Album of the Day

If Brian Wilson had done nothing after masterminding PET SOUNDS in 1966, his place in the musical history books would still be secure; unfortunately, it often looked like that's what would happen. Wilson became rock's most famous recluse, and if his name continued to surface periodically on Beach Boys records, even longtime fans wondered if he was a spent force – which is why his 1988 solo debut came as such a wonderful surprise. Re-released last month, BRIAN WILSON highlights the composer's melodic gifts on 11 songs, including “Rio Grande” (an ambitious attempt to get back on the horse of SMILE) and the achingly beautiful “Love And Mercy.” If you've seen the new biopic of that name, you'll understand what a personal triumph this album represented, and the Expanded Edition of BRIAN WILSON adds 15 bonus tracks to the original, including single sides, demos and alternate versions.