My Tribute to Brian
The Ultimate & Peak Essential SMiLE-Core Albums Project
The final breakdown in album count for how this got made:
The Peak Essential SMiLE-Core Albums Collage
Click here to read my full final post on this page, also detailed in the final section below
I started this at 9 and now ending it at 9. While the last series was a big bang, an explosive collage of 49 albums, this is a one-shot analysis, a zoomed-in concentration of the 9 most hardcore Smile-core albums of them all
We’ve finally come full circle
I listened to all of them. I understand that it’s an overwhelming list of artists, so I wanted to pick the peak ones that are closest to being Smile-like in style and spirit for the those who haven’t had the chance to experience them yet and want to supercharge their listening experience. It allows this one-shot post to be hyper focused after the tidal wave of Smile-affirming recommendations in the initial journey, but it also shows off the best, most fitting selections. Each of these albums also has their own unique identity and imprint on the Smile ethos.
3 of these 9 albums are givens: The Beach Boys, Van Dyke Parks, and the Old Master Painter himself, which leaves 6 slots up for discussion. 3 more albums are already highly regarded by this sub as essential picks: Jellyfish, The High Llamas, and The Olivia Tremor Control… the Smile is strong with these ones. The final 3 are the ones that have some wiggle room, Paul McCartney, Mr. Bungle, and The Avalanches, however I think Wildflower makes as strong of a case as the others to be an essential pick and deserves to be here, leaving McCartney and Mr. Bungle up for discussion, so just hear me out.
Top row: The classic era
The OG one - yes, The Smile Sessions I consider self-affirming, because the ultimate, perfect dream of it never rose to completion, but Brian attempted the same thing that so many artists that came after tried to emulate, thereby creating the microgenre, Smile-core
The avant-garde one - closest to Smile in my humble opinion, with such a fascinating history and the irony that Song Cycle was able to be released while Smile was largely abandoned
The Beatle one - Paul’s got so much going on in here, RAM is an essential listen and one of the more accessible picks, every song is stupendously Smile-affirming and before you know it theres another stylistic lift from song to song
Second row: Resurgence
The power pop one - heavy on the 90s rock but shocking in its songwriting complexity, The Beach Boys callbacks are so strong with this one
The chill one - a favorite of Beach Boys fans on here, and I can see why, it just has such a smooth and steady execution that it has to be here
The psychedelic one - are most Smile-core albums psychedelic? Well… they certainly contain elements of lush orchestration, production, and unconventional recording techniques, which Smile helped to influence in modern psychedelic music, and this is the most Smile-core, psychedelic album in existence
Third row: The turn of, and the 21st century
The heavy one - a bridge between Frank Zappa and The Beach Boys, this album was the last discovery of mine, has gonzo songwriting, heavy Beach Boys callbacks, and metal-infused neo-psychedelia, it’s as if System of a Down did their version of Smile, essentially testing the limits of what Smile-core means, enjoy the rollercoaster ride
The masterpiece by the Old Master Painter - Brian we love you so much! Yes That Lucky Old Sun has you composing your final masterstroke, it’s own sun-drenched California Smile, and it makes me bawl now, especially going home and Southern California, damn you, you’re going to make me cry again
The “mixtape” one - this final one doesn’t have any main singers or vocalists, but a plethora of captivating guests and a kaleidoscopic arrangement of music and themes and is, in my humble opinion, the best 21st century version of Smile
THIS IS MY ONLY POST of peak SMiLE-core albums, because it’s not about starting it all over, rather, it’s about arriving where we’ve started because we’ve come full circle, but now with the pinnacle of Smile-core albums
There can’t be much more than this because the selections are already so tight and closely matching the essence of Smile. It was actually pretty hard for my final pick, which ended up being McCartney’s RAM, and in my humble opinion there are too many songwriting quirks and direct stylistic lifts to qualify it. While the original series included “Smile-affirming and Companion albums” terminology, this is the finest, purest distillation of it all.
SO WHAT CHANGED?
The very first post of mine in this journey, of which I never knew there would be so many follow-ups, had The Moody Blues, The Millennium, The United States of America, The Four Seasons, and Pepe Deluxé, which ultimately were switched for 3 highly popular ones, and my final 2 picks being McCartney, which was recommended just once, and Mr. Bungle, which was never mentioned but rather I found in my research.
At this point it’s just a discussion of what you think you would swap out if you did this yourselves. Does Smile Sessions actually belong here since it’s the reference point? Is That Lucky Old Sun, even though it’s Brian’s final masterpiece, really a Smile-core album? I think you’d be hard pressed to remove any of the middle row since those are so strongly supported by this community. Some might say Wildflower is its own thing and not Smile-core, but I would passionately disagree. Is RAM really Smile-core or just one of the coolest of the solo Beatles albums? Does Mr. Bungle belong, or is it too heavy, sometimes metal-infused to make it in here, despite super on-the-nose Beach Boys callbacks?
Let’s discuss. Which albums would you swap out, why, and for what?
And here’s the initial series of posts:
The Beach Boys, Van Dyke Parks, The Moody Blues, The Millennium, The United States of America, The Four Seasons, Brian Wilson, Pepe Deluxé, The Avalanches
The Monkees, Cornelius, Miracle Musical
Todd Rundgren, XTC, The Olivia Tremor Control, Super Furry Animals
Tiny Tim, The Tokens, Paul McCartney, The High Llamas
The Beatles, Os Mutantes, Ween, Panda Bear, Sufjan Stevens
Bee Gees, Donovan, J. K. & Co., The Flaming Lips, of Montreal
Love, Harper’s Bizarre, The Byrds, The Zombies, Sagittarius, The Turtles
The Who, The Rascals, Randy Newman, Simon & Garfunkel (BUT I SWITCHED IT WITH SPILT MILK), Harry Nilsson, The Dukes of the Stratosphear
Stevie Wonder, Wondermints, Beck, Tally Hall, Animal Collective, Jan & Dean, Beyoncé
Love, Os Mutantes, Stevie Wonder, Beck —> Brian Protheroe, Mr. Bungle, Jim Noir, Mild High Club
I made an Apple Music Playlist
Smiley Smiles: a playlist of albums that sound like Smile
The Spotify Version, provided by u/zachstonekin
The Smile-core circle of life is now complete
I’ll now get out of u/zachstonekin’s way and allow him to continue the Smile-Core Femmes Edition.
Round 1: Smile-Affirming Music Albums #1-9
My initial determination and albums 1-9 are as follows:
If you would like to read more about my assessments and reasoning for these selections and all future picks in the subsequent rounds, you can click on the Round Headers above them to go to the specific Reddit post on them. There’s simply too much to explain in this article.
And please keep in mind that the album positions keep shifting because they are sorted chronologically by their release dates.
Click here to read my full post on this page
I made a collage of albums that give me the same feeling of Smile.
In no way do I claim that these are the only Smile-affirming albums in existence, but after getting the itch to hear more Smile-like albums, I realized how rare it is for an artist to create an album that truly captures the spirit of Smile, what Smile is about, and checks off most if not all of the criteria and elements (hehe) that are found in Smile.
These criteria I refer to are listed below by their level of importance:
- A revolving carousel of musical styles and sounds
- Rich and complex songwriting, melodies, and vocal arrangements
- Use of multiple instruments to achieve a transportive musical journey for the listener
- Thematic affirmations of life, struggle, and the bittersweet, exaltations of joy, and a reverence for beauty and the natural world, with occasional detours through the surreal and the supernatural
- Field recordings of places, people, or sound effects that give the feeling that the music itself is a living thing
While listening and choosing albums for this small subgenre, I made the determination that for a band to simply sound like The Beach Boys is not enough. There are numerous Beach Boys imitators, no knock against them as a lot of them are extremely talented to pull off anything similar to The Beach Boys. Similarly, psychedelic music at large does not qualify here just because it is psychedelic. Excessive synth work or sonic/noise/feedback doesn’t qualify as a replacement for a multitude of instruments and music styles. This is no doubt experimental and a creative choice and it has its place, but it essentially flies past the mark and the point of what Smile is, which is a more grounded, almost exclusively analog experience.
Using this strict criteria, I was able to par down a small selection of incredible albums.
Let’s discuss what each one means in relation to Smile and what makes them Smile-affirming.
First and foremost, 3 of these albums are directly from The Beach Boys’ circle, the eponymously-titled landmark that started it all in the race for concept album perfection, followed closely by Van Dyke Parks’ own vision of what a Smile should be with his Song Cycle, and finally Brian Wilson’s final masterpiece, 2008’s That Lucky Old Sun, his conceptual, storytelling, romanticized vision and dream of a California then and now. For all intents and purposes and to be concise, these albums will be quickly glossed over as most information is available on this sub.
For this collage, I ordered these albums in order of release, and what is remarkable is the fact that the top two rows are albums that were either released or intended for release within only 3 years of one other, between 1967-1969! This is truly a testament to the time period and how songwriting and emerging recording technology of the time allowed artists to fully flex their creativity in ways that were previously unheard of. The untapped well of these songwriting geniuses, influenced by the likes of Buddy Holly, The Beatles, and others, were given the sandbox to compose music that stands the test of time and still does more than half a century later. I’m not claiming that these albums following Smile were directly influenced by The Beach Boys or their Pet Sounds/Smile work. Rather, that they all share the same Smile DNA.
The bottom row are all 21st century releases, which I found fascinating. I realized that in my research and listening experience that it is exceedingly rare to find a more modern approach to the Smile blueprint. Besides That Lucky Old Sun, I added to the list Pepe Deluxé’s Queen of The Wave from 2012, and The Avalanches’ Wildflower from 2016. These albums I’ve listened to countless times over the years and I am firm on my assessment of these two. More on those later.
I have to give a lot of credit to this sub for my discovery of the entire middle row of albums. If it weren’t for my desire to hear more Smile-like albums, I wouldn’t have found past posts on here with recommendations in the comments. I pooled almost all that I could find and took a careful listen to most of them to see if these albums made me feel what Smile makes me feel. So thank you, r/thebeachboys! You guys are really cool 😎 thanks to you, I discovered these albums in the middle by The Millennium, The United States of America, and The Four Seasons!!
Top row:
The Beach Boys - Smile
Skipping this one because we’re here, aren’t we? Smile is the first album included in this collage as mostly a reference point from which the others follow.
Van Dyke Parks - Song Cycle
It sort of blows my mind that while Smile was never completed or released, Song Cycle was. As an album, it is a labyrinth through which the songs only begin to reveal themselves after multiple run-throughs. The level of musicianship and technicality of Parks’ songs are impeccable, and while it will confound most listeners, Smileheads will know its immeasurable value and contribution to the overall lore of Smile, Brian, and Van Dyke Parks. For this reason, and it’s close relation to Smile, Song Cycle remains the most Smile-affirming album of them all.
The Moody Blues - Days of Future Passed
I’ll either get some head nods or head scratches for this one, but hear me out. Days of Future Passed is one of the very first concept albums and one that is often referred to as the beginning of symphonic rock as a subgenre. What this album lacks in Smile eccentricities it makes up for in spades with meticulous songcraft, interspersed original orchestra arrangements, poetic bookends to the album, and themes of the natural world, beauty, and the separation of night and day. The Moodies also introduced the world to the mellotron which was popularized by one of their chief songwriters, Mike Pinder. Its concept is one full day from beginning to end.
Like Smile, its creation was unexpected and almost didn’t happen, as Decca Records hired the Moodies to showcase their new stereo recording technology by recording a rock version of a classical symphony. What the label didn’t know was that the studio time was instead being used to record this album of completely original compositions, with longtime collaborator and producer Tony Clark composing the orchestra arrangements that interconnect the songs.
The end result is nothing short of magical, with the final track Nights in White Satin, which is among the most beautiful songs ever recorded and can go up against The Beach Boys’ best in God Only Knows and Surfs Up. Plus, like Carl who was only 19 when he sang God Only Knows, Justin was just 19 when he sang on Days of Future Passed and Nights in White Satin. Just incredible! Days of Future Passed, which is steady, methodical, whimsical, and self-assured, is Smile-affirming indeed.
Middle row:
The Millennium - Begin
These next 3 albums I have to admit I am a very new fan of. The Millennium and their only album Begin was one of the first examples of what has become known as “sunshine pop”, but that is of course a deceptively simple label to put on this album. This album is the only one that has the traditional “band” sound throughout. As a result, while listening to this album, my immediate takeaway was that this is what Smile could have been if it was more direct and song-oriented. Interestingly, it is the only album that this group released because while it was critically well-received, it performed poorly commercially. The group abandoned a follow-up, which I think was a mistake based on how good this sounds.
There are many plenty of musical nuggets and forward-thinking production choices. Before you get too comfortable with a song, something awesome and unexpected happens. From the opening Prelude, which sounds like it could easily be cut and sampled for a hip-hop album with its prophetic beatified harpsichord loop and lively drumbeat, to the first actual song, which comes in seamlessly with faint background sounds that mimic dog whines in the mix. The tonal quality of this first song is carried throughout the album; joyful and playful with occasional melancholy vibes. It also doesn’t hurt that The Millenium asks Claudia to Smile. The other songs have the sunshine vibe and use a nice assortment of instruments paired with lovely melodies and vocal arrangements. Take a listen yourself to hear how Smile-affirming it is.
This was actually my most difficult selection, specifically because it has the most traditional band sound, but it seems to redeem itself over and over again. My selection was between this and Jan and Dean’s Carnival of Sound, which was intended for release that same year in 1968 but shelved. However, I determined that Carnival of Sound actually sounded a bit closer to Sgt. Peoper’s than Smile. I hope you enjoy this highly accessible and awesome album.
The United States of America - Self-titled
Like Begin, this album is the only one released by this group, which dissolved due to personal conflicts shortly after its release. This one was a very easy pick as a Smile-affirming album, mostly due to the fact that Joseph Byrd, the band’s leader, filled it to the brim with old-time American music, which he was reportedly “obsessed with”. This collage or “wall of sound” is the same production technique that was Brian’s objective in the studio, and it surely would have interested Brian, if not amused him if he ever heard it at the time. This mix however is not muddied. It is expertly crafted and full of eccentricities that are often heard in Smile.
Dorothy Moskowitz is the primary vocalist on this album, and the addition of her feminine voice is a nice counterpoint to the many instruments elbowing their way into the songs. Ironically, Cloud Song stands out as it is a softer, more ethereal flow and allows the instruments to breathe and the production to shine in the quiet moments. The musical carousel effect of this album using old-time American music and current songwriting of psychedelia at the time seals its fate as a Smile-affirming album.
The Four Seasons - The Genuine Imitation Life Gazette
What is there to really say about this album, which has achieved cult status and goes down as the most different sounding album of The Four Seasons’ career? It is immediately one-of-a-kind and is their version of a concept album, as they wanted to sound fresh again and stay current with the scene at the time, which was dominated by psychedelic music.
It essentially fractured their lineup with one of their members, Tommy DeVito, who was so against the direction of the group, quitting shortly after its release. Interestingly, like all of the albums in this collage that have come before it, except for Days of Future Passed, the creation of them, like Smile, had in some way hurt or damaged the groups that made them. It’s as if the undertakings of so grand of vision could not be sustained, or the aftermath of their releases never caught the attention of the masses, which is endlessly fascinating to me.
For the sake of saving your precious time, I won’t go into detail on this one to discuss how it is Smile-affirming. It’s best to just listen to it and marvel at its incredible musical journey.
Bottom row:
Brian Wilson - That Lucky Old Sun
This sub already knows about The Lucky Old Sun, or at least those that been here long enough. It is arguably Brian’s last great (solo) album and is itself a masterpiece. I am firmly in this camp. The reason I included this album and not Brian Wilson Presents Smile is because Brian Wilson Presents, while it heavily influenced the sequencing of Sessions and renewed interest for a newer generation, it is essentially directly based on its source material. That Lucky Old Sun is new and original, except of course for that dreamy Can’t Wait Too Long section, based off of sessions from 20/20 (highly recommend checking out Can’t Wait Too Long (Sections) and the 2021 Mix for it’s uncanny Smile-like similarities). I don’t want to go on and on about That Lucky Old Sun in The Beach Boys sub. I’ll just recommend listening if you haven’t yet because I do believe it is Smile-affirming.
Pepe Deluxé - Queen of The Wave
These last two albums I am very firm in my belief that they are Smile-affirming. Queen of The Wave is sold as “An esoteric pop opera divided in three parts”, and this descriptor doesn’t begin to describe the music contained within its 48 minute runtime.
This is one of those rare albums where I feel the eclecticism is unmatched for 2012 and this century overall. The Finnish-Swedish duo behind this album, multi-instrumentalists Paul Malmström and James Spectrum (I like this last name), colorize this album with unique and obscure instruments that they recorded from around the world, such as In the Cave, recorded on the Great Stalacpipe Organ in Luray Caverns in Virginia, the world’s largest musical instrument. Upon first listen, it is obvious that this isn’t just any other psychedelic-analog-traditional-retro-futurist album, but a bona-fide masterpiece of songwriting, musicianship, production, and mixing, and it deserves its seat at the Smile adjacents’ table.
The Avalanches - Wildflower
This final album incorporates genres in a way that have never been a part of the Smile DNA, such as hip-hop and electronic dance music, but the results are simply stunning. The Avalanches made a name for themselves as an Australian punk band that ended up rethinking their game, much like Daft Punk, and ended up becoming crate-digging DJs and pioneers of the genre known as Plunderphonics.
Their debut album, Since I Left You, released in 2000 and 2001 in Australia and then everywhere else, besides using just one organ melody and an opera singer they commissioned for the song Electricity, is entirely sample-based. Many music listeners might scoff at this idea and believe that a sample-heavy artist is just “being lazy”, but you will find in their debut album something you’ve never heard before: a work of art combining music’s legacy and filtering it into the 21st century. But this debut isn’t the album I selected.
Wildflower released under hot anticipation, 16 years later, and boy did it deliver. This album is undisputedly Smile-affirming due to its plethora of music influences and styles. In it are recordings of people living life to its fullest, something that reminds me of The Beach Boys Party!, sound effects of the environment, themes of youth, love, and growing up, many, many instruments, and a seamless wash of awe-inspiring melodies and songs from beginning to end. Don’t believe me? I would hard recommend listening to the second half of the album. Just play the song Harmony and let it ride through to the end. I can’t promote these guys enough as their follow-up, We Will Always Love You, maintains the quality but expands it to the cosmic, the afterlife, and the moments that we cherish that would be in our ultimate life review.
End
There you have it, my list of some of the most amazing Smile-affirming albums.
Agree? Disagree? Fight me? Cheers.
Round 2: Smile-Affirming Music Albums #10-12
This was my first follow-up post after so many album recommendations came rolling in on my post. Woo boy, if I only knew what I was in for.
Click here to read my full post on this page
My previous post had only 12 albums, which I wrote a little piece on each.
I apologize in advance for making a second post on this topic, but since it relates to albums with a similar or nearly identical aesthetic to Smile, I thought it would be cool to be here on r/thebeachboys sub.
This includes Smile itself, which functions as the starting point and is also a great explainer for what the collage is and an introduction for those not on this sub who don’t yet know what Smile is.
Criteria I used to evaluate and select them can be found at the top of that post as well. Of the 12 music albums, some are unequivocally obvious examples of following and building upon the Smile blueprint, while some of the others have a strong argument for why it contains the necessary criteria to belong in this microgenre.
I wanted to add my two cents as to why these additional 3 albums belong in this collage/list:
The Monkees - Head [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]
After listening to such a wild variety of awesome albums (they all were really cool in their own right!), I landed on Head by The Monkees for a variety of reasons.
Firstly, the entire reason they came into being, their creation, is totally unique and lends itself to the presentation of Head. They started as a fictional band of aspiring and talented singers/actors to play in the sitcom called The Monkees, created by NBC. These actors/vocalists were Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones (for real), Michael Nesmith, and Pete Tork. Originally limited in their artistic contributions to just being vocalists, they ended up staging a brief mutiny (ok ok I’ll stop) against the network to gain full creative control.
I’m now dying to see the show and their supposedly very strange movie, but the soundtrack of the film gives this immediate changing-the-channels vibe. In single shortened sections, there are odds and ends of dialogue snippets that border on the avant-garde, making me think of the cantina section of Heroes and Villains. This dialogue, paired with the sound and music collage effects through Head, already ticks one of the essential Smile boxes.
Then there are the songs, starting with that dreamy Porpoise Song title theme to properly open the album. Not too long into the beginning set of songs is a live rendition of their song “Circle Sky”. The addition of this track is interesting because it gives this feeling like The Monkees are everywhere, in studio and onstage, and you don’t know where you’ll find them next; overall a creative choice that builds on the lore of the band that broke free from its network roots. Again, “Can You Dig It?” hits the mark with Middle-Eastern-style percussion, reverb, and energetic acoustic guitar fingerpicking.
Stylistically, the changes keep on coming in several more songs that feature different genres and showcase The Monkees’ wide range of talent. Just check this one out. That’s all I gotta say for this one.
Cornelius - Fantasma
Hell yeah, two more albums in the modern era! While Head was another classic rock entry in the only 3 year span from 1967-1969(!!), this one and the next one capture that Smile essence is a pretty special way. I have to admit, this was one of the last albums I listened to because I was being discriminative of the cover artwork featuring that smokey font of the title, Fantasma, assuming that it was a more typical album with artwork that is just a little generic. All I can say is that I was judging the album before listening, and by God, this is a wonderful album!
I admit I was clearly wrong in my determination because this is one of the strongest entries, along with The Genuine Imitation Life Gazette and Wildflower for Smile-affirming greatness. Notable of this artist is that he is born and raised in Japan. Keigo Oyamada is a multi-instrumentalist and a pioneer of the microgenre of pop music known as Shibuya-kei, which focuses on the “cut-and-paste”, or collage-effect (sound familiar?) production of music. Influences of this genre include, Western pop music, and artists such as Phil Spector and Brian Wilson. This album of his, which is his third, was compared favorably to Brian Wilson’s music and production sensibilities, but for new generation.
I don’t want to go on and on, but just listen to the song “Chapter 8: “Seashore and Horizon”” to get an idea of his sound. I can pretty much guarantee you won’t be disappointed.
Miracle Musical - Hawaii: Part II
The last album I added was actually backed by popular demand in the top comment, and I even considered it for inclusion in my previous post before settling on the tighter selection of 9 albums. Upon further inspection though, I believe it does indeed belong in the Smile club.
A one-off creation from a member of early 2000s genre-blending band Tally Hall (check these guys out too!), Joe Hawley blends analog and electronic-style beats with crisp synth melodies, distinctive vocal harmonies, backing vocalists, and Hawley’s own varied and processed vocals, which all sit very pleasurably in the mix. The intro track, “Introduction to the Snow”, which blends piano keys, an almost theremin-like whistling, and barbershop-style vocals and harmonies, should be enough of a clue that this isn’t your average analog/electronic genre-hybrid album.
I don’t have as much authority to speak on this entry as a lot of members of this sub were already in the know long before me, so just to keep things simple, I will also cast my vote for it. Listen, hear, bear witness to Hawaii: Part II.
End
To make this a more communal experience, and not to be like the end all be all decision-maker of Smile-affirming albums, here is the Topsters file exported for you to use. Go ahead, import the file into the Topsters website and adjust my Smile-Affirming Albums collage according to your own personal tastes. Post them in the comments if you would like! I will still listen to your proposed albums and see if they work for me! Cheers, my fellow Smileheads 🤠 This is the last post on this topic I swear…
Round 3: Smile-Affirming Music Albums #13-16
I thought I was done with this post, but fans kept goading me to do more. This round includes more psychedelic and rock picks.
Click here to read my full post on this page
One more row added, but also a 4th column, adding 4 more albums. Starting collage = 9 > 16 albums finally after listening to all recommendations
The first and second post on this topic can’t be linked unfortunately since this is a photo post. You can search the sub for them with keywords “Smile-affirming” to read the write-ups on the other albums in here.
Again all the credit goes to you guys for throwing out suggestions, and I am super grateful to have such amazing new (to me) music to listen to. Thank you, Smile friends :)
I’m not even going to write much about these 4 albums because, just because. But in order of release date, the last 4 are:
Todd Rundgren - a Wizard, A True Star
This album is just insane, sounds very Zappa, and is Rundgren throwing everything he possibly can into it. He said he wanted to make an album that’s the antithesis of his commercial breakthrough album, Something/Anything?, and damn did he accomplish that goal. The resulting work of art still happens to be a pretty forward pop/rock/avant-garde mixture, so this one is a high recommend.
XTC - Skylarking
This is one of the finest albums I have ever heard in my life, and what do ya know, it was also produced by Todd Rundgren! Their name is on point here. What an album this is; it’s at once 80’s pop ecstasy (yep), psychedelic landscapes down roads less traveled, and trips through big-band, jazzy, orchestra-phased rock, all with vocals that are full of character and vibes. They’re like a more colorful, brighter Depeche Mode. It’s hard to otherwise describe this album, so just put it on. Pairs nicely with a beautiful sunny day.
Olivia Tremor Control - Black Foliage: Animation Music
Another album backed by popular demand and the previous top commenter of my first post in this quest for the best Smile-affirming albums. I was wrong about this one. I originally discounted this one when I started hearing a lot of sonic/noise parts, which was one of my metrics: to be more analog, and thus a more Smile-affirming album. But an exception must be made, because they make up for it so hard in their actual songs, which feature Beach Boys-like harmonies, multiple instruments, and a wall-of-sound mix. To me, their songcraft in the psychedelic genre seems to be unmatched. I’d say Animal Collective does give them a good run for their money, but in my humble opinion, they don’t quite have a Smile-affirming album such as this. It’s one of the most interesting psychedelic albums of all time, according to everyone, and now, also me.
Super Furry Animals - Rings Around the World
The final pick is sort of an acid-rock styled album. It doesn’t immediately start off firing on all cylinders, but after the first couple or so songs, something special does click. Their songwriting does most of the heavy lifting to carry this album to the Smile summit. When it peaks, it really does shine with a unique Smile-affirming sound. I’d say Rings Around the World is a low-key selection because they start off the album with a quietness; an almost slow-motion locomotive that is a little melancholic, but it smoothly and steadily builds anticipation. Just wait for it to really get going, and The Beach Boys and Smile similarities will start to unfurl. Overall, it’s a strong recommend if you like this type of alternative rock.
Done
Ok.
Round 4: The Ultimate Smile-Affirming Albums Collage #17-20
Now we’re in business, something really great was coming together with so many rich and thoughtful recommendations.
Click here to read my full post on this page
New row, 4 new albums, bringing the total count of incredible music albums to 20
Notes
First of all, this is a Beach Boys sub… we don’t want to f with the formula out of respect for Smile. This means we have to be very careful going forward with what albums make it into this microgenre. Not all psych-albums should belong here. If we open those floodgates, then we are not following the objective of the assignment. In the same way, not every world/international artist or artist whose music sounds theatrical belongs here either. Sounding too much as it’s own thing, if you know what I mean, doesn’t really have that keeping-you-guessing quality of Smile. Being Smile sounding or Smile-affirming just depends on the range of styles, compositions, and the overall feel of the albums in question.
Second point, this has become a community-driven project and it goes to show how awesome this community’s music taste is! Whether you were already a fan of similar artists to The Beach Boys or you’re a fan of other crazy talented progressive artists and later discovered the genius of Brian, we are all, I suspect, in this community for the same reason. Tapping into our collective knowledge to make the most comprehensive Smile-affirming album collage is awesome! It’s been a privilege and an honor to head this project and I want to humbly thank all of you who have participated, because this has been a really eye-opening experience!
These are all amazing recommendations for everyone to check out, and most of them came from all of you! I started with 9, bringing 6 albums to the table, but 3 were already Beach Boys-related including Smile itself, so really I only had 3 original selections, with the final third of the 9 albums I mined from earlier posts on this sub. Everything else that’s come after the original 9 has been suggested by you fine folks.
Side note: newly added rows mean new albums go in and get sorted by release date, which shifts the positions of existing albums.
While it’s not exactly a top upvoted comment deal, I take great care and consideration based on what albums are more upvoted, but also if they really, really do fit the formula. I hope mods don’t mind these posts. I try to make the argument for why these albums suggested by the community have that wonderfully infectious Smile DNA in them. Albums like Smile and Song Cycle ruined me and made me want to hear more music like it.
The 4 newest additions, which are all high recommends, include:
Tiny Tim - God Bless Tiny Tim
Yes, Tiny Tim made the cut! Don’t discount the guy with the funny falsetto for tiptoeing through the tulips, livin’ in the sunlight, and having a wonderful time. This one is silly, eclectic, and has Smile-like similarities, but is it Smile-affirming? The answer is surprisingly a pretty resounding yes. u/Agos1704 recommended this one and explained their reasoning for it being that Tiny Tim “mixes playful humor, psychelia, spoken word, some genuinely creepy moments, and truly gorgeous instrumentation to create an album that feels like a musical journey”. I hope you don’t mind that I used your quote friend, because God Bless Tiny Tim is a brilliant oddball choice! From storytelling tracks like The Viper, which sounds like the evil twin of Mt. Vernon and Fairway, to The Other Side, which features strong psychedelic properties and is actually unexpectedly existential for someone with such a disarming and childlike demeanor, God Bless Tiny Tim is befitting of being a Smile-affirming album.
The Tokens - Intercourse
This album is one that was recommended early on that I slept on, but it’s pretty clear after just the first couple of songs that it is Smile-affirming in its compositions and vocal harmonies. I had never heard of this group before starting this series of posts, but songs like Animal sounds like a social commentary-punk version of Smile, and its intro of animal sounds is reminiscent of Barnyard, which certainly made my horse go WTF from the trumpeting elephants. Their singing and harmonies are also as crisp as the Boys, which also made me do a double take just to make sure I wasn’t actually listening to them. At only 24 minutes, it is a brisk listen. Don’t sleep on this one!
Paul McCartney - Ram
You wouldn’t necessarily think that a former Beatle would be in the running for a Smile-affirming album, but in May of 1971, Paul released Ram. The melodies, in both vocals and instrumentation, lend themselves to that beautiful Beach Boys Smile aesthetic with harmonies that would have at the very least piqued Brian’s interest. Soundscapes include thunderstorms, birds, quirky dialogue from colorful characters, and other atmospheric sounds. Ram On, the near-title-track, has that classic ukulele Smile vibe. The song Smile Away has those familiar backing vocals reminiscent of 60’s pop rock, bopping along to a buzzy Love You-styled bass synth, Heart of the Country plays off the all-too-familiar Smile country motif, and basically every song has many unexpectedly charming Smile-affirming breaks. Just listen to Another Day to hear the unbelievably beautiful mix sitting just underneath the instruments. While being very song-oriented, there are just so many Smile-affirming moments throughout Ram that it simply cannot be excluded from the conversation. There are plenty of other Beach Boys similarities and psychedelic 60’s nods to make this a more than worthy selection for a Smile-affirming album.
The High Llamas - Hawaii
Popular demand, but really it’s obvious that the Hawaii album by The High Llamas would be in this collage list. I admit I’m no expert on this artist, but I have had a passing interest when researching psychedelic artists in the past. It’s a super long album that is gorgeous in its complexity. You’ll just have to listen to it, which I’m sure a number of you have already.
My personal favorites so far
These so far are my personal, favorites, which I’ll simply number below:
1 (duh)-3, 6-12, 14, 16-18, and 20
Final thoughts
While all of these albums are grand in scope, have the most intricate song structures, deep emotions, and are worthy of being considered Smile-affirming, there are albums here that have immediately strong affirmations for Smile and what Smile is all about, which you will find as you go through them.
We’ve reached a critical point in our collage. After this post, I’d have to add another column to balance it out. That means there will be 5, that’s right, 5 empty album slots for a prospective Round 5. This leaves a lot of room for miscalculations and errors in judgement because there are so many great albums that have already dropped in their respective slots. For that reason, this may be the final round of this albums collage. Are there 5 more truly Smile-affirming and incredible albums out there? It will take me a long time to land on 5 more worthy entries. Make your suggestions only if they really truly have that incredible and wonderful Smile feeling and we’ll see what happens... Cheers! 🍻🎧🎶
Past posts
Round 5: The Ultimate Smile-Affirming Albums Collage #21-25
Albums are coming left and right. Are we losing focus? That was and is the main concern here. Hopefully these latest additions are another close bet on Smile-affirming albums.
Click here to read my full post on this page
One more column added means 5 more albums per round, 25 total albums now sheesh
Notes
There are now so many albums in just the three final years of the 1960’s alone! The first 2 rows, 40% of this collage, are just dominated by 60’s music brilliance. Just goes to show how amazing this time period was. Again, thank you to all of you who have participated and thrown their recommendations into the running! Without your suggestions, we couldn’t even come close to the level of diversity and greatness in all of the music contained at this point, most of these albums are actually new to me. I save and listen to every recommendation, but I’m trying to space out rounds since I’m also balancing regular life responsibilities and this collage has somewhat consumed me. Each round takes a lot of listening on my part and only a few albums at a time get added per round so if yours wasn’t selected, don’t be discouraged.
The next 5 albums in order of release are:
The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Come on now. It is the album that was up against Smile in the race for the goat of all of music albums. Everyone knows this one. Why did it not appear in any of the four initial posts? Maybe it was so obvious that it eluded me as I was searching for more subtle and lesser-known records.
A few notes:
Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds and Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite! come to mind as the most Smile-affirming songs of the album. LITSWD has that kaleidoscopic transcendent flair (what are they on about really?) while BFTBOMK! has that old timey circus-carnival sound, complete with a colorful cast of characters and an Eastern-Euro traditional ditty in middle, a song that likely blew Brian’s mind in the not-so-good way. Within You Without You, while not a style of music utilized in Smile, centers on Indian sitar music, a thread that The Beach Boys, specifically Mike Love, and The Beatles share in their popularized visits to meet the Maharishi where they crossed paths with one another. Within You Without You, and Sgt. Pepper’s as a whole, is in the same spirit of Smile with its rotating carousel of other styles of music.
Is A Day in The Life their Surfs Up? John’s shimmering daily observations has a pointed casualness about something sad and tragic, which is then split down the middle with George Martin’s orchestral crescendo. It then transitions into Paul’s style, a morning day rush of another person who is unaware of the events, who ends up daydreaming away, and finally, concluding with a Lennon-infused dreamscape and orchestra-outro. What A Day in The Life shows off in grandness, Surfs Up matches it in elegance.
Even though Sgt. Pepper’s beat Brian to the punch, Paul was still a good sport and chewed on some vegetables for Brian.
Os Mutantes - Os Mutantes
This album goes down as our first non-English speaking entry (while Fantasma is from a Japanese artist, he sings a number of his songs in English). This psychedelic rock outing is from Brazil. Frequently cited as one of the “most out-there albums”, I think this album deserves a spot in the collage. I don’t have much to say about this album other than there are plenty of Smile-like moments spread throughout its runtime, and you will certainly be impressed by Os Mutantes’ creative decisions for each of their songs. Definitely worth a listen.
Ween - The Mollusk
If an album was the direct inspiration for the creation of SpongeBob SquarePants, you know it’s got to be interesting. The fact that such a cultural touchstone in children’s television came from this album, means that The Mollusk must be nautical-themed, and that’s exactly what we got from Ween in 1997: a lush, constantly shifting, genre-bending alternative album. While The Beach Boys sing about the fun in the sun at the beach with your favorite girl, Ween explores the depths of the sea with unflinching resolve.
The ocean theme was a good call too, because using this template, The Mollusk stays within the borders of its ocean-heavy themes, cohesively blending speed-rock, electronic rock, a traditional yet hilariously vulgar sailor’s song, and psych-rock, among others. The first thing a listener might notice upon first listen is the watery production, which feels similar to Surfs Up (the album). Overall, it’s an album that is elevated by both style and substance. This album is completely new to me, and I highly recommend it if you’re into the deep sea theme but also if you want to feel that Smile feeling with a fresh theme.
Panda Bear - Person Pitch
A much-requested addition to this Smile-affirming album collage is Panda Bear’s masterful atmospheric swell of sounds and melodies, titled Person Pitch. As a big Animal Collective fan, I really enjoyed this album when it came out. I thought it was pretty next level, psychedelic, and created soundscapes like no other. Frequently upvoted in previous posts on this sub, it took me a little convincing but I do agree that Person Pitch is indeed Smile-affirming.
Take Pills, for example, has that unforgettable opening, with lazily lapping water on a dock, likely with a small rowboat ready to go. This intro sets the scene for the fluid, mystical, ethereal sound of the album. Panda Bear, whose real name is Noah Lennox and is one of the OG founding members of Animal Collective, takes us on a journey with his signature chamber-pop cathedral-reverberating vocals. His voice floats above the mix, never gets buried by it, and is perfect in its tonal, hymnal quality.
Not only does his sound collage and vocals satisfy fans and newcomers alike, but his shifting song structures utilizes his hypnotic and almost tribal percussion and rhythms, most notably in Bros which works as an extended chill-out session and more energetically in Good Girl/Carrots which features an impressive shift in song structure in its later half. Brian would surely approve of this psychedelic wash of found sounds, tribal rhythms, and hymns that is Person Pitch.
Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz
I’m either going to get a little heat for this one or some enthusiastic agreement for going with this album over one of his more iconic albums, but I’ll tell you why I went with this one. Illinois is the first album anyone who knows Sufjan Stevens will tell you to listen to. That’s almost guaranteed. It’s his best album critically and his best performing album commercially and it’s not even a traditionally mainstream sounding album. He put so much heart and soul into Illinois that it is very epic in scope, full of gorgeous instrumentation, and songwriting chops that most indie artists could only dream of making themselves. But what is The Age of Adz when compared to Illinois?
When The Age of Adz was released, it took Sufjan’s songwriting style that was predominantly analog in nature into the digital realm with beautiful unexpected results that are both immediately accessible, yet brilliantly layered to the hilt. So much is going on that it’s pretty hard to keep up from song to song. This is a marriage of melodies, harmonies, analog instruments, and effects that would’ve made Brian flip off the back of his chair, likely proclaimed that this would’ve been him if he was in his prime in the 21st century. This is a big claim to make, I know, so don’t kill me. Sufjan’s beautifully high falsetto vocals, fused with his nonstop, lushly layered, and stitched together wall-of-sound weirdness, with fluttering woodwinds, quivering strings, and bombastic horns, still manages to be some of his most emotional, jubilant, and immediately listenable works of his expansive discography. And don’t even get me started on the 25 minute closing track, Impossible Soul. All in all, it’s a sound that is uniquely his and has never been replicated to this degree since. Do you like earworms? This album is full of them.
While Illinois is Sufjan’s critical indie darling, The Age of Adz was an album no one saw coming, but in the weirdest and best way possible. Illinois is the first album you should listen to, but is it a Smile? I think The Age of Adz is Sufjan Steven’s Smile.
Are we there yet?
“There is no great genius without a touch of madness.” - Aristotle
Posts in this series
The Beach Boys, Van Dyke Parks, The Moody Blues, The Millennium, The United States of America, The Four Seasons, Brian Wilson, Pepe Deluxé, The Avalanches
The Monkees, Cornelius, Miracle Musical
Todd Rundgren, XTC, The Olivia Tremor Control, Super Furry Animals
Tiny Tim, The Tokens, Paul McCartney, The High Llamas
If anyone wants to take a listen, I made an Apple Music Playlist taking one spectacular song from each album and sequencing them to create a great introduction to each album
Round 6: The Ultimate Smile-Affirming Albums Collage #26-30
This is the final 5 album round before it starts getting really crazy, with 6 albums per round!
Click here to read my full post on this page
Round 6, another row means 5 more albums, now 30 albums total
Notes
THANK YOU guys for being so cool and exposing me to so much amazing music! The Beach Boys set the bar so crazy high that in my opinion it can be very hard to find artists and albums that match, not just imitate (but that’s not disqualifying!) the incredible production and songwriting of their best music. Yet, here we are. Is this the end, or the end of the beginning? If a Round 7 is ever in the cards that would mean adding another column and then 6 albums would have to be selected! I’m starting to break down. Without further ado…
The next 5 albums in order of release are:
Bee Gees - Bee Gees’ 1st
The Bee Gees are the bees knees and they made a Smile-affirming album, yes they did. Did you know their 1st album was very different than the rest of their discography? Orchestral flourishes, psychedelic songwriting, and iconic vocal performances cross-pollinate in this debut record. You won’t be disappointed either because it’s a mind blowing record and I would consider it a member of the Smile family genus of albums. Don’t believe me? Listen for yourself! I don’t really have much else to add. If you want to know more, just ask my dad.
Donovan - The Hurdy Gurdy Man
Understated as it may be, this album comes directly after Donovan visited India to meet the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and, you guessed it, crossed paths with the likes of The Beatles, Mike Love, Mia and Prudence Farrow, and other starry-eyed individuals to study transcendental meditation, which informed the songwriting of The Hurdy Gurdy Man. Fun fact: he taught Lennon his acoustic fingerpicking style, which Lennon used when writing Dear Prudence to try to get her to come out and play. He also used this same fingerpicking style on several other White Album songs, including Happiness is a Warm Gun and Julia.
This album The Hurdy Gurdy Man is a chill Smile-affirming album, but it’s there. The title track is a wonderful sitar-fused rock introduction to the album, the peculiar drone (didjeridoo?) in Peregrine makes me think of Woody Woodpecker Symphony (Smiley, I know), lively club jazz in As I Recall It sounds like it came from the Adult/Child sessions (again, I know it’s not Smile, but it’s still variety), Get Thy Bearings is a really jazzy groove that gets down and doesn’t pull any punches, Hi It’s Been a Long Time has the stately horns and flutes that make me think of Wonderful, and many other songs carry that eclectic Smile spirit from your device to your ears.
It doesn’t match every style of Smile. It includes a couple of songs with mystical Eastern styles, but The Hurdy Gurdy Man offers so much in terms of music, a rich variety in much the same way as Smile. Donovan’s own singing style is especially unique in his own memorable way and the choices he makes in his vocal melodies definitely give me that Smile-affirming feeling. Check it out for a chiller Smile-like experience.
J. K. & Co. - Suddenly One Summer
This is the best music by a 15 year old I’ve ever heard!! If that doesn’t intrigue you, then I don’t know what will. Similar in atmosphere and vibe to The Moody Blues, specifically their album In Search of a Lost Chord, this is still a very strong sounding Smile-affirming album.
It’s only a half hour long, but beautiful music and weirdness is stuffed into this album. It’s the only album by Jay Kaye, which is a real shame because the potential in this album is huge! At only 15 years of age, Jay sounds like a man who has already lived an interesting life, and his sophistication in the studio with other session musicians solidifies this album as the best unknown psychedelic gem in recent memory. Over the decades, it has achieved a cult-like status among 60’s music fans in the know, but it’s still crazy how after all these years it’s still pretty unknown. How come I’ve never heard of this?! It’s a must listen for anyone who is a fan of late 60’s music or psychedelic pop in general.
The Flaming Lips - The Soft Bulletin
This album and the last one are frequently recommended in past posts. I guess you could say you spoke up, and I said yeahhh... While I’ve heard of of Montreal, I never fully committed to listening to their discography. The Flaming Lips on the other hand I am a huge fan of.
The Soft Bulletin is frequently cited as a masterpiece and is similarly compared to Pet Sounds. While I think the comparisons exist for Smile as well, ultimately the comparisons are interchangeable for both Pet Sounds and Smile. While Wayne Coyne’s voice and singing style are perfect for their sound, what kept me from including The Soft Bulletin in my previous posts is the absence of vocal harmonies, but I’ve held out long enough, because The Soft Bulletin must go here.
There’s plenty of analysis on The Soft Bulletin already so I’ll fast track this one. Just know it’s their usual Flaming Lips weirdness, but it sits in a very orchestral, symphonic place, and this album set the tone for their entire future trajectory, essentially giving their career a fourth act and an elevated identity and popularity. The songs have gonzo rhythms, instrument choices, buzzy synths, and heartfelt bits. My favorite songs are The Spark That Bled and The Spiderbite Song. Even though it leans a bit more melancholic throughout, it’s simply beautiful stuff when it hits, so definitely check it out and bask in their sound.
of Montreal - Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies: A Variety of Whimsical Verse
Last but certainly not least is this much recommended album by of Montreal. They are a part of the Elephant 6 music collective that also birthed The Olivia Tremor Control, whose album Black Foliage: Animation Music I selected for inclusion in Round 3. This collective of music artists are known for being heavily influenced by 60’s psychedelia and specifically The Beach Boys, and considering they record in a studio named after Per Sounds, of Montreal’s overall sound replicates this style of songwriting, although it is more suited with Smile with their own eccentric flair.
Most of the music in Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies sounds like an extended ode to Heroes and Villains. Songs often make breaks with Smile-like instrumentation and other melodic curiosities. While I’m not a music authority on this album since I’m not well-versed in of Montreal’s music, what I will say is if you are a fan of how Brian stitched together multiple sparks of imagination the way he did in Smile or his solo song Rio Grande, then you will love this album.
The end… or…?
I thought by Round 4, at 20 albums, that I was at a critical point where it would be very hard to find 5 more Smile-affirming albums, but thanks to all of your recommendations and utilizing the World Wide Web of knowledge, I was able to squeeze in 10 more albums to make it to Round 6 with 30 total Smile-affirming albums. I don’t know if I will keep this going, but it’s been a very enlightening and fun experience for me, and I sincerely hope you enjoyed it as well. Cheers.
Posts in this series
The Beach Boys, Van Dyke Parks, The Moody Blues, The Millennium, The United States of America, The Four Seasons, Brian Wilson, Pepe Deluxé, The Avalanches
The Monkees, Cornelius, Miracle Musical
Todd Rundgren, XTC, The Olivia Tremor Control, Super Furry Animals
Tiny Tim, The Tokens, Paul McCartney, The High Llamas
The Beatles, Os Mutantes, Ween, Panda Bear, Sufjan Stevens
If anyone wants to take a listen, I made an Apple Music Playlist taking one spectacular song from each album and sequencing them to create a great introduction to each album
Round 7: The Ultimate Smile-Affirming Music Albums Collage #31-36
We’re at 36 albums now. At this point I was starting to see Smiles everywhere. I guess that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Click here to read my full post on this page
3 albums frequently recommended and upvoted here on previous posts and 3 others that I’m adding make a new row, bringing the total album count to 36
The first 3 rows and a single additional album that take over more than half this collage are from just 1967-1969 alone! 19 / 36 = 52.8% The first 2 of the 6 are from 1967, the remaining four are all from 1968! I’m not even going to say much about these albums. You can look them up yourself if you’re interested. They are:
Love - Forever Changes
I’m recommending this one. It’s simply an incredible listen front to back. Lots of Smile-like moments. Check it out.
Recommended song: The Red Telephone
Harpers Bizarre - Anything Goes
Only just recommended in the Round 6 post, I listened and immediately agreed it is Smile-affirming throughout. Check it out.
Recommended song: Anything Goes
The Byrds - The Notorious Byrd Brothers
My dad’s a huge fan of these guys, and I’m likely about to be too, because this is a pretty amazing album. One of their best. Check it out.
Recommended song: Get to You
The Zombies - Odessey and Oracle
Recommended since the very first post and in subsequent updates. I went back and forth on this one. Is it more Pet Sounds or Smile? I think it’s a bit of both. I added it. It’s worth the listen but I’m sure most of you have heard it already. For those of you who haven’t, check it out.
Recommended song: Changes
Sagittarius - Present Tense
Frequently recommended and upvoted, I finally came around to updating the collage with this album. Very Smile-affirming. Check it out.
Recommended song: My World Fell Down
The Turtles - The Turtles Present the Battle of the Bands
Last but certainly not least is The Battle of the Bands. A concept album that The Turtles did hosting a fictional battle of the bands. They did 12 songs in different styles as 12 different fictional bands. There’s a direct surf rock song Surfer Dan that couldn’t be more on the nose. These songs are all different from each other and awesome in their own way. Definitely worth the listen. Check it out.
Recommended song: The Last Thing I Remember
Thank you all for your recommendations.
This is now a 6 column 6 row collage with 36 total albums. Do I really think we can cross the threshold of 7 columns with 7 albums per round? 2 more rounds would be a nice even 50, but adding 14 more albums seems already a very risky prospect because this is supposed to be a very exclusive club of albums that are very similar to Smile, hence the name Smile-affirming. I started out thinking there’s nothing quite like Smile. This sub has shown me there is at least a handful of artists who have recorded albums that are nearly there or approach the greatness of Smile, but we can’t all be in total agreement. Heck, a number of you might already disagree with my selections and think albums that don’t belong here made it in to the collage and for that I apologize, but I can’t please everyone. Thanks to help from this community, there’s been so many additions that are a result of our collective musical expertise. Picking 7 more albums for one go is pretty crazy and I don’t know if it can be done. It’s up to you to decide.
Current list of artists:
- The Beach Boys
- The Beatles
- Bee Gees
- Van Dyke Parks
- Love
- The Moody Blues
- Harpers Bizarre
- The Byrds
- The United States of America
- Tiny Tim
- The Zombies
- Os Mutantes
- J. K. & Co.
- The Millennium
- Sagittarius
- Donovan
- The Turtles
- The Monkees
- The Four Seasons
- The Tokens
- Paul McCartney
- Todd Rundgren
- XTC
- The High Llamas
- Ween
- Cornelius
- The Olivia Tremor Control
- The Flaming Lips
- of Montreal
- Super Furry Animals
- Panda Bear
- Brian Wilson
- Sufjan Stevens
- Pepe Deluxé
- Miracle Musical
- The Avalanches
Posts in this series
The Beach Boys, Van Dyke Parks, The Moody Blues, The Millennium, The United States of America, The Four Seasons, Brian Wilson, Pepe Deluxé, The Avalanches
The Monkees, Cornelius, Miracle Musical
Todd Rundgren, XTC, The Olivia Tremor Control, Super Furry Animals
Tiny Tim, The Tokens, Paul McCartney, The High Llamas
The Beatles, Os Mutantes, Ween, Panda Bear, Sufjan Stevens
Bee Gees, Donovan, J. K. & Co., The Flaming Lips, of Montreal
If anyone wants to take a listen, I made an Apple Music Playlist taking one spectacular song from each album and sequencing them to create a great introduction to each album
Round 8: The Ultimate Smile-Affirming Music Albums Collage #37-42
I was getting tired, but I saw a light at the end of the tunnel. I decided I wanted to close this project out an even (or odd rather) 7 x 7 49 album collage. Also, some users’ Smiles were turning upside down. The Smiles were closing in on me.
Please note: this post was the very first retcon or album switch. I originally picked Simon & Garfunkel - Bookends, but I realized I made a miscalculation. I ultimately switched it for Jellyfish - Spilt Milk.
Click here to read my full post on this page
It’s still goin’ on, a new row, 6 more, now 42 albums total
So the trend seems to be amazing psychedelic pop records, some singer-songwriter albums thrown in the mix, and the rare electronic multi-genre hybrid album or two, or three. In the traditional four-piece or rock band sense, in the case of Ween or Super Furry Animals, it is elevated to Smile-affirming status when their albums take many turns between and frequently in the same songs and they show off their songwriting complexity in subsequent listens. All of these albums feature rich songwriting quirks, feature orchestral arrangements, are concept albums, and/or constantly shift focus in genre or stylistically.
Does this mean that all psychedelic albums are Smile-affirming? I don’t necessarily see that as the case. Songwriting, music parts, and vocals aside, I think it mostly comes down to a feeling, an attitude, a vibe.
I guess what sets Smile apart from all the rest is this feeling that is hard to describe, like I want to, I need to, hear more like it. I don’t recall when I first listened to Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band thinking, I have to hear more albums like this, or even Days or Future Passed, Person Pitch, or The Genuine Imitation Life Gazette this feeling that I NEED to hear more albums like this. When I first heard Smile, I truly felt something magical. When I listen to Smile, it’s many fan mixes, and Song Cycle on repeat, this is the feeling I get: I want morrrre. That’s why Smile I think is the standard that I measure these albums against.
Lookey here, between 1967-1969 there are now the top four rows, 24 albums, dominating this chart. 24 / 42 = 0.571 or 57.1%. I just like to keep track of these 3 special years and how much of an impact music had on our world in the late 60’s.
Newest additions:
The Who - The Who Sell Out
This one was recommended a couple of posts ago and was very upvoted. I listened and felt the strong Smile-like feeling of it. The background is similar to that of The Monkees, the commercial lens that the music is filtered through. It is a fascinating Wiki read that I recommend. The commercial jingles automatically feel Smile-affirming, and the music is just grand. Awesome listen overall.
Recommended song: Silas Stingy
The Rascals - Once Upon a Dream
Okay, I listened to this album before my very first post, and I saw them live opening for The Beach Boys a couple of years ago, but this album somehow eluded me and didn’t click?? What’s wrong with me. This album is so strongly Smile-affirming, I want to thank u/gde7 for reminding me of this amazing album. It’s amazing, listen to it right now.
Recommended song: My Hawaii, because, come on now, Hawaii, duh. Amazing orchestral flourishes abound.
Randy Newman - Randy Newman
Left-field selection I know, but is it really? Van Dyke Parks co-produced this debut self-titled album, which automatically elevates it and it definitely shows in its arrangements. Randy Newman also has this peculiar, disarming, and sometimes witty quality to his songwriting and singing style that I think helps push this album over the edge, making this an understated Smile-like album.
Recommended song: Living Without You
Simon & Garfunkel - Bookends
This album has the song that everyone knows in Mrs. Robinson, but I bet few have actually heard this album that it is from. In my research scouring online for more albums that sound similar to Smile, I found this one, Bookends. If you just listen to the first 4 songs you will probably agree with me. A lot of really cool songwriting quirks that elevate this album to a Smile-affirming status.
Recommended song: Save the Life of My Child
Harry Nilsson - Harry
Another eponymously titled album like Newman’s is Harry, and it belongs here for much of the same reason: lush orchestrated arrangements, Americana vibe, and quirky songwriting. Why did I choose the self-titled over other recommended albums Ariel Ballet and The Point? I don’t really know why, but I guess to me it seemed that Harry jumped out as a more Smile-like album than Ariel Ballet, which sort of has a Beatles-esque vibe and The Point, which sounds a bit more Mount Vernon and Fairway than Smile, so don’t get mad at me. Ultimately, I bet they are mostly interchangeable here, but I went with Harry on this one for it’s Americana feel. I’m also trying to keep a low-key rule that each artist gets only one album represented here to not unfairly favor one artist over others. There is also a beautiful rendition of Mother Nature’s Son here, which The Beatles reportedly referred to as their favorite cover of theirs.
Recommended song: I Guess the Lord Must Be in New York City
The Dukes of the Stratosphear - Psonic Psunspot
This is easily the most psychedelic of all the latest additions, and while I just mentioned my one album per artist rule, this is a side project of XTC, which I added a few rounds or so ago, so I guess they just barely skate by this rule. This was just recommended the last round and I think a couple of rounds before that. It might be the most adventurous of the latest bunch. It speaks for itself so check it out.
Recommended song: Pale and Precious simply because it’s the Smile genetic sequence isolated in a petri dish and grown Jurassic Park style into a fully fledged Smile replica.
End credits
You guys are pretty cool, you know that right? I couldn’t have done anything close to this without your help.
Current list of artists:
- The Beach Boys
- The Beatles
- Bee Gees
- Van Dyke Parks
- Love
- The Moody Blues
- Harpers Bizarre
- The Who
- The Byrds
- The Rascals
- The United States of America
- Randy Newman
- Tiny Tim
- Simon & Garfunkel
- The Zombies
- Os Mutantes
- J. K. & Co.
- The Millennium
- Sagittarius
- Donovan
- The Turtles
- The Monkees
- The Four Seasons
- Harry Nilsson
- The Tokens
- Paul McCartney
- Todd Rundgren
- XTC
- The Dukes of the Stratosphear
- The High Llamas
- Ween
- Cornelius
- The Olivia Tremor Control
- The Flaming Lips
- of Montreal
- Super Furry Animals
- Panda Bear
- Brian Wilson
- Sufjan Stevens
- Pepe Deluxé
- Miracle Musical
- The Avalanches
Posts in this series
The Beach Boys, Van Dyke Parks, The Moody Blues, The Millennium, The United States of America, The Four Seasons, Brian Wilson, Pepe Deluxé, The Avalanches
The Monkees, Cornelius, Miracle Musical
Todd Rundgren, XTC, The Olivia Tremor Control, Super Furry Animals
Tiny Tim, The Tokens, Paul McCartney, The High Llamas
The Beatles, Os Mutantes, Ween, Panda Bear, Sufjan Stevens
Bee Gees, Donovan, J. K. & Co., The Flaming Lips, of Montreal
Love, Harper’s Bizarre, The Byrds, The Zombies, Sagittarius, The Turtles
If anyone wants to take a listen, I made an Apple Music Playlist taking one spectacular song from each album and sequencing them to create a great introduction to each album
Round 9: The Ultimate Smile-Affirming Companion Albums Collage #43-49
We made it! I can’t say I thought it would go this far, but there were just too many recommendations, and to not include them would make this project feel incomplete. Little did I know that this wasn’t quite the end…
Click here to read my full post on this page
THIS IS THE END. ADIOS. SAYONARA. THAT’S ALL FOLKS. SORRY NOT SORRY.
I RETITLED THIS COLLAGE BECAUSE SOME USERS STILL DON’T UNDERSTAND THE ASSIGNMENT OR THE POINT OF IT ALL.
PLEASE DOWNVOTE THIS IF YOU ONLY LISTEN TO THE BEACH BOYS AND NO OTHER MUSIC EVER EVEN IF IT’S INSPIRED BY THE BEACH BOYS.
IT’S NOT ABOUT ADDING EVERY PSYCH ALBUM IN EXISTENCE AND SAYING IT SOUNDS LIKE SMILE.
FOR EXAMPLE. I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE COOL TO HAVE A FRANK ZAPPA ALBUM IN THIS COLLAGE, SUCH AS ABSOLUTELY FREE OR WE’RE ONLY IN IT FOR THE MONEY. HOWEVER IN MY HUMBLE OPINION ZAPPA’S ALBUMS HAVE A LEVEL OF AGGRESSIVENESS THAT IS NOT BEFITTING OF A SMILE STYLE OR A SMILE-LIKE OR A SMILE-AFFIRMING ALBUM.
DO YOU SEE THE DISTINCTION? I DO AND I HOPE YOU DO TOO. THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
THIS COLLAGE HAS BEEN POWERED BY THIS SUB AND I RETITLED IT AS “THE ULTIMATE SMILE-AFFIRMING COMPANION ALBUMS COLLAGE - POWERED BY R/THEBEACHBOYS” BECAUSE I COULDN’T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOU. SO THANK YOU.
WHAT THE HELL DOES SMILE-AFFIRMING EVEN MEAN? I DON’T KNOW I JUST MADE IT UP. I GUESS WHILE IT DOESN’T MEAN DIRECTLY INFLUENCED BY SMILE, THE MUSIC FROM THESE ALBUMS ARE AN AFFIRMATION OF THAT SAME STYLE OR SPIRIT OF SMILE.
I HOPE THIS MAKES SENSE.
MAYBE YOU THINK I SHOULD HAVE POSTED THIS COLLAGE ELSEWHERE. BUT THIS IS THE MOST RELEVANT PLACE TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION SINCE IT’S THE HIGHEST CONCENTRATION OF FANS WHO UNDERSTAND SMILE AND WHAT IT’S ABOUT AND HAVE FREELY GIVEN THEIR MUSICAL EXPERTISE AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
AS I STATED THIS IS MY LAST POST ON THE MATTER. LOVE IT OR HATE IT. MOST OF THESE ALBUMS HAVE BEEN RECOMMENDED AND UPVOTED BY THIS COMMUNITY.
I WANTED TO END AT A 7 X 7 COLLAGE AT 49 ALBUMS WHICH I THINK IS A PSYCHOLOGICALLY SATISFYING END POINT FOR THIS. AT JUST UNDER 50 ALBUMS I CAN’T SEE MYSELF GOING BEYOND THIS. I’M NOT GOING TO DO ANOTHER 8 ALBUM ROUND, 8 ALBUM ROUND, 9 ALBUM ROUND, 9 ALBUM ROUND, 10 ALBUM ROUND, 10 ALBUM ROUND FOR 100 ALBUMS BECAUSE MY MIND WON’T REST IF I KEEP GOING. I’M NOT INSANE.
FURTHERMORE, WITH THAT MANY ALBUMS IT IS ALL BUT GUARANTEED MISTAKES WILL BE MADE WITH ALBUMS THAT DO NOT BELONG.
IF ANY OF THESE ALBUMS YOU DISAGREE WITH I INVITE YOU TO MAKE YOUR OWN USING THE TEMPLATE I CREATED. I UPLOADED THE TOPSTERS FILE FOR PAST POSTS AND NOW FOR THIS POST SO SWITCH OUT ALBUMS IF YOU FEEL IT’S NECESSARY.
SO HERE’S THE LAST ROUND OF ALBUMS TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT BUT I PREFER YOU FIND SOME ENJOYMENT IN IT
Simon & Garfunkel - Bookends —> Jellyfish - Spilt Milk
THIS IS THE FIRST RETCON OF THIS SERIES OF POSTS. I MADE A MISTAKE IN INCLUDING IT. NOT THAT IT’S NOT AN AMAZING ALBUM IN IT’S OWN WAY, BUT I MADE A SPLIT DECISION AND REALIZED IT DOESN’T ACTUALLY BELONG HERE AFTER I POSTED IT. I SWITCHED IT OUT WITH SPILT MILK BY JELLYFISH WHICH HAS BEEN RECOMMENDED MORE THAN ONCE ON THESE POSTS. IT’S AN AMAZING 90’S POWER POP ALBUM WITH MANY BEACH BOYS AND SMILE-LIKE SIMILARITIES.
Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life
RECOMMENDED A FEW POSTS AGO AND ALSO BY MY DAD WHO LOVES STEVIE WONDER, SONGS IN THE KEY OF LIFE HAS A LOT OF SMILE-AFFIRMING SIMILARITIES IN ITS MUSIC AND BEHIND THE SCENES. BOTH ALBUMS ARE INCREDIBLY GRAND IN SCOPE, SMILE IS BRIAN’S “TEENAGE SYMPHONY TO GOD” WHILE STEVIE’S IS ALSO VERY SPIRITUAL AND IS SUCCESSFUL IN TRANSCENDING POP MUSIC AND GENRES. BOTH ARTISTS HAD TOTAL CREATIVE CONTROL IN THE STUDIO AS WELL. JUST LISTEN TO HAVE A TALK WITH GOD. YOU WILL LOVE IT.
Wondermints - Wondermints
IT’S THEIR SELF-TITLED DEBUT ALBUM THAT’S WHY I SAID THEIR NAME TWICE. BRIAN WILSON LIKED THEM SO THEY BECAME PART OF HIS BACKING BAND. THIS BAND AND DARIAN SPECIFICALLY GETS PRETTY MUCH ALL THE CREDIT FOR BRIAN WILSON PRESENTS SMILE AND FOR THE SMILE SESSIONS HAPPENING AT ALL SO WONDERMINTS HAS ONE OF THE MOST UNIQUE AND DIRECT RELATIONSHIPS TO SMILE OTHER THAN SONG CYCLE. THEIR DEBUT IS THE NATURAL PICK FOR THIS COLLAGE, WHICH IS ALSO 90’S POWER POP RELEASED JUST 2 YEARS AFTER SPILT MILK. IT’S NOT ON STREAMING SERVICES SO USE YOUR IMAGINATION FOR HOW IT SOUNDS.
Beck - Odelay
BECK WASN’T RECOMMENDED ON HERE, BUT IT’S BEEN ON MY MIND FOR QUITE A WHILE NOW, ESPECIALLY WHEN ADDING NEW ROUNDS OF ALBUMS. WHAT BECK LACKS IN HEAVENLY VOCAL HARMONIES HE MORE THAN MAKES UP FOR IN EXTREMELY CREATIVE GENRE-BLENDING SONGS. THERE’S COUNTRY-SOUTHERN AMERICANA STYLES, HIP-HOP STYLES, DISC JOCKEY CALLBACKS, AND CLASSIC SHOWTUNESY FLOURISHES THROUGHOUT THE ALBUM THAT CHANGES UP CONSTANTLY. THERE’S JUST SO MUCH TO THIS ALBUM IT’S HARD TO DESCRIBE. CHECK IT OUT.
Tally Hall - Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum
I WAS TOYING WITH INCLUDING THIS ALBUM SINCE THE VERY FIRST POST. ONE OF THE MEMBERS JOE HAWLEY WAS THE ONE WHO WENT ON TO DO HAWAII: PART II AS MIRACLE MUSICAL ANOTHER FAVORITE ON THIS SUB SO THERE’S THAT. IT BELONGS HERE OKAY?
Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
A FAVORITE ARTIST OF MINE BUT I HELD OFF FROM INCLUDING THEM. THIS IS THEIR PIVOTAL ALBUM AND THE SOUND PRODUCTION IS ON A WHOLE NOTHER PLANET. IT’S VERY VERY GOOD. ANIMAL COLLECTIVE CAN BE A BIT OF AN ACQUIRED TASTE. TRY NOT TO JUDGE ME ON MY KIND OF TASTE.
Jan & Dean - Carnival of Sound
RECOMMENDED REPEATEDLY ON HERE SO HERE IT IS. I AGREE WITH OTHER USERS ON HERE. WHY DID I RESIST? SOMETHING MUST BE SERIOUSLY WRONG WITH ME.
Beyoncé - COWBOY CARTER
LITERALLY JUST RECOMMENDED IN ROUND 8 AND STRONGLY UPVOTED. BEYONCÉ MADE A SMILE-AFFIRMING ALBUM? THE ANSWER IS A RESOUNDING YES. THE JOYFUL AND SMILE-LIKE AMERICANA SPIRIT IS THERE IN FULL FORCE. THE CRAZY INVENTIVE SONGWRITING WITH UNEXPECTED TURNS IS THERE. THE QUIRKY AND INSTANTLY SMILE-AFFIRMING MOMENTS OF RADIO CHATTER, NOSTALGIC TRADITIONAL SONG SNIPPETS AND COVERS, ECLECTIC AND LEGENDARY GUEST ARTISTS, AND THE LITERAL GOOD VIBRATIONS CALLBACK TRIBUTE IS THERE. AS THE MOST MAINSTREAM ALBUM IN THIS COLLAGE, IT IS THE LEFT-FIELD COUNTRY R&B ALBUM OF HER CAREER AND IS A NONSTOP REFLECTION AND CELEBRATION OF AMERICANA AND SHARED HERITAGE.
AS SOMEONE WHO LIVES THE COUNTRY EQUINE LIFE, I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS FINAL PICK.
INTERESTING NOTE: THE VERY FIRST SONG IN THE FIRST ALBUM OF THIS COLLAGE FROM THE SMILE SESSIONS IS OUR PRAYER, AND THE VERY LAST SONG IN THE LAST ALBUM OF THIS COLLAGE IN COWBOY CARTER IS AMEN.
FINALLY, IS SMILE SESSIONS ITSELF SMILE-AFFIRMING?
I ARGUE THAT IT IS. PARTLY BECAUSE IT WAS NEVER COMPLETED AND IS ONLY AVAILABLE IN SESSIONS FORM. ALSO FOR THE FACT THAT BRIAN WAS CHASING THAT SAME DREAM OF THE IDEA OF SMILE AND THE PERFECT CONCEPT ALBUM, TYING TOGETHER TRADITIONAL SONG, PROGRESSIVE, INNOVATIVE PRODUCTION AND SONGWRITING, A RANGE OF GENRES, AND A MEDITATION OF AMERICANA, THE RICH HISTORY OF ONE’S OWN COUNTRY, ONE’S FAITH, JOY, LOVE, MELANCHOLY, AND SPIRITUALITY THROUGH MUSIC. SMILE IS ITSELF SELF-AFFIRMING.
THERE ARE PLENTY OF OTHER SMILE-LIKE ALBUMS IN EXISTENCE. HOWEVER, THESE ARE A HANDFUL OF ITS MANY STANDOUTS THAT YOU CAN THROW ON AND ENJOY.
NOW I CAN FINALLY PUT MY HEAD DOWN AND GET SOME SLEEP. WHEN’S BRIAN’S BACK COMING OUT ANYWAY?
DOWNVOTE THIS POST IF YOU ONLY LISTEN TO THE BEACH BOYS’ MUSIC AND NO OTHER MUSIC WHATSOEVER.
FINAL LIST OF ARTISTS:
- The Beach Boys
- The Beatles
- Bee Gees
- Van Dyke Parks
- Love
- The Moody Blues
- Harpers Bizarre
- The Who
- The Byrds
- The Rascals
- The United States of America
- Randy Newman
- Tiny Tim
- The Zombies
- Os Mutantes
- J. K. & Co.
- The Millennium
- Sagittarius
- Donovan
- The Turtles
- The Monkees
- The Four Seasons
- Harry Nilsson
- The Tokens
- Paul McCartney
- Todd Rundgren
- Stevie Wonder
- XTC
- The Dukes of the Stratosphear
- Jellyfish
- Wondermints
- The High Llamas
- Beck
- Ween
- Cornelius
- The Olivia Tremor Control
- The Flaming Lips
- of Montreal
- Super Furry Animals
- Tally Hall
- Panda Bear
- Brian Wilson
- Animal Collective
- Jan & Dean
- Sufjan Stevens
- Pepe Deluxé
- Miracle Musical
- The Avalanches
- Beyoncé
PREVIOUS POSTS
The Beach Boys, Van Dyke Parks, The Moody Blues, The Millennium, The United States of America, The Four Seasons, Brian Wilson, Pepe Deluxé, The Avalanches
The Monkees, Cornelius, Miracle Musical
Todd Rundgren, XTC, The Olivia Tremor Control, Super Furry Animals
Tiny Tim, The Tokens, Paul McCartney, The High Llamas
The Beatles, Os Mutantes, Ween, Panda Bear, Sufjan Stevens
Bee Gees, Donovan, J. K. & Co., The Flaming Lips, of Montreal
Love, Harper’s Bizarre, The Byrds, The Zombies, Sagittarius, The Turtles
The Who, The Rascals, Randy Newman, Simon & Garfunkel (BUT I SWITCHED IT WITH SPILT MILK), Harry Nilsson, The Dukes of the Stratosphear
I made an Apple Music Playlist taking one Smiley song from each album and sequencing them to create a great introduction to each album
THE POST PRODUCTION POST: 4 Albums Got Switched Out
This was a final reflection on the Ultimate Collage. After sitting with it for a little more than a week, something didn’t sit right with several of these albums. After a little bit more research, I settled for 4 more albums retcons.
Click here to read my full post on this page
Mistakes were made - it was the best of times, it was the worst of times
I’M SERIOUSLY NOT TRYING TO BOTHER YOU OR BE OBNOXIOUS ABOUT THIS.
I only sincerely set out to make an impeccable, completely untouchable collage / list of Smile-core and companion albums, which is also what I renamed it, since my original descriptor, honestly, really is a bit of an awkward turn of phrase. It just leapt into my mind when I put together my original 9 albums, calling them “Smile-affirming”.
But Smile-core? Now THAT is something that has existed before my time. I think we can all agree that this isn’t an unworthy descriptor for these albums. I also like to call them companion albums because while Smile-core is essentially Smile-affirming, companion albums cover basically the rest that are mostly very Smile-like or very much in the same kindred spirit of Smile.
This has been an important distinction to me because we‘ve all heard time and time again how a current or past artist’s music is very Beach Boys or Brian influenced. I just think that Smile-core further narrows that idea and distills it into some of the best music of our time.
I probably have OCD because when my brain started going in this direction there was just so much music to take in, and I have obsessed over this since.
Again, NOT ALL PSYCH ALBUMS FIT THIS MICROGENRE.
SO DON’T WORRY I’M NOT DOING ANOTHER ROUND
I’m tired of rounds. But as I let this “finalized” collage sit over the course of the past week and was enjoying many of these albums while chilling on my own, something didn’t sit right with a couple of these albums. Forever Changes by Love, for example, while a must-listen for any 60s psych pop fans, didn’t give me that Smile-affirming feeling throughout the way that most of these albums already did. This feeling came up with several more albums and around this time I also stumbled on a few more albums that are basically untouchable Smile-core or Smile-affirming albums. It would be a crime to not include them in this list since it is supposedly an “Ultimate” collage and list.
Other albums here are untouchable, you can’t fuck with them, mess with the formula, or what have you. Song Cycle for example will never, ever leave here. Others like The Olivia Tremor Control or The High Llamas will never leave here.
So I, no-bullshit, set out to, and want to, make us a list that is full of untouchable Smile-core and companion music albums - Something that you can put on any single one that you could pick at random and get that pure Smile-like enjoyment and come away with a happy ending and a huge smile on your face.
I’m not messing with the albums that had wide community consensus, rather, some of the outliers, either recommended by me or a one-off recommendation here that was included in a previous round.
Either way, this final set of four albums had to edge out these other ones one way or the other. They make way too strong of a case as Smile-core, or Smile-affirming, companion albums.
What’s gone:
Love - Forever Changes, Os Mutantes - Os Mutantes, Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life, and Beck - Odelay
What’s new and takes their place:
Brian Protheroe - Pinball, Mr. Bungle - California, Jim Noir - Tower of Love, and Mild High Club - Skiptracing
You see them in the collage? That’s 2 white looking albums in the center and on the right and two purple looking albums in the center bottom and the bottom right. I didn’t plan it, that’s just how it played out.
Why did these four albums get cut?
The fact that these made it in the previous rounds says a lot about them already, but…
Forever Changes as I said earlier is a must-listen, but IMHO it gave me an unsettling feeling while I listened to it, like not a true “Smile-affirming” feeling. That was my selection as I pulled it from my own music noggin, and it’s even cited as an album that is similar to Smile, but is it worthy of being in the “Ultimate Collage”? I humbly believe that this selection was a bit of a misfire.
Os Mutantes is just amazing all around, but IMHO it doesn’t maintain that consistent “Smile-affirming”, Smile-core, whatever you want to call it, feeling.
Stevie, my guy, he is on another level entirely! It just so happens to not be on the Smile floor, at least for most of its runtime. There’s so much good music in this double album though. It’s a must listen.
Beck, another pick of mine, operates in a very innovative space, but not really, reaaaalllly of the Smile variety. Still a high recommend if not a must-listen.
Why did these four new albums take their place?
I don’t know. Who knows really? What is life? YOU’LL KNOW IF YOU LISTEN TO THEM.
Brian Protheroe is in the middle of this collage just staring you down. Listen to his album if you’re a fan of the Donovan album or the Harry Nilsson album. That’s the vibe I get.
Listen to Mr. Bungle - California if you like the Jellyfish or the Super Furry Animals albums. Goes from hard rock to wildly inventive left-field detours and is oddly very satisfying.
Listen to Jim Noir - Tower of Love if you’re a fan of Miracle Musical or The High Llamas albums. That’s the vibe I get.
Listen to Mild High Club - Skiptracing if you’re a fan of the Panda Bear or Animal Collective albums. Very, very lush album with that watery production aesthetic.
Okay, now I would say these albums are pretty much UNTOUCHABLE. I’d have to be crazy to remove any of these at this point.
The Smiley Smiles Playlist is also updated to reflect these changes. I only made it on Apple Music, sorry about that. Maybe I will do a Spotify version. I probably won’t though.
I’m only linking to the last round post and you can go from there to the others.
If you are in a Beach Boys rut and you’re anxiously waiting out the Brian’s Back box set, you can’t go wrong with any of these albums. Now I’m done. Can’t fuck with it any more.
The Final Full Circle One Shot Post: Peak Essential SMiLE-Core Albums
The final full circle post was meant to show how much this 9 album collage changed from my very first 9 album collage. It is titled Peak Essential because it contains the closest SMiLE adjacent albums in terms of songwriting, musical styles, composition, melody, vocal arrangements, and album structure. The final 9 albums are detailed below.
1. The Beach Boys - SMiLE (or Smile Sessions)
Click here to read my full post on this page
I started this at 9 and now ending it at 9. While the last series was a big bang, an explosive collage of 49 albums, this is a one-shot analysis, a zoomed-in concentration of the 9 most hardcore Smile-core albums of them all
We’ve finally come full circle
I listened to all of them. I understand that it’s an overwhelming list of artists, so I wanted to pick the peak ones that are closest to being Smile-like in style and spirit for the those who haven’t had the chance to experience them yet and want to supercharge their listening experience. It allows this one-shot post to be hyper focused after the tidal wave of Smile-affirming recommendations in the initial journey, but it also shows off the best, most fitting selections. Each of these albums also has their own unique identity and imprint on the Smile ethos.
3 of these 9 albums are givens: The Beach Boys, Van Dyke Parks, and the Old Master Painter himself, which leaves 6 slots up for discussion. 3 more albums are already highly regarded by this sub as essential picks: Jellyfish, The High Llamas, and The Olivia Tremor Control… the Smile is strong with these ones. The final 3 are the ones that have some wiggle room, Paul McCartney, Mr. Bungle, and The Avalanches, however I think Wildflower makes as strong of a case as the others to be an essential pick and deserves to be here, leaving McCartney and Mr. Bungle up for discussion, so just hear me out.
Top row: The classic era
The OG one - yes, The Smile Sessions I consider self-affirming, because the ultimate, perfect dream of it never rose to completion, but Brian attempted the same thing that so many artists that came after tried to emulate, thereby creating the microgenre, Smile-core
The avant-garde one - closest to Smile in my humble opinion, with such a fascinating history and the irony that Song Cycle was able to be released while Smile was largely abandoned
The Beatle one - Paul’s got so much going on in here, RAM is an essential listen and one of the more accessible picks, every song is stupendously Smile-affirming and before you know it theres another stylistic lift from song to song
Second row: Resurgence
The power pop one - heavy on the 90s rock but shocking in its songwriting complexity, The Beach Boys callbacks are so strong with this one
The chill one - a favorite of Beach Boys fans on here, and I can see why, it just has such a smooth and steady execution that it has to be here
The psychedelic one - are most Smile-core albums psychedelic? Well… they certainly contain elements of lush orchestration, production, and unconventional recording techniques, which Smile helped to influence in modern psychedelic music, and this is the most Smile-core, psychedelic album in existence
Third row: The turn of, and the 21st century
The heavy one - a bridge between Frank Zappa and The Beach Boys, this album was the last discovery of mine, has gonzo songwriting, heavy Beach Boys callbacks, and metal-infused neo-psychedelia, it’s as if System of a Down did their version of Smile, essentially testing the limits of what Smile-core means, enjoy the rollercoaster ride
The masterpiece by the Old Master Painter - Brian we love you so much! Yes That Lucky Old Sun has you composing your final masterstroke, it’s own sun-drenched California Smile, and it makes me bawl now, especially going home and Southern California, damn you, you’re going to make me cry again
The “mixtape” one - this final one doesn’t have any main singers or vocalists, but a plethora of captivating guests and a kaleidoscopic arrangement of music and themes and is, in my humble opinion, the best 21st century version of Smile
THIS IS MY ONLY POST of peak SMiLE-core albums, because it’s not about starting it all over, rather, it’s about arriving where we’ve started because we’ve come full circle, but now with the pinnacle of Smile-core albums
There can’t be much more than this because the selections are already so tight and closely matching the essence of Smile. It was actually pretty hard for my final pick, which ended up being McCartney’s RAM, and in my humble opinion there are too many songwriting quirks and direct stylistic lifts to qualify it. While the original series included “Smile-affirming and Companion albums” terminology, this is the finest, purest distillation of it all.
SO WHAT CHANGED?
The very first post of mine in this journey, of which I never knew there would be so many follow-ups, had The Moody Blues, The Millennium, The United States of America, The Four Seasons, and Pepe Deluxé, which ultimately were switched for 3 highly popular ones, and my final 2 picks being McCartney, which was recommended just once, and Mr. Bungle, which was never mentioned but rather I found in my research.
At this point it’s just a discussion of what you think you would swap out if you did this yourselves. Does Smile Sessions actually belong here since it’s the reference point? Is That Lucky Old Sun, even though it’s Brian’s final masterpiece, really a Smile-core album? I think you’d be hard pressed to remove any of the middle row since those are so strongly supported by this community. Some might say Wildflower is its own thing and not Smile-core, but I would passionately disagree. Is RAM really Smile-core or just one of the coolest of the solo Beatles albums? Does Mr. Bungle belong, or is it too heavy, sometimes metal-infused to make it in here, despite super on-the-nose Beach Boys callbacks?
Let’s discuss. Which albums would you swap out, why, and for what?
And here’s the initial series of posts:
The Beach Boys, Van Dyke Parks, The Moody Blues, The Millennium, The United States of America, The Four Seasons, Brian Wilson, Pepe Deluxé, The Avalanches
The Monkees, Cornelius, Miracle Musical
Todd Rundgren, XTC, The Olivia Tremor Control, Super Furry Animals
Tiny Tim, The Tokens, Paul McCartney, The High Llamas
The Beatles, Os Mutantes, Ween, Panda Bear, Sufjan Stevens
Bee Gees, Donovan, J. K. & Co., The Flaming Lips, of Montreal
Love, Harper’s Bizarre, The Byrds, The Zombies, Sagittarius, The Turtles
The Who, The Rascals, Randy Newman, Simon & Garfunkel (BUT I SWITCHED IT WITH SPILT MILK), Harry Nilsson, The Dukes of the Stratosphear
Stevie Wonder, Wondermints, Beck, Tally Hall, Animal Collective, Jan & Dean, Beyoncé
Love, Os Mutantes, Stevie Wonder, Beck —> Brian Protheroe, Mr. Bungle, Jim Noir, Mild High Club
I made an Apple Music Playlist
Smiley Smiles: a playlist of albums that sound like Smile
The Spotify Version, provided by u/zachstonekin
The Smile-core circle of life is now complete
I’ll now get out of u/zachstonekin’s way and allow him to continue the Smile-Core Femmes Edition.
If you’ve made it this far, you win the hi-resolution collages for the Ultimate and the Peak Essentials collages. Just click this text. Enjoy!
Until next time, thank you for all the wonderful music, Brian… You are dearly missed.
