Previously, we mentioned that the pre-eminent UK culture criticism blog, CultureCritic, has undertaken a five-part series of posts about 33 1/3, specifically looking at individual forthcoming titles in the series. The first was Histoire de Melody Nelson, and second at bat is Luis Sanchez on The Beach Boys’ Smile.
Sanchez illuminates the five reasons you need to hear The Beach Boys’ Smile, including its place in the annals of rock n roll:
“Conventional rock history tells us that the arrival of Dylan and the Beatles was the sign of a new dawning. I’m not so sure. The Beach Boys recorded Smile at roughly the same time as the Beatles made Sgt. Pepper’s. Though they were left unfinished, listening to the Smile recordings now makes you wonder if the mid-60s didn’t mark the beginning of a great era but the beginning of the ending of one.”
Read the entire piece, and learn more about Sanchez and Smile in our profile Q&A.