Wilson Fans Leave Concert with a Grin

By John Soeder

It was worth the wait.

Nearly four decades after Brian Wilson aborted his magnum opus, "Smile," the ex-Beach Boy performed his long- lost masterpiece from start to finish dur ing a triumphant concert Thursday night at Music Hall in Cleveland.

Wilson, 62, shelved the album in 1967 be cause it was, in his words, "too advanced." He also blamed "crazy drugs" and "bad head changes."

Last year brought a change of heart, with Wilson and poetic lyricist Van Dyke Parks reconvening to complete "Smile." It debuted at No. 13 this week on the Billboard 200 album chart.

Wilson, backed with flair and finesse by his 10-piece band and the Stockholm Strings 'n' Horns octet, brought the pop symphony to life brilliantly onstage,

Before the main event, however, fans had to sit tight just a little longer.

The first half of the show got under way with an extended "unplugged" set. "Surfer Girl," "Wendy," "Please Let Me Wonder" and other Beach Boys oldies showcased the angelic harmonies of Wilson and his sidekicks, accompanied by acoustic guitars, bongos and xylophones.

Full-on versions of "Sloop John B," "California Girls" and "God Only Knows" (preceded by a Wilson-led singalong of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat") kicked the excitement up a notch. Ditto "Your Imagination," a splendid example of the oft-overlooked gems amid Wilson's latter-day solo material.

After a brief intermission, the sun-soaked chorale "Our Prayer" signaled the start of "Smile."

Divided into three movements, the wildly ambitious meditation on Americana and Manifest Destiny unfolded against a crazy quilt of musical styles and sounds, from Polynesian chants to psychedelic rock 'n' roll.

Wilson and his band even "played" hammers and power tools on one clamorous ditty, "Workshop."

It all hung together beautifully, with recurring melodies weaving in and out of "Smile" like colorful threads in an ornate tapestry.

The climactic "Good Vibrations," for instance, quoted a carefree motif from "Song for Children." Wilson spent most of the evening perched on a stool behind a largely ornamental keyboard, seemingly lost in his own world at times. Nonetheless, he was more at ease than he was on previous tours.

"Mrs. O'leary's Cow," the so-called "fire" instrumental from "Smile," found Wilson in a downright playful mood. He pretended to burn himself on a simulated flame while red lights flashed, and some band members donned fire helmets.

A seven-song encore included "I get around," "Help me, Rhonda" and "Love and Mercy."

All told, delayed gratification never tasted sweeter.