Orange Crate Art

Orange Crate Art is a 1995 album by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks released on Warner Bros. Records, where Parks has been contracted since 1967. Nearly 30 years after their collaboration on the ill-fated Smile project, Wilson and Parks teamed up again for this Orange Crate Art, The album's title refers to the sun-drenched, idealized paintings that grace wooden fruit crates, and its theme is a nostalgic view of the history of California. Though billed and anticipated as a full collaboration, the album is devoted to Parks' compositions, and features his typical dense wordplay and orchestrations. Wilson for his part contributes only the vocals and vocal arrangements. Parks reported that despite his invitation, Wilson had declined to...