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Brian Wilson Presents SmileBrian Wilson
The story of Brian Wilson and his magnum opus Smile is one of the more compelling tales of how ego, insecurity and drugs can swiftly undermine the creative process, especially when it’s caught in the mire of a commercial tidal wave. For years, Beach Boys/Brian Wilson fans agonized and lamented over the unfinished nature of Smile, originally slated for a January 1967 release, six months before the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band changed the world. Unfortunately, the record was permanently sidelined in the wake of internal friction with certain members of the Beach Boys (Mike Love reportedly hated it because it strayed from the "formula"), as well as Wilson’s own personal demons and insecurities. Whether it’s a musical comedy or an ode to the elements, Smile has always been the culmination of Brain Wilson’s genius. Its resurrection in 2003 is testament to the shelf life of a missing masterpiece shrouded in mystery for over 37 years. To keep the legacy alive, Rhino has, in their usual manner, done a splendid job at assembling these two comprehensive DVDs to match the artistry and mystique of Smile. Disc One features the extensive and well-researched documentary "Beautiful Dreamer: Brian Wilson And The Story of SMILE." With this film, we get a glimpse into Wilson’s beginnings -- his ambitions as a ball player giving way to becoming a musician; his troubled relationship with his father Murray "I’m A Genius Too" Wilson; his experimentation with various illicit substances; his mastery and presence in the recording studio; and his collaboration with a young wordsmith named Van Dyke Parks on the original Smile. Wilson appears throughout the film. He is candid and forthcoming, especially when it comes to his father and the reasons Smile wasn’t released. "Mike didn’t like it," he says emphatically. In the end, even Sir George Martin, among the many luminaries interviewed, advises against listening to frightened band members. Fast forward almost four decades later and Wilson is back at it, finishing Smile and preparing to record and play it in its entirety live. For a man whose past general reticence figures into a funk, this is miraculous comeback for Brain Wilson. Thankfully, the story of Smile has a happy ending. Disc Two features a resounding live performance of Smile filmed in Los Angeles. Wilson’s young and capable band delivers the piece with top-notch precision and execution. The arrangements and performances are virtually flawless on every count. The tear-tugging harmonies of "Prayer" slide seamlessly into the multi-layered, molecular structure of "Heroes and Villains.' In between dashes of pure pop brilliance, the animal noises of "Barnyard" and breaking celery sticks of "Vega-tables" are downright contagious. Wilson and company spruce up the "columnated ruins domino" of "Surf’s Up" with the proper touches. Then there's "Mrs. O'Leary’s Cow" with its eerie refrain that apparently gave Wilson the willies back in the 60s. Now, it makes for a climatic portion of the entire piece. As it has done so many times in the past for the Beach Boys, "Good Vibrations" serves as a fitting finale. Both discs are crammed full with bonus features almost as captivating as the main features. There are a few clips from the stellar first live performance of Smile at the Royal Festival Hall in London in February 2004. Then it’s on to the exclusive aftershow party where Wilson holds court with the likes of Roger Daltrey and Sir Paul McCartney. Elsewhere, there are extensive interviews with Wilson, mostly with Van Dyke Parks; Wilson jamming on several Smile tunes with bassist Carol Kaye; Wilson working in the studio, rehearsing and recording the 2004 album Smile; and fan Justin Cole’s homemade video for "Heroes & Villains," which sort of loses its claymation appeal after a couple of minutes, but as a whole is a wildly ambitious undertaking. As this DVD set so perfectly illustrates -- Smile, a slice of melodic heaven Brian Wilson once deemed his "Teenage Symphony to God," is finally gaining recognition tantamount to other great albums of the rock era and beyond. It was worth the wait. ~ Shawn Perry ©Copyright 1997, 2008 Vintage Rock
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