Brian Wilson

    Brian's Solo Career

Brian in the 60's on the Drums??
Yes the man can play anything!

LOVE AND MERCY

HISTORY OF BRIAN WILSON

Well my one statement is if you like Brian's work with the Beach Boys you will love his work on all of his Solo projects!!  As the years went by Brian just got Better and Better !!! LOVE AND MERCY!

Brian started in High School listing to a group called the Four Freshmen and analyzing the songs one by one.  Brian wrote the song "Surfin' " for a High School project which he received a " F" on the project.  As we all know from 1961 till the end of the 70's Brian wrote many a hit and even more just plain great songs for the Beach Boys.  In 1965 Brian decided to no longer tour with the Beach Boys but stay at home and write the songs.  From this point on Brian 's Music just got better and better.

His American masterpiece was released in 1966 Called Pet Sounds.  With this album Brian changed the entire recording industry methods of recording a album. Brian used a module method to record the album  as he recorded piece by piece.  Then Brian top everything which was ever released with his single made just after this album called Good Vibrations which top all charts and pushed the industry even further.  Brian Wilson has been compared to such people as Mozart / Gershwin /  and many other greats. many critics have called Brian a musical genius and the 20th century Mozart. The Song Good Vibrations has been called a pocket symphony.  The album pet Sounds has been voted #1 all- time greatest album on many charts.

A fact a lot of people are not aware of is that during this time period Brian released a single on his own from the album Pet Sounds called Carolina No.  Also on the next Beach Boys album to be released Smiley Smile , Brian along with Mike Love released a single called Gettin Hungry.  Brian was rumored to release some singles secretly such as a song with the name Ron Wilson on it. Brian also in the early 60's did work with his first wife's group The Honeys and his first #1 song was not with the Beach Boys but a song he wrote for Jan and Dean called Surf City. 

The other main factor when people compare The Beach Boys to the Beatles is that Brian Wilson was the only song writer for years and he arranged all of the songs and produce all of the songs.  The Beatles had Paul McCartney and John Lennon and had George martin as a producer. Also in this comparison we should mention that George Harrison wrote one song per album for The Beatles.  I am not saying which group was better but how much pressure was on Brian to keep up with The Beatles.

After Brian Wilson completed his Pet Sounds album he started work on a album called Dumb Angel was then change the name to SMILE.  The Beach Boys version of this album was never released due to personal problems with Brian and the tremendous opposition to the change in the music from his brothers and his cousin Mike Love.
I feel if this album was completed at this time it could have changed music even more than Pet Sounds or even more than Srgt Peppers changed the industry.

In 1967 The Beach Boys were the first rock group to open their own record label called Brother Records so that Brian could release some of his experimental music 

.

Brian was married early in his life to his 16 year old wife who stayed with him throughout a lot of difficult times.  Brian did write for his wife's singing group The Honey's.

http://www.bradcoweb.com/rockgroups/honeys.htm

It was at  a major tribute to Brian Wilson at Radio City Music Hall in New York City where Brian played Hereos and Villians for the first time and due to the audience reaction Brian decided that people finally understood some of his later music . I was lucky enough to be at this performance.

b. 20 June 1942, Hawthorne, California, USA. Brian, the spiritual leader of America's most famous group the Beach Boys has received as much press and publicity for his health and mental problems over the years as has his magnificent contribution as songwriter, producer, arranger and vocalist of that group. It was suggested as early as 1965 that he was a "musical genius" and that he should go solo. He did release a solo single "Caroline, No" in 1966, but it has since been absorbed into the Beach Boys canon. For many years internal ructions have kept Wilson and his self-appointed doctor/guru/friend Eugene Landy at loggerheads with the rest of the group. Ironically Brian was the last Wilson brother to release a solo album. Brian Wilson was released in 1988 to excellent reviews with Wilson bravely appearing for the major publicity that ensued. By commercial standards it was a flop, even with the high-tech production handled by Russ Titelman, Jeff Lynne, Lenny Waronker and Andy Paley. The suite "Rio Grande" had strong echoes of his Smile period. Wilson was forced to sever his links with Landy after the rest of the Beach Boys had taken him to court. He successfully contested the ownership of his back catalogue which had been sold by his father Murray Wilson. Immediately after this Mike Love issued a writ claiming he had written 79 songs with Wilson. Sire Records rejected Wilson's second album Sweet Insanity as being "pathetic". In 1993, he was again working with Van Dyke Parks together with Andy Paley on further new songs, and, following an out of court financial settlement with Mike Love, he began writing songs with his cousin after a creative break of many years. The television documentary I Just Wasn't Made For These Times was the first in-depth interview with Wilson, and the public were at last able to make up their own mind as to his state of health. Although he was clearly enjoying singing and writing songs, there were doubts as to their quality. The accompanying Don Was -produced album failed to ignite, and so it was immediately on to the next project in the "we are going to convince you that Brian Wilson is not a spent force programmed". Recorded with Van Dyke Parks, Orange Crate Art was more cohesive and was a co-project in the true sense. The album could best be described as interesting, with flashes of brilliance in songs such as "San Francisco" and the title track. Reviews were positive but any chart success proved elusive. Further good news about Wilson's health arrived with the confirmation that Wilson had moved out of California, and was living with his second wife in Chicago together with their three adopted children. He worked long and hard on Imagination, and although sales were modest he did receive an immense amount of positive reviews and goodwill. Wilson undertook a tour of the USA in 1999. The following year he embarked on the Pet Sounds Symphony tour, backed by a 55-piece orchestra. He also released a live double album, Live At The Roxy Theatre, via his official website. http://www.brianwilson.com

In 2004 Brian finally went back to his long a banned American Masterpiece SMILE .
Brian completed the album and even brought back Van Dkye Parks to complete a few songs which were not done as of yet.  Then Brian arranged his new version of SMILE  and went on a world tour with the album.  The last album Brian released was a Christmas album just as the Beach Boys did way back in 1964 as one of the first groups to due this. Brian always was and still is a spiritual person. Brian also moved back to California before this point to the land which he created the musical sound for

We can only hope that Brian continues on to give us more great music which we can treasure from our AMERICAN MOZART of modern music ------- BRIAN WILSON

YOUR IMAGINATION

BRIAN WILSON 'S DISCOGRAPHY

In 1988 Brian Wilson released his first solo album  with the simple title of
" Brian Wilson"  The main single was a song called "Love and Mercy"

Brian's Single Let's Go To Heaven In My Car made for the movie Police Academy #4

Brian's First Solo Album

 Solo Career

Well my one statement is if you like Brian's work with the Beach Boys you will love his work on all of his Solo projects!!  Brian is currently working on a new album . 

     Below is a small review of all of his solo work to date. If you are interested in more information on Brian make sure you contact his official website at www.Brianwilson.com

Brian's First Solo Album

This album contains such songs as "Love And Mercy"   ,  "Walkin"The Line " , Melt Away" Little Children"   ,  "One For The Boys" , "Night Time " , Rio Grande" , plus many other great songs. If you do not yet own a Brian Wilson Solo Album this is the one which I recommend you buy to get you started. The One Thing which I will guarantee is once you buy one that you will buy another one. This album has also had a Deluxe edition released with extra songs on it.

In 2007 Brian Wilson released a single called PATH OF LIFE  along with the song LOVE AND MERCY
It was truly a beautiful combination of the two songs .

Brian's Second and Uunreleased Album
SWEAT INSANITY 

Sweet Insanity was going to be the Name of this album which you can get on bootleg and is really worth it .  This album has one of my favorites on it "The Spirit Of Rock ' N' Roll "which I think Brian should give to the Beach Boys since it is more that style than the rest of his solo work.  However this album also has many other great songs on it. Someone To Love, Brian , Make a Wish, Concert Tonight, Save The Day, Smart Girls , and many other great songs.

Brian's Third Album

I Just Wasn't Made For These Times

This is an album of Brian's Favorite songs  . Some of these songs where done with the Beach Boys Originally however they have all been re-recorded on this album with new back-up singers. The Production on this album and the way the songs where slightly changed for the better .One song  which was originally Brian's first single "Caroline No." -(A rare single to find)            and turned up on Brian's American Masterpiece "Pet Sounds" with the Beach Boys is now on this solo album. This album also includes many other great songs .This Whole World, Do it again , The Warmth of the sun , Wonderful , Til I Die ,and many other great songs.

Brian's Fourth Album

Orange Crate Art
 

This album puts Brian back with his partner for the one and only unreleased SMILE album This is a mellow album but very enjoyable album to listen to. Songs include :Orange Create Art , San Francisco , Sail Away , and many other good songs written by Van Dyke Parks and all sung by Brian Wilson.

Brian's  Single Your Imagination

Brian Wilson's  April 1998. Song title is to be Your Imagination

BRIAN 'S FIFTH ALBUM

IMAGINATION 

 "Imagination".Is Said to be his best work since his American masterpiece album, Pet Sounds. The songs on it are: Your Imagination, She Says That She Needs Me, South American, Where Has Love Been, Keep an Eye On Summer, Dream Angel, Cry, Let Him Run Wild, Lay Down Burden, Sunshine, and Happy Days Are Here Again.

BRIAN'S SIXTH ALBUM

LIVE AT THE ROXY THEATRE

This is a Live Album which contains many old classics such as The Girl I Once Knew ,Kiss Me Baby , Do It again , California Girls , Add Some music , Til I die Lay Down The Burden  and more.  It also contains some new songs such as The First Time and Be My Baby and the song Brian Wilson.

BRIAN WILSON'S SEVENTH ALBUM

PET SOUNDS LIVE

This is Brian Wilson with his new band playing his American masterpiece
Pet Sounds

BRIAN'S  EIGHTH ALBUM

BRIAN WILSON 'S PET PROJECTS
THE BRIAN WILSON PRODUCTIONS

This is a album of all the extra projects Brian did in the early days of his career.
This includes songs from The Honey's ,Glen Campbell , And even Jan and Dean  and other Groups Brian assisted in this time period .

BRIAN'S NINTH ALBUM

GETTIN' IN OVER MY HEAD

Soul Searchin'  / Your'e Touched Me / City Blues / Rainbow Eyes /

BRIAN'S TENTH ALBUM

SMILE

After 37 years Brian sat down and completed this version of SMILE !
This album includes such classics as : Heroes and Villains / Good Vibrations  /Wonderful / Vegetables / Surf's Up / and FIRE  which is the one song which Brian received a Grammy  for this song.  It also includes many great other songs and is concept album which flows together song by song.

On The Right is the artwork from The Beach Boys album
On The Left is the artwork from Brian Wilson's Smile album

BEAUTIFUL DREAMER , THE STORY OF SMILE

Brian 's  Single Good Vibrations

BRIAN'S ELEVENTH ALBUM

All  I Really Want For Christmas

Brian was releasing one Christmas song to his fans on his website . Then he decided to make his own Christmas album which of course is great!!
Includes Brian new version of his song Little St. Nick and other Brian Wilson new classics plus some regular Christmas songs.

BRIAN's HIT  ALBUM
SONG LISTING

THE LUCKY OLD SUN

1--- That Lucky old Sun
2--- Morning Beat
3--- Good Kind Of Love
4--- Forever She'll Be My Surfer Girl
5--- Live Let Live
6--- Mexican Girl
7--- California Role
8--- Oxygen To the Brain
9--- Midnights Another Day
10--- Going Home
11--- Southern California

BROADWAY PLAY -- GOOD VIBRATIONS

BRIAN WILSON SOLO ALBUMS

That Lucky Old Sun 2008 Capitol EMI   What I Really Want For Christmas 2005 Arista Records   SMiLE 2004 Nonesuch Records   Gettin' In Over My Head 2004 Rhino Entertainment   Brian Wilson: Pet Sounds Live 2002 BriMel Records                           Live at the Roxy Theatre 2000 BriMel Records   Imagination 1998 Giant Records   Orange Crate Art 1995 Warner Bros. Records   I Just Wasn't Made For These Times 1995 MCA Records   Brian Wilson 1988 Warner Bros. Records

Brian's Fan Club

SPIRIT OF ROCK N ROLL

BRIAN WILSON PICTURES

Current Picture of Brian

Links

Wilson Fan Club         http://www.brianwilson.com

The Wilson Girls ( Wilson-Phillips) --   Http://bradcoweb.com/rockgroups/wilsons.shtm

Brian Wilson Picture Page -- http://www.bradcoweb.com/rockgroups/bripic.htm

Brian At NYC Tower Records-- http://www.bradcoweb.com/rockgroups/briantower.htm

Brian Wilson Video--- http://www.bradcoweb.com/rockgroups/brianvideo.htm

Brian Wilson Tour -- http://www.bradcoweb.com/rockgroups/wilsontour.htm

Brian Wilson Imagination -- http://www.bradcoweb.com/rockgroups/imagination.htm

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