Beach Boys
Beach Boys |
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Formed Hawthorne, near Los Angeles, 1961; a line-up is still in existence.
There’s some TV comedy footage from the mid-70s where an obese ex-rock star is dragged out of his mansion by two cops, taken to a frozen beach and forced to surf. He’s in on the ‘joke’, but behind his eyes you can register humiliation and fear at the crashing waves. The ex-rock star is Brian Wilson, whose band, The Beach Boys, provided some of the most poignant and euphoric moments of their era, both in their music and in their lives. It’s ironic that Wilson hated surfing, as by the mid-70s The Beach Boys had become forever associated with the sun and surf motifs of their early hits; despite outgrowing those times, they could never escape them.
From the outset it was a family affair, with the tyrannical and manipulative father Murray Wilson encouraging his three boys to record. Brian, Carl and Dennis Wilson joined forces with their cousin Mike Love, and David Marks, in the summer of 1961, releasing the first single, “Surfin’”. A minor hit, it was overshadowed the following year by the breakthrough single, “Surfin’ Safari”, the epitome of The Beach Boys’ early teen-dream confections, reflecting an age of confidence in white middle America. In late 1963 Marks was eventually pressurized out of the group by Murray Wilson, and his place was filled by erstwhile folk singer Al Jardine. (It is a testament to the commercial durability of early Beach Boys material that Marks has managed to live off his royalties since his dismissal, despite being in the band for less than two years.) The classic Beach Boys line-up -- Brian, Carl and Dennis, plus Love and Jardine -- was augmented on tour by session men (including Glen Campbell), and one of these -- Bruce Johnston -- joined in April 1965.
The 45rpm single was still the prime currency of pop music in the early 60s. As such, early Beach Boys albums tend to be collections of great singles and so-so filler material. ALL SUMMER LONG (1964) was the first album to edge away from this formula, and represented a quantum leap in terms of production. Brian Wilson, a disciple of Phil Spector’s ‘Wall of Sound’ technique, was becoming more of a competitor than a follower. TODAY (1965) and SUMMER DAYS (AND SUMMER NIGHTS) (1965) consolidated the band’s progress with a number of sublime tracks distilling the essence of the California dream -- “Help Me Rhonda” and “California Girls” to name but two. The increasing complexity of the material highlighted Brian’s increasing obsession with studio technique and sonic perfectionism, a development paralleled by his move away from surfing and driving towards deeper, more reflective topics.
The new maturity was crystallized on the masterpiece PET SOUNDS (1966), where Wilson collaborated with lyricist Tony Asher. “God Only Knows” -- reportedly Paul McCartney’s favourite song -- still deserves a place on God’s own jukebox, and the entire LP remains a gorgeous mood piece, possessed of a dreamy, ethereal quality. But its intimacy sometimes gave way to melancholia and a sense of loss, such as on “Caroline No”, a track which Bruce Johnston commented was ‘about Brian himself, and the death of a quality within him that was so vital . . . his innocence.’
PET SOUNDS was voted the greatest album of all time by Mojo magazine in the UK. It would be a mistake, however, to think that the band’s new direction was universally welcomed at the time. The conservatism of the group’s fans even spread to the band members themselves. Mike Love described PET SOUNDS as ‘Brian’s ego music’, feeling that the self-obsessed tone and complex sonic craftsmanship had their origins within Wilson’s increasing use of LSD. Brian, meanwhile, sensed that things were changing in the music industry, and felt eclipsed by the releases of Dylan’s BLONDE ON BLONDE and The Beatles’ REVOLVER in August 1966. The result was a spiralling use of marijuana, pills and LSD, and the onset of behaviour that was eccentric, reclusive and ultimately self-destructive.
The marketing of the group by Capitol Records was also not without controversy. Even as PET SOUNDS was selling respectably in the US, Capitol redirected efforts towards the first of a series of’ ‘best of’ albums. This recycling of the past -- even as the band strived to develop -- would return to haunt Brian over the years, constantly emphasizing the continuing appeal of his earlier work. Capitol also forced the band to compromise, insisting on the inclusion of “Sloop John B” on PET SOUNDS, despite the fact that it clashed with the mood of the album.
Amidst this atmosphere of frustration and tension, Brian resolved to produce a studio masterpiece with his next effort, provisionally entitled “Dumb Angel”, but later dubbed SMILE. However, he collapsed under the pressure of expectation, compounded by an excessive drug habit. SMILE, as Brian conceived it, has never been released, although tantalizing glimpses of what might have been have surfaced through tracks from the sessions appearing (often haphazardly) on subsequent Beach Boys albums.
Yet, as Brian’s situation deteriorated largely out of sight of the public, resurrection was at hand with a single recorded prior to the SMILE sessions. “Good Vibrations”, released in the autumn of 1966, was a metaphor for the heartbroken dreams of the 60s and, like SGT PEPPER, it neatly divided the decade between innocence and experience. The product of six months’ work, it was co-written by Mike Love, who would soon become a key figure in the songwriting axis of the group.
“Good Vibrations” cost �50,000 to record, reached #1 on both sides of the Atlantic, and represented a career peak. Although there would be further strong singles, such as “Heroes And Villains”, which Wilson co-wrote with Van Dyke Parks, the momentum was waning. They seemed hopelessly unhip to the Haight-Astbury counterculture, and after they cancelled a scheduled appearance at the Monterey Festival in the summer of 1967 Jimi Hendrix introduced one of his songs with the dismissive phrase, ‘this ain’t no surf music’. Their image was dented by their unwillingness to embrace music as a political tool, while their manufactured studio-based recording techniques were out of fashion, as bands were becoming increasingly assessed by their live, organic performances.
Some of the SMILE sessions were eventually cobbled together and released as the indulgent SMILEY SMILE in late 1967. The LP fared badly in the States, but the band released a surprisingly fresh and cohesive set in early 1968 -- the organ-led, white-soul classic WILD HONEY. It was the sound of a band trying hard to please an audience that was no longer there, but it outsold SMILEY SMILE. Love co-wrote the whole album, apart from a spirited cover of Stevie Wonder’s “I Was Made To Love Her”.
The curious follow-up LP -- FRIENDS (1968) -- was a gentle, restrained and unremarkable set, and was a favourite of the group’s more obsessive fans, who were presumably attracted to the band’s dalliance with Eastern mysticism, “Transcendental Meditation”. 1969 brought 20/20, a mish-mash of recent hit-and-miss singles and SMILE sessions (most notably “Cabin Essence”), which also featured a bizarre oddity. At this time Dennis Wilson was hanging out with a young unknown musician named Charles Manson and “Never Learn Not To Love” (originally entitled “Cease To Exist”) was apparently co-written with the soon-to-be mass murderer, whom Dennis referred to as ‘The Wizard’. As Brian began to lose control, the other band members started to form their own battle lines: Mike Love and Al Jardine -- the drug-free transcendental meditators -- versus Dennis and Carl Wilson, the increasingly wild bohemians.
By the release of 20/20, the market was saturated with products that no one wanted to buy. After twenty albums in less than seven years, they left Capitol for Warner Brothers, but SUNFLOWER (1970) was no improvement. Their subsequent revival and belated acceptance into the rock fold was one of the period’s more surprising reversals. The re-appraisal was set in motion in April 1971 with an impromptu and unlikely jam session with The Grateful Dead at New York’s Fillmore East. After the Dead’s three-hour set, The Beach Boys timidly hit the stage to total silence. Gradually the audience began to respond, though, and by the end of the set the atmosphere was euphoric.
The impressive SURF’S UP (1971; reissued on vinyl 1998; EMI) glanced back to the passing of a simpler era in songs such as “Disney Girls”, but with its self-mocking title and downbeat cover it captured the waning spirit of the age, addressing a generation tired of ‘revolution’ and searching for something to believe in. Brian’s contributions -- collaborations with Van Dyke Parks such as the title track, which Brian wanted to exclude because it reminded him of his former peaks -- were old songs, but they meshed seamlessly into a strong, moving album. For a while, the time seemed right for The Beach Boys.
However, they failed to capitalize upon the momentum. Brian was lost in booze and drugs, compounded by paranoia and a deep sense of failure. Dennis was developing as a songwriter, but the other band members were struggling to deliver quality material. The 1972 album, CARL AND THE PASSIONS (an early working name for the band) was a wretched album, and The Beach Boys saga took another strange turn when they decamped to Amsterdam to record HOLLAND (1973). The LP cost a fortune to make and is either ‘a veritable shit-load of meditative drivel’ (Rolling Stone), or a strong, overlooked gem. Brian managed to deliver a song for the album -- “Sail On Sailor”, sung by Blondie Chaplin, on his only album with The Beach Boys. It was arguably the last great Beach Boys track, as the band increasingly became a vehicle for nostalgia.
Despite “Sail On Sailor”, Brian’s condition was worsening. He ballooned to 300lbs on a diet of fast food, cocaine and heroin, and in the late 70s attempted suicide by drowning, when he was saved by brother Dennis. Business and financial difficulties also beset the band, probably a consequence of Murray Wilson’s selling the publishing rights to Brian’s songs in a 1969 deal.
By the early 80s, The Beach Boys’ music, in seemingly terminal decline, seemed tailor-made for the Reagan nation -- a country increasingly cocksure and bullish, with a craving for patriotic nostalgia. For the curious, the BEACH BOYS LOVE YOU album (from 1977) is probably the only post-HOLLAND LP worthy of inspection, with Brian producing all new songs for the first time since SMILEY SMILE.
In December 1983, tragedy of a personal kind darkened the saga of The Beach Boys. Dennis Wilson -- a haggard and bloated booze and cocaine binger, drowned in California. He did leave behind a solo legacy, the excellent PACIFIC OCEAN BLUE, released to modest acclaim and encouraging sales in 1977.
The story of The Beach Boys took on the dimensions of a horribly engrossing soap opera, incorporating tawdry business squabbles, mental illness, creative inertia, death and, in Brian Wilson especially, a descent into the dark corners of Californian mythology. Brian quit the band to concentrate on his psychiatric treatment with Dr Eugene Landy, whom he had first met in the mid-70s. Some Beach Boys obsessives consider Landy a cruel and manipulative opportunist who brainwashed Brian in order to share his glory. Many cite the fawning psychobabble of Wilson’s autobiography, Wouldn’t It Be Nice, as ample evidence of an unhealthy reverence towards Landy. More objective onlookers would reflect that Landy forced Wilson to work again and to get a solo deal with Sire Records in 1987, which resulted in his best new music for twenty years -- 1988’s BRIAN WILSON. Yet Sire refused to release a second solo effort, SWEET INSANITY, even though it contained a duet with Bob Dylan on “The Spirit Of Rock And Roll”.
Subsequently, Wilson has survived lawsuits to claim the rights to his songs, counterclaims from Mike Love, and a restraining order preventing Landy from contacting him. Meanwhile, he has experienced a degree, at least, of creative renaissance. In 1995, Brian was seen on film reworking old classics under the direction of Don Was -- material released, with some harrowing ‘lost years’ tapes, as the album I JUST WASN’T MADE FOR THESE TIMES. The same year also saw fresh sessions with Van Dyke Parks for a duo album, ORANGE CRATE ART; the songs were all by Parks, and somewhat overwrought, but Brian at least was back and singing in the studio. And, despite all the animosity, there was even a return to work with his old band.
The Beach Boys certainly need a shot in the arm from their errant genius. They may have returned to the charts in 1988 with “Kokomo”, featured in the Tom Cruise movie Cocktail, but it is widely felt that they exist in a sad, albeit lucrative, twilight of self-parody. They haven’t moved with the times, and nor, perhaps, could they. Mike Love’s decision to work with the British cabaret-rock outfit Status Quo, sleepwalking through “Fun, Fun, Fun” in early 1996, was a nadir ruthlessly exceeded when the whole band, including Brian, decamped to Nashville to play as backing band to a depressing set of tired old country-music hacks such as Willie Nelson. The resulting album STARS AND STRIPES VOL 1 (1996) is an awful legacy.
Carl Wilson’s death from cancer in February 1998 left the group bereft of its leader and cast their permanently touring career into doubt. Wilson’s involvement (as performer and co-producer) made the proceedings appear even more ominous as The Beach Boys dredged through a selection of their songs in a ‘country’ setting.
Overweight, and seemingly even more malleable post-Landy, one would still expect Brian Wilson to see through this glib facade. The Stones may have become a mere pantomime of their glory years, but at least they know their formula and can restyle it with panache. The Beach Boys seem to have forgotten what made them so special in the first place, and seemingly fail to see the irony in following any bad idea that comes their way.
As their present paled, so the past gleamed ever brighter. The Beach Boys were credited with producing the greatest single of all time -- “Good Vibrations” in August 1997’s Mojo magazine. “Don’t Worry Baby” and “God Only Knows” were listed at 11 and 28 respectively. The band seem to inspire a whole industry of biographers keen to pore over every piece of minutiae about the group, in the process swamping the reality with myth-making and overanalysis. For a scholarly, exhaustive overview, Timothy White’s The Nearest Faraway Place (1996; Macmillan) comes recommended. For the only real eye-witness account of disintegrating genius, Brian Wilson’s own autobiography, Wouldn’t It Be Nice (Bloomsbury) is hard to beat.
Wilson himself played some solo shows with the Wondermints in 95/96, and is quoted as saying, ‘If I’d had the Wondermints back in 67 I would have taken SMILE on the road’, a veiled snub to his fellow Beach Boys.
In any event the Beach Boys are now little more than a tired vaudeville act supporting the main freak-show event -- namely a new Brian Wilson album and promotion. IMAGINATION (1998) is a sterile and vapid slab of tired LA pop. It’s glossy. It’s jaunty and brisk but, like a tired, ageing hostess with a fixed smile and tired eyes that try too hard to be happy, the cracks in the makeup and the memories of better days are never far away. BRIAN WILSON, released ten years before, got by with a certain kooky charm and sweet warmth to disguise the thin songwriting on display. IMAGINATION cannot even muster that level of quality.
Wilson has more than his fair share of defenders, obsessives, oddballs and plain fans ready to hang on his every word and talk up his latest product. They’re wrong, of course, and fundamentally so. They’re in love with the idea of Brian Wilson. Worse than that, they’re in love with their own past and the music that shaped it oh so perfectly. It’s the worst kind of nostalgia and they are the worst kind of rock fans. Al Jardine has quit and Mike Love has re-recruited David Marks (who was ousted in 1963!) to add ‘authenticity’. Recordings are threatened in 1999.
Surf’s still up. . . but the fire is out. Stop meddling with the ashes.
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Surfin' Safari/Surfin USA |
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| Surfin'
Safari Recorded October 4, 1961, and June 13, August 8, September 5, September 6, 1962 Produced by Nick Venet Engineered by Chuck Britz Released October 29, 1962 Surfin' USA Recorded June 13, December 31, 1962, February 11-12, 1963 Produced by Nick Venet Engineered by Chuck Britz Released on March 25, 1963 Seeking to Capitol-ize on their local L.A. indie-label novelty hit, "Surfin'," the Beach Boys and their nascent sound (tales of innocent SoCal hedonism set to equal parts doo-wop vocal influences and Chuck Berry licks) were produced on these initial releases by the A&R exec who signed them, Nik Venet. But if Brian Wilson's production genius was yet untapped, his songwriting knack, trademark arrangements, and soaring falsetto were already coming to the fore, even on Surfin' Safari, the band's hastily recorded, low-budget debut album--"Surfin'," "Surfin' Safari," and "409" are ample testament to his hitmeister potential. Released just five months later, Surfin' USA both insured the band's national appeal and testified to the rapid development of their harmonies on cuts such as "Farmer's Daughter" and "Lana." The band sounds more confident throughout, and Wilson hints at the greatness to come with the moody ballad "The Lonely Sea." The flip side to Wilson's fragile emotionalism is, of course, Mike Love's nasal, fun-seeking twang; those voices revolving--often tensely--around a hub of incomparable harmony became one of rock's most indelible archetypes. These are the humble, charmingly awkward beginnings of that legend. Three unreleased bonus cuts are also featured: "Cindy, Oh Cindy," "The Baker Man" (a nursery rhyme take on the Olympics' "Hully Gully"), and the nautical "Land Ahoy." The latter two tracks are notable as Brian's official producing debut. This twofer edition features comments by Brian and the astute liner notes of music historian David Leaf. |
Tracks: 1. Surfin' Safari - (mono) 2. County Fair - (mono) 3. Ten Little Indians - (mono) 4. Chug-a-Lug - (mono) 5. Little Girl (You're My Miss America) - (mono) 6. 409 - (mono) 7. Surfin' - (mono) 8. Heads You Win Tails I Lose - (mono) 9. Summertime Blues - (mono) 10. Cuckoo Clock - (mono) 11. Moon Dawg - (mono) 12. Shift, The - (mono) 13. Surfin' U. S. A. - (stereo) 14. Farmer's Daughter - (stereo) 15. Misirlou - (stereo) 16. Stoked - (stereo) 17. Lonely Sea - (stereo) 18. Shut Down - (stereo) 19. Noble Surfer - (stereo) 20. Honky Tonk - (stereo) 21. Lana - (stereo) 22. Surf Jam - (stereo) 23. Let's Go Trippin' - (stereo) 24. Finders Keepers - (stereo) 25. Cindy Oh Cindy - (mono, bonus track) 26. Baker Man, The - (mono, bonus track) 27. Land Ahoy - (stereo, bonus track) |
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Surfer Girl/Shut Down, Vol. 2 |
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| Surfer
Girl Recorded June 12, and July 16, 1963 Produced by Brian Wilson Engineered by Chuck Britz Released September 23, 1963 Shut Down, Vol. 2 Recorded January 1, 7, 20, and February 2, 20, 1964 Produced by Brian Wilson Engineered by Chuck Britz Released March 24, 1964 Surfer Girl may have been the band's third album release, but it was the first to bear the imprimatur of founder and creative mainstay Brian Wilson as producer, and the difference is palpable from the confident opening tracks onward. That one-two combo, "Surfer Girl" and "Catch a Wave," also effectively serves as the blueprint for much of the Beach Boys' subsequent sound. On the former, Wilson's falsetto soars over a tender, yet musically sophisticated, ballad, while the latter features Mike Love's trademark twang urgently proselytizing SoCal surf, both over band harmonies that seemed to grow tighter and more adventurous with every cut. That artistic axis is revisited yet again on "Little Deuce Coupe" and "In My Room," the latter ballad showcasing Wilson's full artistic arsenal and giving an early glimpse into his introspective soul. The curiously titled "Shut Down, Part II" (a de facto sequel to an earlier hit EP) sought to further the band beyond its ironic sea-and-sun fetish (none but Dennis Wilson ever surfed) into the burgeoning hot-rod subculture as well. The results were understandably uneven, but the high points remain nothing short of spectacular, including the Love-propelled "Fun, Fun, Fun," Wilson's knowing nod to Phil Spector, "Don't Worry Baby," and the underrated "The Warmth of the Sun." Bonus cuts include the single mix of "Fun, Fun, Fun," a German-language version of "In My Room," and the previously unreleased, largely experimental "I Do" by Wilson and Love. Brian offers up a brief commentary on both albums in the notes, while David Leaf (author of the pioneering bio The Beach Boys and the California Myth) documents the music track-by-track. |
Tracks: 1. Surfer Girl 2. Catch A Wave 3. Surfer Moon, The 4. South Bay Surfer 5. Rocking Surfer, The 6. Little Deuce Coupe 7. In My Room 8. Hawaii 9. Surfers Rule 10. Our Car Club 11. Your Summer Dream 12. Boogie Woodie 13. Fun Fun Fun 14. Don't Worry Baby 15. In the Parking Lot 16. "Cassius" Love Vs. "Sonny" Wilson 17. Warmth Of The Sun, The 18. This Car Of Mine 19. Why Do Fools Fall In Love 20. Pom Pom Play Girl 21. Keep An Eye On Summer 22. Shut Down Part 2 23. Louie Louie 24. Denny's Drums - (mono) 25. Fun, Fun, Fun - (mono, bonus track, single version) 26. In My Room - (bonus track, German version) 27. I Do - (bonus track) |
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Little Deuce Coupe/All Summer Long |
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| Little
Deuce Coupe Recorded June 12, July 16, September 2, 1963 Produced by Brian Wilson Engineered by Chuck Britz Released October 21, 1963 All Summer Long Recorded April 2, April 29-30, May 6-7, May 18, June 23, 1964 Produced by Brian Wilson Engineered by Chuck Britz Released July 13, 1964 Released just one month after the Surfer Girl album, Little Deuce Coupe was, incredibly, the band's fourth album in less than a year. Brian Wilson and the band responded by turning in arguably their most consistent effort to date--and a concept album, to boot. Deuce Coupe expanded the band's subject matter to encompass 1963 America's burgeoning love affair with hot rods, surrounding previously released cuts such as the title track, "409," and others with strong new material (much of it cowritten by Wilson and a DJ, Roger Christian). A highpoint: the a cappella James Dean tribute "A Young Man Is Gone" (a reworking of Bobby Troup's beautiful "Their Hearts Were Full of Spring"), a prime example of Wilson's arranging genius and the band's vocal prowess. All Summer Long was notable not only for racheting up the band's standards and essentially bidding farewell to the surf songs that inspired both their name and reputation, but also for going toe-to-toe with one of rock's most explosive phenomena--Beatlemania--and coming away victorious, with the single "I Get Around" soaring to No. 1 in the spring of 1964. Essentially another loose concept record (revolving around the innocent hedonistic pursuits of an idyllic SoCal summer) that takes its cue from the effervescent title track, it also documents Brian's restless creativity pushing the band toward its performing peak. Bonus takes include the superior single take of band staple "Be True to Your School," alternate takes of "Little Honda" and "Don't Back Down," and the slightly salacious outtake "All Dressed Up for School." Both albums have also been sonically burnished via 24-bit digital remastering. |
Tracks: 1. Little Deuce Coupe 2. Ballad Of Ole' Betsy 3. Be True To Your School 4. Car Crazy Cutie 5. Cherry, Cherry Coupe 6. 409 7. Shut Down 8. Spirit Of America 9. Our Car Club 10. No-Go Showboat 11. A Young Man Is Gone 12. Custom Machine 13. I Get Around 14. All Summer Long 15. Hushabye 16. Little Honda 17. We'll Run Away 18. Carl's Big Chance 19. Wendy 20. You Remember? 21. Girls On The Beach 22. Drive-In - Beach Boys 23. Our Favorite Recording Sessions 24. Don't Back Down 25. True To Your School 26. All Dressed Up For School 27. Little Honda (Alternate Take) 28. Don't Back Down (Alternate Take) |
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The Ultimate Christmas Collection |
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| Christmas
Album Recorded July 1964 Produced by Brian Wilson Engineered by Chuck Britz Released October 1964 "Little Saint Nick," the Beach Boys' 1963 classic, is undoubtedly one of pop music's coolest original Christmas songs. Hanson rocked it more recently, and decades later the original still sounds as hot as the California sun on this special combination of previously released and unvaulted alternate takes and never-released material, including a distinctly different arrangement of "Nick" and a fun, loopy ditty called "Santa's Got an Airplane." While many of the songs here are fodder for completists--and will sound uneven to others--it's hard to resist a record that features real rarities and Christmas material from 1964. Dig master Brian Wilson singing solo on "Blue Christmas" from the '64 Christmas Album and his keenly orchestrated "Winter Symphony" (for a 1977 Christmas disc that was never released, much of which is highlighted throughout this CD) with the warm, brassy instrumental bridge, plus a couple of fun public-service announcements and a Christmas-themed interview with the group's eccentric genius. The Beach Boys include: Mike Love (vocals); Alan Jardine (vocals, guitar, bass); Brian Wilson (vocals, piano, bass); Carl Wilson (vocals, guitar); Dennis Wilson (vocals, drums). Additional personnel includes: Mat Jardine, Adam Jardine (vocals). Producers include: Brian Wilson, Alan Jardine, Dennis Wilson, Jack Wagner. Recorded between 1963 and 1977. Includes liner notes by Brad Elliott. ULTIMATE CHRISTMAS gathers together most of the Christmas material recorded by the group, including 1964's BEACH BOYS' CHRISTMAS ALBUM, selected tracks from a never-released second Christmas album completed in 1977 and some c-harming oddities (public service announcements, interviews, Christmas messages to their fans). Brian Wilson and his compatriots never approached their work halfheartedly (as least not until much later in their career), so their seasonal recordings were no money-making knock-off. Most of the tracks here are original compositions that combine Wilson's surf-and-sun-drenched musical mindset with a Yuletide flavor in a manner that will be agreeable to anyone enamored of the Beach Boys' early work. Thoughtful, informative liner notes add to the appeal of this album. |
Tracks: 1. Little Saint Nick 2. The Man With All the Toys 3. Santa's Beard 4. Merry Christmas, Baby 5. Christmas Day 6. Frosty the Snowman 7. We Three Kings of Orient Are 8. Blue Christmas 9. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town 10. White Christmas 11. I'll Be Home for Christmas 12. And Lang Syne 13. Little Saint Nick [Single Version] 14. Auld Lang Syne [Alternate Mix] 15. Little Saint Nick [Alternate Version] 16. Child of Winter (Christmas Song) 17. Santa's Got an Airplane 18. Christmas Time Is Here Again 19. Winter Symphony 20. (I Saw Santa) Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree 21. Mele Kalikimaka 22. Bells of Christmas 23. Morning Christmas 24. Toy Drive Public Service Announcement 25. Dennis Wilson Christmas Message 26. Brian Wilson Christmas Interview |
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Concert/Live in London |
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| Beach
Boys Concert Recorded August 1, 1964 at the Civic Auditorium in Sacramento, California Produced by Brian Wilson Engineered by Chuck Britz Released October 13, 1964 Live In London Recorded December 1, 1968 at Finsbury Park, Astoria, London Produced by The Beach Boys Engineered by Larry Levine Released May 25, 1970 Like virtually every band in the mid-'60s, the Beach Boys were expected to deliver their hits in person--no mean feat considering the ever more baroque concoctions that Brian Wilson was constructing in the studio. Tellingly, at the time the 1964 Concert was recorded in Beach Boys hotbed Sacramento, the band had but a few hits of their own and so they padded their set with Jan and Dean's "Little Old Lady from Pasadena" (cowritten by Brian), Dion's "The Wanderer," "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow" by the Rivingtons, Bobby Pickett's "The Monster Mash," and, of course, Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode." The instrumental backing here is sparse and simplistic; it's the band's vocal interplay that carries the day before a throng of screaming fans. By the time the year was out, Brian suffered his first nervous breakdown and gave up touring to concentrate on his studio productions. Live in London was culled from live shows recorded at a time (1968) when the band were virtual pop-cultural outcasts in their home country, but still enjoyed an enthusiastic following in England. These recordings document the Beach Boys' remarkable resilience in the face of Brian's deliberate distancing and their frigid American career prospects; when the going got tough, the tough got spectacularly professional. Augmented by a horn section, the band locks into a powerful groove, giving energetic, largely note-perfect versions of the expected hits along with some key album cuts. Digitally remastered, this long out-of-print twofer edition features commentary by David Leaf (The Beach Boys and the California Myth), as well as two bonus cuts: a 1964 concert rendition of "Don't Worry Baby" and a 1967 live version (from the unreleased Lei'd in Hawaii album) of the challenging "Heroes and Villains" that features a rare appearance by Brian Wilson performing with the band. |
Tracks: 1. Fun, Fun, Fun 2. The Little Old Lady From Pasadena 3. Little Deuce Coup 4. Long, Tall Texan 5. In My Room 6. Monster Mash 7. Let's Go Trippin' 8. Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow 9. The Wanderer 10. Hawaii 11. Graduation Day 12. I Get Around 13. Johnny B. Goode 14. Darlin' 15. Wouldn't It Be Nice 16. Sloop John B. 17. California Girls 18. Do It Again 19. Wake The World 20. Aren't You Glad 21. Bluebirds Over The Mountains 22. Their Hearts Were Full Of Spring 23. Good Vibrations 24. God Only Knows 25. Barbara Ann 26. Don't Worry Baby 27. Heroes And Villains |
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Today!/Summer Days & Summer Nights |
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| Today! Recorded June 8, 22, August 5,10, October 9, December 16, 1964 January 7, 8, 11, 13, 18, 19, 1965 Produced by Brian Wilson Engineered by Chuck Britz Released March 5, 1965 Summer Days (And Summer Nights) Recorded February 24, March 30, April 6, 30, May 3, 5, 15, 24, 1965 Produced by Brian Wilson Engineered by Chuck Britz Released July 5, 1965 Put simply, this is the Beach Boys at their mid-'60s prime. Ironically, the band's greatest evolutionary leap was spurred by its leader, Brian Wilson, who decided to drop out of the band's live performances after a December 1964 nervous breakdown to concentrate on honing the Beach Boys' studio sound. With Wilson's productions gaining a significant new depth and confidence (note the innovative modulations on "Dance, Dance, Dance"), the first half of Today seems a logical, upbeat step forward from its predecessors. But it's the album's second act that steals the show, setting the stage for the triumph of Pet Sounds. Indeed, it's easy to imagine gorgeous, introspective tracks such as "Please Let Me Wonder," "She Knows Me Too Well," and "In the Back of My Mind" intertwined with the best of Sounds. Set against that standard, the follow-up, Summer Days, feels like a step backward, despite the presence of another Wilson world-beater production, "California Girls," and the band's second No. 1 single, "Help Me, Rhonda." Ever pressured by commercial concerns, Wilson and the band created what was in essence the true follow-up to the All Summer Long album. Still, there's a level of musical sophistication to tracks such as "The Girl from New York City," the Phil Spector tribute "Then I Kissed Her," and especially "Girl Don't Tell Me" and "Let Him Run Wild." Reissued (with 24-bit digital remastering) in a long out-of-print twofer edition to mark the band's 40th anniversary and Lifetime Achievement Grammy, this set features several bonus tracks as well as the insightful notes of David Leaf (The Beach Boys and the California Myth). Bonus cuts include the spectacular "The Little Girl I Once Knew" and revealing outtakes of "Dance, Dance, Dance," "I'm So Young," and "Let Him Run Wild," along with a studio version of a song previously only available on the Beach Boys Concert collection, "Graduation Day." |
Tracks: 1. Do You Wanna Dance 2. Good To My Baby 3. Don't Hurt My Little Sister 4. When I Grow Up (To Be A Man) 5. Help Me, Rhonda - (LP version) 6. Dance, Dance, Dance 7. Please Let Me Wonder 8. I'm So Young 9. Kiss Me Baby 10. She Knows Me Too Well 11. In The Back Of My Mind 12. Bull Session With "Big Daddy" 13. The Girl From New York City 14. Amusement Parks U.S.A 15. Then I Kissed Her 16. Salt Lake City 17. Girl Don't Tell Me 18. Help Me, Rhonda - (single version) 19. California Girls 20. Let Him Run Wild 21. You're So Good To Me 22. Summer Means New Love 23. I'm Bugged At My Ol' Man 24. And Your Dreams Come True 25. Little Girl I Once Knew, The - (stereo track, single version) 26. Dance, Dance, Dance - (stereo, bonus alternate take) 27. I'm So Young - (bonus track, alternate take) 28. Let Him Run Wild - (stereo, bonus track, alternate take) 29. Graduation Day - (bonus track, studio version) |
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Party/Stack-O-Tracks |
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| Party! Recorded September 8, 14, 15, 23, 1965 Produced by Brian Wilson Engineered by Chuck Britz Released November 1, 1965 Stack-O-Tracks Recorded 1963-1968 Produced by Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys Engineered by Chuck Britz and Jim Lockert Released Late 1968 Party! and Stack-o-Tracks are two of the most unusual conceptions of the Beach Boys' Capitol era. After scoring two hit albums and the smash singles "Help Me Rhonda" and "California Girls" in '65, the Beach Boys' label seemed insatiable. So, literally on the brink of recording Pet Sounds, Brian Wilson and company retreated into a studio for a few nights with little more than some acoustic guitars, a couple bongos, and their spectacular voices. Perhaps taking its cue from Trini Lopez's "If I Had a Hammer" and the early "live" recordings of Johnny Rivers, Party! presented what seemed a spontaneous performance of a few band chestnuts, three cuts by archrivals the Beatles, some telling oldies, and even Dylan's "The Times They Are A-Changin,'" even if the "party" was actually a track of laughter and small talk dubbed in later. Ironically, the album also produced one of the band's last big chart hits, their lively cover of the Regents' "Barbara Ann." The Beach Boys' plummeting post-Pet Sounds fortunes again inspired Capitol to try and cash in on the band's feel-good hits, releasing Stack-o-Tracks, what was effectively an interactive album: the instrumental tracks of several key hits and album cuts were presented sans vocals (and originally packaged with music, chord charts, and lyrics), allowing fans to sing along. Unfortunately, few in the turbulent summer of '68 were interested in harmonizing to "Catch a Wave" and the album failed to chart. But to hardcore fans it remains a rare window into Brian's remarkable prowess in the studio. This digitally remastered edition features three great new backing track bonus cuts: "Help Me, Rhonda," the still spectacular "California Girls," and "Our Car Club." This long out-of-print twofer package also includes notes from Brian on both albums, as well as the insightful analysis of Beach Boys and the California Myth author David Leaf. |
Tracks: 1. Hully Gully 2. I Should Have Known Better 3. Tell Me Why 4. Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow 5. Mountain Of Love 6. You've Got To Hide Your Love Away 7. Devoted To You 8. Alley Oop 9. There's No Other (Like My Baby) 10. Medley: I Get Around/Little Deuce Coup 11. The Times They Are A-Changin' 12. Barbara Ann 13. Darlin' 14. Salt Lake City 15. Sloop John B 16. In My Room 17. Catch A Wave 18. Wild Honey 19. Little Saint Nick 20. Do It Again 21. Wouldn't It Be Nice 22. God Only Knows 23. Surfer Girl 24. Little Honda 25. Here Today 26. You're So Good To Me 27. Let Him Run Wild 28. Help Me Rhonda 29. California Girls 30. Our Car Club |
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Pet Sounds [Mono + Stereo] |
Available
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| Pet
Sounds Recorded late 1965 and early 1966 Produced by Brian Wilson Engineered by Chuck Britz Released May 16, 1966 If you need some pointy-headed pundit to sell you on the merits of Pet Sounds, your money might be better spent on an ear specialist. Brian Wilson's gift to 20th-century music elevated this pop album into a beguiling musical and emotional cogency that still operates outside pop culture's fickle space-time continuum--and limited critical lexicon. There's never been another record to compare (Rubber Soul, its inspiration, is close; Sgt. Pepper's, its response, misses the point), and certainly no album has been as dissected, overanalyzed, and predigested for public consumption. In 1997 Capitol Records devoted an entire four-disc box set, The Pet Sounds Sessions, to its thorough deconstruction. The techno-marvel centerpiece of that project--the album's first true stereo mix, painstakingly conjured out of multitape session sources by producer-engineer Mark Linett (under Wilson's supervision)--was at once heresy and revelation. Now the label has gratifyingly seen fit to offer both mixes on a single disc (along with alternate versions of "Hang On to Your Ego," the original title of "I Know There's An Answer"), an idea that should please the orthodox and heretics alike. And while the album has always clearly been The Brian Wilson Show featuring the Beach Boys, biographer Brad Elliott's concise new notes attempt to be more inclusive of a wider band perspective. The result (three of the five band members claim credit for the album title) sometimes resembles Rashomon. If Pet Sounds forever crystallized the band's various creative (in)differences, it also became Wilson's grand karmic joke on his band mates; its burgeoning reputation (Mojo magazine's panel of pop experts once elected it greatest album of all time) guaranteed they would sing its songs--and praises--until the end. And if putting two different versions of the same album on one disc seems like overkill, look at the bright side: it's a perfect excuse to listen to the glorious Pet Sounds twice. |
Tracks: 1. Wouldn't It Be Nice 2. You Still Believe In Me 3. That's Not Me 4. Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder) 5. I'm Waiting For The Day 6. Let's Go Away For Awhile 7. Sloop John B 8. God Only Knows 9. I Know There's An Answer 10. Here Today 11. I Just Wasn't Made For These Times 12. Pet Sounds 13. Caroline No 14. Hang On To Your Ego - (bonus track) 15. Wouldn't It Be Nice [Stereo Mix] 16. You Still Believe 17. That's Not Me 18. Don't Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder) 19. I'm Waiting for the Day 20. Let's Go Away for Awhile 21. Sloop John B. 22. God Only Knows 23. I Know There's an Answer 24. Here Today 25. I Just Wan't Made for Times Like These 26. Pet Sounds 27. Caroline, No |
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Smiley Smile/Wild Honey |
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| Smiley
Smile Recorded 1967 Produced by The Beach Boys Engineered by Chuck Britz Released September 18, 1967 Wild Honey Recorded Late 1967 Produced by The Beach Boys Engineered by Jim Lockert and Bill Halverson Released December 18, 1967 These albums mark nothing less than a watershed in the Beach Boys' and Brian Wilson's careers. Fresh from the artistic triumph of Pet Sounds and the landmark single "Good Vibrations," Wilson began work on Smile, a project that would become a music fan's Rashomon: pop's most (in)famous unreleased album; artistic Waterloo for Wilson; near career-ruination for the band. Smile seemed an attempt to expand on the jigsaw session methodology Wilson had applied to "Vibrations." What went wrong has been debated for decades, but Smiley Smile was the album that followed in the summer of '67--a "bunt instead of a home run," as Carl Wilson admitted. Bookended by the glories of the "Vibrations" single and its truncated follow-up, "Heroes and Villains," Smiley can seem an exercise in creative schizophrenia. There's an earthy quality to remakes of Smile tracks "Wind Chimes," "Vegetables," and "Wonderful," while Wilson's "Fall Breaks," "Little Pad," and "Whistle In" underscore his playful, off-center instincts. But this album also anticipated the roots-conscious retrenchment that the Beatles and Bob Dylan would undertake at the end of the '60s. Wild Honey has taken its place as a cult fave among fans, and rightly so. Its surprising R&B influences (epitomized by the buoyant title track, "Darlin'," and "Here Comes the Night") were not only a brave turn for a band just then at a low ebb, but a prescient pointer to the black music explosion of the early '70s. This great twofer edition includes some of the series' best tracks: a near seven-minute "in progress" suite of "Good Vibrations" outtakes as well as a complete early version; the odd, Smile-era B-side "You're Welcome"; a beautiful live rehearsal rendition of the a cappella showcase "Their Hearts Were Full of Spring"; and another suite of edited session takes for the unreleased standout "Can't Wait Too Long." |
Tracks: 1. Heroes And Villains 2. Vegetables 3. Fall Breaks And Back To Winter (Woody Woodpecker Symphony) 4. She's Goin' Bald 5. Little Pad 6. Good Vibrations 7. With Me Tonight 8. Wind Chimes 9. Gettin' Hungry 10. Wonderful 11. Whistle In 12. Wild Honey 13. Aren't You Glad 14. I Was Made To Love Her 15. Country Air 16. A Thing Or Two 17. Darlin' 18. I'd Love Just Once To See You 19. Here Comes The Night 20. Let The Wind Blow 21. How She Boogalooed It 22. Mama Says 23. Heroes And Villains (Alternate Take) 24. Good Vibrations (Various Sessions) 25. Good Vibrations (Early Take) 26. You're Welcome 27. Their Hearts Were Full Of Spring 28. Can't Wait Too Long |
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Friends/20-20 |
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| Friends Recorded February, March and April of 1968 Produced by The Beach Boys Engineered by Jim Lockert Released June 24, 1968 20-20 Recorded June-November, 1968 Produced by The Beach Boys Engineered by Larry Levine Released Febuary 3, 1969 What happens when the goose stops laying golden eggs? That's the dilemma the Beach Boys faced when Brian Wilson underwent a self-imposed creative cooling-off period after the mysterious Smile album debacle. And after producing what averaged to better than three albums a year for the previous half-decade, who could blame him? Nevertheless, the band's failure to capitalize on the musical revolution symbolized by Sgt. Pepper saw their American fortunes plummet from world-beaters to also-rans, seemingly overnight. But ironically, as the times were a-changin', so was the Beach Boys sound, even if few in America were listening. Friends is easily the band's most tranquil album, a missive of peaceful good tidings fatefully issued amidst the assassinations and street riots of 1968. And if Brian was absent from many of the group's photos during the troubled era, he was still involved behind the scenes, as the vocal harmonies of the title track, "Be Here in the Mornin'," and others attest; his instrumental arrangements may be low-key, though ever inventive, as "Diamond Head" also confirms. Still, the blunt, confessional message of Wilson's "Busy Doin' Nothin'" is equally hard to miss. 20/20 marked the 20th--and last--album of the band's first Capitol era. The album is a collection of singles (the nostalgic "Do It Again," Carl Wilson's vibrant showcase "I Can Hear Music") and a couple of key Smile scraps (the transcendent a cappella album intro "Our Prayer" and the American gothic-tinged "Cabinessence," with obtusely punning lyrics courtesy of Van Dyke Parks) set amidst productions that are mostly divided among various band members. Perhaps most notable is the continued blossoming of Dennis Wilson's talents on "Be with Me" and "Never Learn Not to Love" (the latter reputedly originally given to Wilson by temporary housemate Charles Manson; strange days, indeed). This digitally remastered edition of the long out-of-print twofer edition includes the reminiscences of Brian Wilson and insightful liner notes by Beach Boys and the California Myth author David Leaf and features five bonus cuts: "Break Away," the band's vocally spectacular, if woefully underappreciated, last Capitol single; the B-side "Celebrate the News," sung and produced by Dennis; the beautiful '68 outtake, "We're Together Again"; a snippet of Brian's soaring falsetto paying tribute to Bacharach's "Walk on By"; and a medley of "Old Folks at Home"/"Ol' Man River" that underscores the band's distinctly American historical and artistic heritage. |
Tracks: 1. Meant For You 2. Friends 3. Wake The World 4. Be Here In The Mornin' 5. When A Man Needs A Woman 6. Passing By 7. Anna Lee, The Healer 8. Little Bird 9. Be Still 10. Busy Doin' Nothin' 11. Diamond Head 12. Transcendental Meditation 13. Do It Again 14. I Can Hear Music 15. Bluebirds Over The Mountain 16. Be With Me 17. All I Want To Do 18. The Nearest Faraway Place 19. Cotton Fields (The Cotton Song) 20. I Went To Sleep 21. Time To Get Alone 22. Never Learn Not To Love 23. Our Prayer 24. Cabinessence 25. Break Away 26. Celebrate The News 27. We're Together Again 28. Walk On By 29. Old Folks At Home/Ol' Man River |
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Sunflower/Surf's Up |
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| Sunflower Recorded Early 1970 Produced by The Beach Boys Engineered by Stephen Desper Released August 31, 1970 Surf's Up Recorded Late 1970 and Early 1971 Produced by The Beach Boys Engineered by Stephen Desper Released August 30, 1971 After an acrimonious split with their original record label at the end of the 1960s, the Beach Boys moved over to Warner Bros., ostensibly to capitalize on their phenomenal early successes. But the move also coincided with band founder/creative genius Brian Wilson's burgeoning health problems and subsequent artistic abdication. That the boys were able to come up with what remain two of their more interesting albums is an enduring testament to the band's willpower. Sunflower, originally released in 1970, was a drastically revamped version of an unreleased album called Landlocked, and has an upbeat consistency that both built on the band's vocal strengths and somehow overcame schmaltzy pop and even the embarrassing, halting espanole of "At My Window." Perhaps the album's greatest revelation is the brief flowering of Dennis Wilson as a writing and singing talent, especially on the lovely "Forever." With Dennis largely succumbing to older brother Brian's demons, '71's Surf's Up is marred by cloddish efforts at agit-prop hipsterism (Mike Love's "Student Demonstration Time") and a nascent environmentalism that ranges from the na�ve ("Don't Go Near the Water") to the bizarre ("A Day in the Life of a Tree"). Carl Wilson rescues the collection somewhat with "Long Promised Road" and "Feel Flows," but the album's twin jewels are both salvaged Brian Wilson efforts--the title track was one of the centerpieces of the unreleased Smile (cowritten by lyricist Van Dyke Parks and here given that album's "Child Is Father to the Man" as a glorious coda), while "Til I Die" hails from the scrapped Landlocked and remains one of Brian's most hauntingly introspective works. Both albums have been remastered on a single disc and include new liner notes by Wilson biographer Timothy White. |
Tracks: 1. Slip on Through 2. This Whole World 3. Add Some Music to Your Day 4. Got to Know the Woman 5. Deirdre 6. It's About Time 7. Tears in the Morning 8. All I Wanna Do 9. Forever 10. Our Sweet Love 11. At My Window 12. Cool Cool Water 13. Don't Go Near the Water 14. Long Promised Road 15. Take a Load off Your Feet 16. Disney Girls 1957" 17. Student Demonstration Time 18. Feel Flows 19. Lookin' at Tomorrow (A Welfare Song) 20. A Day in the Life of a Tree 21. 'Til I Die 22. Surf's Up |
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Carl & The Passions - So Tough / Holland |
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| Holland Recorded Late 1972 and Early 1973 Produced by The Beach Boys Engineered by Stephen Desper Released January 8, 1973 If the uneven Sunflower and Surf's Up albums demonstrated the Beach Boys resolve to soldier on despite the largely AWOL status of Brian Wilson, their founder and troubled creative mainstay, 1972's So Tough showed how quickly their own disparate instincts could lead to a creative face-plant. Though not nearly the train-wreck its dismal reputation might lead one to believe (its original distributor thought so little of the project that it was packaged as a two-fer with a reissue of Pet Sounds). The album's R&B/gospel sensibilities seem woefully misplaced, while "Marcella" shows just how willing the band was to beat a hasty retreat into comfortable nostalgia. The good news was that Tough was only eight tracks long. Given that background, 1973's Holland seemed like a minor miracle. Possessed of a melodic sense and muscular musicality that the faithful must have given up for dead, the great "Sail On Sailor" leads the way to one of the band's best post-'60s efforts. Bolstered by new bandmates Blondie Chaplin and Ricky Fataar (the latter would become a cult hero as a member of the Beatles-parodying Rutles) and a change of recording venue (hence the title), the Beach Boys attacked Carl Wilson's "Trader," Dennis Wilson's "Steamboat," and other group standouts like "Funky Pretty" and "Leaving This Town" with a vigor and self-assurance they hadn't shown in years. It even overcomes Mike Love's ham-fisted attempt at eco-awareness, the musical triptych "California Saga," and the strange, spoken-word children's tale "Mt. Vernon and Fairway," highlighted only by Brian Wilson's fleeting presence. Both albums are newly remastered on two discs. |
Tracks: Disc: 1 1. You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone 2. Here She Comes 3. He Come Down 4. Marcella 5. Hold on Dear Brother 6. Make It Good 7. All This Is That 8. Cuddle Up Disc: 2 1. Sail on Sailor 2. Steamboat 3. California Saga/Big Sur 4. California Saga/The Beaks of Eagles 5. California Saga/California 6. The Trader 7. Leaving This Town 8. Only With You 9. Funky Pretty 10. MT. Vernon and Fairway Theme 11. I'm the Pied Piper [Instrumental] 12. Better Get Back in Bed 13. Magic Transistor Radio 14. I'm the Pied Piper 15. Radio King Dom |
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In Concert |
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| In
Concert Recorded on tour in 1972-1973 Produced by The Beach Boys Engineered by Stephen Moffitt Released November 19, 1973 Released in the wake of Holland, one of the Beach Boys' last creative triumphs, this 1973 set captures a band feverishly trying to reconcile its past, present, and future--no mean feat considering Brian Wilson had long since retreated into seclusion due to overwhelming personal problems and friction with his bandmates. Aside from the Ramones-like energy of their teenybopping early '60s prime, this is arguably the band's performing peak. Supplemented by Holland sidemen Blondie Chaplin and Ricky Fataar (who would later add the Rutles to his strange r�sum�), the band offers up several strong versions of then-recent material ("Sail On Sailor," "Trader," "Darlin'," "Marcella"), a few key Pet Sounds cuts, and a few surprises (a bluesy "Leaving This Town," the haunting Wild Honey track "Let the Wind Blow") in this collection's first half, then largely turns matters over to Mike Love for an energetic run-through--and disturbing preview--of their long-running oldies revue. Also included are new liner notes by longtime Wilson biographer Timothy White. |
Tracks: 1. Sail On Sailor 2. Stoop John B. 3. The Trader 4. You Still Believe In Me 5. California Girls 6. Darlin' 7. Marcella 8. Caroline No 9. Leaving This Town 10. Heroes And Villains 11. Funky Pretty 12. Let The Wind Blow 13. Help Me, Rhonda 14. Surfer Girl 15. Wouldn't It Be Nice 16. We Got Love 17. Don't Worry, Baby 18. Surfin' USA 19. Good Vibrations 20. Fun, Fun, Fun |
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15 Big Ones/Love You |
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| 15 Big
Ones Recorded January 30, 1976-May 15, 1976 Produced by Brian Wilson Engineered by Stephen Moffitt, Earle Mankey, and Chuck Britz Released 1976 Love You Recorded Late 1976 and Early 1977 Produced by Brian Wilson Mixdown Producer:Carl Wilson Engineered by Stephen Moffitt, Earle Mankey,and Steve Desper Released 1977 Touted by a highly suspicious media blitz ("Brian is Back!"), 1976's 15 Big Ones caught the nostalgic wave generated by the surprise success of Endless Summer and Spirit of America, the double-album compilations of the Beach Boys' mid-'60s, summer-music prime, and rode it close to the crest of the charts. One doesn't have to get much further than the tepid (albeit top 10) cover of Chuck Berry's's "Rock and Roll Music" to realize that band founder/original creative spark Brian Wilson may indeed have been back, but sounded like he was working under duress--if he was working at all. With a covers-heavy tack best described as a parody of the band's original trademark sound, wed to some of the mid-'70s worst production trends, it's an album that shows just how much the public still yearned for the band's classic sound, even if their faith ended up being "rewarded" by the likes of Mike Love's embarrassing "Everyone's in Love with You" and "T.M. Song." Conversely, Brian was definitely back for '77s Love You, an album that's become something of a critic's darling, if only because it hews so bravely to the strange musical vision that seeped from Wilson's then-troubled mind. Brian's synth-heavy production managed to be at once dense and minimalist, while the songs remain some of the most consistently loopy concoctions the band ever recorded. While his vulnerable romanticism is also on display, it's Wilson's playful sense of humor that dominates, from strange odes to "Johnny Carson" and the "Solar System" to innocent romps like "Ding Dang" and "Mona." A quarter-century later, it's an album that can still both surprise and delight. Both albums are digitally remastered on a single disc. |
Tracks: 1. Rock & Roll Music 2. It's Ok 3. Had to Phone Ya 4. Chapel of Love 5. Everyone's in Love With You 6. Talk to Me 7. That Same Song 8. T M Song 9. Palisades Park 10. Susie Cincinnati 11. A Casual Look 12. Blueberry Hill 13. Back Home 14. In the Still of the Night 15. Just Once in My Life 16. Let Us Go on This Way 17. Roller Skating Child 18. Mona 19. Johnny Carson 20. Good Time 21. Honkin' Down the Highway 22. Ding Dang 23. Solar System 24. The Night Was So Young 25. I'll Bet He's Nice 26. Let's Put Our Hearts Together 27. I Wanna Pick You Up 28. Airplane 29. Love Is a Woman |
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M.I.U. Album/L.A. Album |
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| Light
Album Recorded Fall 1974, and various dates throughout 1978-1979 Produced by Bruce Johnston, James William Guercio, and The Beach Boys Engineered by Steve Moffitt and Earl Mankey Released March 16, 1979 Want a party game sure to clear the room in record time? Try playing Name the Beach Boys Worst Album; two-plus decades on, 1978's M.I.U. remains a dogged contender. Vocalist Mike Love, perhaps stunned by the massively weird, if eminently lovable, originality of the Love You album, somehow cajoled the band to sojourn from Southern California to cut their next effort in that somewhat lesser-known recording Mecca--the Maharishi International University in Fairfield, Iowa. Cascading effortlessly from one sentimental, ill-conceived aural greeting card to the next, the forms and harmonies are familiar, if virtually substance-free, in service of a pop sensibility--Love's--that makes Barry Manilow sound like Rimbaud. Bruce Johnston returned to the fold after a long absence just in time for 1979's L.A. (Light Album)--and a shot at another round of everyone's least favorite party game. The band was right about one thing: this is one light album, a virtually fat-free concoction that shamelessly borrows Bach one moment ("Lady Lynda"), then apes Japanese modalities (Al Jardine's clumsy "Sumahama"), and pimps waning disco fever (a clich�-ridden redux/remix of "Wild Honey's "Here Comes the Night") the next. All it desperately needed was a soul, a commodity the devil had apparently collected in a previous deal. Though the infectious "Good Timin'" was both a highlight and moderate hit, Brian Wilson's creative guidance is sorely missed throughout; judging from these two albums, he may indeed have been crazy ... like a fox. Both albums are newly remastered on a single disc. |
Tracks: 1. She's Got Rhythm 2. Come Go with Me 3. Hey Little Tomboy 4. Kona Coast 5. Peggy Sue 6. Wontcha Come Out Tonight? 7. Sweet Sunday 8. Bells of Paris 9. Pitter Patter 10. My Diane 11. Match Point of Our Love 12. Winds of Change 13. Good Timin' 14. Lady Lynda 15. Full Sail 16. Angel Come Home 17. Love Surrounds Me 18. Sumahama 19. Here Comes the Night 20. Baby Blue 21. Goin' South 22. Shortenin' Bread |
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Keepin' The Summer Alive / The Beach Boys |
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| Keepin'
The Summer Alive Recorded Late 1979 and Early 1980 Produced by Bruce Johnston Engineered by Steve Desper, Chuck Leary, Rodney Pearson, Chuck Britz Released March 17, 1980 The Beach Boys Recorded late 1984 and early 1985 Produced by Steve Levine Engineered by Gordon Milne Released 1985 Bruce Johnston, not Barry Manilow, wrote "I Write the Songs." And if that isn't enough irony for you, the Beach Boys thought enough of his efforts on '79s aptly titled, if creatively underwhelming, Light Album that they let him produce the 1980 follow-up, Keepin' the Summer Alive. The resulting effort may have down-graded the band's sorry condition from grave to critical, but it was also a testament to how far the Beach Boys had coasted on their fleeting reputation alone. Johnston wisely brings the band's trademark harmonies to the fore, but in the service of some typically (for the period) lackluster songwriting. Tellingly, though Brian Wilson was ostensibly involved, even the presence of B.T.O.'s Randy Bachman (who cowrote a pair of tracks with Carl Wilson) is more distinct. Still need more irony? The final track of this hollow, haunted de facto paean to the band's disunity is Johnston's schmaltzy "Endless Harmony." Such was the response to Summer that the band spent the next five years on the road, burnishing their reputation as a nostalgia act; at least it kept them out of the studio. Unfortunately, by the time they returned to recording, Dennis Wilson was dead, Brian Wilson had "found" a new collaborator (the infamous Dr. Eugene Landy, his psychotherapist), and the band was at its usual creative loggerhead. But they also had the good sense to bring in hot '80s hired-gun producer Steve Levine to at least synthesize a respectable-sounding Beach Boys album. The single "Getcha Back" is a weird mix of nostalgia and contemporary studio smoke and mirrors; with Brian Wilson's falsetto soaring over the top as it hadn't in decades, it's also the most familiar-sounding band track in years. Levine's efforts at veneer (which include using Stevie Wonder as a sideman/collaborator) gloss over some wobbly songwriting. Brian's profile is higher than it's been since Love You, but his ever fragile, quirky constructions (especially "Male Ego," "Crack at Your Love," and "California Saga") are largely stillborn, thanks to the amateurish lyrical efforts of Landy. Carl Wilson shines throughout; the band's greatest trooper until the bitter end. Both albums are newly remastered on a single disc. |
Tracks: 1. Keepin' the Summer Alive 2. Oh Darlin' 3. Some of Your Love 4. Livin' With a Heartache 5. School Day (Ring! Ring! Goes the Bell) 6. Goin' On 7. Sunshine 8. When Girls Get Together 9. Santa Ana Winds 10. Endless Harmony 11. Getcha Back 12. It's Getting Late 13. Crack at Your Love 14. Maybe I Don't Know 15. She Believes in Love Again 16. California Calling 17. Passing Friend 18. I'm So Lonely 19. Where I Belong 20. I Do Love You 21. It's Just a Matter of Time |
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Hawthorne, CA: Birthplace of a Musical Legacy |
Available
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| Once a
bustling suburb on L.A.'s southern flank, Hawthorne and its middle-class values informed
an innocent, distinctly SoCal vision of youthful hedonism and produced Brian
Wilson and the Beach Boys. Irony being what it is, Hawthorne's centerpiece mall
eventually decayed into a boarded-up economic disaster area while the Wilson family home
was bulldozed to make room for--what else?--a freeway. But the Beach Boys' gloriously
unlikely legacy remains, celebrated here in this double-disc anthology of harmony-rich
rarities and audio v�rit� dialog snippets. It's also a credit to the band's manic 1960s
work ethic; despite the wealth of similar rarities to be found on the twofer catalog
reissue series and the Good Vibrations
and Pet
Sounds box sets, previously unheard gems continue to emerge. While the surviving
members' uneasy relationship likely prevented some more candid session revelations from
emerging, the focus here is the arc of the group's musical history. Skewed heavily--and rightfully--toward the band's first seven years, this chronology offers up charmingly rough early demos ("Surfin'," "Surfin' USA," "Little Deuce Coupe"), edited session highlights, backing tracks ("Fun, Fun, Fun," "Salt Lake City," "Good Vibrations," "Be with Me," "Sail On Sailor"), spectacular a cappella versions ("Kiss Me Baby," "Can't Wait Too Long," "Add Some"), alternate takes ("The Little Girl I Once Knew" with an a cappella break, "Time to Get Alone," "Break Away"), and some modern stereo remixes and edits that add revealing details ("Dance, Dance, Dance," "Heroes and Villains," "Vegetables," "Time to Get Alone"). The crucial latter contributions of Carl and Dennis Wilson and Al Jardine are also showcased on "Let the Wind Blow," "A Time to Live in Dreams," and "Cotton Fields," respectively. The dialog adds some minor perspective but, as always, it's music that carries the day. Hawthorne, CA is a must for collectors and a concise, insightful introduction to a true American musical institution. |
Tracks: Disc: 1 1. Mike Love introduces Surfin' 2. 3701 West 119th Street, Hawthorne, California: The Surfin' Rehearsal 3. Happy Birthday Four Freshmen 4. Mike on Brian's Harmonies 5. Their Hearts Were Full Of Spring (live rehearsal) 6. Surfin' USA (demo) 7. Surfin' USA (backing track) 8. Carl Wilson Radio Promo 9. Shut Down (live) 10. Little Deuce Coupe (demo) 11. Murry Wilson Directs A Radio Promo 12. Fun, Fun, Fun (backing track) 13. Brian's Message To "Rog" - take 22 14. Dance Dance Dance (stereo remix) 15. Kiss Me Baby (a capella mix) 16. Good To My Baby (backing track) 17. Chuck Britz on Brian in the studio 18. Salt Lake City (session highlights) 19. Salt Lake City (stereo remix) 20. Wish That He Could Stay (session excerpt) 21. And Your Dream Comes True (stereo remix) 22. Carol K Session highlights 23. The Little Girl I Once Knew (alternate version) 24. Alan and Dennis Introduce Barbara Ann 25. Barbara Ann (session excerpt - with Dean Torrence) 26. Barbara Ann (master take with party overdubs) 27. Mike on The Everly Brothers 28. Devoted To You (mastertake without party overdubs) 29. Dennis Thanks Everybody/In The Back Of My Mind Disc: 2 1. Can't Wait Too Long (a capella mix) 2. Dennis Introduces Carl 3. Good Vibrations (stereo track sections) 4. Good Vibrations (concert rehearsal) 5. Heroes And Villains (stereo single version) 6. Vegetable Promo (instrumental section) 7. Vegetables (stereo extended mix) 8. You're With Me Tonight 9. Lonely Days 10. Bruce on Wild Honey 11. Let The Wind Blow (stereo remix) 12. I Went To Sleep (a capella mix) 13. Time To Get Alone (alternate version) 14. Alan and Brian talk about Dennis 15. A Time To Live In Dreams 16. Be With Me (back track) 17. Dennis introduces Cotton Fields 18. Cotton Fields (The Cotton Song; stereo single version) 19. Alan and Carl on Break Away 20. Break Away (alternate version) 21. Add Some Music To Your Day (a capella mix) 22. Dennis Wilson 23. Forever (a capella mix) 24. Sail On, Sailor (backing track) 25. Old Man River (vocal section) 26. Carl Wilson 27. The Lord's Prayer (stereo remix) 28. Carl Wilson - Coda |
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Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 |
Available
in: |
| The
three-volume Good Vibrations series is designed with the hits-hungry fan in mind.
Eschewing a strict chronological approach, the best-of sets are arranged according to
charting position. Thus the initial collection is laden with the group's trademark tunes,
ranging from the California boys' first top 10 charter, 1962's "Surfin' Safari,"
to their last, 1988's "Kokomo," a stray, post-Brian
Wilson success. "Kokomo" is by far the newest selection included here;
nothing else dates past 1966's No. 1 smash, "Good Vibrations." With the likes of
"Fun, Fun, Fun," "I Get Around," "California Girls," and the
incandescent "God Only Knows" rounding out the set, Greatest Hits Volume 1
is the ideal first pick for anyone looking for the Beach Boys at their commercial peak. The 1999 reissue contains new liner notes and re-sequenced, chronologically ordered tracks. Digitally remastered by Mark Chalecki (Capitol Recording Studios, Hollywood, California). TWENTY GOOD VIBRATIONS is the best single-disc collection of The Beach Boys available. Focusing on their 1962-1965 heyday, it contains every major hit single recorded by the group, including their final #1 from 1988, "Kokomo." The songs featured here are the upbeat, harmony-filled evocations of endless Californian summers that most people associate with The Beach Boys. Classic surf songs like "Surfin' Safari" and "Surfin' USA" still sound fresh and vital, and later hits like "I Get Around," "California Girls" and "Good Vibrations" offer a tantalizing glimpse of the songwriting and production genius of Beach Boys leader Brian Wilson. Though this album only features three songs (including the breathtakingly beautiful "God Only Knows") from the landmark PET SOUNDS album and none of the lesser known but wonderful singles that The Beach Boys recorded in the seventies, TWENTY GOOD VIBRATIONS distills The Beach Boys 35-year career into a hit-packed album that will provide you with enough "Fun, Fun, Fun" to last all summer. |
Tracks: 1. Surfin' Safari 2. 409 3. Surfin' U.S.A. 4. Shut Down 5. Surfer Girl 6. Little Deuce Coupe 7. Catch a Wave 8. Be True to Your School 9. Fun, Fun, Fun 10. I Get Around 11. Dance, Dance, Dance 12. Do You Wanna Dance 13. Help Me, Rhonda 14. California Girls 15. Barbara Ann 16. Sloop John B. 17. Wouldn't It Be Nice 18. God Only Knows 19. Good Vibrations 20. Kokomo |
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The Greatest Hits Vol. 2: 20 More Good Vibrations |
Available
in: |
| Only one
title on the second volume of the three-volume Good Vibrations best-of series
cracked the U.S. top 10, 1964's "When I Grow Up to Be a Man." (Five of the
selections here made the U.K. charts--"Do It Again," "I Can Hear
Music," "Break Away," "Darlin'," and "Cottonfields.")
In contrast to its loaded-with-hits predecessor, Greatest Hits
Volume 1: 20 Good Vibrations, Volume 2 serves up songs that stand as
second-tier Beach Boys--but only in commercial terms. The likes of "In My Room,"
"Don't Worry, Baby," "Caroline, No," and "Heroes and
Villains" stand well above Volume One's "409," "Little Deuce
Coupe," and "Sloop John B" in their contribution to the group's incredible
legacy. Those hungry for hits will want to stick with the earlier volume, but burgeoning
Beach Boys boosters will find this 20-song set every bit the match--and arguably the
subjugator--of its all-hits forerunner. A great companion piece to a first volume of remastered hits, this collection completes listeners' education on the brilliance of the Beach Boys. If the first volume represented the Beach Boys' rosy period, Greatest Hits Volume 2: 20 More Good Vibrations dwells in the Beach Boys' vibrant, multicoloured period. Opening with the sweet, harmonious work of "In My Room" and venturing later to "Caroline, No" and closing with "Cottonfields," this album clearly shows the special transformation the band went through during this time. |
Tracks: 1. In My Room 2. The Warmth of the Sun 3. Don't Worry Baby 4. All Summer Long 5. Wendy 6. Little Honda 7. When I Grow Up (To Be a Man) 8. Please Let Me Wonder 9. You're So Good to Me 10. The Little Girl I Once Knew 11. Caroline, No 12. Heroes and Villains 13. Wild Honey 14. Darlin' 15. Friends 16. Do It Again 17. Bluebirds over the Mountain 18. I Can Hear Music 19. Break Away 20. Cotton Fields |
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The Greatest Hits Vol. 3: Best of the Brother Years |
Available
in: |
| One of the
most popular touring acts of the '70s and '80s, the Beach Boys nonetheless found sales of
their new music disappointing for much of those decades. Their Brother Records imprint was
stamped on some of the best albums of their "mature" period--Sunflower, Surf's
Up, and the one-of-a-kind The Beach Boys Love You--but earlier classics
such as "Surfin' U.S.A." and "Good Vibrations" remained their most
popular work. This third volume of greatest hits collects 20 Brother cuts, including the
occasional chart success ("Rock & Roll Music," the twice-released "Sail
On, Sailor," "It's OK," "Getcha Back"). A few lesser-known
winners ("This Whole World," "Long Promised Road," "Honkin' Down
the Highway") provide welcome highlights. Still, the inclusion of one too many remade
oldies on the disc's second half underscores the Beach Boys' loss of creative energy by
1980. The Beach Boys are undoubtedly one of the most enigmatic groups of rock `n` roll. They started the surf craze, concocted some of the most complex harmonies in pop history and lived through true rock-star tribulations. After dropping their first major label contract to start up a boutique label - Brother Records - in 1970, the Boys entered a new stage of creativity. Greatest Hits, Vol. 3: The Best of the Brother Years collects "Surf`s Up," "Peggy Sue" "Come Go with Me" and an assortment of other classics from this very fruitful era. |
Tracks: 1. Add Some Music to Your Day 2. Susie Cincinnati 3. This Whole World 4. Long Promised Road 5. Disney Girls 6. 'Til I Die 7. Surf's Up 8. Marcella 9. Sail on Sailor 10. The Trader 11. California Saga (On My Way to Sunny Califon-I-A) 12. Rock & Roll Music 13. It's Ok 14. Honkin' Down the Highway 15. Peggy Sue 16. Good Timin' 17. Goin' On 18. Come Go with Me 19. Getcha Back 20. California Dreamin' |
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Good Vibrations: Thirty Years Of The Beach Boys |
Available
in: |
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| From
"Surfin'" to "Kokomo," the first four discs of this box chart the
Beach Boys' inimitable 30-year course. Here are all the hits and key album tracks, and an
assortment of unreleased material that illuminates Brian Wilson and company's immense
contribution to the development of pop music. (Especially fascinating are the assembled
fragments from Wilson's abandoned 1966 masterwork, Smile.) A fifth disc features
demos, radio spots, live tracks, and studio goodies for the hardcore fan. The set confirms
Brian's hardworking genius, but also gives each member his due, especially the late Carl
Wilson. Rock & roll music grew up with the Beach Boys, and this box is rock's best
family album. This 5-CD box set contains 142 tracks with complete chart information and an introduction by Brian Wilson. Also included is a 60-page color booklet with extensive liner notes and a commemorative Beach Boys 30th Anniversary water decal. Four of the five discs are packaged in jewel boxes. The fifth comes in a special bootleg wrapping. The "bootleg" disc is composed entirely of previously-unreleased material. All songs originally released in mono are presented in their original form. The Beach Boys: Brian Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Carl Wilson, David Marks, Mike Love, Bruce Johnston. Additional personnel includes: Glen Campbell, Tommy Tedesco, Jerry Cole, Barney Kessel, Billy Strange (guitar), Tommy Morgan (harmonica), Carl Fortina, Frank Marocco (accordion), Steve Douglas, Jay Migliori, Roy Caton, Lou Blackburn (horns), Al De Lory, Don Randi, Leon Russell (piano), Ray Pohlman, Carole Kaye, Lyle Ritz, Julius Wechter, Bill Pitman (bass), Hal Blaine (drums), Gene Estes, Frank Capp, Jim Gordon (percussion), The Sid Sharpe Strings. Additional producers: The Beach Boys, Hite, Dorinda Morgan, Nick Venet, Murry Wilson, Carl Wilson, Alan Jardine, Dennis Wilson, Ricky Fataar, Blondie Chaplin, Ron Altbach, Bruce Johnston, James William Guercio, Terry Melcher. Compilation producers: Mark Linett, David Leaf, Andy Paley. Additional engineers: Larry Levine, Dave Hassinger, Armen Steiner, Bruce Botnick, James Hilton, Jim Lockhart, Steve Desper, Earle Mankay, Tom Murphy, Steve Moffit, Jeff Peters. Includes liner notes by David Leaf. From a previously unreleased 1961 recording of their first single "Surfin" to their 1988 #1, "Kokomo," GOOD VIBRATIONS collects everything anyone would want to hear by The Beach Boys. The first disc in this 5-disc set collects the sun and surf hits like "Barbara Ann" and "Fun, Fun, Fun" that summed up the mythical California dream for generations of Americans. While The Beach Boys certainly created some wonderful rock and roll in their 1962-1966 heyday, it's for the brilliant music on discs two and three that they have become rock legends. These two CDs capture Beach Boys leader Brian Wilson at the peak of his powers, creating still-astounding singles like "Good Vibrations" and the incomparable, otherworldly PET SOUNDS album. One of the real highlights of GOOD VIBRATIONS is that it features many of the fascinating, previously unreleased songs recorded for the aborted SMILE--the legendary unreleased album that allegedly drove Brian Wilson to his 1967 nervous breakdown. Though The Beach Boys were never quite the same after SMILE, this near-perfect box set contains plenty of songs that prove there was much more to the band than Brian Wilson's fragile genius. |
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Endless Harmony |
Available
in: |
| Those familiar with the Beach Boys' decades of familial squabbles and personal discord will find the title Endless Harmony almost too ironic. But this soundtrack from the band-sanctioned VH-1 television special wisely focuses on the band's undeniable vocal prowess and the vaunted composing/arranging/producing skills of its chief architect, Brian Wilson. It also manages a fresh take on one of the most over-exposed catalogs in pop, largely by raiding the vaults for some unexpected gems. Twenty-one of the 23 music tracks (two brief radio promos are also included) here are previously unreleased. Several Brian Wilson demos give insight in to his creative process. Worshippers of that grail of unreleased albums, Smile, will be excited to find that the piano demo of "Heroes and Villains" also includes snippets of "I'm in Great Shape" and "Barnyard," long-lost pieces of that legendary album/puzzle. Wilson's demo for "Breakaway" illustrates how he would arrange songs by recording each band member's vocal part himself--Wilson quite literally is the Beach Boys here. Also notable is "Surf's Up" engineer Steve Desper's radical (for 1970) remix of Wilson's fatalistic classic "Til I Die," early versions of "Do It Again," and "Help Me, Rhonda," and gorgeous (if heretical) stereo mixes of "California Girls" and "Kiss Me, Baby." The other band members' creative instincts are succinctly documented, but as always, it is the sound and vision of Brian Wilson that overshadows them. "Genius" might just be too weak an adjective. | Tracks: 1. Soulful Old Man Sunshine 2. Soulful Old Man Sunshine 3. Radio Concert Promo 1 4. Medley: Surfin' Safari/Fun, Fun, Fun/Shut Down/Little Deuce Coupe/Surfin' U.S.A. 5. Surfer Girl 6. Help Me, Rhonda 7. Kiss Me, Baby 8. California Girls 9. Good Vibrations 10. Heroes And Villains 11. Heros And Villains 12. God Only Knows 13. Radio Concert Promo 2 14. Darlin' 15. Wonderful/Don't Worry Bill 16. Do It Again 17. Break Away 18. Sail Plane Song 19. Loop de Loop (Flip Flop Flyin' In An Aeroplane 20. Barbara 21. 'Til I Die 22. Long Promised Road 23. All Alone 24. Brain's Back 25. Endless Harmony |
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The Pet Sounds Sessions |
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in: |
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| Just not made for
these times? Then this four-disc monument to the most innocent, blissfully melodic,
California-dreamin' album of the rock era beats Prozac hands down. A staggering labor of
love on the part of executive project director Phil Sandhaus and his fellow disciples,
this lets us ponder the sine qua non of Brian Wilson's career from every imaginable
angle--stereo, mono, instrumental, and celestial vocals-only versions included. It's way
too much of a good thing, natch, but any album that can profoundly influence such
disparate talents as Paul McCartney, XTC's Andy Partrige and ex-Pixie Frank Black warrants
microscopic analysis. Our advice: Don't worry baby, just drift away on a Brian Wilson
fantasia from an epoch when the drugs still worked and before the delirium tremors set in. The Pet Sounds Sessions: A 30th Anniversary Collection. This four-disc box set includes the first true stereo mix of the Beach Boys' 1966 album PET SOUNDS on one disc, and a new mono mix of the album on another. The mono mix was remastered using 24-bit High Density Compatible Digital (HDCD) technology. Another disc is highlighted by a cappella mixes of 11 songs from PET SOUNDS. The set also features outtakes, alternate versions, demos and a variety of instrumental mixes of the album's 13 songs. THE PET SOUNDS SESSIONS box includes a 120-page full color book. The Beach Boys: Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Mike Love, Bruce Johnston, Al Jardine. Compilation producers: David Leaf, Brian Wilson. Includes liner notes by Brian Wilson, The Beach Boys, Paul McCartney and George Martin. THE PET SOUNDS SESSIONS: A 30TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION was nominated for the 1999 Grammy Award for Best Historical Album. When it comes to landmark albums, it's hard to beat the Beach Boys 1966 masterwork, PET SOUNDS. Not only was it the direct inspiration for the following year's SGT. PEPPER, and for countless other works by '60s psychedelic groups; its influence was strong enough more than three decades after its release to warrant this 4-disc box set. In the nineties, the orchestral pop of acts such as Eric Matthews, The High Llamas and Epic Soundtracks owed its brass to Brian Wilson's brainchild. Over the course of four jam-packed discs, PET SOUNDS SESSIONS offers vocal-only and instrumental-only mixes of all the original tracks. In additional to the familiar version of the album, there are also alternate performances as well as alternate and mono mixes, working versions sketched out in the studio, and songs that never made it onto the original release. The box comes with a lavish book filled with photos and inside info on the sessions. This set provides a rare glimpse into the inner workings of one of pop music's most innovative minds, and the process by which he and his bandmates made musical history. |
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Brian Wilson |
Available
in: |
| Brian Wilson's solo debut finally arrived in 1988 to much fanfare and near unanimous critical hosannas. Unfortunately, its commercial impact was negligible, a disappointing outcome for both Wilson, who takes pride in his string of '60s hits, and his boosters, for the 11-song self-titled record represents the zenith of the pop genius's post-Beach Boys oeuvre. "Love and Mercy" heralds Wilson's return to form; lyrically gracious and musically grand, it's an opener quite nearly on a par with "Wouldn't It Be Nice." From there, Wilson and an assortment of coproducers (Russ Titelman, Jeff Lynne, Andy Paley, and Lenny Waronker) intermix brisk, playful rockers ("Night Time," "Little Children") with sumptuous pop concoctions (the a cappella "One for the Boys," "There's So Many"), wrapping things up with an ambitious suite, "Rio Grande." The reissue is generously fleshed out with interview segments, demos, and late-'80s rarities, including the delightful B-side "He Couldn't Get His Poor Old Body to Move." | Tracks: 1. Love And Mercy 2. Walkin' The Line 3. Melt Away 4. Baby Let Your Hair Grow Long 5. Little Children 6. One For The Boys 7. There's So Many 8. Night Time 9. Let It Shine 10. Meet Me In My Dreams Tonight 11. Rio Grande 12. Brian On 'Love And Mercy' 13. He Couldn't Get His Poor Old Body To Move 14. Being With The One You Love 15. Let's Go To Heaven In My Car 16. Too Much Sugar 17. There's So Many (Demo) 18. Walkin' The Line (Demo) 19. Melt Away (Early Version - Alternate Vocal) 20. Night Time (Instrumental Track) 21. Little Children (Demo) 22. Night Bloomin' Jasmine (Demo) 23. Rio Grande (Early Version - Compiled Rough Mixes) 24. Brain On 'Rio Grande' 25. Brian On 'The Source' 26. Bonus Track |
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I Just Wasn't Made For These Times |
Available
in: |
| Personnel: Brian Wilson (vocals, piano); Mark Goldenberg, Waddy Wachtel (guitar); David McMurray (saxophone, flute); Benmont Tench (piano, organ); James "Hutch" Hutchinson (bass); Jim Keltner (drums); Carnie Wilson, Wendy Wilson, Sweet Pea Atkinson, Sir Harry Bowens, Donald Ray Mitchell, Jeff Pescetto, Andrew Gold, Kip Lennon (background vocals). Recorded at Ocean Way, Hollywood California. Includes liner notes by Don Was. All songs written or co-written by Brian Wilson. I JUST WASN'T MADE FOR THESE TIMES is the soundtrack to a documentary film about Brian Wilson's life. It features Wilson's reinterpretations of his old songs, most of them originally recorded by the Beach Boys. | Tracks: 1. Meant for You 2. This Whole World 3. Caroline, No 4. Let the Wind Blow 5. Love and Mercy 6. Do It Again - Wilson, Brian w 7. The Warmth of the Sun 8. Wonderful 9. Still I Dream of It [Original Home Demo, 1976] 10. Melt Away 11. 'Til I Die |
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Orange Crate Art |
Available
in: |
| Here is a view of the Golden State through rose-colored glasses that's as effervescent and intoxicating as pink champagne. Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks trade the roles they occupied nearly three decades ago when they collaborated on songs for the Beach Boys' great lost album, Smile. Orange Crate Art was conceived and overseen by Parks, who brought his old boss Wilson aboard chiefly to give voice to Parks's wistful song cycle. Given that much of the album is set in California, who better than favorite son Wilson to sing these songs? But while Wilson's voice initially evokes images of hot rods and surfboards, here he sings of locomotives and steamboats. Parks's California is a state of mind where time is ephemeral. We're brought to a bucolic yesteryear unmarred by violence and poverty. Orange Crate Art is set in "a world apart." A "hobo heart" is carefree rather than desperate. Time is something to be held back. "Everybody must come home" to a town that shuts down by 8 in the evening because "everybody's got things to do." When all is said and done, there's nothing left but doze off to Parks's pop symphonic arrangement of George Gershwin's "Lullaby." | Tracks: 1. Orange Crate Art 2. Sail Away 3. My Hobo Heart 4. Wings of a Dove 5. Palm Tree and Moon 6. Summer in Monterey 7. San Francisco 8. Hold Back Time 9. My Jeanine 10. Movies Is Magic 11. This Town Goes Down at Sunset 12. Lullaby |
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Imagination |
Available
in: |
| Personnel: Brian Wilson (vocals, piano, Hammond B-3 organ, keyboards); Brent Rowan (acoustic, nylon string & electric guitars, sitar, mandolin); Jim Peterik, Greg Leisz, Tom Chaffee (acoustic & electric guitars); Scott Bennett (guitar); Larry Franklin (violin, viola); Paul Mertens (flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, alto & baritone saxophones); Richie Cannata (saxophone); Chuck Soumar (trumpet, piccolo trumpet); John Larson (trumpet); Jason Trtan (French horn, bass); Joe Thomas (accordion, piano, Hammond B-3 organ, keyboards, vibraphone, tympani, keyboard programming); Bob Lizik, Michael Rhodes (bass); Eddie Bayers, Tom Suchermann (drums); Jackie Bertone (percussion); Jimmy Buffett (background vocals). IMAGINATION includes a remake of the Beach Boys' "Let Him Run Wild" and a Jimmy Buffett collaboration, "South American," that gives "Kokomo" a run for its money. It's only the second album of new material Wilson has made in the 25 or so years he's spent lolling around his swimming pool, and it's a damn shame because at its best, which those two songs aren't, it flirts with perfection. Beyond the three- and four-part harmonies (handled mostly by Wilson himself) and the dense beds of saxes, trumpets, clarinets and percussion--all of which Wilson fans have long been able to count on--are those classic Wilson melodies. He thrives on little complexities, like the strange modulations in the doo-woppy "Keep An Eye On Summer" and the extra chords in "Lay Down Burden" over which he stretches a stock pop melody. And he can still turn out a deceptively simple pop hook, as on "Your Imagination," and surprise you with his voice, like when he reaches for the lower depths of his range on "Cry." | Tracks: 1. Your Imagination 2. She Says That She Needs Me 3. South American 4. Where Has Love Been? 5. Keep an Eye on Summer 6. Dream Angel 7. Cry 8. Lay Down Burden 9. Let Him Run Wild 10. Sunshine 11. Happy Days |
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Live At The Roxy Theatre |
Available
in: |
| "Brian is Back!" It's taken decades, but that once sadly ironic press agent's epithet has finally come true. The intervening quarter-century may have devastated Brian Wilson's mind and body, and band and family, but, as this double-disc live recording/love-fest ably demonstrates, his soul and music burn on. Backed flawlessly by a 10-piece band (including L.A. pop revivalists the Wondermints) of fervent loyalists, Wilson and company march joyously through the Beach Boys' hits-laden catalog, from "Surfer Girl" through "Good Vibrations" to the cream of Pet Sounds, a handful of the legend's solo works, and a gratifying surprise or two (including a delicious, inside-out-ironic cover of Barenaked Ladies' laid-back "Brian Wilson" that segues hauntingly into the all-too-autobiographical "'Til I Die"). If cynics have chosen to deride Wilson's mature voice (as steady and expressive as it's been in decades) and general oddness (here revealed for what it often truly is: a playfully off-center sense of humor), they do so at the peril of ignoring his vast contributions and continuing influence--and the spark of undimmed genius that still holds so much promise. Make no mistake, this show was not about nostalgia, but rather a celebration of music whose performances sound completely in the moment. Previously available only as a Wilson Web site exclusive, this expanded edition includes an audio interview with Brian at the piano, as well as two bonus tracks--"Sloop John B" and the rousing encore sing-along "Barbara Ann"--that help further underscore a hopeful notion: Brian is really back. | Tracks: Disc: 1 1. Little Girl Intro 2. The Little Girl I Once Knew 3. This Whole World 4. Don't Worry Baby 5. Kiss Me Baby 6. Do It Again 7. California Girls 8. I Get Around 9. Back Home 10. In My Room 11. Surfer Girl 12. The First Time 13. This Isn't Love 14. Add Some Music To Your Day 15. Please Let Me Wonder Disc: 2 1. Band Intro 2. Brian Wilson 3. 'Til I Die 4. Darlin' 5. Let's Go Away For Awhile 6. Pet Sounds 7. God Only Knows 8. Lay Down Burden 9. Be My Baby 10. Good Vibrations 11. Caroline No 12. All Summer Long 13. Love & Mercy 14. Barbara Ann (Bonus Track) 15. Sloop John B. (Bonus Track) 16. Interview With Brian |
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Add Some Music To Your Day : Analyzing and Enjoying the Music of the Beach Boys |
Available
in: |
| This book
presents the best of "Add Some Music," the respected and fondly-remembered Beach
Boys fanzine of 1978-1984. Over 40 newly-edited articles, essays, and reviews provide a
serious and critical perspective on the music of Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys. Edited by Don Cunningham (editor and publisher of "Add Some Music" during the fanzine's seven-year existence) and Jeff Bleiel (author of "That's All: Bobby Darin On Record, Stage & Screen"), the book features insightful, opinionated commentary on the Beach Boys which has been unavailable for over 15 years. Highlights include: Musical analysis of 17 Beach Boys classics, focusing on Brian Wilson's revolutionary and enduring triumphs as a composer, producer, arranger, and bandleader Critical reviews of often-overlooked Beach Boys albums Comprehensive articles covering the works of Beach Boys Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Al Jardine, and Mike Love Over 35 photos, many of which have been unseen since their original publication Noteworthy among the 45 articles reprinted and re-edited for this book are Don Cunningham's in-depth analyses of Brian Wilson's beloved and acclaimed songs and productions. "Help Me, Rhonda," "Surfer Girl," "Good Vibrations," "Don't Worry Baby," "Heroes and Villains," "California Girls," and "Sloop John B" are among the classics covered. Many Beach Boys aficionados consider "Add Some Music," a serious journal about the band's artistry and history, to be the best fanzine ever published about the group. The articles now collected for the book "Add Some Music To Your Day" stand up as exceptionally perceptive commentary on the Beach Boys -- writing which has never before received wide distribution. |
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Heroes and Villains : The True Story of the Beach Boys |
Available
in: |
| Through candid interviews with close friends, family, and the Beach Boys themselves, this biography portrays and evaluates all those who propelled the California myth, and the group who sang about it, into world-wide prominence. With dozens of photos, this book recounts the bitter saga of the American dream realized and distorted, and the music that survived. 66 photos. | ||
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Brian Wilson & the Beach Boys : How Deep Is the Ocean? |
Available
in: |
| The aim of this book is to bring together the best of Paul Williams' Beach Boys pieces. The book begins with an account of a 1966 visit to Brian Wilson's home in Beverly Hills, and goes on to span three decades, culminating with 1995 and 1997 interviews with Wilson and Anderle. | ||
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Denny Remembered, Dennis Wilson In Words and Pictures |
Available
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The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds : The Greatest Album of the Twentieth Century |
Available
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| Pet Sounds is the 1966 album that saw The Beach Boys graduate from lightweight pop like "Surfin' USA", et al, into a vehicle for the mature compositional genius of Brian Wilson. The album was hugely influential, not least on The Beatles. This the full story of the album's background, its composition and recording, its contemporary reception and its enduring legacy. | ||
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Dumb Angel: The Life & Music of Dennis Wilson |
Available
in: |
| In 1961, the Beach Boys scored their first hit "Surfin'." This at times too laudatory portrait of drummer Dennis Wilson (1944-83) is being published to coincide with the 50th anniversary of that event, which launched 1000 surf boards and moved millions of records. Describing the rise of the Beach Boys, London DJ and writer Webb shows how his subject initially played a minimal musical role in the band but epitomized the Beach Boys' image of sun-tanned, surfing, car-crazed babe-magnets. He then traces Dennis's growing songwriting influence as brother Brian Wilson lost his grip on reality, as well as the drummer's increasing drug habit. Chapters are also devoted to Wilson's brief stint as an actor and his 1977 solo effort, Pacific Ocean Blue, which Webb considers one of the most underrated records of the 1970s. Including interviews with minor characters from the Beach Boys' entourage, this profile succeeds in gathering the existing material about the tragic Beach Boy. | ||
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Dennis Wilson: The Real Beach Boy |
Available
in: |
| The staggering tale of the freewheeling brother who fired Brian Wilson's imagination and influenced the Beach Boys' sound, style, and attitude He was the embodiment of the sun-drenched California dream, a sandy-haired sex symbol that sparked a cultural tidal wave. Surfer, lover, drummer, Beach Boy. His life was a short, brilliant, intoxicating ride that inevitably curled into a torturous spiral of addiction and despair. Profoundly gifted but destructively wild, Dennis Wilson was dead at age 39, drowning quietly while his influence made millions for others. Volumes have been written about the troubled past of Dennis's older brother Brian Wilson and his amazing impact on the history of popular music. But Dennis Wilson: The Real Beach Boy tells for the first time the staggering tale of the freewheeling brother who fired Brian's imagination and permanently influenced the Beach Boys' sound, style, and attitude. While Brian stayed in his room, brother Dennis hurled himself at life with an unquenchable lust for action. From surfing teenager to drag-racing daredevil, from his legendary sexual appetite to his chilling friendship with mass murderer Charles Manson, this biography follows the hair-raising trail blazed by the real Beach Boy. Author Jon Stebbins candidly and passionately offers the first in-depth look at one of rock and roll's most compelling figures in a book packed with rare, never-before-published photos and previously unknown facts. | ||
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The Beach Boys - Endless Harmony |
Available
in: |
| This
smartly produced, intelligently written documentary strikes a satisfying balance between
thoughtful analysis, personal history, and sheer musical pleasure for a portrait of the
seminal California pop band that will prove equally compelling to both knowledgeable fans
and casual listeners. In the audiovisual equivalent of a loaves-and-fishes miracle, The
Beach Boys: Endless Harmony weaves 45 of the group's songs through extended interview
segments with all the original members, key musicians involved in their career-defining
recordings, and astute peers and industry observers. Evocative period footage, including
archival film and early, no-budget promotional videos, only add to the impact, but the
real achievement is the clarity and candor of this authorized project, which might easily
have lapsed into callow myth-making and media spin control given the involvement of the
surviving Beach Boys and their record label, Capitol, which is releasing both the
documentary and a companion hits
compilation. Instead, these archetypal Southern Californians, who transmuted their experiences growing up in suburban Hawthorne into a potent teen iconography orbiting surfing, cars, and girls, tackle the underlying personal and cultural upheavals beneath their discography. The central, dysfunctional drama of the Wilson family--brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl, the group's nucleus, and their manager-father, Murry--is addressed early on, and underlined with harrowing excerpts from session tapes capturing the hard-driving, abusive style of Wilson p�re. Composer and acknowledged group leader Brian Wilson, who long ago became a poster boy for "troubled genius," pop division, is likewise depicted without evasion or apology, as are the internal tensions between Wilson and other members including Wilson cousin Mike Love; it's a testament to the filmmakers' acuity and skill that Love depicts himself as a force of "positivity... and 'upbeatness'" that counterbalanced Brian's darker, more introverted style, then dismisses the elliptical poetry of Wilson's most artistically ambitious collaborations with Van Dyke Parks as lyrically opaque. Originally aired on VH-1, Endless Harmony works as an apotheosis of the cable channel's Behind the Music concept, elevating the concept substantially and covering an enormous terrain in 105 minutes. For the Beach Boys fan, this will be an essential companion to their enduring music. |
||
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The Beach Boys - The Lost Concert |
Available
in: |
| Clocking in at a mere 22 minutes, this long-lost concert video goes by much too quickly, but fans of the Beach Boys will be delighted with the quality of the digitally mastered picture and sound, making this a worthwhile addition to any Beach Boys collection. The boys were taped live on March 14, 1964 as part of a concert that also included the Beatles and Lesley Gore. After the performances were aired on closed-circuit TV to theaters packed with screaming fans, the Beach Boys segment remained virtually unseen until it was rediscovered in 1998. Cutaway shots provide a wonderful glimpse of what teen audiences were like during the heyday of the surfin' craze (plenty of Gidget hairdos, and a few parents in the crowd, marveling at the frenzy of it all), but it's the music that counts here, and clearly the boys were having a pretty good day. Most of the early hits are played here ("Fun, Fun, Fun," "Little Deuce Coupe," "In My Room"), and while lead vocalist Mike Love hams it up, it's fascinating to witness early indications that bandleader Brian Wilson was growing tired of live performance. He revs it up for a wacky cover of "Papa Oom Mow-Mow," though, and that makes this video a time-capsule treasure, showing the Beach Boys in their prime before Wilson retreated completely into the sanctuary of the studio. | ||
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Brian Wilson - I Just Wasn't Made for These Times |
Available
in: |
| A look inside the conundrum of composer Brian Wilson's mind, this documentary provides fascinating insights into the former Beach Boy's musical genius, volatile personality and the veneration of his peers. | ||
|
Brian Wilson - Imagination |
Available
in: |
| This DVD features a special concert performance by Brian Wilson, including such guest stars as Christopher Cross, Jimmy Buffett, and Timothy B. Schmit. Though the concert segment of the DVD ranges through Wilson's career from his earliest Beach Boy days, its focus is his album Imagination , his first output in a decade. Each song is bracketed by interview segments: with Wilson, with his various collaborators, and with such admirers as Stevie Wonder and Barenaked Ladies. Still, while the concert performances are strong, they feature the same trick as his recent live concerts: sweeping washes of sound that mask just how thin and tentative Wilson's voice has become. As for insight into Wilson's tragically quirky life and pained genius, check out I Just Wasn't Made for These Times, Don Was's film about Wilson. | ||
|
The Beach Boys - Nashville Sounds: The Making of Stars and Stripes |
Available
in: |
| The Beach Boys had the presence of mind to film rehearsals and backstage patter as well as performances while in Nashville making Stars and Stripes, Vol. 1 in 1996. The resulting film, The Beach Boys: Nashville Sounds, features the Boys with some of country music's heaviest hitters, including Willie Nelson (who croons "The Warmth of the Sun" with gentle ease), Rodney Crowell (who rocks with "Sail On, Sailor"), and Lorrie Morgan (who delivers a cheerleader-peppy "Don't Worry Baby"). Performing with the other artists seems to focus the Boys, whose harmonies sound better here than they have in years. Many of the country singers, while enthusiastic, give performances on the bland side, though one segment stands out as particularly moving: an obviously frail Tammy Wynette valiantly tackling "In My Room," voice cracking, with harmony from Brian Wilson, himself appearing unfocused and fragile. And fans will appreciate the last significant footage of Carl and Brian Wilson singing together. | ||
|
The Beach Boys: The Lost Concert |
Available
in: |
| Thought lost for thirty-five years, this rare concert brings you the Beach Boys at the peak of their performing talents. Early in 1964, promoters put together a mega-concert with the hottest stars of the day: the Beatles, Lesley Gore and the Beach Boys. The performances were taped live and aired on closed circuit. The Beach Boys' portion of the show was lost until 1998, but now it can be savored by their millions of fans on home video for the first time. Songs: Fun Fun Fun, Long Tall Texan, Little Deuce Coupe, Surfer Girl, Surfin' USA, Shut Down, In My Room, Papa Oom-Mow-Mow, Hawaii. | ||
|
The Beach Boys - Endless Harmony |
Available
in: |
| This
smartly produced, intelligently written documentary strikes a satisfying balance between
thoughtful analysis, personal history, and sheer musical pleasure for a portrait of the
seminal California pop band that will prove equally compelling to both knowledgeable fans
and casual listeners. In the audiovisual equivalent of a loaves-and-fishes miracle, The
Beach Boys: Endless Harmony weaves 45 of the group's songs through extended interview
segments with all the original members, key musicians involved in their career-defining
recordings, and astute peers and industry observers. Evocative period footage, including
archival film and early, no-budget promotional videos, only add to the impact, but the
real achievement is the clarity and candor of this authorized project, which might easily
have lapsed into callow myth-making and media spin control given the involvement of the
surviving Beach Boys and their record label, Capitol, which is releasing both the
documentary and a companion hits
compilation. Instead, these archetypal Southern Californians, who transmuted their experiences growing up in suburban Hawthorne into a potent teen iconography orbiting surfing, cars, and girls, tackle the underlying personal and cultural upheavals beneath their discography. The central, dysfunctional drama of the Wilson family--brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl, the group's nucleus, and their manager-father, Murry--is addressed early on, and underlined with harrowing excerpts from session tapes capturing the hard-driving, abusive style of Wilson p�re. Composer and acknowledged group leader Brian Wilson, who long ago became a poster boy for "troubled genius," pop division, is likewise depicted without evasion or apology, as are the internal tensions between Wilson and other members including Wilson cousin Mike Love; it's a testament to the filmmakers' acuity and skill that Love depicts himself as a force of "positivity... and 'upbeatness'" that counterbalanced Brian's darker, more introverted style, then dismisses the elliptical poetry of Wilson's most artistically ambitious collaborations with Van Dyke Parks as lyrically opaque. Originally aired on VH-1, Endless Harmony works as an apotheosis of the cable channel's Behind the Music concept, elevating the concept substantially and covering an enormous terrain in 105 minutes. For the Beach Boys fan, this will be an essential companion to their enduring music. |
||
|
The Beach Boys - Nashville Sounds: The Making of Stars and Stripes |
Available
in: |
| The legendary Beach Boys are once again led by their founding genius, Brian Wilson, in a once-in-a-lifetime all-star concert. Joining with many of country music's finest musicians, the Beach Boys revisit a number of their most famous hits, bringing a new magic and personality to these classic songs. Songs (and collaborators): Don't Worry Baby (Lorrie Morgan), The Warmth of the Sun (Willie Nelson), Little Deuce Coupe (James House), Sail on Sailor (Rodney Crowell), Caroline No (Timothy B. Schmidt), 409 (Junior Brown), Sloop John B (Collin Raye), Long Tall Texan (Doug Supernaw), I Get Around (Sawyer Brown), Be True to Your School (Toby Keith), Help Me Rhonda (T. Graham Brown), In My Room (Tammy Wynette), I Can Hear Music (Kathy Troccoli). | ||
|
Brian Wilson - Imagination |
Available
in: |
| This VHS features a special concert performance by Brian Wilson, including such guest stars as Christopher Cross, Jimmy Buffett, and Timothy B. Schmit. Though the concert segment of the VHS ranges through Wilson's career from his earliest Beach Boy days, its focus is his album Imagination, his first output in a decade. Each song is bracketed by interview segments: with Wilson, with his various collaborators, and with such admirers as Stevie Wonder and Barenaked Ladies. Still, while the concert performances are strong, they feature the same trick as his recent live concerts: sweeping washes of sound that mask just how thin and tentative Wilson's voice has become. As for insight into Wilson's tragically quirky life and pained genius, check out I Just Wasn't Made for These Times, Don Was's film about Wilson. | ||
|
Biography - Brian Wilson |
Available
in: |
| Meet the genius behind the Beach Boys and go beyond the studio and the stage to explore the private struggles of Brian Wilson who valiantly fought and won his battles with addiction. Brian Wilson is considered the musical genius behind one of the most popular musical groups of our time. Separate fact from fiction as intimate stories shared by family members, close friends and fellow Beach Boys as well as Brian Wilson himself dispel of many of the long-running and sensational rumors that have contributed to his legend. Listen to rare recordings and concert footage of some of the Beach Boys' greatest American classics that will show why countless critics, colleagues and fans consider Brian Wilson the pre-eminent musical genius of our time. From shy boy to king of the California Dreamers, Biography presents the most comprehensive look at the life and music of Brian Wilson ever filmed. | ||
