Brian Wilson "Sweet Insanity" - the unreleased 1991 album
Brian Wilson, the brilliant but troubled co-founder of the Beach Boys, passed away on June 11, 2025, at the age of 82. During the 1960's heyday of the Beach Boys, Brian was the main creative force behind the legendary California rock band, which he co-founded with his brothers Dennis and Carl, his cousin Mike Love, and his high school friend Alan Jardine. The 1966 Beach Boys album Pet Sounds, a baroque pop masterpiece which was masterminded by Brian, is now widely considered to be one of the greatest albums ever recorded. Unfortunately, Brian was also known for his struggles with mental illness and other personal troubles ever since the 1960's. Another legend associated with Brian's name is the unfinished Beach Boys album Smile, which was intended to be the 1967 magnum opus follow-up to Pet Sounds, but was scrapped long before completion. Decades later, Wilson would eventually "finish" Smile as a solo album in 2004.
Another unreleased Brian Wilson album which has acquired a certain mystique -- though it's nowhere near as mythical as Smile -- is Sweet Insanity, which was recorded in 1990, and was intended to be his second solo release (following his critically overrated self-titled solo debut from 1988). The Sweet Insanity album was rejected by Sire Records, and even resulted in Wilson being released from his contract with that label. The album has never been officially issued, except as a limited promo cassette on the Brains & Genius imprint, which was owned by Wilson and Dr. Eugene Landy -- the infamous shrink-to-the-stars whose psychiatric care Wilson was then under.
During the 1980's, Landy had seemingly taken complete control over Wilson's life. Having once had hopes for his own musical stardom, Landy also became Wilson's business manager, and co-wrote and executive produced Wilson's 1988 solo debut. Sweet Insanity was the second (and final) album that Wilson co-created with Landy, who once again co-wrote and co-produced the material. The long, bizarre association between Wilson and Landy ended in 1992, and Landy was legally barred from even contacting Brian -- which is probably another reason why the Sweet Insanity album was permanently shelved. (Landy died in 2006). Naturally, the album has been much-bootlegged during the years since.
Why was the album rejected by the record label? Mainly because of the lyrics, many of which were written by Landy. The ultimate deal-breaker was reportedly "Smart Girls", a silly rap song in which Wilson mocks his Beach Boys hits, sometimes using samples from them. That may have been a potentially funny concept on paper, but the song proved to be ridiculous and embarrassing in execution. Aside from that misguided four minutes of headache-inducing self-parody (which was briefly circulated on a promo cassette single), Sweet Insanity is not as bad as its reputation, and is certainly not the freak show that its title suggests. In fact, it is often more accessible than many of Wilson's other post-1960's works.
Most criticism of Sweet Insanity stems from Landy's extensive involvement, which supposedly resulted in a work that did not come from the mind of the "real" Brian Wilson. Though it may be politically correct to dislike the album for that reason, Sweet Insanity does offer some very likable tracks. While it is unlike most of Wilson's other solo recordings, the album is sometimes reminiscent of the Beach Boys, which was probably Landy's intention. The first track, "Someone To Love", sounds like a grown-up variation on that band's early hits. "Don't Let Her Know She's An Angel" and "Do You Have Any Regrets" recall the baroque pop of Pet Sounds, and could have been classics if they had better vocals and more fully developed production. The self-referential "Brian" finds Wilson singing poignantly about his struggles with mental illness; even if Landy was the author of its lyrics, it is still moving to hear Brian sing the song. "The Spirit Of Rock & Roll" features guest vocals by Bob Dylan and Tom Petty (just two of many stellar guest musicians who worked on the album); it's an uplifting anthem that was in keeping with other music that was being made by other middle-aged rockers at that time.
The rest of the songs tend to have a synth-based sound consistent with their late-'80's origins, though they also sometimes recall the 1977 Beach Boys Love You album, which was essentially a Brian Wilson solo album with the Beach Boys' name on it. Brian sounds looser here than he did on his 1988 album, and not always for the better, as it sometimes made it more noticeable that he lacked the vocal range of his youth. Some of these songs succeed about halfway at achieving a sort of updated Beach Boys pop sound. "Country Feelin'" even shows a touch of Smile-era quirkiness. On the downside, the cringeworthy "Hotter" is almost as obnoxiously silly as "Smart Girls" -- and was apparently intended as its B-side!
Three of the songs on Sweet Insanity were later rerecorded for Wilson's 2004 album Gettin' In Over My Head: "Don't Let Her Know She's An Angel", "Rainbow Eyes" and "Make A Wish". The rerecorded "Don't Let Her Know She's An Angel" was given the tasteful arrangement it deserved. The rerecorded "Rainbow Eyes" and "Make A Wish" were easily improvements over their unimpressive Sweet Insanity versions, and became good, though not great, tracks. Still, these rerecordings were somehow disappointing, feeling as if they still did not reach their full potential. Perhaps Brian was just too emotionally removed from this material at this point in time; during the release year of his officially completed Smile album, these Sweet Insanity songs were probably not a top priority for him and his supporting players. Therefore, it may be just as well that the entire Sweet Insanity album did not get the full rerecorded treatment. (Note: As of this writing, Gettin' In Over My Head is not available on streaming services).
As mentioned earlier, countless bootleg versions of Sweet Insanity have surfaced over the years. The track listing below was the one presented as the official one, and this review applies to that version of the album. Bootlegs have added numerous bonus tracks recorded during the same time period. The most notable ones: "Concert Tonight" is a four-minute extended version of the 16-second "Intro" track, a rousing synth-rocker about the excitement one feels when anticipating an upcoming show; "Daddy's Little Girl" is a track taken from the 1989 She's Out Of Control movie soundtrack, and it would have fit in well on the 1988 Brian Wilson album; and, most surprisingly, some cassette bootlegs added a January 1992 radio interview with Brian from the Dr. Demento Show.
Brian Wilson "Sweet Insanity" (promo cassette) (Brains & Genius, no catalog number) 1991
Track Listing:
1. Intro
2. Someone To Love
3. Water Builds Up
4. Don't Let Her Know She's An Angel
5. Do You Have Any Regrets
6. Brian
7. The Spirit Of Rock & Roll
8. Rainbow Eyes
9. Love Ya
10. Make A Wish
11. Smart Girls
12. Country Feelin'
13. Hotter
Another unreleased Brian Wilson album which has acquired a certain mystique -- though it's nowhere near as mythical as Smile -- is Sweet Insanity, which was recorded in 1990, and was intended to be his second solo release (following his critically overrated self-titled solo debut from 1988). The Sweet Insanity album was rejected by Sire Records, and even resulted in Wilson being released from his contract with that label. The album has never been officially issued, except as a limited promo cassette on the Brains & Genius imprint, which was owned by Wilson and Dr. Eugene Landy -- the infamous shrink-to-the-stars whose psychiatric care Wilson was then under.
During the 1980's, Landy had seemingly taken complete control over Wilson's life. Having once had hopes for his own musical stardom, Landy also became Wilson's business manager, and co-wrote and executive produced Wilson's 1988 solo debut. Sweet Insanity was the second (and final) album that Wilson co-created with Landy, who once again co-wrote and co-produced the material. The long, bizarre association between Wilson and Landy ended in 1992, and Landy was legally barred from even contacting Brian -- which is probably another reason why the Sweet Insanity album was permanently shelved. (Landy died in 2006). Naturally, the album has been much-bootlegged during the years since.
Why was the album rejected by the record label? Mainly because of the lyrics, many of which were written by Landy. The ultimate deal-breaker was reportedly "Smart Girls", a silly rap song in which Wilson mocks his Beach Boys hits, sometimes using samples from them. That may have been a potentially funny concept on paper, but the song proved to be ridiculous and embarrassing in execution. Aside from that misguided four minutes of headache-inducing self-parody (which was briefly circulated on a promo cassette single), Sweet Insanity is not as bad as its reputation, and is certainly not the freak show that its title suggests. In fact, it is often more accessible than many of Wilson's other post-1960's works.
Most criticism of Sweet Insanity stems from Landy's extensive involvement, which supposedly resulted in a work that did not come from the mind of the "real" Brian Wilson. Though it may be politically correct to dislike the album for that reason, Sweet Insanity does offer some very likable tracks. While it is unlike most of Wilson's other solo recordings, the album is sometimes reminiscent of the Beach Boys, which was probably Landy's intention. The first track, "Someone To Love", sounds like a grown-up variation on that band's early hits. "Don't Let Her Know She's An Angel" and "Do You Have Any Regrets" recall the baroque pop of Pet Sounds, and could have been classics if they had better vocals and more fully developed production. The self-referential "Brian" finds Wilson singing poignantly about his struggles with mental illness; even if Landy was the author of its lyrics, it is still moving to hear Brian sing the song. "The Spirit Of Rock & Roll" features guest vocals by Bob Dylan and Tom Petty (just two of many stellar guest musicians who worked on the album); it's an uplifting anthem that was in keeping with other music that was being made by other middle-aged rockers at that time.
The rest of the songs tend to have a synth-based sound consistent with their late-'80's origins, though they also sometimes recall the 1977 Beach Boys Love You album, which was essentially a Brian Wilson solo album with the Beach Boys' name on it. Brian sounds looser here than he did on his 1988 album, and not always for the better, as it sometimes made it more noticeable that he lacked the vocal range of his youth. Some of these songs succeed about halfway at achieving a sort of updated Beach Boys pop sound. "Country Feelin'" even shows a touch of Smile-era quirkiness. On the downside, the cringeworthy "Hotter" is almost as obnoxiously silly as "Smart Girls" -- and was apparently intended as its B-side!
Three of the songs on Sweet Insanity were later rerecorded for Wilson's 2004 album Gettin' In Over My Head: "Don't Let Her Know She's An Angel", "Rainbow Eyes" and "Make A Wish". The rerecorded "Don't Let Her Know She's An Angel" was given the tasteful arrangement it deserved. The rerecorded "Rainbow Eyes" and "Make A Wish" were easily improvements over their unimpressive Sweet Insanity versions, and became good, though not great, tracks. Still, these rerecordings were somehow disappointing, feeling as if they still did not reach their full potential. Perhaps Brian was just too emotionally removed from this material at this point in time; during the release year of his officially completed Smile album, these Sweet Insanity songs were probably not a top priority for him and his supporting players. Therefore, it may be just as well that the entire Sweet Insanity album did not get the full rerecorded treatment. (Note: As of this writing, Gettin' In Over My Head is not available on streaming services).
As mentioned earlier, countless bootleg versions of Sweet Insanity have surfaced over the years. The track listing below was the one presented as the official one, and this review applies to that version of the album. Bootlegs have added numerous bonus tracks recorded during the same time period. The most notable ones: "Concert Tonight" is a four-minute extended version of the 16-second "Intro" track, a rousing synth-rocker about the excitement one feels when anticipating an upcoming show; "Daddy's Little Girl" is a track taken from the 1989 She's Out Of Control movie soundtrack, and it would have fit in well on the 1988 Brian Wilson album; and, most surprisingly, some cassette bootlegs added a January 1992 radio interview with Brian from the Dr. Demento Show.
Brian Wilson "Sweet Insanity" (promo cassette) (Brains & Genius, no catalog number) 1991
Track Listing:
1. Intro
2. Someone To Love
3. Water Builds Up
4. Don't Let Her Know She's An Angel
5. Do You Have Any Regrets
6. Brian
7. The Spirit Of Rock & Roll
8. Rainbow Eyes
9. Love Ya
10. Make A Wish
11. Smart Girls
12. Country Feelin'
13. Hotter
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