Brian Wilson, genius? Sure, why not, I’ll bite. The last time I saw him solo was at the Highline in 2011 on the Gershwin album tour and yeah, a coupla years ago, and even then a genius. I mean if that rearrangement for voices intro to “Rhapsody In Blue” isn’t musical heaven, what the heck is? This is from my review (here): “Monday was the final of a three day stand. Wilson is in town playing (in the second set) his entire Reimagining Gershwin album as part of Blue Note’s month long jazz festival and tonight is a treat, the chance to see one of the greatest melodist’s of the 20th century playing one of the greatest melodist’s of the 20th century in a nightclub. The Highline is busy but not quite sold out, the sitelines pretty good, and the band very, very good.”
As for his upcoming duets album, No Pier Pressure, I haven’t heard much of it, three songs, and none of them are very good. “Runaway Dancer” is bland to the place where it disappears into the ether disco. With Al Jardine on board “The Right Time” sounds like a That’s Why God made the Radio outtake and I, unlike many of my peers was not thrilled by that one. And finally, what can you say about Zooey Deschanel? A 23 year old scatterbrain may be fun, a mid-30s divorcee scatterbrain is a little on the creepy side. 23? Yep, that’s how old she was when he sang “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” with Will Farrell. By the time she was singing with M. Ward the charm was waning and by the second year of “New Girl” it was over. “On The Island” is a half-mast bossa nova and yes, it is meant to be charming but it is too draggy and the song, all three of these songs, aren’t good enough.
You won’t know it from the reviews, but if these three songs are anything to go by, this won’t be much of an addition to the canon, in much the same way and for many of the same reasons the last Beach Boys album wasn’t. Like Bruce and Paul, and an army of others, Brian does what he did only not half as well.
I don’t think it is an insult to Wilson’s legacy to shrug this stuff off. I think it is to maintain the legacy’s legitimacy not to lie about it.
Grade: C
