- Brian Wilson No Pier Pressure Album
- Brian Wilson No Pier Pressure Review
- Brian Wilson No Pier Pressure Rare
Brian Wilson‘s newest album, No Pier Pressure, is doing weird things to me. It’s messing me up emotionally–really, I’m serious. Certain moments from this album have been playing over & over in my head since I first spun the record earlier this week. Honestly, I can’t remember the last time music moved me this much. Typically, if I’m moved at all by a song, it’s due to the lyrics. While some beautiful lyrics are paired with beautiful sounds in No Pier Pressure, in general, the lyrics take a backseat to the sounds. This isn’t new, though–Wilson has always had a knack for capturing emotion in sound (even in his earliest days with The Beach Boys).
White Brian Wilson No Pier Pressure Shirt with black and blue print and tour cities printed at back. Caught halfway between a back-to-basics move along the lines of TWGMTR and a star-studded extravaganza, No Pier Pressure certainly doesn't have much to do with the high art that's marked Wilson 's new millennium; there's nary an echo of the SMiLE revival or the Van Dyke Parks collaboration That Lucky Old Sun. Indeed, it is no exaggeration to call Brian Wilson one of the most gifted and influential composers of the past 50 years. For the release of his 11th solo studio album, titled No Pier Pressure, Wilson has returned to Capitol Records, his original label home with The Beach Boys.
Below is my track-by-track ranking of No Pier Pressure (Deluxe Edition), with a few thoughts thrown in for each one. I hope you will consider listening to this album, as it is quite possibly the last LP we’ll get from the musical legend that is Brian Wilson–but if not, at least consider giving a few of my top song picks a listen. 🙂
1. Just masterful. The pre-chorus & chorus are breathtaking, both musically & lyrically. The background vocals absolutely floor me–I can’t get enough of them. (I also love the subtle organ pulse in the pre-chorus–very reminiscent of The Beach Boys’ Love You album. Oo, & those synth-horns are super tasty.) The heartbreak in this song is palpable: “But now you’re gone and I gotta get on with my life…”
2. “There’s never enough time for the ones that you love.” You could write this lyric off as cliché, but as it is repeated at the musical climax of the album, it is irresistibly moving. A near-perfect album closer. (Isn’t that timpani part perfect?!)
3. Call me crazy, but this disco-infused-cheeze-fest is one of my favorites because it is so friggin’ catchy & uplifting.
4. A mere 30 seconds was all that was needed for my ears to fall in love with this track. A simple & beautiful album opener.
5. When I listen to this song (the first single off of the album), I say to myself, “Who else is making music like this today?”
6. The gold is in the pre-chorus–Wilson hits some nice notes. The chorus feels a bit overstuffed lyrically & the drums nearly ruin it–but these negatives don’t outweigh the positives of the track.
7. I would describe this track as “neat”. All neat things here: neat guitar parts, neat Kacey Musgraves feature, neat lyrics, &–as per usual–neat background vocals.
Brian Wilson No Pier Pressure Album
8. The verses are very pretty, but something bothers me about the chorus. I wish I liked this track more, but I just don’t.
9. This one is the oddball on the album. Zooey Deschanel really nails it in a way I don’t think Wilson could–it’s all in her vocal inflections, which aptly match the feel & lyrical content.
10. I like the lyrics, but I think they would’ve been put to better use in a slow, sad tune so as to maximize the depression lol.
11. This song is a needless re-working of an old Beach Boys’ instrumental, “Summer Means New Love“. Merely pleasant.
12. “Sloop John B” + “Sail On, Sailor” + 21st century = this song. Background vocals are really great, but I’m really struggling with overall bubbly feel, distracting drums, & whatever that accordion-like popping sounding is. (It also doesn’t help that the two songs it is reminiscent of are both better songs.)
13. Brian Wilson fans are struggling with this one because it doesn’t sound at all like Brian Wilson. I mean, it sounds like he’s singing on this track, of course–but other than that it bears no recognizable Wilson mark. Also, it just sounds like a song rejected from the 80’s.
14. You could say this song is fun. But I just don’t see anything special about it–feels terribly standard. It suffers most from its lack of Wilson (save the bridge, which is–surprise!–the best part of the song).
15. Not sure why this is even on the album. Sure, I guess it’s pretty. But I think it suffers–as odd as this sounds–from the solo parts, which I think are distracting from the more important “background”.
Brian Wilson No Pier Pressure Review
16. Every album’s got a turd.
pebbles & trebles,
Chad
| The Big Beat 1963 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compilation album by | ||||
| Released | December 17, 2013 | |||
| Recorded | 1963 | |||
| Genre | Rock, surf rock, rock and roll | |||
| Length | 49:02 | |||
| Label | Capitol | |||
| Producer |
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| Brian Wilson chronology | ||||
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| The Beach Boys chronology | ||||
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The Big Beat 1963 is a compilation album released on December 17, 2013, exclusively through digital distribution. It features selections of early demos and recordings made by Brian Wilson in the early 1960s with such acts as the Beach Boys and the Honeys.[1][2]
The compilation's release came as a result of revised European copyright laws, forcing some labels to publish unreleased archival material so that they will not lose their copyright.[1][3][4]
About the music[edit]
Up until the time of the album's release, none of the tracks contained within had been commercially released. However many of them had appeared on bootlegs over the years.[5]
'Summer Moon'[edit]
The song 'Summer Moon' started out as a different title, 'Surfer Moon' which was previously recorded by Bob Norberg & Sheri Pomeroy. In May 1963, Brian Wilson got together with some top Los Angeles session musicians who would later become The Wrecking Crew. This time Norberg recorded it with a local singer and future actress Victoria Hale, the song was recorded at United Recorders. Jan Berry took care of the string arrangements.[6][7][8] Victoria Hale was known as Vickie Kocher back then. Having already rehearsed their vocals at Norberg's Crenshaw Park apartment, they recorded the song at the Western Studio. Brian Wilson's vocals were also added to the recording. A three track recording was done and Wilson had made a rough dub was made. Wilson also gave Kocher an acetate to have as a keepsake.[9] According to the Friday Night Boys blog, Victoria Hale who possessed the only known acetate of 'The Summer Moon' was contacted by David Beard of examiner.com. He put Alan Boyd and Mark Linett in touch with her. It was arranged for her to hand-carry her acetate to a professional mastering studio to make a digital transfer from it.[10]
Track listing[edit]
All tracks are written by Brian Wilson except where indicated.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Performer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 'The Big Beat' | Bob & Sheri | ||
| 2. | 'First Rock and Roll Dance' (Instrumental) | Brian Wilson | ||
| 3. | 'Gonna Hustle You' (Demo) | Wilson, Bob Norberg | Brian Wilson | |
| 4. | 'Ride Away' | Wilson, Norberg | Bob & Sheri | |
| 5. | 'Funny Boy' | The Honeys | ||
| 6. | 'Marie' | Bob Norberg & Brian Wilson, with The Honeys | ||
| 7. | 'Mother May I' | The Beach Boys | ||
| 8. | 'I Do' (Demo) | Wilson, Roger Christian | The Beach Boys | |
| 9. | 'Bobby Left Me' (Backing track) | Brian Wilson | ||
| 10. | 'If It Can't Be You' (a.k.a. I'll Never Love Again) | Gary Usher | ||
| 11. | 'You Brought It All on Yourself' | The Honeys | ||
| 12. | 'Make the Night a Little Longer' | Carole King, Gerry Goffin | The Honeys | |
| 13. | 'Rabbit's Foot' (Unfinished track with backing vocals) | The Honeys | ||
| 14. | 'Summer Moon' | Vicki Kocher and Bob Norberg | ||
| 15. | 'Side Two' (Instrumental) | The Beach Boys | ||
| 16. | 'Ballad of Ole Betsy' (Demo) | Wilson, Christian | The Beach Boys | |
| 17. | 'Thank Him' (Demo) | Brian Wilson | ||
| 18. | 'Once You've Got Him' | Ginger Blake, Dianne Rovell | The Honeys | |
| 19. | 'For Always and Forever' (Demo) | Blake, Rovell | The Honeys | |
| 20. | 'Little Dirt Bike' (Demo) | Blake, Rovell | The Honeys | |
| 21. | 'Darling I'm Not Stepping Out On You' (Demo) | Blake, Rovell | The Honeys | |
| 22. | 'When I Think About You' (Demo) | Blake, Rovell | The Honeys | |
| Total length: | 49:02 | |||
References[edit]
Brian Wilson No Pier Pressure Rare
- ^ abGnerre, Sam (December 20, 2013). 'Brian Wilson's early days chronicled on download-only 'The Big Beat 1963''. Daily Breeze.
- ^'Early Brian Wilson recordings set for digital release'. Uncut.
- ^Mason, Stewart (January 2, 2014). 'CELEBRITY NEWS The Beatles, Brian Wilson, Motown and Copyright Law'. Hollywood.
- ^Kozinn, Allan (December 5, 2014). 'Rare Dylan Recordings Set for Release in Copyright-Extension Bid'. New York: ArtsBeat.
- ^Uncut, 12th December 2013 - News, Early Brian Wilson recordings set for digital release
- ^The Second Disc, December 17, 2013 - NEWS, The Beatles and The Beach Boys Beat The Boots On “The Big Beat 1963” and “Bootleg Recordings” By Joe Marchese
- ^Casting Networks Inc. - VICTORIA HALE
- ^The Words and Music of Brian Wilson, By Christian Matijas-Mecca - ISBN1440838984 - Pages 6 - 7 Hits
- ^Becoming the Beach Boys, 1961-1963, By James B. Murphy - Page 289 21. Making Waves in the Midwest (April - June 1963)
- ^Friday Night Boys, Saturday, 14 December 2013 - Brian Wilson and The Big Beat 1963