Dennis Wilson, brother of Brian, recorded Pacific Ocean Blue way back in 1977, the first solo album by any Beach Boy. It is available now in remastered and expanded form (see my post here for more info)
This post generated so much interest that I thought I would give you a selection of out-takes from reviews on the web (check out the sites for more). The PopMatters Review is by far the most exhaustive...
Dennis was the only Beach Boy who actually surfed, and his near-mythical 1977 album - out of print for more than a decade - is all about a bumpy, haphazard beach life; he drowned in the Pacific six years after it was released. The lyrics have a zen simplicity (“let the wind carry your blues away, that's all I'm trying to say”) that works perfectly against opaque, orchestrated arrangements on Moonshine and the eerie Friday Night. Other highlights include the spiritual River Song and the devastatingly beautiful, piano-led Thoughts of You. The Times Online
Within the Beach Boys, Dennis Wilson seemed to be the friendly foil to his visionary older brother Brian — he was the fun-loving surfer/drummer who loved booze and women. But this solo set proves he was also a soulful songwriter. Released in 1977 and out of print since 1991, Pacific Ocean Blue is a cinematic meditation on loss, both personal and environmental. A trio of wrenchingly intimate songs about a failed relationship anchor the album..... Rolling Stone
Pacific Ocean Blue is the amusement arcade with the paint peeling, the carnie clown's cracked make-up fading as they pack away their act after another late September weekend of half-full applause and bitter tears. The other side of summer. Released in 1977, it was the first ever Beach Boy solo album, and much to the chagrin of Mike Love in particular, it became the sort of artistic success that the group themselves hadn't enjoyed for a long while. bbc.co.uk
There are also lighter moments, like the bluesy kiss-off number “What’s Wrong” and the ecologically conscious title track. But the most memorable moments are the sad ones, in which Dennis comes up with some unexpectedly soul-bearing lyrics. “I never see the light that people talk about,” he confesses on the opening line in “You and I,” a Latin-tinged number.
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