pellesmith's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
ben_whackley's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
5.0
Excellent piece perfectly written in Brian’s voice (not sure how much of the writing he did himself). If you’re looking for detailed session logs or acute memories of every early concert date, look elsewhere (those resources certainly exist, Beach Boys fans are addicts). It’s a quick, easy read that puts you in the mind of Brian for a little while.
rohandenton's review against another edition
3.0
Brian Wilson has one of the most interesting lives I have ever read, if only the book was a little more cohesive!
nicholaspoe_'s review against another edition
3.0
An interesting and fascinating, sometimes rambling, look into the minds of one of America's best musical geniuses.
However, if you're not already a fan of Brian's or if you don't know much about the Beach Boys, you really shouldn't start here.
However, if you're not already a fan of Brian's or if you don't know much about the Beach Boys, you really shouldn't start here.
ceetamarie's review against another edition
3.0
I had a really hard time getting through this. Although I think Brian Wilson is a genius, his style of writing was at times so arrogant I laughed out loud. Good bits of musical history though.
tschmitty's review against another edition
3.0
This was the perfect audio to listen to in the car during the hot summer days. I have always underappreciated The Beach Boys and their contributions to rock music. Brian Wilson's recollections on creating songs was interesting if not at times repetitious. I also appreciate his openess in discussing his battle with mental illness.
quitenerdyblog's review against another edition
3.0
This is an autobiography whose scattered structure feels like the work of someone who struggled with both drug addiction and mental health problems but fortunately, that's because that's exactly who wrote it. Even more fortunately, it's all forgivable because Wilson is responsible for many of the greatest songs of all time and the stories he tells about them are incredible. If you're a Beach Boys fan, it's a book well worth reading, though I would struggle to recommend it to someone outside that demographic.