TGIF! presents...The Beach Boys' "SMiLE Sessions"!

Here are a few quotes from some friends of mine on the release (yesterday) of The Beach Boys' "SMiLE Sessions"...

Brian and his great band recorded new tracks and vocals for the previous release (2004) - yesterday's release uses the original Beach Boys' tracks and vocals from the '60s plus lots of alternate versions and also includes bonus material...

- Billy Hinsche, Utah, back-up musician and singer for The Beach Boys

The SMILE collection that was just released is the original tracks from the Beach Boys... Our 2004 recording was Brian and Van Dyke Parks' version (Brian's band playing and singing) 40 years later. Both cool in my eyes. :)

- Taylor Mills, Austin, TX, back-up singer for Brian Wilson

Hey Jeff, in a nutshell the SMiLE that was released in 2004 was Brian Wilson presents SMiLE. Brian, Darian, Van Dyke got together and basically completed the 1966/67 SMiLE. The 2004 versions contains Brian's amazing backing band. So... the SMiLE sessions that has just been released is The Beach Boys 1966 that was never completed in its original form. Original track listing and running order never was decided upon until 2004. Over the many years there have been many bootlegs and fan versions of the original based on Brian's 2004 version(many call it a blueprint). So now we have the original album art and booklet that was to have been released back in 66/67 with many outtakes, studio banter plus the SMiLE album by The Beach Boys based on the 2004 track listing...phew.. Trust me a lot of us fans are very very relieved and very excited. The mythical SMiLE album is here.

- Paul McPherson, Australia, FB friend and Beach Boys nut, like me

Check out these reviews in Rolling Stone and the Los Angeles Times.

Congratulations Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys!