Some three years in the making, Caroline Now! The Songs of Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys is more than just a much deserved tribute to arguably the greatest of all American pop bands; it's also a lovely and engaging introduction to some of the finest talent the contemporary pop world has to offer, highlighted by such newsworthy developments as the reemergence of ex-Vaselines frontman Eugene Kelly (the Spector-esque opener "Lady"), the solo debut of Belle and Sebastian's Stevie Jackson (the wistful "Good Time"), and, most remarkably, the first new Free Design recording in some three decades (the rapturous "Endless Harmony"). Wisely, the set focuses on the Beach Boys' more obscure material (much of it dating from the 1970s), a decision that allows the performers far more latitude in imprinting their personal stamps on the songs; at the same time, with so many of the acts featured on Caroline Now! making their admiration for Brian Wilson's work thoroughly evident in their own records, there's nothing too radical either; the High Llamas' "Anna Lee, the Healer," for example, sounds exactly like you'd expect it would. Still, by and large, the disc boasts an artistry and consistency most tributes lack, thanks as much to the brilliance of its subject as to the torch-carrying affections of its contributors; with Mike Love beating a dead horse leading an ad-hoc Beach Boys lineup on the state fair circuit and with Wilson himself touring in what often seems like a musical adaptation of -Flowers for Algernon, god only knows it's reassuring that at least someone's keeping their musical spirit truly alive. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
Caroline Now!: The Songs of Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys
08/08/2000 | Efa Imports
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CD
$34.99CAROLINE NOW: TRIBUTE TO THE BEACH BOYS / VARIOUS
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CD
$15.99CAROLINE NOW THE MUSIC OF BRIAN WILSON / VARIOUS
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LP
$19.99CAROLINE NOW THE MUSIC OF BRIAN WILSON / VARIOUS
All Music Guide Review
Track Listing
Credits
- Francis MacDonald
- Guitar (Acoustic), Piano, Drums, Producer, Glockenspiel, Vocals (Background)
- Douglas MacIntyre
- Producer
- Eric Matthew
- Vocals, Producer
- Brian McAlpine
- Organ, Accordion
- Francis Mitchel
- Vocals
- Sean O'Hagan
- Arranger, Producer
- Ted Perlman
- Engineer
- David Scott
- Bass, Piano, Keyboards, Producer, Vocals (Background), Guitar
- Brian Taylor
- Guitar (Electric)
- Andrew Thomas
- Liner Notes, Interviewer
- Souvenir
- Producer
- Gerard Johnson
- Engineer
- Eric Matthews
- Performer
- The High Llamas
- Performer
- Malcolm Ross
- Guitar (Acoustic), Producer, Vocals
- Duglas T.Stewart
- Vocals, Vocals (Background), Handclapping, Producer
- Radio Sweethearts
- Performer
- Norman Blake
- Performer
- Pearlfishers
- Performer
- Nilesh "Nilz" Patel
- Mastering
- John Ridenour
- Guitar
- Ken Sluiter
- Programming, Producer
- Eugene Kelly
- Vocals
- Mike Francis
- Guitar
- Aluminum Group
- Performer
- Todd Fletcher
- Arranger, Producer, Engineer
- Katrina Mitchell
- Performer
- Bill Wells
- Piano, Producer
- June & the Exit Wounds
- Performer
- Stevie Jackson
- Synthesizer, Vocals, Guitar (Acoustic)
- Frank Navin
- Keyboards, Producer, Vocals
- John Navin
- Vocals, Producer
- Liz Conant
- Harpsichord, Wurlitzer, Fender Rhodes
- J'aime Cristóbal
- Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric), Guitar (12 String Acoustic)
- David Dalton
- Photography
- Patricia de la Fuente
- Vocals
- Iñaki Mtez de Lizarrondo
- Keyboards
- Iñaki de Lucas
- Producer
- Nick Duckett
- Guitar (Electric)
- Pablo Errea
- Bass
- Henning Fritzenwalder
- Arranger, Beats, Vocals
- Jim Gash
- Percussion, Drums
- Amy Geddes
- Violin
- Sam Haskins
- Cover Photo
- Frank Lähneman
- Compilation Producer
- Wes Mattews
- Guitar
- Katy McCullars
- Vocals
- McMaster
- Pedal Steel
- David John Ritchie
- Vocals
- Gabe Telerman
- Guitar
- Midori Terasawa
- Vocals (Background)
- Paco Martinez
- Drums, Tambourine
- Stefan Kassel
- Art Direction, Compilation Producer, Design
- Clemens Kinder
- Arranger, Producer, Mixing, Beats
- Dominic Murcott
- Percussion, Arranger, Vibe Master, Producer
- Rebecca Pellett
- Percussion, Keyboards, Engineer, Associate Producer
- John Morose
- Organ, Bass, Guitar, Glockenspiel, Percussion
- Derek Star
- Guitar, Vocals, Tambourine, Percussion, Keyboards
- David Ritchie Coalition
- Performer
- Secret Goldfish
- Performer
- Camping
- Performer
- Saint Etienne
- Producer
- Kim Fowley
- Performer
- The Free Design
- Performer
- John Miller
- Vocals, Vocals (Background)
- Evie Sands
- Vocals, Producer
- Chip Taylor
- Vocals
- Jad Fair
- Vocals
- Peter Thomas
- Performer
- Christopher Dedrick
- Percussion, Engineer, Producer, Vocals, Keyboards, Arranger
- Ellen Dedrick
- Vocals
- Sandra Dedrick
- Vocals
- Martin Hayward
- Bass
- Kle
- Performer
- Alex Chilton
- Guitar, Percussion, Vocals
- Norman Blake
- Guitar, Vocals, Vocals (Background)










