NOTE:Films about the Beach Boys' fragile leader
Brian Wilson have begun to surface since the
1990's. The recognition and respect as the main
force behind the music of the Beach Boys have
made retrospective treatments more common, but also
Brian's late-blooming solo career resulted in
many "live" concert documents becoming
available. Although not noted as an
engaging live performer, his willingness to perform
for his fans after so many years of seclusion have made
these shows much sought-after by fans.
These reviews are solely my opinion.
I Just
Wasn't Made For These Times Artisan
Entertainment; Directed by Don Was; 70 min.
Released January 24, 1996
Cast (in credits
order)
Brian Wilson ....
Himself
rest of cast listed
alphabetically:
Daniel Harrison ....
Himself
Audree Wilson ....
Herself (Brian's mother)
Carl
Wilson .... Himself (Brian's
brother)
Carnie Wilson .... Herself
(Brian's daughter)
Marilyn Wilson ....
Herself (Brian's ex-wife)
Wendy
Wilson .... Herself (Brian's
daughter)
REVIEW: Don Was -- obviously
drooling over the fact that he gets to produce the
reclusive Brian Wilson, put together this rosy tribute,
and had full access to the man himself, as well as
several other rock-music kingpins such as Tom Petty,
Lindsey Buckingham, and others, all of whom get their
chance to extol the wonderfully intricate, yet
deceptively simple music of the main Beach Boy. Shot in
oh-so-serious black and white, Brian is shown to be
lucid and forthcoming about his music, his father, and
himself. Other interested parties include his
frail-looking mother Audree, former wife Marilyn, (an
insightful interview), his once-estranged daughters
Carnie and Wendy, and his brother Carl (a highlight is
Brian with his Mom and Carl singing "In My Room" around
a family piano). Punctuating the narrative are several
low-key studio performances of Brian singing (in a very
unpolished voice) many of his classic songs, with a
sharp, if undistinguished backup band. Despite the
obvious bias of the producer, the video never becomes
mawkish or worshipful of it's subject, and the laid-back
approach works extremely well at illuminating how Brian
Wilson is today. And while hard-hitting questions
are never broached, and several Beach Boys are AWOL,
I Just Wasn't Made For These Times currently
stands proudly as the definitive video biography of Mr.
Wilson. Currently available on DVD paired with
The Beach Boys: An American
Band
Brian Wilson:
Imagination Image Entertainment;
Directed by John Anderson, 60 min. Released
January 19, 1999
Cast (in
credits order)
Brian Wilson ....
Himself
Jimmy Buffett ....
Himself
Elvis Costello ....
Himself
Sean Lennon ....
Himself
Ed Robertson ....
Himself
REVIEW:
This video promo of Brian Wilson in the studio
and in concert is a very nice, though slightly flawed
document. What's so nice is seeing Brian relaxed,
smiling, funny and in charge in the studio, photo
shoots, and at home. His dry sense of humor comes
through very often, whether in taking a brief bow in the
studio, or kidding around during recording, he's
obviously having a great time, and seems completely at
ease in front of a camera. What is also obvious is
how uncomfortable he is in the concert segments,
in front of a live audience in St. Charles. The
video editors had to do a lot of quick-cutting during
the taping in order to get Brian's best, and even then,
he is rigid and unexpressionless during such bouncy
numbers as "South American." But that's a minor
point to me. For the greater portion of this
video, there are touching, emotional moments, whether
he's smiling at his baby daughters, laughing with the
very charming, ebullient Jimmy Buffett in the studio,
listening in unabashed wonder as he listens to Ronnie
Spector sing "Don't Worry Baby," or (most touching for
me) a never-fails-to-reduce-me-to-tears video segment of
his deceased brothers Dennis and Carl in a live version
of "Lay Down Burden." There are also several
"celebrity" pop-ups, including praise from such
superluminaries as Stevie Wonder, Elvis Costello, Eric
Clapton, Peter Buck, as well as lesser lights (Sean
Lennon, Barenaked Ladies) who almost prostrate
themselves with adjectives. Overall, a revealing
look at the many complexities of Brian
Wilson.
Brian Wilson: A Beach Boys
Story Peter Jones
Production, Ltd; Written by Peter Jones and Morgan
Neville; Directed by Morgan Neville, 100 min. Released
October 26, 1999
Cast (in
credits order)
Brian Wilson ....
Himself
Beau Bridges ....
Himself
(voice)
REVIEW:
A&E's Biography on Brian Wilson is, in my
mind, the best overall introduction to the Beach Boys,
and to its founder. It is a slim, 90-minute
production that manages to touch all of the bases in the
band's career, but also illuminates the life of the shy
and reclusive Mr. Wilson, and shows him to be a funny,
gentle soul. Biography has done a masterful job of
obtaining vintage, rare home video of the Wilsons, both
of Brian and his brothers, and wound it together with
the obligatory interviews with close friends and family,
who all put their spin on the hard-to define
Brian. The treatment here works, and I put the
credit mostly on the finely-tuned script (narrated by
Jeff Bridges), which is succinct and pointed, and on the
previously-mentioned home video segments, which show the
true side of Brian: a funny, disarming man, always
wanting to bring a smile to his friend's faces.
some of those interviewed (David Leaf, Bruce Johnston)
don't add much of anything new here, and still others
seem to have an axe to grind, but overall, I can highly
recommend this film to all.
Radio City Entertainment Presents An
All-Star Tribute To Brian
Wilson Turner Network
Television; Written by David Leaf; Directed by Martin
Gowers, 96 min. Released July 4,
2001
Cast (in alphabetical
order)
Charlotte Caffey
.... Herself (performer)
Belinda
Carlisle .... Herself
David
Crosby ....
Himself - Performer
Cameron Crowe
.... Himself
(presenter)
Vince Gill .... Himself
(performer)
Dennis Hopper ....
Himself (presenter)
Rachel
Hunter .... Herself
(presenter)
Billy Joel .... Himself
(performer)
Elton John .... Himself
(performer)
Aimee Mann .... Herself
(performer)
George Martin ....
Himself (presenter)
Ricky
Martin .... Himself
(performer)
Chazz Palminteri.... Himself
(Host)
Michael Penn .... Himself
(performer)
Darius Rucker ....
Himself (performer)
Carly Simon ....
Herself (performer)
Paul Simon ....
Himself (performer)
Matthew
Sweet .... Himself (performer)
Jimmy
Webb .... Himself (performer)
Jane
Wiedlin .... Herself
Ann
Wilson .... Herself
(performer)
Brian Wilson ....
Himself
Nancy Wilson ....
Herself (performer)
REVIEW:
A loving, occasionally transcendent concert,
the highlight being Brian Wilson on stage singing live,
this Radio City presentation brings together a diverse
roster of stars to sing the songs of Brian Wilson.
Starting out with the enthusiastic, if ill-chosen Ricky
Martin ("Are there any Rhonda's here tonight?") shaking
his bon-bon to "California Girls" and "Help Me Rhonda,"
before being swept off the stage and Chazz Palminteri
taking over as congenial host. The rest of the
program manages to stay on-track and unified, thanks in
part to the more-than-competent accompaniment by Brian's
touring band, with acts as diverse as Paul Simon
(playing a solo guitar and gently reinventing "Surfer
Girl") to Evan and Jaron (who manages to capture Mike
Love's dancing style to a "T"), to Billy Joel (a punchy
Don't Worry Baby), Elton John, Amy Mann and Michael
Penn, Heart, (a roaring take on "Good Vibrations") Vince
Gill (gorgeous on "The Warmth of the Sun," wooden on
"Surf's Up"), David Crosby, Carly Simon, Jimmy
Webb and many more. Surprises include an
appearance by the distinguished Sir George Martin, who
narrates an video piece concerning Brian's studio genius
and influence on the Beatles, and an intense Dennis
Hopper, who fittingly narrates some of the past troubles
of Brian and the Wilson family. But the most
waited-for moment comes at the end, when Brian himself
takes the stage to thunderous applause, genuinely thanks
the crowd and guests for the tribute, and then launches
into a mini-concert, surprising everyone by beginning
with the rarely-performed "Heroes and Villains,"
performing some of "Pet Sounds," and leading the crowd
in an all-star finale of "Barbara Ann." The DVD
release includes a bonus track of Brian singing "Do It
Again" as well. An fine, fun time for participants
and viewers alike.
Brian Wilson On
Tour Sanctuary Group, Inc.
06076-88348-9 [DVD]; Produced by Maggie Magee; Directed
by John Anderson, 77 min. Released April 1,
2003
Cast (in
credits order)
Brian Wilson ....
Himself
Sheryl Crow ....
Herself
Roger Daltrey ....
Himself
Emmylou Harris ....
Herself
Paul McCartney ....
Himself
Patti Smith ....
Herself
Ronnie Spector ....
Herself
Pete Townshend ....
Himself
Eddie Vedder ....
Himself
Neil Young ....
Himself
REVIEW:
An utterly disarming
concert film/documentary of Brian's 2001 tour, along
with supplementary footage of Brian's induction into the
Songwriter's Hall Of Fame, Brian participating in Neil
Young's Bridge School Concert, and interspliced with
backstage interviews and rehearsal footage from the
course of the tour. Comparing this video with
Brian's earlier concert footage from Imagination
reveals that Brian has grown much more comfortable on
stage over the past few years; he jokes with the
audience and with his band; he dances several times
(much to the delight of the crowd); and flashed several
genuine smiles during the show. Brian's delightful
sense of humor is very much in evidence throughout the
program, and the genuine good-will between himself and
his band is infectious. If I have any gripes about
the video, it's that it's too short: a mere 77
minutes, and half of it is backstage banter. For
those who missed Brian's tour and want to see the whole
concert, all that's here is an abbreviated
substitute. For all the press Brian received
during his Pet Sounds concerts, many buyers may assume
that this is a recent, complete show, but it's
neither. But that shouldn't dissuade fans, who'll
find a very nice portrait of Brian, with loving tributes
from his band and celebrities like Pete Townshend, Neil
Young, Sheryl Crow and Ronnie Spector. As Brian
himself commented about this video, it's probably the
most honest, accurate portrayal of Brian that we've seen
on film. Sensitivity warning: there are several
strong profanities included in the course of the film,
which might offend some viewers.
Complete live
concert of Pet Sounds recorded at Royal Festival Hall.
Pet
Stories: The ultimate look at the making of
the original album through new interviews with
Brian, lyricist Tony Asher and others. 40
min.
Brian Wilson
discography: Complete details on every
release from Brian Wilson's solo career
'Pet Sounds
Live' Photo Gallery: A collection of stills
of Brian and the band taken during hte
production of this
DVD
REVIEW: If
there was ever any doubt that Pet Sounds is one
of the greatest, if not the greatest rock album ever,
this document should put those doubts to rest.
This live concert, culled from a sold-out 6-show run
presented at the Royal Festival Hall last year, is
absolutely fabulous. The Beach Boys never played
Pet Sounds live in it's entirety, and here,
with the wonderful band supporting a healthy,
reinvigorated Brian Wilson, well - it rectifies a
staggering oversight on their part. This is an
album that begs to be played in its entirety; to hear
the ebb and flow of emotion that permeates each piece,
to see the childlike joy and wisdom that each song
resonates with is a revelation! Understand that I
never considered Pet Sounds to be the seminal
album it is until I heard it live! Now it seems to
ring with life and meaning. And to see Brian's
face during certain moments: pure happiness during
"Sloop John B," and exhilaration during the band's
extended jam on "Pet Sounds." The only thing
missing is a couple of dogs barking at the end as the
sound of a train roars thorugh the audience.
(Maybe there were dogs barking, but I couldn't hear
them.) In addition to this wonderful concert, the
producers of the DVD have made a stunning 40-minute long
documentary on the creation of Pet Sounds with
long interviews of Brian, Tony Asher, Carol Kaye, Hal
Blaine, and others who took part in it's creation.
The stories are funny, heartwarming, and intuitive; they
create a fine tribute to both Brian, and the
collaborative nature of any album. Sad that none
of the surviving Beach Boys were included, but
it's a great documentary nonetheless. The
concert closes with "Good Vibrations," which makes a
fine link for the planned Smile concerts next
year, and after seeing this document, I can't
wait!
Brian Wilson Presents
SMiLE
Rhino
Home Video 970415 [DVD]; 240 min. Released May 24,
2005
DVD
Features:
Disc
One
Complete documentary "Beautiful
Dreamer" - featuring the story of Smile from
it's conception in 1966 to it's trimphant
performance in 2004.
Bonus performance of "Mrs.
O'Leary's Cow" from Royal Festival Hall, London,
February 2004
Interview Highlights
Theatrical Trailer
Isolated
Soundtrack
Disc
Two
Complete live performance of
SMiLE in Concert
Solo piano performances with
Brian Wilson and friends
Photo Gallery
Recording Session
Featurette
"Heroes and Villains"
contest-winning
video
REVIEW:
An
awsome, three-hour experience, the DVD companion to
SMiLE is a reverent, and worthy addition to the
album - with the video split into two major
segments: the first DVD containing the 90+ minute
documentary "Beautiful Dreamer: Brian Wilson & The
Story of Smile" written and produced by David Leaf and
others, and the second disc containing the full
performance of SMiLE recorded live in
concert. "Beautiful Dreamer" is the lovingly-made
testament to how Brian Wilson conceived, abandoned, and
then found the courage to, after nearly forty years,
finish his masterwork, in the process, discarding
several personal demons which had literally haunted
him. To see the literal unfolding of Brian from a
scared, almost paralyzed individual who was terrified of
revisiting the long-abandoned project, transformed into
a smiling, energized, and liberated soul is the triumph
of this documentary. Video taken at several stages
of the process show Brian seemingly disconnected from
his surroundings during the first vocal rehearsal;
reconnecting with Van Dyke Parks in his efforts to
reconstruct and reshape the incomplete score; his
gradual emergence during the band rehearsals; the
terrifying doubt which gripped him before the first
performance in London, and the triumphant aftermath are
all shown with numerous interviews with band members,
his wife, long-time friends and associates (some of whom
have no real reason to be here.. Jeff Bridges offers
nothing more than a brief comment on how "cool"
SMiLE is). The clips with Brian are
sometimes illuminating, but more often short
declarations which are filled in by those around
him. I was moved to tears by the end, as it
becomes obvious how painful and difficult this process
was for both Wilson and Parks. Mike Love is
painted to be the obvious villain in the story, and
strangely, the drug angle is heavily downplayed.
The bonus interview segments have extended interviews
with Van Dyke and Brian, which is strange and
disjointed, and some softball questions thown at
Brian by David Leaf.
The second disc has an
incredible, vivid 5.1 Surround Sound mix of
SMiLE in a carefully filmed concert, and
Brian looking 10 years younger in an animated,
emotion-filled performance, which is only hampered by
the feeling that the concert has been too carefully
edited, both sound and performances come across as
startlingly clean and mannered. The bonus
20-minute featurette is excellent, showing a revitalized
and in-command Brian directing the recording of
SMiLE in the studio; obviously reborn through
this experience, he's funny, electric, and wearing his
old producer's hat with confidence. The other
features, being several solo piano performances of Brian
and others in the studio is interesting, but not
terribly compelling, and the photo album and fan-created
video of "Heroes and Villains" are great fun. A
great blessing for fans who have been waiting 38 years
for SMiLE to come to life.
MUSICARES: A Tribute To Brian
Wilson
Eagle Vision USA
[DVD]; 82 min., Released February 6,
2007
Tracklisting:
1. I Get
Around - Red Hot Chili Peppers
2. City Blues -
Richie Sambora
3. Sail On Sailor - Jamie Cullum
with Fred Martin & The Levite Camp
4. Brian
Wilson/'Til I Die - Barenaked Ladies
5. I
Just Wasn't Made For These Times - John
Legend
6. When I Grow Up To Be A Man -
Backstreet Boys
7. Surfer Girl - Shelby
Lynne
8. Don't Worry Baby - Michael McDonald
& Billy Preston
9. Surf's Up - Jeff
Beck
10. Surfin' USA - Jeff Beck
11. Don't
Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder) - Earth Wind
& Fire
12. Wouldn't It Be Nice - Darlene
Love
13. Pet Sounds - The Brian Wilson
Band
14. Heroes And Villains - Brian
Wilson
15. Good Vibrations - Brian
Wilson
16. Fun, Fun, Fun - Brian Wilson &
Cast
17. Love And Mercy - Brian Wilson &
Cast
REVIEW: As with most
tribute projects, this Musicares program celebrating the
music and charitable works of Brian Wilson is a
hit-and-miss affair, and I would love to sit in sometime
on the selection process, and see just who was on the
"dream list" and how scheduling conflicts, and other
problems, led to this particular set of artists and
songs. I mean, when the program leads off with a
surreal pairing of The Red Hot Chili Peppers and "I Get
Around" - you just gotta wonder where it's gonna go from
there. But thankfully, we only get one helping of
Flea's pelvic thrusts during the show. Highlights
for me include Richie Sambora's rattling take on "City
Blues"; Jamie Cullum's awesome high-concept gospel
revivalism of "Sail On Sailor" with the Levite
Camp; Michael MacDonald's pairing with Billy
Preston for a soulful "Don't Worry Baby"; Jeff
Beck's jaw-dropping guitar improvisations during
"Surf's Up" and "Surfin' USA"; Earth Wind & Fire's
silky take on "Don't Talk (Put Your Head on My
Shoulder)", and Darlene Love's joyful "Wouldn't It Be
Nice" (I've always loved her voice). Low
spots for me are Shelby Lynne's dead-eyed take on
"Surfer Girl"; John
Legend's pretty-boy crooning on "I Just Wasn't
Made for These Times", and the Backstreet Boys thin,
five-part whining on "When I Grow Up To Be
A Man". Brian and his band finish
off the evening with competent, but wooden takes
on his usual encore pieces, followed by the
obligatory "bring-em-all-back-out" full cast sing
alongs. LOTS of high points to the program,
definitely worth checking out for
fans.