Brian Wilson RIP

I made it to California on my first visit to the U.S. in '69 and heard his music every day, endless sunshine and golden girls wearing not very much.

A stranger and more parochial memory is that "Sloop John B" always seemed to be playing at the Stretford Bowl whenever I was in there on a Saturday morning before walking over to Maine Road.

R.I.P. Brian.
 
R.I.P

Well i feel so broke up i wanna go home


A cover that Al Jardine suggested to Brian that he managed to transform into something ethereal.

I think he ran out of ‘genius steam’ in the 70’s (though he did manage some lovely moments on his solo stuff that was perhaps over produced).
But even post Smile (which contains some astonishing music that pushed boundaries more than almost anyone in pop at the time) there’s some incredibly beautiful music he created.

Probably the nearest thing I’ve had to some kind of religious experience (but he was, after all, just a man and as flawed as many of us are).

I managed to see him at those royal Albert hall concerts (Pet Sounds and then Smile) many years ago.

It’s a crazy, dark story mind.

But I can’t over emphasise how much his music has helped me through tough times.
 
From the BBC news site:

In a post on X, American singer-songwriter Tom Petty compared Wilson to Beethoven, writing "I don't think there's anything better than that."

Er....
 
God only knows. One of the greatest songs ever made.
Paul McCartney one of Wilson’s biggest admirers, has called The Beach Boys’ “God Only Knows” the “greatest song ever written.”

"It’s one of the few songs that reduces me to tears every time I hear it,” McCartney said. “It’s really just a love song, but it’s brilliantly done. It shows the genius of Brian.”

 

Don't have an account? Register now and see fewer ads!

SIGN UP
Back
Top