My 25 Favorite Brian Wilson Solo Tunes by Peter Reum

There was a thread on a message board that I frequent that had a link to an article that said that Brian Wilson had not written music the caliber of his Sixties work in his solo career. There are a number of people who think Brian has been recycling old  melodies in new combinations, which is characteristic of most composers, Gershwin included. With the possible exception of the of the "Shortnin' Bread riff," Brian's work has been at times transcendent but usually inspired.  Now, some of the selections I have chosen have appeared on Beach Boys albums, but are Brian by himself without The Beach Boys contributing vocally. The 25 selections that I have made are songs where Brian worked alone, or, with people outside of the Beach Boys. These picks are solo, even if the selection appeared on a Beach Boys album, or in most cases were recorded specifically for his solo career.  Within this specific framework, I will now share with you my picks. I do not expect anyone else's picks to match mine. These are just my favorites. These are in no particular order.

A) Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks-Palm Tree and Moon

I love this track, and would have bought Orange Crate Art even if the remainder sounded phoned in. It is a nice combination of  rare romanticism from Van Dyke Parks, and Brian's vocals are also done tenderly. The melody is impossibly catchy, and that tells me that Van Dyke could toss off commercially intended tunes whenever he so chose. Both men come together with their chemistry matching here. The song sounds like one of those Rodgers and Hart tunes, or the tunes the Gershwins wrote for movies in the Thirties and Forties.  Even if you don't like the album, give this one a spin on Youtube.

B) Meet Me in My Dreams Tonight-Brian Wilson

Meet Me In My Dreams Tonight is Brian Wilson and Andy Paley's paean to Phil Spector from the Eighties. Their songwriting yielded some mixed results, but Brian's work with Paley was genuine and heartfelt. It is probably the most commercial tune they wrote together, and is produced using somewhat of a combination of Spector and Good Vibrations approach. Brian's vocal here is not his strongest, but the sheer catchiness of this tune more than makes up for it.

C) Busy Doin' Nothin'-Brian Wilson

1968's Friends album caught the buying public waiting for something "heavy." Being a Beach Boys fan back then was rough. Out of the ether came The Beach Boys' most jazz flavored album, Friends. As someone who played lots of jazz in high school, it was very welcome, even if it wasn't "heavy." The Sixties was the decade of samba and Brazilian jazz, with Jobim setting the pace. When I first heard this track, I was bowled over. It was simply the result of Brian reflecting his life style of the time, and no one understood. As Brian himself said at the time, "it is music for chillin' out by."  

D) This Isn't Love-Brian Wilson

The collaboration between Brian Wilson and Tony Asher in the Nineties yielded two songs that  I am aware of that were simply two of the best songs Brian has written in his solo period. Like Pet Sounds, there is an accessibility to Tony Asher's lyrics that matches the beauty of Brian's music wonderfully. The song was first released on a sampler, and also appeared in a Flintstones movie, but the definitive version is on Brian's Roxy Live double set that stoked me at a time when things were quiet. Quite simply, it is a Wilson/Asher masterwork.  If Mr. Asher is willing, Brian should consider doing another album together, as their work is always excellent.

E) In My Room-Brian Wilson and Tammy Wynette

There is a pathos in the sorrow these two people share that makes this version of the song the definitive one in my opinion. The Beach Boys version is lovely, but Brian's subtle and tasteful background vocals here, and the simple eloquence of the performance transcends every other version. Tammy's death, shortly after this was cut, marooned this track for a time, as it was intended for a second Beach Boys' country collaboration. It was issued instead as a memorial to Ms. Wynette on a cd that was issued following her death.

F) Your Imagination (vocals only) Brian Wilson

Brian Wilson was first paired with Joe Thomas on the Stars and Stripes Collaboration. Their work together has been uneven, but on this particular song, they cut a diamond perfectly. This version is on Spotify, but I first heard it as a bonus track on the Japanese issue of Imagination, which is superb. The vocals are crisp and beautiful, a treasure.

G) Surfs Up 1967-Brian Wilson

This version of Surfs Up was in the can for over 40 years before it appeared on The Beach Boys Smile Sessions Boxed Set. It is a version cut after Smile died it's first death, only to be resurrected repeatedly until it was completed in 2004. This version is vintage Brian, still vocally agile, and is unforgettable. More than even the video of the tune from the Oppenheim special, this version captures something the song always had, a spirituality that is unmatched on other versions.

H)  Midnight's Another Day-Brian Wilson

This tune is the tune that convinced The Beach Boys that they should work with Brian again. There were interviews at the time of release that showed Brian being praised by members of the group, including Bruce Johnston. The material on this album is top notch. Scott Bennett is another person who has Brian's back, and their trust yielded a great album, crowned by this magnificent song.

I) In Blue Hawaii-Brian Wilson

This tune was completed by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks in 2003, after Brian agreed to tackle assembling his Smile music into a piece for live performance. I can't believe that I was there for the premiere. A big thank you to David Leaf and Dave McHarry for making that possible. I am indebted to both of them.  This is for me a big reason why Smile works live. The segue from Fire into this tune is incredible. The segue from this piece into Our Prayer and Good Vibrations is genius. But if there is a latter day Brian Wilson tune that is evidence of his genius when he works with Van Dyke Parks, this would be a prime example.

J) The Like In I Love You-Brian Wilson

This project was close to my heart, as my two favorite musicians are Brian Wilson and George Gershwin. Someone at the Gershwin Estate also enjoys Brian's music, and gave him access to a set of unfinished Gershwin song pieces that he could rework (reimagine) and cut for this majestic album. The lyrics are beautiful, the arrangement is catchy, and most of all, Brian is really into this piece performance wise. This one is very close to his heart.....and mine. 

K) Little Deuce Coupe (demo)-Brian Wilson

This version of Little Deuce Coupe is a demo Brian cut with Bob Norberg, and perhaps Dave Nowlen and The Survivors.  The version here swings, and is catchy as hell. I include it here because there is a wealth of Brian demos out there awaiting proper compilation and release.  Such a set would offer a look into the thought processes of Brian as a composer and occasional lyricist.

L) Good Vibrations (2006 basic stereo track) Brian Wilson with The Wrecking Crew

This track was issued with the Good Vibrations 40th Anniversary Package that came out in 2006. Mark Linett's mix here is superb, and illustrates the manner in which the various segments were put together seamlessly to make the track heard here. Instruments hard to hear in the finished single are prominent here. Simply a tour de force. The cellos on the fade are just awesome.

M) Mrs. O'Leary's Cow-Brian Wilson

Hearing this Grammy winner within the context of a live Smile was remarkable, as it made sense in the Third (Elements) Movement. As a composition, the scales that are played perfectly mimic a fire, and one can envision a raging building or forest fire upon listening. The track received the Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental, and deservedly so. It is fairly unique in the sounds Rock has made, and, in context, is part of the wonder that is the finished Smile.

N) South American-Brian Wilson

Brian Wilson has been a collaborator with a number of  different people through the years. I have noted in this article some of the more successful collaborations. An unlikely one happened on Imagination, when Brian wrote this tune with Jimmy Buffett.  Buffett was the king of good time music in the late Seventies and early Eighties, and has also been a celebrated novelist.  The song is a true collaboration, and is a good time record for the Nineties.  There is a vocals only version which is incredible as well. 

N) Don't Let her Know She's An Angel-Brian Wilson

Among Brian's solo albums, this one is the most uneven. What is great is great, and what is not so great....well, you know what I  mean. Collaborators were many, and true gems were rare. This is one of those gems where Brian wrote the lyrics himself, and they are as gorgeous as the melody. This song is a powerful testament to Brian's lyrical aptitude when he chooses to exercise it.

O) Joy to the World-Brian Wilson

This version of Joy to the World rivals We Three Kings of Orient Are as the finest Christmas song Brian ever recorded. It is so simple and yet so welcoming. It is a brilliant arrangement in an album that is somewhat uneven. The fact that is shines so brightly on this album is a tribute to Brian and Joe Thomas, who engineered this song. Truly a masterpiece.

P) Listen to Me-Brian Wilson

Through the years, Brian has cut a number of individual songs that have been placed upon compilations designed to pay tribute to certain artists and songwriters. This is probably the best one of these types of tunes Brian has recorded through the years. As a Buddy Holly lover, I can tell you that this is a beautiful and respectful recording of Buddy's classic, and is well worth buying.  Give it a listen, and see if you don't agree!

Q) What Can Love Do-Brian Wilson

This tune is a collaboration between two great American songwriters, Burt Bacharach and Brian Wilson.  Lyrics are by Steven Krikorian. The song makes me wish these men had gotten together much sooner. Simply a masterpiece. Warmly written and performed, the song needs more exposure.

R) Love and Mercy-Brian Wilson

Perhaps I am partial to this version because it comes from a project that I was personally involved with over a period of a year or so. This version has a warmth that the version on Brian's first solo album does not. He seems to enjoy this performance in the film, and really sings his heart out. That is he is attached to the song goes without saying, and in my opinion, this is the best version of one of his best solo songs.

S) Song For Children/Child Is Father of the Man-Brian Wilson

These are a pair of the songs from the Second (Cycle of Life) Movement that Brian finished with Van Dyke Parks in 2003 while preparing Smile for live performance. Their economy and beauty is a major achievement for Brian and Van Dyke, and for his talented backing band. Close your eyes here, listen, and you will be moved. The song segues into what many people believe is the most haunting and beautiful piece of music Brian ever wrote....Child Is Father to the Man. There is so much here that is a pinnacle of the meeting of Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks. It is a piece of music as beautiful as any any American composer and lyricist ever wrote.

T) Lay Down Burden-Brian Wilson

This song Brian wrote in memory of his brother Carl Wilson, who so powerfully stepped up and saved Brian's life when his psychiatrist had almost killed him. Brother to brother, I can hear Carl singing this and knocking it out of the park. Brian is very sweet voiced here, especially in the background vocals. It is one of those perfect Brian Wilson records.

U) Pet Sounds-Brian Wilson's band

This tune has always knocked me out, and to hear The Brian Wilson Band bring it to life so vividly in London in 2002 is a memory in sound I will never forget. It is simply one of the coolest things Brian ever wrote. The version on youtube is great, in that Brian says to the audience "I  told you they were good." Just an amazing piece of music.

V) The One You Can't Have-The Honeys and Brian Wilson

Perhaps I am biased, but I think the Brian Wilson Productions outside The Beach Boys are the best kept secret in rock music. All together, there are roughly 20+ of them, and each one is a jewel, albeit, some shine more brightly than others. This particular one is especially catchy, and a Brian Wilson composition to boot. You will find some of this stuff lots easier today for lots less money than when I had to scare them up in the Seventies. The lead vocal on this tune is by Ginger Blake, and she is a great singer.

W) Still I Dream of It (demo)-Brian Wilson

When I first heard this demo, it struck me as being as raw as anything Brian ever cut. If Brian can sing the blues, this is it. The verse with "a little while ago my mother told me Jesus loved the world" just rips things up. You can see the man trying to internalize those words, but they don't ring true for him at this point in his life. He is suffering, and like Job in the Old Testament, he is sitting on a dung heap wondering "Why me?" There is no answer for Job, except Jehovah saying "I am that I am....have faith!" This is a man wrestling himself for his own soul.

X) Baby of Mine-Brian Wilson

This album was Brian's second of two for Disney. The connection between Brian and Disney goes clear back to happy memories when Brian went to Disneyland at age 13 or 14 with friends and family. Brian's version of Baby of Mine from Dumbo is tenderly arranged and sung. It stands out on this album, which like Gettin' In Over My Head is somewhat uneven. The song itself is as tenderly sung as any song in Brian's canon. 

Y) Everything I Need (demo) /Everything I Need-The Wilsons/Jeff Foskett and Brian Wilson

This one is complicated, because Brian's demo of Everything I Need with Carnie and Wendy is innocent and full of spirit. The tune sparkles with life, and is truly a joy to hear. Compared with the version on The Wilsons album, it is just livelier and brighter. Jeff Foskett asked Brian if he could record the song on his Stars In the Sand album. On Jeff's version,  Brian counts off the take. The version is very well done, and Jeff and Brian make the tune sparkle. The fade is pure Brian. This is the second of two Brian Wilson and Tony Asher songs I am aware of being recorded in the Nineties.  Simply a beautiful and little known Wilson/Asher tune.

Z) Let's Go Away For Awhile-Brian Wilson with The Wrecking Crew

Brian Wilson once called this song "the most satisfying song I have ever cut." Suffice to say that is is a beautifully arranged piece, with a gentle summery breeze feeling to it. I hear this tune following Theme From a Summer Place in the soundtrack in my mind. This is a bonus track....couldn't leave out "Z," could I??????

Text copyright 2013 by Peter Reum-All Rights reserved