Brian Wilson Presents Smile DVD Review:

A legend in rock history is the remarkable story of Brian Wilson’s experimental album Smile. Brian Wilson was the creative genius behind The Beach Boys, creating masterpieces like Pet Sounds, while the rest of the group toured without him. In 1967 Brian started the album Smile, but was unable to finish it. For decades it was known as the greatest album never to be released, even though few had ever heard any of the tracks. Now, over thirty years later, Brian Wilson has completed the album and toured performing it live, becoming one of the most amazing stories in rock history.

The two-disc Smile DVD has got the music, but also contains much of the man himself. Disc one has an amazing full length documentary, Beautiful Dreamer, which examines Brian Wilson from the very start up until the first time Smile was heard in it’s entirety. The second disc in this DVD package contains a live performance of Smile recorded in Los Angeles.

While the performance is amazing, this package is worth its price for the documentary alone. Beautiful Dreamer takes great care in examining what makes Brian Wilson both a bit unstable as well as a musical genius. Traveling through his childhood, breakdowns, depression, drug-addiction, and most importantly his music, Beautiful Dreamer leaves no stone unturned. Many scenes are saddening because Wilson is barely able to cope with life at times, and yet uplifting when he conquers his fears and creates something that nobody else would imagine possible.

Beautiful Dreamer is filled with quotes about creativity and art by other geniuses like Wilson, and the documentary becomes more of an examination of Wilson’s incredible mind than it is about his life, although that is covered as well. While some rock documentaries jump all over the place, Beautiful Dreamers takes events in a linear structure making the film amazingly easy to watch.

Packaged in a yellow and white box and covered with a stylish white box cover, this DVD is eye catching in its simplicity. While the visuals on the documentary are average because of the means in which it was filmed, the sound completely makes up for it. The options include 5.1 surround sound, stereo, and isolated soundtracks. The documentary disc also includes special features including interviews, extra performances, and an aftershow featurette which took place immediately following the first performance of Smile.

The second DVD has equally good audio, with features including a surround mix and PCM stereo. While the performance of Smile may not be as accessible unless you are already a fan of Brian Wilson, it is still undeniable that he is a creative genius, and fans of The Beach Boys may be interested in seeing what his sound has developed into. The special features on this disc include solo piano performances, a photo gallery, a recording session featurette, and a contest winning video for “Heroes and Villains”.

The DVD package also comes with a poster for Smile, and the album is also for sale. There are a few things I am certain of after watching these DVDs, and one of them is that any fan of the CD should immediately buy this DVD. Another thing I am certain of is that this DVD is one of the most important in rock history, mesmerizing and amazing whether you care for the music or not.



Ryan Izay