Brian Wilson
★★★★ At My Piano DECCA. CD/DL/LP
A man, a piano and 15 instrumental versions of his songs.
THIS IS Wilson at his piano – alone, no backing band, overdubs or even vocals – playing selections from his songbook in what sounds like an empty room. Remarkably intimate and raw, this must have been how Tony Asher and Van Dyke Parks heard songs like God Only Knows and Surf’s Up before writing those lyrics. The majority – and those that work best in this solitary setting
– are bittersweet, melancholy songs. In My Room and The Warmth Of The Sun, with their left-hand arpeggios, sound simultaneously childlike and sophisticated, while California Girls sounds a bit karaoke. There’s a couple of unexpected tracks, including Sketches Of Smile. Why did he make this album? “Honestly, the piano and the music I create on it has probably saved my life.” One for the fans delighted he’s still here and fascinated by how such classic songs started out.