This is a fine introduction to the mystery/myth of SMiLE,it certainly is not intended to be an anoraks bible,and as the previous reviewer states,you can find far more technical details in fan mags and web sites but if you are new to SMiLE there are more than enough stories/interviews/suppositions to whet the dryest palette,Dom has a child-like enthusiasm which leaps off every page,and whilst some of his theories are slightly left field and his biggest one,that being SMiLE was a two pronged attack,one Americana 'tother Elemental,was undone by the release of the recent album,his wonderful description of the era and the insightful interviews make up for any shortcomings/second guessing,Dom takes the reader through the entire rollercoaster ride that Brian rode back in 66,when for a fleeting moment,he,not John and Paul was the most important composer in the pop world,Brian's resurgence in the 90's,which led in time to both the Pet Sounds and Smile tours,and eventually to the release of "a" SMiLE album of sorts,what this book conveys are the reasons why the phrase "Brian is a Genius!" has been a staple cry since 66 with nary a whisper of anything remotely close to substantiate it,and also dispels the myth that Brian burned out during the original "SMiLE" era,this is a fantastic first step in understanding Brian Wilson and will make you want to replay Pet Sounds and SMiLE,which in truth is what any book should do,credit must go to Dom for telling such a tangled web of mystery in such lucid and reader friendly fashion,The Phantom Surfer.
