SMiLE Delayed

Brian Wilson's "SMiLE" came out last September, but only recently have I given it a full- throttle listening. To read about the saga of "SMiLE," which Brian abandoned in 1967, click here. (This article is chock-full of delicious details of B.W. insanity, including the fact that Brian insisted that musicians wear firemen's hats during the recording of one song.) If you digged "Pet Sounds," definitely check this album out. If you don't know what the hell I'm talking about, let me put it another way. When "Good Vibrations" comes on the car radio and you can't help feeling just a tad bit better, then give "SMiLE" a listen. Melody is layered upon melody, tempo shifts from underneath you, and song bleeds into song, taking your ears on a giddy aural trip.