Catch a Wave

Catch a Wave: The Rise, Fall & Redemption of the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson
Peter Ames Carlin
Rodale
ISBN: 1-59486-320-2
Non-Fiction, Biography
Reviewed by Dr. Tami Brady

I have to note that I am not a Beach Boys fan. I grew up listening to their music. I even know the words to quite a few of their songs. However, before reading this book, I didn’t even know the names of the band members or have a clue about any of the band or band member’s history.
My lack of intimate knowledge and fanaticism probably greatly reduced the enjoyment of this book for me. During the first few chapters of the book, I felt like I had walked in on a conversation part way through. I had no idea about the significance of the song Smile. By the end of the book, I did understand what the author had been talking about but at the time I was completely lost.
Catch a Wave: The Rise, Fall & Redemption of the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson is extremely detailed. Fans of The Beach Boys and of Brian Wilson will find this aspect extremely appealing. However, I think I probably would have done better with a less extensive biography. All the details were a little overwhelming, and because I didn’t understand how these little things tied into the big picture, I found the material rather dry.