Dae Lims Smile AI: don't get the hype.

The SMiLE mix everyone raves over. Not just on this sub. Even r/fantanoforever loves that mix to death, saying it's the greatest thing they've ever heard and praising Dae Lims' creativity. While I do agree with that sentiment to some degree, I really do not understand the hype around it. Here's my assessment of all the tracks.

Our Prayer: It's the OG mix, nothing goin' on here.

You're Welcome: Already we have a shocker. Dae Lims took the rather big decision of having what was being discussed as the album closer during the Smile Sessions as the second song of the album. Does anybody enjoy that? I certainly don't; I feel it fucks with the flow. You're welcome to come? Where? There is no context because the album hasn't started yet!!! 3/10, just for the placement.

Heroes and Villains: I respect the fact that he cleaned up Brian's Feb 10 edit; it sounds a lot better! But then he decided not to use the "You Are My Sunshine" fade and goes off into a different tangent altogether, editing together different H&V sections almost haphazardly, it seems; there is no cohesiveness, no continuity. And I have no idea what he does with the AI, but it most certainly doesn't sound 1:1 between the Feb 10 part and the "Heroes and Villains, Pt. 2" part. Once you hear it, you'll never unhear it, and it sounds quite uncanny, if I do dare say so myself. 5/10.

I'm in Great Shape: I like his improvement of the vocal. 10/10.

Barnyard: My favourite Barnyard mix ever. I love Mike's (or, should I say, "Mike's") lead vocal, and the part where the slower "out in the barnyard the chickens do their number" kicks in is ethereal. Not to mention the cleaned-up "You Are my Sunshine" tag which adds so much gravitas to the song. 10/10.

Do You Like Worms: Another victim of terrible decision-making. First of all, what is that verse melody? It sounds yucky in comparison to the BWPS verse melody. Ik it was what Brian had (kinda) decided in '66, but we have to understand, OG =/= better (at least not always). Also, he's done some weird AI shit to the "rock, rock, roll, Plymouth rock, roll over" which ruins it for me, and adds unnecessary fuzz bass (or whatever the hell that is) randomly, it seems.

Wtf is Mike's bass vocal doing over on top ABSOLUTELY EVERY SINGLE TIME THE BICYCLE RIDER RIFF COMES ON?!

And that ending. Oh god. He absolutely fucked up that "bicycle rider" riff with that stupid fuzz bass. What was wrong with Brian's 1966 mix, where the theme starts up again and fades out?! Why did you feel the need to add that stupid fuzz bass thing?! And then take the fade-out out?! 0/10.

Cabinessence: Made Dennis' rap more audible. 8/10.

The Old Master Painter/You Are my Sunshine: Leaves that alone too.

Wonderful: I actually like what he did here. He fixed up Brian's lead vocal (quite subtly; you can't really hear it, but I think it adds a really nice touch), which I found rather tasteful. The mixing of the track with respect to the vocals is well done too; I always felt the track was mixed a little too low in The Smile Sessions. And the H&V riff as the outro is the cherry on top. 10/10.

Fire/I Wanna be Around: I like the added vocals on Fire, and overall I have nothing bad to say about this song. I just wish Dae didn't fade out Workshop so early, and instead allowed it to segue into Vega-Tables, like in The Smile Sessions. 9.5/10.

Vega-Tables: I don't know why he felt the need to alter the Smile Sessions mix, because frankly the first chorus doesn't sound so good; not quite as good as the Smile Sessions' first chorus, with the guitar. Also random laughing just before the second chorus? No idea what was up with that... and he took out the ballad insert for some reason. I don't know why he felt the need to make any of those changes.

The coda. Idk if it's just me, the first part (where Brian starts singing the "pa pa pa" scat vocals) seems weirdly mixed. Like the instrumental is drowning it out. That problem for some reason goes away on its own when the entire band comes in with the "DUH REH! DUH REH!". Weird af. But I'll still give it 8/10 because the essence of the song isn't as badly fucked as, say, "Do You Like Worms".

Wind Chimes: Massive respect for the fact that he used the OG Brian '66 instrumental to layer the vocals over. Also, idk what he did to the vocals, but they sound pristine, crystal clear. 10/10. (This is coming from someone who prefers the Smiley Smile "Wind Chimes" btw!)

Child is the Father of the Man: Once again, huge respect for the fact that he used the OG Brian '66 instrumental. Also, the chorus vocals sound waaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy better than what we got in The Smile Sessions. And that little spoken-word bridge in the middle with the baby crying is the icing on the cake. 10/10.

Love To Say Dada: I like the new vocals. 10/10.

Surf's Up: Here comes my biggest gripe with this mix.

First of all, let me say that I absolutely adore the orchestra he put in the middle section. I do believe it is the most faithful rendition of Brian's intentions that we have up until this point, and I think the orchestra adds a lot of depth to the middle section. I also understand what Dae Lims was going for with the key change in the end, and the "Child is the Father of the Man" drums to give the album a big, bombastic ending. I see what he was going for, and I appreciate the sentiment.

That being said, it's... not for me, let’s put it that way (because many people actually seem to like it). I personally think the key change affects the song as a whole a lot more than you’d think at first glance, because now every single vocal on the track has to be pitch shifted or replaced with the AI. I suspect the pitch shifting really fucks it up because having to use AI to extract the vocal, then pitch shift it up a key will deteriorate the sound real fast. You can definitely hear this on the harmony he’s put above the long "a children’s song", which does not sound like The Beach Boys in the slightest. It just sounds extremely fake, and the fact that AI was used becomes painfully obvious.

Surf's Up has also got a very boomy mix——cuz it’s the grand finale——but I personally think Dae overdid it. It’s too busy... you have Mike (or “Mike”, I should say) singing a different bassline from the actual bassline which clogs it up, not to mention the fake Brian ad-libs and the George Fell Into his French Horn part in the end which just doesn’t fit. I also kinda dislike the choice to have Brian (“Brian”) singing the final four lines as opposed to Al, as it was in the original ‘71 mix. I definitely prefer the more subdued '71 mix, because the "child, child, child" motif lands way better that way IMO. Plus, the bassline is one of the best parts in the Surf's Up coda, and it gets drowned out in Dae Lims' version. 0/10.

IDK, after the original shock wore off I found myself liking Dae Lims’ SMiLE a lot less in general. Quite apart from the many flaws I mentioned above, a lot of songs (which, IMO, are integral to the SMiLE listening experience) are missing (“Look”, “Tones (Holidays)”, “Gee”, “Heroes and Villains Pt. 2”, “Good Vibrations”). It’s all the little choices that add up——along with the rather big one of having “You’re Welcome” as the second song on the album. Does anybody enjoy that?