I was really saddened to hear news of the death of Brian Wilson last night before going to bed. There aren’t many artists with their own category on my sidebar, but the group The Beach Boys, which could never have existed without Brian, is definitely there. He is the last Wilson brother to leave us, at a respectable age of 82, but is this the start of something that I’ve been dreading for a while – those legends who against all the odds have made it to be octogenarians, might be on borrowed time. Let’s hope not.
Brian was most definitely ahead of his time and after signing with Capitol Records in 1962, became the first pop musician credited for writing, arranging, producing, and performing his own material. In short, Brian was a genius.
As I am time-poor at the moment I’m going to cheat a little with my tribute to Brian by sharing some excerpts from blog posts I’ve written before. Wonderful to see the clips again though, and to listen to those wonderful songs.
From 2/10/20
It was the year of Covid and many of us watched an awful lot of telly. I found a really special documentary on Prime called Echo In The Canyon where Jakob Dylan (Bob’s son) had met up with and interviewed musicians who had lived in Laurel Canyon in the 1960s. Brian was one of those musicians. Jakob then paired up with other musicians to make contemporary versions of their songs from back in the day. A truly magical bit of telly. Here is an excerpt from the post I wrote about it:
Jakob looks and sounds uncannily like his dad at times during the film, where he and a selection of other musicians cleverly intersperse candid interviews with performances of some of the most memorable songs from the era. One of these guest musicians was my new discovery, Fiona Apple. I was bowled over when they got up on stage to sing the Brian Wilson song In My Room. Short, but oh so beautiful.
In My Room by Fiona Apple and Jakob Dylan:
Brian Wilson from the Beach Boys had been a Laurel Canyon resident in the late ’60s and despite starting out writing songs that represented the youth culture of southern California (basically surfin’, surfin’ and more surfin’) it soon became obvious that Brian was a bit of a musical genius, the like of whom don’t come along very often. Their album Pet Sounds, written and produced by Brian, was released in 1966 and is often cited as having inspired the Beatles to make Sgt. Pepper.
Apparently Brian had been an agoraphobic during his teens and had refused to leave his bedroom for some time. The song was written from the perspective of a teenager who felt safe and comfortable there. I’m pretty sure DD doesn’t have agoraphobia, but the amount of time she has been spending in her old school bedroom since returning home is concerning me [this was the year of Covid – Alyson]. She is studying, and possibly doesn’t want to interfere with our routines, but as for many other young people who may not have work right now and can no longer be with friends, it just doesn’t feel very healthy at all. Maybe why I’ve been affected by the song so much.
Although it’s the Fiona Apple/Jakob Dylan version that I’ve fallen in love with this week, I can’t go without sharing the original by the Beach Boys themselves. Lots of screaming from the girls in the audience, but I think we still get the sense of it (and a lovely boyish smile from Brian at 0:35).
From 2/9/17
This one is self-explanatory I think. An excerpt from 2017:
Well, it’s been a bit of a week, with no time for heavily researched blog posts. When that happens I usually resort to a web-diary type affair and a few songs have come to mind. First of all, after reading a post written by Jez over at Dubious Towers last weekend, where he recommended watching the film Love & Mercy about the life of Beach Boy Brian Wilson, I did just that. In doing so I fell in love with the album Pet Sounds all over again. I think I knew a bit about the troubled life that Brian had post Beach Boys, but this film really highlighted the nightmare he went through in the 1980s under the supervision of highly controlling psychotherapist Dr Eugene Landy. Fortunately the love of a good woman saved him and joy of joys they are still married today, so a happy ending to a sorry tale.
What was great about this film however was that we got to witness the creative genius that went into producing Pet Sounds back in 1966. The sounds on this album were just that, Brian’s favourite, or pet, sounds and the talented Wrecking Crew that worked with him on that album acknowledged his genius above all others they collaborated with. Brian at this point was still aged only 24. I have featured the wonderful song God Only Knows before in this blog (link here) so here is another from that album, Wouldn’t It Be Nice. Something interesting that came out of this biopic was that contrary to popular belief, The Beach Boys didn’t actually surf!
Wouldn’t It Be Nice by The Beach Boys:
From 18/12/16
This one has already been mentioned in the excerpt above but here is something I wrote after watching the film Love Actually, just before Christmas 2016, at the end of my first full year of blogging. Here it is:
The song I want to feature for this post is the one used for the closing credits of the movie, God Only Knows by The Beach Boys. This is one of my favourite songs and was written by Brian Wilson and Tony Asher. It was released in May 1966 (very close to my favourite year for music 1967) as the eighth track on the wonderful Beach Boys’ album Pet Sounds and is of course from the baroque pop camp, of which I am so fond. The sentiments expressed in the lyrics were not specific to any god, and could be addressed to any “higher power”, being a song apparently about moving forward after loss. Well I don’t know about that because the lyrics seem to infer that moving forward would be nigh impossible. Whatever, it is still one of the most beautiful songs of the 20th century so thank you Brian and the boys for giving it to us.
God Only Knows by The Beach Boys:
Until next time… RIP Brian Wilson.
God Only Knows Lyrics
(Song by Brian Wilson/Tony Asher)
I may not always love you
But long as there are stars above you
You never need to doubt it
I’ll make you so sure about it
God only knows what I’d be without you
If you should ever leave me
Though life would still go on believe me
The world could show nothing to me
So what good would living do me
God only knows what I’d be without you
God only knows what I’d be without you
If you should ever leave me
Well life would still go on believe me
The world could show nothing to me
So what good would living do me
God only knows what I’d be without you
God only knows what I’d be without you
God only knows
What's It All About? 
He was a huge talent, and wrote or co-wrote so many great songs. One of my favorites is Caroline, No.
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Just listened to that song – beautiful. Full of Brian’s “pet sounds”.
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I saw him a few times in concert, both solo and with the re-formed (and reformed?) Beach Boys, i.e. the three originals still alive then, Bruce Johnston (almost counts as an original member), and David Marks (who substituted for Al Jardine while the latter was studying dentistry in Michigan or whatever, leaving when Al came back)—plus 11 backing musicians. The idea was to recreate the hits on stage like they sound in the studio, and they succeeded. At a solo gig, at some point people stood up (everyone had a reserved seat) and Brian stopped playing and said “Please be seated”. I was never a huge fan but do appreciate some of their stuff. But that made me appreciate Brian much more. We pay more money, reserve a year or two in advance to get a good seat; we don’t want it spoiled by someone standing up, especially since they can’t even see better and everyone behind them can’t see at all. Fortunately the people sat back down. Once for an Iron Maiden gig I managed to get only second-row balcony seats, but my wife actually convinced the bloke in front of us to sit down for the whole show. What I really hate is a performer who tells the audience to get up and rush down front.
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Lucky you – they certainly did seem to be able to recreate the songs like in the studio which was quite something considering their complexity.
I’m with you on the standing up thing – if only a few people do it in the crowd it totally ruins it for the people behind them.
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Ah! This one hurts. Alyson, I share your view about fearing that all the talent from our youth are getting to be ‘of an age’. Like everything else, they don’t last for ever. Jimmy Webb once observed that his musical influences were the “three Bs” Not Bach, Beethoven and Brahms, But “Bacharach, the Beatles and the Beach Boys”. I’m with Jimmy Webb!. Of that group, only Paul, Ringo Mike and Al are left.
Brian Wilson, warts and all, was a musical genius. Not for his re-working of Sweet Little Sixteen (Surfin’ USA), but for the melodies, harmonies and orchestrations that started with “In My Room” and reached the pinnacle with “God Only Knows”. What a catalogue.
Had the pleasure of seeing the band in Toronto in 1965 and 1966. Think Glen Campbell took Brian’s spot both times.
Rest in Peace Brian
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I thought you might drop by this one. Yes the three Bs are all on my sidebar and not many of them left now. So pleased however that against all the odds Brian made it to the grand old age of 82, and the 21st century seems to have been good for him, back on tour for most of it and seeming to handle it perfectly well.
Love that it was Glen Campbell who stood in for Brian in the 60s – he was the perfect fit and once he donned that shirt he could have been a Wilson. Lucky you having seem them back then.
RIP Brian
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Many thanks Alyson. Beautifully expressed as always and some wonderful clips.
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I do love those clips and especially the one where they sing In My Room. Love that coy smile that Brian gives everyone. He was a handsome boy.
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A superb tribute, Alyson. I appear rather lost for words on this one.
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I did cheat on this one but still summed up the story of Brian. I can see how you might be lost for words Rol, so much to unpack. RIP Brian.
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Thanks, Alyson. A great talent, for sure. How much greater he could have been if drugs hadn’t toppled him, we will never know. As you allude to, he surrounded himself with some great collaborators, not least his own superlative band who took vocal harmonies to another level. But also some great songwriting sparring partners who doubled up as the lyricists he was crying out for, namely Tony Asher and Van Dyke Parks.
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I don’t know – had Brian been more of a regular guys with none of the demons that haunted him, he may not have had that spark of genius at all. He would have been too busy just getting on with life. Who knows. I do like how he aged as a regular guys though at looked at 82 like a proper “grandpa”. Not for him the falderals of Mick and Keith and the emaciated frame of Ronnie.
That’s a great post about Van Dyke Parks. Didn’t actually know about him but how great was it that you got a reply to your request via email. I think I’m going to have to be bolder and try the same thing with some of these lesser known players from the past.
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So sorry to take so long to come back here – I read various tributes at the time but have been rather neglectful of the blogs lately (again) and got very behind… But just want to say that this is a beautifully written piece and a great tribute to a very special musician. Also fascinating to read your words from previous posts and be reminded of the context of those times too.
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Thanks for dropping by anyway – no matter if it’s later. Ironically I’ve been managing to get round the blogs a bit better of late. It’s just the writing of new stuff that stumps me.
Yes, it was interesting to re-read those words as some from an awful long time ago, and some from covid times.
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