I Just Wasn't Made For These Times

Performer: Brian Wilson (Pop)
Artist: Carnie Wilson; Wendy Wilson; Dave McMurray; Andrew Gold; Benmont Tench; Sir Harry Bowens; Sweet Pea Atkinson; Carnie & Wendy Wilson
Engineer: Rik Pekkonen
Producer: Don Was; Brian Wilson
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: I JUST WASN'T MADE FOR THESE TIMES is the soundtrack to the documentary film. Personnel: Brian Wilson (vocals, piano); Mark Goldenberg, Waddy Wachtel (guitar); David McMurray (saxophone, flute); Benmont Tench (piano, organ); James "Hutch" Hutchinson (bass); Jim Keltner (drums); Carnie Wilson, Wendy Wilson, Sweet Pea Atkinson, Sir Harry Bowens, Donald Ray Mitchell, Jeff Pescetto, Andrew Gold, Kip Lennon (background vocals). Recorded at Ocean Way, Hollywood California. Includes liner notes by Don Was. Brian Wilson transforms feelings of isolation and loneliness into music that approaches the divine. For those interested in checking out the man's much-vaunted genius, this soundtrack to a bio-documentary on Wilson is a fine place to start. Hearing these songs outside of their usual Beach Boys settings allows the listener to appreciate Wilson's gifts as songwriter and singer from a new perspective. Expertly recorded by veteran producer Don Was, these pristine versions are faithful to the originals (most notably in the succinct arrangements). The classic "Caroline No" retains its utter poignancy, gaining additional resonance from the 30-some years that have past since Wilson first sang this song of loss. He sounds energized by the spirited backup vocals of his daughters on the rocking "Do it Again," and he sings like an angel on "Love and Mercy." The oddly touching "Still I Dream of It," rendered here in a primitive home recording, contrasts with the otherwise smooth production, reminding the listener of Wilson's longtime insistence on coloring outside the lines. The final song, almost a benediction, is "Til I Die," which certainly ranks among the most gorgeous songs in pop music history. Check it out here, in all its wondrous layers.

Uncut (p.115) - 3 stars out of 5 - "The wobbly demo of 'Still I Dream Of It' offers a glimpse of Wilson unvarnished." Melody Maker (9/2/95, p.45) - Bloody Essential - "...Don Was...managed to get an apparently rejuvenated Wilson into a recording situation, hauling him through the darkest, most intimate areas of his back catalogue, and...reawakening his dormant gifts....spine-chillingly beautiful..." Mojo (Publisher) (p.122) - 3 stars out of 5 - "[T]hese reinterpretations are very good indeed. 'This Whole World' is particularly vibrant..." NME (Magazine) (8/26/95, p.44) - 8 (out of 10) - "...a historic, startling and near unique document....the songs have been taken almost straight from the rehearsal room, preserving the still innocent-sounding, mid-twenties yearning, romance and heartache that created these songs..."

As leader of the Beach Boys, Brian Wilson was largely responsible for their revered 1966 album, PET SOUNDS. His subsequent two-decade-long submersion in drugs, mental problems, and controversial psychotherapy has become the stuff of legend, but he cleaned up and returned to recording in 1988 with a steady stream of albums that combined his flawless melodic sensibility with a restlessly experimental vibe. In 2004 he finally released the legendary album SMILE, whose initial production fell apart in 1967 as Wilson's excesses and mental illness took their toll. Since then he's been performing live regularly (often with daughter Carnie Wilson on backing vocals) and has assumed his rightful place as one of the grand old masters of pure pop perfection.

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