Dumb Angel: The Life & Music of Dennis Wilson
In 1961, the Beach Boys scored their first hit "Surfin'." This  at times too laudatory portrait of drummer Dennis Wilson  (1944-83) is being published to coincide with the 50th  anniversary of that event, which launched 1000 surf boards and  moved millions of records. Describing the rise of the Beach  Boys, London DJ and writer Webb shows how his subject initially  played a minimal musical role in the band but epitomized the  Beach Boys' image of sun-tanned, surfing, car-crazed  babe-magnets. He then traces Dennis's growing songwriting  influence as brother Brian Wilson lost his grip on reality, as  well as the drummer's increasing drug habit. Chapters are also  devoted to Wilson's brief stint as an actor and his 1977 solo  effort, Pacific Ocean Blue, which Webb considers one of the most  underrated records of the 1970s. Including interviews with minor  characters from the Beach Boys' entourage, this profile succeeds  in gathering the existing material about the tragic Beach Boy.  Recommended. [Capitol Records has recently rereleased the Beach  Boys' albums between 1962 and 1970, which may increase demand  for this title. Ed.] Dave Szatmary, Univ. of Washington, Seattl.- Dave Szatmary, Univ. of Washington, SeattleCopyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.