Farewell my friend (Dennis Wilson) (LP 4866)

Dennis Wilson  Pacific Ocean Blue (Vinyl and CD, Caribou Records, 1977) *****  

Genre: Rock

Places I remember: Marbecks Records, JB Hi Fi

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: River Song (POB)

Gear costume: You and I (POB)

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: Oh Dennis! What a talent! Of all the solo albums by The Beach Boys members Dennis has the only 5-star rating in my collection. A brilliant actor - Two Lane Blacktop is one of my favourites. And what a handsome guy!! Look at the cover to his solo album Pacific Ocean Blue. As it is with Carl, I love the idea of Dennis Wilson.

All that and such a tragic life. I'm only interested in the music, so you'll need to go elsewhere for the lurid details of his life away from music. Suffice to say, his self-destructive impulses deprived the world of a supremely talented guy (what a family!!).

I love The Beach Boys (and so did Dennis), but the reason Pacific Ocean Blue is so great is because it is light years away from what the band was doing. The songs, like Dennis, are multi-layered and honest to his vision. The album is unique, certainly within the Beach Boys world, but also in the annals of west coast/ Californian rock. It also gets better with age, even though it reeks of the seventies (it took seven years to age and then arrive).

Where do they all belong? The CD version includes outtakes from his unfinished second solo album - spelt either Bamboo or Bambu. As it was never completed, it doesn't require inclusion in the countdown of my collection. 

Spare a thought for the working drummer (Headband)

Concerning the case of the singing drummer.

I don't know but I'm guessing that it is pretty tricky to play drums and sing at the same time. Every limb is doing something different and then the brain has to remember lyrics. Quite a trick but then again - maybe it's easy?

I'm leaning towards the view that it's tricky because I can count great singing drummers on one hand, and it pains me to say that Ringo can never be considered a great singer so I can't include him even though I love him to bits. Play drums well and sing well - now that is quite a thing.

Okay so the tight five?

Levon Helm who passed away recently is definitely a member. Best moment for me is Life Is A Carnival when he sings - buddy would you like to buy a watch, real cheap! His shuffling drum beats motivated some of the best songs ever recorded - The Weight, The Night They Drove Ole Dixie Down, Up On Cripple Creek and on and on.

Karen Carpenter who died tragically distinguished herself on vocals but also was a mean drummer.

Mickey Dolenz is still with us thank goodness. Maybe not the greatest drummer ever but he was certainly talented in that area and one listen to something like Last Train To Clarksville and you know he could sell a song in a unique way.

Andy Sturmer - also still with us - Andy was the lead singer, lead writer and drummer for the American powerpop band Jellyfish who produced two superb albums in the early 90s - Spilt Milk and Bellybutton.

Dennis Wilson - another tragic death to add to the list. Denny was a great talent - just dig out The Beach Boys' Sunflower album (his four songs are the standout cuts on that album - one of The Beach Boys best) or try his solo album Pacific Ocean Blue.

Okay - you're probably thinking that there are some other notable absences -  Phil Collins? I'm not a fan of his singing at all but there is no denying his talent as a drummer.

And Don Henley? Yeah okay - Don is at number six so I do need to use my other hand after all.