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.
hanbaga's review against another edition
5.0
It was beautiful to hear Brian Wilson describe his life and some of the hardships he has encountered with mental illness in his own beautiful and simple language. It gave me a greater appreciation for his music, pop music in general, and life.
psalva's review against another edition
4.0
I’m glad I finally read this. It’s been sitting unread on my shelf for too long. It was worth the read. Wilson’s honesty in here is refreshing. The ways he deals with mental illness and how he struggled so long was hard to read about, but so relatable. Also, I love how passionate he is about his music. I always get a sense of his childlike joy when I hear him talk and that holds true for this memoir as well. Overall, a solid memoir by a lovable American classic.
sharonfalduto's review against another edition
3.0
Brian Wilson is very honest about his mental illness, and he is proud to tell you that. This books is a chronicle of his life up until 2016. He writes kn short sentences. He misses his brothers, both passes too soon. A constant refrain is that 1964 is when it all happened, including his nervous breakdown that stopped him from touring. He still has a lot of songs and projects going on.
kvnrly's review against another edition
4.0
I'm a big fan of the Beach Boys and their music, so my dad bought this for me a little over a year ago, the movie "Love and Mercy" and this book go together well, as they both tell the story of Brian's life. If you don't know who Brian Wilson is, or you're not a big fan of the Beach Boys, I do not recommend this book. Brian Wilson tells the story of his life, and talks about his music, depression, spirituality, and family. It was beautiful to read, but it could get a little bit boring at times, and he really repeats himself a lot. So because of this I give it 4 out of 5 stars. If you're a fan of Brian Wilson I would recommend reading this because I learned a lot more about him that I didn't know before