The Smiley Smile Message Board

Ok, what are your favourite five solo-songs by Brian? And to make it a little harder, SMiLE doesn´t count.


Mine are:

- Love And Mercy
- Rio Grande
- Lay Down Burden
- The Waltz
- Christmasey

Love and Mercy
Melt Away
Rio Grande
Lay Down Burden
Fairy Tale

Lay Down Burden (preferably a live version, not the Imagination recording)
How Can We Still Be Dancing (live, with Brian singing instead of Sir Elton, and thus with good backgrounds, too)
Melt Away (preferably IJWMFTT, so I can avoid the 88 production)
What I Really Want For Christmas
City Blues (live, w/ good bg vox)

I know everyone on earth except me hates City Blues. But I do like it. I like when Brian's voice strains for the highs on the title words, and I love the bg vox in the solo--very Brianesque.

I like City Blues, but I prefer the piano/vocal version on the hamburger tapes.

Haven't heard most of those tapes. I do, however, have some contact information to your left.

<--------------

You know...if you'd be so inclined.

I also like "City Blues". Probably the most hard rocking song Brian will ever write. And the guitar-solo is fantastic. Over the top, but fantastic.

Marketplace
The Waltz
Cry
Melt Away
Love and Mercy

Melt Away
Your Imagination
Desert Drive
Don't Let Her Know (Sweet Insanity version)
Christmasey (a modern masterpiece)

Caroline No
Love And Mercy
Melt Away
Being With The One You Love
Fantasy Is Reality/Bells Of Madness

Melt Away
Rio Grande
South American
Getting In Over My Head
What I Really Want For Christmas

1. Lay Down Burden
2. Love And Mercy
3. The First Time
4. Joy To The World
5. On Christmas Day

GREAT choice. Were you as disappointed as I was when the new album didn't turn out to be on the level with that gem?

Funny, the blueboarders HATED On Christmas Day.

Maybe they mistakenly thought it was a Mike Love co-write.

Or maybe they're just narrow-minded in their appreciation of Brian. I remember all the slagging Brian used to get over the Christmas songs he offered for FREE on his website, it was sad to read.

Yes, I was disappointed to be honest. Many people have stated that Brian sounds "happy" on WIRWFC, but no more so than on "On Christmas Day". Also, even though this song is a couple of years old, and Brian's vocals have supposedly gotten better the last few years, I find his lead on this song as good as any on the album.

you know what really hurts? whenever a thread like this appears, I find myself struggling to remember the songs, and I really can't answer without looking up all the titles. gettin old :-\
I do remember liking The First Time, and uhm, er...ah forget it!

Melt Away
Rio Grande
Cry
You're Still a Mystery
GIOMH (Paley version)

Honourable mention to: Lay Down Burden, Your Imagination, Wings of a Dove, Love and Mercy, Happy Days, Baby Let Your Hair Grow Long, Meet Me in My Dreams Tonight, What I Really Want For Christmas, Orange Crate Art and Don't Let Her Know She's An Angel (if something could be done about the wretched production)...

You nailed it.

Love and Mercy
There's So Many (surprised nobody has mentioned this one!)
The Waltz
Lay Down Burden
Rio Grande

I almost did, but went with (I think) Melt Away instead. I do like There's So Many quite a bit.

There's So Many was done best in a 1983 demo under the title "Up In The Sky".

1. Caroline, No (ingenious pick by Ian, and right on)
2. In Blue Hawaii
3. Still I Dream of It [demo]
4. Warmth of the Sun [IJWMFTT version] (love his landed-angel voice on this one)
5. Love and Mercy [again, IJWMFTT]

Thanks brother, but I'm smacking myself for not thinking of:


That one is the end of the world.

Whew, tough call...

In no particular order:

1. Melt Away - from IJWMFTT
2. WIRWFC - beautiful music, gorgeous group singing, very poignant lyrics by B.T.
3. GIOMH (live, not recorded - live it was magnificent)
4. Love & Mercy - the full version, like on the Tribute video or Tsunami benefit
5. Lay Down Burden

On Christmas Day, Christmasey, Your Imagination, There's So Many, & This Isn't Love were all in contention too.

I almost went with "Still I Dream of It" piano demo but Melt Away just barely eeeked it out...that demo just kills me though each time I hear it.  It hits especially hard too in the IJWMFTT doc when it plays along to videos of young Brian and seeing how happy he used to be.  Devistating. 

Not necessarily in this order-
Rio Grande
Thank You (there's not a better one that's from deeper in that man's heart- 'crazy beatings by my father'- terribly sad. WOW.)
Don't Let Her Know She's An Angel (too many synths on Sweet Insanity, the flute kills the GIOMH version, but amazing song!)
Lay Down Burden (again, too many synths & programming)
One For the Boys

You know, I was gonna say Thank You, but I got embarrassed.
That song never fails to bring a tear to my eye. I love it.

Might hit too close to home, but I'd love to see him do that one live in concert. Every word of it is so fitting. So true, it almost hurts. Glad you like it too, Mr. W.  I think I'll put that on right now.

Here we gp

1) Love & Mercy (from BW 88 - i love the extended vocal bridge thing, with the mass of voices. Makes the grade despite the synths!)
2) This Isn't Love (from the Roxy - This blew mw away, thought it was so much better than anything off Imagination.)
3) Rio Grande (Brians band need to re-cut this, or at least do a live version)
4) The Waltz (just love the whole sound, the fiddle, the words)
5) Getting In Over My Head (from the Paley sessions - i know that Paley wrote a lot of the music for this one, but it is still an absolute beauty of a song, great production and arrangement, far better than the official released one)

But there are loads more, especially if you count the Adult Child stuff.

1. You've Touched Me
2. Fairy Tale
3. Imagination
4. Baby Let Your Hair Grow Long
5. This Isn't Love

In No Particular Order:

Chain Reaction of Love
Still a Mystery
Walkin' The Line
The "IJWMFTT" version of "Love and Mercy"
Rio Grande

Im' not counting anything from Smile deliberately -- I'd have to pick 5 Smile songs, and that's not fair.

Let It Shine
Love & Mercy
Lay Down Burden
Happy Days
Melt Away

Really? Wow, I never thought I'd live to see the day.

Nice Topic

Meet Me In My Dreams Tonight
Rio Grande
Lay Down Burden
Getting In Over My Head
This Isn't Love

No Smile-it's a unified work

I always liked Jeff Lynne/ELO. That's probably why I like this one. Believe it or not, when I listen to the BW88 album, this is the track I repeat a couple of times before moving on. The chord structure is really catchy (IMO). Brian's vocal is spot on as well.

I agree mightily. Wonderful song, no matter who wrote it.
The next track was an Andy Paley tune, Meet Me In My Dreams Tonight, and that's a great one too.

As i said in the "unreleased BW/BB songs" thread, it's wonderful to see Andy's stuff mentioned so often.  It's some of Brian's best post-88 work, imho.

I definitely agree, and I would point to the relative lack of quality in Brian's recent non-SMiLE work to his disappearance.

Maybe not entirely, Ian, but...there's a lack of *something* since Andy's been gone.

Lack of...structure?  point?  substance?  I'm not finding the right word...

Lack of correct Beach Boys imitation/influence with punchy choruses and arrngements, and memorable intros and outros.

LOL!  Not to put too fine a point on it.

I think Andy brought more than that, tho; he made it possible for Brian to just have fun.  His current band does, too, but it seems like there's something that holds Brian back.  I don't sense that with the Paley material that we have...there's an unfettered feeling to the fun in the music to go along with the strong sense of Beach Boy-ness. 

I think that may be because his current crew leave a lot of responsibility with Brian, whereas Paley picked up the slack whenever Brian didn't feel like contributing. When it comes down to it, Brian is kind of a lazy guy these days, though who could blame him.

Just off the top of my head...there's some I may be forgetting:

1. Palm Tree And Moon
2. My Hobo Heart
3. This Town Goes Down At Sunset
4. Sail Away
5. Your Imagination

If OCA doesn't count, then...

1. Your Imagination
2. Marketplace
3. Sunshine
4. This Song Wants To Sleep With You Tonight
5. On Christmas Day
6. Rio Grande

Good vibes,
Eric

 8) Aahh, finally someone who digs "Sunshine". Great song with a great coda.

I'll say...

1. Melt Away
2. This Isn't Love
3. Sail Away w/VDP
4. Imagination
5. Baby, Let Your Hair Grow Long

Honorary Mentions:

Love and Mercy, Lay Down Burden, Orange Crate Art w/VDP, Desert Drive, Let It Shine

Jason, as I listen to that version, I can't say I find it to be a superior version. To me, it's an interesting demo performance of a guy working out a song. I mean, he's still fumbling with lyrics, he stops on one chord to just repeat the main feel, possibly getting his bearings...great historical item. But not a releasable recording in any other context.

In no particular order:

Rio Grande
San Francisco (With VDP)
Cry
Your Imagination (A Cappella)
Walking Down The Path Of Life / Love & Mercy

Baby Let Your Hair Grow Long
Fairy Tale
Too Much Sugar
There's So Many

and possibly my favorite,
Being With the One You Love

Agreed! That one never fails to floor me!

In no order:
Some Sweet day
Gettin' in over my head (Paley version)
I sleep alone
You've touched me
She says that she needs me

and for the rest of the top 10:
Melt away
This isn't love
Rio Grande
Too much sugar
It's not easy being me

My Mary Anne deserves a mention too

Now imagine all those on a Brian Wilson album - Amazing!

Love and Mercy
South American
She Says That She Needs Me
City Blues
Gettin' In Over My Head

That does it.  I'm going to make a compilation. 

Got to include Palm Tree and Moon and Sail Away, my two favorites from OCA.

Warmth of the Sun from IJWMFTT, alternate Caroline No from the PS box, Desert Drive live, South American, Imagination, Melt Away, Love and Mercy, Lets Put Our Hearts Together, Back Home live, and a couple of choice SMiLE cuts.

Sorry, but I'm just no damn good at top 5 or top 10 lists ::)

"Caroline No" -- I'll follow suit.
"Walkin' The Line" (demo) -- foda that guitar-damaged mess, a.k.a. released version.
"It's Over Now" (demo)/"Still I Dream Of It" (demo)/"Stevie" (demo) -- yeah, this is not completely fair.
"Thank You"/"Rainbow Eyes" (Sweet Insanity or Hotel Tape versions)
"You're Still A Mystery"

Excellent call, Ian, on "Being With The One You Love."

It's Not Easy Being Me
Melt Away
Saturday Morning In The City
Happy Days
Desert Drive

1. What I Really Want for Christmas (outstanding!!)
2. Love and Mercy
3. Lay Down Burden
4. Dream Angel
5. She Says that She Needs Me

IMHO...

10.  South American- from the Imagination CD.  Jimmy Buffett co-wrote.  Buffett deserves some credit for helping Brian's renaissance for giving him a three song slot at a few of his dates the summer Imagination came out.

9.  Melt Away- BW88.  One of my favorites.  The version on IJWMFTT has a much warmer feel to it than the BW88 one.

8.  Cry- Another one from Imagination.  Simple but powerful lyrics.

7.  Meet Me In My Dreams Tonight- BW88  Brian/Andy Paley/Andy Dean.  Very car radio friendly song.  My favorite on BW88.

6.  Gettin' In Over My Head- Wilson/Paley song with a cool Righteous Brothers feel.  I prefer the piano intro on the Wilson/Paley tapes but I like the version on GIOMH too.

5.  City Blues- Perfect for Brian's post 1980 voice.  Nice little rocking tune with Eric Clapton's guitar providing a good counterpoint.

4.  This Song Wants to Sleep With You Tonight- Wilson/Paley.  The music is exquisite.  The lyrics evoke the perfect mood.  I love this song.  Very
underrated in Brian's catalog.

3.  It's Not Easy Being Me- Wilson/Paley- why hasn't this song hasn't been formally released.  The best song of the Wilson/Paley collaboration. 

2.  Love and Mercy- Brian's anthem song.  BW88.  Simple lyrics, heartfelt message.  The best version is on the Live at the Roxy CD.

1.  The Spirit of Rock and Roll- Brian and Gary Usher.  it's a crime this song has never been given a proper release.  Another song just right for Brian's post 1980 voice.   

1.Stevie
2.Melt Away
3.Still A Mystery
4.Love And Mercy
5.Water Builds Up
6.Being With The One You Love
7.Your Imagination
8.Spirit of Rock And Roll
9.Black Widow
10.Fantasy is Reality/Bells Of Madness

Amen on Fantasy is Reality. Carnie's voice on that is so beautiful...

1. L&M
2. Melt Away
3. Water Builds Up
4. Cry
5. There's So Many

No special order:
Fairytale
GIOMH
City Blues
Melt Away
Cry
Lay Down Burden
Love & Mercy
This song wants to sleep with you tonight
You're still a mystery
Rainbow Eyes (I like the SI-version better in a way)

Do I really have to stop here....? ;)

The one that really kicks my ass is the one that goes:

"Have you ever seen/ Blonde hair and eyes of blue/Poetry in motion, the dream of every guy/A Little Bit of Heaven Just wen't walking by"

That one is what SHOULD have happened after "Love You"--cool synths, with more of a soul feel.  I love it absolutely.

"Must be A Miracle?"-- is that from Gary Usher or Andy Paley?
------------------

"Gettin in Over My Head" I can't take seriously.  Why should Brian pastiche Pet Sounds in that regard?  Its almost suggests that he should return to that direction, which he shouldn't, IMO.  That bridge "I just might not ever come back from here" is 90% identical to "I guess I just wasn't made for these times"

Now "You Touched Me"  "How Could We Still Be Dancing?" or even "Dont Let Her Know She's An Angel" --those work for me better.

No special order...

Love and Mercy
Melt Away
Rio Grande
The Spirit Of Rock and Roll
Someone To Love
Stevie
River Deep Mountain High
Gettin' In Over My Head
It's Not Easy Being Me
God Did It

without order:

Love And Mercy
Christmasey
Gettin In Over My Head
Fairy Tale
Lay Down Burden
Soul Searchin
Your Imagination
Rio Grande
What I Really Want For Christmas
The Waltz

1.   The Waltz
2.   Cry
3.   Marketplace
4.   Spirit of Rock and Roll
5.   Love and Mercy
6.   Melt Away
7.   Your Imagination (especially live)
8.   Still A Mystery
9.   Lay Down Burdon
10.   Christmasy
11.           It’s Not Easy Being Me

"Melt Away" is my fave. I prefer the BW88 version too.

Very tough, and not in order:

1.  In the Nighttime (demo version, not Roxy version)
2.  Stevie
3. Love and Mercy
4. Don't Let Her Know She's an Angel
5. Lay Down Burden
6. There's So Many
7. Meet Me in My Dreams Tonight
8. On Christmas Day
9. City Blues
10. Happy Days

Night Blooming Jasmine
Stevie
Melt Away
Your Imagination
Rio Grande
Cry
Where Has Love Gone
It's Just a Matter of Time
She's Still a Mystery
Black Widow
Being with the One You Love
Lay Down Burden
Love & Mercy
Some of Your Love (was this actually demoed in the 70s?)
Rainbow Eyes
Turning Point
Magnetic Attraction
Don't Let Her Know...
Happy Days
Fantasy Is Reality
Heavenly Bodies
Heavenly Lovers

Have seen that many picked "She say that she needs me", which is also one of my favs, but asn't that one already written in the 60s, though with different lyrics ?

Faves written post-1980:

You're Still a Mystery
Chain Reaction of Love
Gettin' in over My Head (preferably from the Paley sessions)
Rio Grande
Love and Mercy

almost there:
Melt Away
Happy Days
Christmasey
Desert Drive (from GIOMH)

I was lucky enough to be at the Chicago House of Blues for a show in 2003 and BW and the band played it live. Wow! It sure is a great song.

It is indeed Mr. Paley

Melt Away
Rio Grande
South American
The Waltz
Baby Let You Hair Grow Long

No particular order...clearly the finishing touches to Smile trump every thing else IMO.

In no order

GIOMH (give me Andy's track anyday)
Melt Away
Rio Grande
L & M
Still I Dream Of It
On Christmas Day
Meet Me In My Dreams Tonight
This Song Wants To Sleep With You
Night Time
Saturday Morning In The City

Honorable mention:

I'm Broke (yep you read that correctly!)

Oh, great song ! I totally forgot that one...

This looks like an interesting thread.

No doubt Love And Mercy is the best Brian song written after 1980 IMHO.

The others are in no particular order:

Night Time (I don't care, I like it)
Rio Grande
Lay Down Burden
Soul Searchin'

As for Brian-written BB's songs since 1980:

Crack At Your Love (mainly for the intro)
I'm So Lonely
Think About The Days
That's Why God Made The Radio
From There To Back Again
Pacific Coast Highway
Summer's Gone

Fairy Tale
Love and Mercy
Rio Grande
Getting in over my head
Southern California

It's very difficult to pick from just 10!

Love and Mercy
Melt Away
Baby Let Your Hair Grow Long
Rio Grande
Getting In Over My Head
You're Still A Mystery
Midnight's Another Day
What Love Can Do
City Blues
"My Life" Suite

‍

Rio Grande
Lay Down Burden
Fairy Tale
Midnight's Another Day
What Love Can Do

Since some have mentioned OCA, which are primarily VDP songs, I would like to express my appreciation for the Gershwin album.  To me, these are some of the best sounding recordings of the solo career.

As for other solo works, I like almost all of the 88 album, about half of Imagination, and about half of LOS.  Pleas don't make me list them.  You probably already know which songs. :)

Rio Grande
The Waltz
Oxygen
Love and Mercy
Make a Wish

Getting In Over My Head (Paley Sessions version)

This Song Wants To Sleep With You Tonight

Orange Crate Art (hm... was that written by VDP?)

Midnight's Another Day

Melt Away

Wow, this is tough...my list:

Love and Mercy
From There To Back Again
Melt Away
Summer's Gone
Southern California
Midnight's Another Day
Lay Down Burden
You're Still A Mystery
Soul Searchin'
Rio Grande

Lots of others that deserve mention though....

Love & Mercy
Your Imagination
Melt Away
South American
Let it Shine

The entire Brian Wilson '88 album. There. That covers all of the songs not listed below in one swoop.

Meet Me In My Dreams Tonight (early fast version)
Doin’ Time On Planet Earth
I Sleep Alone
Let’s Do It Again/Black Widow
Country Feelin’
Love & Mercy (w/additional lyrics)
Daddy’s Little Girl
Your Imagination
She Says That She Needs Me
He Couldn’t Get His Poor Old Body To Move

Post 1980 Mr???  ;)

Good kind of love
From there to back again
Shelter
Strange World
You've touched me
The like in I love you
Live let die

You're Still A Mystery
Oxygen
California Role
From There to Back Again

Yep. Alternate lyrics by Brian and Carol Bayer-Sager and recorded around 1997, '98.

Hmmm, as I'm sure you guessed I was getting at the fact that the "song" was written in the 60s.

I don't think this smart arse thing suits me 🙈

Nothing But Love.

  1. Stevie
  2. Let It Shine
  3. You're Still A Mystery
  4. Lay Down Burden
  5. Going Home
  6. Melt Away
  7. Rio Grande
  8. Pacific Coast Highway
  9. Summer's Gone
 10.Love and Mercy

I don't see any hint of "smart-arse" in my post. I was serious as a heart attack. It went from Sandy in '65 to Sherry She Needs Me in '76 to She Says That She Needs Me in '97 (first formally released on his solo album in '98). The lyrics to all three incarnations of the song were written by different writers. I just happen to like the more mature Carol Bayer-Sager lyrics on the latter!   :)

Agree that you start with BW '88 (And consensus #1 Love and Mercy) and that pretty much fills it.  I still play it as much as any BB album.  A lot.

My other 5 favorite tracks (as opposed to songs).  I think a lot of good to great BW songs have been sabotaged by swooshy production over the years (And yet I'm fine with the 80sisms of '88 -- figure).

South American (Am I alone?  Always gets me going.)
He Couldn't Get His Poor Old Body to Move (Likewise.  From '88 sessions flip of L&M 45 with the mighty Lindsey Buckingham.)
Bells of Madness (From Rob Wasserman's Trios with Carnie co-written by Sam Phillips.  A crier.)
Soul Searchin' (The one with the Hammond solo not sax)
That's Why God Made the Radio

Honorable Mention
Imagination (vocals only)

What's the question again?  :)

I dunno, but I really like Bells Of Madness. And who could do a better job on the lead than Carnie? And the background vocals on that are unmistakable!

   I don't understand how "The Waltz" makes a "best list" !

A Top ten is very difficult to choose, but in response to other posts, I love "South American", "The Waltz", and "Bells of Madness".  Others don't, but to me something like "The Waltz" isn't as cheesy as it might come across.  Maybe I just like the idea of a young Brian trying to woo the girl, the lyrics have some of the kind of humour which I think may relate to the "SMiLE" stuff, like the "Cantina" section of "Heroes and Villains".

I'd also mention "Melt Away", "Love and Mercy", etc.

Well, my personal best would be: "Stevie", "Love And Mercy", "Melt Away", "Rio Grande", "Being With The One You Love", "Soul Searchin'", the demo version of "Midnight's Another Day", "Oh Mi Amor", "Message Man", and "The Like In I Love You". I still haven't listened to That's Why God Made The Radio which is why I've not included anything from that...

Honourable mention: "Little Children" because it sounds so dementedly happy, it's a relentless wash of synth, percussion and vocals!

Officially released:

01.   From There To Back Again
02.   Midnight's Another Day
03.   Melt Away
04.   Pacific Coast Highway
05.   Rio Grande
06.   Lucky Old Sun/Morning Beat
07.   Love and Mercy
08.   Meet Me In My Dreams Tonight
09.   Strange World
10.   Live Let Live

Bubbling under:
11.   Summer's Gone
12.   Cry
13.   Lay Down Burden
14.   Happy Days
15.   What I Really Want For Christmas
16.   Baby Let Your Hair Grow Long
17.   Think About The Days
18.   There's So Many
19.   Gettin' In Over My Head
20.   Don't Let Her Know She's An Angel
 

Yes, it's a great track - a bit like the offspring of 'Breakaway' and 'Shortening Bread'. Not exactly sure what the Gershwin origin was here, this is very Brian.

Choosing 10 tracks is really hard - and the great thing is that every year it gets more difficult. Who'd have thought that, even 10 years ago?

It's been suggested that completing BWPS was cathartic ...

Excluding Brian-composed songs within The BBs/remakes, this is Top-10 for me as of now:

1. Love & Mercy (find it superior to Melt Away & not just slightly)
2. Walkin' The Line
3. There's So Many
4. Happy Days
5. California Role
6. Rio Grande (contrary to most of you, my fave mo' is the very beginning, one of the best intros in any song I heard)
7. Let's Go to Heaven in My Car
8. Someone to Love
9. He Couldn't Get His Poor Old Body to Move (the v-n with less loud synthesized h/claps)

Great choice, Mikie! Glad to know I'm not alone on liking this little charming choon.

If Orange Crate Art counts, then I'll add as 11th & 12th "This Town Goes Down at Sunset" & "San Francisco". The latter is utterly cool & the former's got nice soothing feel to it.

Suggest you check out the composer credits for those two. The thread title contains a clue in the word "wrote".  ::)

Sorry, I meant if OCA ever counted, I would add "___________" & "____________". And while we're at it, for bonus track I'll mention "Christine" aka "Living Doll (Barbie)".

People don't like Midnight's Another Day?

This live version is fantastic. Almost like a followup to 'Til I Die
https://soundcloud.com/brianwilsonmusic/midnights-another-day

My ten: (eleven!)  :lol

Think About the Days
Southern California
Love and Mercy
Lay Down Burden
That's Why God Made the Radio
Isn't It Time?
The First Time (Live at the Roxy)
How Could We Still Be Dancin'?
The Waltz
Midnight's Another Day
Fairy Tale

I thought this topic looked familiar, and sure enough, it was one we began long, long ago. What struck me is how much good material BW has done in the past decade, as opposed to the roughly 25 years that preceded it. My choices in 2005 were these:


While I could quibble with myself over material available at that time--I'd now give strong consideration to Some Sweet Day, My Marianne, Do You Have Any Regrets, and Gettin In Over My Head--the following would be strong contenders for my best-of list as well:

What Love Can Do
Speed Turtle ;D
Live Let Live
Forever She'll Be My Surfer Girl
Good Kind of Love
Oxygen to the Brain
Midnight's Another Day
The Like in I Love You
Isn't It Time
Shelter
Strange World
From There To Back Again
Pacific Coast Highway

There are plenty of other really solid songs as well. The pace and quality obviously doesn't match his '60s output by a long shot, but it's pretty impressive for a guy in his 60s and early 70s who had slowed down quite a bit the previous quarter century.

I feel like a lot of my choices would be based more on the performance than the composition, because it's hard to love a song unless it has a definitively enjoyable version.

(in chronological order)

Love and Mercy
Melt Away
Rio Grande
You're Still a Mystery
It's Not Easy Being Me
Lay Down Burden
Midnight's Another Day
Southern California
From There to Back Again
Summer's Gone

Others: Stevie, In My Car, Fantasy Is Reality/Bells of Madness, This Song Wants to Sleep with You, Gettin' In Over My Head, Everything I Need, Cry, Live Let Live

Don't Let Her Know She's An Angel apparently started in the late 70's, so I guess it's out.  Then again some of the songs I have mentioned do have earlier roots.

In chronological order:

Stevie
Melt Away
He Couldn't Get His Poor Old Body to Move
Love Ya
Midnight's Another Day
Southern California
The Like in I Love You
Nothing But Love
Spring Vacation
Strange World

I'll do you one better and do the songs he wrote post-1990.

This Song Wants to Sleep With You
You're Still A Mystery
Your Imagination
Cry
Gettin' In Over My Head
What Love Can Do
Midnight's Another Day
Oxygen to the Brain
Just Like Me and You
From There to Back Again

uuhhhhhh.....   I think the point is:    best song Brian wrote  

Brian didn't write "Speed Turtle".

Ah, I see. We're expected to respond to what you intended to write, not what you actually posted.

Relax, it's not that big of a deal. I understood what RRA1 meant in her original post and I'm sure you did too.

A problem with this thread is that you can make a bad recording from a good song and vice versa.

The recordings that impressed me the most were Midnight's Another Day and Summer's Gone.

If they had used the Paley sessions backing track for "Desert Drive" and the Beach Boys as vocalists, that would have been a great one too. Lay Down Burden is another good song that suffers from suboptimal production.

It's no big deal, but I think the thread title might've changed since 2005. In my December 2005 post, I listed "Joy To The World" as one of my favorite BW solo songs. Brian wrote some classics but I don't think he gets credit for that one! Then I looked at JRauch's original post (he started the thread on December 30, 2005) and he asks "OK, what are your favourite five solo-songs by Brian?" He doesn't mention best songs that Brian WROTE....

I know. Just fucking around.

Yeah, I was thinking about this in relation to the thread about GIOMH and, for the most part, the problem with that album is the production and vocal performances more than the actual songwriting.  There are a couple songs on that album that are flat-out bad in and of themselves, but there are also decent, even good songs that are destroyed by the cacophonous production style and poor vocal performances.  Though it's not as bad in terms of production or vocal performance, I think there are some songs on Imagination that might have made my list if I were able to hear a version produced by someone other than Joe Thomas.

To me, that's the story of Brian Wilson's solo career in a nutshell. When I hear a good Brian Wilson solo song, I think how it could've be a GREAT song with contributions from the Beach Boys. When I hear a mediocre (bad?) Brian Wilson solo song, I think it probably wouldn't even made the cut on a Beach Boys' album because of other songs by Mike, Carl, Al, and Bruce.

I would argue performance is the most important thing.  Imagine any of Brian's solo albums circa 1966.

I wanna see a topic "top 10 worst songs Brian wrote pre-66". Anyway, let's see what I can come up with to this topic.

(Not in any particular order)

Love & Mercy
Meet Me in My Dreams Tonight
Rio Grande
Midnight's Another Day
Good Kind of Love
Going Home
Isn't It Time
From There to Back Again
Pacific Coast Highway
Summer's Gone

Wow, I forgot Imagination completely, so I'd add Dream Angel, Lay Down Burden and Cry to the list. Impossible for me to list just 10. There's so many of them!

It's an interesting topic, but not really a problem with the thread. The thread is about the best songs being written, not the best performances or productions.

Well, you had every choice to not respond to my post, don't see any issue here. On the other hand, by words of punkinhead taken from his signature,

Once a week, when you crawl out from under whatever rock you live under... and hobble down to the bait shop to buy the worms a creature like you sustains itself with.... do you come off as a complete asshole there too, or do you just reserve that for the internet?

As for Brian's best that he's written, or I'm stupid enough to think he's written, my favorites are:

Forever She'll be My Surfer Girl
Love & Mercy
Midnights Another Day
Melt Away
Rio Grande
From There to Back Again
Good Kind Of Love
Live Let Live
Lay Down Burden

That's only 9 Jerk.  Deal with it.

I love the Wilson-Paley stuff----well, most of it. So my top five are from that department:

In order of length of title:

Elbow '63
I'm Broke
Make A Wish
It's Not Easy Being Me 
Chain Reaction Of Love