Uncanny

BOSTON HERALD "The standout feature is the excellence of [Brian] Wilson’s vocals. During the last few years, his live singing has run the gamut from shaky to soaring. 'Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin' proves he still has the abilities of his Beach Boys youth totally intact and he’s happy to share them. Not that the arrangements are not also remarkable. They are sublime and reference both Gershwin and Wilson. As a result, these mostly oft-recorded tunes take on stunning new lives."

THE PORTLAND PRESS HERALD "I was really thrilled and stoked to get the call from Brian's people to work on his record yet again ... Brian being who he is, he can get the best arrangers and the best musicians, so I am always interested to hear what he's coming up with."

THE GLOBE AND MAIL "The release this coming Tuesday of Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin is being handled as a Major Event by Walt Disney Records. The Gershwin estate had come calling, inviting Wilson not only to re-record a dozen signature pieces by George and Ira Gershwin, but to troll through the vaults and, in a first, complete two unfinished songs by the brothers – The Like in I Love You and Nothing But Love."

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY "Hearing the architect of 1960s 'teenage symphonies to God' cover the symphonically inclined George Gershwin is a kick, if not always a revelation. On Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin, easy-listening Brian shows up more than weirdo Wilson, and when it comes to doing '' 'S Wonderful'' as a light bossa nova, 's just okay. But 'They Can't Take That Away From Me' remade as a 'California Girls''-style shuffle is too novel to pass up. B+"

NOW TORONTO "On this adoring tribute to composer George Gershwin, [Brian] Wilson is a different Boy than he was in those dark days of the 70s. At 68, he finally sounds revitalized, even better than on his solo recording of Smile in 2004."

HOLLYWOOD TODAY "Randall Miller & Jody Savin, the filmmaking team behind the Sundance and indie hit Bottle Shock are following that success with another true to life tale, this time about Dennis Wilson, the heartthrob and drummer of The Beach Boys ... Miller adds, 'The soundtrack will feature Dennis’ music from Pacific Ocean Blue as well as previously unreleased Dennis Wilson music and music from the Beach Boys as well. The music is another character in the film and we are proud to have [Brad] Rosenberger and [Carl B. Wilson and Jennifer Wilson] along as our producing partners to help guide the music.'"

SCREEN DAILY "The Drummer follows the last six years of [Dennis] Wilson’s life when which he created arguably some of his finest music. Wilson was the only member of the band who surfed but tragedy struck in 1983 when he drowned off the coast of California shortly after releasing his only solo album, Pacific Ocean Blue."

EXCLAIM "Beach Boys’ Dennis Wilson was a quiet and unassuming figure whose lone solo album, 1977’s cult classic Pacific Ocean Blue, gained importance as a window into a tortured soul after Wilson drowned in 1983 at the age of 39. Following that album’s reissue in 2008, his life is set to be honoured once more with the planned release of a Dennis Wilson biopic in 2011."

CONTACT MUSIC "Late Beach Boys star Dennis Wilson is returning from beyond the grave - filmmakers Randall Miller and Jody Savin are bringing him back to life on the big screen."

NO DEPRESSION "To keep this short, [Brian] Wilson's best work is from the mid-'60s and most these tunes (minus the two new ones) were given their definitive versions in their own era. Nor is this the best album of Wilson's career as a solo artist. But it is a fun collection of great pop songs without a clunker in the bunch, and in these days of Auto-Tuned, overpolished bubblegum that is something there isn't nearly enough of."

AQUARIUM DRUNKARD has a download link to Brendan McGrath's compilation of some of his favorite cuts from the latter day Beach Boys records, called "Beach Bros."

BILLBOARD Brian Wilson: "When I was 2 years old, my mom would play 'Rhapsody in Blue' for me, and I just loved that song ... Later on, a friend of mine who was an expert on Gershwin asked me, 'How'd you like to play the main theme on piano?' and I said, 'Sure!' ... It took us about two weeks: I'd play a little bit from the Leonard Bernstein recording, then I'd go to my piano, then back to Bernstein, then back to my piano, until I got the whole thing down."

Paul Mertens (saxophonist and music director): "One thing we really wanted to avoid was schmaltzing this stuff up ... I don't want to name names, but there have been some very successful [standards-oriented] records over the last few years that have been incredibly lazy in that regard. We were trying to play the songs as if they were Brian's music, and Brian did them in the way only he could ... Miles Davis is one of the most important artists of the past century, but when he did the 'Porgy and Bess' record with Gil Evans [in 1958], I'm sorry, but I don't hear the songs in there. I hear Miles and Gil Evans launching outward from that music. With Brian, he's doing the song, and what comes through is the sincerity of his performance ... When it came down to making the record, it was just about, 'How does it sound? ... Brian was nervous going in because he took the responsibility so seriously. But after the first day I remember he said, 'OK, this is going to work. It's gonna be cool.' "

VARIOUS OPINIONS REGARDING "BRIAN WILSON REIMAGINES GERSHWIN"

SPIN reviews "BWRG" and gives it a 4/5

POISON IVY JONES has some brief thoughts about the VIP listening party from a few days back

THE NATIONAL NEWSPAPER published a rather lengthy review of "BWRG" written by J Gabriel Boylan: "So here we have the American songbook meeting Sixties pop; two divergent strands of 20th-century nostalgia. With 14 songs clocking in at just under 40 minutes, nothing drags and, as a collection, it provides a neat analog to Wilson’s two-minute symphonies. Moreover, segues tie nearly all the songs together, giving the feeling of a cohesive vision."

THE AUSTRALIAN finds that, "Without going into too much detail, since it's a little early to run a review, let's just say that Wilson's exploration and reimagining of the Gershwin catalogue is 'interesting.'"

HUFFINGTON POST scribe David Wild wrote that, "I encourage anyone who's ever loved Brian Wilson -- or the late great Gershwins, George and Ira -- to check out Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin for themselves. The album features Brian's distinctive takes on some Gershwin favorites, as well as two 'new' collaborations -- songs that the Gershwin estate handed over for Brian to complete that have become 'The Like In I Love You' and 'Nothing But Love.' The results are, to my ears, some 'S'Wonderful Vibrations' and new pet sounds."

BRIANWILSONREIMAGINESGERSHWIN.COM unofficial (?) fan (?) site for "BWRG"

NY MAGAZINE “'No,' Brian Wilson says flatly when asked about cousin-bandmate-antagonist Mike Love’s assertion that Wilson would rejoin the band for a 50th anniversary reunion tour."

PETER AMES CARLIN "Brian's music, the good stuff, anyway, makes me feel the same way. Everyone has peaks and valleys, and some BW releases are mixed bags - some tunes feel inspired, others feel a little more labored. But here's a great and unexpected twist: 'BWRG' is the real thing, end to end. It's the heart of BW, interpreted by Himself, and seemingly unfiltered. It works on levels I can't even describe yet. Too soon, I need another ten or 20 spins to really get the hang of the songs, to grasp the connections, to trace the journey between young BW's primal bond to 'Rhapsody in Blue' through the length of his own life and work, to this masterpiece of cultural/musical synthesis/imagination/artistry."

REUTERS "Initial listens of 'Gershwin' reveal Wilson to be in strong voice, clearly heard above the trademark harmonies that tend to drown him out on stage. His version of 'It Ain’t Necessarily So' comes close to Bronski Beat’s falsetto cover. The bossa nova version of '‘S Wonderful' tips its hat to Joao Gilberto’s. 'Gershwin' could also be viewed as a companion to the Beach Boys’ 1966 masterpiece 'Pet Sounds,' given the similarities between that album’s jaunty instrumental title track and the new album’s vocal-free take on 'I Got Plenty O’ Nuthin.’' Or between 'They Can’t Take That Away From Me' and 'Wouldn’t It Be Nice,' respectively."

LA TIMES "One of the key things [Brian] Wilson and George Gershwin share is the ability to absorb the traditions that preceded them and forge them into something new and utterly individualistic. Both men also longed to expand the structural boundaries of the music of their times. Wilson brings his signature skill at vocal harmony, musical arrangement and orchestration to bear, relying extensively on the endlessly resourceful backing of the members of the Brian Wilson Band that’s been with him in concert and on record since his musical renaissance began at the end of the '90s. He’s delivered another thematically and musically contiguous opus that leads one song into the next by way of inventive instrumental segues, threading what’s just been sung and played to what comes next ... There’s no doubt that Wilson’s album will elicit some squawking from those who prefer a Sinatra-Tony Bennett-Ella approach. But it does provide an undeniably fresh perspective on some of the most widely recorded music in history. Who could ask for anything more?"

GOLDMINE MAGAZINE Bruce Johnston remembers, “I couldn’t be on any Beach Boys album covers… I was the new kid on the block on the ‘Summer Days’ album, and I went to the boat, and I was standing next to the cameraman [Ken Veeder] while they were taking shots for that. I was invited to come to the vocal sessions that were the start of ‘Summer Days.’ I wound up singing on the whole album. Brian loved to add textures, so I was considered another texture in his palette. The first sounds out of my mouth were the answers to the second lead on ‘California Girls’.”

GOLDMINE MAGAZINE Q & A w/ Al Jardine:

Let’s discuss the songs.

Al Jardine: “The Girl From NY City” was a Beach Boys version of the Ad-Libs’ song “The Boy From NY City” from earlier in the year. This had a very happy-go-lucky feel to it. I think the inspiration for “Amusement Parks U.S.A” and “Salt Lake City” [both] came from the Salt Lake City Lagoon that we loved to play every year. It was a magical time. It was like being in a time warp (I think). It felt like we were back in the 1940s and ’50s doing these big ballroom dances, which were so popular in that era. People actually danced to the music, they didn’t sit and listen.

We set attendance records every year … it became an annual affair. That’s the kind of vibe we were having with our fans and [even] the promoters at that time. Everybody was pretty happy with The Beach Boys. It was reciprocal feeling, and we always set attendance records. Bill Hesterman was the deacon in the Mormon Church — he never prophet-eltized (sic) or tried to push his particular faith on us. He was just a normal guy with a great radio voice and just promoted the heck out of The Beach Boys. That spilled over to the promoting of the Lagoon.

In 1968, Bill took us out to the Salt Flats out there at another old ballroom called the Salt Palace that had since — literally — started to fall into the Salted Sea in the Great Salt Lake. In the 1940s, there was a dance hall out there. The lake shrank away and Bill thought it would be a great place to have pictures taken. So we were sitting on pier pylons and goofing around in the sand out there. You can imagine that the Salt Palace was a hell of a place, and it must have really rocked… The Lagoon was our Salt Palace.

Everything was heading in a real positive direction in 1965. Did you sense that the music you were recording in the studio represented the crest of music that would still stand up today?

Jardine: We were fundamentally just keeping up with the pace of the productivity. You could feel it growing at an accelerated rate. Brian was always waiting for us to come home from touring. He got inpatient and began experimenting with other musicians. This was the turning point.

What do you remember about recording “Help Me Rhonda?”

Jardine: I have no memory of the first version of the “Today” version album version, except that I thought it was odd because Brian kept messing with the fader… It went loud then soft, then loud and soft… and I thought, “This is never gonna work.” For the single we had a highly charged session. All the families came and sat around with refreshments. I remember sitting out in the studio listening to the guys singing their background parts on playback. It was hard articulating certain rhythms that Brian wanted, and I heard it a little differently. I stretched out “Rhonda you caught my eye…” Then Murry Wilson would butt in, totally take over… Ultimately, the song went to No. 1.

“California Girls” is a monster song. Carl played the 12-string through the board. Brian and I discussed how incredible that sound was. We got a very special sound by isolating Carl from the band. I used the same technique in 1979 for the intro for “Lady Lynda.”

Brian thinks he sounds like a girl on “Let Him Run Wild.” What do you think of it?

Jardine: I loved it. That was a great production with the Wrecking Crew. It’s a wonderful arrangement from Brian. He started to up the ante… Listen to that horn chart; it’s pretty heavy. Brian would write the parts out himself the night before and he’d be all ready to go the next day.

“You’re So Good To Me” has a bit of a Motown/Beatles vibe.

Jardine: I think The Beatles picked more up from us. I remember how hilarious that session was … Brian would have us in the studio as soon as we returned from the road, because he was so impatient to get us back in the studio. We started laughing around the microphone so hard that I couldn’t stop laughing. The actual muscular requirement to sing the “la la la la la la la’s” made my tongue start to freeze up — literally — from the exertion after being on the road for so many months. It was like doing 10 extra wind sprints after a football practice. It was one of the few times that I couldn’t finish my part. It’s so funny, and such a good memory to have. I completely lost control of myself and fell on the floor laughing.

On “Summer Means New Love” you hear that “Pet Sounds” is just around the corner.

Jardine: You sure do.

What about “I’m Bugged At My Ol’ Man”?

Jardine: That’s a total throwaway… Sometimes when you don’t have enough material for an album there’s always a clunker. There’s obviously some psychological significance too, because he was really bugged at Murry. It’s just Brian venting.

“And Your Dreams Come True”?

Jardine: That’s a return to the Four Freshman on that one. That comes from the “Baa-Baa Black Sheep” melody. We used to practice our harmonies on that song… That and “Their Hearts Were Full Of Spring.” We used to love singing that one. That’s brought back some memories… Boy is that a great arrangement! It’s a beautiful extrapolation of total quality. We never sang that one together after that. I could write up an arrangement real quick and do it with my band. I still remember all the parts.

BILLBOARD "There have been a lot of ideas floated, but nothing decided ... So far it's just conversation. There are no big plans yet -- although there's a lot of interest from a lot of people to see what would happen if we got together and did some new music and maybe did some shows. But so far nothing's firm."

LA TIMES “When I got asked to come to Roskilde, I decided that I should keep a focus on something that I’m interested in ... And I found by going to Pan-American music that I could hit on something which is essentially a very hot political topic right now, and that is immigration ... We took a trip back to these great romantic classics of Latin America to find the rhythms we love that said the things that we think are important to think about ... I presented some very difficult arrangements for a bunch of young people … I think it served what I wanted to do: I wanted it to serve people that are younger than any of my neckties ... I don’t have any answers. But I want my music to raise questions. I would like to comfort people, but I'd also like to take the people that are comfortable by the throat and yank them into a sense of obligation into improving this world.”

ROLLING STONE According to Al Jardine: "We’re definitely doing at least one show — you heard it first ... It’s a big deal. I don’t know where it will be yet, but it’ll probably be free. Golden Gate Park was mentioned, as was the [National] Mall in Washington, D.C. and the north shore of Chicago by the beach ... I want to see a 100-date anniversary tour ... I want to go all around the world, but if this is the way it has to be, then so be it. We're going to have to rehearse one hell of a show. My point is, if we're going to rehearse and make this such a wonderful show, we should take it on the road. It's the next logical step and it disappointments me that the other guys don't see if that way. I mean, it really bothers me. I know Live Nation has their fingers crossed we'll hit the road. We've gone one show definite, so at least we've got our foot in the door."

LA TIMES blog has its doubts - "Beach Boys' 50th anniversary reunion? Don't bet on it."