Carl Wilson "Feel Flows"

I always liked the Beach Boys as a kid, a neighborhood friend had Beach Boys Party! and I especially loved their version of "Barbara Ann" on that record and their singles always brought a smile to my ears. Later when I became more of a rock fan, I was attracted to their later, more serious albums like 20/20 and especially Surf's Up. I didn't really know then about the various Wilson family intrigues and band problems, but now the tales of Brain Wilson's mental problems, drug-addled reclusion and his manipulation by family, friends, gurus and doctors are pretty well exposed. The guy was a genius and retains a surprising amount of that given what he's been through. But the contributions of his late brother Carl are not given their due, in my opinion. Listen to this track "Feel Flows" or "Long Promised Road" both from Surf's Up or "I Can Hear Music" from 20/20 or "God Only Knows" from Pet Sounds. What a great solo/lead voice Carl had! Effortless soulfulness, much subtler than many of the more frequently touted purveyors of "blued-eyed soul". And he was a fine guitar player, apparently holding his own with the heavy session players usually doing most of the instrumental work on the Beach Boys mid-period classic Brian-arranged albums.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Wilsonhttp://www.carlwilsonfoundation.org/mission.htm"Carl Wilson was the embodiment of the talented, caring young man of the '60s -- a quiet man with the voice of an angel, a good guitarist and the central heart of the entertaining Beach Boys. His spirit is forever imprinted on our lives, his love of music forever ours. I am so proud to have been a part of The Beach Boys recordings, you cannot know." Carol Kaye