Customer Reviews

Wouldn't It Be Nice: My Own Story

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

I found this an engrossing read. There was a lot to take in. Brian's father put him through a lot of hell, and when Brian finnally found something that made him happy, Captiol records nearly overworked him to death. I really liked reading about his encounters with other famous rock legends. Brian wasn't just intimidated by the Beatles. He was equally scared of the Rolling Stones. (He attenended some of the "Between the Buttons" sessions.) There's a lot of heart breaking stories. A story that kind of upset me was when he talks about the "Beach Boys Love You" album. Brian never really meant for the material to be heard. It was part of his therapy and he felt embarrased by the songs. After reading this book, I think Dr. Landy was benneficial to Brian in some ways. He made him much more healthy and got him back into making muisc. The only problem was he then went on to exploit his position. Someone should have stepped in in '85 when Landy ceased to be a therapist/ pshyciatrist and became a Sven Gali. With all that's happend to Brian since I hope we one day say a revised update. Other reviewers have talked about how Brian bad mouths his brothers in this book. I recommend people check out an interview/piece Rolling Stone did on Brian in 2000. It serves as a kind of sequel to this book. In the interview, Brian has much kinder words towards his brothers, particuarly Carl.

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.

WOULDN'T IT BE NICE is the best autobiography I read in years and I read a lot of them. It's honest, it's touching and it's incredibly interesting to learn a lot of facts behind the Beach Boys legend.
Brian is not afraid to put down his Beach Boys buddies and tell the true story. But he's not afraid to put himself down too as he recalls his drug-addicted days when he couldn't put a foot outside because he was too scared of everybody.
I think it must have been really difficult for him to recall all the bad days (late 60's, almost all the 1970's and early 1980's) but maybe it was kind of therapeutic for him.
As a music lover, I loved this book too because Brian gives his version of the early days of the Beach Boys and how he managed to record, write and produce all these hits in such a short period (only 5 years).
It's basically the same old story of the rock star that falls apart after reaching number one all over the world but it's great to here it from the rock star himself. Many times, he almost died from his drug addiction or attempted suicides but he's still here to tell us the truth and how it happened from the inside. It's not an outside journalist telling it to you.
More than a very good autobiography, it's a very good book.

It's sad how often the words "tragic genius" get mentioned in the same sentence. Brian Wilson is Exhibit A for the term in the contemporary American pop music world. This book is riveting, revealing in ways even Wilson himself might not have been aware of. The basic facts of his life--the abusive father, drug use, sandbox in the bedroom, his firing from the band, estrangement from family--were well known before the book's publication in 1991. But a good deal is added to the mix (including cruel stories meant to make enemies like Mike Love look bad). I think the moment that hit me the hardest was how employees in his house would walk around him when he was comatose on the floor, merely calling it "Brian being Brian." His stupor helped them exploit his position without interference. I was less interested in Landy's position in his life (the psychiatrist turned album producer is up there with the hairdresser who did the same thing in the 1970s) than in Wilson's revaluation of his career and life. The book is full of backgrounds on the songs that made the Beach Boys famous, which fans of the music will appreciate. This book sent me back to the music itself, deepening my appreciation for it. As a human document, it pays tribute to Wilson as a survivor--few could have lived through what he did. No history of the 60s pop music era will be complete without consulting this book.

It is amazing, with all he went through, that Brian is the lone survivor of his original family. I'm glad he's still here, and I believe we all owe Eugene Landy a debt of gratitude for saving Brian. What he did WORKED. Brian chronicles his life up to the lawsuit-forced separation from his therapist with honesty and wit. It's extremely hard for a bipolar schizophrenic with additional drug-induced brain damage to read anything, let alone write. Brian admits he couldn't even remember how to play the piano at his lowest point. But now he's back, he'll be treating us to a "Pet Sounds" tour -- and he could have easily been the first Wilson casualty. No matter what you think of Dr. Landy, he was the one who helped Brian save himself. I believe Brian was being honest in this book.

This is a book which will always be in my heart. I read it at a time when I was at a low ebb and at a time when I was ' discovering ' the incredible music of the Beach Boys. The combination of the two factors blew me away and was probably the greatest musical journey / read I have ever been on. Incredibly tragic whilst maintaining an ability to uplift and give hope for the future. There is of course the dubious nature of the latter part of the book but up to the ' Landy years ' we are blessed with an incredibly moving account of Popular Music's most important son.

In fact it is pretty much assumed it was written mostly by Todd Gold with strong help from Eugene Landy, Brian's "doctor" portrayed as a messiah in the book. At the time of the orignal publication, the rest of the beach boys including Brian's own family were in a lawsuit against Landy alleging he used heavy psychotropic drugs to keep control of Brian. In court Brian testified he never even read the manuscript and more than likely Landy kept the manuscript under wraps. Brian later parted ways with Landy and has since spoken out against him. The contents of this book should be taken with a heavy grain of salt, as they may be falsified, and Landy's practices have since been viewed as NOT in Brian's best interest.

It's hard to know where Brian Wilson ends and Eugene Landy begins in this book. From all I've heard and have been told, Landy "brainwashed" Brian at one point in his life, so who knows WHAT the truth is in this book? I can figure pretty much of it out, as far as facts about Brian's troubles and condition; however, Landy seems like a character with a lot left to be desired. I am so thankful that Brian emerged triumphant through all of his problems, but I would rather give that thanks to God than to Eugene Landy. I guess when reading this book the reader has the option to distinguish fact from fiction. It isn't always easy. My review is quite vague, because I was left puzzled by what REALLY happened during Brian's association with Landy.