| Brian Wilson | ||||
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| Studio album by Brian Wilson | ||||
| Released | July 12, 1988 | |||
| Recorded | Summer 1987–Spring 1988 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 37:20 | |||
| Label | Sire/Reprise/Warner Bros. Records 25669 |
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| Producer | Brian Wilson, Russ Titelman, Jeff Lynne, Lenny Waronker, Andy Paley | |||
| Brian Wilson chronology | ||||
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Brian Wilson is the eponymous first solo album by Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys, released in July 1988 on Sire Records. The album was reissued on Rhino Records with an extensive selection of bonus tracks in 2000.
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Wilson was signed to a multi-album solo recording contract with Sire Records in early 1987; however, Brian Wilson remains the only Brian Wilson album and related singles released by the label. The initial single released that April, "Let's Go To Heaven In My Car", was not commercially successful, but Wilson proceeded to record a full album of new material. The recording sessions, supervised by veteran producers like Russ Titelman and Lenny Waronker, were said to be contentious. Wilson's collaborators reportedly clashed with his controversial therapist, Dr. Eugene Landy. After several months, Brian Wilson was complete and ready for release. "Love And Mercy" was its lead single, but despite its commercial quality and contemporary sound, it didn't become a major hit. The song, however, hit No. 54 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in 1988.
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | [1] |
| Robert Christgau | (B−)[2] |
| Rolling Stone | [3] |
| The Guardian | (Positive)[4] |
Brian Wilson was released in July 1988 to favorable reviews but reached a respectable #54 on American 200 LP charts. Two singles from the album, "Love And Mercy" (#40 Mainsream Rock) and "Melt Away," sold poorly. A third, "Night Time," was released for promotional use only. Although the Beach Boys' #1 hit "Kokomo" may have stolen some of the album's attention, Wilson's restricted promotion of the album, which was overseen and controlled by his controversial psychologist Eugene Landy, was more likely the reason for the limited sales. Initially, Landy and his girlfriend, Alexandra Morgan, even had their names included on some of the songs on Brian Wilson, but once he was successfully removed from Wilson's life in 1991, the credits were later revised to reflect their lack of involvement in Wilson's songs.
In 2000, Sire re-released the album through Rhino/Atlantic Records with non-album single tracks, non-album b-sides, demos, instrumentals, and interview clips.
No music videos were produced for Brian Wilson. However, Sire Records did release a promotional disc with an interview of Brian Wilson intertwined with various tracks from the album. Additionally, Sire released a limited edition CD with a leather-bound jacket. In his autobiography, Wilson indicated that not releasing a music video to coincide with the release of the album was a mistake.[5]
All tracks written by Brian Wilson, unless otherwise noted.
♦ On the original release, Landy was given a co-writer's credit on these songs, and his reported girlfriend, Alexandra Morgan, was also co-credited on three of the songs. Those credits were removed on the 2000 rerelease, and are often regarded as spurious. Collaborator Andy Paley has also noted that some of the composer and musician credits are less than accurate.
The following 15 tracks were included in the 2000 remastered re-release of the CD on Rhino/Atlantic Records.
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