Brian Wilson’s mythical “Smile” album released”

Wow! What a truly effective way to slay what little remains of the grandier of the golden age of rock and roll! Let’s release “Smile!”

Actually, this isn’t the real “Smile.” This is the “Smile” that Brian Wilson, who cannot tie his own shoes anymore, re-recorded last year with a bunch of weirdo 60’s revivalists called the Wondermints as his backing band.

In 1967, Brian Wilson had the most spectacular nervous breakdown in surf-rock history. He and the Beach Boys were part way through recording the original “Smile” album, which was pretty much slated to be the “OK Computer” of it’s day. Old, creepy, bearded guys who work (And sleep) in dirty record stores like to think that the music was so groundbreaking, and that the thought of exposing it to the world for co-opting and criticism was so unbearable, that it drove Wilson insane. Others cite the blood in his LSD lines.

I haven’t heard this new “Smile” yet. I’m sure it’s not quite the stuff of legends. Whatever groundbreaking ideas the had in the heyday of rock and roll have been had and executed poorly in the 37 years since the orinignal “Smile” was backburnered and this is sure to seem a desperate plea for relevance by a hairy man in slippers. If the songs are solid, the ideas are genuinely good, and the performances tasteful, this could still be a listenable album, but when most of the people I know think of rock godliness instead of toothpaste when hearing the word “Smile,” I’d wager that no album could ever stand up to the legend.

Maybe soon I’ll give it a listen and offer up a proper review, but until then, I leave you with this:

Worst. Idea. Ever.