Catch a Wave: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson

Having read many earlier Beach Boys biographies, I was looking for something new or different in this book. First off, the book is very well written and is not just a rehashing of earlier books. The period with the most new coverage is the 1970s and 1980s. Most books on the subject give detailed coverage of the 1960s and scrimp on the subsequent periods. This book covers the 1960s very well and then adds much more. The author seems to have more insight into the effects of serious mental illness on Brian Wilson than do most authors. I would highly recommended this book to anyone who seeks a more serious, informed, and sympathetic look at the Beach Boys and their leader Brian Wilson.

This is a terrific book--well-researched, well-written, and in my opinion the best book on the subject since David Leaf's The Beach Boys and the California Myth. Both the 1978 and 1985 editions of Leaf's book are long out of print (dammit); however, Leaf gives Carlin a generous assessment, as do I. Carlin's use of personal anecdotes is judicious and satisfying, and I found virtually no factual errors. Carlin provides plenty of new material to satisfy those of us who already own (ahem) every book on the subject of Brian Wilson. If you're just starting to read about the BBs, Brian Wilson, or the Wilson-free Group Currently d/b/a the Beach Boys, this is a good place to start.

This is a great book for any Beach Boys/Brian Wilson fan. As a hardcore fan like myself you may want more detail but he points out other sources like Timothy White's book "The Nearest Faraway Place" where he drew information and where I am headed next after finishing this one. You really end up feeling like you know Brian Wilson and his bandmates after reading this. You get a real picture of what happened- this is extremely fluid- really well done. There are a few areas that would have been nice to have more detail on, like David Marks for example, although he is interviewed here. The book is good enough though that I would buy the next edition which I hope might include the reunion of Wilson/Love/Jardine/Marks/Johnston on the rooftop of Capital Records recently and the Wilson/Jardine reunion for the mini Pet Sounds tour.

If you are reading this review, you have probably already read Tim White, Brian, Priore, Paul Williams, Tobler, Granata, and anything else you can get your hands on about our hero, Brian Wilson, and are wondering if anything new could help you get inside his life and times. Well, don't hesitate, buy this book. Not only do you get new details on the final redemption story climaxing in Smile, Carlin's interviews with scores of participants fill in lots of white space in the old familiar tales. More importantly he provides a unique perspective on the music and all of the major turning points in the Beach Boys' career, allowing you to understand why Brian has triumphed, while Mike and AL are bitter old farts who think they got screwed. The new standard in Beach Boys history.

This is a beautifully written book about a highly gifted artist. When I had to put "Catch A Wave" down to get some work done, I'd put on whatever Beach Boy song I had been reading about while I worked, including "Pet Sounds Sessions." I also felt complelled to listened to my old Three Dog Night Album not knowing why until I read page 130. Along with the insight into Brian's life, this book stirred up a lot of memories, creative juices and deep intuition. Thank you Peter Ames Carlin for a great read on my favorite musician and for the energy of Catch A Wave.