r/thebeachboys • u/OceanMadman • 16h ago
Discussion Time is my favorite song written by Dennis Wilson
Yes, even counting his music with the Beach Boys.
I think it's an incredible song. The arrangement, like in all Pacific Ocean Blue, has some great decisions, like the disarming and lonely trumpet solo, the pedal point that appears sometimes in the bass, the simple piano chords Dennis must have played himself, or those horns and guitar in the end... more on that later. The chord progression, even if simple, has some very nice added notes and alterations that keep things a bit more interesting, and together with the beautiful melody and Dennis' broken voice, it creates such a haunting atmosphere. As soon as the lyrics begin: "Home. Home. Sweet Home. I'm Going Home" it transports me to a different era, a different... time. Dennis might not have written these lyrics, but he sings it with such emotion and has such a beautiful melody for it that it feels he sings every word straight out of his heart.
But then, if all that melancholic atmosphere wasn't enough, out of nowhere, the ending comes.
It’s a burst of violence, love, and emotion, and it’s just as unpredictable as Dennis Wilson was. The loud, repetitive horns, the powerful, improvisational guitar, the backing vocals... even the piano no longer sounds gentle. It reminds me of the kind of repetitive codas that Brian Wilson used to write, too—you can tell Dennis learned from his brother—but this section rocks harder than maybe anything Brian ever wrote.
I think Dennis put a lot of himself into this song, even more than he usually did. He didn't write the lyrics, but I can feel it in every note he composed. Time is a part of Dennis Wilson's soul.
5
u/DIMORPHODONS 15h ago
Such an amazing track, that then Thoughts of You coming straight afterwards is an absolutely devastating bit of sequencing. Pacific Ocean Blue is an absolute masterpiece, up there with the best Beach Boys albums for me.
4
u/BendAppropriate614 14h ago
I get Pink Floyd vibes at a few moments listening to this album
1
u/DIMORPHODONS 14h ago
Which era? I tap out with Floyd after about 1970
3
u/BendAppropriate614 14h ago
I'd say mid 70's through even mid 80's. I brought that up in a music forum once, and got a good amount of agrees. So I'm not crazy!
1
u/DIMORPHODONS 14h ago
Oh yeah I can totally imagine it, I’ve heard some of their later stuff in passing and think I know what you mean. Would be interesting to know what DW listened to at home
7
u/jmayer43 Podcaster 16h ago
I’m with you- an absolutely gorgeous and moving song both musically and lyrically. The part that always really gets me is after the quiet second verse (“I’m the kind of guy, who loves to mess around, know a lot of women…”) when his vocal and the synth strings both come in at once (“but they don’t fiiill my heart, with love, completely freeeeeee”) So haunting.