Wilson and lyricist Van Dyke Parks, who collaborated on the original SMiLE sessions in 1966–67, listened together to the 37-year-old tapes in November 2003, following Wilson’s announcement of his intention to complete and perform SMiLE in a series of concerts in London. Acting as Wilson’s and Parks’ musical secretary, Darian Sahanaja, of Wilson’s touring band, began preparing the music for performance. This led to Wilson and Parks creating new material to make the concerts possible. The public premiere of the finished SMiLE took place at the Royal Festival Hall in London on February 20, 2004 to overwhelming response. The Los Angeles Times said: “What we do know now is that Wilson and Parks created a glorious piece of music whose grand ambition is outstripped only by its inherent beauty and cumulative power.” In London, the Guardian referred to SMiLE’s “groundbreaking complexity and sophistication” and wrote that it seemed “the grandest of American symphonies,” while the Daily Telegraph added, “Leonard Bernstein once proclaimed Brian Wilson one of the greatest composers of the 20 th century: he was not wrong.” The Independent summarized the feeling in the hall: “We knew we’d witnessed a miracle of sorts.” Wilson is currently finishing the new recording of SMiLE at Los Angeles’ Sunset Sound studio. He will tour the U.K. and Europe this summer and will embark on a U.S. tour, during which he will perform SMiLE, in the fall (further details will be announced soon). http://www.brianwilson.com Download the track 'Wonderful' taken from 'SMiLE' now Check Out The 'SMiLE' Microsite
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