Dennis Wilson, Pacific Ocean Blue: Classic or dud?

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It is beautiful in many parts. Also one of the spookiest titles to me. Actually, one of my favorite LP's.

― Cub, Thursday, 3 April 2003 15:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Classic. As good as "I Am The Cosmos".

― Cozen (Cozen), Thursday, 3 April 2003 15:13 (twenty-two years ago)

I Am the Cosmos is very good, but Chris Bell's voice hurts my ears sometimes. Pacific Ocean Blue is a better album to me.

― Cub, Thursday, 3 April 2003 15:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Dud until I can find an affordable copy. (Why isn't this on cd yet?)

― Charles McCain (Charles McCain), Thursday, 3 April 2003 16:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Hmmm. It's probably a mite bit too traditionally singer-songwriterly for true "classic" status, but POB definitely has some profoundly oceanic moments. I mean, "The River," "Farewell My Friend," and "The End of the Show" are seriously heavy, emotionally and sonically anyway, and take the BB's sound in a direction that was sadly underexplored by the group in the 1970s.

That said, Carl and the Passions' "Cuddle Up" and "Baby Blue" from the otherwise limp LA Light Album are cut from that same deep orchestral cloth, and are pretty terrific as well -- particularly "Baby Blue." Also, Bamboo, the record DW was cutting before he died, was supposed to be going further out in that direction, though I haven't heard it.

I'd say "Demiclassic." Should DEFINITELY be available on CD, though.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Thursday, 3 April 2003 16:21 (twenty-two years ago)

I got my vinyl copy of POB for $4. VG/VG condition. Not very difficult to find if you search well. Preferably in a shop where they think it's some sucky solo Beach Boys garbage.

― Cub, Thursday, 3 April 2003 16:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Classic!!

almost as good as Phillip's "John, Wolfking of LA," the record that Beachwood Sparks owe their entire career to

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Thursday, 3 April 2003 17:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, I found Pacific Ocean Blue for around $3-4 myself a few years back. It turns up. Great record, btw.

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Thursday, 3 April 2003 17:58 (twenty-two years ago)

I've never heard it, what's it like?

― Cozen (Cozen), Thursday, 3 April 2003 17:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Damnit, all I've been finding in the used shpos lately is scratchy Linda Ronstadt and Neil Diamond LPs

― Charles McCain (Charles McCain), Thursday, 3 April 2003 18:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Classic, although Dennis Wilson's singing voice was hardly classic...

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 3 April 2003 18:29 (twenty-two years ago)

"Dennis Wilson's singing voice was hardly classic"

Sometimes he used that to his advantage (see "Got To Know The Woman" on Sunflower Try to imagine one of the other Boys singing that one and not sounding stupid)

― Charles McCain (Charles McCain), Thursday, 3 April 2003 19:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Bad indie joke: I see "Pacific Ocean Blue" and immediately think of a band featuring Ed Balayut, Connie Lovatt, David Schelzel, Steve Lau. . .

― nabisco (nabisco), Thursday, 3 April 2003 19:49 (twenty-two years ago)

"Birds don't Think they're Flying, Drifting, Falling, Between Something and Nothing, Beneath the Rhythm and Sound"

― nabisco (nabisco), Thursday, 3 April 2003 19:50 (twenty-two years ago)

it's better than most (all?) Beach Boys records (and so is Bamboo)

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Friday, 4 April 2003 01:02 (twenty-two years ago)

I also asked a question about it here:

Dennis Wilson - Pacific Ocean Blue

Does anyone have any more info about the reissue?

― James Ball (James Ball), Friday, 4 April 2003 06:52 (twenty-two years ago)

one year passes...

holy fucking hell. i just downloaded parts of this and i'm so blown away. "Time" is one of the most amazing things i've heard in a long, long time

― JaXoN (JasonD), Sunday, 12 September 2004 03:00 (twenty-one years ago)

mmmm this record is terrific. i'll dig it out again tomorrow.

― stockholm cindy (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 12 September 2004 04:15 (twenty-one years ago)

ciscodisc reissued (aka bootlegged)all the dennis beach boys songs as "dreamer" a couple of years ago and i prefer it to either pob or bamboo.

― gaz (gaz), Sunday, 12 September 2004 06:13 (twenty-one years ago)

Epic reissued POB and all the 70s Beach Boys albums on CD around 1990-91 under the "Brother Records" logo. I guess POB disappeared pretty quick. Some idiot reviewer, actually it was me, called it a watery approximation of Brian's studio genius. Wrong! This one's really grown on me, I love it for the unique electronic textures, the sweeping melancholy and Dennis' soulful-burnout vocals. At this point I'd probably rate it higher than the contemporaneous "Beach Boys Love You" (which is also weird and pretty great).
Classic.

― lovebug starski (lovebug starski), Sunday, 12 September 2004 11:22 (twenty-one years ago)

Time is pretty great. But River Song and Thoughts of You are even better.

― Dark Horse, Sunday, 12 September 2004 11:36 (twenty-one years ago)

I've listened to it twice - I don't know if I like it THAT much really. Then again I think I'm alone in reckoning that apart from Little Bird, Dennis's songs were the worst of the Boys' songs.

― dog latin (dog latin), Sunday, 12 September 2004 22:32 (twenty-one years ago)

it's good, but except for moonshine, there isn't much on it that matches his best BB songs (Feelflows and Forever).

― kyle (akmonday), Monday, 13 September 2004 22:12 (twenty-one years ago)

but i do like it more than any beach boys stuff after sunflower

― kyle (akmonday), Monday, 13 September 2004 22:13 (twenty-one years ago)

is this the most expensive album ever? CDs that cost $200?!? LPs even more?? I'm amazed anyone's even fucking heard it! I guess you all must have downloaded it or something...

― Shakey Mo Collier, Monday, 13 September 2004 22:15 (twenty-one years ago)

yes

although there were cds of it at amoeba a year ago

― kyle (akmonday), Monday, 13 September 2004 22:17 (twenty-one years ago)

"Forever" is his most overrated song.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Tuesday, 14 September 2004 03:36 (twenty-one years ago)

so i got the whole thing now and i've listened to it at least three times today. there's just something so thick and warm and full about it. the bass just vibrates so beautifully. what is that? is it a keyboard or some sort of brass instrument? even the vocal harmonies have this thick, bass-y sound to them. in many ways, this album reminds me of robert wyatt without the prog. the sounds, the songs, i dunno. and also a lot of steve miller, which i'd usually pretend i didn't like, but maybe this makes me want to go get some.

i was gonna say the only song on here i don't like is the second one, "What's Wrong." i fucking hate that bluesy rock shuffle shit that they pull out on later BB albums, but i'm listening to it right now and pretending i'm listening to some glam rock band and it's not so bad.

― JaXoN (JasonD), Tuesday, 14 September 2004 04:23 (twenty-one years ago)

"the bass just vibrates so beautifully. what is that? is it a keyboard or some sort of brass instrument?"
My guess is the bass (baritone?) harmonica (sic) that Brian used on "Good Vibrations" era records. Went back and listened to "POB" after reading this thread the other day and wow, what I remembered as sythesized sounds were actually acoustic instruments (perhaps electronically treated?) and yeah, the vocals do have a altered quality to them. The Robt Wyatt comparison feels apt.

― lovebug starski (lovebug starski), Tuesday, 14 September 2004 09:43 (twenty-one years ago)

synthesized...electric instruments...gonna look up the real name of that bass-y harmonica thing.

― lovebug starski (lovebug starski), Tuesday, 14 September 2004 09:54 (twenty-one years ago)

I sold it ages ago. I didn't get $200. It is a very good album, kind of surf-prog.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Tuesday, 14 September 2004 10:59 (twenty-one years ago)

am i alone in hearing a pink floyd vibe in his voice (and often the music too) throughout the record?

― the surface noise (slight return) (electricsound), Sunday, 19 September 2004 23:02 (twenty-one years ago)

i totally, totally hear it.

― JaXoN (JasonD), Monday, 20 September 2004 01:16 (twenty-one years ago)

The guitar in "End of the Show" is seriously Gilmour. But that's it.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Monday, 20 September 2004 11:35 (twenty-one years ago)

so does anyone have Bamboo? or Dreamer? i keep seeing mentions of how to buy boots of these online, but nowhere to actually buy them. i emailed the kids at www.denniswilsondreamer.com but haven't heard any responses. i downloaded what i thought were a bunch of tracks from it last night, but all i got were a bunch of really shitty sounding tracks. the two really good ones (will have to look their titles up later, they're at home) were pretty amazing though. one was tribal prog balladry and the other was just so beautiful i had to listen to it a few times in a row.

― JaXoN (JasonD), Monday, 20 September 2004 15:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Dan hasn't replied at denniswilsondreamer.com? That's surprising — I got both Dreamer and Bamboo there and they're both really well done.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Monday, 20 September 2004 15:56 (twenty-one years ago)

seven months pass...

should i pay 40 for a super clean vinyl version of this even though i have the mp3s? is that completely mad?

― [that bastard] jaxon, Friday, 22 April 2005 04:56 (twenty years ago)

The Back of My Mind is my favorite Dennis track, although it's written by Brian. The most underrated Beach Boys song, imo.

― Cunga (Cunga), Friday, 22 April 2005 05:30 (twenty years ago)

no it's not mad jaxon. i'd like the LP too..

― shine headlights on me (electricsound), Friday, 22 April 2005 05:31 (twenty years ago)

Me too. If anyone wants to swap for the Cd, email me

― A Viking of Some Note (Andrew Thames), Friday, 22 April 2005 06:10 (twenty years ago)

you do cds now andrew????? sign me up (i have this but hey)

― mullygrubbr (bulbs), Friday, 22 April 2005 07:22 (twenty years ago)

No, I prob should tho, sorry. I HAVE the Cd, Caribou/Epic, but I want the VINYL, mmm vinyl. Maybe I should try and get some weirdo to pay $200 for it instead tho.

― A Viking of Some Note (Andrew Thames), Friday, 22 April 2005 07:30 (twenty years ago)

buy a burner you backwoods heathen!

― mullygrubbr (bulbs), Friday, 22 April 2005 07:39 (twenty years ago)

I think there's one around here somewhere, actually.

― A Viking of Some Note (Andrew Thames), Friday, 22 April 2005 07:40 (twenty years ago)

ok. you object fetishist then!

― mullygrubbr (bulbs), Friday, 22 April 2005 07:49 (twenty years ago)

I picked up a Vinyl copy of this a few weeks ago.

― Davel (Davel), Friday, 22 April 2005 08:42 (twenty years ago)

One of Cliff Richard's favourite albums

― Dadaismus (Dada), Friday, 22 April 2005 08:48 (twenty years ago)

one year passes...

did anyone ever turn up a copy of the Bamboo stuff...? I would really love to hear that...

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 4 August 2006 19:06 (nineteen years ago)

I got it here:
http://jefitoblog.com/blog/?p=550

Great stuff though it's not as good as Pacific Ocean Blue.

― Jacobo Rock (jacobo rock), Friday, 4 August 2006 19:13 (nineteen years ago)

Oops, the MP3's are no longer there. Sorry.

― Jacobo Rock (jacobo rock), Friday, 4 August 2006 19:14 (nineteen years ago)

Skipping 74 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

no im pretty sure it was put together by a fan and an engineer that worked with them or some shit. im sure theres info on the web.

"'Til I Die" was indeed mixed by Stephen Desper, the band's engineer. Punch-ins notwithstanding, that mix is a fairly rapturous listen.

― Naive Teen Idol, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 00:33 (eighteen years ago)

two weeks pass...

has the "Dennis Wilson - Forever" movie been posted yet?

http://flasher.com/view_profile.php?profile_id=436

― jaxon, Friday, 30 November 2007 02:58 (eighteen years ago)

so far just interviews of others about him.

― jaxon, Friday, 30 November 2007 02:59 (eighteen years ago)

yeah, i posted that upthread, it wasn't so interesting tho

― gershy, Friday, 30 November 2007 03:53 (eighteen years ago)

two weeks pass...

this is a great shrooms album

― max, Saturday, 15 December 2007 21:27 (eighteen years ago)

He is certainly into doing interview old Brian. Even though his comments do tend to make only slightly more sense than an interview with Syd Barret pre-death would have done.

― Geir Hongro, Saturday, 15 December 2007 23:42 (eighteen years ago)

whats that one that starts real slow then has this huge horn-heavy ending? love that song

― deej, Saturday, 15 December 2007 23:48 (eighteen years ago)

"time"

― max, Sunday, 16 December 2007 00:10 (eighteen years ago)

banger

― deej, Sunday, 16 December 2007 00:11 (eighteen years ago)

"friday night" thru "time" is an amazing stretch

― max, Sunday, 16 December 2007 00:13 (eighteen years ago)

yeah friday night is really where the album picks up i think ... the first couple songs are good but i tend to skip them

― deej, Sunday, 16 December 2007 00:19 (eighteen years ago)

one month passes...

oh man.... Big Sur on Landlocked. cant stop listening.

― chaki, Thursday, 31 January 2008 23:34 (eighteen years ago)

two months pass...

so this rekkid just came in the mail…

jesus christ! he's not much of a singer, but some of these toonz are like Scott's shit on Nite Flights.

I wonder, given how fucked up DW was at the time, how much of the music he came up with, or its from Ricky Fataar or Bruce. James Jamerson is somewhere in there too…

― Veronica Moser, Friday, 4 April 2008 14:48 (seventeen years ago)

I wouldn't credit much of this to Bruce, doesn't seem like its his style and he's publicly slagged the album and worked to prevent its re-release. Fataar = eh who knows. Denny's primary collaborator at the time seemed to be Darryl Dragon aka the Captain.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Friday, 4 April 2008 15:58 (seventeen years ago)

he also worked a lot with Gregg Jakobson: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregg_Jakobson

I wonder, given how fucked up DW was at the time, how much of the music he came up with,

it wasn't like he kept a disciplined schedule. it took him YEARS to put just a single solo album together. So yeah, Dennis had collaborators, but i think this is chiefly his vision.

― QuantumNoise, Friday, 4 April 2008 16:17 (seventeen years ago)

two weeks pass...

wow. "Companion" from the Bamboo sessions is just...amazing

― dell, Thursday, 24 April 2008 19:50 (seventeen years ago)

one year passes...

^^^^ this just came on via itune shuffle and I came looking for a thread to say exactly that

― iatee, Sunday, 17 January 2010 06:21 (sixteen years ago)

aye companion is brilliant - where that extended version with all the percussion at that was always on the old bambu bootlegs?!?

― out comes stanley, Sunday, 17 January 2010 16:06 (sixteen years ago)

one month passes...

Did anyone catch the Dennis Wilson documentary on BBC4 this weekend? Didn't see it myself but recorded it

― Roger Sánchez Broto (vain_bowers), Monday, 1 March 2010 11:44 (fifteen years ago)

you guys get all the good music docs

― mark roflr (Shakey Mo Collier), Monday, 1 March 2010 16:47 (fifteen years ago)

thirteen years pass...

God this album. when I get into the mental state I'm in right now, this is the only BB-affiliated album I can listen to.

"Moonshine" and "Friday Night" have an incredible intensity to them, back to back. a peaceful despair, for lack of a better description.

I love husky Dennis vocals but man it's such a sad listen.

― real warm grandpa (Neanderthal), Saturday, 7 October 2023 03:13 (two years ago)

ok "Thoughts of You" is too much right now but it's so damn good.

― real warm grandpa (Neanderthal), Saturday, 7 October 2023 03:21 (two years ago)

once played the title track for a studying-to-be marine biologist/lead guitar in the band on the way to a gig, "YEESS finally somebody gets it!"

such a good album, I often pretend to live in a world where bambu came out and was a massive hit and the coolest beach boy lived many more years just being awesome and stewarding and doing cool shit with Daryl Dragon

― Florin Cuchares, Saturday, 7 October 2023 08:47 (two years ago)

https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.redd.it%2Fg8p8uh5yy6y91.jpg%3Fwidth%3D1280%26format%3Dpjpg%26auto%3Dwebp%26s%3D19270ad16da171844e89efd6a1d9a8460a74da7d

― buzza, Saturday, 7 October 2023 09:25 (two years ago)

https://i.imgur.com/lhqNnBy.png

― buzza, Saturday, 7 October 2023 09:29 (two years ago)

Christine's not having it.

― hat trick of trashiness (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 7 October 2023 10:02 (two years ago)

what are they drinking, screwdrivers? margaritas? (the glasses seem wrong)

― buzza, Saturday, 7 October 2023 10:36 (two years ago)

So did happen.

― The First Time Ever I Saw Gervais (Tom D.), Saturday, 7 October 2023 11:23 (two years ago)

coolest beach boy lived many more years just being awesome and stewarding

reminder that when dennis died he was married to his cousin's daughter whom he knocked up when she was 16 just to spite said cousin 🤷🏻‍♀️

― kurt schwitterz, Saturday, 7 October 2023 11:29 (two years ago)

Yes, he was far from awesome personally

― The First Time Ever I Saw Gervais (Tom D.), Saturday, 7 October 2023 11:32 (two years ago)

Carl is the coolest BB followed by Al

― kurt schwitterz, Saturday, 7 October 2023 11:34 (two years ago)

https://i.imgur.com/RDJ7dKo.jpg

― Dr Drudge (Bob Six), Saturday, 7 October 2023 12:02 (two years ago)

Worth a colorised version

― Dr Drudge (Bob Six), Saturday, 7 October 2023 12:02 (two years ago)

can't believe someone who was repeatedly beaten by his father turned out fucked up and a substance abuser

― buzza, Saturday, 7 October 2023 12:26 (two years ago)

not sure how accurate the color is on that but now thinking tequila sunrise might be the answer, fits timeline-wise

― buzza, Saturday, 7 October 2023 12:46 (two years ago)

Cousin mentioned above was Mike right? What was D’s problem with him?

― calstars, Saturday, 7 October 2023 12:57 (two years ago)

Everyone has problems with Mikeove.

― The First Time Ever I Saw Gervais (Tom D.), Saturday, 7 October 2023 13:15 (two years ago)

...Mike Love,,, I think I need a new phone.

― The First Time Ever I Saw Gervais (Tom D.), Saturday, 7 October 2023 13:15 (two years ago)

I mean to that extent

― calstars, Saturday, 7 October 2023 13:25 (two years ago)

Well they both considered themselves Lotharios, so there was that rivalry too.

― The First Time Ever I Saw Gervais (Tom D.), Saturday, 7 October 2023 13:27 (two years ago)

Dennis also younger, more handsome and not bald.

― The First Time Ever I Saw Gervais (Tom D.), Saturday, 7 October 2023 13:29 (two years ago)

While those do look like tequila sunrises, screwdrivers were Dennis’s jam IIRC.

As for the cousin, yes, it was Mike. He had a daughter out of wedlock that Dennis seemingly sought out and got pregnant and had a kid with right near the end. Mike and Dennis had a super contentious relationship the whole way but worked on some music together including the title track of this record.

― Naive Teen Idol, Saturday, 7 October 2023 13:43 (two years ago)

Mikes brother kicked the shit out of him a few years earlier and punched him in the throat which contributed to his rough vocals

― kurt schwitterz, Saturday, 7 October 2023 14:11 (two years ago)

(stan love father of future laker kevin love)

― kurt schwitterz, Saturday, 7 October 2023 14:11 (two years ago)

Happy families.

― The First Time Ever I Saw Gervais (Tom D.), Saturday, 7 October 2023 14:21 (two years ago)

He's sexy as fuck, but I don't want him putting his disease in me.

― hat trick of trashiness (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 7 October 2023 14:21 (two years ago)

I also guesses tequila sunrises

― brimstead, Saturday, 7 October 2023 17:20 (two years ago)

guessed. dammit.

― brimstead, Saturday, 7 October 2023 17:20 (two years ago)

can't believe someone who was repeatedly beaten by his father turned out fucked up and a substance abuser
― buzza

i mean cycle of abuse is a thing. he was good-looking and a good songwriter but every goddamn song of his sounds like him feeding lines to the latest girlfriend who caught him fucking around behind her back.

― Kate (rushomancy), Saturday, 7 October 2023 18:01 (two years ago)

the dennis wilson expy in _summer fun_ is interesting, he winds up (spoilers for _summer fun_) committing suicide alongside his lover, the phil spector expy

i kind of like the "american graffiti" ending in this case because it takes the characters in directions which are different from the paths their real-life models took, but still plausible

― Kate (rushomancy), Saturday, 7 October 2023 18:08 (two years ago)

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