Uncanny

POP MATTERS "At this point it became a decision of ordering the actual CD online or just the MP3s. At the time of making this decision, the cheapest I was able to find the physical release online for is $16.99 plus tax. But on iTunes I could download Disco Romance for less than half of that. From a monetary point of view, the choice is rather simple. Downloading the MP3s is the far better decision. And conveniently enough, I could then enjoy the music right away instead of having to wait a week to receive the CD by mail."

"But as a collector, it would feel like something was not right. What’s missing is actually being able to hold the CD in my hand. Collectors of stamps or baseball cards could have their entire collections scanned so that they could look at them on the computer, but I’m sure most collectors of those items would find that thought absurd. They would much rather have them out on display to look at and show people. So why would music collectors find this any different? There is an intangible joy about being able to hold the object in your hand. By doing this, it feels like it’s yours to keep and to own."

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Advance copies of the recent re-issue of Dennis Wilson’s “Pacific Ocean Blue” came with a packet of press materials. These materials included photocopies of vintage magazine articles that were first published around the time of the original release of “Pacific Ocean Blue.” One such article, written by Carol Rose, is titled “Dennis Files Solo.” As the article begins with the note, “continued from page 39,” this appears to be part of a larger article. However, the earlier section was not provided with the press materials I received. There’s also no indication of the source or exact date of the article. Nevertheless, it’s an interesting read. Especially interesting are the things E Street Band member Max Weinberg had to say about Dennis Wilson and the Beach Boys. Below is an edited version of Rose’s discussion with Weinberg:

“I’ve seen over 30 Beach Boys concerts. The first was the spring of ’64 at the West Orange Armory. Dennis projected such power. He plays the drums and hits this groove and for me it always made the corners of my mouth turn up in a smile. He really kept the band together and provided that energy. He projected this strength behind the drums of knowing where to hit each measure to pick the groove right out and put it in his pocket. There’s a certain groove you pick that makes the music flow, and when you have it it’s in your pocket. It’s the feeling behind the rhythm. He knows where it is. And to me, the hardest thing to strive for is that feeling, behind the groove.”

“There are a lot of sides to Dennis. When he’s happening, he’s really happening. He plays magnificently on every record they ever did- tastefully, simply and really beautifully, slapping the back-beat. The back-beat is what you dance to. It’s what you feel. It’s called a back-beat because it’s not on one; it’s behind the first beat. The accent is on the two and the four. Brian Wilson’s production techniques were heavily influenced by Phil Spector who put a heavy back-beat on four. There’s a loud explosion of the snare drum on four, and Dennis executes this beautifully.”

“He knows what notes not to play. That is very important. This is the heart of rock and roll. It can really get cluttered up with fancy drumming. Dennis is what I strove for, to make that projection, to make the drummer noticeable. I’m really into performing. There’s a whole generation now getting into the Beach Boys who have never heard of them before. They really shaped my identity. They were big when being big really meant something. There’s a reason they’ve been around 15 years. Dennis was really a focal point of the band, an image. He still is. He was happening onstage and drummers became very important. On ‘Dance, Dance, Dance’ the drum parts are really so interesting. The Beach Boys have a strong, slow shuffle groove. It became very apparent when Brian played the bass the other night. When you can get a feeling across in two and a half minutes, that’s when you’re really saying something to someone.”

CLAUS.COM

VARIETY "Southern California as a muse was relatively unheard of prior to Wilson's region-defining work in the Beach Boys. For all the definitions Wilson has provided, from 'Surfin' Safari' to 'Surf's Up,' 'That Lucky Old Sun' -- written with old pal Van Dyke Parks and his keyboardist Scott Bennett -- stands as his most thorough definition of what it is to be an Angeleno. But considering its position as a musical epicenter, Southern California has lost its luster for the natives. In song these days, L.A. is almost always presented in a nostalgic light, with reminders that while this city of reinvention has had its golden moments right now we're not living in one. Jackson Browne and J.D. Souther, two of SoCal's finest chroniclers in the '70s, say as much on their new albums, as does Wilson."

THE PROVINCE

PR.COM

BLOGCRITICS

VENTURA COUNTY STAR

TIMES COLONIST 1 "Watching ol' Mike sing When I Grow Up to Be a Man today is like watching grandma do the Mashed Potato in her poodle skirt. Depending on your point of view, it's either (1) very charming, or (2) very weird."

TIMES COLONIST 2 Mike Love says, "It's been a long ride. But when you see the audience response -- children, seniors, everyone in between -- it's pretty fascinating and pretty great. It's great that the songs you initially started recording over 40 years ago, they're still appreciated to the degree they are today."

OTAGO DAILY TIMES

NASHVILLE SCENE

WEEKEND AMERICA "You know, he was basically just a homeless psychotic person," Michael Corcoran says. "And you would cross the street if you saw him come your way. But with the right psychiatric help, medication, the care of his brother - to see him elevated to almost Brian Wilson status in Autsin is very nice"

POST TRIBUNE "I can't tell you why I don't like the beach. I don't know. I never learned how to surf, but I admire surfing very much. It's a great sport."

RECORDNET "'Vinyl still has a better sound to it,' said Lloyd Dennis, 66, of Lodi, who recently purchased the vinyl version of Brian Wilson's new 'That Lucky Old Sun' LP at Replay. 'The CD is not as smooth as vinyl.'" Amen brother, amen.

NEWS OBSERVER

MERCURY NEWS

TENNESSEAN

PITCHFORK

FILTER

SF GATE

ARIZONA STAR

Whew, it's been a busy summer! Unfortunately, over the past few months I have not been able to blog here as much as I had hoped. Increased action at the day-job has meant no blogging on company time. On the home front, I've been having some computer issues. Thankfully, as of this morning, we're all back up and running at Uncanny HQ w/ a new Apple G5. The result should be a more constant flow of blogging.

Looking back over the past 9 months, it's crazy to think about all of the great Beach Boys/Brian Wilson related releases:

(1) Dennis Wilson- "Pacific Ocean Blue" re-issue
(2) Brian Wilson- "That Lucky Old Sun"
(3) Beach Boys- "US Singles Collection" box-set
(4) Stephen John Kalinich- "A World of Peace Must Come" produced by Brian Wilson
(5) Jan & Dean- "The Complete Liberty Singles" w/ help from Brain Wilson
(6) Gary Usher- "Barefoot Adventure" w/ help from Dennis Wilson
(7) "The Beach Boys and the Satan" DVD

This has got to rate as one of the most exciting string of releases since I got into the Beach Boys/Brian Wilson ca. 2000. So much great music released in such a relatively short time period; what a boon to Brianistas. Who would have thought that "A World of Peace Must Come" would get an official release? I think this bodes well for the future. Hopefully, all the good will that's been generated from these releases will help to pry the archives open a bit more. Who knows what sonic artifact will find the light of day next? I will be watching and waiting and collecting. Keep tuned!