Love That Album Podcast Episode 117 - Dennis Wilson "Pacific Ocean Blue"

10/26/18 • 44 min

Since the 1995 documentary “I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times” was released, ex Beach Boy Brian Wilson has deservedly undergone a resurgence in popularity. Musicians and fans have been reminded about the brilliance of Wilson’s melodies and arrangements as well as his troubled past. However, what most people don’t recall is that brother Dennis had also inherited some of that Wilson compositional brilliance. In 1977, he released an album called Pacific Ocean Blue – the only solo album released in his lifetime (Bambu was partly recorded, discarded, then released as a bootleg). In 2008, the album was given a brilliant CD re-release with Bambu and other bonus cuts - the ever so cheerful rock critic Robert Christgau rated it a "bomb". Yeah whatever, Rob.... I'm on my own for this episode (please take pity on me - the episode is mercifully short) to talk about the musical expectations of a solo album held for a Beach Boys drummer, Pacific Ocean Blue's themes, the troubled state of mind I imagine Wilson was in to write some of these songs, and how ultimately the two sides of the record reflect the two sides of Dennis himself. You can download the show from Spotify, iTunes (search for “Love That Album podcast”) or from the website at http://lovethatalbum.blogspot.com. Send the show feedback at [email protected] (written or mp3 voicemail) or join the Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/lovethatalbum. If you’d consider writing an iTunes review or recommending the show to a friend, I’d be immensely grateful.

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Previous Episode

Love That Album Podcast episode 116 - Emmylou Harris "Wrecking Ball"

I'm a huge admirer of people who drastically changes they way they do things because they have no satisfaction from the “tried and true” way. This is especially true of musicians. Most of the greatest ones challenged their audiences to accept them for who they wanted to be, not what they previously were. Welcome to episode 116 of Love That Album podcast. By 1995, Emmylou Harris needed creative change, so she met with the hot producer of the day Daniel Lanois and made Wrecking Ball. This was an album that was far removed from the country styles of Elite Hotel, Pieces of the Sky or Roses In The Snow. She picked songs from well beloved songwriters and was backed by a band whose sound was a long way from the Hot Band. This was not a rejection of her past, merely an opportunity for her to see what else she could do. Shane Pacey from Sydney funk and blues outfits The Bondi Cigars and The Shane Pacey Trio joins the show for the first time. Shane and I discuss all manner of songwriting and arrangements on this album and what made it one of our favourite records of the nineties. A huge thanks to Shane not only for being a part of the show, but for his patience in sticking around while I sorted through technical difficulties which nearly killed the podcast for good (I kid you not). This was not an easy show to record, and when the solution was found, it became one of the more challenging shows I've had to edit. Technology can be a wonder, but when it turns on you, it can be vindictive.....thanks to communication tool starting with S for making this show a....memorable one. Problem now sorted. Rant Over. Dave Blom returns with an Album I Love segment to talk about the album Big Big Love from Perth band Little Birdy from 2004. My gratitude to Dave for covering for Eric while he takes a break. Dave knows and loves music. You can download the show from iTunes (search for “Love That Album podcast”) or from the website at http://lovethatalbum.blogspot.com. You can listen to Shane's music and order albums from http://bondicigars.com/ or keep in touch with his activities at https://www.facebook.com/bondicigars. Both of his bands are fantastic and worthy of your attention. Blues with a groove. Send the show feedback at [email protected] (written or mp3 voicemail) or join the Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/lovethatalbum. If you’d consider writing an iTunes review or recommending the show to a friend, we’d be immensely grateful. If you enjoy what you hear, please tell a friend or ten to tune in.

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Next Episode

Love That Album podcast Episode 118 - Wangaratta Festival of Jazz and Blues Interview Special

I love a music festival. It had been a long while since I last went to one, so a few months back I decided to book a weekend away at the Victorian rural town of Wangaratta and attend their annual Festival of Jazz And Blues. I’d promised myself that I’d attend the fest years ago...this year I finally did it. “But hey”, I thought to myself, “why not incorporate the podcast into the weekend????” With the approval of the festival PR, I was granted media access and was allowed to approach musicians for interviews. Welcome to episode 118 of Love That Album podcast. The beauty of a festival is you can wander from stage to stage and take risks with seeing performers you’d never heard before as well as long time favourites. So it is for the show, I approached 4 musicians - two drummers I’d long been a fan of and two guitarists I only became aware of as a result of the festival. All were wonderful musically and as interview subjects. Drummers Anthony Shortte (formerly of Collard Greens and Gravy, currently of Opelousas), and David Jones (Pyramid, Atmasphere, Peter Cupples Band, Third Ear and many others) are very different stylistically, but I’m a huge fan of them both and they told great stories of their passion for their music and how they approach their playing. Guitarists Alex Stuart and Ben Hauptmann were new to me. Both graduated from ANU in Canberra, but both take a different approach to their composition and arrangement. In each case though, their music tells stories of their experiences and responses to those experiences. Their recorded work and their live performances were highlights of the festival. Regardless of whether you know these musicians or their work (or even care for jazz and blues music), if you like hearing about creativity and how life inspires one's art, you’ll (hopefully) enjoy these discussions. I feel privileged to have been a part of them. You can download the podcast from Spotify, iTunes (search for “Love That Album podcast”) or from the website at http://lovethatalbum.blogspot.com. You can follow the artists via these means: Opelousas: https://www.facebook.com/Opelousas-Band-428336044323888/ Alex Stuart: http://www.alex-stuart.com/ Ben Hauptmann: http://benhauptmann.com/ David Jones: https://davidjonesdrums.com/ Send the show feedback at [email protected] (written or mp3 voicemail) or join the Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/lovethatalbum. If you’d consider writing an iTunes review or recommending the show to a friend, I’d be immensely grateful.

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