|  | | | Customer Reviews: | | | Average Customer Review:
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.
 I can't praise the sound quality on this releases enough Sep 03, 2009
The Good
Legacy Recordings have dug into their vaults to un-earth a musical treasure. Beach Boys drummer Dennis Wilson's first solo album Pacific Ocean Blue has been remastered and re-released as a 2-CD collection. Disc 1 is the original album with four bonus tracks. Disc 2 features Wilson's unreleased sophomore album Bambu (The Caribou Sessions).
Disc 1: Right from the start "River Song" will astonish you with it's soulful rhythms and vocals. I was instantly scratching my head thinking 'this guy was in the Beach Boys?' "What's Wrong" does have that Beach Boys sound quality to it, with it's bouncy piano and brass section. "Moonshine" is epic in its presentation. The orchestral feel and emotional delivery really separates it from the pack. "Dreamer" brings back the funky and bluesey tones. The lyrics revolve around the shady and fake Hollywood types that Wilson has encountered.
When it comes to lyrics, none seem more personal than on Dennis' ballads. "Thoughts of You" is a piano-filled heart-breaker. "Time" reveals the pain of being away from the place you feel most comfortable. "Rainbows" is accented by beautiful acoustic guitars and touching vocals. "Tug of Love" and "Only With You" are unreleased bonus tracks that fall right in line with the rest of the ballad-y material. The two other bonus tracks are instrumentals; "Holy Man" and "Mexico."
Disc 2: Bambu (The Caribou Sessions) was the album that never was. Riding the success of Pacific Ocean Blue, Wilson went right to work on his follow-up effort. Unfortunately, his personal life and personal demons was a terrible strain on the project. For more than five years Wilson struggled with finalizing his sophomore effort. Sadly, Dennis' tragic passing in 1983 derailed the project all together. However, most of the 'rough' recordings were saved. With all of that in mind, even for unfinished material, the Bambu material is not that bad. Yes, you can tell it's unfinished. Yes, you can tell there are some scatter-brain ideas here and there. But, this material is a window into that turbulent period in Wilson's life, and a great piece of memorabilia for collectors.
Wilson explores more soulful roots with "Under the Moonlight." "It's Not Too Late" is a passionate ballad. "School Girl" is a little rough around the edges, but still has a smooth groove to it. "Common" is a strict piano and drum instrumental. "Are You Real" is deep in it's lyrical content, even for as little as there is. "He's a Bum" is all over the place, with a Randy Newman feel to it. "I Love You" and "Constant Companion" are like night and day. "Time for Bed" is so rough that you can hear practicing and production cues. Queens of the Stone Age drummer Taylor Hawkins does his best impression of Wilson on the bonus track "Holy Man." Hawkins finishes where Wilson left off on this spiritual ditty.
Legacy's presentation of this release is second to none. The packaging is extensive and stellar. There's a 20 page booklet includes with liner notes, pictures, and a mini-bio of Dennis Wilson. If that's not enough, the booklet continues on a PDF computer file. The pictures are beautifully restored and presented.
The Bad
Why Taylor Hawkins?
The Verdict
I can't praise the sound quality on this releases enough. This is album! You remember those, right? You know the CDs you listen to today where every channel is turned up to the highest possible volume? Well, you're not getting that here. Each channel, sound, instrument, and vocal is tuned to its perfect level to give you such a wonderful sonic experience.
Dennis may not have been as successful or as prominent as his brother Brian, but the artistry obviously ran in the family. Pacific Ocean Blue is truly a masterpiece. I certainly cannot claim to have been alive during this time period, or claim to be a Beach Boys fan, but I know good music when I hear it. Pacific Ocean blue deserves it's moment in the spotlight and its place in music history.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
My First Reaction was "Wow!" Aug 20, 2009
After hearing Pacific Ocean Blue and Bambu for the first time, my immediate reaction was "Wow!" I now have a new-found respect for Dennis Wilson and his talent as a writer/composer. Ranging from raw rock 'n roll to downright beautiful ballads evoking considerable emotion, the songs seem remarkably fresh today despite the fact they were recorded thirty years ago. The only song that seems to resonate with the Beach Boys sound is River Song, but the rest are uniquely Dennis' style. With most albums, you may have those one or two favorite songs, but not here. There are too many of them, and it is hard to narrow them down because his range is quite amazing. Compare the elegant simplicity of Piano Variations on Thoughts of You to the rockin' Under the Moonlight, and you will see what I mean. But most of all, it is apparent that Dennis put his soul into his music as it oozes introspection, revealing the inner essence of a man who lived his life on the edge, a man whose music reflects his true feelings and experiences. The only negative feeling I had was realizing how sad it is that the world will never sample more of his fine wine.
1 of 9 found the following review helpful:
 Dead on Arrival Aug 12, 2009
As someone not connected in any way to the label or band I can say I
watched this LP brought into the world stillborn. It just was not good
at all and the label knew it. They walked away for very good reason.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Surf Jul 06, 2009
To say that I was surprised at the musical content of this collection is an understatement! I hadn't realized just how talented, Musically, Dennis was. Growing up in the 50's and 60's he was kind of a role model for us guys, being that he was the only "Real Surfer" of the Beach Boys, and really knew his way around the hottest cars of the era. I knew that he was an adequate drummer and at times studio drummers did the recording work, but I didn't have a clue that inside this "All American Boy" such a vast understanding of harmony and a sensitive approach to his musical progressions existed! I guess that sometimes God chooses a bloodline to flood with His overwhelming gifts of harmony, as we see in the Wilsons. At any rate it was a privilige for me to listen to this and believe that many others would agree.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Great Compilation May 02, 2009
Pacific Ocean Blue - Legacy Edition This review is for those who bash what they do not know, Dennis Wilson had the potential to go way beyond this album. For those who say that this was a "Vanity" project, well think again. This release is full of true emotion, sometimes to hard to come by in this industry which is full of wasteful beats, shallow lyrics and recycled sounds. You have to remember that these tracks were recorded from 1973-1977 in mostly private small sudios except for some of the tracks that were to be off of his "Bambu" LP then changed to Bamboo which sadly was never finished. Sure his roots were from The Beach Boys and sure that music was simple happy and just plain catchy and that was the point, but that was the essence of The Beach Boys and Surfing. For those who call them a Bubble Gum Band is someone who doesn't get it, they were and always will be Americana. Now that that was said, there aren't many songwriters out there who's artistic showcase consists of music in a single release that contains the pool of styles that this release does. You really have to listen carefully to fully understand that this album contains more musical Genres than any other ever released. Sure his vocal skills are not stellar (well unless you put him next to Dylan), but to compose such a complicated album for his first Solo act as a singer,Songwriter it's excellent in it's own right. Is it a masterpiece, no of course not it is an amalgamation of styles that makes this a great album. After all what else could you expect from the Driving force behind Good Vibrations (and no it was not "just" Brian Wilson like everybody thinks, you have to hear the complete 73 track session recordings to know). This album oozes heart and torment, except for a few lighter tracks. Who knows how far he could have gone if he did not drown in '83. In my opinion & FYI (I don't care what others might think) he truly was ahead of his time. Highly Recommended.
|
| |
|
![G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (Two-Disc Edition + Digital Copy) [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51JW709SQlL._SL75_.jpg "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (Two-Disc Edition + Digital Copy) [Blu-ray]")
![Shakira: Oral Fixation Tour [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51RQUEopdlL._SL75_.jpg "Shakira: Oral Fixation Tour [Blu-ray]")
![Across the Universe [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51T24FuHPEL._SL75_.jpg "Across the Universe [Blu-ray]")
![Underworld Trilogy (Underworld / Underworld: Evolution / Underworld: Rise of the Lycans) [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51F27VzUl%2BL._SL75_.jpg "Underworld Trilogy (Underworld / Underworld: Evolution / Underworld: Rise of the Lycans) [Blu-ray]")
