Tortured Soul

Dennis Wilson's only officially released album from 1977, Pacific Ocean Blue, finally gets the CD treatment in 2008. And it's definitely going to be a much talked about reissue. This is a haunting piece of work. Wilson was full of drugs and alcohol by this time, and also in and out of love, and it all shows up in the lyrics. The music is not entirely a departure from the Beach Boys. But I hear more Elton John piano and California mid-70's sound than Beach Boys. But it's the lyrics that will haunt you, and Wilson's voice, sounding a lot like ZZ Top's Billy Gibbon's, is tortured enough to bring it off. If you're expecting songs of Cars, Girls, Beaches and good times, this isn't for you. Also included in the reissue is Bambu, the never-released followup, becasue Wilson couldn't get his act together to finish it. This is less tortured and a more straight-forward pop-rock release. But what's here is good enough. Because this music hasn't been heard from in years, unless you have the vinyl or a bootleg or a stolen mp3, this will be an eye-opener for all first-timers.