Brian Wilson

About

When I speak to people about the Beach Boys, most people think they were a upbeat sounding surf rock band - And they certainly were - But people who know a little more know just how beautiful the music Brian Wilson wrote was. Brian created some of the greatest harmonies in history. Brian passed away last year at the age of 82.

What they mean to me

I got really into The Beach Boys when Covid started. I was in college at the time and had moved back in with my parents. I had also just gone through a bad break up. I started listening to Pet Sounds at a vulnerable time in my life. I often think about how sometimes my find things at just the right moments in our lives. Pet Sounds probably wouldn't have had as large of an impact on me if I had heard it either before or after that period of my life.

Examples

This is my favorite song Brian wrote and it's the first one I send people to show them how The Beach Boys were more than just the band that did Kokomo. I love how the strings comes in a minute in, it's one of the best moments in music.

This song is a precursor to the sophistication Brian would achieve on Pet Sounds. I love the purity of his voice on this track. There's also a version of Mike Love on lead vocals which is also good, but I like Brian's voice better on this one.