A futile attempt by Wendy and
Carnie Wilson to acheive the same level of success they had previously reached with
Wilson Phillips (
Chynna Phillips is probably the only person in the world who doesn't get a ridiculously gushing thanks in the booklet),
The Wilsons was both an artistic and commercial failure.
The production, by diverse hands according to the credits, has the fingerprints of Dave Stewart all over it, and it sounds very much like Alisha's Attic, who Stewart also produced.
The main selling point of the album actually comes from the involvement of their father, Brian Wilson on four songs, but as will be seen below, even this isn't worth much.
The four songs featuring Brian Wilson are:
Monday Without You - Brian sings 'who whoa whoa' a few times.
Miracle - Brian sings 'di did didit' a few times. He also has a writing credit, but so do Carnie, Wendy, Stewart, and Robin Bluebell. How much BW contributed is therefore open to question...
Til I Die - A remake of the classic from Surf's Up, Brian sings and co-produces, but this is pointlessly updated to have a 'contemporary' sound by Wilson's then collaborator Joe Thomas. The least interesting of the 5 different versions of this song available.
Everything I Need - This is the real selling point of the album. Brian's first collaboration in 30 years with Tony Asher, the co-writer of much of Pet Sounds, and also featured the Pet Sounds rhythm section of Carol Kaye and Hal Blaine. Unfortunately Thomas took the original track and overdubbed it with the second rate 'adult contemporary' style playing with which he wrecked Wilson's Imagination album. The original, far superior track has been bootlegged, and Jeff Foskett's version, on Twelve And Twelve, sounds to my ears like it is that original track, but with the lead vocals replaced with Foskett's, so the purchase of the album for this song alone would be unwise.
This album should only be bought by people who really liked Wilson Phillips but thought they could maybe do with a worse drum sound and whinier, more new age lyrics.
Track list:
- Monday Without You
- Good About You
- Miracle
- Goddess' Revival
- Candy
- Til I Die
- St. Joan
- Open Door
- I Hate Your Face
- Everything
- Not Your Average Girl
- Everything I Need
Executive producers - Brian, Carnie and Wendy Wilson
Released on Mercury records.