Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road (2021) User Reviews

A pretty good music documentary

[Jeremy_Urquhart · 7/10 · 7 April 2022]

There's something sad about how some of the interviewees here talk about Brian Wilson in the past tense, because the man is still around, and he's still creative and engaged in music. Maybe they're subconsciously saying they think Brian Wilson today is divorced from the Brian Wilson of the 60s, but if so, that's a little unfair. It's not a slight against the documentary - more against the interviewees, even if they didn't realise they were doing it.

One thing that did bug me was how they didn't subtitle one of the interviewees who spoke in Spanish. Might just be a problem with the version available to be rented off YouTube, but the captions only offer a very unhelpful "speaking foreign language", which is pretty disrespectful to the guy (Gustavo Dudamel) and comes across lazy to the viewer.

Otherwise it's a nice music documentary. Not much info Beach Boy fans won't already know, but lots of good archive footage and new footage with Brian Wilson himself, who's an interesting and sympathetic subject for a documentary.

It's nice to see him continue to battle his personal demons and continue to live his life now almost at the age of 80. And I liked the bond he has with music journalist Jason Fine, with their conversations being necessary in this documentary, as it's acknowledged that Wilson struggles with traditional interviews.

So overall it's a nice but not completely remarkable music documentary. I'd still get it to a 7/10, because I do really love the music of Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys, and being a big Bruce Springsteen fan, I liked seeing him fanboy out over The Beach Boys in his interviews here.

Musical Genius and Personal Tragedies Mix Elliptically in This Conversational Biography

[EUyeshima · 7/10 · 20 June 2022]

On the eve of his 80th birthday, I watched this celebratory 2021 overview of Brian Wilson's life and career. His musical legacy is well covered here through interviews with fellow luminaries like Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, and Don Was. His countless personal tragedies are also recounted in detail (including the deaths of brothers Dennis and Carl), but the personal impact on Wilson felt somewhat elliptical due to his ongoing mental struggles. Rolling Stone editor Jason Reis does a good job eliciting some insight by gaining Wilson's trust in what comes across as private conversations. What remains clearest is Wilson's desire to keep making music, a lot of which still sounds great.

God ony knows

[ferguson-6 · 8/10 · 18 November 2021]

Greetings again from the darkness. Renowned music producer Don Was sits at a sound board and methodically begins to deconstruct the gorgeous song, "God Only Knows". As the instruments fade, and he shuffles the isolated vocals, Was shakes his head in amazement all these years later. The man behind the song, Brian Wilson (founder of The Beach Boys), was and remains a musical genius, and in his case, one need not be concerned about applying that overused label.

If director Brent Wilson's film has a structure, it comes in the form of multiple car rides and diner lunches featuring Brian and his friend, "Rolling Stone" editor Jason Fine. Due to Brian's anxiety during sit-down interviews, car rides and chats with his friend provide more comfort and free him up to reminisce and discuss his life and music. On the drives, Brian chooses the songs he wants Jason to play, depending on the mood and the topic of conversation.

Mental Health is now treated much differently than in years past. At age 21, Brian suffered from 'auditory hallucinations' - he was hearing voices in his head. Over the course of 6 decades, he has attempted to deal with the voices in various ways: food, drugs, alcohol, therapy, etc. But his only real escape has been through music. Even today, Brian never really looks at ease unless he's performing his songs. He rides along offering commentary as his friend Jason tenderly guides him through the past, including stops at his childhood home in Hawthorne, Paradise Cove where an album cover was shot, his home on Laurel Way that featured his piano in a sandbox, and the Bellagio Road mansion in Beverly Hills. Brian is not one to dwell on the past, but he has tremendous recall for different phases of life.

As you might expect, many musicians are eager to discuss how Brian's music with The Beach Boys influenced their own songwriting. Included here are Jakob Dylan (The Wallflowers and son of Bob), Jim James (My Morning Jacket), Taylor Hawkins, Linda Perry, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, and even Nick Jonas. We presume the latter was included to represent the younger generation's appreciation of music past. Elton may offer the most profound comment when he states Brian deserves accolades for his music AND his life. Each phase of Brian's life is touched on, though we never dive too deeply. His demanding father (Murray Wilson) is heard through audio recordings, and the infamous "Landy years" where Dr. Eugene Landy literally controlled Brian's life (right down to a sad story of spaghetti) are briefly dealt with, allowing us some insight into Brian's many challenges over the years - including the death of two brothers, (and Beach Boys) Carl and Dennis.

But it's the music that means the most to Brian and to us. We get some clips of live performances from the early days of The Beach Boys to the more recent live performances of Brian on stage. There is a terrific montage blending Carl's and Brian's separate singing "God Only Knows", and Brian disclosing that "Good Vibrations" was recorded in pieces at 4 different studios to capture the sound he wanted. He also admits to being inspired by The Beatles and wanting to eclipse their work - which led to his writing the masterpiece Pet Sounds album, in turn inspiring The Beatles to write Sgt Pepper. There is a brief clip of Brian's cousin, and fellow Beach Boy, Al Jardine commenting on Brian's immense talent, but as expected, there is nothing from Mike Love; although Brian graciously proclaims Mike Love was "a great singer".

Brian's Beach Boys music has brought so much joy to listeners and fans over the years, and it's truly fascinating to see how he has battled through a life filled with sadness and obstacles. Watching him listen to brother Dennis's solo album, learning how he re-worked his unfinished Smile album to finally release it in 2004, or seeing clips of his live Pet Sounds performance at The Hollywood Bowl helps us understand the healing power of music. Brian has been compared to Mozart, and his fellow musicians discuss how his genius and vision shines through in song structure and texture. Brian Wilson stands as proof that for a true artist, pain and beauty are often linked and dependent on each other. The film's closing credits feature footage of Brian and Jim James recording a new song, "Right Where I Belong", showing that the music (and the man) is still a force.

In theaters and On Demand beginning November 19, 2021.

Musicians in Cars Getting Coffee

[RennerFilms · 5 March 2022]

The Beach Boys are my favourite band. I own every Beach Boys' album, compilation, solo record etc. I have all the DVDs and documentaries too, of course, so I had to buy this. It's..... good. I mean, I can watch anything Brian/BB's related. I just feel there wasn't much new here. All the usual talking heads saying Brian is a genius. Most of the new stuff involving Brian is him being driven around L. A. listening to Beach Boy's songs (and sometimes the same song more than twice). It's quite sad, frankly speaking, seeing Brian so aged and out-of-shape, but- hey- it happens to all of us eventually. The most touching bits were when Brian found out that Jack Reilly had died years earlier, and the part where Brian listens to Dennis Wilson's album (it blows my mind that Brian had never heard it before!). Some of the best stuff was in the deleted scenes... Brian going back to his high school, talking about his mother. I don't think Mike Love got one mention throughout the entire documentary haha.

PRETTY GOOD BUT BRIAN DESERVES BETTER...!

[masonfisk · 6/10 · 24 June 2022]

A documentary from this year chronicling Beach Boys leader Brian Wilson's continuing struggles w/mental health as he has reemerged as a touring performer. More of a travelogue as director Brent Wilson (no relation), a Rolling Stone writer, drives Brian around to his old stomping grounds (the family manse, old recording studios, etc.) as Brent tries to glean details of his memories (which are few & far between since Brian is always nervous & reticent to open up). Interspersed w/talking head interviews of other musical luminaries (Bruce Springsteen, Don Was, Linda Perry, Elton John, etc.) & archival footage of Brian in his heyday, we get a sort of consistent portrait of a musical genius which in my opinion was better served in other docs & films (watch the awesome Love & Mercy from 2014), some of which are mentioned & clips are shown but overall unless you're a completist, watch the ones which were name dropped.

An Honest Look At A True Musical Genius

[zkonedog · 10/10 · 30 December 2021]

I consider The Beach Boys to be one of my top-three musical groups of all-time. Their compositions and overall energy stand the test of time decade after decade. Brian Wilson is a big part of that, though a journey not without both triumphs and tragedies.

For a very basic overview, Long Promised Road sees Jason Fine--a Rolling Stone writer who happened to strike up a relationship with Wilson that slowly evolved into a friendship--conducting a series of interviews with the songwriter/producer, covering all stages of his life/career. This mostly happens while driving around Los Angeles, showing Wilson some of his old haunts.

The A-1 reason I can give Long Promised Road the full 10 star-treatment is because it doesn't flinch when confronted with the elephant in the room: Brian Wilson isn't 100% cognitively "normal", if you will. It is clear from the way he walks, speaks, and emotes that something is just a bit off. However, instead of turning Wilson into some sort of tragic figure, Fine (and director Brent Wilson) rationally explore his past (taking the good with the bad) while also showing viewers that Wilson is by no means an invalid and still has a lot to give the music community.

Some of the topics covered here include:

-Psychological abuse from Brian's hard-driving father.

-Brian's supreme musical talent (he's a true savant in that area) that also makes it hard for him to relate to the rest of the world.

-His drug & alcohol addictions and how he was taken advantage of for many years by a quack physician.

-His relationship with the fellow Beach Boys bandmates, specifically brothers Carl & Dennis, and how special it was for them to make music together.

-His solo career that continues to this day!

While the history lessons are all well and good--providing crucial context--the real meat of this doc comes from seeing Wilson process everything that Fine talks with him about. Sometimes inspiring, sometimes heartbreaking, but always fascinating to see him recollect the key moments of his life (that are now iconic to millions of Beach Boys fans).

So, while the flashback clips and solid music catalogue selections were probably going to always endear Long Promised Road to me, it is the emotionally relevant interviews/conversations between singer and writer that truly moved me enough to give it 10 stars. After the credits rolled, I now feel like I have a far better understanding of Brian Wilson the human being--not the myth or legend.

How did Nick Jonas get there?

[gilmeyuhas · 7/10 · 8 September 2023]

Would have been an 8 if they hadn't interviewed Nick Jonas for some weird reason. What does he have to do with Brian Wilson? I really liked the fact that they brought someone Brian knows to interview him, as we all know Brian would prefer it. Had it been one of the producers Brian probably would have been less comfortable opening up. The restored videos from the 60's were just great, it looks like it was filmed today. The editing was also really good, I feel like it could not have been better. Cinematography could have been a little bit better though. For me, cinematography is what makes documentaries perfect. It wasn't bad, but could have been a little more creative.

Pure joy

[tro-76260 · 9/10 · 8 December 2021]

Different take on the interview process totally enjoyable ,music speaks for itself. Never tire of listening to his sounds. Seems like a special bond between the two of them.

One of the most intimate views into the life of true musical genius!

[rikkirat · 10/10 · 10 February 2022]

I became a Beach Boys fan later in life (in my early 20's). I appreciate the wonderful harmonies, unique song arrangements and absolutely brilliant song-writing of Brian Wilson. Some of their songs may sound like simple pop ditties, but you need to listen deep to the tracks and hear the amazing detail beneath it all. I've seen several Beach Boys and Brian Wilson documentaries, but Long Promised Road provides a rare but much more intimate insight into Brian's life and why he is such a musical genius. Jason Fine's interview style blew me away... it was conducted in such a laid back way where it was just two friends hanging out talking.. yet Fine was able to pull stuff from Brian and get him to open up that I'm sure no one else has been able to do. I appreciated the mutual respect and the true caring for each other. The scene that caught my attention was when Jason had to break the news to Brian that Jack Reilly, his former song writing collaborator had passed away a couple of years earlier but Brian didn't know until Fine told him. The transformation in Brian's face and personality upon hearing the news was palpable. You can see the effect that hearing of Reilly's passing had on him. You could tell it hit him deeply. I'm a journalist myself and am absolutely jealous of Jason Fine's great interviewing skills. Definitely worth a watch Beach Boys/Brian Wilson fan or not,.

10+

[nikolajenackovic · 10/10 · 12 February 2022]

One of the rare sincere, truthful, non-pathetic documentaries. Brian seems to be very nice person. He got over all that problems and yet adopted children. Some other famous junkies even abandon their own.

Pretty good on the whole

[mag_witch · 5/10 · 8 May 2022]

Whilst an interesting watch I did find some parts rather uncomfortable to watch. Brian has obviously given it his go ahead yet I still felt immense sadness at times for this old man sitting in a car recalling some emotional moments in his life. With is still playing on my mind a day after viewing I would have to say I think i I should have left the scab unpicked.

A truly intimate journey

[gortx · 21 June 2022]

LONG PROMISED ROAD is a very intimate documentary on Beach Boys co-founder Brian Wilson. Taking it's title from an appropriately titled Beach Boys track, filmmaker Brent Wilson (no relation) provides a basic overview of Wilson's career and there is a decent amount of performance footage (most of it of fairly recent vintage). There are interviews with musicians like Don Was, Elton John and Jakob Dylan. Still, the focus here is clearly on Wilson's personal life.

The Doc is structured around car trips with Wilson and Rolling Stone writer Jason Fine (Riding Around In Cars With Brian - as it were). The pair visit the past homes of the musician while chatting and listening to old songs. The most fascinating - and painful - portions concern Wilson's long history of mental illness which emerged just as the Beach Boys were ascendant. Parts are difficult to watch as Wilson opens up about how even the simplest things "scare" him. It got so bad that for a long period in the late 60s and into the 80s he was barely functional. A discredited therapist, Eugene Landy, held him almost under detention. Wilson was so disconnected that when the camera witnesses him listening to his late brother Dennis' 1970 solo album, it's supposedly for the very first time.

With that backdrop, it's all the more amazing that Wilson continues to record and tour even if his releases only have met with sporadic success. Those expecting a more traditional music doc or one centered on The Beach Boys, may be disappointed. There are some nice bits of historical footage, and a good bit about the recording of Pet Sounds; But LONG PROMISED ROAD is about Brian Wilson, the man, more than as a musician. Uncomfortable at times, one can't help but appreciate what he has accomplished all the more.

Not a Fan, but......

[arfdawg-1 · 9/10 · 8 December 2021]

I've never been a fan of the Beach Boys but I can totally understand what a genius Wilson is.

He's a unique individual for sure.

This is a super doc on many levels.

Don't miss it. It really great.

Touching and necessary

[mpowell-220-50780 · 9/10 · 9 June 2022]

Beach Boys die-hard fan here.

There is a lot that has been covered before. However, if you have a living genius, each chapter needs to be chronicled. Imagine having Beethoven on a horse-ride in one of the last chapter's of his life, reflecting on his life and career.

Brian is the ultimate survivor and has given the world so much joy.

Brian Wilson Endless Journey Through Tragedy and Triumph

[elvis4all · 8/10 · 6 September 2022]

God bless Jason Fine for being a friend Brian can trust and for creating this peek into his life. I watched this on a trans-Atlantic flight and had plenty of time to pause, rewind, and repeat segments that piqued my interest. Overall I loved the pacing and details wrapped inside this documentary, and as a journalist myself, I could understand Fine's style of questioning. But after awhile it seemed that this was less of a conversation between two friends and more of a "mobile interview" for the cameras. Granted, that had to be done to create the documentary and cue things up for clips, but when Brian reveals that he's often scared and that Fine's voice helps calm him down, you want Fine to reciprocate by letting down his guard and being more compassionate.

Nowhere was I waiting for this more than in the segment when Fine tells Brian that a mutual friend had died. Brian is at first shocked and, as the news sinks in, begins crying softly. Instead of pulling the car over, getting out, and asking Brian if he wants a hug so Brian can cry it out and process his emotions, the drive continues and the tone of the dialogue is as cold as if he had told him he'd found a quarter in the street. You feel Brian's pain as he is left grappling with the news on his own. It seemed to be the perfect place to forgot the roles of interviewer/subject and reveal some compassion for your friend. That's a feeling that lasts each time you see Brian -- you want to reach through the screen and give him a hug just to help alleviate his turmoil..

Aside from that indelible moment (and missed opportunity), Long Promised Road is a wonderful introduction into the life and mind of an extraordinarily resilient man. If there was a magic wand that could restore someone's mental health, Brian Wilson would be the perfect candidate. For all he's gone through and all he's given, he deserves it.

OUR AMERICAN GENIUS

[guam-73942 · 10/10 · 7 July 2022]

The Beach Boys between 1962 and 1966 were the American Beatles but with better and far more complex harmonies and song structure yet the songs sounded simple and joyous. An act of genius and Brian Wilson was that genius.

After giving the world the greatest popular song of all time - Good Vibrations - it all got to be a little too much for Brian. He continued to write songs sporadically but let his brothers and the other Beach Boys take over more and more.

Us Americans see The Beach Boys as Our Beatles. And those of us Baby Boomers who grew up with them cannot give them enough praise. Yet the, sad for us, truth is The Beach Boys stopped progressing after 1966 except for some occasional good songs here and there.

In the late 60's and 70's Brian sunk into overindulgence and an escape from reality, not emerging till much later to revisit his failed concept album from 1967 - Smile. Still, only of interest to fanatical fans. What saved The Beach Boys was actually the guy most hated by Beach Boys fans, Mike Love, who has toured various lineups of a Beach Boys band playing the hits up until this day. And he is barely mentioned in this doc.

But it is the hits that matter and those hits were groundbreaking and transcendent. Brian Wilson will always be a symbol of the positive, the creator of angelic harmonies and sun drenched beach anthems of youth. Rightly so.

Some further observations:

I was really enlightened by this documentary but had some issues. There are some big things Brian Wilson did wrong. He should not have released - Good Vibrations - until 1967 as a foil to The Beatles Sgt. Pepper and it should have been on a good album - not a bad one (Smiley Smile). Brian had only two songs ready that were good enough for a 1967 album that could challenge The Beatles and those were Good Vibrations and Heroes and Villains. He was working on the song Surfs Up but didn't finish it till 1971. So what he should have done was ask the other Beach Boys to contribute their very best songs and put out a 1967 album as a group effort calling it - Good Vibrations - the big hit. Fatal mistake he didn't do that. It may well have been another classic album.

Instead, Brian put out - Smiley Smile - which was a disaster of experimental song fragments and goofing around and The Beach Boys lost their cred as cutting edge cool dudes. And their record sales were dismal ever after. Mike Love warned of this when he told Brian "don't mess with the formula". Mike was right.

The post - Pet Sounds - albums are spotty or just outright bad. The best two are Sunflower from 1970 and Surfs Up from 1971. Brian, in 1973, made another big mistake by not singing lead on his best post 1960's song - Sail On Sailor. Still, the song was so strong it was still a hit with a unknown singer and not a very good singer. Lots of bad songs and bad albums followed after that.

Yet The Beach Boys songs from 1962-1966 are exuberant, transcendent, groundbreaking and, many of them, hits! Most of them written completely by Brian and this is why Brian Wilson is called a "genius".

You can tell I'm a Beach Boys fanatic - but I'm realistic as to their bad decisions. The worst being Mike Love's rant at the R@R Hall of fame when The Beach Boys were inducted.

So sad, so beautiful

[rhonyoung · 10/10 · 7 July 2022]

This was the first time I've heard about Brian's life. In the past I was such a huge Beach Boys fan that I didn't want to know what went on behind the scenes. This doco was amazing to watch. I loved it.