Angie Martoccio
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Beach Boys singer, songwriter, and drummer Dennis Wilson in New York on Sept. 6, 1977. Wilson died in 1983. Michael Putland/Getty Images In August 1977, Dennis Wilson released Pacific Ocean Blue, the late Beach Boys’ first — and only — solo album. Now, nearly 50 years later, one of the songs is getting its due.
The Pacific Ocean Blue highlight “Rainbows” has been featured in two releases this month: the sci-fi blockbuster Project Hail Mary and the HBO series DTF St. Louis. It plays in the former when Ryan Gosling’s character, the teacher turned astronaut Ryland Grace, is describing Earth’s beauty to his adorable alien friend Rocky. It fits perfectly in Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s film, alongside songs like Harry Styles’ “Sign of the Times,” Neil Diamond’s “Stargazer,” and the Beatles’ “Two of Us.”
The wonderfully weird DTF St. Louis — starring David Harbour, Jason Bateman, and Linda Cardellini — aired its fifth episode, “Amphezyne,” on March 29. The song appears in a flashback scene, in which Harbour’s character, Floyd, is delivering a long-winded, series-long explanation to Bateman (Clark) about how he got Peyronie’s disease, which makes his penis curved. In the flashback, Floyd is in Chicago for a job interview, but he breaks his wrists. He’s on a rainy street, struggling to open an umbrella, as a motorcyclist drives by and knocks it in the air, up high in the stormy clouds. He catches the umbrella, staring up at it in amazement, and smiles, just as Wilson’s voice enters the scene.
“Rainbows” wasn’t a even a single off Pacific Ocean Blue (that was the euphoric “River Song” and “You and I”), yet it’s blissful with a propulsive melody, perfect for the big screen. The lyrics about nature, co-written with Wilson’s brother, Carl, and Stephen Kalinich, are also ideal for both scenes. “Earth opens up its arms for me/And when you get the feelin’/The feelin’ everything’s all right, you’re right.” Gosling’s character is reflecting on how amazing his home planet is, while Harbour’s is just happy to live in it — despite his shitty day.
With Pacific Ocean Blue, Wilson was the first Beach Boy to release a solo album. After struggling with substance abuse and living in rock star excess for years, he died in 1983 at just 39, drowning at Marina Del Rey in California. At the time of his death, his follow-up album, Bambu, was still in progress; a compilation of completed tracks was released in 2017.
