Outwardly, Wilson’s condition seemed sufficiently improved that, by 1987, the record executive Seymour Stein signed him to a solo deal, pairing him with Andy Paley, a power-pop songwriter, producer and Beach Boys fan who would prove to be one of Wilson’s most empathetic collaborators. (Paley died in 2024.) As part of his work prepping Wilson’s solo debut, Paley pored through hundreds of songs and scraps from the mid-80s, including demos done with his brother Dennis, tracks with his ’60s songwriting partner Gary Usher and various home recordings.
The making of Wilson’s self-titled solo album, released in 1988, ultimately descended into chaos, largely brought on by Landy (who had his girlfriend, Alexandra Morgan, writing lyrics), and the record suffered. To date, only a handful of Wilson’s ’80s demos have emerged on various reissues and via his official website, leaving a gap in the understanding of his “lost” years.
‘Sweet Insanity’ (1991)
Following the release of Wilson’s solo debut, Landy seized further control of the production of his next album, “Sweet Insanity,” which was rejected in two different iterations by Warner Bros. Quickly bootlegged, it remains a polarizing work, dividing even hard-core Wilson aficionados.
The album is perhaps most infamous for Wilson’s attempt to rap on “Smart Girls,” a track produced by Matt Dike, who had credits with Young MC and the Beastie Boys (“My name is Brian and I’m the man / I write hit songs with the wave of my hand”). The album also featured glossy early ’90s production, a duet with Bob Dylan and Tom Petty on “The Spirit of Rock & Roll,” and some head-scratching guest appearances by Weird Al Yankovic, Paula Abdul and Gary Busey.
Mostly, though, the album vibrates with an uncomfortable sense that Landy and Morgan had hijacked Wilson’s life and music. On “Thank You,” Wilson croons about enduring abuse from his father over a moaning sax groove. “Frankly, it sucks,” Carlin said, “because so much of it is polluted by Dr. Landy.” Added Leaf: “Brian had been through lot of troubles in his life, and at that point he was in the midst of someone else’s madness.”
In 1992, alarmed by Landy’s increasingly suffocating control, Wilson’s family members banded together and successfully ousted him. The 2014 Wilson biopic “Love & Mercy” chronicled their complicated relationship, omitting any mention of “Sweet Insanity.”