Love and mercy (Brian Wilson) (LP 4856 - 4863)

Brian Wilson  Brian Wilson (Vinyl, Sire Records, 1988) ***  

Brian Wilson  I Just Wasn't Made For These Times (CD, MCA Records, 1995) *** 

Brian Wilson  Imagination (CD, Giant Records, 1998) ***

Brian Wilson  Gettin' In Over My Head (CD, BriMel/Rhino Records, 2004) *** 

Brian Wilson  Brian Wilson Presents Smile (CD, Nonesuch Records, 2004) **** 

Brian Wilson  Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin (CD, Walt Disney Records, 2010) *** 

Brian Wilson  No Pier Pressure (CD, Capitol Records, 2015) **

Brian Wilson  Live at the Roxy Theatre (CD, BriMel Records, 2010) ***  

Genre: Pop 

Places I remember: Marbecks Records, Real Groovy Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Your Imagination (Imagination)

Gear costume: Melt Away (Brian Wilson)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7; Part 8

Active compensatory factors: While I'm verging on being a completist for The Beach Boys, I do have some gaps in my Brian Wilson collection. That said, I have most of his solo recordings.

His traumatic past has been well documented over the years, even by him in his autobiography (which I recommend). You can get a summary here if you want. Amid the trauma came his first solo album - Brian Wilson in 1988.

The first and last tracks are the obvious standouts, along with the gorgeous Melt Away. Love and Mercy was released as a single and it became a song he'd return to in concert later on. The final song is Rio Grande which is much more experimental than the rest. So much so, that it sounds like it was part of SMiLE.

The strengths of the album are his vocals and the harmonies. Obvious, but true. It's not The Beach Boys, but it's close. It's the only record that came from these years so it's worthy, even though it's tainted by Eugene Landy's presence.

I Just Wasn't Made For These Times is a compilation of re-recorded songs that served as a soundtrack to a documentary by Don Was. It's a fine collection (mostly Beach Boys songs except for Melt Away and Love and Mercy from Brian Wilson), but I do prefer the originals with The Beach Boys.

After Orange Crate Art (a classic album by Van Dyke Parks and Brian reviewed here), Brian's third solo studio album was Imagination in 1998. 

I think it's an under-appreciated album. The songs are mostly good, the musicians compatible and the harmonies spot on. It does exactly what you'd want from a Brian Wilson album. It's good enough on its own without the couple of covers of Beach Boys songs (Let Him Run Wild is a pale imitation).

Gettin' In Over My Head is his fourth solo album. Many of the songs have origins back in the early nineties when they were part of an abandoned follow up to Brian Wilson. It's notable for a plethora of famous guests - Paul McCartney, Elton John, Eric Clapton. Carl Wilson even makes a posthumous appearance on Soul Searchin' - an abandoned Beach Boys song that stands out here. Carl was all class!

Again, I think it's under-appreciated. Maybe reviewers were expecting another Pet Sounds every time Brian released a solo album. That's an impossible standard to live up to. 

Basically, Gettin' In Over My Head produces the kind of music I'd expect from a genius kind of guy who's been through some traumatic times and come through them largely intact. In many ways it's a wonder he can produce an album at all.

It's interesting comparing Brian Wilson Presents Smile with The Beach Boys version (The SMiLE Sessions). The difference between the two versions is that Brian's are all new studio versions (following a live performance), so no Beach Boys apart from Brian appear on it. AllMusic summed up the reconstituted SMiLE as 'a jaunty epic of psychedelic Americana, a rambling and discursive, playful and affectionate series of song cycles. Infectious and hummable, to be sure, and a remarkably unified, irresistible piece of pop music, but no musical watershed on par with Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band or Wilson's masterpiece, Pet Sounds.

The actual three act SMiLE opus is again summed up well by AllMusic: The work that evolved divides into three sections: SMiLE begins with Americana, which takes the dream of continental expansion from the old Spanish town saga of "Heroes and Villains" to the landing at Plymouth Rock and, finally, the end of the frontier at Hawaii; it continues with a Cycle of Life that progresses from the virginal grace of "Wonderful" to the simultaneous peak and decline of the creative life on "Surf's Up"; and ends with an environmental cycle called The Elements, which includes "Vega-Tables," (Earth), "Wind Chimes" (Air), "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow" (Fire), and "In Blue Hawaii" (Water).

Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin is a heartfelt tribute by Brian and it's a success. I'm not familiar with Gershwin outside of Woody's Manhattan soundtrack, so I'm not qualified to compare or pass judgement. It sounds good, Brian is in good voice and the orchestral accompaniment is top notch.

No Pier Pressure aims to update BW for the 21st century. Yikes! Runaway Dancer is the worst offender - it doesn't even sound like him! So much of the album feels like Brian is an added afterthought. The tracks with Al Jardine, Blondie Chaplin and David Marks are much better though. So - an uneven, weird set for what turned out to be his last real solo album.

The live double set Live at the Roxy Theatre is the only live Brian I need. It's in direct competition to the Beach Boys 50th anniversary set (see here) and The Beach Boys win in a landslide. It's hard for Brian to carry a whole concert and although he's a congenial presence and the band harmonise well, you can't beat those combined Beach Boys harmonies. They are like nothing else on Earth.

Where do they all belong? I'm missing a copy of Lucky Old Sun from 2008. Van Dyke appears so it's well worth a search. I'd also grab a copy of In the Key of Disney from 2011 if I came across it. 

Fittingly, Carl Wilson, and then Dennis Wilson are up in the next posts.

Carried away (Marlon Williams) (LP 4855)

Marlon Williams  Live at Auckland Town Hall (CD, Caroline Australia Records, 2019) ** 

Genre: Alt pop, NZ Music

Places I remember: JB Hi Fi

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Vampire Again

Gear costume: I'm Lost Without You 

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7; Part 8

Active compensatory factors: Marlon Williams is blessed with an amazing vocal ability, which I first became aware of via Later...with Jools Holland. I thought Marlon was great on that show and yet, he's not someone I've fallen head over heels over (unlike my bros - three Marlon albums have been Album of the Week for the WTWMC).

I did decide to buy this live album one day at JB Hi Fi. Maybe my thinking was that it would be a good way to collect all his best songs in a live setting (I retain a huge soft spot for anything recorded in the Auckland Town Hall).

Whatever the reason, the intimate location certainly brings out the best in Marlon and his band. Ultimately, though, two CDs of fairly dour, emotionally draining, gothic music is more than I can handle.

Where do they all belong? I've now played it twice and I doubt there will be a third outing for it.

Big sky country (Chris Whitley) (LP 4854)

Chris Whitley  Living with the Law (Vinyl, Columbia Records, 1991) ***  

Genre: Blues, blues rock

Places I remember: Mail order music club.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Living with the Law

Gear costume: Poison Girl

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7; Part 8

Active compensatory factors: This album has survived many culls over the years because the sound he gets from his guitar is amazing. Every time I played it to decide whether to flick it on or not, I realised how good it was.

This was his debut album, released in 1991. It features Chris on a variety of guitars - national, acoustic, slide, pedal steel, and electric. The songs are his, but it sometimes feels like these are delta blues standards newly brought to life. The topics are dark and doomy but as with many blues songs - I find them really uplifting.

Where do they all belong? Sadly he passed away from lung cancer in 2005, aged 45 - way too young! His 17 album catalogue remains his legacy. I'm on the lookout for others, including his album Dirt Floor.

Open up your door (Kieran White) (LP 4853)

Kieran White  Open Door (Vinyl, Gull Records, 1975) **  

Genre: Country rock, folk rock 

Places I remember: Spellbound Wax Co.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Open Up Your Door

Gear costume: Cajun Moon

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7; Part 8

Active compensatory factors: Kieran White was a member of the British blues rock band, Steamhammer, and Open Door was his only solo album. It's a gentle swaying folk/ country rock sound that he has going - which is easy on the ear but doesn't do much.

The cover of J.J. Cale's song, Cajun Moon, is interesting, but not fully effective as it doesn't improve on the original (so, it wouldn't be a contender for the WTWMC - Copy That playlist). 

Other than that one and the title song, the rest of the album is pleasant but contains too many fairly forgettable songs.

Where do they all belong? Probably one destined for the sale bin.

Alone in my home (Jack White) (LP 4851- 4852)

Jack White  Blunderbuss (CD, Third Man Records, 2012) ***  

Jack White  Lazaretto (CD, Third Man Records, 2014) ***  

Genre: Alt rock

Places I remember: JB Hi Fi

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Sixteen Saltines (Blunderbuss)

Gear costume: That Black Bat Licorice (Lazaretto)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7; Part 8

Active compensatory factors: I'm not too sure why I like Jack White enough to buy some of his solo albums. Maybe his adventurous spirit. He's never less than fascinating. 

Blunderbuss was his first solo album and it's full of different types of songs and styles, from blues, folk, even country. He has abandoned the restrictions of The White Stripes for this album - employing a wide range of musicians and instruments to great effect.

Lazaretto was the follow up, two years after Blunderbuss. It again got excellent reviews so it was a must listen back in 2014. Apparently, the album was partly inspired by a collection of short stories, poems, and plays White wrote when he was 19 years old and rediscovered years later in his attic.

It's another eclectic set of song styles for Jack, as he continues his sonic adventures. That makes for variety and keeping listeners on their toes. Plus, I hear new nuances every time.

Where do they all belong? I ran out of putt with Jack but I enjoy these albums along with The White Stripes (my review here) and especially The Raconteurs (my reviews here).

Giddy (Alan White) (LP 4850)

Alan White  Ramshackled (Vinyl, Atlantic Records, 1976) ***  

Genre: Prog, Jazz fusion, soul/funk, reggae

Places I remember: Real Groovy Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Avakak

Gear costume: Song of Innocence 

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7; Part 8

Active compensatory factors: Yes members all embarked on solo records around 1976. Alan takes advantage to play drums on a set of songs (none written by him). He employs a range of musicians to sing and play along.

It's quite fun, although it does betray a restless approach. I prefer the jazz fusion of Avakak and the proggy Song of Innocence (with Anderson and Howe joining in), A whole album of those songs would have been great.

Where do they all belong? A real one-off - Alan's only solo album.

Like a plate (West Bruce & Laing) (LP 4847 - 4849)

West Bruce & Laing  Why Dontcha (Vinyl, Polydor Records, 1972) *****  

West Bruce & Laing  Whatever Turns You On (Vinyl, 2 copies - Windfall/RSO Records, 1973) *****

West Bruce & Laing  Live n' Kickin' (Vinyl, RSO Records, 1974) **** 

Genre: Rock

Places I remember: Sydney's David Jones - music section, Marbecks Records, Amoeba Music, Bookshop in Leigh-on-sea, Real Groovy Records.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Love is Worth The Blues (Why Dontcha)

Gear costume: Shifting Sand (Whatever...) sadly not on Spotify, The Doctor (Why Dontcha)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7; Part 8

Active compensatory factors: West, Bruce & Laing were a blues-rock power trio super-group consisting of Leslie West (guitar and vocals), Jack Bruce (bass, harp, keyboards and vocals) and Corky Laing (drums and vocals).

The trio formed in early 1972. West and Laing's previous band was the great Mountain and Bruce, of course, notably came via Cream.

They toured extensively and released two studio albums, 1972's Why Dontcha and 1973's Whatever Turns You On. They disbanded shortly before the release of their live album Live 'n' Kickin' in 1974.

It's the first one that does it for me. Why Dontcha. No question mark required. My copy is an Australian one. My family and I went on an Australian holiday in 1973 and I had a shopping list of albums to buy which included: Houses Of The Holy (Led Zeppelin); Made In Japan (Deep Purple); Why Dontcha (West, Bruce & Laing).

When I got back home I was really disappointed with the latest Led Zep opus but Why Dontcha was seldom removed from the turntable.

It's a case of delivering on expectations. Leslie West plays guitar like he's chipping away at a mountain of granite with a sledgehammer, Jack Bruce is an amazingly distinctive and innovative bassist and Corky...well he plays rock drums.

It really is a great album, where the individuals combine into a stunning band performance. There are some great rock songs on the album (Why Dontcha and The Doctor are stand outs); some blues showcases for Jack (a la Cream), most notably on the harp fest that is Turn Me Over (think Rollin and Tumblin), a rolling piano lead workout Shake Ma Thing (Rollin Jack), the slowish blues of Third Degree; some wonderfully soaring vocals by Jack (Out Into The Fields), an acoustic guitar and piano driven ballad with more of those soaring vocal harmonies and some great dobro picking by West (While You Sleep) and then there is the classic heavy guitar wig out for Leslie West - Love Is Worth The Blues.

Their follow up, Whatever Turns You On was a different proposition for me back in 1973 because, although I loved the album, the NZ pressing (on RSO) was a muddy/ distorted mess. It wasn't until I found a clean US press on Columbia that I could really enjoy the album wholeheartedly for the first time. 

The songs are terrific. Sifting Sound and November Song make me swoon with pleasure every time, and the down and dirty blues tunes are brilliant. Two superb studio albums!

The live album is a nice to have as well. There are only four tracks, which lets the three guys expand outwards with some improvisations. For some reason they marry their Love Is Worth the Blues song lyrics from the Rolling Stone's Play With Fire. As such, it becomes an epic 12 minute long epic. Cream's Politician is revived in Jack's expert hands and the other two tracks are The Doctor and Powerhouse Sod.

Where do they all belong? Three crucial parts of my early seventies record collecting.