Pacific Ocean Blue

Much is made of his older brother Brian's tortured genius, but Beach Boys drummer Dennis Wilson had his own deeply artistic statement to make--one he made with moody, heartrending beauty and fathomless, soulful introspection on his 1977 masterpiece, Pacific Ocean Blue. Besides being the first solo album by a member of the Beach Boys, Pacific Ocean Blue is a lost classic of '70s West Coast rock, a richly orchestrated opus that swaths the singer-songwriter's delicate and profoundly personal observations in epic, wide-screen arrangements that easily match the drama of the celluloid blockbusters made in his Hollywood back yard.

Awash in studio strings and layered, breathy melodies, the piano-sprinkled balladry of tracks like "Thoughts of You" and "End of the Show" offer glimpses of a more tender, wounded, and never-before-seen side of this most famously free-spirited Beach Boys member; while such ecology-themed meditations as "River Song" (which boasts flashes of hard rock) and the title cut reflect other topics close to the drummer's heart. But despite the album's more serious subject matter, the Beach Boys' good-time pop is still firmly on deck with the horn-pumping R&B of "What's Wrong" and the sunshine lilt of "Rainbows." No wonder Brian Wilson himself is one of Pacific Ocean Blue's biggest fans.

Sundazed's stunning three-LP edition of this unheralded landmark comes in a lavishly illustrated triple-gatefold sleeve housing a newly mastered version of the original album along with two additional LPs containing Dennis Wilson's absolute finest unreleased solo work, including the fascinating material he recorded for Pacific Ocean Blue's intended follow-up, Bambu--all pressed on gorgeous, high-definition, "Pacific Ocean" blue vinyl. A cult classic that's truly worthy of this sumptuous and magnificent-sounding package, this is one wave no Beach Boys fan will want to miss.

Apart from the non-release of Smile, the biggest lament of hardcore Beach Boys fans is that Bruce Johnston aside, none of the non-Brian Wilson solo albums are available on CD. But now, for fans of late drummer Dennis Wilson, there's reason to celebrate as his only-released solo album gets the reissue it deserves. Widely acknowledged as the finest Beach Boys solo effort, it's now presented with clarity, allowing the full sonic palette--the punch of opening "River Song" for example--to be heard in its intended glory. Wilson's raspy vocal may have been past its prime, but it's still affecting and ably supported by the sumptuous production values he gave the album. With high quality tracks such as the funky "Dreamer" and the poignant "Farewell My Friend", this will appeal to anyone with even a passing interest in The Beach Boys, as well as a delight for hardcore fans as the unreleased tracks (from the unfinished follow up Bambu, easily match the original's quality. While the disappointing absence of earlier singles ("Lady" or "Sound of Free") prevents this from being a definitive career anthology, this is as essential a Beach Boys artefact as Pet Sounds or Sunflower/Surf's Up. -–Thom Allott