Uncanny

NEW STATESMAN "Better book early for Brian Wilson's gig at the London Adelphi on 12 November. Wilson says the event, which will mark the 40th anniversary of the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds, will be the last time he performs songs from this album in the UK."

INSIDE BAY AREA "Following the Foos, Brian Wilson made his entrance and proceeded to lead his 10-piece band in a deliriously good surf-rock party. The former Beach Boy has more truly great songs at his fingertips than basically anyone and the crowd couldn't get enough of such classics as 'Heroes and Villians,' 'Wouldn't It Be Nice' and 'I Get Around.'"

"The 64-year-old singer, who also appeared at Bridge in 1999, didn't sound so hot at times, especially on a weak version of the sweet 'God Only Knows.' This band, however, was so good that it was more than able to compensate for any vocal issues."

See also FMQB for still another review of this concert.

SF CHRONICLE "Brian Wilson and his 10-piece band warmed the evening chill with a selection of Beach Boys favorites drawn from the Pet Sounds album and other hits such as 'Help Me Rhonda,' 'Heroes and Villains' and 'Good Vibrations.' He closed with a three-song burst -- Chuck Berry's 'Johnny B. Goode' and the Beach Boys' 'Surfin' U.S.A.' and 'Fun, Fun, Fun,' which are all practically the same song anyway -- leaving the amphitheater basking in a warm glow."

MERCURY NEWS "Seven years after returning to the road, the Beach Boys' troubled genius Brian Wilson no longer cowers behind a keyboard, looking as if he had been forced out on stage at gunpoint. Saturday he sat at a stool at center stage, clapping with the music and even flashing the occasional smile. His singing was good on opening selections from Smile and Pet Sounds, and the wealth of strong voices in his marvelous 12-piece ensemble allowed him to opt out of the more difficult parts. 'Good Vibrations' featured Young on organ, and the famous theremin part was played on flute, in keeping with the day's acoustic theme."

BILLBOARD "Brian Wilson also translated the wall-of-sound of his usual performances into a more stripped-down approach, singing while sitting on a stool as opposed to playing piano. The set sported one hit after another, from 'Heroes & Villains' and 'God Only Knows' to 'Surfin' U.S.A.' and a cover of Chuck Berry's 'Johnny B. Goode.'"

MERCURY NEWS BLOG "Half an hour after the Foo Fighters left the stage, Brian Wilson and his band kicked things off with "Our Prayer," a gorgeous bit of wordless vocal harmony from Smile, that segued into 'Heroes and Villains.' Seven years after returning to the road, Wilson no longer cowers behind a keyboard, looking as if he had been forced out on stage at gunpoint. He sat at a stool at center stage, clapping with the music and even flashing the occasional smile. His singing was good, although the assortment of strong voices in the 12-piece ensemble allowed him to opt out of the more difficult parts. Hearing those amazing Wilson arrangements performed by a great live band is always a treat. 'Good Vibrations' featured Neil Young on organ, and the famous theremin part was played on flute, in keeping with the day's acoustic theme. A cover of 'Johnny B. Goode' was made redundant when it was followed by Wilson's own 'Surfin U.S.A.' and 'Fun, Fun, Fun.' Why do a real Chuck Berry song when you've got such great knockoffs in your catalog?"

STUFF-NZ "I'm definitely keen on doing more, as soon as this thing stops for a little bit, just try and do gigs, even if they're small. Hopefully I'll get some more time so people can dig some more stuff." BLONDIE CHAPLIN

OBSERVER UK "On the strength of her extraordinary new album, the mysteriously titled Ys (pronounced 'ees'), let's just say JOANNA NEWSOM is as out there as it gets at the moment. Imagine Emily Dickinson with a harp, and you're half way there. In contemporary pop, only Antony Hegarty comes close in terms of new territory."

According to Newsom, "Last time round, everything I said was taken really literally and I don't want that to happen again. I'll just say that I think of it as a very pastoral record, really. It's farmlands and harvests and livestock. It's an album about loss, but much of the imagery has to do with fecundity."

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