Dennis Wilson | ||
| Allmusic Biography : The least talented Wilson brother at the beginning of the Beach Boys career, Dennis Wilson later matured into an excellent songwriter, producer, and vocalist. Though he only released one LP before drowning at the age of 39, his assortment of heart-rending ballads and pop curios were major assets to the Beach Boys late-60s and early-70s output. Born in Inglewood, California, in 1944, Dennis was the middle of the three Wilson brothers, also including Brian (b. 1942) and Carl (b. 1946). While growing up, Dennis was the rebel of the family, constantly in trouble with the notoriously harsh Wilson father Murry. Dennis was also the closest person to a true surfer who Brian knew, though his lack of musical talent made him a liability when the band was formed. Stuck on drums since Brian played bass and Carl had taken guitar, he played a rudimentary rhythm on their first session, 1961s "Surfin." An obvious target of female enthusiasm, Dennis was assigned lead vocals for a few early novelty songs: "Little Girl (Youre My Miss America)," "Surfers Rule," and "This Car of Mine." His first hit came in 1965 when "Do You Wanna Dance" opened the The Beach Boys Today! LP and cracked the Top 20. After the high peaks and deep valleys of the Beach Boys career during the late 60s, Dennis began writing songs, and finally rated serious compositions ("Little Bird," "Be Still") for 1968s Friends. Throughout the early 70s, Beach Boys fans counted on at least two Dennis songs on each LP, often tender ballads flaunting his gruff voice and naked persona. He made his first attempt at a solo album as early as 1970, but quietly released only a single ("Dragon") credited to Dennis Wilson & Rumbo. He again started work in 1975, recording with friend and producer Gregg Jakobson during 1976 to complete Pacific Ocean Blue. The middle Wilson had completed his solo debut before either of his brothers, and it charted inside the Top 100 -- higher than either of the Beach Boys next two LPs, M.I.U. and L.A. (Light Album). Though Dennis had started work on his second (provisionally titled Bamboo) even before the release of Pacific Ocean Blue, increasing problems -- centered on his personal life and substance abuse -- caused several holdups. While two songs ended up on L.A. (Light Album) ("Baby Blue" and "Love Surrounds Me"), the sale of the Beach Boys Brother Studios prevented him from having a ready haven for experimenting. Though he and Carl Wilson temporarily left the band during 1980, he eased back into the regular touring rotation during the early 80s. In late 1983, however, Wilson drowned while diving around his boat in Marina del Ray, California. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 1 Title: Pacific Ocean Blue Released: 1977-08-22 Tracks: 12 Duration: 37:25 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 River Song (03:46) 2 What’s Wrong (02:25) 3 Moonshine (02:30) 4 Friday Night (03:11) 5 Dreamer (04:24) 6 Thoughts of You (03:05) 7 Time (03:33) 8 You and I (03:27) 9 Pacific Ocean Blues (02:39) 10 Farewell My Friend (02:27) 11 Rainbows (02:55) 12 End of the Show (02:56) |
| Pacific Ocean Blue : Allmusic album Review : Though the roots of this 1977 album go back to the early 70s, Dennis Wilsons one issued solo project, Pacific Ocean Blue, is certainly a product of its time, both musically and texturally. The sets 12 songs reveal a songwriter who was looking to stretch out on his own and engage a vision of music that stood far outside what the Beach Boys were capable of handling or executing. Wilson himself panned the album, claiming it had no substance, and looked forward to the release of Bamboo, a record that remained unfinished and unreleased at the time of his death. (Brother Brian, however, loved the album and celebrated it with his usual childlike intensity.) Pacific Ocean Blue is a moody view of the SoCal landscape, and of Wilsons own interior life -- or his struggle to have one. From the environmental lament, "River Song," that opens the disc, we can hear a new kind of West Coast music emerging. Its not steeped in the weighty philosophical and political concerns that other Angelenos such as Jackson Browne were penning. Instead, its a wispy rock tune revolving around a beautiful piano figure, shuffling guitars, and lyrics that take a personal concern for the state of the nature crumbling around it. "Dreamer" is a classic piece of 70s rock as it wound itself around the emerging R&B of the time, with interlaced horn lines, synths, and funky basslines cutting through the bridge and into the final verses; all steeped in a gorgeous, lush groove that even at this relaxed tempo wont quit. Mostly, however, Pacific Ocean Blue is a diary. Given that it was recorded over nearly seven years, the songs reflect the snapshot quality of Wilsons life in the studio: what he was capable of, what he learned, and how he stretched himself. Take, for example, the tender stoner balladry of "Thoughts of You" and "Time;" with their languid, echoing piano hovering in the mix with a shadow presence as Wilson sings with a longing that is true, yet muted by his seeming resignation to things being a total loss. The latter track also features a moody trumpet solo reminiscent of Chet Baker and transforms itself into a horn-driven anthem by its nadir. This album is a classic, blissed-out, coked-up slice of 70s rock and pop that is as essential as Fleetwood Macs Rumours. [There is a bootleg version of Pacific Ocean Blue that contains -- besides a master that is every bit as good as the released version -- five bonus tracks (mostly backing vocal tracks) that may not be everybodys cup of tea, but fanatics will absolutely have to have them.] | ||