Wouldn't it be Nice: My Own Story (Paperback)

~ Brian Wilson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Brian Wilson was the creative genius behind The Beach Boys. He turned a suburban California garage into a group that took the world by storm, with the sound of his songs, the sound capturing the laid-back, sunny Southern California lifestyle. But the cheerful image belied what was really going on. This autobiography describes Wilson's 20-year nightmare of drug addiction, alcoholism, obesity and mental illness. He spent three years alone in his room. He lost his family, and he nearly lost his life. It is a frank discussion of what destroyed his life and of the controversial forces which helped to save it.

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC (December 19, 1996)
• ISBN-10: 0747531455
• ISBN-13: 978-0747531456
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #766,771 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's nice Brian, don't worry baby!, December 18, 2005

By	Blue Boy (Champs sur Marne, France) - See all my reviews

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.

3.0 out of 5 stars Another Landy Scam, November 18, 2008

By	HUGH H. KIRKPATRICK "Chuck Kirkpatrick" (COOPER CITY, FL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

It's ironic that the guy who may truly be the one who saved Brian's life, is the same guy that took the most advantage of Brian. Brian has been a 'victim' since his early 20's - the Goose who laid the Golden Egg - being responsible for writing, producing, and recording the music that made him and his family very rich. And when he dared to do something to please himself, he took alot of crap. With the pressure and the guilt upon him, Brian folded up like a cheap tent. Along comes Landy, and suddenly Brian is actually out of bed and making music again. But closer observation reveals the "strings" attached to Brian like a marionette with Landy as the puppetmaster. The end of this book is sappy beyond belief, and must embarrass the crap out of Brian now to even think about it. Ultimately, Landy was exposed for what he was (check out the DIane Sawyer interview on TV), and Brian has miraculously recovered to produce so much more wonderful music. The book is fascinating reading, but the words are not really Brian's.

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good, October 29, 2008

By	David Blanton (New York, New York) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is singer-songwriter Brian Wilson's dark and painful journey, through his eyes. He loved himself. He loathed himself. His music skills developed early and with sharp genious. His coping and social skills came years later, desperately, after he was dangerously close to death. This is primarily a tale about depression, isolation, music-making and drug-abuse and how they've all contributed to the popular culture image we have of the Beach Boys founder.