It's a marvel of modern science that you can kick back in bed and watch TV from a week ago on you're laptop whenever you want, isn't it?
Even someone like me who struggles to get my head round these things has embraced it, and fortunately, unlike the other stupidly lazy innovations technology has brought us, this one allows you to catch brilliant bits of TV that you otherwise sidelined for a can of Red Stripe and the fottball.
Dennis Wilson : The Real Beach Boy was one of the shows that had caught my eye in the schedule that I'd missed because it was on at 10pm on a Friday night... scheduling heresy against one of the unsung heroes of 60's and 70's America.
BBC 4, in co-pro with a US production team and Lime Pictures, brought to life a man that exuded charm, sexuality, beauty, anger and pain in enough abundance to kick Marlon Brando in the nuts. One story proved this, when in their early clean cut years the boys had attracted hoards of girls and were confronted by a group of jealous lads, only for Dennis to boot one so hard in his scrotum that it split.
It's kind of become 'cool' to talk about The Beach Boys as the best band of the 60's after a renaissance of brilliant early albums, Pet Sounds, the final filmic release of Smile in 2004 and of course Dennis's lost album Pacific Ocean Blue with Bambou in 2008.
The group had become aligned with cheesey surf tracks, epic live stadium perfrormances, brilliantly shiny 80's letterman jackets and the kokomo from cocktail (an admitted guilty pleasure). But, in the last few years as people's record collections have spread, vinyls have come back into play, and labels have cashed in on 40/50th anniversaries, the Boys are back.
But lets go back to the early days, the days where the blue collar Wilson family all reacted in their own way to the torment of a vicious father until forming the tightest vocal group of their time. Brian, the genius, battled with his Dad's jealousy, suffering deafness in one ear from a suspected clout from 'Pop'. Carl was meek. Dennis, was far from it, escaping to the beach, meeting girls, surfing, and bringing a pre-ordained James Dean quality and credibility to what, otherwise, was a motley bunch of gawky kids.
In my opinion it probably is the best solo album of any of the band mates, of which only Brian and Dennis can actual stake a real claim to having produced. But, lets not forget that Pet Sounds, which only featured snippets of the other band members, could probably be called a solo effort for Brian. Pacific Ocean Blue, with a couple of tracks at least, can stand up against that, his brothers greatest creation... even if he still comes a distant second.
This summer I'd suggest getting out there and buying Pacific Ocean Blue. The sound of the summer will definitely be harmony based, trad and folk with a rocky edge, think Vampire Weekend, the Mumford's hitting the festival scene, etc. You'll see how epic this record is, and influential on great 80's bands as well as modern heroes like the Foo Fighters and other US groups. Also, you'll look pretty fucking cool, because Dennis, was fucking cool
Huge tracks to listen out for and spread the word about are River Song, Pacific Ocean Blue and Thoughts of You... painful, beautiful, epic and basically, just cool tracks.
Sure it was released in 2008, but if anything the summers were shit then, lets hope for an Endless Summer this year, listening to his gravelly tones Forever.... what a cheap pun...
http://www.pacificoceanblue.net/
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