To the uninitiated, pop songwriter extraordinaire Brian Wilson’s new double live album Live At The Roxy Theatre is probably about as significant as the lyrics to “Fun Fun Fun.” But once one takes into account the life that the former Beach Boy has led, the record becomes an uplifting and inspiring work (that is thoroughly engaging musically as well).
He’s an artist that lived through immense label pressure to produce a steady stream of hits, an ensuing nervous breakdown, and a descent into deep depression and drug addiction that left him disillusioned and secluded from society. He has lost both of his brothers and fellow Beach Boys, Dennis and Carl Wilson (Dennis drowned in 1983; Carl died of cancer in 1998.)
While he released a few solo albums, it seemed that Wilson would never again perform live, until he hit the road in support of his 1998 release Imagination, followed by the critically acclaimed Pet Sounds tour of 2000. Knowing all of this, it’s quite moving to hear an exuberant 58-year-old Wilson cheerfully thanking his audience on Live At The Roxy Theatre.
Then there are the songs. He’s put together an incredible band, including LA club veterans The Wondermints. By no means is this Beach Boy Mike Love’s “Wheezin’ to the Oldies” show that stops through Dunn Tire Park every summer. The harmonies are crisp, the arrangements are fantastic, and as a result, the songs are rejuvenated. The age in his voice is apparent in a couple spots, most notably a shaky rendition of “Don’t Worry Baby” and his failure to recapture the magical boyish innocence that made “God Only Knows” such a classic.
But I’m most certainly splitting hairs. The song selection is excellent, covering everything from 1963’s “Surfer Girl” to the previously unreleased gem “The First Time.” The gorgeous “’Til I Die” has never sounded better; the same can be said for the delightful ballad “Kiss Me Baby” and the light-hearted instrumental “Pet Sounds.”
Wilson’s joyous mood throughout the concert is addictive, his sense of humor surfacing several times, especially on his cover of Barenaked Ladies’ slightly twisted tribute song “Brian Wilson.” Hearing Wilson talk about “rockin’ and rollin’” with the excitement of a child on Christmas Eve is simply a beautiful thing, and is what makes this album so precious.
Appeared in Issue One, 2003, of Traffic East.