Posts Tagged ‘Scott Bennett’

  
Tuesday, November 10th, 2009

CD Review: Taylor Mills, “Under the Surface”

by Ken Shane

Taylor Mills - Under the SurfaceFor the follow up to her fine 2007 album Lullagoodbye, Taylor Mills has once against enlisted the help of her Brian Wilson Band colleague Scott Bennett, as well as her husband, drummer Todd Sucherman. Bennett, who was a key collaborator on Wilson’s most recent album That Lucky Old Sun, is responsible for eight of the songs on Under the Surface (Aqua Pulse Records). He and Sucherman produced the album and played all the instruments, save for the flugelhorn and trumpet parts on “I Wanna Stay Home,” and “If We Let Go” which were played by Probyn Gregory, another member of the Wilson Band.

As a songwriter, Bennett often mines the same territory that Bruce Springsteen did on Tunnel of Love, albeit from a pop perspective. His lovers are committed, but at the same time frightened, and unsure of what the future might bring. In Taylor Mills he has found the perfect foil for this material. Mills has a big voice, full of yearning, but she never feels the need to resort to the sort of “vocalizing” that many of the popular divas of the day traffic in. She sings the songs as if the message is more important than any glare that the spotlight might cast on her. It’s a very endearing quality for a singer to possess.

There is nothing overwrought about Under the Surface. In keeping with the effectively direct vocals, everyone involved keeps it simple and to the point. Though nice production touches abound, nothing sounds fussed over. Listen to “Just a Second” to get what I’m talking about. (more…)

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Thursday, January 15th, 2009

DVD Review: “That Lucky Old Sun”

by Ken Shane

That Lucky Old Sun DVDRolling Stone writer David Wild makes a very good point in the feature-length documentary Going Home that is central to the That Lucky Old Sun DVD (January 27, Capitol/EMI). To paraphrase, he says that a lot of people who love Brian Wilson’s music love Brian the person as well, because Brian has been so open about his vulnerability and fragility. He then suggests that, in light of the powerful work that Wilson has been creating in recent years, it may be missing the point to focus on his frailties, and perhaps we should consider his extraordinary strengths. I guess that’s why Rolling Stone writers get the big money.

Questions have been raised about how hands-on Brian really is in the creation of his new music. Going Home spends a lot of time making sure we know just how involved he really is in the process. Cynics will say that the film is edited to provide an idealized portrait of the artist at work. Maybe Brian Wilson’s music is not for cynics. I know that I’m convinced that Brian’s powers as a composer, producer, and arranger remain largely intact.

For me, the best parts of the documentary are when we see Brian at work in the studio. This is a rare look at a master in his element. There is no question that he knows exactly what he wants, and how to get it. I also enjoyed the footage of old California from Brian’s early days, providing a sense of place for the emergence of his music. Going Home, directed by George Dougherty, is a fascinating look at the creation of That Lucky Old Sun and the California myth that inspired it. The fact is, as is pointed out here, that the myth was largely created by Brian Wilson’s music in the first place. (more…)

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Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008

Live Music: Brian Wilson, Wellmont Theatre, Montclair, NJ, 11/23/08

by Ken Shane

He’s 67 years old now. The still-full head of hair is graying. There are a few extra pounds around the midsection of the once lanky frame. His eyes reflect a sadness that most of us will never understand. Remarkably, especially given his tragic history, Brian Wilson is writing and producing some of the most vital music of his career these days. His most recent album, That Lucky Old Sun, is a nostalgic look back at the southern California of his childhood, a place defined by a mythos that no one was more responsible for creating than Wilson himself.

To call Brian Wilson a cult figure seems a little odd considering how many records he’s sold during his career, and yet to some extent, that’s what he is these days. Yes, there are Beach Boys fans, a surprising number of young people among them, who will come out to hear the hits, and Brian and his stellar band deliver those every night. These same people are likely to go to a show by the band, led by Mike Love and Bruce Johnston, that tours as the Beach Boys these days. But there are hardcore Brian Wilson fans who want nothing to do with Mike Love. They are there to hear Brian’s newest music, and not just one song, but the entire album, start to finish. Over the last few years, Brian has rewarded those fans with full takes on his masterpieces, Pet Sounds and SMiLE, and now, a performance of his latest opus, That Lucky Old Sun.

Until recently, the Wellmont Theatre in Montclair, NJ, was a down-at-the-heels old movie theater surrounded by a community that was rapidly gentrifying. New ownership entered the picture, and they have done a miraculous job of restoring the old place, which re-opened in October. Not only is the theater looking and sounding great, but get this, the staff is actually polite and seems grateful for your business. Imagine that if you can. The Wellmont is a perfect example of the fact that we don’t need to cover every inch of ground space with new buildings when wonderful older buildings are awaiting restoration. (more…)

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Wednesday, September 3rd, 2008

Listening Booth: Brian Wilson, “That Lucky Old Sun”

by Ken Shane

Brian Wilson – That Lucky Old Sun
purchase this album (Amazon)

“Genius is the ability to make something very complex seem very simple.”

There goes my lead. Brian Wilson speaks to The Guardian, and all of a sudden my starting point is gone. I was going to begin my review of That Lucky Old Sun by saying that it isn’t a work of genius, but rather a very accomplished songwriter, producer, and arranger. I based that statement on the fact that the album is a group of well-written pop songs, beautifully arranged and produced in a fairly straightforward manner.

The problem is, by Wilson’s definition, That Lucky Old Sun is genius. I am reminded once again that only the greats manage to make it look easy.

This album is easily Wilson’s best solo work apart from Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE, and is certainly more accessible than that historic album. Most importantly, That Lucky Old Sun continues Brian’s unlikely but determined comeback as he continues to battle the lingering effects of drug abuse and mental illness. His singing, and speaking (more about that later), are more assured and self-confident than they have been since the glory days of the Beach Boys, and he has surrounded himself with a band that loves his music, and has the talent to prove it. I’ve seen numerous Brian Wilson shows over the last few years, and I have never failed to be impressed by the band’s ability to turn the respect that they have for the composer into musical bliss for the audience.

That Lucky Old Sun also marks Wilson’s return to the scene of some of his greatest triumphs, as well as some of his most profound tragedies, Capitol Records. It was recorded at Capitol’s Hollywood studios, where he first recorded in 1962.

The album itself is a series of songs, co-written with multi-instrumentalist and band member Scott Bennett, created in tribute to Wilson’s hometown of Los Angeles. The songs are linked together by four short narratives, written by longtime Wilson collaborator Van Dyke Parks and spoken by Wilson. According to Wilson, he found himself singing the 1949 classic song “That Lucky Old Sun” last summer. He went out and purchased the Louis Armstrong version, and that became the seed for the work that had its world premiere at Royal Festival Hall in London last September. (more…)

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