BREAKING NEWS! Good, Good, Good Vibrations: The Beach Boys’ “SMiLE” Arrives November 1

Surf’s up.

At long last, we can finally announce that SMiLE is coming to a shop near you.  On November 1, Capitol Records will release The Beach Boys’ 1967 lost masterwork as The SMiLE Sessions in three editions: a 5-CD/2-LP/2 7-inch single box (yes, 9 discs!), a slimmer 2-CD version and a 2-LP set.  Where to start?  First, I recommend digging that artwork at your left.  Has it settled in that this set is becoming a reality?  Good.  Read on, friends.

The saga of SMiLE, 2011, was becoming as convoluted as that of SMiLE, 1967, beginning with an ill-timed leak from Beach Boy Al Jardine in February that led to a hasty retraction.  A little more than a month after Jardine’s initial statement, Capitol Records finally confirmed what everybody already expected, that SMiLE was finally on the way.  Not even Mrs. O’Leary’s cow could cause this hotly-anticipated project celebrating The Beach Boys’ 50^th anniversary to go up in flames.  Well, it’s taken a few months, but pre-orders are finally being accepted at Amazon.com (see below) for all three editions, and we’ve got track listings and a wealth of details on every release including the box set!

If you’re one of those waiting to SMiLE this November, hit the jump for full specifications on all three versions, plus a condensed history of “the greatest lost album in rock history,” one that has finally been found.