So, GO BRIAN.

And what would such glad tidings be without a contest? Like Christmas without presents, I would aver. And you can check out his "Heroes and Villains" single below as well.

Now, my own thoughts on Smile. I am thrilled about the idea of Smile: that after 37 years, the death of his two younger brothers and his own severe personal problems, Wilson was able to clear out enough emotional and artistic space to finish something as personal and monumental as Smile is a cause for celebration from all unabashed Wilsonians such as myself.

But I am less enthralled than most with Smile as an entity than with it as a symbol, for in conjuntion with the aggressively oblique Van Dyke Parks, I sense Brian relinquishing any lingering personal relationship with rock 'n' roll and finding himself adrift in the great sea of American popular music as a result. While I entirely agree that Wilson's gifts as a melodist and arranger, especially vocal arranger, place him among the top of American musical pantheon, he is there because of the sparks that fly from his strange melding of rock 'n' roll rhythms and energy, perpetually youthful innocence, with his sophisticated melodies and harmonies.

The two songs on Smile that do remain tethered to rock 'n' roll — "Good Vibrations" and "Heroes and Villains" — I think, he has done better elsewhere with the Beach Boys.

But I am still elated for Brian that he has this weight off of his chest and that the world is giving him the respect that has been his due for 40 years.

More Smile news, interviews, and a long look at the Beach Boys here, and Blogcritics reviews of Smile live and on CD here, here, here, and here.