fbpx
Wikipedia

Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road

Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road is a 2021 documentary film about the Beach Boys' co-founder Brian Wilson directed by Brent Wilson (no relation). It follows Brian and Rolling Stone editor Jason Fine as they drive around Los Angeles and visit locations from Brian's past, interspersed with footage from recording sessions and comments from musical artists about his influence on the industry. The title comes from "Long Promised Road", a song written by Brian's brother Carl Wilson and former band manager Jack Rieley, which figures heavily in the film.[1]

Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road
Tribeca Film Festival poster
Directed byBrent Wilson
Produced by
  • Tim Headington
  • Theresa Steele Page
  • Brent Wilson
  • Jean Sievers
StarringBrian Wilson
Production
company
Ley Line Entertainment
Distributed byScreen Media
Universal Pictures
Release date
Running time
95 minutes

The film was accompanied by the release of a soundtrack album consisting of previously-unreleased recordings by Wilson, several of which dated from his unfinished 1990s collaborations with producer Andy Paley, and one new song, "Right Where I Belong", that Wilson co-wrote with My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James for the film.

Long Promised Road received generally favorable reviews. Critics appreciated the camaraderie between Fine and Wilson; however, Wilson's comments were believed to be as superficial and non-revelatory as his usual latter-day interviews.

Background and content edit

The project was originally conceived as a straightforward documentary in which Brent interviewed Brian in a room, but this failed, as Brian was unwilling to talk in this format. It was then suggested that the interviews be conducted by Rolling Stone editor Jason Fine, who had previously written articles about Wilson[2] and had been planned to ghostwrite Wilson's second memoir, I Am Brian Wilson.[3] One of Fine's recent articles about Wilson was written from discussions the two had while driving around Los Angeles together. A similar format was adopted for the film, with over 70 hours of footage shot across three weekends.[2]

Long Promised Road also features interspersed excerpts of interviews with industry figures including Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, Jim James, Nick Jonas, Taylor Hawkins, Linda Perry, and Jakob Dylan, along with one of Wilson's Beach Boys bandmates, Al Jardine.[4] Brent commented, "I wanted just a few people, a very select group of people, and I wanted a diverse group of people. The idea being that if you’re watching the film ... and you go, ‘What in the world do these people have in common?’ And the only thing they could ever have in common is their love for Brian Wilson."[5] Archival footage, such as home movies provided by the Wilson family, are also included in the film. Brent's first cut of the film lasted two and a half hours, which was ultimately reduced to 95 minutes.[1]

After an interviewer suggested that the film possibly bordered on the exploitative, Fine responded, "All of it is done on Brian's terms and on Brian’s comfort level".[6] According to Brent, "Jason’s success was that he had never forced Brian to talk, you know, it wasn’t like, 'OK, you’ve got your 20-minute interview, you’ve got to get in and get out, you’ve got to ask your questions'. Brian was always, I think, lovingly patient with us".[2] Wilson's publicist Jean Sievers is credited as the film's co-producer, while Wilson, his wife Melinda, and Fine are credited as the film's executive producers.[7]

Reception edit

Long Promised Road premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in June 2021[8] and was distributed by Screen Media in theaters and on streaming services in November.[7] On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, Long Promised Road holds an approval rating of 92% based on 12 reviews.[9] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 78 out of 100 based on 6 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[10]

Reviewing the film for The Arts Fuse, Jason M. Rubin concluded that the clearest takeaway was that "every single day — practically every single hour — is a struggle for Brian Wilson." Acknowledging Wilson's reputation as "a notoriously bad interview", the writer goes on to say that the film succeeds due to the friendship between Fine and Wilson running deeper than "some fake industry connection ... As a result, Wilson opens up to him in a way he does with few others."[11]

In the assessment of Variety's Owen Gleiberman, "Jason Fine is the easygoing friend who inquires about stuff, fields Brian’s one-sentence answers, never pushes too hard, absorbs Brian’s thoughts and feelings with sympathetic understanding, and talks music with him. He brings Brian out — at least as much as one can."[12] The Playlist's Christian Gallichio wrote that it "may not reveal much about Wilson that isn't covered in a Wikipedia article", and does not include insights from Wilson about his "life after his overdoses. While these aspects are understandably glossed over by Wilson, the film is a bit too apt to let Wilson guide the discussions."[13]

National Review's Kyle Smith found Long Promised Road to be inferior to previous films about Wilson – namely, the "almost definitive" I Just Wasn't Made for These Times and the Love & Mercy biopic. He bemoaned the choice of interviewees (particularly the inclusion of Nick Jonas and the omission of Wilson's family members) as well as the lack of "anything fresh to offer longtime fans", although "it does give a sense of what it might be like to hang out with Wilson today. That sense is largely... frustration." Smith added that the film would have benefited from delving further into "Wilson's crazy asides", such as his remark about the Doobie Brothers' song "What a Fool Believes" scaring "the hell" out of him, or his answer for why he was close with his brother Dennis ("Because we snorted cocaine together!").[14]

Soundtrack edit

Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
 
Soundtrack album by
ReleasedNovember 26, 2021 (2021-11-26)
Length39:08
LabelLakeshore
ProducerBrian Wilson, Andy Paley, Jim James
Brian Wilson chronology
At My Piano
(2021)
Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
(2021)

Long Promised Road features a new song by Wilson and My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James, "Right Where I Belong". Wilson's writing contributions were limited to the song's rough melodic ideas; James structured the song, added lyrics, and recorded the track largely by himself.[15] Brent stated that he had asked James to finish the tune,[15] although Fine claimed that Brian himself solicited the collaboration.[16] Brian recorded his vocal parts after recovering from back surgery.[15] "I'm Goin' Home", "It's Not Easy Being Me", "Must Be a Miracle", "Slightly American Music", and "I'm Broke" were recorded during Brian Wilson's sessions with collaborator Andy Paley. The live version of "In My Room" also features Al Jardine, who toured with Wilson from 2013 (after the collapse of the Beach Boys' reunion in September 2012) until Wilson's retirement from touring in 2022.[17]

In August 2021, Brent stated that there were tentative plans to release a soundtrack album containing never-before-released material.[1] The soundtrack was officially announced on November 23 and released by Lakeshore Records on November 26.[18]

Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Right Where I Belong"Brian Wilson, Jim James3:59
2."I'm Goin Home"B. Wilson, Andy Paley3:45
3."It's Not Easy Being Me"B. Wilson, Paley4:32
4."Must Be a Miracle"B. Wilson, Paley3:21
5."Slightly American Music"B. Wilson, Paley3:30
6."It's O.K."B. Wilson, Mike Love2:23
7."Rock & Roll Has Got a Hold On Me"B. Wilson3:50
8."The Night Was So Young"B. Wilson2:08
9."Honeycomb"Bob Merrill1:55
10."Long Promised Road"Carl Wilson, Jack Rieley4:34
11."In My Room" (live from the Ryman Auditorium)B. Wilson, Gary Usher2:21
12."I'm Broke"B. Wilson, Paley2:45
Total length:39:08

References edit

  1. ^ a b c . brianwilson.com. August 20, 2021. Archived from the original on August 20, 2021. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Hammond, Pete (7 June 2021). "Brian Wilson Documentary 'Long Promised Road' Captures Musical Legend In Raw, Personal Way; Looks To Set U.S. Distribution Deal – Tribeca Festival". Deadline.
  3. ^ Hann, Michael (April 15, 2013). "Beach Boys legend Brian Wilson to write autobiography". The Guardian.
  4. ^ Martoccio, Angie (March 3, 2020). "Brian Wilson, Ronnie Wood Documentaries Headed to 2020 Tribeca Film Festival". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  5. ^ Erwin, Joe (June 11, 2021). "Brian Wilson details good and bad vibrations in documentary premiering at Tribeca". NY Daily News.
  6. ^ "Brian Wilson's Survival Story Told in New Documentary 'Long Promised Road'". Billboard. June 16, 2021. {{cite magazine}}: Unknown parameter |agency= ignored (help)
  7. ^ a b "Tribeca Premiere 'Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road' Acquired by Screen Media for November Release; Oscar Campaign Planned". 27 September 2021.
  8. ^ Rock Cellar Magazine Staff (April 27, 2021). "Beach Boys' Brian Wilson Shares Poster for 'Long Promised Road,' a New Documentary Film About His Life & Career". Rock Cellar Magazine. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  9. ^ "Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
  10. ^ "Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road (2021)". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
  11. ^ Rubin, Jason M. (June 15, 2021). "Film Review: "Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road" — Getting Close to a Legend of Pop Music". The Arts Fuse.
  12. ^ Gielberman, Owen (June 15, 2021). "'Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road' Review: A Documentary Love Letter to a Pop Genius". Variety.
  13. ^ Gallichio, Christian (June 16, 2021). "'Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road': A Breezy But Surface Introduction To The Beach Boys Legend [Tribeca Review]". The Playlist.
  14. ^ Smith, Kyle (November 21, 2021). "The Rain Man of Pop". National Review.
  15. ^ a b c Grieving, Tim (December 1, 2021). "Brian Wilson doesn't say much. Until you listen to his music". Los Angeles Times.
  16. ^ Seymour, Corey (November 19, 2021). "A New Documentary Shows the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson as He's Never Been Seen Before". Vogue.
  17. ^ Doe, Andrew G.; et al. "Guest Appearances". Bellagio 10452. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  18. ^ "Brian Wilson Announces Long Promised Road Soundtrack, Shares "Right Where I Belong" with Jim James: Stream". Yahoo. November 25, 2021.

Further reading edit

  • Fine, Jason (June 22, 2015). "Brian Wilson's Better Days". Rolling Stone.

External links edit

  • Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road at IMDb  
  • Stream at pbs.org
  • Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road - Clip on YouTube
  • Brian Wilson, Jason Fine & Director Brent Wilson answers questions from Darren Paltrowitz on YouTube

brian, wilson, long, promised, road, 2021, documentary, film, about, beach, boys, founder, brian, wilson, directed, brent, wilson, relation, follows, brian, rolling, stone, editor, jason, fine, they, drive, around, angeles, visit, locations, from, brian, past,. Brian Wilson Long Promised Road is a 2021 documentary film about the Beach Boys co founder Brian Wilson directed by Brent Wilson no relation It follows Brian and Rolling Stone editor Jason Fine as they drive around Los Angeles and visit locations from Brian s past interspersed with footage from recording sessions and comments from musical artists about his influence on the industry The title comes from Long Promised Road a song written by Brian s brother Carl Wilson and former band manager Jack Rieley which figures heavily in the film 1 Brian Wilson Long Promised RoadTribeca Film Festival posterDirected byBrent WilsonProduced byTim HeadingtonTheresa Steele PageBrent WilsonJean SieversStarringBrian WilsonProductioncompanyLey Line EntertainmentDistributed byScreen MediaUniversal PicturesRelease dateJune 15 2021 2021 06 15 Tribeca Film Festival Running time95 minutes The film was accompanied by the release of a soundtrack album consisting of previously unreleased recordings by Wilson several of which dated from his unfinished 1990s collaborations with producer Andy Paley and one new song Right Where I Belong that Wilson co wrote with My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James for the film Long Promised Road received generally favorable reviews Critics appreciated the camaraderie between Fine and Wilson however Wilson s comments were believed to be as superficial and non revelatory as his usual latter day interviews Contents 1 Background and content 2 Reception 3 Soundtrack 4 References 5 Further reading 6 External linksBackground and content editThe project was originally conceived as a straightforward documentary in which Brent interviewed Brian in a room but this failed as Brian was unwilling to talk in this format It was then suggested that the interviews be conducted by Rolling Stone editor Jason Fine who had previously written articles about Wilson 2 and had been planned to ghostwrite Wilson s second memoir I Am Brian Wilson 3 One of Fine s recent articles about Wilson was written from discussions the two had while driving around Los Angeles together A similar format was adopted for the film with over 70 hours of footage shot across three weekends 2 Long Promised Road also features interspersed excerpts of interviews with industry figures including Bruce Springsteen Elton John Jim James Nick Jonas Taylor Hawkins Linda Perry and Jakob Dylan along with one of Wilson s Beach Boys bandmates Al Jardine 4 Brent commented I wanted just a few people a very select group of people and I wanted a diverse group of people The idea being that if you re watching the film and you go What in the world do these people have in common And the only thing they could ever have in common is their love for Brian Wilson 5 Archival footage such as home movies provided by the Wilson family are also included in the film Brent s first cut of the film lasted two and a half hours which was ultimately reduced to 95 minutes 1 After an interviewer suggested that the film possibly bordered on the exploitative Fine responded All of it is done on Brian s terms and on Brian s comfort level 6 According to Brent Jason s success was that he had never forced Brian to talk you know it wasn t like OK you ve got your 20 minute interview you ve got to get in and get out you ve got to ask your questions Brian was always I think lovingly patient with us 2 Wilson s publicist Jean Sievers is credited as the film s co producer while Wilson his wife Melinda and Fine are credited as the film s executive producers 7 Reception editLong Promised Road premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in June 2021 8 and was distributed by Screen Media in theaters and on streaming services in November 7 On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes Long Promised Road holds an approval rating of 92 based on 12 reviews 9 Metacritic which uses a weighted average assigned the film a score of 78 out of 100 based on 6 critics indicating generally favorable reviews 10 Reviewing the film for The Arts Fuse Jason M Rubin concluded that the clearest takeaway was that every single day practically every single hour is a struggle for Brian Wilson Acknowledging Wilson s reputation as a notoriously bad interview the writer goes on to say that the film succeeds due to the friendship between Fine and Wilson running deeper than some fake industry connection As a result Wilson opens up to him in a way he does with few others 11 In the assessment of Variety s Owen Gleiberman Jason Fine is the easygoing friend who inquires about stuff fields Brian s one sentence answers never pushes too hard absorbs Brian s thoughts and feelings with sympathetic understanding and talks music with him He brings Brian out at least as much as one can 12 The Playlist s Christian Gallichio wrote that it may not reveal much about Wilson that isn t covered in a Wikipedia article and does not include insights from Wilson about his life after his overdoses While these aspects are understandably glossed over by Wilson the film is a bit too apt to let Wilson guide the discussions 13 National Review s Kyle Smith found Long Promised Road to be inferior to previous films about Wilson namely the almost definitive I Just Wasn t Made for These Times and the Love amp Mercy biopic He bemoaned the choice of interviewees particularly the inclusion of Nick Jonas and the omission of Wilson s family members as well as the lack of anything fresh to offer longtime fans although it does give a sense of what it might be like to hang out with Wilson today That sense is largely frustration Smith added that the film would have benefited from delving further into Wilson s crazy asides such as his remark about the Doobie Brothers song What a Fool Believes scaring the hell out of him or his answer for why he was close with his brother Dennis Because we snorted cocaine together 14 Soundtrack editBrian Wilson Long Promised Road Original Motion Picture Soundtrack nbsp Soundtrack album by Brian WilsonReleasedNovember 26 2021 2021 11 26 Length39 08LabelLakeshoreProducerBrian Wilson Andy Paley Jim JamesBrian Wilson chronologyAt My Piano 2021 Brian Wilson Long Promised Road Original Motion Picture Soundtrack 2021 Long Promised Road features a new song by Wilson and My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James Right Where I Belong Wilson s writing contributions were limited to the song s rough melodic ideas James structured the song added lyrics and recorded the track largely by himself 15 Brent stated that he had asked James to finish the tune 15 although Fine claimed that Brian himself solicited the collaboration 16 Brian recorded his vocal parts after recovering from back surgery 15 I m Goin Home It s Not Easy Being Me Must Be a Miracle Slightly American Music and I m Broke were recorded during Brian Wilson s sessions with collaborator Andy Paley The live version of In My Room also features Al Jardine who toured with Wilson from 2013 after the collapse of the Beach Boys reunion in September 2012 until Wilson s retirement from touring in 2022 17 In August 2021 Brent stated that there were tentative plans to release a soundtrack album containing never before released material 1 The soundtrack was officially announced on November 23 and released by Lakeshore Records on November 26 18 Brian Wilson Long Promised Road Original Motion Picture Soundtrack No TitleWriter s Length1 Right Where I Belong Brian Wilson Jim James3 592 I m Goin Home B Wilson Andy Paley3 453 It s Not Easy Being Me B Wilson Paley4 324 Must Be a Miracle B Wilson Paley3 215 Slightly American Music B Wilson Paley3 306 It s O K B Wilson Mike Love2 237 Rock amp Roll Has Got a Hold On Me B Wilson3 508 The Night Was So Young B Wilson2 089 Honeycomb Bob Merrill1 5510 Long Promised Road Carl Wilson Jack Rieley4 3411 In My Room live from the Ryman Auditorium B Wilson Gary Usher2 2112 I m Broke B Wilson Paley2 45Total length 39 08References edit a b c Director Brent Wilson on making the documentary Brian Wilson Long Promised Road brianwilson com August 20 2021 Archived from the original on August 20 2021 Retrieved August 20 2021 a b c Hammond Pete 7 June 2021 Brian Wilson Documentary Long Promised Road Captures Musical Legend In Raw Personal Way Looks To Set U S Distribution Deal Tribeca Festival Deadline Hann Michael April 15 2013 Beach Boys legend Brian Wilson to write autobiography The Guardian Martoccio Angie March 3 2020 Brian Wilson Ronnie Wood Documentaries Headed to 2020 Tribeca Film Festival Rolling Stone Retrieved May 10 2021 Erwin Joe June 11 2021 Brian Wilson details good and bad vibrations in documentary premiering at Tribeca NY Daily News Brian Wilson s Survival Story Told in New Documentary Long Promised Road Billboard June 16 2021 a href Template Cite magazine html title Template Cite magazine cite magazine a Unknown parameter agency ignored help a b Tribeca Premiere Brian Wilson Long Promised Road Acquired by Screen Media for November Release Oscar Campaign Planned 27 September 2021 Rock Cellar Magazine Staff April 27 2021 Beach Boys Brian Wilson Shares Poster for Long Promised Road a New Documentary Film About His Life amp Career Rock Cellar Magazine Retrieved May 10 2021 Brian Wilson Long Promised Road Rotten Tomatoes Fandango Media Retrieved November 27 2021 Brian Wilson Long Promised Road 2021 Metacritic Fandom Inc Retrieved November 27 2021 Rubin Jason M June 15 2021 Film Review Brian Wilson Long Promised Road Getting Close to a Legend of Pop Music The Arts Fuse Gielberman Owen June 15 2021 Brian Wilson Long Promised Road Review A Documentary Love Letter to a Pop Genius Variety Gallichio Christian June 16 2021 Brian Wilson Long Promised Road A Breezy But Surface Introduction To The Beach Boys Legend Tribeca Review The Playlist Smith Kyle November 21 2021 The Rain Man of Pop National Review a b c Grieving Tim December 1 2021 Brian Wilson doesn t say much Until you listen to his music Los Angeles Times Seymour Corey November 19 2021 A New Documentary Shows the Beach Boys Brian Wilson as He s Never Been Seen Before Vogue Doe Andrew G et al Guest Appearances Bellagio 10452 Retrieved January 8 2024 Brian Wilson Announces Long Promised Road Soundtrack Shares Right Where I Belong with Jim James Stream Yahoo November 25 2021 Further reading editFine Jason June 22 2015 Brian Wilson s Better Days Rolling Stone External links editBrian Wilson Long Promised Road at IMDb nbsp Stream at pbs org Brian Wilson Long Promised Road Clip on YouTube Brian Wilson Jason Fine amp Director Brent Wilson answers questions from Darren Paltrowitz on YouTube Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Brian Wilson Long Promised Road amp oldid 1219764513, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.