Brian Wilson, an undisputed musical genius responsible for the unique sounds of The Beach Boys, is captured here in a musical documentary covering preparations for his first ever solo outing to an eager and loving army of his faithful and patient fans.

No silly comments, just the man himself.

The live tracks, culled from his U.S. dates and later Japanese performance, are intercut with rehearsal and jam footage, interviews with Brian, family and friends, plus other musical legends such as Pete Townshend and Neil Young who damn well nearly admit to hero-worshipping him.

It’s not too hard to see why, with Brian almost single-handedly creating The Beach Boys sound, and in direct response to The Beatles’ Rubber Soul album returning fire with the album often regarded as one of (if not the) best albums ever made, Pet Sounds.

But this is a shot of a fat guy in a Hawiian shirt and some hobo..

Though he famously disappeared off the radar for the better part of a quarter century, his inevitable solo comeback and then a world tour which showed he could overcome his paralysing fear of live performance put him in front of an aging audience who have deified him, and younger crowds who were discovering his music for the first time.

This DVD features the following performances (I haven’t included tracks which aren’t complete or are interrupted in some way):

The first time you play this DVD, you might be annoyed at the frequent interruptions to the musical tracks by the documentary footage, but in fact it actually works to create a better understanding of the significance many people consider of Brian’s return to the stage, the high regard his supporters and crew had for him and the anticipation and excitement it created amongst them.

There aren’t too many music DVDs which I’ve found are able to elicit such an emotional response as this, but it’s hard not to be moved by songs such as God Only Knows and feel your skin tingling with Do it Again, even in the audio only medium of CD, let alone matched with the visuals of a live performance. Like the Jeff Buckley Live In Chicago DVD, this is another case where the music works on an emotional level which transcends the technical limitations of the medium.

Fans of Brian Wilson will find that this release offers plenty to enjoy, and the only shortcoming is when you add the total amount of actual complete musical content it comes up a little shorter than desirable. Otherwise, this is highly recommended.

The only unfortunate thing about this presentation is the fact it's in NTSC, which might restrict some fans from experiencing this DVD if their gear isn't capable of displaying it. Otherwise, the picture is pretty good, bouncing from fairly clear footage to some which isn't very well focussed, but the colouring is good, if typically live performance looking, and shadows a little flat (nothing unusual for a live show on DVD). The frequent close-ups of Brian during the performances are pleasingly distinct with fine detail as best as the system will allow, and the positive attributes outweigh the negatives in this case.

So, what do you want to listen to? Dolby Digital stereo, Dolby 5.1 or DTS 5.1? Take your pick, they're all here. If you want to flatten the soundstage out for more of a CD-like stereo image, go with the DD2.0 stereo track, which is a little duller and flatter, but still a faithful mix if lacking in the more lively aspects of a concert performance. The DD5.1 track is much more lively and diffuse with the vocals predominately anchored in the centre. There's none of the silly "bongos in the back" going on with the surrounds thankfully, and generally this is a decent track, with good separation and placement and adequate bass. The DTS mix is more of the same, but significantly louder, and with no really major discernable difference to make me prefer this over the DD track. Having the choice to make is nice though, so kudos for allowing us the freedom to decide for ourselves.

Meet The Band (04:26)
How's this for a dream come true: The band, The Wondermints, were playing in a club doing covers of Pet Sounds (a brilliant album finally making its way to DVD) one night when Brian saw them and asked if they'd like to tour as his band. What would you say? Talk about a dream come true, imagine being a part of that moment if you're a member of the band! We're introduced to the members and they each say a few words about the music or their experience with Brian.

Brian on The Beatles (01:38)
Brian answers questions fired at him from offscreen about his views on The Beatles, and he exclaims his excitement at their music and jealousy.

Postcards From the Road (01:58)
This is just a brief clip of the life on the road for the band, set to music.