Probably Pet Sounds, though I wonder how Smile would've been had it been released back in the day instead of reconstructed decades later. I mean, even the Beach Boys' version that came a couple of years ago was obviously influenced (tracklist-wise) by the Brian Wilson one, but I know Brian tinkered a lot (A LOT) with different tracklists/arrangements before the whole thing collapsed and was shelved.



And I also wonder how the reception for that album would've been - would it be seen as too radical a departure from the summery, warm Pet Sounds? An even bigger departure from their catchy rock and roll from their early days? A pompous, flawed concept crushed under the weight of its own sense of importance? A pale reflection of Sgt. Pepper's? Or a truly watershed moment in pop music, a more than worthy followup to Brian's previous masterpiece, a whimsical and transcendental marriage of classical music and pop leanings?



It's a fucking shame it had to wait more than 40 years to get an official release.



EDIT: Surf's Up (the song) is by far one of the greatest things they ever did.