By Ken Paulson
Brian Wilson wrapped up his two-night stand at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville last night with a generous set that included the full Pet Sounds album. Playing with a remarkable band that included Beach Boys veterans Al Jardine and Blondie Champlin, Wilson offered up most of the big hits, along with lesser known treats like “Wild Honey,” “Salt Lake City” and the international hit “Cottonfields.”
Oddly, Wilson described the latter – composed by Leadbelly – as a song that he and Jardine wrote. He said the same thing about Sloop John B, traditional folk song that he arranged. Wilson is a better songwriter than historian.
It’s no secret that Brian Wilson has not been comfortable on a stage for a half-century, and obviously he doesn’t have the voice he once had. Still the songs remain rich and powerful and it’s a privilege to hear the composer sing his own “God Only Knows,” bathed in extraordinary harmonies from his first-rate band.
A beautiful night of reverence at @TheRyman for @BrianWilsonLive. My review: https://t.co/EKyJVMdqb5 pic.twitter.com/ibd1XbWY1e
— Dave Paulson (@ItsDavePaulson) September 17, 2016
saw Brian Wilson last night. Amazing show! crazy difficult to get good footage and be discrete. But here’s the… https://t.co/Un6QINj9EL
— The Dude (@thedailyvinyl) September 18, 2016