‘Love & Mercy’ features Ross, prime Wilson cuts

“Brian should be ever-present.”

This concept, described by Academy Award-winning composer Atticus Ross in the Love & Mercy lead-up, is both an appropriate tribute and occasional detriment to the the film’s accompanying soundtrack. The echoing, often repeated Wilson (and other Beach Boys) vocals weave throughout Ross’ score work, often used in the depiction of anxiety, instability and at times, medicated terror. And the Beach Boys cuts that do make the, excuse me, cut, aren’t exactly table scraps, with the breakthrough moments of “God Only Knows” and “Good Vibrations” properly documented. But it’s not a flawless sun-soaked execution.

“The Bed Montage” is pure chaos, with dialogue overlays leading into an “In My Room” remix, then leading into what feels like endless layering. This approach is something that at times, led to tracks with up to 6 Beach Boys songs being worked into one section of score. Just a little overkill.

But thankfully, these miscues are few and far between. When things are simple, like in “Believe,” the album is at its best. The harmonies are distant, assisting in the intended emotional impact (haunting memories of a time past), the percussion kicking in at the 1:40 mark taking on a more sinister tone. One of Ross’ true talents is adding rhythm to the sinister, something he excels at throughout this soundtrack’s duration. And as the vocals kick back in at 3:30, it turns into something that would fit right in with either the Gone Girl or Social Network tracklistings.

“Losing It” continues this push, the silverware percussion an obvious standout. The track begins with a deafening whirlwind, almost as if a mass migraine plays out in real time. And by the time we hit that percussion, it’s full form mental disintegration with a beat. “I’m Right Here” has Ross even utilizing a film dialogue drop to his rhythmic advantage, using it to transition between alternate moods.

The soundtrack finishes up with an original from Wilson, “One Kind Of Love,” which doesn’t play like a throwaway, and actor Paul Dano’s rendition of “God Only Knows” is also worthy of discussion. Dano’s voice is unique enough, while remaining in Wilson’s range, but more so the recording feels organic, the keys holding real life and the slight vocal echo feeling within the room the scene is set in. It’s a far cry from overly produced film songs that seem more concerned with making their respective actor/actress look good.

The endless desire to have Wilson reign over each piece of score can be slightly harmful at times, leading to busy arrangements, but in the end, Ross’ talents and the chosen selections are too much to ignore.

Sound Quality

This isn’t a throwaway vinyl cash-grab. The pressing is a full room experience and with a ton going on beneath the surface, primarily in added vocals, the low end never dominates it, never covers it up. “Don’t Worry Baby,” one of the Beach Boys inclusions, is sharp, as they were able to work from master recordings, according to Ross. They received 68 versions of “Good Vibrations,” a nice thought, even if I did think the percussion could have been a little more pronounced in the mix of that track. Then again, that could just be a sign of the recording’s age.

In terms of Ross’ work, “Silhouette” is a very balanced experience, while “Losing It” is suitably powerful. On the latter, the whips of sound below the surface are clear, while the end (that silverware percussion, as I like to put it) is a standout moment. Dano’s version of “God Only Knows” is probably your best pure audio experience, all the triumphs and imperfections of the vocals crystal clear.

My one subtraction comes with a bit too many pops, along with some surface noise at the beginning of Side A.

Packaging

A gatefold jacket for the single LP release gets a big thumbs up. The art by Kii Arens (La La Land) is a much needed deviation from what could have been images from the film (don’t worry, we get that in the gatefold). And the packaging layout by Hayden Miller is standard, but retains the cover color scheme in clever ways. The blue and white vinyl is again a match for what surrounds it.

Extras

The colored vinyl is the only extra to speak of with the release. No digital download, which is a shame, but it’s all available via Spotify or other streaming services. The surprise on the vinyl color (they didn’t reveal until you purchased the Black Friday release) was a nice touch for us crazy record collectors.

Make Sure To Spin

“God Only Knows” (Dano version), “Losing It” and “Silhouette”

'Love & Mercy' features Ross, prime Wilson cuts Capitol Records “Brian should be ever-present.” This concept, described by Academy Award-winning composer Atticus Ross in the Love & Mercy lead-up, is both an appropriate tribute and occasional detriment to the the film’s accompanying soundtrack. The echoing, often repeated Wilson (and other Beach Boys) vocals weave throughout Ross’ score work, often used in the depiction of anxiety, instability and at times, medicated terror. And the Beach Boys cuts that do make the, excuse me, cut, aren’t exactly table scraps, with the breakthrough moments of “God Only Knows” and “Good Vibrations” properly documented. But it’s not a flawless sun-soaked execution. “The Bed Montage” is pure chaos, with dialogue overlays leading into an “In My Room” remix, then leading into what feels like endless layering. This approach is something that at times, led to tracks with up to 6 Beach Boys songs being worked into one section of score. Just a little overkill. But thankfully, these miscues are few and far between. When things are simple, like in “Believe,” the album is at its best. The harmonies are distant, assisting in the intended emotional impact (haunting memories of a time past), the percussion kicking in at the 1:40 mark taking on a more sinister tone. One of Ross’ true talents is adding rhythm to the sinister, something he excels at throughout this soundtrack’s duration. And as the vocals kick back in at 3:30, it turns into something that would fit right in with either the Gone Girl or Social Network tracklistings. “Losing It” continues this push, the silverware percussion an obvious standout. The track begins with a deafening whirlwind, almost as if a mass migraine plays out in real time. And by the time we hit that percussion, it’s full form mental disintegration with a beat. “I’m Right Here” has Ross even utilizing a film dialogue drop to his rhythmic advantage, using it to transition between alternate moods. The soundtrack finishes up with an original from Wilson, “One Kind Of Love,” which doesn’t play like a throwaway, and actor Paul Dano’s rendition of “God Only Knows” is also worthy of discussion. Dano’s voice is unique enough, while remaining in Wilson’s range, but more so the recording feels organic, the keys holding real life and the slight vocal echo feeling within the room the scene is set in. It’s a far cry from overly produced film songs that seem more concerned with making their respective actor/actress look good. The endless desire to have Wilson reign over each piece of score can be slightly harmful at times, leading to busy arrangements, but in the end, Ross’ talents and the chosen selections are too much to ignore. Sound Quality This isn't a throwaway vinyl cash-grab. The pressing is a full room experience and with a ton going on beneath the surface, primarily in added vocals, the low end never dominates it, never covers it up. "Don't Worry Baby," one of the Beach Boys inclusions, is sharp, as… Vinyl Review: Various Artists — The Life, Love and Genius of Brian Wilson (Music From Love & Mercy) Vinyl Review: Various Artists — The Life, Love and Genius of Brian Wilson (Music From Love & Mercy) Grade Music - 74% Sound Quality - 82% Packaging - 80% Extras - 60% 74 74% The soundtrack to "Love and Mercy" may go a little heavy on their Brian Wilson tribute at times (it is titled "Genius of Brian Wilson" after all), but when it's a little simpler, composer Atticus Ross really gets to shine. The pressing is worthy of the music spinning, with a clear attention paid to the audio fidelity. And bonus points for that custom, excellent art. 74 User Rating: Be the first one ! 74

Tags: review