[SpectralJulianIsNotDead]

 

After 26 years of silence, Gary Wilson made his 2nd album, Mary Had Brown Hair in 2003. The album goes back and forth between experimental filler songs and pop songs written about loves lost in his home town of Endicott NJ in the 1970s. His pop songs are like 1970's lounge music acid trips, filled with swirling electrical piano, synth, lead guitar, fat prominent bass lines and jazzy drums.

The album starts out with the intro "A Very Small Town," in which he repeats the title phrase that stops and leads into a synth intro/outro. "Linda Wants to Be Alone" is the albums first pop song, a fast song focused around the lead vocal melody that breaks down into a nightmarish section lyrically and musically in which Gary envision laments that Linda was writing a note to his parents saying that he was bothering her. The album continues with more filler- "Shauna Made Me Cry" is a simple synth part and vocals filler tracked followed by the song "Debbie, Debbie", an idyllic song of puppy love, a crush on a girl. Following that is the creepy stalkerish track "Gary's in the Park," in which the chorus sings "Gary's in the park and you know I'll be waiting for you, Gary's in the dark and you know I'll be waiting for you." The next song "Newark Valley" echoes Debbie Debbie in attitude and continues the seemingly bipolar nature of the album.

The 9th track, "Gary Saw Linda Last Night" is the albums masterpiece. Gary recalls how he watched (from the woods) his first girlfriend kissing his friend Frank in the park. The middle part is a wonderfully discordant flow of consciousness as Gary relives the moment.

The album continues on from there. It doesn't exactly taper off, but the next few songs don't capture you the same way the earlier ones do. "Our Last Date" is perhaps the best filler track, a nightmarish ode to Linda.

The last two tracks are rerecorded songs from Gary's first album, "You Think You Really Know Me," that rival the original versions in quality. "6.4 = Make Out" and "Chromium Bitch" have a different feel from the rest of the album, but they end it suitably. They're long ambling, laid back songs that are very sexy. Maybe they show why Linda, Debbie, Mary, and the rest of the girls had any interest in the guy from Endicott NJ who had a pet duck that he walked on a leash in the 70's.

[Derek]

Too many people have these series things.... but yeah uhh cool!

[SpectralJulianIsNotDead]

Seriously people, this album is really worth checking out.

[johnnywinternoshow]

I've only heard his first one, going to have to give this one a shot

[SpectralJulianIsNotDead]

You Think You Really Know Me is awesome as well.

Mary Had Brown Hair is in the same vein, accept a bit creepier and a bit less laid back.