Customer Reviews

Denny Remembered, Dennis Wilson In Words and Pictures

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I consider myself a true fan of the Beach Boys (yes, this species exists in Switzerland)and I've read a couple of books on the subject. If you are not very familiar with the story of the group and the background of the Wilson family, this book is NOT for you. It is rather a collection of articles, views (and reviews) of people close to Dennis Wilson, including even his children. The author clearly expects the reader to know the background, since not even a brief biography is included. But if you DO know your Beach Boys, this book is great. Rare pictures I haven't seen anywhere else and very personal stories about Dennis. The man deserved this book. However, since good reading about DW is scarce, a little bit more background on Dennis history would have been a nice addition. Ok, and now I'm gonna listen to Pacific Ocean Blue and think once more about what he could have accomplished, if he was still alive.

I really enjoyed this book, particularly because of the positive spirit of it. It was an attempt to correct some misperceptions about a most misunderstood person. The stories from friends, family and acquaintances added a wonderful new dimension to the public perception of Dennis Wilson. It makes you wish that you knew him. He touched the lives of many people. His loss was tragic, not just for the music that might have been, but also for those of us who never got to meet him.

It gushed too much like an article from a teen magazine. I'm giving this one to the thrift store, and I always keep my rock and roll books. There were some poignant moments where you saw more of Dennis Wilson than just his womanizing and self-destructive personality. But if you want meatier text that really delves into who Dennis Wilson was and what his music was all about, definitely read Dumb Angel: The Life and Music of Dennis Wilson by Adam Webb. Also a good read is Dennis Wilson: The Real Beach Boy by John Stebbins.

This books is basically a collection of tributes and remembrances and even some obscure interviews, though a bio or timeline of some sort would have probably been helpful to readers. There are many good photos but are all black and white (and few are dated as a point of reference) The author's list of features on the back cover claims "*Color pop-art designs by the artist/author" I found these to simply be photo-manipulations and they were not in color. I was glad that someone created a tribute to Dennis whom I met several times, but was a little disapointed with the quality of the book on a whole for the price (...).