Finally free of The Beach Boys & the mysterious Dr. Landy, Brian Wilson glows under the production stylings of Don Was. In "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times", Wilson shakes the dust off some vintage Beach Boys tunes and takes the listener on a journey through Wilson's past.

Songs like "This Whole World", provide musical scenery for the mind, and one can't help but picture speeding down the highway in a Mustang convertable. Wilson's talent for painting a scene continues with the Pet Sounds era "Caroline, No", which features a beautiful flute solo, and proves that Wilson is not a mere fun-in-the-sun songwriter.

Before long we come to one of Wilson's more recent pieces, "Love and Mercy". This song, from Brian's 1987 self-titled album, has been toned down from a digitally driven song, and placed in a more comfortable accoustic tone. A quiet cry for love in the world seems to be Wilson's overwhelming theme on this album, and as such, it furnishes a welcome intimate quality to the listener.

Brian then jumps into "Do It Again" (featuring Brian's daughters Carnie & Wendy) and another Beach Boys classic, "The Warmth of the Sun". The other boys may be missing from the album, but Wilson's voice provides a pleasant familiarity.

"Still I Dream of It", a demo Wilson made in 1976, gives the listener a glimpse of the depression he went through. Including very rough vocals, and a lyrical impression of the haunting images that must have plagued his mind, this song attests to Brian's need to write songs, and deal with those feelings the only way he knows: musically.

The album closes with a wonderful version of "Til I Die" which further demonstrates how healing music can be.

This album is very raw, and captures Brian as listener's have never heard him: candidly. Minus the masterpiece production of Pet Sounds, Was gives the listener a chance to see Wilson as he truly is: a musical genius.

In future decades, Brian Wilson will be placed alongside great, timeless American musicmakers like George Gershwin and Cole Porter, while the Beach Boys will probably be seen as an artifact of their era, just like the corny Gershwin and Porter musicals where their songs were first introduced are now seen as charming but dated.

This album is the first step in that direction. Its impresario, Don Was, sets up a great studio band and chorus (including the old Linda Ronstadt hand Andrew Gold) to represent some of Brian's best songs in an almost concert-like setting. The vocal blend on songs like Caroline, No, Warmth of the Sun, and (especially!) 'Til I Die shows that the brilliance of Brian's arrangements transcends the Beach Boys and their particular vocal qualities and cultural iconography.

At some point soon, I hope that the idea behind this all-too-brief selection is taken on the road: Brian with full band and chorus, giving his brilliant songs a full professional presentation, without Beach Boys Hawaii-shirt nostalgia, but instead an acknowledgement that THIS is the man who made this music, and THIS is how it should be heard.

This will be a quickie review. I just saw Brian Wilson a week ago today, on 6/18/99. The show began with a short "this is your life" video, to warm up the audience--and Brian, according to the MC. A few songs into the show was a powerful sampling of Pet Sounds sounds, with some new "Imagination" kickers, like South America, and the tribute to his brother, introduced with his comment, "This is a sad song but I think I can get through it". A little later, after some upbeat Beach Boys songs, and a live rendering of "Pet Sounds" title track, Brian said "you can all cry now" and launched into "Caroline No". After two encores, during which he had the audience clap, and then clapped for the audience himself, he left us with a long and sweet rendition of "Love and Mercy". And I've been looking for the CD since, just getting a taste of it on Amazon's free sample service. Wow. This is an album to have. Add me to the rave reviews for this genius's incredible production of song and sadness and harmony and beauty. My final image from the concert at NY's Beacon theater: As the limo pulls off, someone calls out, "We love you Brian". Love and mercy, still swimming through my head.

I should preface my comments by saying that, as a veteran songwriter with many years experience in recording studios, I am in all likelihood discerning recordings from a completely different viewpoint from veteran listeners and/or school-trained music critics. Anyone who has been blessed with the gift of musical composition will have nothing less than the highest praise for the innate genius of Brian Wilson. If you can't get past his deteriorating, aging vocal timbre, and recognize his astounding mastery of the soul of a song, his flawless chord to melody choice, his perfect musical phrasing, his ingenius segues between otherwise complex key changes to mention but a few, then my heart aches with pity for you. He had the perspicacity to fearlessly surround himself with some of the most gifted musicians I have heard in decades.
From the haunting dulcet phrases in Love & Mercy to the tinny home demo recording of Still I Dream Of It ( which, as a composer, is an inspirational high point of this album to me) this record is a masterpiece. The music of Brian Wilson is a major and significant contribution to the American Songbook.
Keep writing, Brian!!

This guy really means what he writes and sings. It all seems like its by him, for him. Very personal. Its a strange mixture of a sort of personal suffering and joy. You don't find this with too many other composers. This Whole World is joy - its got an enthusiasm for life that's very energetic and involving. Caroline, no is suffering. I also really like Love and Mercy. Its a sort of message to mankind on behalf of mankind. Still I dream of it is a bit too much for me .. too agonizing. But in their own way, every track is wonderful. He might be slightly unhinged - aren't we all? - but that actually doesn't make any difference to whether you appreciate his music or not. And his renditions have so much emotion in them. I honestly can't understand why this is not the all-time classic it deserves to be. Listen to it, but it, tell your friends.