Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin

[urbanite]

For those who have heard the album, how does Rhapsody in Blue sound?  Details please.

[ESQ Editor]

For those who have heard the album, how does Rhapsody in Blue sound?  Details please.

It's pretty cool.

BW combines "Our Prayer" and "One For The Boys" with the music…

[LeeDempsey]

Dave, thanks for playing it for me as well!

I am a tough critic when it comes to the present day Brian -- I outspokenly panned "Gettin' in Over My Head" and the Christmas album (with the exception of the two new songs) -- and that probably got me evicted from Brian's "inner circle" forever.  "Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE" and "That Lucky Old Sun" got me excited initially, but over time both have settled into the "very good, but not great" category for me. I think as Dave said, "Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin" does "redefine" Brian Wilson.  I am excited to hear his softer crooning voice again on songs like "Our Love is Here to Stay" and "Someone to Watch Over Me" (the latter with nods to "Caroline, No" with it's percussion and orchestra).

One thing that may garner some lukewarm reviews is that some of the songs are true to earlier arrangements from singers like Sinatra, Fitzgerald and others -- the aforementioned "Our Love is Here to Stay" being one, and "s'Wonderful" being very similar to Diana Krall's bossa nova arrangement -- which itself was probably a cop from someone else's earlier arrangement.  But to younger fans that have not heard the earlier versions from the '50s and '60s, Brian's takes will be fresh.  Where BWRG stands out to me are on the more adventurous arrangements.  "They Can't Take That Away from Me" rocks with a "Little Deuce Coupe" meets "Hey There Mama" beat.  And sorry Peter, I hear more "Farmer's Daughter" in "I Got Rhythm" than "Drive-In"!  

Where I will need liner notes and interviews in the coming weeks to provide clarity is determining how much of the approach / arrangements are Paul Merten's ideas, and how much are Brian's.  But even if it was Brian telling Mertens, "Hey Paul, I want this one to sound like an early Beach Boys rocker", and Paul executed Brian's vision, then a credit of "Produced by Brian Wilson" is absolutely warranted.

Well done Brian!  Dave, please let me come over for another play!!!

Lee

[ESQ Editor]

Come on over Lee.

ESQ will be conducting interviews with Paul Mertens, Foskett and Brian's other players, etc.

[Andrew G. Doe]

This album spans moods - some tracks are ominous, bordering on sinister (no, really), others are loving, tender, wistful, ebullient... and then there's the instrumental "I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'", which flat out makes me laugh aloud. It wouldn't have been out of place on Smile. It could well be the single funniest damn piece of music I've ever heard.  

Concisely: no matter which period of Brian's career you lean towards most, from Surfin' USA via Smile to date, there's something to love. Originally, this was going to be called The Gershwin Songbook... but in one sense, it could as accurately have been called  "The Wilson Primer". Cannot wait to hear again. August 17th is suddenly a long haul...

[ESQ Editor]

It's also worth mentioning that I played the album for Jez Graham. For those of you who know Jez you know that he plays Gershwin at his gigs. He's been doing it for years. When he heard the CD he flipped out! He said that he can't wait for the CD to be released so he can play it for other jazz musicians he performs Gershwin with, which is everyone.

Jez felt "S Wonderful" and "Summertime" were eye-opening and believed that Brian's interpretations would alter the singer's perspective on "Summertime," and that they would begin performing it differently once they heard Brian's version. That's from a jazz musician's perspective.

If we evaluate Brian's album strictly from a Beach Boys/Brian Wilson experience we miss half of the point. I have downloaded Porgy & Bess from iTunes by Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong. Do it!

[Autotune]

Well, I’m excitedly going through these reviews just like everybody else. I read and understood Jon’s critique on “The like in I love you”, which I dig. Lack of “human factor” and un-wilsonesque niceness has been my complaint over Imagination and BWPS.

But Brian is also about traditional American music, and that is where this album might fit in. Perhaps it is within this context that his band’s un-beach boy-sounding vocals can shine.

Brian was digging into the great pop tradition as early as “Surfer Girl”. In fact, that jazz-music know-how and intuition is what separates BW’s music from all his imitators… this is easily perceived when comparing his early surf songs to those of other groups from the early sixties. I hope this album is the full realization of Brian’s love for the great American pop tradition.

[Wirestone]

Slickness can go a lot of different ways.

Carl slicked up Brian's work in the 70s, many times. As did Bruce later in the decade. If it's in service of the music (which I think it was in BWPS and TLOS), it can work. If it's merely to smooth off rough edges (as it was in Imagination and the Target tracks), it can detract. But even then, you have such incredible Brian moments as "Cry" -- which is as pained yet beautiful a song as Brian has ever written -- with an AC tack.

I think "Like in I Love You" is not a song that's meant for painful self-revelation. It's Brian interacting with a lesser song from a master and reshaping it into a sophisticated, yet still BW-style standard. The purpose and outcome is different.

I think we sometimes get caught up in saying that BW's best song or best work is X -- but he's written a lot of good songs. Some are revelatory, some are searing -- some are neither. Some are simply joyous. "California Girls" has no complication at its heart -- it's an anthem. But it's still a classic. "Pet Sounds" is a great album. But so is "Wild Honey." So is "Party."

Just because a new Brian album actually does something quite different doesn't mean it's intrinsically worse -- or better. It's just doing something different.

[mtaber]

I am so happy that Brian is still making music at this point in his life.  He continues to surprise and amaze me.  NEVER thought I'd see Smile in any released form... TLOS is a complete joy... and now the Gershwin album will seemingly blow me away.  I had a good friend who was a huge Brian fan, this guy owned a record store and we hung out in the '70's and '80's in the store quite often.  He always was sceptical that Brian could ever make great music again... he committed suicide well before BWPS came out.  I wish he could've been around to hear all this great music from Brian. 

[doc smiley]

 

OK all here's a thought.... The CD comes out and is the success that early indications say that it is...
Does Brian close this door  completely or would a Gershwin part II be possible?

why would I suggest this?  Brian has a love for this material and we have about 50 minutes of Gershwin here including two fragments of unreleased songs.
So if Brian wanted to, another set in the future wouldn't be a bad idea...

opinions?

[Wirestone]

I wonder about any other composers of that generation --

Irving Berlin?
Cole Porter?
Rodgers and Hammerstein?

-- But on the other hand, we don't want him to become Rod Stewart.

[ESQ Editor]

I think Brian's now a part of this list.

[Don_Zabu]

I think Brian's now a part of this list.

I think people have saying stuff like that for a while now. This is just the sort of thing that absolutely seals it.

[doc smiley]

Don't think we have to worry about Brian flooding the market like Rod...

But if Brian wanted to do another poke at Gershwin in the next couple of years ( after the disney record)
why not?

[LeeDempsey]

I think Brian's now a part of this list.

I think people have saying stuff like that for a while now. This is just the sort of thing that absolutely seals it.

I hope that "Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin" is positively reviewed for its creativity, and its fresh look at a collection of classic songs, but I really hope I DON'T see a review with a comment like "This album cements Brian Wilson's place in the list of great composers of the 20th century."  Mainly because, um, Brian didn't compose the songs.... 

Lee

[Peter Reum]

I don't see anyone confusing this album for Brian's compositions. But the arrangement, the production, and vocals are his, except where the group appears...as for Brian being a part of this list, he likely has friends who read it, but with 5 kids, numerous pets, and a touring schedule, I'm not sure if he is that interested in what several folks who are long-term fans say about his cds...

[gsmile]

This may have been covered already, but is the Gershwin album being released on vinyl?

[Andrew G. Doe]

Amazon, she say August 24th.

[gsmile]

Amazon, she say August 24th.

I guess I could have looked that up myself, but then I would have missed out of you feminizing a website.    Thanks Andrew!

[ESQ Editor]

I think Brian's now a part of this list.

I think people have saying stuff like that for a while now. This is just the sort of thing that absolutely seals it.

I hope that "Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin" is positively reviewed for its creativity, and its fresh look at a collection of classic songs, but I really hope I DON'T see a review with a comment like "This album cements Brian Wilson's place in the list of great composers of the 20th century."  Mainly because, um, Brian didn't compose the songs....  

It will be interesting to learn the level of involvement BW had on the two tracks he finished. FYI: Scott Bennett is credited with co-writing "The Like In I Love You" and "Nothing But Love." Kind of brings Bennett's status up considerably IMO. TLOS was very cool, but co-writing for Gershwin? That's another story!

[Runaways]

first i'll say i love the production on BWPS.  i don't think it's overly slick at all, it's just that the 67 sessions aren't too good.  I really didn't care much for some of the 67 stuff till i heard BWPS and vise versa.  I wouldn't be able to enjoy one if i didn't have the other.  Together they make one of my favorite albums.

the vocal adjusting on the album are really light to me.  I still feel brian's humanity through it, and it never bothers me.  Same with TLOS, there's voice cracks in there, and it's light adjustments to my ears.  and MAD, SC don't lose anything with the production.

but i'm unsure on how this album sounds to me.  i'm hoping the vocals don't sound too tinny.  i had a lot of hopes for the rhapsody in blue cover and the clip from the video sounds like a let down for me.  i wasn't expecting the chorus type for just the main melody.  listening to him on the piano right after, i imagined a vocal for each note type deal. 

[Andrew G. Doe]

Amazon, she say August 24th.

I guess I could have looked that up myself, but then I would have missed out of you feminizing a website.    Thanks Andrew!

Amazon - member of legendary tribe of female warriors. 

[Andrew G. Doe]

I think Brian's now a part of this list.

I think people have saying stuff like that for a while now. This is just the sort of thing that absolutely seals it.

I hope that "Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin" is positively reviewed for its creativity, and its fresh look at a collection of classic songs, but I really hope I DON'T see a review with a comment like "This album cements Brian Wilson's place in the list of great composers of the 20th century."  Mainly because, um, Brian didn't compose the songs....  

It will be interesting to learn the level of involvement BW had on the two tracks he finished. FYI: Scott Bennett is credited with co-writing "The Like In I Love You" and "Nothing But Love." Kind of brings Bennett's status up considerably IMO. TLOS was very cool, but co-writing for Gershwin? That's another story!

If you compare the fragments of "Will You Remember Me" to "The Like I In I Love You", you'll see (hear ?) that Brian has taken the basics and, essentially recast the whole thing, much as Alan did with "Raspberries, Strawberries/At My Window"

[buddhahat]

I think Brian's now a part of this list.

I think people have saying stuff like that for a while now. This is just the sort of thing that absolutely seals it.

I hope that "Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin" is positively reviewed for its creativity, and its fresh look at a collection of classic songs, but I really hope I DON'T see a review with a comment like "This album cements Brian Wilson's place in the list of great composers of the 20th century."  Mainly because, um, Brian didn't compose the songs....  

It will be interesting to learn the level of involvement BW had on the two tracks he finished. FYI: Scott Bennett is credited with co-writing "The Like In I Love You" and "Nothing But Love." Kind of brings Bennett's status up considerably IMO. TLOS was very cool, but co-writing for Gershwin? That's another story!

If you compare the fragments of "Will You Remember Me" to "The Like I In I Love You", you'll see (hear ?) that Brian has taken the basics and, essentially recast the whole thing, much as Alan did with "Raspberries, Strawberries/At My Window"

Where is it possible to hear these fragments of the original song?

[Andrew G. Doe]

There's a CD where a huge GG fan recorded some of these fragments:

http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/1097587/a/Nice+Work+If+You+Can+Get+It:+Songs+By+The+Gershwins.htm

Only a sample, but you get the idea, especially right at the end.