Wouldn't It Be Nice: My Own Story [Hardcover]

Brian Wilson (Author), Todd Gold (Collaborator)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This autobiography by the creative force of the Beach Boys follows Wilson's quick rise to worldwide fame, his descent into drug-assisted psychosis, and his subsequent (yet shaky) recovery. Coauthor Gold's background as a writer for People magazine is evidenced by individuals occasionally managing to somehow "laugh" or "shrug" an entire sentence. The book is effective in two areas, however. First, Wilson successfully evokes the pain caused by his estrangement from family and band members (his ex-wife refused to cooperate in the writing of the book, as did Beach Boys Mike Love and Carl Wilson, respectively Brian's cousin and brother). Second, the psychologist Eugene Landy, popularly perceived as an evil Svengali, is portrayed as a possible charlatan who nevertheless helped Wilson enormously. While this autobiography is as predictable as the C-Am-F-G7 chord progression, many fans of the Beach Boys will want to read this book and most won't be disappointed. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 6/15/91.
- John Smothers, Monmouth Cty. Lib., Manalapan, N.J.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

An express train to hell and back with the leader of the Beach Boys. Wilson begins with his darkest days, in November 1982. Then, weighing over 340 pounds, smoking six packs of cigarettes and snorting five grams of coke a day, failing to bathe for weeks at a time, ``I stank. I was dirty...I was insane.'' How did the founder of ``America's band'' reach this bottom? According to the equally frank life-review that follows, father Murry Wilson, a would-be but talentless composer, had a lot to do with it, taking out his frustrations on his sensitive son (born in 1942) through mind- twisting beatings and ridicule. And then there were the drugs and the relentless pressure to produce hit tunes; by the late 60's, Wilson, wealthy and renowned for such songs as ``Good Vibrations'' and ``I Get Around,'' was drifting into a paranoid schizophrenia that would envelop him for 15 years. Salvation finally came in the person of Eugene Landy, an unorthodox psychologist who took Wilson by the hand in 1983 and turned his life around through a rigorous program of diet, exercise, and therapy. Wilson devotes nearly half of his text to his resurrection, and it's an inspiring story (although recent moves by the other Beach Boys to sever him from Landy--for reasons Wilson ascribes to greed and jealousy--find the self-admittedly ``brain-damaged'' author unsure about his mental future). Most readers, though, will find of even greater interest Wilson's detailing of his early encounters with the Beatles, Elvis, and other rock luminaries; of his stormy relationship with the other Beach Boys; of his now-dead brother Dennis's ties to Charlie Manson; and, in a recurrent motif that illuminates his troubled tale, of how he goes about composing his exquisite music. A bold and genuinely affecting account by a founding father of rock 'n' roll: a must for popular-music fans. (Fifty-plus b&w photographs--not seen.) -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 398 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers; 1st edition (January 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060183136
• ISBN-13: 978-0060183134
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.4 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #587,756 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A rarity--an interesting book on a rock star, September 22, 2002

By 

David Bennett (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wouldn't It Be Nice: My Own Story (Hardcover)

I assumed this book would be as uninteresting as the other rock star biographies and autobiographies that I've read; nothing could be further from the truth. While most musicians are working their careers, falling in and out of love, and meeting famous people, which might be interesting to live but not to read about, Brian Wilson was going mad as a hatter and then coming back--the man has things to write about. The book seems to be written very honestly, and it has the ring of truth throughout. As for the material on Eugene Landy, Brian Wilson still says positive things about him, and apparently still holds the view of Landy presented here. The book provides basically zero insight into Brian Wilson's ways of working--it's a book about his life, not his music. You get a detailed picture of what his decline was all about, very clear characterizations of Murry Wilson and the Beach Boys, and what seems to be an extremely honest self-portrait of Brian Wilson, hardly a weakness left unexposed. I'm not THAT huge a fan, actually, but I've always been curious about Brian Wilson's much-ballyhooed problems--I found the book fascinating, and I'd recommend the book even if just to satisfy your idle curiosity. If you are a fan, I'd suggest that this is a book you really have to read.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A re-print would be nice!, April 25, 2000

By 

Amazon.customer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wouldn't It Be Nice: My Own Story (Hardcover)

I had heard amusing stories about how messed up Brian Wilson was at one point, but until reading this I never realized how NOT funny his condition was! It must have been as painful writing it as it was living it. I dont think I've ever heard such brutally honest confessions and stories from such an important icon as Wilson is. Additionally, this is probably one of the best source for inside info on the Beach Boys, since Brian practically was the Beach Boys. I am aware of some other books being written, but who could tell a better story than the person who lived it? in this case this story cant be effectively told by anyone BUT Brian(...who else would know about what the voices in his head said, etc.) While reading, you get the imoression (actually its quite obvious) that this book was written during a time when relationships with the other bandmates were obviously strained, and it is particularly evident in the latter part of the book. Much of the bitterness is directed at Mike Love, perhaps justifiably so based on other accounts I've read about him. After reading, I'm not sure I agree totally with Dr. Landy's methods, but I do believe Brian wouldnt have been around to write this book were it not for Landy. This book could have ended with Brian's "resurrection" in 1983, all the events descrbed after that are really alot of bitterness and downright nastiness directed at the other Beach Boys. I'm not faulting Brian for this, it seemed to me that most of it was Landy's influence. It seemed like Landy's way of getting back at the other Beach Boys for exposing him as the fraud he really turned out to be at Brian's expense, and Brian ended up being sued over this book from what I understand. Still though, this book offers first hand accounts of some of the events that inspired (or in the case of Smile, destroyed) most of the Beach Boys material. I hope someday that this book can be de-Landyized and re-written by Brian. This is a fascinating and important insight into pop music that should not be out of print. How important? Name at least one other major icon of the sixties that ever published an auto-biography. The Stones? Dylan? The Beatles? None, all 3rd party observation and speculative accounts. And besides, as much as I love these other bands, they cant hold a candle musically to Brian Wilson. Read this book ,but stop after you get to 1983.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Most Brutally Honest Book I Have Ever Read, March 21, 2000

By 

Sue Marinelli "marinelli1028" (Plainville, Connecticut United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wouldn't It Be Nice: My Own Story (Hardcover)

I must say that this has to be the most brutally honest book that I have ever read. Starting with his birth and going all the way up until age 49 in 1991, Brian Wilson takes us on the harrowing journey that was his life. No stone is left unturned. Nothing was too abusive to leave out. In recovering from addiction, you have to be raw with your feelings and honest with yourself, and I think Brian Wilson has been both. Before reading this book, I had known about the controversy surrounding Dr. Landy and his treatment of Brian, and at the time I was on the side of Brian's family and the other Beach Boys, feeling that he had been brainwashed and was being controlled by Dr. Landy. However, after reading this book, although I still do not agree with the way some things were handled, I can see that it was necessary for someone to take control of Brian. He certainly could not do it himself. He needed to be literally rebuilt from the ground up and from inside out. I think he needed to be shown that he had the power within himself to recover. Dr. Landy did a fabulous job, and at times I'm sure it was a thankless job. Without him and his therapy, I am quite sure that Brian Wilson would no longer be with us. I don't know how Brian is doing today, but hopefully he is still living a clean and sober life. I'm glad that we still have him around.