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Brian Wilson
"Brian Wilso"

© Sire/Reprise

October 29 - 04, 2023

Year of Release: 1988
Rating:
  • Love And Mercy
  • Walkin' The Line
  • Melt Away
  • Baby Let Your Hair Grow Long
  • Little Children
  • One For The Boys
  • There' So Many
  • Night Time
  • Let It Shine
  • Meet Me In My Dreams Tonight
  • Rio Grande

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    Brian Wilson's first solo album gets then nod this week. The self-titled Brian Wilson was released in 1988. His previous album reviewed on this website was Imagination.

    The lead-off track, "Love And Mercy" has a familar sound as that "Imagination" song, with a truly great Beach Boys sound. "Walkin' The Line" is another good song, (yet the opening track is quite better). "Melt Away" is quite better than "Walkin' The Line," and it's background vocals is great, as it is compared to how the Beach Boys provided their background vocals to the many Beach Boys songs. "Baby Let Your Hair Grow Long" maybe the least favorite song, as the previous songs up to this one are far, far better.

    Definitely, "Little Children" brings back the musical style of the 1960s Beach Boys. "One For The Boys" has excellent harmonies, as it is all accapella. The harmonies are great, as heard on many popular Beach Boys records of the past. "One For The Boys" -- The Beach Boys. "There's So Many" is another Beach Boys comparison, with the background vocals. "Night Time" has a Tropical sound, and also the tropical sound of the Beach Boys' "Kokomo," which was a #1 hit, shortly after the Brian wilson was released (1988).

    "Let It Shine" is another good song, having that Beach Boys atmosphere, and "Kokomo." If the Beach Boys had always continued throughout the decades sine their existence, "Meet Me In The Dreams Tonight" would be an "updated" sound for them. And ending the album, is "Rio Grande," as it begins as what The Beach Boys "today at that time-1988" would sound like, however, the song takes another direction, in sounding like a song from the Old West. Country & Western Brian Wilson? Not exactly, it's just a different sound altogether, than that normally heard from the typical Beach Boys sound. This song hits the 8-minute mark, with different sounds throughout; it's could be called his "concept song."

    There is no doubt, that the Brian Wilson solo album has every song touching the nostalgic sound of the past Beach Boys songs from their popularity (1960s/early 1970s). You can say this would have been the Beach Boys updated, for the year 1988. Brian Wilson did well on his first solo attempt. It's nostalgic Beach Boys with an updated approach. "Love And Mercy" and "Melt Away" were the singles from this album, and "Love And Mercy" would be the better of the two. All in all, it's what the Beach Boys could have sounded if they still remained together.




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