The Smiley Smile Message Board

The Voice and Heart of the BeachBoys.  The man, whose death, finallly brought an end to the band.  The man who could bring voice to anyone's lyrics and make them soar.  The man of integrity who insisted on high quality live performances.  The man who left the gravy train to pursue a solo career.   The man whose return to the band resurrected their career  for another 15 years.  Son of Murry and son-in-law of Dino, baby brother of the WIlson family, Carl Wilson.
 

One lifelong CW fan here! I still miss that guy -- he was the greatest.

Chalk my name down -  no Carl, no real Beach Boys.

Couldn't agree more...although I also think they probably should have stopped when Dennis died.

Carl was one of the greatest male singers I've ever heard. Such a soulful voice, and he seemed like a great guy.

I agree with that too, the reunion hungry BB fans don't realize that.

I love Carl too, but I know what AGD means.  He wrote four great BB songs: Feel Flows, Long Promised Road, Trader and Angel Come Home.  I like some of the others but there's a fair bit of average AOR in there along with some sluggish ballads.  I prefer his first album - there's a handful of decent poppy rock songs, though nothing too demanding, and one decent ballad.  The second is just awful and isn't helped by the glossy production.  Best song's probably the title track. Beckley-Lamm-Wilson's so-so too. Great voice throughout, of course.  Would I buy a repackaging of the two solo albums with a few extra tracks?  Of course.  8)

He wrote more than four great songs. The only song he wrote for the BBs that wasn't great is Maybe I Don't Know. And while I'm on the topic of the '85 album, Where I Belong is a great great song.

And let's not forget, Carl is a credited writer on such songs as All This is That, Good Timin', Dance Dance Dance, I Went to Sleep, It's About Time, etc.

I do have to say, though, that my favorite Carl solo song was written by John Hall, who is now a Congressman, oddly enough.

I'm surprised nobody mentioned "Heaven" yet...  ???

Carl is a highly underrated songwriter. Granted, his two solo albums aren't exactly masterpieces, but the songs are at least fun, and many of them are really interesting. And he had the finest voice in rock. Period. Emotional or powerful, or both at the same time.

And even though I'd like to see a reunion tour or show, deep inside of me I know that without Carl it would suck.

Heaven's the ballad I mentioned, but I'll stick to my guns about the four great songs while acknowledging his contribution to works where the 'other guy' tends to get the main credit, which I should've done in the first place.  Yeah, Where I Belong is another good one; I just don't rate it as highly as the other four.

I'm playing his first CD as I write this and the first three tracks are pretty decent, so with Heaven and Hurry Love, it's half there... It's just nothing special in the way POB is. But then, not much is.

Love Carl, what he did musically, and his beautiful soul. They'll never be another :angel:

Why just yesterday while listening to some Beach Boys in the car my husband asked me if everytime Carl sang I had the urge to throw my panties at the radio, because he did.  :lol

In all seriousness he had the most beautiful voice and can transform a subpar song into something really wonderful.

Carl was a great guy. I thought the world of him, and pretty much everyone I've talked to, who knew him well or just a little bit, felt the same way. Carl never met a stranger.

The voice, well that was truly a gift from God.

Beckley Lamm and Wilson gets little notice and its a shame.  Some may think me silly but I continue to find much of this album deeply moving and intensly spiritual.There are at least three songs on this album that should touch the soul of any Carl Wilson fan.  Today, I wish for You, and Sheltering Sky.  Put these with Carls best vocal contributions to the BeachBoys post MIU, and add the better songs from the two solo albums and you have one gleaming gem of an album, and they are all from his last two decade.  

And I would like to say that this business of Carl not being a great song  writer is irrelevant.  I can name only a few others whose interpretations of another's song was so powerful, original, and sensitive that one could say  they actually had a hand in "making" the song.   Think of Emmy Lou doing Townes Van Zant,  Patsy Cline doing Willie Nelson, or Nat Cole singing Stardust.  Carl was that good....and his interpretations that moving.

While not great, I actually like the soul of "Maybe I Don't Know," despite the merdaty production. I'm not a fan of "Goin' South," myself. But I'd say Carl wrote about nine good/great songs by himself, and countless more in collaboration:
1. "Long Promised Road"
2. "Feel Flows"
3. "Trader"
4. "Angel Come Home"
5. "Heaven"
6. "Seems so Long Ago"
7. "It's Gettin' Late"
8. "Where I Belong"
9. "Maybe I Don't Know" (admittedly, an iffy choice)
10. "Run Don't Walk"
11. "I Wish For You"
12. "Like a Brother"

One More Night Alone, a Billy Hinsche song, is among Carl's best, IMO.

And not to beat this into the ground, BUT....Today from BLW is a very powerful, yet gentle, song......one that seldom fails to touch some deep emotions.

**I love Carl too, but I know what AGD means.  He wrote four great BB songs: Feel Flows, Long Promised Road, Trader and Angel Come Home. **

Agreed. I wish there was more from mellow Carl in the '70s. But we'll always have his golden voice on the '60s and '70s Brian and Dennis gems that Carl sang on.

I think "Heaven" is in the Top 5 BB solo songs; it should've been heard by more people. IMO, "Where I Belong" is very, very close to being in the "great song" category. And, I always enjoyed "Livin' With A Heartache"; I think it's an excellent song and performance.

Livin' with a Heartache is great. And so is Goin' South. Goin' South is one of those songs I can listen to over and over and over again.

I am picky when it comes to all the Beach Boys later stuff (excepting Dennis), but I do like all of Carl's songs through Holland. After that I guess Angel Come Home, and Heaven are the only ones I really love. I do kind of like Keeping The Summer Alive, and Hold Me. Living With A Heartache isn't bad but a little overlong.

"Livin' With A Heartache" was released as a single - and an edited version at that - although I never heard it.

Greatest voice of all-time, in my book. Hands down.

I probably would like that version better but I never have gotten around to buying it.

My Carl comp:
Long Promised Road
Feel Flows
Trader
Full Sail
Angel Come Home
Hold Me
Bright Lights
What You Gonna Do About Me
Hurry Love
Heaven
Givin' You Up
Keepin' The Summer Alive
Livin' With a Heartache
It's Gettin' Late
Where I Belong
Run Don't Walk
Like A Brother

Are there any unreleased Carl tunes from the early '70s? Didn't he produce some kind of Moog experiment or something?

I have weighed in on this before, but since we are on the topic I may as well do it again. First, as another poster stated, Carl had the absolute best voice I have ever heard. No question.  Personally, I prefer his more soulful sounding voice from the 80's and 90's.  Second, I would never pretend that I knew Carl, but I did have the opportunity to meet him 8-10 times over the years.  Each time, without exception, he was gracious, kind, thoughtful. He had no reason to make time for me (especially since he was usually running late), but he always did, without regret.  This was still true in August 1997, when he was in poor condition.  It had zero impact on how he treated those he came into contact with. Just a great person and voice.  To say he is deeply missed is an understatement. And I think "Where I Belong" is a great song.

Telephone Backgrounds On A Clear Day.

Carl Wilson was boss man. Who else could scream the lyrics of Shortien' Bread like that??  :lol :lol


I think he was more into that song then Brian, which is kinda scary.

He was also the best looking in the late 60s!  ;D

Make that five great BB songs: Feel Flows, Long Promised Road, Trader, Angel Come Home and Where I Belong - the latter could well be the most under-rated song in their entire catalogue. It's an absolutely stunning neglected gem.

As a singer I like him best from 1966-72 though he did always have a special quality (except in the herion era perhaps). As a writer I like most of what he did from 1963-72 a lot and do like "Angel Come Home" and "Heaven" as much as those early songs. KTSA and Living With A Heartache are cool for what they are, but I'm not a fan of his other later songs. Maybe with a better production the eighties stuff would work for me, but I don't feel them much honestly. Carl was a fine performer, and became the best singer as his brothers voices went south. I really get a warm feeling from him. Brian and Dennis are still my faves but Carl was a talent to be reckoned with.

Before I got into Beach Boys, I found questions like "who is your favourite singer" or "who do you think is the best singer in the world" annoying and impossible to answer, with so many great singers out there. After finding Beach Boys, that problem was solved. The answer is Carl Wilson. Each and every time.

I was just getting into the BB's as Carl's solo albums came out, so of course  I bought them, and I loved them, still do. Love the stripped down sound of the debut, kind of a mellow Wild Honey vibe about it. Youngblood has a more radio friendly sound, but I like it, much prefer that sound to the synthy sound the BB's adopted on the 85 album and beyond. Like A Brother also goes a bit too heavy on the synths, but Carl's songs on it are strong, and of course his voice never fails.