Jem Records Celebrates Brian Wilson

Various Artists

Jem Records

Originally released in 2021 and reissued to mark his passing, this delightful tribute mostly sticks to the early 60s Beach Boys hits, with “Love And Mercy” by The Gold Needles from 1988 rounding things out.

Wilson did much to build up the California myth of fun in the sun, so most of these songs are about surfing, cruising, and love, but what songs! “Girl, Don’t Tell Me” by The Anderson Council, “Warmth of The Sun” by The Weeklings, “I Get Around” by Richard Barone and Johnathan Pushkar, and “Hang Onto Your Ego” performed here by Nick Piunti (and better than Frank Black's cover of this song) are prime examples.

Pet Sounds and Smile are also celebrated here, the former with “Pet Sounds (Story)” by Lisa Mychols and SUPER 8, and “Heroes & Villains” by The Grip Weeds for the latter. Both are wonderful, but both also show Wilson sinking into his disability.

When you celebrate Brian’s legacy – and every single track here is a reason to celebrate – do it without celebrating his illness or crediting it falsely for his creativity: for his family, his friends, and even more importantly for the music. These covers are faithful to the originals, no big departures in style. Beach Boys fans will enjoy them, and for new listeners it's a great introduction. The world needs his music now, and forever, so pick this up, and have a blast.

Andrea Weiss