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While most will probably remember the Beach Boys as the slightly campy '60s pop band that sang about fast cars, girls and surfing - and they did write a frightening number of hits about just those subjects - those willing to look behind that will discover an altogether more interesting side to the Beach Boys and in particular the creative genius behind those hits, Brian Wilson.
The Beach Boys were formed in 1961 by brothers Carl, Dennis and Brian Wilson, their cousin Mike Love (singer) and Alan Jardine. Influenced early on by Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly and tight vocal harmony grou ...read more
While most will probably remember the Beach Boys as the slightly campy '60s pop band that sang about fast cars, girls and surfing - and they did write a frightening number of hits about just those subjects - those willing to look behind that will discover an altogether more interesting side to the Beach Boys and in particular the creative genius behind those hits, Brian Wilson.
The Beach Boys were formed in 1961 by brothers Carl, Dennis and Brian Wilson, their cousin Mike Love (singer) and Alan Jardine. Influenced early on by Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly and tight vocal harmony groups including the Four Freshmen, Wilson (and occasionally Mike Love) composed a string of classic pop songs celebrating the Californian lifestyle, surfing, cars, girls etc. Between 1962 and 1965, the group charted a level of artistic development rivalled only by the Beatles at this time, with hits ranging from 'California Girls,' 'Fun, Fun, Fun,' to 'Surfin' USA' and 'Surfin' Safari..
This, however, wasn't enough for young Brian. The songwriter wanted to expand his horizons beyond simple pop songs and in doing so had to tackle his inner demons. In 1964, he withdrew from touring and began to concentrate on songwriting and production. 1966's Pet Sounds was a huge step forward not just for Wilson himself but for pop music as a whole. The record was so well-received by his fellow musicians that Paul McCartney used it as his inspiration for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band; the album itself yielded the classic singles 'Wouldn't It Be Nice,' 'Caroline, No' and 'God Only Knows,' which was banned from radio for the reference to the Almighty.
Not everyone was as pleased as McCartney with the new music: Mike Love famously branded it Brian's 'ego music.' Nonetheless, Wilson continued working on his next ambitious project, provisionally titled 'Dumb Angel,' but more renowned as 'Smile!' Wilson's intent with the project was simply to make music to make people smile, but unfortunately it was around this time that his personal life fell apart, his drug abuse and depression spiralling out of control. He spent months working on one song- 'Good Vibrations'- which he dubbed a 'pocket symphony,' an apt statement if ever one was muttered. 'Good Vibrations' remains one of the most remarkable rock and pop performances of all-time, doubly so given Wilson's personal difficulties at the time.
Continuing with the intensive methods used to create 'Good Vibrations,' Brian went to work with session musician and songwriter Van Dyke Parks on the new album... but it wasn't completed until 2004 when Wilson released it as a solo outing. The next decade saw Brian retreat further and further from the band and his brother Carl assume leadership of the group. He himself became an accomplished songwriter, though Brian remained chief songwriter for a long time to come. Brother Dennis also succumbed to drug addiction and, mirroring the band's creative and popular decline, he accidentally drowned while drunk in 1983. After a short resurgence in the late '80s thanks in part to David Lee Roth, the band's output slowed to a record every five or six years. Carl Wilson fell victim to lung cancer in 1998.
Today, Brian Wilson records and tours as a solo artist, though he still remains a non-touring member of the band. He finally released 'Smile!' in 2004 under his own name, prompting a lawsuit from Mike Love. The Beach Boys still tour, forty-five years after their formation, though Mike Love is the only remaining original member. « hide |
Similar Bands: Chuck Berry, The Beatles, The Byrds, The Tornadoes, Brian Wilson
Contributors: sideburndude, voodoopriestess, Skyler, RandyfromPennywise, Hep Kat, Sepstrup, Dave de Sylvia, morrissey, Havey, SgtPepper, TheBoss88, Drsmith4, Skyler,
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