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Author Topic: DEFINITIVE BOOK PUBLISHED ON BEACH BOY DENNIS WILSON'S 'PACIFIC OCEAN BLUE'  (Read 1998 times)
Howie Edelson
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« on: December 18, 2017, 05:48:23 AM »

This ran in today my nationally syndicated feed. . .

DEFINITIVE BOOK PUBLISHED ON BEACH BOY DENNIS WILSON'S 'PACIFIC OCEAN BLUE' - (12/18/2017)
by Howie Edelson

Noted rock writer Ken Sharp has just published Dreamer - The Making Of Dennis Wilson's 'Pacific Ocean Blue.' Over the course of the past five years, Sharp -- who's best known for his works on the Raspberries, Elvis Presley, David Cassidy, John Lennon, Cheap Trick, Kiss, and the "Wrecking Crew," among many others -- has interviewed nearly everyone involved in the late-Beach Boy's 1977 masterpiece, which marked the first solo album released by an active member of the group.

Through Sharp's interviews -- mainly new, but also featuring archival bytes from Wilson and others -- the story of Pacific Ocean Blue comes to life with countless in-depth tales of the music's composition, recording, Wilson's personal life, the promotional of the album, its aborted tour, and his relationship with the key people -- the Beach Boys, his then-current and former wives, bandmates, assistants, record label reps, fans, and collaborators -- that all aided in delivering the album. Dreamer not only features a multitude of never-before-seen photos, but Sharp provides insight into nearly every song Dennis Wilson ever wrote. The book also features an exhaustive sessionography.

Dennis Wilson's Pacific Ocean Blue was released on August 22nd, 1977 and peaked at Number 96 on the Billboard 200 albums chart during its 12 week run. In June 2008 the deluxe reissue of Pacific Ocean Blue and its unreleased 1978 follow-up, Bambu, which was issued to unanimous critical acclaim -- and earned the nod for "Best Reissue" from Rolling Stone, Mojo, and Uncut magazines.

Lindsey Buckingham became friendly with Dennis Wilson when Wilson began dating Fleetwood Mac's Christine McVie. Wilson was a frequent visitor to the band's recording sessions for 1979's Tusk, which coincided with Wilson abandoning his own album Bambu. Buckingham recalled to us his thoughts on Dennis: "He was kind of a lost guy. He was a very talented guy -- way more talented than he had the structure to be able to exhibit. Y'know, he had a lot going on without the tools to sort of get there -- that's my opinion anyway. He was a real sweetheart. He was also a rogue. Y'know, he was that rogue element."

Dennis Wilson's best friend, photographer and filmmaker Ed Roach, actually inspired the classic line in the album's only domestic single, "You And I" -- "you open up my wallet and dust falls out" -- and told us that he pleaded with Dennis not to back out of the planned solo tour in support of Pacific Ocean Blue: "He was very nervous about going out as 'headliner,' as 'the act,' y'know? I mean, the lack of confidence in himself really came out. He could mesmerize an audience, but as far as being the one to draw them in and being the main act to come out -- it scared him a little bit, I think. And I really think he was very leery of ever actually doing it. And it was such a shame because that first tour was (going to be) so beautiful. The places he was going to play and the sizes and the houses and everything, and the show that he had conceptualized and that he put together."

West Coast music historian Jon Stebbins, who wrote the groundbreaking 2000 biography on Dennis Wilson called The Real Beach Boy, explained one of the many reasons why Dennis abandoned his 1977 symphonic tour in support of Pacific Ocean Blue: "I think he wanted 23 pieces -- at least 18, he wanted. It was going to be all of his boys. I think he was going to play some piano and come up front and sing some. It was going to be a whole deal, y'know? They were rehearsing 'What's Wrong,' 'Rainbows,' 'Pacific Ocean Blue,' 'The End Of The Show' -- they were probably going to do that as the last song, and he'd do 'You Are So Beautiful' for the encore, I'm sure. But he wanted strings, he wanted bass flutes, y'know? (Laughs) He wanted all that stuff and they wouldn't give him the budget for it."

Dennis' primary collaborator and producer for Pacific Ocean Blue, Gregg Jakobson, recalled to us that at times he was forced to take on an almost paternal role with Dennis: "Yeah, I really did try to take care of Dennis, and I always tried to play that role. Y'know, Dennis needed someone to look after him -- not quite clean up after him -- but to try to just stay ahead of him, and not stay behind him; where a lot of his friends stayed -- I tried to stay in front of him."

Carnie Wilson, who is Brian Wilson's daughter and Dennis' niece, says that she thinks about her uncle pretty regularly: "I had a crush on Dennis, he made my stomach feel funny. And my memories of Dennis was, like, him getting on the ground -- like he was proposing to me -- kneeling down in front of me whenever he saw me and he would kiss my hand in, like, 20 places. That was his thing. And he was, um. . . he was wild and sexy -- y'know, wild. Just out there!"

Carl Wilson's younger son Justyn Wilson was asked what he remembered most about his Uncle Dennis: "Just fun stuff, y'know sitting in his little, like, lounge area behind his drum set. Like a little seating thing for people to hang out. He would have just like (laughs) a little spot to hang out (laughs) or like chill, maybe some pillows or y'know. . . (laughs). He was just like a fun guy as much as I can remember. And I remember there was that other side where you're kind of not so sure, (and) it can maybe be a little scary or frightening, 'cause he was like on the edge, y'know? But in just a very real way."

Beach Boys co-founder Al Jardine told us that it took him years to finally fully appreciate Dennis' work. He says that he's consistently amazed at the depth and beauty of Dennis' songs: "Oh, he was the most underrated member of the band in those terms. His compositions, I think, were stronger, and they got stronger and stronger as we went along -- as he went along -- until obviously he couldn't go any further. And I just think that given time, y'know, he would've been the. . . probably the best composer in the band, outside of Brian, of course. Yeah, he just had that natural, intuitive instinct about music and lyrics. He always. . . he was the kind of guy who could get to the point without beating around the bush and, y'know, could just nail it."

In 2015, Dennis Wilson's oldest child, Scott Wilson published his memoir, Son Of A Beach Boy. Scott was adopted by Dennis as a toddler when he married his mother Carol, and although not a blood relation, Scott was the only one of Dennis' brood to have spent a considerable amount of time with him over the years. Today, Scott, who's battled many of the same demons as his father, is able to look back at his father's life and understand why Dennis fell into every possible pitfall laid in his path: “We all know that my dad was a drug addict. And I was with him off and on. And my dad gave so much love to so many people, because he was trying to fill a void. So, when he was able to make somebody laugh, or make somebody happy, that filled a hole inside of him -- but it didn’t fill it forever; it was a momentary thing, bro.”

Dennis' son, Carl B. Wilson, who's also a drummer, is hopeful that even more of his father's unreleased works will be issued sooner rather than later: "Anything that would be able to could come out and let people hear what work my dad has done. . . Y'know, I'd love to be able to go somewhere and buy one of his records. So whichever way any of his work can come out, just so long as it's through the right avenue and can really be done right, then yeah, all that stuff. Ultimately, what I'd really like is for people to be able to understand and appreciate what he did. Y'know, what it comes down to is, is it worth it for it to come out? And y'know, I've always thought that it was."

On December 28th, 1983, Dennis Wilson, drowned in Marina Del Rey, California just weeks after his 39th birthday.

To order Dreamer - The Making Of Dennis Wilson's 'Pacific Ocean Blue' -- log on to: http://ken-sharp.com/
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HeyJude
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« Reply #1 on: December 18, 2017, 07:12:16 AM »

Awesome stuff. Thanks Howie.

Can't wait to snag this once I'm not a broke-o-saurus due to the Holidays...
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THE BEACH BOYS OPINION PAGE IS ON FACEBOOK!!! http://www.facebook.com/beachboysopinion - Check out the original "BEACH BOYS OPINION PAGE" Blog - http://beachboysopinion.blogspot.com/
Howie Edelson
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« Reply #2 on: December 18, 2017, 07:42:35 AM »

Jude, you're gonna go apeshi t over  this book.
One of those books that you actually MISS once you're done.
Ken delivered a best case scenario.
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Lee Marshall
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« Reply #3 on: December 18, 2017, 08:26:04 AM »

Now HERE is a book I'll buy and read.  Thanks Howie.  I think Al misses the boat a little.  Dennis already was "the best composer in the band...outside of Brian, of course."

It ticks me off that so much attention is paid to the drug and alcohol abuse.  That almost NO time is spent on the ***WHY** factors seems so shallow/so trite/so convenient/so self-serving/so off the mark and wrong.  Looks like THIS book will really delve into what it was which prompted Dennis to fall.  The telling of the story...as is currently spun by a certain 'member'...strikes me as mean-spirited and oh-so wrong.  It's close to the same as having no clue, to THIS DAY, about what it is that Brian faces on an ongoing basis.
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Anyway...I'm looking forward to doors on actual information and perspective opening.  [and maybe one mouth closing.]
« Last Edit: December 18, 2017, 08:28:18 AM by Add Some » Logged

"Add Some...Music...To Your Day.  I do.  It's the only way to fly.  Well...what was I gonna put here?  An apple a day keeps the doctor away?  Hum me a few bars."   Lee Marshall [2014]

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