The Smiley Smile Message Board

I started to make a list earlier today, it was a tough call for me on what's the number 1 best Solo album. I will have a list of runners up which consist of albums that some may not consider an actual solo album but more of a project of a live album....Also, Postcard from California will be on that list because I have yet to purchase it (I know, shame on me!) It's up to you whether you wanna include other related solo albums such as Blondie's or David's or Bruce's early solo albums, which I've never heard.

My list starts at the best to the least of my favs...I'm gonna cheat though and have 3 #1's because I can't decide:
1) TLOS
1) BWRG
1) BWPS
2) POB
3) BW (88)
4) Bambu
5) Mike Love Not War
6) Walkin' Down the Path of Life (alternate GIOMH/related projects fan mix, I'll post the tracklist at the bottom and you'll see why
7) Youngblood
8)Imagination
9) GIOMH
10) Looking Back with Love
11) Carl Wilson
12) Sweet Insanity
13) Goin Public


Runner's up: BW Live at the Roxy, PS Live, Gary Usher sessions, Pet Projects, Orange Crate Art, Paley sessions, IJWMFTT, Country Love, Al Jardine (Family/Friends) Live at Las Vegas, What I really Want for Christmas, & Postcard from California.

BW-Walking Down the Path of Life (Alt. GIOMH)
1. Walking down the path of life
2. You've touched me*
3. Live let live
4. The first time*
5. Heaven
6. Desert Drive*
7. What love can do
8. The Waltz
9. Forever she'll be my surfer girl
10. Fairytale
11. What I really want for Christmas
12. A friend like you
13. Believe in yourself
14. This isn't love*
15. Christmasey
16. California Feeling
17. Midnights another day
18. How could we still be dancing?*

*-has been better edited either by cutting the intro or cutting out obvious audience noise

Sticking entirely with completed, released studio albums:

1 - POB
2 - TLOS
3 - BWPS
4 - BWRG
5 - BW
6 - PFC
7 - I
8 - LBWL
9 - YB
10 - CW
11 - GIOMH
12 - GP

POB
Spring
The Flame
TLOS
BWPS
BW (88)
BWRG
What I Really Want for Christmas

The others aren't worth hearing and only the first 5 are faves.

Is it sacrilege to confess that POB has fallen in my estimation over the years? No, I don't think so. I rarely play it. There are a couple of decent songs on it. 'Moonshine' has always been a top favourite, still is. But nowadays I find quite a lot of it overblown, or else: aimless funk.

Then there's the matter of Dennis' voice. It sounds forced, like's he's really pressing to get some air out.

On the other hand: BWPS has only grown in stature, and it started in the 5-star category to begin with. It never ceases to inspire me, console me, whatever. Despite Brian's 'older' voice, it sounds eternally youthful, spring-like. Reviving tonic that's sorely needed sometimes.

(I'm not in the mood for lists today.)

Rats - knew I forgot one. OK, version 2.0:

1 - POB
2 - TLOS
3 - BWPS
4 - BWRG
5 - BW
6 - PFC
7 - I
8 - LBWL
9 - YB
10 - CW
11 - GIOMH
12 - WIRWFC
13 - GP

Pacific Ocean Blue
Brian Wilson
Brian Wilson Presents Smile
That Lucky Old Sun
Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin
Orange Crate Art
Carl Wilson
Imagination
I Just Wasn't Made For These Times
Youngblood
What I Really Want For Christmas
Gettin' In Over My Head
Looking Back With Love
Going Public

BWPS
TLOS
Spring
POB
Brian Wilson
Bambu
Paley Sessions
Sweet Insanity
What I really want for christmas
Imagination
Postcard from California
Carl Wilson
Youngblood
Getting in Over My Head
Lookin back with Love
Going Public

To me the biggest dissappointment was CW.  Carl's voice seemed so well suited to a blue eyed soul sound (think "Silk Degrees").  The producer (JWG) had a history of producing jazzy/R&B flavored music (Buckinghams, BS&T, Chicago).  I really thought it would have taken a different direction.

Also, it seems that Carl composed the music on guitar while in his previous work it seems like he had composed songs using a piano.

1 POB
2 BWPS
3 TLOS
4 Blondie Chaplin*
5 BWRG
6 BW88
7 Between Us (Blondie Chaplin)*
8 Young Blood
9 Postcards
10 Carl Wilson
11 Imagination
12 GIOMH
13 LBWL
14 Going Public
15 WIRWFC

* both post BBs-involvement and therefore as eligible as anything Brian's released!


We've all so far neglected David's solo post-BBs releases. As I haven't got them (yet) I haven't included them.

Maybe I should give Going Public another try. :-D

Do it. Works better than Valium.

Alright, I'll listen to the "PT Cruiser" single instead. Seriously, judging by some of these guys' solo material you would never guess the sheer brilliance of what they were capable of as a group...

Agree. Totally agree.

You dislike WIRWFC more than GIOMH? I thought the latter was the worst BB solo album in your eyes...

On the inbuilt principle that, unless I'm being paid to, I can only listen to it maybe two months in a year. If I wanted to. Which I don't.  ;D

A lot of my runners up weren't included because I just don't feel like they're justifiable Solo albums...maybe OCA and IJWMFTT, I was more looking for all new material, or what's considered "new."

My non-inclusion of Blondie or David Marks material is because I've never heard em.

This is assuming download albums count, too. The current list runs:

1. POB
2. A Postcard from California
3. Youngblood
4. Live at Eddie's Attic (David Marks)
5. Bambu
6. Something Funny Going On (David Marks)
7. Carl Wilson
8. BWPS live at Carnegie Hall (PBS broadcast)
9. Blondie Chaplin

...and anything else by David Marks!

Row I rate them:
POB/BAMBU disc set
BWPS
TLOS
BWRG (those three are interchangebale sometimes---pretty much a holy trinity)
BW88
IJWMFTT
PFC
WIRWFC
I
YB
CW
GIOMH
LBWL
Never heard, Goin' Public, not a ton of desire to do so.

Oh, it's pure ass. Trust me...

Oh yeah the first Moon LP is great.

Released only and no BWPS or Roxy or IJWMFTT or the Family and Friends show - and nothing I haven't heard:
POB
BW88
TLOS
Bambu
Postcard
WIRWFC
Imagination
Like a Brother (kinda solo...)
Carl Wilson
GIOMH
Going Public
Youngblood
LBWL

1. Pacific Ocean Blue (Dennis Wilson)
2. Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin (Brian Wilson)
3. Brian Wilson (Brian Wilson)
4. That Lucky Old Sun (Brian Wilson)
5. The Fragile Thread (Blondie Chaplin)
6. I Think About You Often (David Marks)
7. First Love (Michael Love)
8. Blondie Chaplin (Blondie Chaplin)
9. A Postcard From California (Al Jardine)
10. Something Funny Goin' On (David Marks)
11. Between Us (Blondie Chaplin)
12. Mike Love Not War/Unleash the Love (Michael Love)
13. Surfin' 'Round the World (Bruce Johnston)
14. Surfers' Pajama Party (Bruce Johnston)
15. Looking Back With Love (Michael Love)
16. Imagination (Brian Wilson)
17. Youngblood (Carl Wilson)
18. Carl Wilson (Carl Wilson)
19. Country Love (Michael Love)
20. Going Public (Bruce Johnston)
21. Sweet Insanity (Brian Wilson)
22. What I Really Want For Christmas (Brian Wilson)
23. Pet Sounds Live (Brian Wilson)
24. Gettin' In Over My Head (Brian Wilson)
25. Brian Wilson Presents Smile (Brian Wilson)

Shucks...forgot about OCA...darn thats a toughie... revised list with my notes

List 2.0
POB/BAMBU disc set (a brilliant collection of a brilliant talent...genius in it's darkness and quirkiness...enough said)
BWPS (it's one of the main elements to why I'm such a big fan...even though most of it is vintage, it's an amazing collection, I love every minute of it and Brian sings beautfully)
TLOS (just right under BWPS, which is quite an achievement; I keep coming back to TLOS and it keeps rewarding me, it's so impressive that Brian AND Scotty were able to come up with such a cohesive work when Brian was in his mid-60s, and you can feel Bri's enthusiasm throughout)
BWRG (the best vocals Brian's accomplished in many years, creative arrangments that are pure BW, and a really satisfying album overall. The two new tracks are astonishing. Bursting with creativity.)
American Spring ("Sweet Mountain," "Forever," "Tennesse Waltz," "Thinkin' About You Baby" and ESPECIALLY "Sweet Mountain" are genius. Great arrangements and I love the Rovell voices, but not quite a cohesive album)
OCA (I love this album, well most of it, there's a few duffer cuts. VDP wrote really imaginative songs, the title cut is INSANE when you try to work it out musically; and Brian's vocals are adventurous and spirited--although he's capable of better today. Just a calming, relaxing, gorgeous album...with a bit of duffer)
The Flame (patchier than some say, but the only cuts I don't really enjoy are "Hey Lord," "Make it Easy," "Dove" and the reprise that ends the album. The rest is genius, from the great uptempo "See the Light," the beautiful "Highs and Lows," the Beatle brilliance of "Another Day Like Heaven," the great folky feel of "Lady," and the energetic "Get Your Mind Made Up." Should've been a hit)
BW88 (The most substantial new work Brian did in over a decade. Seriously good songs. "Melt Away," "Love and Mercy," "Baby Let Your Hair Grow Long," "Meet me In My Dreams Tonight" and "Rio Grande," are as solid a nucleus as one could hope for. Not the best arrangments, they are of the time and the mixing burries the cool bits. Brian's lead vocals are really good. Basically, an update of the Love You sound with better performances and the same share of awkward lyrics, but without the brilliant arrangments of LY)
Live at the Roxy (worth it alone for the great version of "Lay Down Burden" with amazing harmonies. Has some great moments throughout)
IJWMFTT (Very adequate collection that ages better than I thought it would)
PFC (Jardine can't quite come up with a full album of good material, and he can barely write a song on his own, but his voice alone makes this essential. "Don't Fight the Sea" is highly satisfying and the title cut has some great moments as well, the remake of "California Feelin'" is very soulful. The rest is pleasant if not terrible scintilating)
CW (a couple of great songs, "Hold Me," "Heaven" and "What You Gonna Do About Me" I enjoy particularly, and boy can this man do anything with his voice, but bland overall)
WIRWFC (some great arrangments and BW sings well throughout, the two new cuts are terrific, but the rest is pleasant if nothing more)
I (too overprocessed for my tastes and lacking the typical edge BW material usually has. That being said, the title cut is amazing even in this form, "South American" I like a lot, "Happy Days" is quirky enough for me to love, "Cry" has some great moments too. The rest is beneath BW standards except for "Lay Down Burden," I HATE this recording but love this song)
YB (boring throughout)
GIOMH (beneath BW, but "You've Touched Me" and "City Blues" are well above average, and "Friend Like You" I've always liked. Still, quite a tough listen)
LBWL (too cheesy for my tastes)
Never heard, Goin' Public, not a ton of desire to do so.
What I've heard of "Pet Sounds Live" I didn't particularly care for, but the DVD is wonderful.

I'm going to seek out the Blondie Chaplin albums soon. I'm impressed by the samples I've heard.

BWPS
LOS
BAMBU (disc 2 of POB deluxe...whatever you wanna call it)
OCA
Imagination
BW88
IJWMFTT
POB
GIOMH
POSTCARD
WIRWFXMAS
BWRG
LOOKING BACK
...everything else....

I'll just limit this to the [officially released] Brian Wilson solo albums:

11.  Orange Crate Art - actually not a knock against the album; I just never bothered to purchase it.  So it gets last place by default.  I actually like a few songs that I've heard on here though.
10.  What I Really Want For Christmas - Pleasant, but totally inessential.  
9.    Pet Sounds Live - Well-done live performance of the album, but I rarely listen to it.  The Japanese release (with a terrific live version of "Meant For You"/"Friends") is well worth seeking though.
8.    Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin - Yeah, I know I'll get some heat for this but I just never really got into this album.  I like Gershwin, I like Wilson; but the two never really mixed well for me.  Couple of nice tracks like "S'Wonderful", but there are some weak moments.  "I Loves You, Porgy" sounds incredibly awkward anyway you slice it, and the ham-fisted "I've Got Rhythm" so pales in comparison to the Happenings' splendid version.
7.    Gettin' In Over My Head - A big disappointment.  I was really looking forward to the guest artists' contribution but was ultimately let down.  The duet with Paul McCartney was a truly wasted opportunity, Eric Clapton's guitar solo feels out of place, and Elton John makes a notable effort on an otherwise unremarkable song.  It is nice having "Soul Searchin'" see an official release, but the unreleased version with the Beach Boys singing harmony is still greatly desired.  
6.    I Just Wasn't Made For These Times - A nice (if brief) run-through of some of Brian Wilson's most underrated songs.  None of these new versions beat the originals (with perhaps the exception of the songs from his 1988 album), but this is a fun, quick listen.  I like the fully realized flute solo on "Caroline, No".
5.    Imagination - This album was quite well-received when it originally came out.  And it was this album that officially put Brian Wilson back on the map; he's been recording and touring ever since.  That being said, it has not aged well.  The production is too glossy and the songs veer a little too far in the "adult contemporary" category.  Still, Brian is in great vocal form.
4.   Live At The Roxy Theatre - So Brian Wilson is hardly a good performer.  In fact, we get all excited when he manages to sing a song in tune!  That all being said, this was a really satisfying live album.  Most of the credit goes to his backup band, who really "get it" and manage to recreate the classic Beach Boys sound.  Brian himself seems connected with the audience (well for BW standards anyway) and you can't beat the terrific setlist.
3.   Brian Wilson - His 1988 debut solo album has aged even worse than Imagination, but that's OK.  It is a quirky collection of (mostly) strong songs, that concludes with the outstanding SMiLEesque "Rio Grande".  
2.   That Lucky Old Sun - By far, BW's most focused album he's put out on his own.  Sure, the narration is awkward and you get a little tired of hearing the title track creep its way into the songs, but this was overall an extremely satisfying effort.  Quite a few winning numbers, such as "Good Kind of Love", "Forever She'll Be My Surfer Girl", "Live Let Live" and "Midnight's Another Day".  Would have easily been his best solo album if it wasn't for...
1.   SMiLE - I so wanted to hate this version when I first heard he was going to finally finish it.  An aging, mentally-inept old headcase attempting to rerecord and release a fully-realized version of the most famous "lost" album of all time?  Blasphemy!  But when I finally heard it, the music won at the end of the day.  You simply can't beat this.  Brian Wilson and his crackpot band managed to tastefully reproduce this album and they did a stellar job.  Now with the unfinished Beach Boys version of this album is finally seeing the light of day, it's a bit disappointing that the 2004 version may get somewhat discredited.  In any case, I believe this is about as good as it gets with SMiLE.

Bonus mention - Sweet Insanity - Let's not kid ourselves here.  There is a perfectly good reason why this thing never saw the light of day.  It sucked.  The production sounded like a bad anime soundtrack and all the best songs on here have been rerecorded and put out on other albums.  And then there is the truly nauseous "rap" song, "Smart Girls".  The only cool thing about this album is that Bob Dylan actually appeared on it.  And his appearance on a Brian Wilson song is far more remarkable than the lame song itself.

And another one. Oh... bother.  OK, 3.0

1 - POB
2 - TLOS
3 - BWPS
4 - BWRG
5 - BW
6 - OCA
7 - PFC
8 - I
9 - LBWL
10 - YB
11 - CW
12 - GIOMH
13 - WIRWFC
14 - GP

Why not include Bambu ? I will, just as soon as Dennis finishes it. Not including unreleased sets means that First Love is denied a #7/8 slot, but hey, life's like that.

1. Pacific Ocean Blue (Dennis Wilson)
2. That Lucky Old Sun (Brian Wilson)
3. Brian Wilson Presents Smile (Brian Wilson)
4. Blondie Chaplin (Blondie Chaplin)
5. Brian Wilson (Brian Wilson)
6. Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin (Brian Wilson)
7. Imagination (Brian Wilson)
8. Between Us (Blondie Chaplin)
9. Youngblood (Carl Wilson)
10. Carl Wilson (Carl Wilson)
11. Without Earth (The Moon)
12. Celebration - (Celebration)
13. Gettin' In Over My Head (Brian Wilson)
14. I Think About You Often (David Marks)
15. A Postcard From California (Al Jardine)
16. The Moon (The Moon)
17. Like A Brother (Beckley-Lamm-Wilson)
18. Something Funny Goin' On (David Marks)
19. I Just Wasn't Made For These Times (Brian Wilson)
20. Orange Crate Art - (Brian Wilson & Van Dyke Parks)
21. Going Public (Bruce Johnston)
22. What I Really Want For Christmas (Brian Wilson)
23. Looking Back With Love (Michael Love)
24. Almost Summer (Celebration)
25. Disco Celebration (Celebration)
(PS1: I left 21. Surfin' 'Round the World, Surfers' Pajama Party and The Flame out, these being released before Bruce/Blondie/Ricky became BB members)
(PS2: not really worth mentioning: Catch A Wave - Mike Love, Summertime Cruisin' - Mike, Bruce, Adrian Baker, Salute Nascar - Mike, Bruce, David)

Live
1. Live At The Roxy (Brian Wilson)
2. Pet Sounds Live (Brian Wilson)
3. Live In Las Vegas (Al Jardine Family & Friends)

Singles / EP's / iTunes releases
1. Do It Again single (Brian Wilson) - worth having for "This Song Wants To Sleep With You Tonight" alone
2. Walking Down The Path Of Live single (Brian Wilson)
3. PT Cruiser EP (Al Jardine)
4. Hungry Heart (Mike Love)
5. Santa's Goin' To Kokomo (Mike Love)

Not-so-official
1. Fragile Thread (Blondie Chaplin) - had this was been an official release it would have ended 4th, a darn shame this album stayed in the faults...
2. Unleash the Love (Mike Love)
3. Sweet Insanity (Brian Wilson)
4. First Love (Mike Love)
5. Country Love (Mike Love)
(PS: Bambu and Paley sessions were considered, but as these are unfinished products, not added to the list)

Can someone make a compelling case for the merits of POB? So that I might love it again as much as I did on the day of release in 1977?

Help!

What I did many years ago, is listening to it a first time, putting it away for 5 years, listening to it again, putting it away again for another 2 years, and when gave it a third listen it suddenly hit me.

Should work...  ;D

Because I damn well say so !  ;D

Ah, the resident Kim Jong-Il again sticks his Seal Of Approval onto POB. Who am I to argue?  :o

I hear your pleas, oh Heartical one.  I can't seem to figure out the greatness of POB.  It certainly is a solid effort but it hasn't thoroughly impressed me either.

I say BW88 is #1, the POB/Bambu set a close #2, and the rest I don't know. I really love POB, but I think Bambu is slightly better. However I ind myself listening to BW88 more than any. One for the Boys, There's So Many, RG, MA, so many classic tunes on this. I think that TLOS and POB are about even woth each other. BWPS is amazing but it is hard for me to consider that it's own seperate entity as a solo record.

Ya know, for the stream of great music these guys put out collectively between 1963 - 1971, they sure released a lot of sh*t as solo artists! More crap than gems.

Without ranking them, I think the best of the lot are:
BW Smile, POB, BW 1988, Orange Crate Art, & Bambu.
Also, Imagination. Side note: good content for BW 1988 & Imagination, but terrible production.

Everything else is very spotty and a few are simply horrifying.

Do you get nightmares?

Quite - now listen to the album and marvel.   :)

Me specifically? No.
I know because I set up speakers on my front porch and I play 'Going Public' and 'Looking Back With Love' as part of my Halloween soundtrack to scare the kids when I pass out treats. So frightening, some kids don't even come near my house.

 :lol

I think people, fans, critics, smiley smilers have been making a compelling case for the merits of POB over and over and over again. It was the best reviewed reissue of 2008 by a mile. Five stars in nearly every newspaper and magazine, Reissue of the year in all the big ones. If you don't listen to critics, then how about it being #1 on 90% of the people's lists in this very thread. No problem if its not your cup of tea...but I think you're the one who needs to be making the compelling case for your contrary view, as its clearly in the smallest minority. I think people like it because its the best BB's solo effort, and probably one of the best five or six BB's albums in general.

http://www.metacritic.com/music/pacific-ocean-blue-reissue/critic-reviews

Isn't this all a little subjective?  Why must we make a case for liking or disliking the album?  Either you dig it or you don't.  It doesn't matter either way.

Ooh. Both great! I don't really consider those as solo releases, but I recon they really are.
WOW! Totally forgot about this one! Absolutely among the best of the bunch.
Contains some great surf instros and some early FUZZ guitar. Brilliant stuff!

BB solo albums are real spotty, tbh I don't care for most of Brian's solo work. I feel like he has sort of become this overstated version of himself if you know what I mean. Like, I really get a sense of him as a producer between 1963 and 1977, I can feel his evolution, pick out his influences, figure out how he got from one thing to the next. You can sort of see him putter along, you can watch him become interested in the moog via Wendy Carlos, etc.

But I feel like his solo albums are sort of missing that. Like he's lost his voice-production wise-since the 80s. There are some good songs, but I haven't heard any of his solo albums and been like "oh Brian". I think his best is TLOS, it's pretty nice, but I don't think he's yet done an album where Brian Wilson really shined through if you catch my drift.

My favorite BB solo album is by far POB, I don't think you can top it, both it an Bambu have really terrific production, great feeling, great everything. I especially love Companion from Bambu. Jeeze, compare that to Here Comes the Night! I was really into disco when it sort of came back a few years ago in the form of "blog house", and I collected a bunch of ulta-obscure disco and house records and got into that whole sound. So when I say I don't like HCTN it isn't because I just hate disco. Companion on the other hand sounds so modern, it's a much more interesting track that's funky as hell.

The first Moon album is pretty good, and I like stuff by The Flame too. Bruce's Surfin' Round the World is also a favorite that I think is full of fun sh*t. Beyond that I don't think any of the solo albums are that great, Carl's are pretty disappointing.

I have to say that the opening line of BW88 is purely Brian, although I see your point that none of Brian's solo efforts have that "Brian"...moment, save for most of BW88 and it's demos, IMO

I like a lot of the unreleased stuff Brian did, I'm Broke, Chain Reaction of Love, etc more than some of the stuff that's showed up on his solo albums.

Hi Jon -

with due respect: you are using the 'democratic' argument here. Yes, I am in a minority (although I was a huge fan of POB way back when). But when 9 out of 10 people adore something, that does not mean, IMHO, that that thing is necessarily good.

I realize I was too harsh on POB two days ago. It's a good album, with some weak, and some very fine spots. I did not buy the deluxe edition of the CD for nothing.

My problem, so to speak, has to do with self-searching on my part. How can it be that I was absolutely wowed by that LP, and am no so any more? One wonders, thinks back, compares different eras, that kind of thing. We all change.

Oh, and I love your biography of Dennis. Great book.

OK, awarding points on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis for the first five places on all but one of the 12 lists thus far submitted (excluding the list of solely BW albums), this is what we have so far

1 Pacific Ocean Blue - 49 (9 first place votes)
2 That Lucky Old Sun - 36 (1)
3 ... Presents Smile - 31 (2)
4 Brian Wilson - 16
5 ... Reimagines Gershwin - 14
6 Spring - 7
7 Bambu - 6
8 A Postcard from California - 5
9 Blondie Chaplin - 4
10 The Flame - 3
11 Youngblood - 3
12 Live at Eddie's Attic (David Marks) - 2
13 Orange Crate Art - 2
14 Imagination - 1
15 The Fragile Thread - 1

Coming after 15 BIG ONES and LOVE YOU (neither of which I cared much for), POB struck me as exactly the album the Beach Boys should have followed up HOLLAND with. So perhaps historical context is a factor here; the album may not have seemed as brilliant if it was released in, say, '71. Although the difference between you and me, Don, is that I never lost my love for it; I still find it a very impressive work even though my context for it has completely changed. Perhaps you were responding to the hope back in '77 that Dennis would continue on with a remarkable solo career or that the Beach Boys would collectively create another album as strong as POB or SUNFLOWER or...(fill in the blank). After '83, POB became a one-shot, the last shining moment for Dennis before the decline and that changed how I viewed the record. I still find it hard to enjoy DOUBLE FANTASY because the context for that album changed about five weeks after I bought it. Give POB another listen in four or five years and you may find you appreciate it again.

That's cool. I think it is a unique perspective to have once loved POB and to now find it somehow less than it was. The overwhelming opinion is the opposite. Most people find POB is one of those timeless records that only gets better as the years go by, much like Brian's best work. POB has grown massively in stature over the last few years, but like you I loved it right away, and unlike you it still blows my mind. Your orig. statement that BWPS has grown in stature, while POB has fallen is the exact opposite of what has actually occurred in the world. BWPS is very good, but when it first hit people were imploding in orgasm over it, I'd say the initial shine has diminished, again that's a general thing, the fact that its grown for you is totally cool with me. I suspect that if Smile had appeared in '67 it would be my favorite BB's LP. the fact that it has to be absorbed in such herky jerky context with the BB's releasing bits, bootlegs, a brian solo version, and now (hopefully) an official BB's version 44 years too late, all of that puts such a weird spin on what it really is. But to me BWPS is a 2004 facsimile of something from '67 that didn't get finished, it isn't its own original entity. That's just my opinion. Your opinion is just as valid as mine, my point is that since on this board, and in so many critics lists, POB is thought of as the absolute best BB's solo work...that it kind of puts the onus on the contrary view to be the one that needs explanation.

1. Country Love
2. First Love
3. Looking Back With Love
4. Unleash the Love/Mike Love Not War
5. Adrian Baker Sessions
6. Mike and Dean
7. Sweet Insanity
8. Goin' Public
9. Carl Wilson
10. Youngblood








Just kidding!  :lol :lol :lol

I was in the same boat a few years ago. Go with your gut, never listen to it!

1. Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE
2. Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin
3. Brian Wilson - I Just Wasn't Made for These Times
4. Brian Wilson
5. Brian Wilson - That Lucky Old Sun
6. Brian Wilson - Imagination
7. Brian Wilson - What I Really Want for Christmas
8. Al Jardine - A Postcard From California
9. Brian Wilson - In the Key of Disney
10.Brian Wilson - Gettin' in Over My Head
11.Brian Wilson & Van Dyke Parks - Orange Crate Art
12.Dennis Wilson - Pacific Ocean Blue
13.Mike Love - Looking Back with Love
14.Bruce Johnston - Going Public
15.Carl Wilson - Youngblood
16.Carl Wilson

Imagination
Brian Wilson Presents Smile
Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin
That Lucky Old Sun
In The Key Of Disney
Pacific Ocean Blue
Brian Wilson
A Postcard From California
What I Really Want For Christmas
Orange Crate Art
Carl Wilson
I Just Wasn't Made For These Times
Looking Back With Love
Youngblood
Gettin' In Over My Head

Going Public

I'll be frank, I'm among the minority that doesn't count POB as a favorite BB solo LP.  It just isn't my cup of tea.  No particular criticism other than it sounds strained, and a bit over the top.  I like Bambu and the material released on LA  much better, more r&b, more natural, more my cup of tea. 

My ranking of the solo albums would be;

TLOS
Youngblood
PFC
BWPS
BWRG
Carl Wilson
OCA
Bambu
What I Really Want for Christmas
BW 88
Imagination
Roxy
Pet Sounds Live
POB
IJWMFTT
GIOMH
Goin Public
LBWL

So far I have heard the Disney album one time.  Some day I will dust it off and have another listen.








 

Have I done this?  Months ago?  Years ago?

Anyhow, I won't count Smile or any of the live stuff:

POB
BW88
TLOS
Bambu
Postcard (the final version, unless he's going to bring out another one... )
Gershwin
Imagination
OCA
WIRWFC
Carl Wilson
Like a Brother (I know: not structly solo...)
GIOMH
Youngblood
Disney
Going Public - at least three songs on here are way better than anything on LBWL
LBWL

If I had t include the boots:

POB
BW88
TLOS
Bambu
Paley Sessions
Postcard (the final version, unless he's going to bring out another one... )
Gershwin
Imagination
OCA
WIRWFC
First Love
Carl Wilson
Like a Brother (I know: not structly solo...)
GIOMH
Sweet Insanity
Youngblood
Unleash the Love
Disney
Going Public - at least three songs on here are way better than anything on LBWL
Country Love
LBWL