Brian Wilson

[Sheriff John Stone]

Overrated material (Love And Mercy is the only great song). Vocals are shouted which ruins some of the songs (i.e. Melt Away). The production doesn't bother me too much. Some of the lyrics are embarrassing (Night time is delight time, it's starlight time, and it's the right time for me). Should've been incorporated into a Beach Boys' album. I read somewhere that Brian didn't care for this album. It reminds be of the Landy era. Rio Grande sounds contrived (those yelping indians are annoying). Why wasn't his collaboration with Lindsey Buckingham "He Couldn't Get His Poor Old Body To Move" included on the album? I can't listen to the complete album from beginning to end - it sounds like Brian is yelling at me! Just my opinion...

[monkee knutz]

I hate the draggy arrangement of Let Your Hair Grow Long, though.

CHECKMATE!
Thanks Surfer Girl for reminding me that I had the record. I'm listening now and the vinyl is totally alive with texture & complexity! Amazing, really.

[SurferGirl7]

Cool. Yeah Rio Grande sounds a billion times better on vinyl then on anything else really. As you said, much more deph.

[donald]

Seems to me that album has been much maligned over the years so it is interesting to see this level of appreciation at this point.

I had listened to OCA and IJWMFTT several times over the past months.  I have them on disc.  But I hadn't listened to my vinyl copy of 88 in a couple of years.  When I listened to the CD on the good headphones the other day I was amazed.  He is in much better voice on 88 than I remembered. As someone said, listening to it now, one hears a YOUNGER Brian Wilson.  A man in his 40's rather than in his 60's.  And it shows.

[smackdaddy]

Overrated material (Love And Mercy is the only great song). Vocals are shouted which ruins some of the songs (i.e. Melt Away). The production doesn't bother me too much. Some of the lyrics are embarrassing (Night time is delight time, it's starlight time, and it's the right time for me). Should've been incorporated into a Beach Boys' album. I read somewhere that Brian didn't care for this album. It reminds be of the Landy era. Rio Grande sounds contrived (those yelping indians are annoying). Why wasn't his collaboration with Lindsey Buckingham "He Couldn't Get His Poor Old Body To Move" included on the album? I can't listen to the complete album from beginning to end - it sounds like Brian is yelling at me! Just my opinion...

What the hey, no way is love and mercy the best song on that album.  Most undeveloped, maybe (the chorus comes in WAY TOO FAST.)  I gotta give it up for Melt Away as best song.  I don't think's there's much sense in complaining about Brian's post Love You vocals as they basically are what they are (and the same can probably be said for his lyrics,) but I really don't see how they detract from that song.  BW 88 is a really nice album.

[I. Spaceman]

Love And Mercy's passion exceeds craft. Same way Working Class Hero is a better song than say, Mind Games.

[Sheriff John Stone]

Overrated material (Love And Mercy is the only great song). Vocals are shouted which ruins some of the songs (i.e. Melt Away). The production doesn't bother me too much. Some of the lyrics are embarrassing (Night time is delight time, it's starlight time, and it's the right time for me). Should've been incorporated into a Beach Boys' album. I read somewhere that Brian didn't care for this album. It reminds be of the Landy era. Rio Grande sounds contrived (those yelping indians are annoying). Why wasn't his collaboration with Lindsey Buckingham "He Couldn't Get His Poor Old Body To Move" included on the album? I can't listen to the complete album from beginning to end - it sounds like Brian is yelling at me! Just my opinion...

What the hey, no way is love and mercy the best song on that album.  Most undeveloped, maybe (the chorus comes in WAY TOO FAST.)  I gotta give it up for Melt Away as best song.  I don't think's there's much sense in complaining about Brian's post Love You vocals as they basically are what they are (and the same can probably be said for his lyrics,) but I really don't see how they detract from that song.  BW 88 is a really nice album.

Not that it means "Love And Mercy" is the best song on the album, but it is the one song that Brian still performs live today. Actually, didn't he recently release like the 4th version of the song as a single? Like I said, it's only my opinion. You like "Melt Away", I think it's overrated.

You're right, Brian's post Love You vocals are what they are. And I don't care for what they are. That's all. It's not so much the comparison to his 60's vocals, I just don't find his voice attractive.

One final point I didn't make on my original post. One aspect that is often ignored when discussing Brian's solo albums is that EVERY SONG features a lead vocal by him. And this is where he misses the Beach Boys most importantly. On the Beach Boys' classic albums, you had maybe 3 Mike vocals, 3 Brian vocals, 3 Mike and Brian shared leads, maybe 1 Al, and 1 Carl and/or Dennis. The lead vocals were shared. There was variety. Very important.

With Brian's solo albums, you have 38-45 minutes of ALL BRIAN lead vocals, and quite frankly, that's too much. I believe that is the MAIN reason for the relative lack of success of his solo recordings.

[TV Forces]

When I was first getting into the Beach Boys about seven years ago, I found this vinyl at my local record store.  I took it home and spun it non stop for weeks.  It's the only 80s music where I didn't mind the production.. coming from just meeting Pet Sounds, I assumed thats the way Brian wanted it to be so all I had to do was sit back and love it.. I didn't know much about how out of control he was, his personal demons, or the story of the making of the record.. I just thought these songs and melodies were cool.  I couldn't get enough of it.   I found the CD used and then another version with bonus tracks soon came out.. but I didn't buy it because I heard someone complain that incorrect mixes were used for a couple tracks.

Has that ever been fixed?

Has a Beach Boys release come out in the last 10 years that DIDN'T need to be reissued with correct mixes used at a later date?

[L Ransford]

Sorry but I rate it a 5. It was my favorite Brian album until BWPS. What Brian was singing about in "Love And Mercy" was not something that was being said in pop singles in 1988.

[theeponymuseudonym]

i totally agree with you, though could u elborate here wht chu mean?

[TV Forces]

I have Brian's 1988 solo album on vinyl and CD, but I never got around to getting the new Rhino reissue because the first reports said that some of the wrong mixes were used.  Was this ever fixed and if so, how could I identify the correct copy?

Endless Harmony and the Pet Sounds mono/stereo two-fer had to be reissued in corrected versions as well.  The Ultimate Christmas disc was deleted and replaced with a disc with a new title and cover art and one less song.  What is up with these guys?!

[forgetemarie]

I believe it was "corrected," but I still much prefer the original Sire CD, or the original vinyl.  With all that synth garbage going on, who wants it more clearly mixed?  The original is less harsh.

[monkee knutz]

The vinyl sounds less synthy to me. Played it just the other night and you can actually hear the guitars!

[Andreas]

I believe it was "corrected," but I still much prefer the original Sire CD, or the original vinyl.  With all that synth garbage going on, who wants it more clearly mixed?  The original is less harsh.

I don't think the reissue was remixed, but I also prefer the Sire CD.

[TV Forces]

I believe it was "corrected," but I still much prefer the original Sire CD, or the original vinyl.  With all that synth garbage going on, who wants it more clearly mixed?  The original is less harsh.

I'm not getting rid of the Sire cd.  But it doesn't have all those bonus tracks,
so how can you fault me for wanting those?

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

The corrected album was not issued.

The only thing that bugs me is the lack of that high vocal at the end of Melt Away.

[L Ransford]

i totally agree with you, though could u elborate here wht chu mean?

"I was sittin’ in a crummy movie with my hands on my chin
Oh the violence that occurs seems like we never win"

...Can you imagine Bon Jovi or Whitney Houston, Van Halen singing those words?

"Love and mercy that’s what you need tonight
So, love and mercy to you and your friends tonight"

"I was lyin’ in my room and the news came on t.v.
A lotta people out there hurtin’ and it really scares me"

...or Inxs or Madonna or the Escape Club?

"Love and mercy that’s what you need tonight
So, love and mercy to you and your friends tonight"

"I was standin’ in a bar and watchin’ all the people there
Oh the lonliness in this world well it’s just not fair"

In Most top-40 songs in 1988, the verse  would have been more like this:

I was groovin' in a club and watchin' all the hot babes there
so many freaky freaks, only so much time
ya know it just ain't fair

Radio programmers did not have any love and mercy.

[I. Spaceman]

Madonna

Yes.
Love Makes The World Go Round, 2 years earlier:

Make love not war we say
It's easy to recite
But it don't mean a damn
Unless we're gonna fight
But not with guns and knives
We've got to save the lives
Of every boy and girl
That grows up in this world

Chorus:

There's hunger everywhere
We've got to take a stand
Reach out for someone's hand
Love makes the world go round
It's easy to forget
If you don't hear the sound
Of pain and prejudice
Love makes the world go round

They think that love's a lie
But we can teach them how to try
Love means to understand
Reach out for someone's hand
'Cause everything you do
Comes back in time to you
We have to change our fate
Before it gets too late

(chorus)

Don't judge a man 'til you've been standin' in his shoes
You know that we're all so quick to look away
'Cause it's the easy thing to do
You know that what I say is true

Love makes the world go round...

Make love not war we say
It's easy to recite
But it don't mean a damn
Unless we're gonna fight

(chorus)

[L Ransford]

Madonna's sounds like a big political slogan - just like Michael Jackson's "Man In The Mirror," "We Are The World" or "Heal The World." Brian's song works on a more person to person level. "Love Makes The World Go Round" would probably have been a hard sell to programmers too.

[I. Spaceman]

Why not attack Lennon then? Talk about rank sloganeering. That Give Peace A Chance-Imagine-All You Need Is Love junk gives a bad name to pacifists everywhere.
My point is that you lumped Madonna in with non-caring non-political artists. Madonna has always had pacifist contene in her music, back to Holiday.
I agree that Brian's is the best, though.

[L Ransford]

Actually I said this was not the common theme for top-40 singles in 1988. That Madonna track was never issued as a single.

[I. Spaceman]

OK, well, substitute Holiday then.
I agreed with the rest of your post.

[L Ransford]

I think that's why her single "Oh Father" did not burn up the charts like her less topical ones did.

[I. Spaceman]

Well, there's always Papa Don't Preach. I think Oh Father was too slow and downbeat to be much of a hit. A brave but uncommercial choice.

I was groovin' in a club and watchin' all the hot babes there
so many freaky freaks, only so much time
ya know it just ain't fair

Not bad, actually! 

[L Ransford]

Well I guess that could have been the reason. I never thought of that. I thought "Live To Tell" was way to slow for a hit !