Pacific Ocean Blue/Bambu (The Caribou Sessions): Legacy Edition

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Editorial reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review
blockquote Apart from the non-release of iSmile/i, the biggest lament of hardcore Beach Boys fans is that Bruce Johnston aside, none of the non-Brian Wilson solo albums are available on CD. But now, for fans of late drummer Dennis Wilson, there's reason to celebrate as his only-released solo album gets the reissue it deserves. Widely acknowledged as the finest Beach Boys solo effort, it's now presented with clarity, allowing the full sonic palette--the punch of opening "River Song" for example--to be heard in its intended glory. Wilson's raspy vocal may have been past its prime, but it's still affecting and ably supported by the sumptuous production values he gave the album. With high quality tracks such as the funky "Dreamer" and the poignant "Farewell My Friend", this will appeal to anyone with even a passing interest in The Beach Boys, as well as a delight for hardcore fans as the unreleased tracks (from the unfinished follow-up iBambu/i), easily match the original's quality./blockquote blockquoteWhile the disappointing absence of earlier singles ("Lady" or "Sound of Free") prevents this from being a definitive career anthology, this is as essential a Beach Boys artefact as iPet Sounds/i or iSunflower/Surf's Up/i. i-–Thom Allott/i/blockquote

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Customer reviews

review by: nickblack19 date: 2009-07-02 rating:
Overhyped
Gorgeous packaging but what clearly appeals to Beachboys fans might not appeal to the rest of us. So have a care. br / br /First of all... Dennis Wilson looks grim and miserable in pretty much all of the photos on the CD. That says a lot about the music. It is melancholy, but melancholy plus good backing harmonies do not necessarily a classic make. br / br /Dennis' voice is indeed a rasp. He certainly held some of the shadow side of the group, but... again... rasp plus shadow side do not necessarily a classic make. br / br /In the end, i guess, it's just a matter of taste. But the voice does get a little tiring after a while. The stand out tracks are the slow ballads... check out the gorgeous "Only with You" snuggled in towards the end of the first CD. The second CD? Not for casual listening. br / br /Anyway, bless Dennis, he was certainly creatively overlooked and this reissue readdresses the balance. But this is no "Surf's Up", however you look at it. And Brian W still remains the musical genius of the family.

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review by: durangoDave date: 2009-04-09 rating:
Perhaps the real soul of the Beach Boys...?
As a huge fan of Brian Wilson, it was only quite recently that I learnt of the existence of an album by his younger brother, the real beach boy of the band, Dennis. br / br /To say that I was knocked over by Pacific Ocean Blue is an understatement. It instantly became one of my favourite albums. It is undoubtedly a work of extraordinary musical breadth, combining both the sublime harmonies and melodies of his brother's band, with a soulful edge that utilises his blues-tinged voice to great effect. br / br /For me, this is the best, and certainly the most consistent, album produced by any of the Wilson family. This double CD package also includes the recordings that Dennis was making for his tentatively titled 'Bambu' project, and the hidden gem 'Holy Man' as finished by Foo Fighters drummer, Taylor Hawkins. The saddest thing about this CD is that it highlights how much more Dennis had to offer.

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review by: date: 2009-03-31 rating:
Mostly lives up to the hype.
Being a bit of a Beach boys fan and having read all the rave reviews on this site I thought I'd take a punt. Definintely not what I was expecting! Disc 1, the Pacific Ocean Blue album, lives up to the hype and is quite superb. Musically it is a long way from the beach boys. To be honest, there are no comparisions I can draw to describe the style of music. It is just Dennis Wilson's very own genre. br / br /Well written, superbly arranged, meaningful lyrics and catchy rhythmns, it's all there. Now one of my most listened too albums. br / br /Disc two, the unreleased Bambu album, is a less cohesive and much more troubled set, ranging from the pretty good to the well below average.Not as good as the first disc, and not something that gets many repeat plays. br / br /All in all one superb and one average album, so 4 stars overall. Lives up to the hype, but only get this if you're willing to listen to something a little off the track adn that doesn't fit into the usual musical pigeon holes.

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review by: Psyco date: 2009-02-23 rating:
Disapointing to say the least!!
I got this last summer after reading some amazing reviews about it, I put it on my Ipod and went to the park with Jack my dog expecting a beautiful uplifting album like Holland or Surfs up! br /But all I heard was a growly old drug addict groaning his way though some boring tuneless dribble for getting on for two hours!! br /Sorry dennis but I really do not like this album, maybe I'll try it again in a little while but for now I'll listen to you singing harmonies with your family!!


review by: date: 2009-02-23 rating:
Intrigue
As an avid fan of the Beach Boys, with a leaning towards the less commercially successful, and having loved Dennis Wilson's (solo) contributions on various Beach Boys' albums, I just had to buy Pacific Ocean Blue, and I'm really glad I did, though I'm still struggling to quantify just why ... ? There is emotion, there is harmony, and there lurks a darker content running through the albums - fascinating! The Bambu (described as "Bamboo" in Carl the Passions booklet) album is less than satisfactory as a whole, but I'm sure it was nowhere near the finished article, so must be accepted for what it is: work in progress. br /I'm pretty sure I shall be playing Pacific Ocean Blue one hell of a lot, and regretting the fact that there can be no more albums to be fascinated by in the future.

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