Putting SMiLE into historical perspective is a bit easier. Brian conceived the album as a follow-up to his universally acclaimed magnum opus Pet Sounds. Unlike a majority of the music that Wilson had made previously with The Beach Boys, Pet Sounds was a highly personal song cycle that had less to do with the physical world of surfing and hot-rod automobiles and more to do with thoughtful and decidedly esoteric ideologies. This outwardly sudden and swift departure from the band's proven and successful formula did not sit well with some band members. Despite the lack of full support from his band mates, Pet Sounds was immediately embraced as a cultural touchstone. In retrospect, it became apparent that this was the point at which popular music became art. What had once simply been suitable for sock hops was now to be savored and discussed in a manner previously reserved for literature or classical music. Despite the radical departure, Brian, along with lyricist Tony Asher, scored a trio of their most significant songs to date with "God Only Knows," "Wouldn't It Be Nice," and a modernization of the traditional folk song "Sloop John B."

Brian Wilson performing SMiLE live. ©Sue Levinson.

Even after completing Pet Sounds, Brian continued to develop his novel methodology of spontaneously creating alongside the musicians in the studio. In short, it was the antithesis of how most pop and rock platters were being made at the time. Rather than have the musicians learn a whole song and then record it, Brian began to modularly link various sections together, which would last anywhere from a few bars to a few minutes. Once these disparate pieces had been completed to his satisfaction, he would then string them together to form what he described at the time as a "pocket symphony." The initial post-Pet Sounds results yielded the chart-topping "Good Vibrations." The song not only rocketed to #1, more importantly it gave Brian the confidence he needed in order to take the process to the next level.

By all accounts, the artist was on an unprecedented roll of creativity, surrounding himself with equally ambitious and supportive musicians and non-musical associates during the conception and creation of what would become known as SMiLE. But somewhere along the line, Wilson lost faith in the project and, in order to maintain peace — most particularly with his oft antagonistic first cousin and Beach Boys co-founder Mike Love — Brian scrapped the entire venture.

Although initiated as far back as 1966 — and subsequently leaked via a plethora of bootleg records, tapes, and more recently, CDs — the fact is that SMiLE was not really born until September of this year when, out of nowhere, it was released. For many, the seemingly sudden and unquestionably unexpected delivery begged the somewhat existential query:

"Just how exactly did something that has never really existed before become one of the most highly lauded works from one of the most important living figures in the history of popular music?"