How much can BW be expected to sell?

[the captain]

I think that, more than for any other artist, the album reviews will be extremely important. If they'll be mostly negative or indifferent, it will be an album for hardcore fans only. If there will be reviews like "His best new work in 40 years!" or "This time Brian's REALLY back!"

That's the problem with new Brian Wilson product. BW'88 and Imagination were strongly hyped as comebacks. GIOMH not so much, but I don't remember reading a single bad review.

How many times since 1976 are you able to claim that Brian's back and make people pay attention?

I don't remember a single good review for GIOMH. As I recall, they were mostly along the lines of "anything new from Brian Wilson is welcome, but this has some good and plenty of bad; rough vocals, guest appearances, the highlight is "Soul Searchin' ... wtf is up with these lyrics?" As for hyping the album as a comeback album or not, I think that only affects people who know him to be needing a comeback, which is the same demographic that is most likely to buy it regardless. No 18-year-old or 25-year-old who doesn't yet know B. Wilson needs or needed any sort of comeback will buy into that talk (especially since if any story would hook them, it was the one pushed for BWPS). For those would-be fans, they need to get contemporary artists to speak up about BW's influence and to get those blogs and websites to review the album positively and try to explain that he is an important master--sort of how those kids view Johnny Cash, Tom Waits and to a certain extent Bob Dylan or Merle Haggard.

[Sheriff John Stone]

I think that, more than for any other artist, the album reviews will be extremely important. If they'll be mostly negative or indifferent, it will be an album for hardcore fans only. If there will be reviews like "His best new work in 40 years!" or "This time Brian's REALLY back!"

That's the problem with new Brian Wilson product. BW'88 and Imagination were strongly hyped as comebacks. GIOMH not so much, but I don't remember reading a single bad review.

How many times since 1976 are you able to claim that Brian's back and make people pay attention?

It's true, Brian's albums have been mostly handled with kid gloves, as if the reviewers either feel sorry for him, or are afraid of hurting his feelings and sending him back to bed. Or, they're grateful for what he's already given us, and, out of respect, well....

I also think Brian's TV appearances and interviews are counter productive. Most music fans (not us) must look at Brian and say, "What the hell"? I suppose it could lead some people to buy the album out of curiosity. I mean, it did for me in 1976. But, when a lot of people see/hear Brian on a Letterman or Leno show, I don't think many are saying, "Gee, that guy's great. I'm going out and buy that CD".

[the captain]

^ That's probably true. Aging and awkward only attracts a certain (and small, I'd guess) set of people. I'd think more heavily edited print, video or radio material might work better than those live shows--at least you can remove when he doesn't seem to understand the question, or answers with one of his typical abrupt answers.

[Swamp Pirate]

Yeah, Christgau was just feeling sorry for Brian when he gave Smile 5 stars in his review for Rolling Stone. 

[shelter]

I also think Brian's TV appearances and interviews are counter productive. Most music fans (not us) must look at Brian and say, "What the hell"? I suppose it could lead some people to buy the album out of curiosity. I mean, it did for me in 1976. But, when a lot of people see/hear Brian on a Letterman or Leno show, I don't think many are saying, "Gee, that guy's great. I'm going out and buy that CD".

I'm not sure if you're right. People like their rock stars to be a little weird. It only makes them more interesting. And no matter what anyone thinks of Brian, he is a fascinating person.

[Sheriff John Stone]

I also think Brian's TV appearances and interviews are counter productive. Most music fans (not us) must look at Brian and say, "What the hell"? I suppose it could lead some people to buy the album out of curiosity. I mean, it did for me in 1976. But, when a lot of people see/hear Brian on a Letterman or Leno show, I don't think many are saying, "Gee, that guy's great. I'm going out and buy that CD".

I'm not sure if you're right. People like their rock stars to be a little weird. It only makes them more interesting. And no matter what anyone thinks of Brian, he is a fascinating person.

While your point about the attractiveness of a rock star's "weirdness" has some merit (I admitted that it got my attention in 1976), I feel that Brian's vocals, hand gestures, facial expressions - and the solo material itself - have worked AGAINST him.

[XY]

New groups come and go, the BB hits sold the last 40 years and this won't change for generations to come. And people will be interested in related artists like Brian Wilson Solo. I don't think Capitol counts with a big seller the day TLOS comes out, but in the long term, it could be lucrative compared to 'fast money one Mammoth hit and bye'-groups with no footsteps in pop music history. Just a thought.

[mikeyj]

While your point about the attractiveness of a rock star's "weirdness" has some merit (I admitted that it got my attention in 1976), I feel that Brian's vocals, hand gestures, facial expressions - and the solo material itself - have worked AGAINST him.

I agree with you Sheriff (wow I'm agreeing with you a lot at the moment). Don't take this the wrong way but I think a lot of people see Brian as a sort of mentally handicapped person. I mean from what I could gather weren't a lot of people - people who weren't really fans but were just checking out the board - posting on the blueboard saying "what is wrong with Brian" after the Kennedy Centre Honors? Obviously we all know and understand the hard times Brian has been through over the years and that idiot Landy obviously only increased the damage. But for someone who doesn't know the Brian Wilson story he may seem a little strange, but I don't think people would see him as "cool" in a way that people see Ozzy Osbourne etc..

[Swamp Pirate]

How much can BW be expected to sell?

If TLOS comes out on CD as good as it sounded live, he could sell about the same amount of units as Paul McCartney, John Fogerty, or anyone else of his era would today. 

What I think TLOS has going for it that the other non-Smile solo records didn't is that it has a signature song that stands out- Midnight's Another Day.  IMO, Midnight's Another Day is Brian's best song since Heroes and Villians.   


As for Brian's subpar solo material...hmmm...what would a perspective compilation look like?

Caroline No (BW billed solo single from PS)
Spirit of Rock and Roll (non-Hallmark version)
Let's Go to Heaven In My Car
Love and Mercy
Melt Away
Meet Me In My Dreams Tonight
Rio Grande
Do It Again (BW-Don Was)
Orange Crate Art
Sail Away
Your Imagination
She Says That She Needs Me
South American
Lay Down Burden
Gettin' In Over My Head
City Blues
Desert Drive
Good Vibrations (Smile)
Gee/Heroes & Villians
Surf's Up
Song for Children/Children is the Father of the Man
The First Noel
Christmasy
What I Really Want for Christmas
What Love Can Do
TLOS/Morning Beat
Midnight's Another Day
Going Home
Southern California

Pretty good collection of songs, I'd say...