Brian Wilson (album)

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Brian Wilson
Studio album by Brian Wilson
Released	12 July 1988
Recorded	Summer 1987–Spring 1988
Genre	Rock
Length	37:20
Label	Sire
Producer	Brian Wilson, Russ Titelman, Jeff Lynne, Lenny Waronker, Andy Paley
Professional reviews
Allmusic [1] Robert Christgau (B−)[2] Rolling Stone [3] The Guardian (Positive)[4]
Brian Wilson chronology
Brian Wilson (1988) I Just Wasn't Made for These Times (1995)

Brian Wilson is the eponymous first solo album by Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys, released in July 1988 on Sire Records. The album was reissued on Rhino Records with an extensive selection of bonus tracks in 2000.

Contents 1 Background 2 Release and reception 3 Promotion 4 Track listing 4.1 Bonus tracks 5 Singles 6 Personnel 7 Sources 8 References

[edit] Background

Wilson was signed to a solo recording multi-album contract with Sire Records in early 1987, however, Brian Wilson remains the only Brian Wilson album and related singles released by Sire Records. The initial single released that April, "Let's Go To Heaven In My Car", was not commercially successful, but Wilson proceeded to record a full album of new material. The recording sessions, supervised by veteran producers like Russ Titelman and Lenny Waronker, were said to be contentious. Wilson's collaborators reportedly clashed with his controversial therapist, Dr. Eugene Landy. After several months, Brian Wilson was complete and ready for release. "Love And Mercy" was its lead single, but despite its commercial quality and contemporary sound, it didn't become a major hit. The song, however, hit No. 54 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in 1988.

[edit] Release and reception

Brian Wilson was released in July 1988 to favorable reviews but reached a respectable #54 on American 200 LP charts. Two singles from the album, "Love And Mercy" and "Melt Away," sold poorly. A third, "Night Time," was released for promotional use only. In hindsight, while The Beach Boys' #1 smash, "Kokomo", stole some of Wilson's thunder, he was likely more hurt by his publicly controversial relationship with Landy. Initially, Landy and his girlfriend, Alexandra Morgan, even had their names included on some of the songs on Brian Wilson, but once he was successfully removed from Wilson's life in 1991, the credits were later revised to reflect their lack of involvement in Wilson's songs.

[edit] Promotion

No music videos were produced for Brian Wilson. However, Sire Records did release a promotional disc with an interview of Brian Wilson intertwined with various tracks from the album. Additionally, Sire released a limited edition CD with a leather-bound jacket. In his autobiography, Wilson indicated that not releasing a music video to coincide with the release of the album was a mistake.^[5]

[edit] Track listing

All tracks written by Brian Wilson, unless otherwise noted.

1. "Love And Mercy" ♦ – 2:56
2. "Walkin' The Line" ♦ (Wilson, Nick Laird-Clowes) – 2:38
3. "Melt Away" ♦ – 3:01
4. "Baby Let Your Hair Grow Long" – 3:18
5. "Little Children" – 1:49
6. "One For The Boys" – 1:50
7. "There's So Many" ♦ – 2:47
8. "Night Time" ♦ (Wilson, Andy Paley) – 3:39
9. "Let It Shine" (Wilson, Jeff Lynne) – 3:58
10. "Meet Me In My Dreams Tonight" (Wilson, Paley, Andy Dean) – 3:07
11. "Rio Grande" (Wilson, Paley) – 8:12

♦ On the original release, Landy was given a cowriter's credit on these songs, and his reported girlfriend, Alexandra Morgan, was also co-credited on three of the songs. Those credits were removed on the 2000 rerelease, and are often regarded as spurious. Collaborator Andy Paley has also noted that some of the composer and musician credits are less than accurate.

[edit] Bonus tracks

The following 15 tracks were included in the 2000 remastered re-release of the CD.

1. "Brian Wilson on 'Love and Mercy'"
2. "He Couldn't Get His Poor Old Body to Move"
3. "Being With the One You Love"
4. "Let's Go to Heaven in My Car"
5. "Too Much Sugar"
6. "There's So Many (demo)"
7. "Walkin' the Line (demo)"
8. "Melt Away (early version-alternate vocal)"
9. "Night Time (TRUE instrumental)"
10. "Little Children (demo)"
11. "Night Bloomin' Jasmine (demo)"
12. "Rio Grande (compiled rough mix, early version)"
13. "Brian on 'Rio Grande'"
14. "Brian on 'The Source'"
15. "Brain Fan Club X-Mas Message"

[edit] Singles

• "Love And Mercy" b/w "He Couldn’t Get His Poor Old Body To Move" (Brian Wilson, Lindsey Buckingham) (Sire 27814), 1 July 1988
• "Night Time" (Edit) b/w "Night Time" (LP Version) (Sire 7-27787-DJ) 1988
• "Melt Away" b/w "Being With The One You Love" (Sire 27694), 19 January 1989

[edit] Personnel

• Brian Wilson – vocals, piano, organ, chimes, glockenspiel, bells, vibraphone, sound effects

Additional musicians

• Jeff Lynne – bass, guitar, keyboards
• Rob Mounsey – guitar, piano, emulator, synth guitar
• Elliot Easton – guitar
• Michael Andreas – flute, saxophone
• Michael Bernard – drums, synthesizer programming
• Stewart Blumberg – trumpet
• Jeff Bova – keyboards, programming
• Jimmy Bralower – drum programming
• Lance Buller – trumpet
• Terence Trent D'Arby – background vocals
• Christopher Cross – background vocals
• Andy Dean – percussion, programming, bells, vibraphone
• Tris Imboden – drums
• Hyman Katz – flute, piccolo
• Robbie Kilgore – keyboard programming
• Larry Williams – saxophone
• Harry Kim – trumpet
• Steve Lindsey – keyboards, synthesizer programming
• Jay Migliori – baritone saxophone
• Andy Paley – guitar, bass, harmonica, percussion, background vocals
• Dean Parks – guitar
• Bob Riley – drum machine
• Philippe Saisse – synthesizer programming
• Carol Steele – percussion
• Todd Herreman – Fairlight synthesizer
• Frank Morrocco – accordion
• Baystate Bluegrass Band – acoustic guitars, banjos, mandolin
• Robbie Condor – synthesizer programming
• Eugene E. Landy – background vocals
• Tony Salvage – violin, saw
• Kevin S. Leslie – footsteps

[edit] Sources

• Brian Wilson CD booklet notes, David Leaf, c.2000
• "The Nearest Faraway Place: Brian Wilson, The Beach Boys and the Southern California Experience", Timothy White, c. 1994.

[edit] References

v • d • e Brian Wilson Studio albums Brian Wilson · I Just Wasn't Made for These Times · Orange Crate Art (with Van Dyke Parks) · Imagination · Gettin' in Over My Head · Smile · What I Really Want for Christmas · That Lucky Old Sun Live albums Live at the Roxy Theatre · Pet Sounds Live Related articles The Beach Boys · Sweet Insanity · Marilyn Wilson-Rutherford · Carnie Wilson · Wendy Wilson · Brian Wilson (song)