Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

[thetojo]

Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

 Tracklist
01. Right Where I Belong
02. I’m Goin Home
03. It’s Not Easy Being Me
04. Must Be a Miracle
05. Slightly American Music
06. It’s O.K.
07. Rock & Roll Has Got a Hold On Me
08. The Night Was So Young
09. Honeycomb
10. Long Promised Road
11. In My Room Live from the Ryman Auditorium
12. I’m Broke


Finally, I'm Broke and Honeycomb are to be officially released.

Maybe 1 or 2 too many Paley collaboration songs here. . .

[HeyJude]

It'll be interesting to see if the Paley tracks are the original versions (like the stuff put on Brian's website a few months ago). Would be nice to get a correct speed, pristine "It's Not Easy Being Me."

[Ninten]

Hyped to finally get an official release for It's Not Easy Being Me! I wish they could've also included the version of You're Still A Mystery from his website (afaik there's no way to purchase that?). But this is a really pleasant surprise. Loving the new song too.

[Awesoman]

Interesting track listing.  Hope it has some chestnuts.  Currently listening to "Right Where I Belong".  It's, ehhh, interesting to say the least.  Not sure I'll be listening to it again though...

[Aomdiddlywalla]

It'll be interesting to see if the Paley tracks are the original versions (like the stuff put on Brian's website a few months ago). Would be nice to get a correct speed, pristine "It's Not Easy Being Me."

Totally agree. INEBM is great, an IJWMFTT for the nineties.

[NateRuvin]

It seems like *this* might as well be the fabled rock and roll album. Lotta good rockin' tunes!

[coco1997]

Is "Rock & Roll Has Got a Hold On Me" a new track?

[sloopjohnb72]

I have it on good word that the Paley collabs are the original versions presented in newer mixes - besides Must Be A Miracle, which is the later version heard in the film.

[sloopjohnb72]

Great stuff all around here! These 12 tracks really make me yearn for a much more expansive, comprehensive solo collection, and I think the 90s Paley collaborations definitely deserve their own release, but this soundtrack works as a pretty nice teaser of Brian's unreleased tracks. Since there's nothing out there that really breaks down the tracks, I'll give as much info as I can:

Right Where I Belong is the new Brian Wilson / Jim James song, written and recorded by just the two.

I'm Goin' Home is the 1994 Wilson/Paley recording, presented in a new mix (seemingly by Mark Linett?). It's in stereo which is nice, but Brian's voice has some very strange EQ on it.

It's Not Easy Being Me is also the 1994 Wilson/Paley recording, in a new stereo mix. Sounds pretty great! Always been one of my favorite Brian solo tunes.

Must Be A Miracle, like I said, is not the 1995 bootlegged recording. It's a newer version - could it be the one produced by Brian, Andy and Don Was in 1995, originally meant for the beach boys? Anyway, the vocals sound like late 90s-early 2000s Brian to my ear. No other Beach Boys as far as I can tell.

Slightly American Music is the 90s Wilson/Paley recording as well. Now in full stereo, it sounds great!

It's OK is the 2017/2018 recording done just for the film, with Brian on lead. Nice little session intro, and Brian sings the ending "find a ride"! Very fun little remake.

Rock & Roll Has Got A Hold On Me is a 2000s Brian original, but I'm pretty sure this is a 2017/2018 remake done for the film, but unused. I've heard a bit of the original recording, and I wish that was used instead! The verses are made up of an A section right from Country Feelin, a B section from In My Car, and the bridge comes straight from Concert Tonight! Again, I would've prefered the 2004(?) recording, but this is nice to have officially released!

The Night Was So Young also sounds like another 2017/2018 recording. Brian sings lead again. The autotune is pretty noticeable on this one and the previous song. Very charming to hear old man Brian belt out that "WHY SHE HAS TO HI-I-IDE!"

Honeycomb is another 2017-2018 recording, as seen in the movie. Brian sings lead once again.

Long Promised Road is, once again, the new recording made just for the movie. Brian, Blondie, and Jim James take turns on the lead.

In My Room is the live version featured in the movie. Pretty standard for Brian's band live.

I'm Broke is the 1992 version that's been booted, presented in a new mix. The effects and weird EQ on this one, as well as the rest of the Paley tracks, make it pretty hard to listen to. Who mixed this? There's a lot of buzzing that kind of makes it a painful listen. I'll stick to the mix on Brian's website.

[sloopjohnb72]

There's a lot of out-of-control high end on the new mixes of the 90s material that sounds similar to what happened on the Feel Flows box. A little painful to listen to, but man what great songs!

[debonbon]

..

[debonbon]

Bummer about the mix on I’m Broke. Most of the other tracks sound ok. To me it sounds like someone went to town with a hard limiter when mastering this thing.

[Cristian Kiper]

Must Be A Miracle, like I said, is not the 1995 bootlegged recording. It's a newer version - could it be the one produced by Brian, Andy and Don Was in 1995, originally meant for the beach boys? Anyway, the vocals sound like late 90s-early 2000s Brian to my ear. No other Beach Boys as far as I can tell.

According to Tidal, the track features Brian, Andy Paley and Jeffrey Foskett on vocals.

[Wirestone]

This is a real surprise.

Who thought we would have two full, new BW albums in 2021?

Let’s just say that this record really makes me happy. Not that I need Brian to do anything else. But all the new studio recordings showcase a vibrant, alert bandleader and singer, with some fun material. A major statement? Not really. But when you combine “Right Where I Belong,” and “Rock and Roll has Got a Hold on Me” you have two ultra-BW statements. Add the long-gestating Honeycomb, and the delightful retakes of “It’s Okay” and “The Night Was So Young,” you have a really fresh sounding batch of recordings with the best BW leads in a decade (apart from some chunks of the lead single, which given BW’s love of self-sabotage seems almost intentional).

That gets you a solid EP. But the Paley material, which underscores the film’s themes (It’s Not East Being Me and Must Be a Miracle specifically) takes the record to another level. It largely fits in the same sonic world, and Brian doesn’t sound radically different. But these are solid, important original tunes that have sat in the archives for far too long.

Taken as a whole, you have a portrait of a still vital recording artist (although not the most prolific recent songwriter) with a still rich and mysterious back catalog. Please find it and listen to it.

[ForHerCryingSoul]

Rock and roll has direct quotes from Country Feelin as well as a bridge from Concert Tonight from Sweet Insanity. Never thought I’d hear that again.

[Wirestone]

Rock and roll has direct quotes from Country Feelin as well as a bridge from Concert Tonight from Sweet Insanity. Never thought I’d hear that again.

More than that. The chorus is taken from the bridge of In My Car.

[Rob Dean]

Sorry BUT the whole thing sounds a mess (I loved the original Paley Boot, and still do) and It's OK is just horrid (to say the least)
HOWEVER in the context of the Documentary i am sure the songs sound and work  a whole lot better  (I do hope) but being a Brit I haven't seen the doc yet

SORRY 

[Ninten]

Is there any word on a physical release?

[Peadar 'Big Dinner' O'Driscoll]

Loving the Paley stuff...going home is a bit of a revelation in that form. "I'm Broke" mix seems to me like a conscious decision to add a raw sounding/demoish/live mix to the soundtrack even though it's a studio recording. Never really cared for "Slightly American Music" but it sounds so much more interesting here.

Obviously, the newer vocals are less enjoyable but I was surprised how much I liked "The Night was so Young".

[coco1997]

Since this is probably the closest we'll ever get to Brian's long fabled rock & roll record, I selfishly wish they had recorded Little Richard's "Keep A Knockin" for this soundtrack, since Brian's band played that live a few years back.

[CenturyDeprived]

"Slightly American Music" seems like a sequel to "Do You Remember"... although the moment that Brian sings "I Get Around", I'm instantly transported to the alternate Black Mirror universe of self-references of "Smart Girls" for a brief moment.

I wonder what drove the 1990s decision to record "Slightly American music" considering there was a BBs song with virtually the same blueprint in the Beach Boys catalog from a thematic standpoint. I guess maybe it's a bit of an updated version with references to The Beatles, looking back 30 years later…

[Wirestone]

I think that, for whatever reason, the 2018-era BW vocals sound fairly similar his voice on the Paley-era tracks. The combination works better than one might expect.

I mean, you wouldn't want the BW vocals from No Pier Pressure alongside them. And again, for my taste, Brian's vocals on this one are a real revelation. Expressive and honest, with a hint of rawness here and there.

[Awesoman]

So far from what I'm listening to the whole thing sounds pretty messy and unpolished.  But I think that's what they were going for...?  And the Paley tracks are just as weird as they sounded on bootlegs.  Going to have to listen to this more to determine if it will grow on me but so far I'm not overly enthusiastic.  It is kind of interesting to hear some of this stuff. 

[“Big Daddy”]

℗ 2021 BW Soundtrack LLC - Tango Records under exclusive license to Soundtrack Records Inc d/b/a Lakeshore Records

Somewhat interesting to see from poking around on Google that the company who controls the soundtrack masters (BW Soundtrack LLC) was registered as a company in Texas on 10/6/2016. The CEO of BW Soundtrack LLC is Long Promised Road producer (and oil industry exec) Tim Headington.

[rab2591]

So it’s been years since I’ve listened to any Paley era recordings - and whatever bootleg I had I’m pretty sure it was transferred via a wax cylinder recorder from the 1800s. Basically, hearing these mixes my mind is blown away at how good that material sounds. Slightly American Music is CRAZY good - I’m not sure I had ever heard that before, and to my ears that’s gotta be one of Brian’s best solo compositions. I mean what the hell - it’s like a wall-of-sound of all this great music rolled into one. I’ve been playing that on repeat constantly.

Anywho, I don’t know much about the mixes to even comment on the quality. Honestly I love how these sound so I won’t be complaining about it.

On the newer songs, the instrumentals sound great, and while you can tell that Brian is aging, he sounds confident behind the mic on those tracks.



^also thank you KoolKoolWater1 on Reddit