Baker's Dozen

Artists discuss the 13 records that shaped their lives

11. Dennis WilsonPacific Ocean Blue

This is the best solo Beach Boys record by far. Dennis’ songs in the Beach Boys always had such an intense sadness about them which I always liked. People think that Dennis died being a drunken idiot, but in actuality he was at a party on his friend’s boat that was in a marina where Dennis’ previous home/boat was before it sank, and Dennis became fixated on getting this picture back that was on his boat when he sank. The picture was of him and his ex-wife, he said it was a picture of him at his happiest, so he jumped in to retrieve it and drowned. So obviously a guy that’s gonna do that is going to make an album that is real intense.

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