Reviews (page 6 of 8)
Fairly boring. Did enjoy the title track, but overall the album was missing standout songs. 2/5 Probably won’t listen again
In a surprising turn of events Dennis Wilson turned out to be as good as his brother Brian. This os am excellent album had never hear it before so really pleased. A little too many slow songs bit thats the mood of the album whomich makes it almost perfect. The last song of the end is sad a fuck and I loved it
Reading the history of Dennis Wilson was ten times more interesting than this album was.
fine. not in love with it.
This was way better than expected. I don't really get the fuss about The Beach Boys, and the Brian Wilson \ Smile album I reviewed previously was fairly shite. This wasn't anything like the Beach Boys, a lot more gritty and real.
Double albums have to go so fucking hard. This is flaccid as it comes.
Turns out you don’t have to have a mental breakdown and worry your entire family to make great music. This had some great tracks and used a ton of different instruments and even made me want to keep listening through the deluxe version.
No.
This is a great record. Incredible instrumentation. Powerful vocals. Very pretty. I'm torn between a 4 and a 5. I think the lack of some obvious bangers (the bangers are there, they just aren't for everyone) keeps it from a 5. But that does hurt my heart to say.
Certainly is a 70s rock album. It's fine. Inoffensive. It certainly doesn't approach anywhere near The Beach Boy's brilliance.
Turns out he's from the beach boys, don't really know their names to be honest. I suppose this isn't going to be as good as the band was. Supposedly the badness here could be the overused and basic sound iykyk. So no high expectations, and idk if I'm gonna listen to it fully in one sitting, it's too long, but not longer than soft boys one that's for sure. First song, already a piano and loudness. Gospel was unexpected really. It feels like an outro more than the first song. His voice is good, not so different tho. Forgot to say, I've never listened to good county music and this might be my awakening if good enough. Sonically it's really good. Idk where it is going tho. It's not exactly catchy I must say, but it's also so not basic. OOOO IM TRANSCENDING WHAT ARE THESE SOUNDS. Feel like I'm in one of those churches where people sing yk. There's more than two songs here. Great start basically. Second song, shit already Beatles like melody. It's so dancey too. He's definitely underrated and actually overshadowed by his brothers I suppose. I repeat that this sounds like Beatles too much, but in the best way possible. Buut feels like instrumentals are louder than his voice. Outros were as any basic before 2000s song would finish mostly, fading away. Third song, his vocals are clear now. Ooooh that piano note drop was amazing. I want to wear headphones, because it feels like I'll experience it better, but I can't, so I hope I'm not missing out anything. That na-nas is so Beatlesque too. One of the rare times when I have to complain about how short the song is, I was getting to know it. Fourth song, such different starts in each song w o w. It's dramatic, almost westerned vibe. Makes me feel like I'm in a before duel preparation. Long ass intro it was. The voice is different and in a bad way, he's too country here I think. Lyrically it is giving countryness too, I mean obviously. Intro was better than the song after it, tbh it feels like a 3 minute intro like Pink Floyd does it. 5th song, what an experimental beat, something is buzzing and it actually sounds good. THE SUDDEN JAZZ, GOD. It's so permanent wave, but not annoyingly. Oooh love the lyrical touch, he says "band played" and jazzyness comes on. Vibe fully changed and it's slower, feels like a bridge. Bells rang, sounds like wedding ones. The instrumental break is cunty af. He doesn't have vocals I think, but delivers them quite well. Never felt included in a song, he says play and the band starts playing. 6th song, piano start against, but a sadder one. I thought another instrument would come in, there's still time for that, and that would make this too good of a song, the sudden upbeatness for example. Oop nevermind it got gothy in a way. I'm not sad to like this subjectively, but objectively the piano was the best part. 7th song, I was afraid of songs starting to sound slower and sadder, this is what I mean by the basicness I didn't want. He kinda talked instead of singing for a while and I loved that. It's giving Fiona Apple with the intentionally bad vocals("I want you to love me" comes to mind, dunno if I remember the name right). slow jazz came in and went away quickly. What a fucking beat change GOOOOOSH, IT'S JAZZ UPBEAT AND THERE'S SOME MAN SINGING IN THE BACKGROUND DISTINCTIVELY. I'm honestly impressed, this is what I meant before by changing the vibe fully. 8th song, starting off ambient. It's giving R/B a little. I could dance to this with someone, slowly tho. It's one of the uninteresting songs I must say. Might be a grower but I doubt it. 9th song, funky beat. This one's lyrically fun too. Long ass outro this one will have. It's one of the most listened song on the album, but I don't get the vibe yet, it could've been better I'm afraid. 10th song, experimental sounds I heard slightly. This one's also too slow, no problem with them just they have to provide a better experience and at least make me sad, this one doesn't, but also idk the context so can't know what I should be sad about even. 11th song, catchy start. This one's truly country. Not common people talking about the nature in the songs. The piano and the beat is the best part here, it's nostalgic somehow. It's not my style tho, kind of too boring. 12th song, sometimes it's giving Electronic Light Orchestra with the piano use and somber gospel sounds. Thought this was the end of a first disc because of the song name. Outro was instrumentally sad but overall quite basic. 13th song, again the slowness, it's killing me. Too long, plus the lyrics are the same most of the time. It's progressing but not in the best way possible. I had to fast forward the song, it's veeery bad. He better not have this vibe after every song I'll listen to. 14th song, simply boring. Like not even good as a sad song. I need the context or smth else that would make this song touching, otherwise it's just sonically bad. Fast forwarded this one too, I can't take this type of songs anymore. I was gonna rate this high and I will if these songs are the minority of the vibe. 15th song, instrumental? What is that supposed to mean? I didn't hear the lyrical version of this, so why put this one only, weird. As a piano lover I like it, but it's kinda empty. I ain't impressed sadly. 16th song, last song on the disc as I remember. It's piano sad, as it is fitting for Dennis. It's long one so intro is quite big. I suppose there won't be lyrics at all, I actually like the melody, it feels like I've listened to it before. Well I didn't wanna listen to the second disc but the ending of the first one was so bland I have to remember Dennis in a better way so I continue. 17 song, God finally it's cunty again. This guitar and piano fusion I like, but it's overused. Chorus is giving Tim Curry a little. It's too same, I need him to use his creative side as he did at the start of the album. This one IS much better than the last couple of songs tho. 18th song, oh god no, the slowness again. At first I thought the whole album would sound like this, thankfully not. I had to fast forward again, it was too same and boring af. Plus the 4 minutes of that is really unnecessary. 19th song, slightly better I suppose. His voice is quite bad here. Also he never had any remarkable lyrical deliveries, which I looove. Gospel was here too I think, but not the best use. 20th song, the rating of this album is getting very low I think. I should only rate the goodness here I suppose. Gospel again, it's touching and melancholic, the whole vibe. Such a forgettable song, if it was in a movie and used right, it'd be good enough, but otherwise just no. 21th song, two songs in a row starting with the word love, and they both disappointed me. I can't wait to finish this album God this is painful. This is as bad as that Dion album was. 22th song, a little better production I see. Don't even know what to write anymore. Not catchy not fun not interesting nothing. Felt like he just gave up midway album. 23th song, I really hope there will be at least one song that sounds as good as the songs at the start. This one seems instrumental only. Pardon me but this sucked ass and the only way I can like this is if I can relate to it in some way. 24th song, he so has no lyrics to sing anymore it pains me. OH I'm halfway through and the best type of instrumental starts playing, I'm obsessed, I was talking to myself how bad the song was and then suddenly this happens. It's catchy and vibey unable to resist the goodness in it. 25th song, weird talking mannerism at first. "He likes to do it on his hands and knees" this might be religious, but I only see the kinkyness. Overall it's bad I think, wouldn't want to listen to it again. Idk how to talk more about how bad it was, just it might grow on me but I'm not making that commitment. 26th song, LOVE THE PIANO HERE ALREADY. Spanish I think he's gonna sing in. He's unlistenable vocally, like the way he "ooh"s is emotional in a way, but also why would I want to listen to it in the first place. Didn't meet my expectations at aaall. 27th song, I'm so bored and irritated by this I can't even. Thing is he's not that bad as a vocalist, but to me he's not the type of a guy I hear when I picture a male vocalist yk. After the lyrics there is a church gospel singing, as if I died and I'm escorted to heaven, plus piano is hella loud. Still didn't get it. 28th song, finally smth I can dance to. It's good sonically, been a long time since that happened. It doesn't sound as good as at first, I'm sick of it already. This should be a bare minimum an artist like him should be able to do. 29th song, jazzy and bitchy start. It continues the same way, but the lyrics are sang in a good way too. It's one of the catchiest, but also basic. Can't really get into it. 30th song, it's giving a little Rufus Wainwright. Overall it's going nowhere and I hate it. 31th song, this one might be the best in the sadness category on the album, but it's too fake. I'm confused about what happened to him to fall this bad sonically. I'm gonna fall asleep here wtff. 32th song, he really loves them pianos, but Fiona uses it the best I think. This is the kind of instrumental that I have to have a childhood with and then wow I found this nostalgic sound and it makes me remember when I was a kid yk, but now it's just basic piano playing for me, no offense. 33th song, finally the lyrical version of the Holy Man, I like the delivery tbh, but it's kinda not as unique as it should be. The outro was giving the end of the album, although not as grand as they usually are. I was so gonna rate this album 5 stars because of how good the songs were at first, and then it slowly came to 4 and then to 3. Like some of the songs were so different and smth I've never heard before, but THE MAJORITY, pardon me, but sucked ass. Album is definitely a grower, but it's not smth I'd want to have my personality as yk, so I have to sadly rate this 3 stars, even though some songs deserve more than that, also it felt like a two album in one, and the thing is second disc is worsee, so overall 3 stars is the best option here.
I was very interested in listening to this album, as having read about Dennis Wilson in researching the Beach Boys (because of this project), I had wanted to hear his music. So for that, this was a great choice and I was glad to see it appear. Without that background, however, I'm not sure I would have enjoyed this album much.
Oh, so this was super cool to be introduced to! Why did I not know about this album before now???
A thousand albums and what seems like a thousand years ago, we heard The Beach Boys' Surf's Up. Pacific Ocean Blue is similar in tone and style and also likewise makes me angry that I've lived so much of my life without it. It's gorgeous.
I hadn’t thought about what a Dennis Wilson solo album might be. Intriguing... Any qualms I had about the album were quickly abated by “River Song”. I’m a sucker for a rock song backed by a choir. As I went through the album I mostly liked what was going on although I wasn’t in love with the sound of all the albums. Some of Dennis Wilson’s gruffer, more experimental songs (“Friday Night”, “Dreamer”) were interesting if a little less enjoyable. I listened to the last few songs on headphones, and the additional clarity made me hear the Beach Boys’ influence over this sound coming through pretty clearly. I was sort of wavering in 3/4-rating territory in parts of this album, but I really love “River Song”, “Time”, “You and I”, “Rainbows” enough to round up and songs like “Pacific Ocean Blues” seem to grow on me after repeated listens. This album is certainly an interesting listen when juxtaposed with Brian Wilson’s solo work. The shared origins are apparent but the differences are stark. Neither solo effort rises to the level of the greatest works of The Beach Boys, but they give some very interesting insight into the unique sensibilities the individual artists contributed to the endeavor.
A really fascinating album due to it's context, Dennis' issues, and the Beach Boys dark past in general. Bet Charlie loved this one.
"Pacific Ocean Blue" is the only studio album by American musician and co-founder of the Beach Boys Dennis Wilson. The album was recorded in the Beach Boys' own Brother Studios. Dennis played the majority of the instruments but also had help from a host of others including Carli Muñoz, Carl Wilson and Hal Blaine. The album was produced by Dennis and Gregg Jakobson. It didn't do well commercially hitting #96 in the US but was warmly received critically especially with legacy reviews. The album opens with the first single "River Song." Piano and drums. Vocal harmonies and a gospel-like choir giving this song a spiritual feeling. Dennis' voice is rougher as he needs to get out of LA. "Friday Night" has a dramatic open with piano and synths. An edgy guitar. "Let's rock and roll, it's good for my soul." "Thoughts of You" is a piano/synth-ballad. It's a very tender song as he misses someone. A moment of chaos with people talking and then ends with a dreamy synth fade. "Time" begins the second side with a piano and a mournful voice as Wilson needs to find love and go home. "You and I" changes the pace with a bossa nova beat and Beach Boy harmonies. A jazzy guitar. It's dreamy yet loungey. "Farewell My Friend" may be the highlight of the album. Low piano keys, synth noises. Wilson's voice sounds exhausted as he's saying goodbye to a friend. It's both dreamy and sad. This album covers a wide range of emotions from optimistic to dark to sad and mournful. Wilson's rugged voice works really well on the more mournful and sad songs. There are areas of the Beach Boys and those totally Wilson. Overall, a very good album and one I will listen to again.
not for me
33 songs 2 hours is psychotic good tho could be a 4 if he dialed in a smaller amount of songs but 3.5
Pacific Ocean Blue is yet another album i am rather mixed over. On one hand, There were some legitimately excellent tracks in this album with instrumentation and singing that could almost be enough to bring someone to tears. On the other hand i do feel like the way the tracks were composed was not exactly the greatest, Not horrible, just a bit messy in places, and i do have an issue with one of the instruments that especially played in Dreamer which i believe are a weird trumpet sound but i just do not know. But beyond those two issues, this is a pretty decent album that i would say was worth my time. Best Song: Thoughts of You Worst Song: Dreamer
Not a bad album, and Dennis Wilson is arguably the most talented and visionary of the Beach Boys, BUT of all the albums in the world I wonder why this one gets on the list over something else more profound in an unknown status. Plus it goes on for wayyyy too long. 3/5
My favourite elements are the string and horn parts, very nice and melancholic. I wasn't particularly grabbed by the vocals or lyrics but he was doing some interesting things. Definitely wasn't what I expected from a former Beach Boy PS to anyone using the Spotify link and complaining about the length, it's just the first 12 tracks
This was my second two-hour long album in a row, so it may be the bias and fatigue talking, but I was happy when it finished. Nothing offensively bad about it, it's just a bit dull.
It's just very good music. I don't even know how to name it. Everything is at its place. Every part sounds great. One of the hidden pearls from the list.
Really liked it, but was sooo long and got a little repetitive but songs like river song I really enjoyed
Listened to the whole two hours twice, once it started playing it just went to the background. I will not do a third try. Only thing i can say for sure - it is not annoying and i didn't hate it. Great background music.
Some okay late 70s sounds, but WAY TOO LONG!! The decent songs just drown in a sea of samey blandness.
I’m not convinced that nominating 17-disc, 5 hour-long compilations of single artist’s work as examples of “albums you must listen to before you die” is really doing great work. I mean, there’s gonna be some stuff in there that’s good with that playtime, but is it all something I need to listen to before I die, or is it just going to take me that length of time to complete the task? This album seems to be made by a tortured soul. Pretty and disturbing and pretty disturbing at points. It triggered me to read about Dennis Wilson’s death - pretty disturbing given that the name of this album was the murder weapon.
Beautiful in a way only the 70s could be
Meh, kind of boring. This didn't do much for me and I've never been much of a Beach Boys fan so I'm not looking at this through those rose colored glasses. 2.5/5
Not to be a dick or anything, but I think Brian Wilson may have been pretty darn important to the Beach Boys.
I do not know what this album adds to this list. The music is ok, though Dennis is clearly not the best songwriter.
It’s good but goes on forever and is totally overstated
Lovely surf.
I don't get him. 2/5
A bit slow in places, but also really good in others.
I didn't think I'd like it, but after learning more about him, it's alright, I guess.
This was much rockier than I was anticipating. I love how the vocals in the opening track start off very reminiscent of The Beach Boys, but then suddenly opens with more bombast with the introduction of a choir. The guitars seem much more in my face than The Beach Boys. It’s not necessarily better or worse for it, just noticeably different. The composition throughout this album is lovely and is a delight to listen to. Wikipedia seems to indicate that this album was generally underwhelming on release, but that seems unfair.
I actually really enjoyed this, more so than any of the Beach Boys music. Well composed and well delivered, I thought his voice fit very well with this style. I'd listen to this again. 4/5
Listened to the 2 hour version, the highlights for me were the instrumentals
a little too jazzy without being funky?
Firstly, I know this came out well before the movie, and I've searched the previous reviews, but I can't help it due to the beard and the typography of the front cover. WWWIIIIIIILLLLLLLSSSSOOONNNN!!!!!!!! Now that's out of the way, I couldnt get to grips with this album. I listened to this blind and found it fairly middle of the road 70's pop rock. I could hear the obvious beach boys influence but it didn't have any of the light and shade. I read the wealth of glowing reviews and came back to it for another pass. Sure the production is good and there are some interesting ideas here, but I still couldn't find a reason for it to be in this list. I didn't dislike but found it a bit meh.
There was a lot in here. Felt like he had been collecting songs for a long time and finally decided to record all of them! Some good some bad most were pretty ok
Probably on here more for the artists and his story than the music itself because the music itself is super generic. 4/10
i had to listen to this
Like this!
I think this was quite boring album
Such a rich and pleasant surprise
Eclectic
听的好舒服的rock
A really fine rock album, very enjoyable indeed! I could listen to this a LOT!
I did the full near 2 hours! Perfectly pleasant easy listening. Different vibe from beach boys, more rock.
That was great. Definitely one to add to my regulars
Finally took some time to listen to an album that I knew I should try. I love a bit of Jonathan Wilson - Fanfare in particular - and you can see where he gets some of his inspiration, this is beautiful mellow melodic magical stuff. Needs a few listens to soak in, and space to feel it wash over you
Pretty mellow 70s rock.
Songwriting is good, but just felt like almost beach boy songs.
This is not what I expected: it starts off like a southern soul Beach Boys, and turns into a relatively interesting album by the end. The vibe change at the end of "Time" is really fun and changed my whole mind about this listen.
Had no expectations here and have never heard of this album. I was pleasantly surprised, I listened to the double album with Bambu, but found that Pacific Ocean Blue on its own was much better.
A really solid album highlighting the talents of Dennis Wilson. Personal favourite tracks include "You and I", "River Song", "Dreamer" and "Time".
Better than The Beach Boys
2.5
It didn't leave much of an impression upon me. It was just okay.
Love this album, one of my favorites.
This album was really great and the horn production creates a super out-there soundscape that's unique and especially so for the time this came out but more importantly this album gets a bunch of bonus points for making me find out about Dennis Wilson's connection to charles manson and his murders that shit is crazy
Overall a pleasant album. It's a shame that his substance abuse fried his voice. I wonder what he sounded like before. Also, I had absolutely no idea about his connections with Charles Manson until this album popped up and I went researching on Wikipedia.
musically, this was fine. pleasant vibes and nice music, though nothing super exciting or interesting here. it'd be a 3.5 for me, but dennis was also affected by the wilson curse of being extremely strange (derogatory), abusing drugs and alcohol, and hanging out with all the wrong people. his Wikipedia page is a trip, particularly the Charles Manson connection and whatever's going on with his recurring fantasy (?) about getting raped (??) by "a black man" (???) with inconsistent details (?!) that he told all his friends about (...) with that said, he's still no brian wilson in terms of songwriting ability OR mental troubles. favorites: river song (omg doctor who reference??? XDDDDD), time, pacific ocean blues, rainbows
2.5
Rock, Pop, Folk, 1977 -> 2
Solid production and performance, but I didn't care for the songwriting much.
Thoughts before listening: I'm pretty sure I've listened to this before. I know its Dennis Wilson's solo album he put out after the Beach Boys had peaked and he was hanging in LA with all the 60s/70s rock stars. I can't really remember what this sounds like, but I feel like it will be typical 70s LA folky rock style. Review: Well, this isn't LA folk rock. I was expecting more of a Crosby Stills Nash/Joni Mitchell vibe, but instead this is more of a straight forward 70s rock album with a bit of a Beach Boys vibe mixed in. The best songs here are "River Song" and "Pacific Ocean Blue". There are also a lot of slow ballads that drag on and keep me from really enjoying the album as a whole. 3-stars
Got 75% through volume 1. It was alright, the first song and the ocean blues were the best of what I listened to. Wasn’t terrible but I wasn't a fan. Might finish it later and see if it gets better further in the album
Some good, mellow vibes. But maybe a few too many
This Beach Boy doesn’t get enough credit!
Pretty egregious for this to be 2 hours
Enjoyed this more than I expected. Vocals reminded me of some of the non-falsetto Bon Iver sounds (especially on his first two albums)
This was an interesting album that I enjoyed more than I usually would a two hour album
Upon first listen (in a semi-distracted, background music state), I found it boring and couldn't even make it through the double album. But reading the Wikipedia page and reviews and listening a second time, i enjoyed it a lot more. A good case for knowing the background behind an artist or album improving one's enjoyment of it.
Deluxe double album. No thanks
5/5. A healthy mix of blues rock and upbeat pop. Every song stood out as unique and what a change of vocals from the Beach Boys. The instrumentation was beautiful, soulful with horns and choruses. Feels like I am drifting out on the ocean, heading to shore, but comfortable if I did end up passing away. There is not really a faulty song on here, beautiful and calming despite the dark undertone, just like life. Best Song: River Song, Dreamer, Pacific Ocean Blue
Hmm 50-50
Fuck me! I’m suffering through this 2 hour snooze fest before I realize I’m not listening to the original release but the 30th Anniversary edition which includes extra bad music. At least The Beach Boys were uptempo- happy- joyful music. Made you feel good. This takes the worst of The Beach Boys and sings bad lounge music. This was a punishment.
This is great. Gonna listen more I did not have time to list en to a 2 hour album.
beautiful
Too much Dennis Wilson. Sorry Dennis
I really tried ... paid attention to each song, listened for the melodies and the chord progressions, tried to get the gist of the lyrics. But in the end, I ended up feeling the way the guy on the album cover (Dennis) looks - somber and seemingly dissatisfied with the whole thing.
Slow rock from the late 70s by one of The Beach Boys.
May 8, 2024 HL: "River Song", "Moonshine", "Time", "Rainbows", “Tug of Love” (bonus) warm summa breeze the 4 bonus tracks were nice too
Answers the question of what would it sound like if The Beach Boys wanted to make an Eagles album, yet without using any of either band’s trademark harmonies. The results aren’t awful, so at least now we know the answer. If anyone asked.
Wilson knows how to jam. Even better on the second listen.
This was too long.
Meh.
Sounds ok
Would have been a 4 if it had stopped after the first five ish songs. Not that the rest of the album was bad, but it was just so long and a lot of it was unspectacular. Picked back up a little bit at the end.
I think we've had enough beach boys on this list now, there was nothing here that was better than pet sounds, and that album was passable at best. Trying to be experimental after your harmony vocal band doesn't seem to lead to good results. Not a painful listen but wouldn't recommend.
Far too long but I did enjoy it. Much more experimental and "edgy" than the Beach Boys stuff. Sad how his life ended. Thoughts of You was the standout, but I'll be revisiting.
I quite enjoyed a lot of this, but it's far too long. I'd thoroughly had enough by the end. The first CD was significantly better and more interesting than the second. Should've stopped after the first. Think there was enough decent stuff here to warrant a 3, probably would've given a 4 if it was half as long
I'm a sucker for anything Beach Boys or Beach Boys adjacent. Hadn't really listened to any of Dennis' music before this but thought some of the tracks really held their own. Sad he passed so soon. 4/5
This album is such an underrated banger, experiemental in all the right ways It contains Time, which is one of my favourite songs of all time River Song is fantastic. I think this album is at his best when the brass sections kick in and the songs are pounding like crazy. So good Moonshine has just a nice refrain at the end with lovely backing vocals to close the song out When the brass kicks in on Dreamer during the first verse... outstanding Rainbows - great backing vocals, lovely high pitched guitar, beautiful song End of the Show is a great way to end it not super into Whats Wrong and Friday Night, but the rest of it is great. I'm leaning 5. it could be 5, if its not five, its close PS - i DO NOT take extra tracks into consideration when scoring, but for common knowledge, the bonus tracks on disc one are INCREDIBLE. Tug of Love / Only with You /Holy Man, superb. lovely stuff, absolutely fantastic
A nice eclectic mix of 70s sounds that is easy to listen to.
The thing I have learned after more than 400 albums is that if an album is almost 2 hours long, chances are, half the songs can be scrapped. I don't see why we needed two hours, so in that it fails as an album. It wasn't even bad, but I kept looking at the time wishing it would be over sooner than later.
Very much a 1970s soft-rock album, but with chops. A bit atmospheric yet structured, and with really good production. Well executed, but not my thing.
Sometimes maybe good, sometimes maybe interesting. Me and Gattuso enjoyed this album.
Did not expect horns and such on here. Love it
Not as bad as I initially thought, but playing the first three songs without O5 approval should be prohibited
meh
Grappig album met een vleugje 70's Beach Boys sound. Het mag mij allemaal wel iets meer up-tempo. **
- this album is an hour and fifty two minutes long. - i liked the vibe - it was chill. he’s the beach boys guy - i did not listen to the whole thing - 3/5, probably will not listen to it again. it would be good cottage listening. there was nothing i particularly liked about it, but nothing i disliked
Not for me, thanks. The best thing I can say about it is that it doesn’t sound like The Beach Boys. I’ll give him a bit of credit for that.
Actually, Wilson was the ball. The guy's name was Tom Hanks. Opens with a great song and then quickly devolves into generic 70s rock. Very interesting read though. The Beach Boys are a rabbit hole.
Not for me
I don’t especially like the Beach Boys, and was kinda surprised and satisfied when I heard the first song on this one and liked it significantly more than any Beach Boys I know. Whole album, more or less the same. Not an instant favourite, call it a pleasant surprise. Rounding up here on the strength of a couple songs in particular.
Charlie don't surf, but Dennis sure did. This album has the same kind of vibe as George Harrison's "All Things Must Pass" — just an explosion of music from the guy who played third and fourth fiddle to the other famous members in his band, in Dennis' case, his two brothers, and his cousin, Mike Love.
Nothing really bad here, and theres some cool instrumental choices, but overall this doesnt really do much for me. Also why is this classified as a country album.
Several filler tracks interspersed with beautiful, introspective Harry Nilsson-sounding cuts.
it's fine. Was expecting more tbh. The Beach Boys this is not
Disappointing. It feels like Dennis didn't play his best game on this Album.
A little Beach Boys, mostly smooth rock
I liked it. Very sincere and emotive.
Album Nr. 72 Durchschnittlich. Gute bzw. bessere Titel wechseln sich mit langweiligeren ab.
Ganz mein Geschmack. Man hört ein wenig "Beach Boys" heraus, ist aber dann doch rockiger.
Beach Boys co-founder performing his only solo album. Rock / pop from the 70's.
I liked this album. It is definitely not Brian Wilson. Smile is a great one that I’m sure we will hear in the future. This was good, but not great.
It was fine. It was good to start but slowly turned into background noise with not much excitement or variance.
Dennis Wilson's lone foray into solo territory, Pacific Ocean Blue, is a record that both shines and sputters. Released in 1977, it's a stellar effort for a one-off, showcasing a softer, more introspective side of the Beach Boy we wouldn't normally hear. Tracks like "River Song" and "Moonshine" are melancholic gems, while "Dreamer" stretches out into a psychedelic soundscape that wouldn't feel out of place on Pet Sounds. Here's the catch: Pacific Ocean Blue suffers a bit from bloat. The second half drags in places, with some tracks feeling like they lose momentum before reaching a satisfying conclusion. "You and I" even bears an uncanny resemblance to the theme song from MASH, which is equal parts amusing and perplexing. (Did you know a group of frogs is called a colony?) Despite the pacing issues, Pacific Ocean Blue is undeniably a Dennis Wilson masterpiece. It's a shame it's his only solo album, but it serves as a powerful testament to his creative spirit. Just be prepared to hit the fast-forward button near the end. 3 out of 5 stars.
Is this Kurt Russell. It runs either good or background.
I fucking LOVE the '70s. There just seems no way around it. Had zero knowledge of or experience with this release previously. Not a big Beach Boys fan, and this really took me by surprise. Influences are ALL OVER THE PLACE, mixing rock, folk, soul, and pop. Even with all this it never sounds schizophrenic. Never feels like it jumps from style to style, more so it flows between and within them, existing comfortably in its own space. I (of course) love when this hits a good groove, but even the slower more introspective tracks (which is where an artist generally loses me) are captivating with their layered (almost psychedelic at times) instrumentation. This was a release that was difficult NOT to pay attention to throughout, and that's not something I can say about a lot of music. Disappointing to learn this would be his only solo album before his death.
3 stars
I came. I saw. I tried. I can't do it. Not a Beach Boys fan, including independent splinter projects.
Inspiring music production, though I’m not particularly moved by the vocal performance. “Mexico” felt like punishment.
Wasn't a huge fan of this.
Chilled vibe. Have saved to keep listening
Not bad. Some good songs here, along with some soft-rock schmaltz. Overall, I'm glad I took a listen.
A surprising treat. The songs on this album feel transcendental, all at once joyful and melancholy which depicts the time and space in which they were written.
Beached boy.
and cold, and wet, and briny
I want to sound and look like this record.
interesting but no. I look forward to "River Song" getting remade by Spiritualized.
Its not for me.
I’m familiar with some of the Beach Boys’ catalog (I’ve reviewed Surf’s Up and Brian Wilson’s Smile), but I’ve never listened to this album before. Overall, I thought it was a really good album, and it was really unique. “River Song” was absolutely fantastic, and it immediately drew me in with its beautiful harmonies and excellent piano playing. Dennis’s raspy voice was a fantastic contrast to the bright sound and light harmonies. The theatrical nature of the song reminded me of Elton John, and I loved it. The rest of the album was really good, but it never quite hit that high point of “River Song” again. Musically, this album felt like it drew inspiration from a host of sources: The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, David Bowie, and the aforementioned Elton John. Dennis’s vocals reminded me a lot of Billy Gibbons’s singing for ZZ Top, and I loved how the beautiful melodies of the album really softened his gravely tone. “Friday Night” and “Dreamer” were some of my other favorite songs, and musically, they really reminded me of Pink Floyd’s The Wall at times. I loved the guitar playing on “Friday Night” and the saxophone on “Dreamer.” Overall, this was a great album, and I loved that it seemed to draw on so many different influences. It’s a shame that this was the only album that Dennis ever put out, because it seems like he had plenty of creative juice to make more music on his own.
I’m guessing Dennis Wilson wanted to branch out creatively, and this is definitely a departure from The Beach Boys, albeit a strange one.
It aight. - 6/10
Ugh this was so long. Any redeeming qualities were unredeemed at like 50 minutes. Also was not matching the Texas vibe. Maybe I should start tomorrrow w some country.
Long, but pretty enjoyable! 7.5/10
5/10 - It was fine, not great but not horrible
This album was way longer than I would have liked, the songs were mostly ok but a lot were pretty boring 4.5/10
Fine, but repetitive and boring 4/10
It was pleasant but almost (almost!) forgettable at times. Rounding up to a 4 because the soundscapes were really nice for some tracks.
Cool experimental for its time. Fav songs thoughts of you and river song
Never knew of Dennis Wilson, or his part in founding the beach boys. Think this is a strong album, some good build ups and intense tracks, as well as some more mellow tunes. His voice sounds good throughout and has more emotion in my opinion than the lead beach boys singer.
Percebe-se a melodia, harmonia marcantes dos Beach Boys, mas sem ser espetacular.
Hyvä, mutta ei tämä mikään Beach Boys ollut 3/5
Aika tällasta takuuvarmaa 70-luvun juttua.
Perus hyvä rock-levy vähemmän tunnetulta Beach Boys-jäseneltä. 3/5
It didn’t bother me but nothing stood out.
Run of the mill
I really could have died without listening to this album and been fine. It's really boring. Mostly the same all the way through and never goes anywhere or does anything remotely interesting. Country is already one of if not my least favourite genre, so this album was already on thin ice the second I saw it. I still went in with as much of an open mind as I could, but I was immensely underwhelmed.
ik kon hier echt helemaal niks mee.
Kind of sounded all the same after awhile. Too whiny and sad most of the time.
Swanky and swaggery at times. It has a hint of the Beach Boys but different enough to stand on its own feet. Heavy threads of sadness throughout, especially the songs "Home," "Farewell My Friend," and "End of the Show" which hit hard knowing he is struggling so much with substance abuse at the time of recording. Actually forget it the whole gd album is acutely sad.
it's technically well made but it's lacking something. original ideas, passion, driving force. some songs like Time seem to have some sincerity and feeling behind them, but it's not enough to power the whole album
This was so random. For a country album it most definitely didn't feel like one. It had some funk to it which I wasn't hating on. Nothing stuck out as being amazing but it sounded mediocre at best as an album.
I didn’t think this was very good. A couple of songs weren’t bad but overall mediocre at best.
Dennis Wilson traspasa la barreras estilísticas de los Beach Boys en un disco con contenido ácido y malhumorado, muy personal y alejado de las disquisiciones filosóficas de cantautores contemporáneos. Me gusta "Dreamer", rock clásico de los 70 influido por el R&B emergente de la época y la música funky. También la corta pero intensa "Friday Night" con un sonido que tiende a la épica, y "Time" y su arrebatador sonido final entre piano y trompeta.
Teilweise orchestral. Einige Lieder schön und gut, andere Durchschnitt. Insgesamt hörenswert.
Classic '70s maximalism, with choirs, string sections and lotsa brass, and excessive production too. It comes off only intermittently -- opener gets to something like liftoff but the warmed-over '50s vibes of "What's Wrong" feels well past the expiry date and mighta been on original release date, too. And does DW sound just a touch like Randy Newman? "Moonshine" offers a stoned sort of grandeur, but it seems to have taken on orchestra to deliver it, and it feels a bit muddy besides. The Little Feat-esque "Dreamer" is kinda groovy, but only kinda, and then has an interval that sounds like a self-help hymn. "Thoughts of You" is sweet, but the vocals fall short of what effective ballads, which may be why they layered still more strings and high-tech (even Space Age, seemingly) production effects. (Anybody else here the Eels on this cut?) "You & I" is legit lovely, vintage '70s soft rock, and sounds maybe more like one would expect the rather too swampy title cut to sound. "Farewell" is scruffy and "Rainbows" and "End of the Show" make for a nice finish, and just barely over the line to a 4 (because God loves a drunk, one supposes) but did it really need seven years to complete?
Took a read through Dennis' wiki once I found out he was one of the Beach Boys brothers. Wow what a short life this guy lived. I didn't read every detail, but he was some how tangled up with Charles Manson? Then died by drowning in his 30s? What in the world. Music had some real pops of greatness. Some of it reminded me of Pink Floyd surprisingly, mainly his voice. Cool record.
I like this album a lot. Dennis voice had roughen a bit so it has a mature beach boys vibe to some tracks, other tracks just go in new directions. This was the first time I listen to the 30th anniversary which is what only version on my streaming platform, the additional album worth of tracks are not nearly as good, so I"m not reviewing based on those tracks.
There was much to like about this and I wasn’t expecting that. I started off with a dismissive attitude toward the record, but found myself actually paying attention and enjoying it quite a bit. A bit cheesy, but the music is rich and nicely produced. And it’s always a question of how much of this could have been left on the cutting room floor to be boiled down to one record. Yeah, probably in this case. For example, School Girl feels a bit creepy and there were others that didn’t warrant filling out a double album. Overall, a pretty strong record.
It was fine. No single track stuck out to me but I didn't mind having it on.
I was surprised by how much I liked this album. Well, at least the first half of what I started listening to. I didn't realize I had the 2008 Deluxe edition, which is WAY WAY too long, BUT, the original 12 songs on 1977 edition are pretty good. You can hear The Beach Boys on this, of course, but there's other influences and directions it takes. It's good, I'll listen to this one again.
I can't believe I've never heard of this album, it's great! Reminds me of solo McCartney. Very ecclectic and changes from song to song.
Kinda long, homie
Found this album late in life after reading about Dennis Wilson. Proud to own it, think it’s better than anything the beach boys did. And yes that’s controversial
Nice 70s album - I agree that this is the type of album that should be in this list, but I always skip the bonus tracks, as after 12 songs it becomes a bit too much of the same. So 3 stars (for the original album) seems about right.
Nice songs but somewhat drawling and missing punch.
There are some really great moments in this.
If you're going to take up over 10% of someone's waking day, you better come strong to get over a 3. Not quite strong enough here.
This is a four star album if it wasn't three albums long.
Вроде ничего особенного, но приятное звучание
Very peaceful and interesting; surprisingly, not at all similar to the beach boys
Dennis Wilson: An utterly unique album that's touching in a way only a Beach Boy is capable of. From the jump, we are WAY more in rock land than any beach boys album has been. Echoes of the Stones, more bluesy, more obviously big rock storyteller energy. But the first track certainly makes you feel like that's going to be the abiding energy of the album... it is not! There's so much more beneath the surface... waves of obvious angst, grief, loneliness. The kind you quickly pick up on after a few spins of a Brian Wilson record. My radar's going off, in a big way, Some of these songs have an unbelievable sense of emotion and hurt. I feel like Dennis is more in touch with that side of him than on any Beach Boys record I've heard... it's more raw, more honest in some ways. Amidst this texture of Haleakalā blues, the real pet sounds, in a way that only a Beach Boy could do. It's an intimate and deeply personal version. It's got less of the childlike, and wide-eyed naïveté of Brian Wilson, it's more mature, but no less... hurt. He's spilling his heart out in a way only he can do. I love it, but I also want to cry. 5/5
ganz ok und vielseitig
I love the way they still felt they had to include "DENNIS" in the cover and the art director or designer was like let's just use the gap between the L and the S in WILSON. Oh, this was a surprisingly good record too. Not every song works — some are let down by the lyrics and others by song writing choices that just don't hold up — but enough of them find a sweet spot in vibe, arrangement, and passable pop lyrics for the era to enjoy the album overall.
Interesting album that is only half as interesting as Dennis Wilson's Wikipedia page. I did enjoy the listen, particularly the songs You and I, End of the Show, and Tug of Love. I think this album kept growing on me as I listened. I still haven't really listened to a lot of the Beach Boys, but I am looking forward to it.
It was a incredible album, I loved it! 5 Stars!
I can see why he didn’t reach beach boys levels
Good musicianship but I just couldn’t get into it
Such a great album. Melodic, dark, edgy, and entirely not what one would expect from a Beach Boys bro. Love it.
Solid yacht rock
Pleasant easy listening.
Listen to some musics from this album - 1/02/2024
so i just went down such a good little rabbit role from his wikipedia and it is all so interesting, but i think even more than that, the most interesting thing is that i love the beach boys and without realising who he was, thought ‘oh this reminds me a bit of the beach boys’ on the first couple songs, but overall, it’s just a really good album in my opinion. so is the unreleased one. i really really like his vibe, i would give it a 4 but there’s actually two albums in one technically, and i really like both of them, so, it’s gonna have to be a 5.
I didn't know much about Dennis Wilson before today. Especially if you compare it next to how much I knew about, say, Brian Wilson or even stupid Mike Love, it's pretty much nothing. Hell, the only thing I really DID know about Dennis is that he was the only true surfer in The Beach Boys and that, ironically, he'd drown in 1983. That's always been the framework I've viewed this album through, then: that it was the only solo project he released while he was alive. And going in, I felt that was kind of unfair to Dennis. Like, come on, this album should mean more to me than what its relation to the fact that he passed tragically young. I mean, hell, in my mind it always feels to me like they happened closer together than six years apart like they really did. I should be trying to see what this album provides on its own, seperated from all that. However, that turned out to be a lot more difficult than I'd thought. There's just so many moments in there that remind me of it. "Moonlight", in how it sounds to me, evokes that kind of "lost someone you love" melancholy, even if the lyrics probably have nothing to do with that. Though, speaking of lyrics, "Thoughts Of You" hit me especially hard with the part that goes "All things that live one day must die, you know." On my first liste that was the only lyric I picked up, and, gawd, I felt like it could have destroyed me if I were in a worse place. That's not even to mention "Farewell My Friend", which I found out was played at Dennis's funeral. And I tell you, learning more about Dennis and his life surrounding this album's recording certainly didn't make anything better. Knowing all that context just makes this a very sad album to me. It was never meant to be that, but looking back on it nearly 50 years later and considering all of that context... Hell, even Brian Wilson has said at point that he hasn't listened to it because there's too many sad memories for him relating to it. But then, that's still one reason why this album touched me so much. As much as I hate to admit it, it's because the album ends up being so sad that pushes it over for me from just being really good late 70's rock n' soul. It can even make me look past that one farty instrument on "Dreamer", though that break it has in there probably could've done it, too. Don't get me wrong here. If you're a big, BIG fan of The Beach Boys, and post-SMiLE Beach Boys especially, this might not do it for you. Luckily for me, I dig that stuff a lot, even if I don't necessairly think this album comes as close to SMiLE as that comparison implies. I just wish he'd had the chance to do more; see BAMBU through to completion, at least. But for what he's done here, as "End Of Show" fades surrounded by applause, for the people who know, he's really made something that'll last forever. And besides, it's better to view this album like I just did than through his relation to Charles Mansion. Wouldn't even make sense; Charley there didn't even have anything to do with this album!
A delightful collection of solo music from a key Beach Boys member.
Another solid 3 – there’s some good highs here, not many lows, but overall, I feel just… whelmed. A lot of these tracks feel like they’re missing one extra thing in them that would really fill out each song and make them feel more complete. It’s not a disappointing album per se, it’s just dripping with some unmet potential, I think. It’s not a bad album, but it’s not one where I’d go back to too many tracks. I think it’s certainly worth a listen – there’s good stuff in here, namely the stretch of tracks 5 through 9, and I’m sure there’s some of the other tracks that would hit better to my ears if I listen even more, but... I think I’m just gonna stick to a 3.
Really like the first song but the album never seemed to get going, fine to have on but not enough of a hook to relisten
Meh, slow and uninteresting
Always disappointing when the first song in the record is the best one.
I actually really liked it. But everything can't be a 3 and I need to draw a line somewhere.
I was pretty sure I would give this a 2 rating, until a strong finish in the last 3 tracks bumped it up. I didn’t love anything though and in a year or two probably won’t remember that I ever heard any of it. 1. River Song started off interesting, but lost me about halfway through. 2. What’s Wrong has a bit of a Beach Boys feel, but not as good. 3. Moonshine sounds like a lot of other 70s angst-rock songs. It didn’t do much for me. 4. Friday Night has a long instrumental intro that I liked more than I did after he started singing. 5. Dreamer didn’t inspire me either, but a part of it made me think of Come Together by the Beatles, but I’m not sure why. 6. Thoughts of You had some interesting music effects. 7. Time - I liked this one a bit more at the beginning, especially the trumpet bit about halfway through, but the aggressively upbeat last minute didn’t fit with the early part of the song. 8. You and I – Brian Wilson said this was his favorite song that Dennis ever made. I didn’t love it, but it might be the best of the album for me. 9. Pacific Ocean Blues – it seemed odd for the title track to have a very different feel from the rest of the album. 10. Farewell My Friend – I also enjoyed this one. It’s a little depressing, but that’s the theme of the song. 11. Rainbows – similar to the previous track, I liked it. It seemed like the album is improving on Side 2. 12. End of the Show is a great title for the final track of an album. Spotify also had 4 bonus tracks from the 30th Anniversary edition. The instrumental “Holy Man” was a highlight of those tracks. The finale “Mexico” was just weirdly out of place here.
The least known of the Wilson brothers (and first to leave us sadly) gives us a solo record for the ages. It's clear that there was an insane amount of talent there. Glad we got at least this one testament to Dennis' artistry as a standalone songwriter.
The first 7 tracks or so were too experimental for me to consider this even a good album as I don't believe they were successful experiments for the most part. The last few tracks started to build something more listenable but there wasn't enough there. This one is not for me. track by track: 1 - Well this is pleasant. It does get a little overwhelming almost with the amount of layers going on. Decent track to start us out. 2 - This feels like a throw-back. It's fine but not really my jam. 3 - I can be down for a ballad but this just feels like it is being played on 75% speed. I cannot get into it. 4 - Intro makes me feel like we are in a western movie. Now we've transitioned into some sort of blues? I don't mind it. 5 - What IS this album? I mean... this is fine. There's a jazzy feel and the rhythm is catchy. Is that a digeridoo? 6 - This is pretty. It isn't catchy or memorable but it seemed very earnest. 7 - Another song that feels experimental. I'm sensing a pattern. 8 - OK... I like the way the backup vocals come in on this one. 9 - Feels like the best song so far. I wouldn't seek it out but it delivers on what it promised. 10 - This song feels a little familiar but I'm not sure. It's just fine. 11 - Another decent track. I'm glad we have put together a few listenable tracks in a row. 12 - Certainly sounds like an ending track. I'm ready for this to be over too. I do like the gentle build though.
Didn't even know that Brian Wilson had brothers that were in the beach boys. This album was an absolutely dreamy surprise. I wouldn't say that any of the writing struck me as particularly top-notch (through 3 listens). But the orchestration/arrangement/feel for each song is all so different and perfectly walks the line between complexity and instant grokkability. At any given moment in each track it feels like there are 5 or 6 different things you can focus on. I love the layering in Time that happens after the trumpet solo when the keyboard (or perhaps prepared piano??) comes in. Great album!!
One of my favorites I’ve listened to yet. Hoping to grab this one on vinyl!
Typical 70s with some good beach boy vibe songs
Some nice moments but overall did not wow me.
I had never listened to the 2LP Deluxe Legacy Edition of this album. This one is great. River Song and Pacific Ocean Blues are incredible. Such a good album. Sad to know what happened with Dennis Wilson but I'm happy he could get this record out. This is an easy listening pop album with catchy melodies and some more introspective songs.
Fantastic. I like how thoughtful and soulful the sounds and lyrics are. The music is reflective and strays away from the lighthearted nature of The Beach Boys. The music is really "big." A lot of instruments, synths, horns, big drums. Some songs almost feel psychedelic. If I had one knock, it would be that I want more of it. The songs are kind of short, some extended jams would really let the listener immerse into the songs and sit with it longer.
Genre: Pop, Folk Rock Instruments: 3/5 Modern Translation: 2/5 Dance Potential: 1/5 Listening Location: Flying home from Sydney Heard it before: No Favourite Song: Thoughts of You, Common Made me feel: Two hours is too long for an album. I appreciated that it entertained me the whole flight home and that there were some instrumental songs. The album actually had variety, but the length worked against my rating of this.
Did not know what to expect. Was pleasantly surprised.
I really like the production of these tracks, and it was overall a very good vibe. Nothing too groundbreaking, but good all the same. I'd give a 3.5 if I could
It was fine, but probably not something I would go back to. Favorite songs are River Song, Time, Friday Night, and Rainbows.
Nice easy listening yacht rock with a bit of a darker side.
Sounds far more modern than his contemporaries, including his brothers in the Beach Boys were doing. Brilliant album
Meh.
Very good!
Obviously strong Beach Boy vibes, a very strong album (first 12 songs if you can only find the 30th anniversary 2CD edition) that gently breezes along without too much effort for the listener, it goes from soulful pop to dirty funk with amazing ease.
This is a nice little album right here. I'm kind of surprised that I haven't gotten more solo albums from former members of huge bands. The only one I can think of off the top of my head until now was Imagine by John Lennon, so getting an album from a former Beach Boy was a pleasant surprise for today. And you know what? I really liked Pet Sounds when I listened to it, and I liked Pacific Ocean Blue as well. The album definitely has some common elements in its sound with what I know of the Beach Boys, but it also stands out pretty well. The sound has quite a bit of variety throughout the album. Each song sounds different and has a different theme to it. The singing is great. Did you really expect it not to be? There isn't much more to say. This is just a very solid album. Light 4/5.
Fairly good. Different from the beach boys.
A chill late 70’s rock album. Not too shabby.
Well this one was a complete surprise, and the kind of thing I was hoping to get out of this list. I had never heard any of this music, but it's gorgeous. Apparently this was out of print for 20 years. I'm sure glad it's available now.
Wat. Is. Dit. Saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaai. Ik haat het niet actief, wat voor mij een 1 is, maar ik vind hier gewoon heel erg weinig aan. Het kabbelt voort, en voort en voort. Vind het ook gewoon te lang voor wat het is, en dan heb ik er al voor gekozen alleen het echte album te luisteren en dus niet ook het aangeplakte stuk op Spotify. Halverwege zit iets interessants met Pacific Ocean Blues, wat funky is met de bassline maar over de nummers daarvoor kan ik je gewoon helemaal niets melden. Vind ik gewoon niets van, behalve dat het achtergrond muziek is. En toch, en toch en toch... Pakt Dennis me dan op het laatste moment met Mexico, wat een mooi nummer is dat zeg... Het is helaas niet genoeg voor een 4 sterren rating, maar zo'n mooi nummer verdient wel meer dan de 2 sterren waar ik naar neigde. Dennis, mooie lul, je krijgt gewoon 3 sterren hoor gap. FAVO: Pacific Ocean Blues, Tug of love, Mexico
4+ First time hearing this album and really like DW’s singing style and the different music notes on this Album.
Tager lidt af beach boys lyden og mig med lidt blues/country/rock
3.5 I feel like I need a little more time to sit with this one to decide if it really deserved a 4. I listened to only the original track listing for the rating (there’s stuff from an album released posthumously on the Spotify link). What’s Wrong, Dreamer, and Pacific Ocean Blues are new to me bangers. The beginning of Friday Night sounds like the beginning of It’s All Coming Back to Me Now.
What a lush, tightly produced album. Just imagine what Dennis might have accomplished had he lived.
Nice evolution of The Beach Boys
Traurig und wunderschön
Surprisingly good. Very Nilssonesc.
Slightly on the boring side.
This was okay. 2.5 stars.
Not for me
Beautiful melodies and incredible production that the Beach Boys were known for from Pet Sounds.
There's a track on here with a killer saxophone solo other than that the rest of this is just kind of dull and lifeless. Some interesting instrumental sections but nothing too stand out. Also incredibly long she doesn't help with the dullness.
River Song is perfect and the rest of the album never quite hits that same high
Get a haircut hippie
A unique sound, adjacent to the Beach Boys maybe.
A fresh, very pretty sound with some funky instruments. In my eyes, none of the tracks are standout classics, but you can see the heart in Wilson's compositions, as well as the inspiration from the Beach Boys.
Impressed with sound quality and production
An ocean style rock/pop album with several religious overtones, or it could be sexual, not too sure. It is wild that Dennis Wilson was one of the founding members of the Beach Boys. From the little I have heard of the Beach Boys, I would not have guessed they came from the same region of music. Then again, in reading the Wikipedia article it states that " At the time of recording, Dennis' hard living had begun affecting his looks and more importantly his singing voice, which now delivered grainy and rough, yet still deeply soulful, vocals." I suppose it makes sense in the end. Pacific Ocean is quite laid back and would work well in a beach chill playlist. Best: River Song Worst: Farewell My Friend Note: Spotify had a 2 disc version of the album, however I only listened to the original 12 tracks.
Very inconsistent album, any time I felt like I was starting to get into it, there would be a moment that pulled me out.
Verrassend anders dan Beach Boys
Some nice songs, brass and a bit funky in places
It’s chill. Gives me Pink Floyd meets beach boys. Wish the songs would’ve switched it up a lil more.
Slow, funky and interesting sound. I don’t know that I would listen again. Reminds me of something from the muppets soundtrack.
Very interesting listen.
The 1970s Beach Boys, but with a hangover. I liked the vibe a lot though.
Favorite Tracks: River Song Dreamer Thoughts of You
the jazzier elements were cool. otherwise it was just mostly bland. got through the first hour / disk then got bored
Had a good time with this one mostly, I really like his voice and it's completely unrelated to the fact that he was a total hottie
first listen this is a really great album
This is the second time I've heard this album in its entirety. Honestly, my opinion when I heard it the first time was that it was one of the best suicide notes ever written. It really feels like a long goodbye. Musically, I don't enjoy most of it, but there are some standout tracks. The incredibly sad "Time" with its spare piano and haunting lyrics hits. And "Farewell my Friend" is to me the best song on the album. His swan song in fact. It must have been hard coming of age in the face of the giant personality of Brian.
Rough vocals from rough living, a Beach Boy with real substance (abuse issues). Wow, what a story Dennis had. The middle child and focus of his father's wrath, living in the shadows of his brothers as the 'untalented' Wilson he was reduced to play basic beats on the drums, but then he makes this incredible album. Pacific Ocean Blue embodies everything that the Beach Boys weren't raw, open, experimental and real. It would be nice to believe that the creation and release of Pacific Ocean Blue gave Dennis redemption and freedom, but then maybe it wouldn't play the same or be as poignant.
I never paid too much attention to the Beach Boys. Or gave them the credit that they likely deserved. Listening to their music on the 1001 hasn’t really changed that though. But reading their story and considering their influence and impact has. And it has also helped me realize that the Beach Boys music I know through cultural osmosis and enjoy the most are their surf rock pioneering that came before any of their 1001 albums. Other than the knowledge of the Boys style evolution, I’ve also learned about the Boys themselves. I knew vaguely of Brian’s mental health struggles, but that was the extent of it. But it goes much deeper than Brian’s breakdowns, or Dennis’ drug use. These boys had been groomed from their pre-teen and teenage years to be entertainment superstars, and abused by their demanding father. Not an unfamiliar story in the history of pop music. Were the Beach Boys that different from the Jackson 5 or the boy bands and Mickey Mouse Clubbers of the 90s? That early stardom and pressure certainly took its toll, and Dennis’ story shows that over and over. The connections to the Manson Family were wild, and his death was tragic. It seems like Dennis was the big outgoing personality, and Brian was the obsessive musician, each getting lost along the way and both feeling like they lacked control of their own journey in spite of, or maybe because of, their celebrity. Dennis Wilson’s solo album was neither surf rock or the evolution of their sound from the mid 60s. “Pacific Ocean Blue” was much more of the 1970s. The Beach Boys influences are there, on “River Song,” “What’s Wrong,” “Moonshine,” and “Rainbows,” but perhaps for that reason those are the least interesting tracks. Wilson stands out when he is forging unique paths combining diverse rock pastiches. As a result, “Pacific Ocean Blue” contains some very capable music, but not much that leaves a mark or lasting legacy the way his early work with his brothers did.
Not too much excitement here from Dennis Wilson. The album is fairly nondescript. The more interesting part was his personal life. It seems like it was chaos, from housing the Manson family to drowning diving while drunk for his ex wife’s belongings that were thrown over board 3 years prior. It must be tough being a famous entertainer, having so much time to get lost in life. 2.5.
Pretty cool. Had some great moments, and some that dragged. Somehow felt longer than 40 mins
I think I enjoyed this more than a Beach Boys album. Really good sound, some nice songs and a very pleasant listen.
Music for when you’re sad, drunk and at the beach.
Chill
I love The Beach Boys but how do they evolve and can they stay relevant in the late 70s? Didn’t Surfs Up kind of wrap this all up? Yeh, this is still a good listen, enough talent and interesting experimental stuff to deserve a spot on this list.
I was not familiar with Dennis Wilson but after listening to this I think I should be. It was a good listen and contained a bit of everything I like. There was a point though where I was like "is this done soon" so while it was good I'm knocking off a star for length.
This album is interesting in how divergent it is from The Beach Boys, but I wasn't particularly impressed during my first listen on speakers. I was about ready to write it off as a loss, but as fan of the Beach Boys's early works with brother Brian Wilson, I did a little reading and several sources indicated that one really needs to listen to this with headphones. They were correct. While not amazing musically or lyrically, the arrangement and pacing of these generally short tracks is attractive, and the album offers a generally interesting soundscape; rich, full, complex, and layered. It's energetically dark for most of the album. At times, it feels like previews of what's to come from Dire Straits. It feels ahead of its time—there was more than once where the thought passed through my mind, “Wait, was this in a episode of Miami Vice?”
This one just struck me as bland. It's not bad. The musicianship is fine. I don't actively dislike it. I just found it to be relentlessly mediocre, so I gave up after 19/33 songs on Spotify's deluxe edition. To be honest I probably would have given this a "This was fine, I guess" 3 if it was only 10 songs, but the more I listened to it the less I liked it. Maybe I just wasn't in the right mood for this. 2.5.
I don't know what instrument is playing at the beginning of DREAMER, but it is amazing. Between that instrument and the song THOUGHTS OF YOU this record is earning a permanent place on my shelf. It is albums like this that make spending 4 years listening through a book well worth it.
Randy Newman meets Bruce Springsteen in slow motion, and worse than the sum of their parts. Snoozefest.
4.75
Didn't care for this one. The title track was alright. Will I listen to again: 0%
groovy. 3 stars.
Not as bad as I have anticipated. Enjoyed skipping into the madness a bit.
Not sure why this album is considered such a cult classic...nothing special about it at all. Probably the 3rd time I have given it a go in my life. 2/5
Not really my jam. Friday Night is a banger. The rest is too much rich white rock star living in California whining because he did way too much cocaine and befriended Charles Manson.
Meh
3.5 I hadn’t heard of Dennis Wilson before. This was completely new but felt vaguely familiar at the same time due to the Beach Boy pedigree. I liked it.
Wow, that's a lot of songs. Overall, I can hear how skilled he is as a composer and musician. Admittedly, I wasn't very interested in most of the tracks -- nothing wrong with them, just not my thing -- but there are some good musical moments sprinkled throughout.
Sja. Dit is er vast weer zo een die je aandachtiger moet luisteren, of vaker. Maar voor nu vind ik er niet bijzonder veel aan. Maar het is ook niet slecht. Toch blijf ik bij de eerste ingeving: 2 sterren.
This didn't mesh with me today. It was okay, somewhat groovy, a decent rock and pop album from '77, but nothing really got my attention. Don't think I was much in the mood for this kind of album today, but honestly don't know if I'll be in the mood for it any time soon. Also the version on Spotify includes the Bambu sessions. I didn't fully get through that because I couldn't stay awake, it's just too drone-y and ambient for today. Favourite: River Song
Isso é som tchê
Can't stand it
Not for me
Eh
Rock, pop, muy agradable. No tiene nada que ver con el estilo conocido de The Beach Boys.
5 star wiki; 2 star album.
An interesting album in that I can hear a mix of 60s, 70s, and 80s influences, which would make sense given how long Dennis Wilson had been in the biz when he recorded this. I actually like his voice, even if drugs and alcohol supposedly ruined it. I don't dislike this, but I doubt I'll listen to it again.
Some of this is kinda interesting but overall impression is boring. 2.5
Hey - it's my third favorite Beach Boy! So, the band breaks up and Dennis decides he wants to cut out on his own and do like a Pink Floyd meets Joe Walsh kinda album. Spoiler alert - it didn't work.
I'm not sure why I was surprised that an album from a former Beach Boy had such exquisite vocal harmonies. Maybe it's because the true crime-rot in my brain has me associating Dennis Wilson more with Charles Manson than with the Beach Boys. I will say that the vocal harmonies also start off strong, and then the album starts to feature his voice a lot more. Some parts of this album were really stunning in their beauty and soulfulness, though some of them sounded more like normal 70s soft rock. 3/5, though this one was very close to being a 4
If this album was only 40 mins, it would have been 4 stars, but this thing overstayed it's welcome twice.
Cool! Pretty good ballads on this one. I Mike the closer particularly. Fun to listen to!
This is an okay record. There are some good moments but it is pretty much the dad rockification of the beach boys. He has musical talent and good arrangements/production but there is something that is missing for me that lets me connect to it. There is almost too much going on. Layers that sound pleasant but just every instrument/random piece he can think of thrown in.
Wow, what a long album. But, enjoyable! Some decent tracks on this album and some got the 👍.3.5⭐️
Dad rock: very polished, soft rock which features treats of blues, funk, etc, has tons of instrumentation that goes nowhere and makes you feel nothing. See Pacific Ocean Blue 4.0/10
You know what? Liked this better than Brian Wilson’s Smile
Nebola to zhoda :D Samozrejme, 33 skladieb :DDD
- actually not bad, some songs I’d listen to again - reminds me of Billy Joel but more laid back and country - some jazzy/funky elements - I just realized, is this hippie music? No I guess not…
i am a huge beach boys fan, so of course, i was pleased to give this one a listen again, as it had been a while. pacific ocean blue is, in my opinion, one of the pinnacles of the beach boys, and is the climax of dennis wilson's rise to, undoubtedly, the best songwriter in the group. and what's more, it doesn't sound like a beach boys record, it sounds like its own thing, which is something I don't think any of the other beach boys really accomplished on their own. overall, i really love this album.
Some familiar sounds and well crafted instrumental mastery. Maybe if I spent more time with the lyrics I would want to revisit this but it just isn't compelling to me and I doubt I would ever listen to this again.
This is more of a diary entry than a review. I've noticed that the more you get of similar stuff, the harder it is to remark on it after just one listen, which is typically what I manage in a day as an average. So, I can tell you this sounded alright, any extra value (positive or negative) that might be gained from an understanding of the lyrics is beyond me at this point.
3.5/5
This had some cool tunes and I wasn’t familiar with this album.
I thought one Wilson was enough