Brian Wilson - Brian Wilson

Brian Wilson's solo debut finally arrived in 1988 to much fanfare and near unanimous critical hosannas. Unfortunately, its commercial impact was negligible, a disappointing outcome for both Wilson, who takes pride in his string of '60s hits, and his boosters, for the 11-song self-titled record represents the zenith of the pop genius's post-Beach Boys oeuvre. "Love and Mercy" heralds Wilson's return to form; lyrically gracious and musically grand, it's an opener quite nearly on a par with "Wouldn't It Be Nice." From there, Wilson and an assortment of coproducers (Russ Titelman, Jeff Lynne, Andy Paley, and Lenny Waronker) intermix brisk, playful rockers ("Night Time," "Little Children") with sumptuous pop concoctions (the a cappella "One for the Boys," "There's So Many"), wrapping things up with an ambitious suite, "Rio Grande." The reissue is generously fleshed out with interview segments, demos, and late-'80s rarities, including the delightful B-side "He Couldn't Get His Poor Old Body to Move." --Steven Stolder Amazon.com

Is "Rio Grande" a tribute to "River Song"??

Great solo album by Brain Wilson that just so happened to be released the same year his band the Beach Boys got their first number one hit since "Good Vibrations" with "Kokomo".I'm not sure which came out first,but maybe the success of Kokomo was what it took to inspire Brian to show everyone who the real genius was.So far this is my favorite Brian Wilson solo album as it seems to retain some of the same magic which made his work in the sixties so special.And oddly enough this is when Brian was under complete supervision of Dr. Landy.Say what you want about Eugene Landy,but I have not heard Brian Wilson this inspired since this release.Not that his others("Imagination","Smile",etc.)are bad.Obviously "Love and Mercy" is a killer song to open the album with,but it doesn't seem to go downhill after it."Walkin the Line" is great."Melt Away" could have been written in the sixties,I love the fade out."Baby Let your Hair grow Long" is a killer song.Listen to the changes in it,this guy didn't go to music school!The middle part makes my jaw drop.Another one of my favorites is "Let it Shine".Nobody could make a song with such simple lyrics as meaningfull as Brian does.It all sounds very sincere.Every song works on it's own and this a great album,but there is one more song I would like to mention."Rio Grande" is kind of a throw back to his Smile era stuff and it is a really cool 8 minutes of music,but there is something about it that I haven't heard anyone mention yet.The "roll on,roll on river" part is clearly a nod to his younger brother Dennis's "River Song".It is almost the same thing and Brian definatley uses it to make his own thing,but I'm surprised nobody addresses this in the liner notes,including Brian.Don't take my word for it;listen to this and then listen to "River Song" off of Dennis's "Pacific Ocean Blue" album from 1977.See what I'm saying? August 30, 2008

Heavenly.....

When this album came out, many called it a revelation. The fact that Brian Wilson, with all his personal problems, managed to complete a solo album and a great one. It's worth all the praise it received at the time. Despite being produced in the 1980's, it doesn't feel like a 80's album at all. It has some of those amazing vocal harmonies that we've all grown to love and admire. In fact, Brian handles most of the vocals himself, with Andy Paley providing background vocals for some tracks. The opener, Love and Mercy, is a great way to start. It has a great bridge that sounds absolutely heavenly. The song Little Children is adorable, but I adore the song One for the Boys. It's an acapella song where Brian sings every note. It makes you think he sung every note on The Beach Boys albums. I love the epic closer, Rio Grande, as well. The only quip is the presence of "Dr." Eugene Landy. He was one of those svengali/gurus who really injected himself into Brian's life. The album is dedicated to him, he's listed as executive producer, and he even receives co-writing credit on many of the songs. They have since parted ways, but it was a little too much at times. Still, this is a magnificent album, one of Brian's best works and an album that could have easily been made into a Beach Boys album. March 3, 2008

Love & Mercy And Little Else

Love & Mercy says it all. Brian "Genius" Wilson...Who else could have crafted such a breath taking beautiful song? Yes, Love & Mercy is as good as ANYTHING Brian ever wrote. No kidding...It is really on the same level as God Only Knows, Good Vibrations, Add Some Music To Your Day, Wouldn't It Be Nice and anything else you might consider as "top-shelf" from the enormous Brian Wilson catalog.

But what of the balance of the material contained herein? I'm afraid to say there is little else to get excited over. Let's Go To Heaven In My Car, Too Much Sugar, There's So Many....Man I wish I could offer some kind words for these dreadful songs. "I keep on pushing" Brian sings on Walkin' The Line and oh boy is he ever pushing. Brian's genius has always been his great songwriting and production. Perhaps he'd be better suited concentrating on these and give singing a rest. November 24, 2007

Brians Work In the 1980's is Seriously Underrated.

Take the Beach Boys self-titled 1985 album or Carribean album as it is sometimes called. That song "I'm So Lonely", in my opinion is soaked with emotion. I have read criticsm about that album and about Brian's 1988 solo debut saying that they did not age well and I say BS. Yeah there are the era synths and new digital tricks in there but man, when I hear that song it brings me straight back to that era and it makes me completely choke up. Don't get me wrong either. I am an AVID fan of Pet Sounds, Smile, Today!, Friends, etc. But those 2 albums really gave me some hope during a difficult time in my life. Knowing what Brian had gone through, and seeing him emerge to create brilliance yet again really meant something to me. The solo debut in my opinion is a masterpiece. And I encourage other fans to really listen to it. Love and Mercy is not the only great song on there by a long shot. Nighttime, Baby Let Your Hair Grow Long, Rio Grande, MELT AWAY, One For the Boys, THERE's SO MANY. This is a great album.

This album, without question, is yet another masterpiece from Brian Wilson. August 25, 2007

Love and Mercy - From Brian and Metamorpho Tonight....

Your Metamorpho fell asleep last night to the sound of the waves undulating against the shore. Needless to say, this vision of Cleopatra entered my dream state. "I hate to barge in", she cooed. "But, I have a favor to asp of you". She batted her eyes. "Oh? What is that Cleo?", I asked. "You have been in de-nile for some time now. Even in my now spirit form, I have walked like an Egyptian many times to the sound of Brian Wilson's music. Why don't you write a review on his music as a solo artist?" Her papyrus lips were moist. She had a beautiful pout. "O.K. Cleo, just for you. But please don't tell Caesar". "Done!", she said and then disappeared. I could have sworn she had a bikini on, but then, don't forget it was a dream. Anything is possible there.
Now to this album. Brian wrote this after a long hiatus. As to why or how he was away for so long- I can only conjecture. No matter. Some people could consider this Pet Sounds II. But, it really isn't that. It certainly is excellent in it's own right. I consider it an expansion of his creative ability. Also the freedom to create. Songs with glorious accoutrements of lush orchestration and a "wall of sound" feel to it. The thing about Brian was that he was always able to sort out the vocals. Vocals as instruments providing an integral part of the musical landscape. All of that is evident here.
We have no "Surf's Up" or "God Only Knows" in this album. But so what? He has certainly proven his musical worth by now and can do what he wants.
The amazing thing with this album that - despite all his former problems- the songs convey odes to relationships- good tidings to all ("Love and Mercy") and wonderfully positve embellishments. My favorite one is "Let It Shine" which, for me, was such an important song through a dark time in my life. Metamorpho have dark times? Hard to believe I know. But you can't get to the good without going through the bad. Brian knows this all too well. It is also a universal truth.
There are so many wonderous aspects to the tunes included here. He is such a talented composer and has turned into a superb dreamscape artist. Whether it be about rebirth "There's So Many" with it's excellent insertion of "the planets are spinning around". Or the awe and prairie moodness of the "Rio Grande" with it's indian drumbeat. And that's just one of the musical motifs he employs here.
Brian Wilson is a listening experience. Alot of the songs don't exactly meet the standard chord progression. It's like he is busy working out thematic threads that tie the song together. There can be many melodies within one compostion. This is just another example of how he has progressed and moved popular music into the next phase of classical music.
That being said - alot of the music reminds one of what the Beach Boys could have accomplished under this new direction. And you will hear the ambience of their vocals here. Joyful, lush and a treat to hear.
Now I must be going. Hope you get this an enjoy as much as I have. Now to meditate and contact Cleopatra. She left a gold anklet here. Maybe a ploy? Perhaps I should send Guido to give it back to her. Let him deal with Caesar!

Caught in the Pyramid Scheme---- your Metamorpho
July 22, 2007

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