page_title: Brian Wilson (album)
section_title: Promotion
hierarchical_section_title: Brian Wilson (album) / Promotion
caption_attribution_description: English: Legendary musician and songwriter, Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, in Santa Monica, California in 1990. Photograph by Ithaka Darin Pappas
context_page_description: Brian Wilson is the debut studio album by Brian Wilson released in July 1988 on Sire Records. It was voted one of the best albums of 1988 by NME, and as part of its acclaim, garnered the nickname "Pet Sounds '88" among some critics. The album has since been reissued on several formats with bonus tracks, and cited by some as a standout in Wilson's solo oeuvre.
  The album, which cost $1 million to produce, was the first written and produced by Wilson since The Beach Boys Love You. Working with an array of collaborators including his therapist Eugene Landy, Wilson accordingly themed Brian Wilson around love and spirituality exemplified by its lead single "Love and Mercy". Although the album's sessions were contentious, where some participants demanded a progressive artistic statement versus conventional pop songs, nearly a quarter of the LP is devoted to "Rio Grande", a piece which was intended to rekindle Wilson's experimental drive from the mid-1960s and early 1970s.
  Two follow-ups were planned but ultimately discarded: Sweet Insanity, co-produced with Landy, and an unfinished 1990s album, co-produced with Andy Paley.
context_section_description: Two singles from the album, "Love and Mercy" (#40 Mainstream Rock) and "Melt Away," sold poorly. They were backed with "He Couldn't Get His Poor Old Body to Move" and "Being With the One You Love", both tracks which were not included on the album. A third, "Night Time," was released for promotional use only. Although the Beach Boys' #1 hit "Kokomo" may have stolen some of the album's attention, Wilson's restricted promotion of the album, which was overseen and controlled by his controversial psychologist Eugene Landy, was more likely the reason for the limited sales. Initially, Landy and his girlfriend, Alexandra Morgan, even had their names included on some of the songs on Brian Wilson, but once he was successfully removed from Wilson's life in 1991, the credits were later revised to reflect their lack of involvement in Wilson's songs.
  A music video was produced for the lead single "Love and Mercy" featuring Brian and engineer/producer Mark Linett in the studio. The clip was not frequently broadcast, possibly because of the failure of the single to make any impact on the top 40 charts. However, Sire Records did release a promotional disc with an interview of Brian Wilson intertwined with various tracks from the album.  Additionally, Sire released a limited edition CD with a leather-bound jacket.
caption: Wilson in the studio, 1990
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