Brian Wilson and "Pet Sounds"

This much anticipated concert date finally rolled around last night and what a night it was.  An authentic musical genius, Brian Wilson, founder of The Beach Boys, performing in it's entirety, one of the greatest rock and roll albums of all time, "Pet Sounds", to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of it's release.  Throw in the accompaniment of fellow Beach Boy Al Jardine, and a terrific ten piece band, and what you got was an evening that far exceeded every expectation that I had when I walked into the Benedum last night.

Brian Wilson's story is well known.  A founder and the musical master behind The Beach Boys, Wilson withdrew from touring with the band when he had an anxiety attack when traveling on an airplane.  He then went into the studio to create the masterpiece, Pet Sounds.  No one knew it at the time that it was masterpiece.  It was only a modest, if that, commercial success when it was released, but as the years went by, it became elevated in the pantheon of rock and roll albums.  (No less than Paul McCartney has called it perhaps the greatest album of all time.)  Wilson continued to withdraw, had artistic disagreements with his band mates, became drug dependent and paranoid, fell under the influence of a Svengali-like doctor, and became pretty much of a mess.  His story did have a happy ending and was well told in the 2015 movie, "Love and Mercy", which I highly recommend.

Anyway, the concert last night was tremendous.  Can Wilson sing like he did in his Beach Boys hey-day?  No, of course he can't, what seventy-four year old singer can?  Yet his singing of the entire Pet Sounds album last night was mesmerizing.  He would sing the songs, and when it came time for the trademark Beach Boys high notes and falsettos, those portions of the song were sung by vocalist  Matt Jardine, Al's son.  These trade offs were done seamlessly, and they contributed to the magic of the performance.  It was beautiful.

The night began with a one hour set that mixed some Beach Boys standards as well as some of the "Smile" songs, and featured a number of the individual band members.  Highlights included Matt Jardine singing "Don't Worry Baby", and Wilson singing "God Only Knows", which led to a mid-set standing ovation.  

The second set was the Pet Sounds performance, which, as I have stated, was simply amazing.

(Photo courtesy of Dan Bonk)

It was the encore, featuring Wilson and Jardine, that shook the rafters of the Benedum and had the crowd on its feet the entire time.  "Good Vibrations", "Help Me, Rhonda", "Surfin' USA", "Barbara Ann", and "Fun, Fun, Fun".  I mean, how could it get much better than that?

At the risk of sounding like a total fanboy, I don't think that I can overstate what it felt like to actually see and hear Brian Wilson perform live and person.  The term "genius" is passed around too easily and too often, but I think that it is totally appropriate to use it when speaking of Brian Wilson.  He has led a tortured life, and much of that is evident in his somewhat wooden stage presence.  He shuffles when he walks, and he talks very little between songs, but when the music plays and he begins to sing, even at the age of 74, the magic is there.  I feel very fortunate that I am now able to say that "Yeah, I saw Brian Wilson."

I will close this post the same way that Wilson closed his show last night: with  a remarkable performance of "Love and Mercy".

Movie Review: "Love & Mercy"

When it comes to a discussion of the really, really greats of American popular music in the latter half of the twentieth century, I believe that Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys stands, if not alone, then certainly among the top three or four such artists.  If you follow such things, you would be aware that Wilson, for all of his talents, has led a very troubled life, dealing with addiction and mental health issues.  This is the story that is told in "Love & Mercy", and it is not always an easy story to watch.

In making this movie, director Bill Pohlad has chosen to cast two different actors to play Wilson.  Paul Dano plays the 1960's version of Wilson.  This is the Brian Wilson who struggles with a controlling and abusive father, and band mates who don't get it when he, Wilson, wants to move beyond summer-and-surfer music and expand into something greater.  We see the greatness of Wilson who works tirelessly in the recording studio to make the album "Pet Sounds", and album that bombed when it was released, but has since been recognized as one to the great rock albums of all time.

Brian Wilson / Paul Dano / John Cusack

John Cusack, always a personal favorite of mine, plays Wilson in the 1980's.  It is a time when The Beach Boys have become a nostalgia act, and Wilson himself has fallen deep into the grips of depression and under the controlling influence of charlatan doctor Eugene Landy (Paul Giamatti).  Into his life comes failed model turned car saleswoman Melinda Ledbetter (Elizabeth Banks).  It is Melinda who sees Landy for the controlling creep that he is and will work with the Wilson family to "rescue" Brian.  Melinda and Brian would go on to be married and have five children.  They remain married to this day, and it is with their approval that this movie has been made and this story told.

The movie moves back and forth between the life and times of the younger and the older Wilson, a technique that works very well.  The acting by all four of the leads is superb.  The decision to use two actors to play Wilson worked to perfection.

The music of The Beach Boys and Wilson, particularly "Pet Sounds", is in the movie, but if you are expecting a juke box movie, you will be disappointed.  This is a story of a man struggling with a lot of inner demons who is being pulled in many directions by a lot of people, very few of whom have his interests at heart.  It is well made and well acted.  It is not always easy to watch, but it tells an important story about one of the great persons in his field.  It is well worth seeing.

Oh, and stay for the credits.  All of the credits.

Let me leave you with this from the man himself.

Album Review: "That's Why God Made The Radio"

The Beach Boys are back!

I have to admit that when I heard that The Beach Boys were releasing their first studio album in like a million years, I had my doubts.  I had the thought that The Beach Boys recording a new album FIFTY YEARS after their first one, and forty-six years after their epic, "Pet Sounds", well, I had visions that this would be the musical equivalent of Willie Mays playing center field for the Mets.  However, Brian Wilson was back and fully involved in the writing, singing and recording of the album, "That's Why God Made the Radio", and I did read some fairly good reviews of the album, so I went to the record store (my desk, laptop, and iTunes) and made the purchase.

And I gotta tell you...The Beach Boys are back!  Oh, there may be no classic tunes like Good Vibrations, Wouldn't It Be Nice, or Warmth of the Sun, and this album may not be an equal to "Pet Sounds", but it is a far, far cry from Willie Mays as a Met.

The Beach Boys do not try to be twenty-something kids on this one.  You know that these are older - if not just plan "old" - men singing songs of love and good times, and, yes, we also get songs about  summer, the ocean and beaches, but with a wistful tone, a tone that says we're not kids any more.  The opening track is called "Think About the Days" and it sort of sets the tone for what is to follow.  Some of the great tunes on the album are "Spring Vacation", "Daybreak Over the Ocean", "Beaches in Mind", and "Summer's Gone".  It is this wistful nature of these songs that really appealed to me, and make this a really good album.  That, and that unmistakable "sound" of Brian Wilson and the rest of the Beach Boys.

I am sure that the only people who are going to buy this album are people like me, people on the far side of age 50,  which means this album will probably not be a huge commercial success for the Beach Boys, and I suspect that they knew that going into the venture.  I am glad that the Boys put all of their familial and artistic and business squabbles aside for this effort to make this album.  It makes a statement of sorts that I will enjoy listening to time and again.

Good Vibrations?

I see on Facebook this afternoon that the Post-Gazette has announced that The Beach Boys, including Brian Wilson, will be touring this year and will be playing at the Benedum in Pittsburgh in May. It will be the first time that Wilson has toured with the group in over twenty years.

I say to myself, The Beach Boys are one of the seminal groups in American rock & roll history, Brian Wilson is one of the all-time great singer-songwriter-musician in rock & roll history, and I have never seen them live. This could be my last chance to make that happen.

Then I recall seeing them perform at the Grammy Awards on TV just this past Sunday night.

Then I think of watching Willie Mays play centerfield for the Mets.

Maybe I'll skip the appearance at the Benedum and just crank up "Pet Sounds" on the iPod.

Wouldn't THAT be nice?