Customer Reviews

Brian Wilson: Pet Sounds Live in London

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

After listening to Brian and The Wondermints and the Roxy show on CD for so long, I thought I knew what to expect when I ordered this DVD. Boy was I wrong!! This performance still blows me away every time I watch it. I have listened to Pet Sounds for years and also have the Pet Sounds Sessions CD box set, but none of that comes close to matching the energy and love in this music as performed live at these London shows. The backing band and vocals in this show are far superior and all involved perform with loving sophistication and care. It is truly a blessing from God to have a live performance of these songs performed nearly 40 years after the albums release in digital video and sound seeing as Brian was probably set to have gone the way of Elvis, Jim Morrison and the other icons of rock history. The only thing that could possibly improve this performance would be the presence of the surreal vocal harmony of Brian, Carl, Al, Bruce, Dennis and Mike together. I am glad see that Brian and the Boys are finally being recognized for the fantastic work on Pet Sounds and anyone who even thinks they love music should have this show in their collection. No one is truly musically educated until they experience Pet Sounds and this DVD is a great place to start!! God bless Brian Wilson!!

I was lucky to see Brian Wilson play live in Hamburg, Germany in January 2002 with this fantastic band, and he performed the entire Pet Sounds album there as well. I was moved to tears by the whole experience: the sheer brilliance of the music and the band, the timeless songs, the vocal harmonies, and the charm and charisma of Brian himself. It was a perfect night. Beforehand I had my reservations: seeing your idols in the flesh tends to spoil the magic and may even lead to disappointment, but this time it went the other way: this show exceeded all my wildest expectations, and this DVD takes me right back - it is a perfect, no-frills document of the Pet Sounds-sequence as he performed it on his six nights at London's Royal Festival Hall. The sound quality and the musicianship means that even the smallest details in the arrangements are brought to your attention in a way that even the Pet Sounds box-set fails to do. Whereas the "Brian Wilson On Tour"-DVD is more like a documentary, this one is music from start to finish. The 40 minute bonus footage on the original Pet Sounds sessions with interviews with key members of the Wrecking Crew is great too. Indispensable for Beach Boys/ Brian Wilson fans, and seriously recommended for any lover of great music. And now he's coming back to do Smile....!!!

Let's start this way. You are not going to believe what you are watching. Subtle bass lines, resourceful percussion and drums, devotional musicians (Wondermints) playing diverse instruments on stage, ranging from vibraphones to trombones, and harmonizing like the Beach Boys at their peak or better than that. And here is the man who has seen it all and returned from hell like Lazarus. If you are one of those wondering why Pet Sounds is the quintessential album of popular music all together this DVD is going to tell you why. These songs raised the status of pop music from mere entertainment to art. You may cry with "Don't Talk" or leap with joy with "Good Vibrations (encore) but there is no way to escape from the deep emotion of watching Brian (who is more confident than ever) on stage. The image is sharp and the 5.1 surround very effective. It also includes a bonus documentary featuring the original musicians who worked in the 1966 Pet Sounds album (Hal Blaine, Carol Kaye, etc.). Go and get it before it's too late. (Note: Brian did not stop here. Two years later -2004-, he released "Getting In Over My Head" including several songs from the unreleased "Sweet Insanity", and more significantly, he completed and released a full range new studio recording of the "Smile" album that he had abandoned back in 1967. Brian seems to have overcome all of his ghosts, heroes, and villains: Phil Spector, Mike Love, Dr. Eugene Landy. "Happy days are here again" indeed.

A passionate performance of the classic album. The 5.1 mix is excellent, Brian's voice is strong and expressive, and the bonus features are nice too (a 40 minute documentary -- newly made for this release -- about the album, and a BW solo discography).

For the ill-informed: This show comes from his performances in England in 2002, when the overture from the U.S. 2000 Pet Sounds shows wasn't performed. None of the English shows had orchestras either.

And guess what? You're not missing much. I saw the orchestra and overture in Denver back in 2000, and they didn't contribute.

This isn't meant to replace the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds or anything like that. It's meant to show a modern day Brian Wilson reclaiming his most deeply felt and realized album in concert. And it does that handily.

To begin with I am a devoted Beach Boys fan who did not like Pet Sounds when it first arrived back in '66. Maybe because I was only fourteen at the time and I missed their surf and car music. As I grew older this album became my all time favorite. I did see this tour back in 2000 and it was marvelous. I know Brians vocals are not what they use to be, but again his presence on stage is a miracle in itself. The Wondermints are amazing.
This performance is awesome and a must for every Beach Boy fan.

This DVD is a live (patchwork) reproduction of Brian Wilson and his band performing the classic Pet Sounds album. Just the album tracks. It is not from his symphonic Pet Sounds tour. It does not contain any of the other songs from the shows it's been culled from (this DVD is about 1/2 a Brian Wilson concert). It does not contain the symphonic overture performed at many of the last Pet Sounds shows. This DVD would be great gift for any hard-core Brian Wilson fan, because they are probably not buying it for themselves due to the above shortcomings.

Brian Wilson's return to the stage in recent years has been one of the bright spots in the music industry. He has assembled a phenomenal group of musicians to perform some of the most beautiful music ever composed. I saw Brian live a few years ago when he toured with Paul Simon and it was one of the most joyful concert experiences I have ever had. When I saw this DVD, I was anxious to buy it and finally have a souvenir of one of his shows. Well thanks to an inexperienced director, we are short-changed from witnessing a true representation of a Brian Wilson show. The direction of this concert is absolutely horrible. Why is it horrible? Well, the reason is because about 90% of the video is a close-up of Brian's head. In other words, every time he is singing, the camera is almost exclusively just showing his face or head. It is very claustrophobic; I do not understand why directors who shoot these concerts think that we want a close-up of someone's face for most of the show. It is the most uninteresting thing to watch. How about showing some full stage shots to capture the lighting and the whole band performing? How about some diversity in showing the other band members; you know; some close-ups; some shots showing several band members at once? You know, something an experienced and knowledgeable director would do. I can't believe that the director and editor could look at this final product and think it was entertaining.

The only thing worth buying the DVD for is for the documentary on the making of "Pet Sounds". It is excellent.

The new "Smile" DVD however is excellent, and the concert that was shot of Brian's live performance of "Smile" was done very well.

ROYAL FESTIVAL HALL, LONDON JANUARY 27-30- JUNE 9-10 2002 BRIAN WILSON AND THE WONDERMINTS PERFORM PET SOUNDS. An historical rock performance by musical genius Brian Wilson and his amazing well tuned band The Wondermints. Each song from "Would'nt It Be Nice" to "Caroline No" are performed brilliantly despite Brians older voice which holds up really well. His band the Wondermints perform with the love of Brians music in their hearts which translates to a beautiful vibrant concert performance. Watching this concert you really see and hear Pet Sounds disected live and get more of an appreciation for this historical landmark album. I read other reviews that this dvd should of had more songs, I like that this dvd mostly covers Pet Sounds, the last song performed is "Good Vibrations", you pay more attention to the Pet Sounds concert than you would if Brian and his band were preforming other songs in this London performance. The only negative; I wish the other Beach Boys (Carl, Al, Bruce, Dennis and Mike) were on the stage performing with Brian, but that did'nt take anything away from this amazing concert. Brian Wilsons collaberator for Pet Sounds Tony Asher is in the audience as well. I wish Phil Spectors Wall Of Sound (The Wrecking Crew) could have been performing on stage. DVD extras: The Brian Wilson documentary is very informative and a very facinating look into the Pet Sounds creation. The theatre sound DOLBY DTS is an incredible listen I swear you'll feel like your their. I was just glad to see Brian up there on that stage and god I'm happy he is back performing. An awesome concert performance, a must own dvd for any Beach Boys or rock fan in general. WELCOME BACK BRIAN, BELIEVE ME DUDE YOU HAVE BEEN SORELY MISSED..............

This DVD is not a documentry but a special Concert by Beach Boy
Genius Brain Wilson - who hand picked some younger unknown Rockers to play the entire 1966 Beach Boys - Pet Sounds album
live at the Royal Albert Hall, London last year.

If you like the Pet Sounds album you will love this DVD because
its the first time the whole album was ever preformed live! Sorry
folks no other Beach Boys are involved in this preformance!
Mike Love and Brian have been fighting for years over the Dr. Landy episode and other hurtful Jelosey episodes etc.. Al Jardine's mad about not being aloud to use the Beach Boy's name after he was kick out of the band and Bruce Johnson went surfing
Brain's brothers Carl and Denny are both in Rock n Roll heaven now.

Brian Wison was only 23 years old in 1966 and Pet Sounds was his
10th Beach Boys album (Amazing) and yes we all know he is a Crazy
Genius but some how he just looks like a normal aging Rocker on
stage now! I GUESS THATS WHY HE LAID IN BED FOR TEN YEARS so he could think up and plan this concert which is very well preformed by all ( Remember this is the album most respected by all the Royality of Rock: Paul McCartney - Linsey Buckingham etc..etc... ) so they had their hands full,
I like it (I saw the Beach Boys Live 4 times) and this is the best performace seen so far by me of their material.

I know that the other Beach Boys did not actually play the instruments on the backing track of the album (Spectors Wrecking Crew Did). Mike, Carl, Al, Bruce and Denny were on a heavy concert tour in 1966, but they put the ecellent vocals on top after they got back! Wouldn't it have been nice if the other boys were there too oh well that's a common problem in Rock (ego) what a shame Mike, Bruce and Carl was not involved in this
Mike Love still sings and sounds the same you know and Al's Guitar still works you know. It's like Robert Plant and Jimmy Page deal ( Not even asking John Paul Jones )to play Led Zepplin songs on a show what a waste ( I'm still crying about that )

That's only thing wrong with this DVD lack of participation
by the surviving members of the Beach Boys. What a shame
can't we just all get along in this world

We have all heard all or parts of Pet Sounds. But to hear it LIVE ,for the first time, in London , Unbelievable ! The excitment and all the behind the seenes , for get about it .
Excelent dvd .