Today I’m checking out the first solo album of the genius behind “Feel Flows” from The Beach Boys 1971 “Surf’s Up” album, as well as many other pieces from the latter years of The Beach Boys as his older brother, Brian, became more reclusive. The album starts out with a 80s meets The Beach Boys type of track with “Hold Me”. The rhythm guitar is honestly some of my favorite part of the tune, it really keeps things churning as Carl Wilson and Myrna Smith belt out some lyrics reminiscent of early Beach Boys stuff.
“Bright Lights” reminds me immediately of a Paul Simon “Graceland” type of song in terms of instrumentation. Something noticeably missing near the beginning of the album but is slowly getting incorporated is the chorus-type vocals of The Beach Boys’ works. It is quite polished in sound though, not unlike much of The Beach Boys’ and Brian Wilson’s works. I am noticing a distinct lack of that pseudo-psychedelia that you could grab immediately from The Beach Boys’ albums. “Bright Lights” does have quite a nice steady rocking finish to it.
Up next, we’ve got “What You Gonna Do About Me?”, which features some nice slick palm mutes in the guitar part of the chorus. I will say, my favorite part of this album is probably the low-key yet notable guitar. Carl Wilson was the lead guitarist of The Beach Boys, so I suppose that makes sense. Then as I’m focusing on the nice slick somewhat harmonized guitar (the left and right speakers seem to be playing the same thing though slightly different in timing), Carl Wilson really packs a further punch with some slick polished vocals like I’m used to hearing to The Beach Boys. That’s not to discount the rhythm section or other instruments, this album is delightfully simple.
“The Right Lane” brings a bit of grit to the album, which is only served well by this pick me up of song. Wilson gets to town on a guitar solo that’s been teased the whole album so far and its some great payoff for the ride he takes you on. Honestly, this album didn’t do well with critics upon inspection, but as someone who plays guitar from time to time I appreciate it differently perhaps, because I think this album is an unsung gem so far. Wilson beckons you to take a trip with him, and he hooks you in with the little pieces of guitar he puts in here and there, but once you’re on its extremely exciting. This song is arguably the most psychedelic of the bunch so far, but by no means is it overtly such, much akin to how The Beach Boys typically approached the matter.
“Hurry Love” starts out side two with an interesting acoustic type piece. The vocals of this track are in my opinion the most satisfying of the album so far. He plays with the guitar and instrumentation so that they fold between the vocals, and that is one thing Carl Wilson was able to shine with in The Beach Boys music (see “Feel Flows” from “Surf’s Up” (1971) for further proof). At this point I’m pretty hooked into the album. This track actually seems quite complex upon inspection, but Wilson once again makes it delightfully simple.
“Heaven”, the next track, has some really neat 80s-type acoustic guitar arpeggios on the side, but really juicy part of the song is the bass behind Wilson’s voice, which is mixed with some great folding between the backing vocals and lead guitar of the tune. This is such a great album when you listen to the different layers folding and bouncing off of one another. The lead guitar is that soft yet juicy Eric Clapton “Wonderful Tonight” that just really cements this song as something so loving that you can’t help but make note of it.
“The Grammy” picks the energy of the album back up with some notable psychedelic type swirling that keeps the listener spinning. I’m not exactly sure who this song is about, perhaps Carl himself, as it’s about winning a Grammy, but it certainly is a spectacle to hear. This song feels the most personal of the bunch Wilson’s album for sure.
The album ends with “Seems So Long Ago”, seems to be a reminiscent piece about times with his musical family before the days of The Beach Boys, and it seems so bittersweet to hear. It’s almost a downer, but Wilson pulls it off and makes it fit with the rest of his album. The song incorporates an excellent saxophone piece that feels so warm, it really ties the song to the rest of the album very well and is a nice way to wrap up the album. You can feel the rhythm is a little looser as things come to an end for the track and the album. This really is a hidden gem in my opinion. Weighing in at 35 minutes, it’s worth a listen for music lovers and especially those seeking a diamond in the rough.
-A