Comes in cardboard cover (same as a cd single would) with the by-now-famous shop front album cover (albeit a little blotchy) and 'New Improved Full Dimensional Stereo' logo.
Has a seperate single sheet with track listing and 'ALL THE FINISHED (!) RECORDINGS FROM BRIAN WILSON'S 1967 OPUS MAGNUM ON ONE CD' at top of sheet
Back of cover has the 'Heroes and Villians' Cartoon from the booklet, in black and white, with a horrible green-blue added to some parts of the picture. (Point of note - 'CD care instructions, pictures etc 'do not subject cd to temperature.....' can be seen faintly through the cartoon at back.)
As for the tracks, they vary in quality from the very good, to not bad. All the Smile tracks that have appeared on the 'Good Vibrations - 30 years of the BeachBoys' box set have obviously been taken from that set for use on the bootleg, as they are the clearest songs. The worst use of this is in the 'Heroes and Villains Suite' (track 2) which has 'Heroes and Villains (alternative mix with 'in the cantina' bit) with the Heroes and Villains (sections) track from the box set just shoved in the middle of it.
The non 'box set' tracks are ok. A little hiss as you would expect. And all the well known, and well talked about tracks seem to be there.
My overall impression was that I could have made a good deal of this myself by using the box set Smile tracks, and some of the MP3's available on one of the BeachBoys fan sites.
I was a little disappointed in that respect. I hope one day to be able to hear all the tracks in pristine quality (one of the long promised upcoming box sets maybe) and some of the tracks being recorded ala the 'Pet Sounds Sessions' box. Tracks like 'Child is Father Of The Man' hint at great, but as yet, hard to hear harmonies in the background.
Overall, if you can't afford/haven't heard the box set or if you just HAVE to have a copy of SMiLE (as I did) then $22 is a great price, and it's well worth getting. I am still left with the taste that it was put together in a garage though.
These are the tracks that are already on the 'GV 30 years' box set, either as tracks, or as part of a track. 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 11, 13, 18, 22, 23, 24, 25, 29, 30
Sound Quality: 7
Overall Value: 6
Format: CD
'BONUS TRACKS'
27. Heroes and Villains (a bit of)
28. George Fell Into His French Horn (excerpt)
29. Bicycle Rider Theme
30. Cabin Essence (backing track)
31. Heroes and Villains (another bit)
32. Good Vibrations (Stereo mix)
33. Good Vibrations (closing bit)
34. 'Smile' promo advert
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