The Wilsons - The Wilsons

The marquee tracks here are four collaborations between sisters Wendy and Carnie and their famous old man. Upbeat lead single "Monday Without You" features Brian's wee-ooh harmonies and there's also a pleasant remake of Surf's Up classic "'Til I Die," though the Brian-produced "Everything I Need" is an uneasy blend of sentiment and saccharine. Interestingly, dad had nothing to do with "Good About You," the most contemporary thing here--a Bangles-like keeper. --Jeff Bateman Amazon.com

They should've stuck as Wilson Phillips

In the wake of Wilson Phillip's dissolution, the first post-breakup salvo came from Chynna Phillips when she released Naked And Sacred in 1995, which, alas, yielded average results. In 1997, it was the Wilsons' turn, with a little help from their father, Brian Wilson-hence The Wilsons as opposed to The Wilson Sisters. Hearing this album, it's clear the Wilsons had more vocal oomph than their erstwhile bandmate both before and after the breakup. However, like Chynna's album, the Wilsons own CD does not have the magic of WP.

On songs like upbeat pop-rock of "Monday Without You", the benefit of having the harmonies are clearly seen. However, Brian's vocals seem a bit out of place and actually disjointing. This song was co-written by Carole King.

The one significant change between the Wilsons and Wilson Phillips is their dip into the alternative ocean, with Breeders-sort guitars. "Good About You" has a bassline and a guitar that tries at being "Cannonball" and that clanging sound gives this song an early alternative feel. Ditto "Goddess' Revival" with the semi-industrial drums and guitars, more of what Nina Gordon would do on her solo album, and the drug-like madness of "St. Joan." And "I Hate Your Face" sounds like something Juliana Hatfield would've done on Become What You Are.

The downbeat ballad with its soaring airy synths, "Miracle" seems to incorporate hard luck of life and even some Biblical references: "Life has no alibis/for all its crimes/this I can testify", and "Once we were innocent/but all our lives/we've been taught to repent" The point seems to be that yes, we are fools to expect miracles.

The portrait of a lost girl, "Candy" has a social blame thing going on: "I'm Candy, and you're all to blame/your American daughter, one more for the slaughter." The organ-like synthesizer slows down towards the end, with Wendy's refrain "She don't understand...she's goin' under" over it.

Their cover of "Til I Die" incorporates light industrial drum loops and a violin, but despite guest artists like Timothy B Schmit and Waddy Wachtel, nothing remarkable.

"Open Door" starts as a comforting morale-boosting ballad, with the refrain "Come around when you're lonely." There is a burst in sound towards the midsection. Lyrically, a triumph, but nothing catchy or singleworthy.

"Not Your Average Girl" is a light pop number about a girl wanting to find her own world, being unable to live in someone else's.

Chynna may have struck out with her solo offering, and her Wilson bandmates, well, only connect occasionally, but a lack of outstanding songwriting and rhythms give evidence that despite their superior vocals, say more than anything that they were better off as Wilson Phillips. December 4, 2003

Nice vocals....

Carnie and Wendy can really sing, but maybe they should have had some outside input on the songs. Not that the songs aren't good, they are just all ... well I'll be blunt, boring. So you end up with a lot of great harmonies on some truly mundane tracks. If you really love Wilson Phillips give it a listen. If you love the Wilson Phillips hits, then wait for the new LP and hope it's more commercial than this. August 28, 2002

Good comeback

OK, in, I think it was, 1994 The Wilsons were dropped from the EMI label and picked up by Mercury later. It's a shame that Mercury was who picked them up and not someone else. Mercury gave little to no attention to this CD, I think because they were too busy with their current cash cow Hanson. In any event, it was not promoted, and that is a shame because it was in all likelihood the best album of 1997, it is that good with only minor flaws which lowered it's rating 1 star. The album starts off with the wonderful, light and happy "Monday Without You". The first single off the album, VERY catchy and fun song that was completely ignored for seemingly no good reason. It was not the hit it should have been. What really peeved me was this saw no commercial single release so I had to import it to get the bonus tracks. You can really heart Wendy's much improved vocal strength here. Then moves into the second track, Good About You, a personal favorite and what should have been the lead off single. Then Miracle it lags a little toward the end but is a very neatly composed song with a great unique sound. Then into the seond single, which again saw no commercial release, it too was ignored, that should have been expected, as good as this is you know when you hear this could not be a hit. Then Candy, a kind of freaky song that remains cool the ending is my only gripe with it. The the cover of Til I Die which I could have passed on, it's ok but I just don't really like it. Then into St. Joan which sounds pretty alternative pop/roc to me. Cool song I love the flute in it. Open door comes in next a very sweert Ballad perfect for carnies voice, this one should have been a single as well. The I hate your face another alternative rock type sound followed by everything ehich is catchy and very good but just doesn't seem to carry much weight. Followed by Not Your Average Girl which is about the same then finally Everything I need, anpther I could've have passed om. The only one major problem I have here is that the two european only tracks "Pretty Poison" and "All This Madness", two very noteworthy tracks are absent and they are two of the Wilsons best songs. So this is a good purchase when looking for good music. April 16, 2002

Not Bad But Lose Dad

I was pretty excited about hearing this album and I wasn't let down. Fans who are expecting a Wilson Phillips album without Chynna are in for a shock. The sound is a lot harder and the lyrics are more subtle. I have to admit though I do cringe everytime I hear Brian Wilson. He should have left the girls to do the album themselves. Though I'm sure the record company were keen to have him on it. His harmonys sound out of place and dated on an album that, for it's primary artists, is very progressive.

Songs like "Monday Without You", "I Hate Your Face" and "Good About You" beg you to sing along. "Miracle" allows Carnie Wilson to flex her harmony muscle again. The Dave Stewart produced tracks are very different. "Candy" is particularly catchy and the girls sound like the precursor to a sound Stewart later developed with Dagenham sisters Alisha's Attic on their stunning debut "Alisha Rules The World".

Another feather in the the girls cap comes in the shape of a marked inprovement in the vocals of Wendy Wilson, who was traditionally the weakest vocalist in Wilson Phillips. The girls run of number one's from their eponymously titled debut was halted by "Impulsive" which was Wendy's turn at the Wilson Phillips mic. But here her vocals are strong and clear and not as whiney.

Over all I really enjoyed this album and I was glad to see the girls return. I think it is a pity the recording was not more successful and would place a lot of blame with the record label's lack of promotion. Though Mercury are getting a reputation for not properly supporting their releases. Fingers crossed that whoever picks up the reported Wilsons Phillips reunion does a better job. This time let's hope Pa Wilson stays well clear of the recording booth. August 9, 2001

Groovy music for groovy people

Come on, quit acting so damned hip and buy this thing. You'll dig it September 4, 1999

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