Mike Love - Smile

Smile

Historically there is much debate about the stalled Beach Boys' project, Smile, which Brian Wilson commenced in the autumn of 1966 and abandoned in May 1967 just weeks before the Beatles' release of Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. (The almost-complete album was finally released by Capitol Records, the band's first label, in November 2011). Though Love is reported to have objected to Van Dyke Parks' oblique lyrics, particularly on the song "Cabin Essence", he has repeatedly asserted these claims are overstated. During an argument, Love asked Parks to explain the meaning of the line, "Over and over the crow cries uncover the cornfields"; Parks demurred, walking out of the recording session and terminating his partnership with Wilson. Love is on record stating he had nothing personal against Parks; instead he feared the lyrics were too abstract for a relatable Beach Boys record. Since then, ultimately, Love's criticisms, fears and reservations regarding the project were proven to be unfounded and were definitively refuted upon the critical acclaim given the project with the 2004 release of "Brian Wilson Presents: Smile".

In director-writer Michael Feeney Callan's 1993 documentary The Beach Boys Today, Love emphasised his fondness for Pet Sounds. He states that his concerns about the Smile music refer only to the more obscure lyrics. Van Dyke Parks countered Love's recollection. In a letter to UK music magazine Mojo, Parks described Love's views as "revisionism", and was unequivocal in citing Love's hostility to Smile as one of the major factors in Brian's decision to abandon the project. On the DVD that accompanied the 2004 Smile release, Brian Wilson also states that Love's resistance was one of the major deciding factors in the cancellation of the album:

"The reasons that I didn't release Smile: One, Mike didn't like it...".