03/10/2026
Brian Wilson (Self - Titled)
Released: July 12th 1988
This self titled album by Brian Wilson marked a return to his recording/music career, recorded over the span of one year across 11 different studios, which was a tactic Brian typically used, a method inspired from Phil Spector, attempting to "play the studio", experimenting with different spaces and their individual acoustics.
This album featured guest appearances as contributors from notable names such Jeff Lynne, Christopher Cross, and Nick Laird-Clowes, just to name a few.
Released by Sire & Reprise Records, Brian Wilson would go on to mark this album, "The spiritual successor of Pet Sounds" a prior album recorded while still with the Beach Boys in 1966. The album was produced by Wilson himself, but Eugene Landy, his recently hired therapist, began a long legal strain after making Brian label him as Executive Producer to gain royalties and rights over this, and future albums.
Notable tracks from this album include:
- Love & Mercy
- Walkin The Line
- Melt Away
- Baby Let Your Hair Grow Long
- Meet Me In Your Dreams Tonight
Though the album had a good production with Brian having majority of creative control, it still failed to chart well in the U.S reaching only number 54.
This album is in immaculate condition, and sits high on my top 10 amongst my so far roughly 300 album collection. Brian dedicated this album to the two whom couldn't hear it, one of which being his younger brother Dennis, who had drowned after an afternoon of drinking 5 years prior in 1983.
