| The Many Moods of Murry Wilson | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 1967 | |||
| Recorded | 1967 | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 30:12 | |||
| Label | Capitol | |||
| Producer | Murry Wilson | |||
| Murry Wilson chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [1] |
| AlbumReviewDatabase | 74/100 |
The Many Moods of Murry Wilson is the only studio album by American songwriter and talent manager Murry Wilson. The album was released on Capitol Records in October 1967, the same record label that the Beach Boys were contracted to at the time.
Murry Wilson is best known as the father of Brian, Carl, and Dennis Wilson. He acted as the first manager of The Beach Boys from their formation until he was acrimoniously fired in 1965; Murry's firing was in response to his long history of physical and mental abuse toward both his sons and the other members of the Beach Boys. [3]
After his 1965 dismissal, Murry attempted to restart his own career as a songwriter, which had seen limited success in the early 1950s. In an attempt to revitalize his songwriting career, Wilson recorded and submitted unsolicited commercial jingles to Kentucky Fried Chicken and Taco Bell, "all of which were politely turned down" by those companies. [3]
Band biographer Steven Gaines has asserted that Murry arranged for Capitol Records to charge production costs of the album "back to the Beach Boys' account" with the label. [3] According to Nik Venet, "Capitol made a whole album and released it [for Murry] ... just so they could satisfy him and so he wouldn't hassle them so much on some of the Beach Boys things." [4]
One track, "Italia", was composed by Al Jardine. He later wrote, "I wrote it in '63 and it was originally called 'Pink Champagne.' Brian liked it so much, he played it for his Dad who said it reminded him of Italy with its European feel. Murry recorded it with the Capitol Records Orchestra and changed the title to 'Italia.'" [5]
Murry does not appear to have actually played any instruments or sung on the album, rather acting as the record's producer as well as songwriter on five tracks. The songs were all arranged and conducted by industry veteran Don Ralke.
Steven Gaines notes that “Murry still fancied himself a talent scout and showcased a new discovery on the LP-a forty-year-old plumber named Eck Kynor who had helped with the renovations on Murry's Whittier house"; Kynor's contributions included songwriting credits on "The Plumber's Tune" and "The Happy Song." The final track on the album was a collaboration between Murry and his wife Audree titled "Betty's Waltz," likely named for Audree's mother. [3]
The Many Moods of Murry Wilson was first released by Capitol Records in October 1967. Capitol released the album on vinyl in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Canada, and Germany. [6]
In November 1967, Murry embarked on a month-long tour of Europe and the UK to promote the album. [7] Music publisher Al Kohn later acknowledged orchestrating Murry's promotional tour to bring about face-to-face meetings with Sea of Tunes subpublisher Francis, Day & Hunter; Kohn's hope was to show Wilson that the company "had the talent and enthusiasm to effectively represent his new compositions, as well as those in the Sea of Tunes catalog." [8]
During the UK tour, Murry told Britain's Disc & Music Echo that "after 'Good Vibrations' Brian lost a lot of confidence. He didn't think he could ever write anything as good as that again ... With [my] LP I'm going to nudge my boys' competitive spirit." [3]
"Leaves" was issued as a single in the United States backed with "The Plumber's Tune" in December 1967 while demonstration records of "The Plumber's Tune" backed with "Love Won't Wait" or "The Happy Song" were produced by EMI for the Capitol label in the United Kingdom. [9] In the end, the album did not chart, received very little press or radio airplay, and the amount of copies pressed or sold is unknown.
Later reviews of The Many Moods of Murry Wilson cite it as an unremarkable example of late-1960s easy listening or beautiful music.
In a 2.5/5 star review for AllMusic, Lindsay Planer wrote that "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." [10] Planer notes that although several of Murry's compositions "do reveal an undeniable undercurrent of melancholia," "even earnest Beach Boys enthusiasts will be hard pressed to revisit The Many Moods of Murry Wilson." [10]
Kingsley Abbott wrote a 2 star review for Record Collector magazine in response to the 2009 CD reissue. They wrote that Wilson's credited role of "'conceived and produced by' [...] may have actually meant little, as the arrangements and conducting chores on the 12 sometimes over-orchestrated pieces were done by Don Ralke." [11] The review closes by stating that "We assume that some Beach Boy/Brian Wilson completists will want it, but wonder who else." [11]
In his 2016 autobiography I Am Brian Wilson , Brian Wilson briefly mentioned his father's only solo album: "He was at a crossroads in his life where he didn't know if the things he had built were making any sense. A few years later he put out a record called The Many Moods of Murry Wilson. It had four of his own songs and arrangements of some Beach Boys songs, including 'The Warmth of the Sun.'" [12] Brian concluded that a poison pen letter Murry had sent Brian a few years earlier (and which later gained infamy among Beach Boys fans) contained more of his true personality than The Many Moods of Murry Wilson, "for better and for worse. It was kind of his SMiLE , though I doubt he was smiling at all when he wrote it." [12]
The album marked the last time Murry Wilson's solo music would be officially released until the Sunrays' 1996 retrospective compilation album For Collectors Only over 20 years after his death. [13]
Capitol Records reissued the album on CD in Japan in 2002. British independent label Cherry Red Records reissued the album on CD in Europe during 2009, and in Japan in 2016. [6] The album has never been reissued on vinyl beyond its original pressing. [6]
The Beach Boys is an American rock band formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Distinguished by its vocal harmonies, adolescent-oriented lyrics, and musical ingenuity, the band is one of the most influential acts of the rock era. The group drew on the music of older pop vocal groups, 1950s rock and roll, and black R&B to create its unique sound. Under Brian's direction, it often incorporated classical or jazz elements and unconventional recording techniques in innovative ways.
David Lee Marks is an American guitarist who was an early member of the Beach Boys. While growing up in Hawthorne, California, Marks was a neighborhood friend of the original band members and was a frequent participant at their family get-togethers. Following his departure from the group, Marks fronted the Marksmen and performed and recorded as a session musician.
Carl Dean Wilson was an American musician who co-founded the Beach Boys. He was their lead guitarist, the youngest sibling of bandmates Brian and Dennis, and the group's de facto leader in the early to mid-1970s. He was also the band's musical director on stage from 1965 until his death.
Sunflower is the 16th studio album by the American rock band the Beach Boys, released on August 31, 1970 on Reprise Records, their first for the label. It received favorable reviews, but sold poorly, reaching number 151 on the US record charts during a four-week stay and becoming the lowest-charting Beach Boys album to that point. "Add Some Music to Your Day" was the only single that charted in the US, peaking at number 64. In the UK, the album peaked at number 29.
Surfin' Safari is the debut studio album by the American rock band the Beach Boys, released October 1, 1962 on Capitol Records. The official production credit went to Nick Venet, though it was Brian Wilson with his father Murry who contributed substantially to the album's production; Brian also wrote or co-wrote nine of its 12 tracks. The album reached number 32 in the US during a chart stay of 37 weeks.
Surfer Girl is the third studio album by the American rock band the Beach Boys, released September 16, 1963 on Capitol Records. It is largely a collection of surf songs. The LP reached number 7 in the U.S. and number 13 in the UK. Lead single "Surfer Girl", backed with "Little Deuce Coupe", was also a top 10 hit.
Wild Honey is the thirteenth studio album by the American rock band the Beach Boys, released on December 18, 1967, by Capitol Records. It was the group's first foray into soul music and was heavily influenced by the R&B of Motown and Stax Records. The album was the band's worst-selling at that point, charting at number 24 in the US. Lead single "Wild Honey" peaked at number 31, while its follow-up "Darlin'" reached number 19. In the UK, the album peaked at number seven.
Friends is the fourteenth studio album by the American rock band the Beach Boys, released on June 24, 1968, through Capitol Records. The album is characterized by its calm and peaceful atmosphere, which contrasted the prevailing music trends of the time, and by its brevity, with five of its 12 tracks running less than two minutes long. It sold poorly, peaking at number 126 on the Billboard charts, the group's lowest U.S. chart performance to date, although it reached number 13 in the UK. Fans generally came to regard the album as one of the band's finest.
Murry Gage Wilson was an American songwriter, talent manager, record producer, and music publisher, best known as the father of the Beach Boys' Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson. After the band's formation in 1961, Murry became their first manager, and in 1962, he founded their publishing company, Sea of Tunes, with Brian. Later in his life, Wilson was accused of physically and verbally abusing his children, charges which he denied.
Lost & Found (1961–62) is a Beach Boys compilation album which was released in 1991 under DCC Compact Classics record company. The album contains all of the early recordings of the band before they were signed to their first major record label, Capitol Records. This release is notable to collectors as it uses the original master tapes, where as many countless gray market issues of the same material use inferior sources. This release was compiled and mastered by Steve Hoffman. Original recordings were produced by Hite Morgan in 1961 & 1962.
"Help Me, Rhonda" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys, appearing first on their 1965 album The Beach Boys Today! and subsequently in re-recorded form on the following 1965 album Summer Days . It was written by Brian Wilson, with additional lyrics by Mike Love. Unlike many other songs by the band from this period, "Help Me, Rhonda" features a lead vocal sung by Al Jardine.
"Surfin'" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys that was written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love. It was released as the debut record by the Beach Boys in November 1961 on Candix Records and was included on the October 1962 album Surfin' Safari.
"She Knows Me Too Well" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love for the American rock band The Beach Boys, about a man who is engrossed and obsessed in his own jealousy and insecurity. It was released on the 1965 album The Beach Boys Today!, initially serving as the B-side of their "When I Grow Up " single in 1964. It was one of the first songs that Brian wrote while under the influence of marijuana.
"In My Room" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Gary Usher for the American rock band the Beach Boys. It was released on their 1963 album Surfer Girl. It was also released as the B-side of the "Be True to Your School" single. The single peaked at number 23 in the U.S. and was eventually inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. "In My Room" was ranked number 212 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
"The Warmth of the Sun" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love for the American rock band the Beach Boys. It was released on their 1964 album Shut Down Volume 2 and as the B-side of the "Dance, Dance, Dance" single, which charted at number eight in the United States and number twenty four in the United Kingdom. Brian Wilson produced the song, and the rest of the album.
"Let Him Run Wild" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1965 album Summer Days . Written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love, it was issued as the B-side to "California Girls".
"Had to Phone Ya" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1976 album 15 Big Ones. It was written by Brian Wilson, his sister-in-law Diane Rovell, and Mike Love. The song was issued as the B-side to their single "It's O.K.". An earlier recording by the group American Spring was included as a bonus track on a later reissue of the album Spring (1972).
Michael Edward Love is an American singer and songwriter who was the lead vocalist of the Beach Boys which he co-founded with his cousins Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson and their friend Al Jardine. Characterized by his nasal tenor and occasional bass-baritone singing, Love has been one of the band's vocalists and lyricists for their entire career, contributing to each of their studio albums and serving as their frontman for live performances. During the mid-1960s, he was one of Brian's main collaborators, contributing lyrics to hit records such as "Fun, Fun, Fun" (1964), "I Get Around" (1964), "Help Me, Rhonda" (1965), "California Girls" (1965), and "Good Vibrations" (1966).
"Soulful Old Man Sunshine" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys that was recorded during the sessions for their 1970 album Sunflower. It was written by Brian Wilson, Rick Henn and veteran arranger/producer Don Ralke.
Bob & Sheri was an American pop duo consisting of Bob Norberg and Cheryl Pomeroy. They were early collaborators of Brian Wilson, leader and co-founder of the Beach Boys.
