(Co-authored by Greg Poblete)
A generational icon is an understatement to describe the influential career of singer, songwriter, producer and founding member of The Beach Boys, Brian Wilson. With over 60 years in music, Wilson had a hand in crafting some of the most beloved pop songs of all time through beautiful melodies, intricate vocal harmonies and otherworldly chord progressions. Songs like “Surfin’ U.S.A.” and “Good Vibrations” show the bright and charismatic charm of The Beach Boys while tracks like “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” and “God Only Knows” demonstrate the somberly lovestruck side of Wilson’s songwriting.
Formed in Southern California, not only did The Beach Boys bring the surf-rock sounds of the Golden Coast to the entire world, but Brian Wilson inspired future generations of musicians and artists who still reference albums like Pet Sounds and Surf’s Up as some undeniable favorites. With accolades such as two Grammy awards, being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and being inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame by Paul McCartney, Brian Wilson’s legacy is cemented in all corners of music history and will always be remembered.
Despite being deaf in his right ear since early childhood, Wilson never let that stop him from what has been described as “having perfect pitch.” It wouldn’t take him long to form The Pendletones, the first iteration of what would later be the household name, the Beach Boys, composed of Brian Wilson at the center as the group’s composer and songwriter, brothers Dennis and Carl Wilson and friend Al Jardine. Together the boys would write and record their 1962 single “Surfin’,” the first to chart on the Billboard Top 100, gain them a record deal with Capitol Records and saw the beginning of the distinctive layered harmonic sound that the group would later be synonymous with. After signing with Capitol Records, the Beach Boys would release another landmark single, “Surfin’ Safari,” off of their debut album of the same name, an almost immediate success that would send their catchy California sound across the nation.
After retreating from the extensive touring schedule and the public eye due to struggles with anxiety and performance fright in 1964, Wilson honed in his musical genius at the studio. Drawing inspiration from none other than rock legends The Beatles, Wilson set out to make a record in which “every song mattered.” The result was Pet Sounds, a thirteen track album that is widely regarded as one of the best albums ever recorded. Acting as the main composer and producer alongside the famous Los Angeles session band The Wrecking Crew, Wilson collaborated with friend Tony Asher on the lyrics, resulting in one of the first ever concept albums where Wilson aimed to explore all of the complex feelings of coming-to-age and early adulthood. Not only narratively special, Pet Sounds also set a standard of recording and producing that we still see in music today. Dense, layered harmonies alongside uniquely arranged compositions, including instruments all the way from the normal band set-up to orchestral instruments such as harpsichords and the electro-theremin, pushing the boundaries to what was heard in pop music at the time. Despite not receiving instant critical acclaim, Pet Sounds is home to many of the Beach Boys’ titular works, such as “Caroline, No”, “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” and “God Only Knows,” that have transcended through generations of music lovers. In a full circle moment Pet Sounds would go on to inspire none other than Paul McCartney who cited the album as the main inspiration for their 1967 album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, the first of many albums, knowingly or unknowingly to be shaped after Pet Sounds.
Following quickly after Pet Sounds, Wilson immediately began working on the follow up album and producing their 1967 single “Good Vibrations” in which Wilson’s ingenious production skills shine again. Widely regarded as a song that changed production history, “Good Vibrations” sees the use of modular recording. While the method is very widespread today and had been used before the song’s creation, “Good Vibrations” was the first commercial, popular song to utilize modular recording. The song landed Wilson and the Beach Boys their first three Grammy nominations for Best Contemporary Rock’n’Roll recording, Best Contemporary Rock’n’Roll group performance and Best Performance by a Vocal Group. Today, modular recording is popular not only in professional music studios, but in DAWs that can be accessed at home through everyday technology, many of which have seen artists’ claim to fame.
SMiLE is an unfinished Beach Boys record which was supposed to be the follow up to their revolutionary 1966 album, Pet Sounds. Originally, the record was slated to be a concept album revolving around themes of Americana, youth innocence and the natural world promising the band’s most experimental and complex production to date. However, the project was scrapped and a lesser version of the album, Smiley Smile, was released in place of it in September 1967. This album release was met with slight disappointment and confusion amongst fans because of its unconventional recording process and rather avant-garde approach to songwriting. In retrospect, Smiley Smile is considered a cult-classic within The Beach Boys discography and contains singles such as “Good Vibrations” and “Heroes and Villains.”
It wasn’t until years later in 2011 when an official release for the lost album saw the light of day with The SMiLE Sessions. This compilation included session outtakes and demos, all packaged to create a reconstructed version of the original project recorded in 1966. The SMiLE Sessions serves as evidence to Brian Wilson’s unwavering genius through his eclectic production techniques, charming songwriting and sharp musicality. Pet Sounds is regarded as a staple in The Beach Boys discography for its unique approach to writing pop music, but SMiLE was always intended to be the album that was on par with the bold and extravagant production and storytelling that The Beatles harnessed on Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart Club Band. In the process of recording SMiLE, Wilson was ambitious, attempting to capture lightning in a bottle, to pack as much musical ingenuity into the project as possible. However, due to his perfectionism and anxiety from riding such high expectations off of the last record, Pet Sounds, he held off from releasing SMiLE and fans unfortunately never heard the fully fleshed out version. And although fans may never hear SMiLE in its final, fully intended form, The SMiLE Sessions is a perfect peak behind the curtain of Wilson’s creative vision, his artistry and overall dedication to the craft of music.
A landmark performance for The Beach Boys was on September 2nd, 1977 in Narragansett Park in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Reeling in an audience of 40,000 people, this Beach Boys performance remains the largest concert in Rhode Island history. To cement such a milestone, on August 9th, 2017 during a ceremony, The Beach Boys were presented with a street name change of “Beach Boys Way” where the concert took place in 1977.
In 1985, the Live Aid benefit concert helping fund relief for the famine in Ethiopia from 1983-1985 is esteemed as one of the most significant concerts to ever be broadcasted. Taking place simultaneously in Wembley Stadium in London and John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the artist lineup for both venues was pulled straight from a dream. Countless iconic performances from Elton John, Queen and Paul McCartney in London, and in the States, Neil Young, Led Zeppelin and The Beach Boys took to the stage. The Beach Boys played a five-song set including “California Girls,” “Good Vibrations” and “Wouldn’t It Be Nice.” Slotted in between such legendary acts, this Live Aid performance was a reminder of The Beach Boys innovative and unique perspective on pop music, and their global cultural reach.
Although long overdue, Brian Wilson was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2004, being introduced by The Beatles member, Sir Paul McCartney. In his introduction, McCartney confessed that “he wrote some music that when I played it, it made me cry.” McCartney explained that there was something so incredibly deep in Wilson’s music that struck his emotions, and it was evident that Wilson had such a gift with songwriting. This follows the induction of the Beach Boys into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.
Another long overdue moment came in 2005, when Wilson won his first ever Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental Performance for his single “Mrs.O’Leary’s Cow,” an experimental tune about the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 that truly captures Wilson’s fearlessness in the studio. Originally written in 1966 for their famously shelved album SMiLE, it features a haunting, reaching cacophony of heavy bass, string arrangements and even the use of flutes and triangles to simulate the sounds of fire truck sirens, bells and the pure chaos of a city on fire. While perhaps not his most famous work, “Mrs.O’Leary’s Cow” is a testament to Wilson’s creativity and his desire to push the limitations of technology and, rather than be confined to physical instruments, to treat the studio itself as an instrument.
In 2007, Wilson received honors from the prestigious Kennedy Center for his contributions to the music world. Elton John, Art Garfunkel, Sir George Martin and Billy Joel were just some of the artists assembled to honor and uphold the legacy that Wilson started all the way back in the early 1960s.
For over sixty-five years, and plenty more to come, Brian Wilson has been an unwavering inspiration in the music industry. From revolutionizing pop music through innovative studio techniques to his visionary, deeply human and vulnerable approach to songwriting, which redefined the possibilities of the studio, and of a song, as a vehicle for emotional and sonic storytelling, Wilson has left behind a body of work that continues to shape how we understand music.
Featured Image Photo Credit: Sharon Alagna
