New Brian Wilson compilation, Sept 22

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Found at: The Brian Wilson Anthology - Pop - NIKA records

Brian Wilson CD
The Brian Wilson Anthology (2017)
Format: CD

1. Love & Mercy
2. Surf’s Up
3. Heroes & Villains
4. Melt Away
5. Let It Shine
6. Some Sweet Day
7. Rio Grande
8. Cry
9. Lay Down Burden
10. The First Time
11. This Isn't Love
12. Soul Searchin'
13. Gettin' In Over My Head
14. The Like In I Love You
15. Midnight’s Another Day
16. Colors Of The Wind
17. One Kind Of Love
18. Run James Run

“Time jumps and sometimes time lands,” Brian Wilson wrote in his 2016 memoir, I Am Brian Wilson.

Playback: The Brian Wilson Anthology is vivid proof this singular musical icon—who has come through more than his share of challenging times—has been able to spend the past three decades continuing and extending one of the most significant legacies in all of popular music history.

In the first part of his illustrious life in music, Wilson stood at the artistic center of one of rock ’n’ roll’s most iconic groups, The Beach Boys. There are any number of compilations that document all the fun, fun, fun and art, art, art of that remarkable body of work. Now with Playback: The Brian Wilson Anthology, we all get a chance to celebrate what could be considered the Second or Possibly Third Coming of Brian Wilson. This man—once written off by some prematurely as a musical casualty—has instead flourished and become one of the most uplifting survival stories of our times.

The Brian Wilson Anthology covers a notable period of renewal that started with the release of Wilson’s first solo album, 1988’s Brian Wilson. Featured here are four of that acclaimed effort’s standout tracks, including the eight-minute symphonette “Rio Grande,” “Melt Away,” “Let It Shine” (written and coproduced with Jeff Lynne) and last, but hardly least, “Love And Mercy,” which has become known as one of Wilson’s most beloved classics. Indeed, “Love And Mercy” has gradually taken on such a meaningful place in Wilson’s legendary songbook that it was even used as the title of the acclaimed 2014 biopic that saw Wilson memorably played by both Paul Dano and John Cusack.

From Wilson’s 1998 Imagination album, this anthology includes two beautiful highlights, “Cry” and “Lay Down Burden,” the latter of which honors Brian’s late, great brother and fellow Beach Boy Carl Wilson, who died of lung cancer that same year. In the wake of Imagination, Brian started to tour extensively as a solo artist, and by 2000 this icon, who famously stopped touring with The Beach Boys back in the ’60s, was proving to be a somewhat unlikely road warrior, even releasing his first live solo album, Live At The Roxy Theatre. Beyond a strong set list that included lots of familiar hits and even a cover of The Bakenaked Ladies tribute song “Brian Wilson,” Live At The Roxy Theatre also featured some new material in “The First Time” and “This Isn’t Love,” a charming collaboration with Wilson’s Pet Sounds lyricist, Tony Asher.

Wilson’s next studio release, 2004’s Gettin’ In Over My Head, was a poppy, star-studded affair. Here you’ll find that album’s title track along with what is arguably Gettin’ In Over My Head’s finest and most moving song, “Soul Searchin’.” The track was built around a vocal recorded by Carl Wilson years earlier, allowing these two Wilson brothers to be reunited on one more magnificent song for the ages.

Ultimately, though, it was another 2004 album release that would mark a transcendent and long-delayed moment to remember in Brian Wilson’s illustrious creative life: Brian Wilson Presents Smile. This Grammy-winning release saw Wilson finally bringing to life the unfinished album that he had so famously failed to complete with The Beach Boys nearly 40 years earlier. Bringing Smile back to life had started with a live reinterpretation of the album at the Royal Festival Hall in London on February 20, 2004, followed by other rapturously received live concert performances. And so it was that Wilson’s brave decision to revisit what was arguably his most painful failure became one of his greatest successes. Inspired by that healing experience, Wilson and his amazing ten-piece touring band, as well as a ten-piece string section and an acoustic bassist, finally recorded and released a studio version of this long-lost masterpiece. Two of the many highlights of Brian Wilson Presents Smile are included here: “Surf’s Up” and “Heroes And Villains.”

Wilson’s positive creative energy from so successfully revisiting Smile could be felt on his next album, 2008’s conceptual That Lucky Old Sun. Included here is “Midnight’s Another Day,” not the sunniest song from the album, but one of the most haunting melodies on a collection full of lovely compositions.

Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin, from 2010, was a memorable meeting of musical minds, with Brian bringing a fresh take to many of the Gershwins’ greatest contributions to the American Songbook, as well as completing two unfinished songs, including “The Like In I Love You.” A year later, Wilson released In The Key Of Disney, which saw him recording his own distinctive arrangement of songs from Disney films. Featured here is Brian’s sensitive and moving take on Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz’s “Colors Of The Wind,” from Pocahontas. Then in 2015, Wilson released No Pier Pressure, a strong album with a clear autobiographical streak and some notable collaborations. On this collection is the romantic and melodic “One Kind Of Love,” which was featured on the Music From Love & Mercy soundtrack album that same year.

Beyond all these assorted gems from over the past three decades, Playback: The Brian Wilson Anthology also features two previously unreleased tracks: “Some Sweet Day,” which builds its own classic Wall of Sound, and “Run James Run,” a title some Brian scholars might recall was considered for the song “Pet Sounds,” with its slight James Bond theme song feel. This “Run James Run” was written and produced by Brian and Joe Thomas, and includes wonderful high background vocals from Matt Jardine, Al Jardine’s son and clearly a chip off the old block.

Taken as a whole, this song cycle stands as a welcome reminder that Brian Wilson’s true musical genius endures, offering us a new and altogether welcome reason to listen again and smile. In the end, Playback: The Brian Wilson Anthology is testament to the fact that after all he’s come through and all he’s given us through his lifetime in music, Brian Wilson actually was made for these times.

 

Lookin at the songlist on this compilation gives some proof that Brians solo-career -patchy as it is-features lot s of brilliant music

 

Good to see Rio Grande being included! Shame about the tacky artwork though.

 

So, what do we know about " Some Sweet Day"?

 

The s/t album blew me away when it was released and I was so happy for Brian; pretty much the whole of that album could be considered a best-of, to me....surely there are some left off...can't please everyone..as far as later songs...would have liked to have seen "Don't let her know she's an angel"...and surprised of no "Your imagination" looks like a good set, though, overall.

 

I'm surprised tracks from Smile were included to be honest. Would've been nice if the studio versions of The First Time and This Isn't Love were included, but it seems that the live versions are being used.

 

Great track. One of my favorite from the Paley sessions. It will be nice to finally hear it in decent quality. I wonder if Brian re-recorded his lead the way he did for "You're Still A Mystery". ?

The tracklisting seems to lean too heavily towards his more maudlin material. I can hear this album in my head and it’s sluggish like a wet sponge. They should have integrated a few more upbeat numbers into the mix. "Your Imagination" actually got some airplay in supermarkets and such so it seems like it should be here. But I guess they couldn't justify three cuts from "Imagination". "Cry" is epic.

I’ll buy it just for the two unreleased tracks. Of course. And I hope the inclusion of “Some Sweet Day” is a sign that the material he recorded with Paley isn’t forgotten and that there is still hope for an official “Marketplace” release! Start cleaning out those vaults, Melinda!

It also seems a shame there’s only one cut from “That Lucky Old Sun” as that was his best solo album. And I’d rather forget all about the “Key of Disney” album if it’s all the same to you!

 

I didn't know there was a studio version of "The First Time" other than a demo that was recorded around 1983 (?) which I think was titled "In The Nighttime".

 

I'm a little surprised that 'Your Imagination' didn't make the cut, and perhaps 'Southern California' from LOS. Perhaps
it's because it came out on WB(?), but Orange Crate Art should really be on there, and maybe even the version of Warmth of the Sun from
the Don Was documentary. I, for one, really didn't like the cut together duet version of 'Soul Searchin,' though it may be because I was
familiar with the boot before hearing the Frankenstein version. Oh well, it will still be nice to have this anthology.

 

I'd bet it's the version from the live album, which I actually liked a lot.

 

I like "The First Time". Not so crazy about "This Isn't Love" in it's final form. It was better as a piano instrumental.

If I were in charge I'd add a few more upbeat tunes to balance things out:

1. Love & Mercy
2. Let It Shine
3. Melt Away
4. Rio Grande
5. Chain Reaction of Love (previously unreleased)
6. Some Sweet Day (Previously Unreleased)
7. Your Imagination
8. Cry
9. Lay Down Burden
10. The First Time
11. City Blues
12. Gettin' In Over My Head
13. Forever You’ll Be My Surfer Girl (long version)
14. Midnight’s Another Day
15. The Like In I Love You
16. Sail Away
17. One Kind Of Love
18. Run James Run (Previously Unreleased)

 

There's no way I would include as much of BW88 as this, but I realize I'm in the distinct minority. I agree though that there should be "Your Imagination" at least, and more from That Lucky Old Sun ("Southern California" and "Going Home," maybe?). I'd throw in at least one more track from the Gershwin album ("I Loves You Porgy"), and I would dump "Heroes and Villains," "Cry," "Let It Shine," and "Colors of the Wind" in favor of "Happy Days" and "Baby Mine."

I'd also sub out "One Kind of Love" with "This Beautiful Day" and like you, include "Sail Away."

I do approve of including the two Roxy originals, as someone who doesn't own that set.

 

I'm in.
Do I even have to say it anymore?

 

I would have included "Guess You Had To Be There" and "I've Got A Crush On You".

 

I think it s impossible to make a 1 cd compilation without many people missin certain tracks. There are a few I would have added and a few I would have left out. Those would not be the same choices as others however so I'd rather enjoy what s there. I think it would be a very good listening experience.

 

A damn shame This Song Want's to Sleep With You Tonight was not included.

 

Brian Wilson - Playback: The Brian Wilson Anthology - Amazon.com Music

 

Seems pretty lovingly done. I would have put in a Sweet Insanity track, one of the more accessible ones-- Country Feeling or Concert Tonight, to give the set a little more "summer fun."

 

This is from the Amazon blurb. Not sure if it's accurate as it contradicts the above press release:

'previously unreleased tracks: “Run James Run,” a new song Wilson wrote and recorded for this collection, and “Some Sweet Day,” an unreleased gem he wrote with Andy Paley in the early 1990s for an unfinished recording project.'

I guess it's not a contradiction - the release just says that "Run James Run" was just considered as a title for Pet Sounds.

 

"Run James Run" was occasionally mentioned by Al Jardine in interviews way back in the time preceding the release of "No Pier Pressure", back when a Jeff Beck collaboration was still in the cards. I think David Marks might play on it. It's a rock and roll number.

 

I'm really paying $31 for 2 songs?

Yep.

 

I'm waiting for the day to see you post 'I'm Out'- I think I would immediately go into shock!!

 

Always liked 'Some sweet day', will be great to finally hear it in good quality. I've long since thought a comp for Brian's solo work would be a good idea as some of his albums are a bit spotty but overall there are melodies and songs every bit as brilliant as some of his 60s and 70s work.
His voice can be a barrier - though he's sang the way he does now a lot longer than he sang with his 'classic' voice so everyone should be used to it - and also, Happy Birthday Brian, 75 Big ones!

 

How many of these songs will make their first appearance on vinyl?

 

• Some Sweet Day
• Cry
• Lay Down Burden
• The First Time
• This Isn't Love
• Colors Of The Wind
• Run James Run