Brian Wilson - Wonderful

[AuntyEm97]

This album was kicking about my house for a while and I never thought to have a listen but, yesterday I was getting sick of Simon & Garfunkel and Bob Dylan so, I put it in and now I can't stop playing it: its just addictive. This song is the best in it followed by ''Song for Children''. Pure genius!

[fenderfenatic]

i think this is better than the beatles.

[eastlake93]

Just discovered this album today. Oh my! Dare I say I like this better than Pet Sounds.

[cosmicrider287]

the title says it all really.

[3589546]

Now, how did he know that when we listened to this we would smile.

[mursemitch]

I listen to this cd all the time. Don;t know if that means I want to kill myself or not. It fails in making me think anything but "Damn."

[LakewooodWestPark]

Dear God but if this isn't beautiful, nothing is.

Simply and purely superb. Wonderful.

[wellyes]

Not many people realise it but THIS was a demo version intended as a guide for Carl Wilson. It is not what Brian would have arranged in 1966.

We will never know how this or any unfinished smile song was intended to be arranged by Brian. The amount of interest and speculation has coloured every aspect of the project so much that we will never know what his vision was. Ironically, the intense speculation has allowed Brian to continue to leave his masterpiece unfinished.

[vonvoltairekyo]

I have loved the Beach Boys since the '60s. Salute the God-given genius of Brian Wilson, who gave his sanity for music.

[SteamGrace]

This song segues well into Surf's Up. Try it

[liamrocksmysockstm]

thumbs up if mike love is an untalented hack

[Goeslightly]

@liamrocksmysockstm

No he isn't. He is talented... but he's not an artist. 

[felippepompeo]

no words.

[1obxeclipsedriver]

@thestarproject80 I've actually listened to some of it, and it's amazing to hear.

[mphello]

Love that harpsichord!

More harpsichord! Gotta have more harpsichord! Explore the space!

[SuperJohnCenaFan23]

2 people are non- believers. Rock on Brian!

[rock7star007]

i feel wonderful

[harmike17]

Mike Love disliked twice.

[choosing2lookeast]

@harmike17 lol

[mattgouette]

@harmike17 Hahaha! I'll bet that Mike Love is fuming over how successful Brian is to this day. Mike never has, and will never achieve anything close to his greatness.

[harmike17]

@mattgouette I also bet Mike Love never gets on Youtube anymore because all the much deserved hate we throw his way!!

[YouMuseMe]

Able to hit those high notes - ever after years of smoking, and being in his 60's - impressive.

[gregtthomas]

Two people accidentally hit dislike.

[ddr122]

Does it get any better? Does it?

[mdefil23]

@ddr122 yes the SMiLE Sessions version is even better :)

[lamusicaeskelly]

listen teh rufus wainwright cover wonderful

[adrahaxxen]

She had sex and now she has no INNOCENCE !

[choosing2lookeast]

@adrahaxxen really? I always thought it was someone who had married and the marriage didn't work out because she wasn't mature enough to be married and separate herself from her family.

[adrahaxxen]

@choosing2lookeast A Boy Bumped Into Her Wa Wa Wa Wonderful !!

[choosing2lookeast]

@adrahaxxen lol

[theSuperMetroid]

@choosing2lookeast I see it as a once young and innocent girl being raped or in some other way "damaged" by a "nonbeliever" and is now trying to move on from that experience with the love and support of her mother and father. Perhaps for awhile she gave up her liberty in return for safety from "nonbelievers" but as the song says in the last verse "she'll return in love with her liberty" so it'll take time but eventually she's going to be ok and move on, stronger for the experience.

[BustardBuzzard]

Rock On, Brian!

[gmd1417]

Maybe the most beautiful song ever written. Wonderful melogy and the lyrics are so poetic. Like most great poetry open to imaginative interpretation...

[mikedrawls41]

I feel like I'm listening to a Bach piece...this is the meaning of life :)

[jwild611]

Brian sounds surprisingly close to his 1967 self in this cut

[MrLazyHippie]

Only one word : Genius!

[lamusicaeskelly]

the rufus wainwright cover its better

[lori8810]

never know as a non believer she laughs God reached softly and moved her body.

[thegreatpumpkin1313]

I don't mean to be mean but I don't care for the post-stroke version. I still value the genius of the original. It's the perfect song but I don't like this version or this album.

[OhNoItsGojira]

@thegreatpumpkin1313 but its pefect

[dirkbrad]

@thegreatpumpkin1313 "post stroke version".....you know something about Brian's medical history that the rest of the world doesn't? Won,won, wonderful......

[ninman58]

Why can't Brian release the original recordings as a completed album? All of the songs on this album have either been released, or are available in bootleg format.

[rock7star007]

@ninman58 thank god he released im 20 years and because of this "new" album know this genius

[jaokguy]

this is such a pretty melody , i mean it's so beautiful it brings a tear to your eye and gives ya goosebumps . it's that gorgeous . it's so unbelievably simple too , but there's such a difference from simple bad , and simple good . if ya put the " right " simple notes and chords together ya get this song . if ya put the " wrong " ones together ya get happy birthday . this is my favorite of his .

[ahshadoup]

@jaokguy

It is a lovely tune. Very unique, it's the quintessential "find" for a composer.

But simple? This chord progression is one of the most tantalizingly seamless patterns of conflicting keys and textured chords I've ever come across. I always lay awake wondering how on Earth Brian composed these things..

[jaokguy]

@ahshadoup i meant the melody is simple , it's the same thing like 3 times in a row but ya still never get tired of hearing it . it's simple in the way a lot the beach boy and beatles stuff is . something like " if i fell " is a bit more , at least imo , what you're talking about . now those are chords that nobody would have ever thought to put together , but are just amazing when they are .

[jaokguy]

@ahshadoup i meant the melody is simple , it's the same thing like 3 times in a row but ya still never get tired of hearing it . it's simple in the way a lot the beach boy and beatles stuff is . something like " if i fell " is a bit more , at least imo , what you're talking about . now those are chords that nobody would have ever thought to put together , but are just amazing when they are .

[JayMalone]

@jaokguy

i'm glad you appreciate the Beach Boys, but there is NOTHING simple about this melody, or any of Brian's melodies for that matter.

[douglasj53]

@ahshadoup I could not have said it better myself. Especially the laying awake part. Simple? Please!!!

[Stevemc90]

@ahshadoup

Spot on. I'm an undergraduate music theory major and have been trying to wrap my head around this beast for a few years; I still have yet to come up with any conclusive harmonic analysis. The continual tonal ambiguity throughout the piece really defies logic, and yet by some miracle stands perfectly sound and above all, GORGEOUS. God bless Brian Wilson.

[archfienduk]

gorgeous song, am I the only one who wishes this song was longer??

[alliant]

what I think this song mean to Dyke and Brian, was this:

the girl believes in God and the truth of that experience, where all experience is wonderful and beautiful. then a man she meets nearly pulls her out of this and she becomes lost. thankfully she comes back into the 'wonderful'...

the 'one' emphasis, to me, is the oneness of reality, which is God itself

[Dodo251]

This song is wonderful.

[aLfR3dd]

Visionary. That's about it.

[wistaria2010]

Love it!

[wargrave232]

This is probably the best chord progression ever, and the melody fits perfect. You'd have to be a genius to write a song like this. Wonderful

[jsilence418]

I prefer the Smiley Smile version . maybe becausre it's the one I'm familiar with. thaqnks for posting

[mrperez666]

i don't think this song has any concrete meaning behind it. Van Dyke and BW both sought to create a highly ambiguous and emotional album, and Van Dyke just wrote the lyrics.

Whatever people get out of this song is meant to be interpreted by them personally, i honestly doubt that there really is a concrete meaning behind this song.

A good critic tries to create definition in a work of art. A good artist tries to create ambiguity. I think Brian Wilson a very good artist.

[Dudeski7689]

No matter what this song is about, or what it means. It's a fantastic song, and starts off the emotional section of "SMiLE". It's a great song!

[04116404]

you stop been nice to the beach boys,,,,they really suck !!!

[belladeballe]

humph...the beach boys on their worst day are still better than many artists at their alleged best!

[lakey180]

brians on the same putting green as lennon .but brians felling a bit better lol. .brian and john,how do you follow them ..?.you cant .

[ventues97]

What a piece of art..a master of lyrics!!!!

[comet9tan]

That's Van Dyke Parks' specialty. He and Brian wrote this.

[iPL2001]

If you really wanna know what the song is about, look in the lyrics booklet from the Smile CD.

[MrsMcClifton]

I think this song is about a girl going through the stages of life, including death and rebirth.

[iPL2001]

By far the best version, in my opinion. Something about Brian's aged voice and certain songs.

[caats19]

@iPL2001 and that high "yodalayheeehoo" note. def what's missing in the original (though PC put it back).

[KlurckColombus]

Wow! This really sucks! and I'm a huge beach boys fan! I guess Pet Sounds was truly the end for the beach boys!

[runeguldberg]

Well, your nick is Klurck. So.....

[chaosfilms9295]

I guess you truly don't understand Brian Wilson

[gtr82]

richstan4d,

It's about the girl losing her virginity.

[sabrinamessenger61]

Really? I always thought it was about her losing her innocence and naivity vs her physical virginity.

[BustardBuzzard]

Awesome.

He's Awesome!

I'm always, and have been since Little Deuce Coupe, awestruck.

[ssiknick83]

truly amazing brilliant song.

[richstan4d]

Sometimes I wish I knew what this song meant. Then other times I'd rather interpret it myself because it's so pure in my mind. Van Dyke and Brian never would say exactly.

[MrBobLucas]

The original SMiLE was ahead of it's time in recording method, it was essentially designed for pro tools, 20years before the idea had been concived, nowadays every body does songs but recording bits seperatly (or atleast about 7 takes, and paste all the best bits from each session into a master). I beleive even if Brian had completed the sessions, the mixing would have killed the album in it's tracks (excuse the pun), both the SMiLE sessions, and the completed album are amazing

[stumptacular]

this song has shades of the essence of "shes leaving home" in it...although it doesnt sound like it aside from thematically and no i dont compare the two albums or bands usually... I have to love them both. SMiLE and SGT PEPPER.

[stumptacular]

probably the best album i have ever heard. i think this blows pet sounds out of the water. but pet sounds is the next best album ever made... :)

[laletterass]

This song is off a tape made back in 1966 and remastered by Vandyke Parks and others. Those are the original Beachboys singing in the background. This is not a new release by Brian,

[Mozzer232]

You are amazingly incorrect here. Brian's 2004 SMiLE just happens to sound that authentic to the original sessions.

But the truth is that this as well as every other track on the album was re-recorded by Brian and his band in the spring of 04.

Its quite remakable what Brian was able to achieve with 2004's SMiLE!

[tardwhisperer]

This man's brain works differently than most other musicians. He finds all of those missing notes that are hidden between the other ones. He's on a completely different wavelength.

[Entropy56]

Not a bad singer for a 70 year old man.

[catgumart]

Well lets be accurate, he is only 66 now, when he recorded this he was about 62...but I agree he sounds very good.

[regentv980]

he is not 70 yet

[BustardBuzzard]

ANYTHING we are lucky enough to hear from Brian is Wonderful.

[Notwhatyouwanttohear]

@BustardBuzzard cheesey

[ChristForte]

It was better on Smiley Smile when it was sung in a whispering like tone.

[lerougeetlenoir5]

Are you insane?

[ChristForte]

No I'm not. It sucks when Carl isn't singing it.

[AllTheNuttyBits]

Here's the guy who compared, arrogantly, Sgt. Peppers and Pet Sounds.

[cruzman3608]

@AllTheNuttyBits

u fuckin serious?

[psykotanks]

It's...WONDERFUL!

[StJamesCourt]

definately the best track

[BrianWilsonSmile]

My favourite track.

[Caw9000]

nope i think prayer/gee is the best on smile...but its all amazing isnt it.

completely different than anytihng else

[sionfeeling]

BEAUTIFUL

[nosnsheva]

One of the most beautiful songs ever written. On the best album ever recorded.

[briansno1fan]

the best song on smile.