some old crank who bemoans how "they don't make music like they used to..." This would be the best album of the year regardless of when it was released (okay, maybe not 1967). And if you think Brian Wilson's Smile, released in 2004, will suffice, think again. All due respect, but he just didn't have the pipes to pull off the difficult harmonies of this material. This version of Smile is a pristine remastering of the original sessions, and it's nothing short of perfection: "Heroes and Villains," "Surf's Up" and, of course, "Good Vibrations" are among the Beach Boys' greatest songs, but this is an album to be savored as a whole, from the brief a cappella pieces to the gorgeous instrumental passages to the many lesser-known tracks dotted throughout. What's more, the deluxe version is filled with wonderful bonus material, all worth owning. (Alas, we have sold out of the vinyl and the super deluxe box set of 5 CDs, 2 LPs, 2 45rpm singles and a 60 page booklet, but we hope to have them back in soon). Rejoice, people, the Beach Boys' finest hour, and some of the finest pop music ever recorded, is finally here, to be savored and enjoyed forever.