Customer Reviews

I Just Wasn't Made for These Times

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

My first review of this was one-star, but I'm thinking that was a bit unfair, and I'm rereviewing it here.

My primary complaint was with the production, its a bit underwhelming, but I've recently been listening to this in context of the previous few albums Brian had been involved with, and I suspect the production value was a response to "The Beach Boys" (1985) and "Brian Wilson" and their overdone production.

The production's somewhat stripped-back nature is really quite unsympathetic to Brian's voice-- his singing seems forced on more than couple tracks ("Let the Wind Blow", "Do It Again" and "Wonderful" in particular). The backing vocals are also a bit unsupportive-- if you're used to the sort of flowering Beach Boys style harmonies, these are a bit too dry, even on the later material where Brian moved in that direction.

On the other hand though, the two songs from Brian's first solo album ("Love and Mercy" and "Melt Away") sound really great in comparison to their previous releases without a wash of synthesizers. An several of the tracks are certainly more than listenable, "Meant For You", "This Whole World", "Caroline, No", and "'Til I Die" are all quite good. The demo of "Still I Dream of It" is gut wrenching, somehow it works, although I prefer the version released in the "Good Vibrations" boxed set.

Its a brief little record (less than 30 minutes), and now that its selling for 7 bucks, its a good value for the money (I originally paid full price for it), but I largely prefer the originals to these versions.

First, I give hats off to Brian for picking some very overlooked gems, instead of recording Fun Fun Fun for the hundredth time. You get the impression these are some of Brian's personal favorites. The ease of which these songs fit into Don Was's modern production is a testament of how Brian Wilson's songs have stood the test of time and remain relevent today. Many of these recordings improve on the originals, the soft acoustic productions of "Love and Mercy" and "Melt Away" redeem the songs from their harsher electronic/synthesized 1988 versions. They truly do offer love and mercy. Do It Again, and This Whole World are far better then the originals with a more solid beat, even Caroline No, while will never be improved upon stands up very well with the original with a wonderful flute solo at the song's conclusion. The highlight of this CD is the home demo of "Still I Dream Of It". I dont think I've ever heard a more honest, sad, and touching recording in my life. The only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is a semi-weak vocal on "wonderful". If you are looking for a good starting point for some of Brian's best and most underappreciated work, check this cd out, and for this price you can't go wrong! Kind of makes you hope Brian and Don Was can hook up again to record an album of new material!

What I don't understand is how this fine, fine fine CD failed to sell a million copies. Brian Wilson is, arguably, the finest pop composer/musician of the 20th century. Perhaps, indeed, he wasn't made for these times. In a hundred years people will be singing his music and wondering why so many of us didn't listen. . . .

Updated versions of some of Brian's most beautiful songs. Mr. Wilson is made for these times and for all time.

If you don't have the box set, this CD will allow you to re-discover (or discover) some of the lost great Beach Boys songs like "This Whole World," "'Til I Die," "Wonderful (from Smile)," "Still I Dream of It," "Meant for You," and "Let the Wind Blow." There is an intersting version of "Caroline, No." All of those songs are found on the box set and are better original Beach Boys versions.