The self-aggrandizing and ostensibly talented
Murry Wilson's primary claim to fame was as the patriarch of
the Beach Boys --
Brian,
Dennis and
Carl Wilson. Prior to the band's success in the early 1960s, the elder
Wilson gained nominal recognition as the author of "Two Step, Side Step," a second-tier hit for C&W vocalist
Bonnie Lou. Once
the Beach Boys established themselves,
Murry managed to finagle a solo album deal, yielding
The Many Moods of Murry Wilson (1967). The contents are pure orchestral schmaltz, similar to the ersatz easy listening and so-called 'beautiful music' being produced by the
101 Strings Orchestra or Capitol Records' own
Hollyridge Strings. In fact, it is presumed the latter unit are instrumentally responsible for much (if not all) of the actual performances on this 12-track platter. Despite the oft-documented torturous conditions under which he was reared,
Brian Wilson has always credited his father as having possessed a distinct melodic sense.
Murry's compositions, most notably the opener "Love Won't Wait," "Painting With Teardrops" and "Heartbreak Lane" do reveal an undeniable undercurrent of melancholia. Nowhere is the influence as evident as on the cover of
the Beach Boys' "Warmth of the Sun."
Murry -- who also fancied himself a talent scout -- drew upon the unlikely abilities of Eck Kynor -- who had done some plumbing work for the senior
Wilson -- for "Happy Song," an unfettered and optimistic outing, as well as "Plumber's Tune," boasting a slightly mysterious and jazzy lilt, bringing to mind the possible theme to a non-existent "Private Eye" television show.
Alan Jardine -- the only non-
Wilson relation in the original
Beach Boys lineup -- contributes the happy-go-lucky "Italia," while Richard Henn from the Sunrays -- a soundalike who
Murry used to cash in on the surf craze -- supplies "Islands in the Sky." While even earnest
Beach Boys enthusiasts will be hard pressed to revisit
The Many Moods of Murry Wilson, it has been issued on CD in Japan in its original form, sans any bonus material. ~ Lindsay Planer