New Brian Wilson - "Midnight's Another Day"
Michael In Los Angeles sent word on this new Brian Wilson, humbly pointing out it isn't actually a tip because, "Rolling Stone even mentioned it in their last issue." Well, we don't all read RS these days -- shocka! And anyhow, you can't listen to a magazine, even when it is relevant, but you can listen to "Midnight's Another Day" streaming at Wilson's website. As Michael accurately notes, it's an "extended suite thing with Van Dyke Parks ... Vintage Brian." Let's see: Somber piano, bittersweet 'n' lonesome "In My Room"/"I Just Wasn't Made For These Times"-sorta words, those beach-y horns and bells and swooning/rising vocal harmonies ... yup, we concur.
"Midnight's" is part of That Lucky Old Sun (A Narrative), which Wilson says “will consist of five ‘rounds’ with interspersed spoken word.” Reportedly, he heard a 1949 version of "That Lucky Old Sun," grabbed Louis Armstrong's take at Tower Records before the joint went out of business. That Lucky Old Sun premieres September 10th to kick-off a six-night stand at London's Royal Festival Hall, the site of Wilson's 2002 UK solo debut, a full performance of Pet Sounds (he returned in 2004 to give Smile a try). This time he's joined by his 10-piece band as well as "the Stockholm strings and horns" to nail the new one, along with old Beach Boys tunes, and his favorite Fab Four tracks as homage to the 40th Anniversary of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Hey Brian, any plans to bring this thing Stateside?
Posted at 10:41 AM
Tags: Brian Wilson | Van Dyke Parks
That's easily better than anything on his last two solo albums (excluding Smile). Hope to god the rest of the thing holds up.
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This is pretty great. I can't stop playing it. I can't help but wonder what could have been done with this 40 years ago...
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I got to see Brian and his band on the Smile tour,easily one of the best shows I'ver ever seen. Although it was somewhat annoying to see baby boomers and the like ignore the Smile in its entrity and only stand up and dance upon hearing Good Vibrations or Help me Rhonda
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I think Van Dyke Parks should get as much credit as Brian Wilson - I'm sure he is more than just a sideman to Brian Wilson
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Rolling Stone is wrong, Van Dyke Parks had nothing to do with this song. Brian's collaborator on Midnight's Another Day was Scott Bennett.
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This is posted over at Wilson's site: "Brian Wilson teamed with Van Dyke Parks, his old 'sidekick' and lyricist behind Smile, over the past year on the narratives for a new album. The piece features ten songs and five narratives which will be interrupted by That Lucky Old Sun, the narrator telling the story. The five narratives are cameos on life and the heartbeat of Los Angeles."
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