In Person At Amoeba Records On Tuesday December 6: Maestro Brian Wilson

The recently released SMiLE Sessions box set - an in-depth look at the making of these recordings - is a treasure trove for instrumental music fans. Here are some scholarly reviews of the 1966 opus by Brian and lyricist Van Dyke Parks:

BBC - Music - Review of The Beach Boys - The SMiLE Sessions

Chicago Tribune

The Guardian (UK)

Metacritic

NPR

Pitchfork

Rolling Stone

Uncut

Brian will be at San Francisco's Ameoba Records, in person, signing the box sets for music fans on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.

I love these recordings, and, as with Pet Sounds, never tire of listening to them. The more times I hear Brian's "way outside the box" arrangements, orchestrations and highly original choices of instrumentation throughout SMiLE, the more I enjoy them. The more I listen, the more interesting ideas I pick up.

The SMiLE Sessions have received the spotlight in the following 12-part series on YouTube. Here are some intriguing installments from The SMiLE Sessions chronicles - enjoy!