THE LATE DENNIS WILSON, MIDDLE SON OF THE WILSON CLAN AND MEMBER OF THE BEACH BOYS, HAS JUST HAD HIS ONLY SOLO RECORD (ORIGINALLY RELEASED IN 1977)REISSUED TO GREAT FANFARE. THIS LONG OUT OF PRINT RECORD IS MOSTLY UNLIKE ANYTHING YOU'D ASSOCIATE WITH HIS REGULAR GIG. THERE IS SOME OTHERWORLDLY TRANSCENDENTAL MOMENTS ON "PACIFIC OCEAN BLUE" AS WELL AS..UH..SOME CRAP. AND MAKE NO MISTAKE, THE CRAP IS IN FACT CRAP.
BUT THE GOOD MOMENTS ARE REALLY REALLY GOOD. EVEN GREAT.
BUT LET'S GET TO THE CRAP FIRST. ON A HANDFUL OF SONGS, ONE IS TRANSPLANTED INTO MUSIC THAT SOUNDS LIKE THE THEME FROM "SANFORD AND SON" MEETING JIMMY BUFFET ON A BAD BAD DAY. AND ON THESE SONGS, IT ALL SOUNDS LIKE BLOATED OVERBLOWN COCAINE CRAP..WHICH IS PROBABLY NOT FAR FROM THE TRUTH BASED ON THE HISTORY OF DENNIS WILSON.
AND ON A SIDE NOTE, IT IS QUITE EASY TO RESEARCH THE LIFE OF THIS MAN, WHO DROWNED AT THE AGE OF 39 AND HAD QUITE A INTENSE LIFE. ONE COULDN'T SAY THAT IT WAS BORING, THAT IS FOR SURE! BUT THERE IS A WARNING IN THIS ALL: IT IS QUITE EASY FOR ANY LISTENER TO GET SWALLOWED UP IN THE LIFE OF AN ARTIST, ESPECIALLY A TROUBLED ARTIST AND IT IS QUITE EASY TO ATTACH THOSE KIND OF TABLOID VH1 HORRORS TO THE MUSIC, CAUSE IT SORT OF SEEMS TO MAKE THE MUSIC SEEM THAT MUCH COOLER. HELL, i AM GUILTY OF THIS AS WELL. SO TAKE ALL OF THAT WITH A GRAIN OF SALT WHEN YOU HEAR THE SHITTY SONGS ON "PACIFIC OCEAN BLUE", BECAUSE THEY DO INDEED STINK. BEACH BOYS NERDS ARE A BIZZARE LOT. SOME MIGHT SAY OTHERWISE, BUT NOT EVERY SONG IS GREAT.
BUT THE MAJORITY OF THE RECORD (AS WELL AS AT LEAST HALF OF THE EXTRA DISC OF UNRELEASED MATERIAL HE WAS WORKING ON AFTERWARDS) IS STRIKINGLY GOOD, REALLY GOOD AND STRANGELY PUT TOGETHER, A COLLECTION OF MOODY MOROSE BALLADS BATHED IN WHAT SOUNDS LIKE COUGH SYRUP WITH CODEINE IN IT..TO SAY THAT THIS MUSIC IS A DOWNER WOULD BE SAYING THAT THE OSMONDS HAD A LOT OF TEETH. WILSON'S VOICE IS SORT OF A HOARSE RAGGED CROAK, TOTALLY AT ODDS WITH HIS BROTHERS CARL AND BRIAN. BUT HE DOES CONVEY INCREDIBLE EMOTION WITH SOME OF THE DUMBEST MOST SIMPLE LYRICS EVER. I BELIEVE EVERY WORD HE SAYS, AND THAT IS THE KEY TO ANY GOOD MUSIC. SOME OF THESE SONGS ARE INCREDIBLY AHEAD OF THEIR TIME, OR TRANSCEND TIME ITSELF. AND A FEW OF THESE ARRANGEMENTS ARE REALLY REALLY WEIRD. BUT BE WARNED: IT IS BY FAR A HAPPY GOOD TIME RECORD. "PACIFIC OCEAN BLUE" IS A BEAUTIFUL HEART WRENCHING BUMMER OVERALL, AND IS QUITE ENJOYABLE.
HERE IS ONE OF THE HAPPIER SONGS ON "PACIFIC OCEAN BLUE" CALLED "THOUGHTS OF YOU".
No comments:
Post a Comment