Uncanny

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.”