New Brian Wilson compilation, Sept 22

Here's a Brian Wilson taped session which will probably never see the light of day, Informal session with Keith Moon and Harry Nillson. Segment starts at around 25:16:

 

Hear Brian Wilson's Retro Nineties Rarity 'Some Sweet Day'

Nice to finally have this in official quality. I hope "Chain Reaction of Love" and "Market Place" get their due some day too.

 

For listeners with better ears... does it sound like any work has been done on this since the 1990s?

 

I think I read somewhere that Andy Paley said he and his brother were featured on it along with another instrumentalist Brian hired. All sounded very much like it's just the original recording - no rework.

 

Yeah, I was thinking they might sweeten Brian's vocal like they did on "You're Still A Mystery" for the Made In California set, but no...this is the original version.

 

The Paley Sessions have some fantastic tracks. It shows that Brian in the studio left to his own devices and without any pressure was able to deliver the goods.

 

I never noticed how much "Some Sweet Day" sounded like "Meet Me In My Dreams Tonight". Production is a lot better. I wish he'd put out the Paley Sessions in full. People criticize them, but I still think that those tracks are his best work overall, at least since Love You.

 

I love this song on first listen. Sounds great.

 

I would take the sound of these tracks any day over the Joe Thomas wash....
Paley's work sounds so much more towards Brian's masterworks.

 

I've loved this song since I heard it in poor quality years ago - its madness that this great track has been in the vault for all these years. Then again - that's the Beach Boys modus operandi!

 

I've loved this song since I heard it in poor quality years ago - its madness that this great track has been in the vault for all these years. Then again - that's the Beach Boys modus operandi!

 

I've loved this song since I heard it in poor quality years ago - its madness that this great track has been in the vault for all these years. Then again - that's the Beach Boys modus operandi!

 

I've loved this song since I heard it in poor quality years ago - its madness that this great track has been in the vault for all these years. Then again - that's the Beach Boys modus operandi!

 

"Run James Run"

Listen to Brian Wilson’s New Song “Run James Run” | Pitchfork

 

I think it's pretty darn cool and catchy!

 

Cute little throwback. He should have saved it for his "rock and roll" album. I'd love a whole album of this. "Shut Down Part III".

 

I like the new surf song Run James Run as the better of the two.

I'd like to find a complete musicians list for Run J Run, I think I recognize one of the players.

Both songs are decent nothing hall of fame like the ending trilogy on Beach Boys 2012, but still not bad.

I like the surf song, I need to squeeze it onto No Pier Pressure & dump one of those hideous duets with Gen X singers

Why is or who is that person singing big chunks of the lead vocal ? Should get Al if he wanted to do that.

Harmonies ok, lead lines from anonymous pleasant but generic band member, no please, backrounds ok, please don't sing leads, get Al.

 

I'd love Shut Down Part V or whatever he'd call it, too - the song is especially cute since Brian truly went for it to be a Bond theme. So innocent - there's an interview where he talks about the demo getting rejected - mentions something about "them" not thinking he was serious music.

Really dig both "new" tracks and I agree - doesn't sound like they sweetened or overdubbed anything between the original Paley sessions and now - just improved sonics for us!

Jeff

 

It's clearly not the 1-disc comp I would have put together, but I am still picking it up today as a huge fan. I think the later albums are very underrepresented. I think "That Lucky Old Sun" is a masterpiece and the Gershwin album is a total winner.. I also love the Christmas album and the title track could have easily made this release.. I agree that the Disney album is pretty worthless and I only care for about half of No Pier Pressure.

 

My vinyl and CD arrived. Why I needed both, I don't know. Why I need this at all...well, you do get the two new songs... I'm a fan, what can I say?

Look, we all have our favorites from the Brian Wilson solo catalog, but I can't see this CD impressing anyone enough to investigae the rest of his catalog. Too many slower songs grouped together. As a listening experience it doesn't really work. Maybe his catalog just isn't open to this sort of cherry-picking.

The album opens with some abrupt jumping back and forth from his debut to 'Smile' and then back to his debut and then the new song and then back to the debut...it doesn't have much flow. By the way....the tracks from his debut are the remixed versions, albeit with the flaws of the initial re-release corrected (see: aahhhs at the end of "Melt Away").

Personally I wouldn't have included the Smile remakes at all, but what do I know... And hearing them here for the first time since the November 2011 release of "The Smile Sessions" box set doesn't make me want to jump up and put "BWPS" on the turntable anytime soon. I was kinda hoping someone went back and edited out the "whoo whoo whoo whoo whooooo" part out of "Heroes and Vilains", which was clearly an impulsive decision by Wilson that has never ever been replicated live, but nope.

Nice to have "Some Sweet Day" in official quality. Much much better, though that jangling percussion thing is kinda in your face, no? "Run James Run" is delightful fun. He should have cut a whole album like this and hit the 'delete' key on a good half of the "No Pier Pressure" album.

Maybe it's my..."imagination"...(ho ho) but I think "Cry" and "Lay Down Burden" are a little warmer sounding here than before. The original "Imagination" CD was a rather cold and clinical sounding release. I could be wrong. They certainly should have included the title cut here as it was a mild hit (I mean, I heard it in malls and supermarkets, so that's saying something, right?), not to mention we really need a few more uptempo cuts. Sluggish...like a wet sponge.

"The First Time" is from the live Roxy album, as expected. Great song. The song that follows, "This Isn't Love", not so much. And they include Brian's in-between stage banter about the upcoming 'Flintstones" movie. Odd. I told you this album was a rocky (Pamplin) listen.

The biggest disappointment is the lone track from "That Lucky Old Sun". I feel that album is one of Brian's best efforts and it's criminally underrepresented here. Some might point the finger at the fact that a certain someone collaborated on that particular album, but the inclusion of "The Like In I Love You" (with lyrics from whats-his-face) as opposed to any other cut from the Gershwin album seems to say otherwise.

Packaging - this artwork couldn't get much more unimaginative. Pretty bland. The CD comes in a thin digipak with a small booklet of promotion photos and some spiel from David Wild. The vinyl is much more substantial looking but still carries the dull artwork. I haven't opened it yet so I cannot comment on the pressing itself.

In summary, a rather pointless exercise, but two new cuts, so whoo whoo. The front end is too heavy on self-titled and "Smile", the second half rushes past all his remaining albums and give them the short end of the stick.

Keep them cards and letters coming, kids, and maybe 'some sweet day' Melinda will let us have "Chain Reaction of Love", "Marketplace" and "It's Not Easy Being Me" too!

 

Sounds like I should just buy the two new tracks on iTunes and be done with it.

 

The CD is only $9.99 on Amazon so not a huge loss if you roll the dice on it.

 

Thanks for the extensive review. Is the packaging a digipack with a clear CD tray or just a card sleeve without any tray? Also you mentioned the tracks from his debut are the remixed versions. When the 1988 album was reissued years ago it was remastered by Joe Gastwirt. Does that reissue have the same remixes that are on this new comp?

Thanks

Scott

 

Agree the song selection is almost sillily bad for my own vision of a great Brian solo comp, I also would have left SMILE out of it entirely, and adore both the new tracks. "Run James Run" is so classic BW 1963 or so I do wish it had been done with a Mike lead as a BBs track for the followup to GOD MADE RADIO that ironically never happened because Mike was being a dick. But he'd have excelled on this song, it's clearly tailor made for him.

We might have to wait til Brian is no longer with us but for sure if WE live long enough we'll get a complete Paley sessions set. (That will probably have some modifications or omissions to aggravate the serious fans.....)

I had a cassette version of those sessions I got via controversial old BB superfan Brad Elliott back in 90s, but haven't laid mitts on it in many years. Track I remember most fondly and wish had in a good-sounding form: "Slightly American Music"

 

It's just a paper sleeve. Very thin. Glorified drink coaster.

The..."first time"...they remixed and reissued the BW'88 album, Linett was asleep at the switch and used a few wrong mixes. One such element that was missing was the 'ahhs' at the end of "Melt Away". He quickly fixed the problem but the only way to get a replacement disc was to mail your old disc in to Rhino. I never bothered. The 'ahhs' are here. I can't say for certain it's the same mix or mastering without looking at the notes. But it's definitely not the original mixes from the original release. They sound like what I remember the remix sounding like. At least that's what my ears tell me. (Here comes someone to tell us it's the original '88 mixes!).