A Beach Boy says goodbye

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Amidst a life plagued by mental illness, substance abuse, weight problems and an assortment of users around vent on getting a piece of him and of The Beach Boys, Brian Wilson was able to create great music.

And the strange thing about his life’s work is that unlike his real life, his songs evoke fun, fun, fun beneath the sunshine of golden California. How on earth did this happen? I do not think anybody has an answer to that. But let us just hope that now that the sicknesses have run their course, Wilson is finally enjoying his music.

Born on June 20, 1942 in Inglewood California, Brian Douglas Wilson was 19 years old when he co-founded a band in his family’s garage, which became known as The Beach Boys. With him were his brothers Carl and Dennis, cousin Mike Love and friend Al Jardine. Those guys were just members, though, Wilson was everything that the Beach Boys were. He was a singer, songwriter, and producer. He was calling the shots on everything. Take note that Wilson pioneered the now commonplace arrangement of artists having total control over their recordings.

That arrangement resulted in The Beach Boys becoming one of the most successful groups of the ‘60s era. They were not just like other bands though, the Beach Boys had their own distinctive sound, sweet vocal harmonies and guitar twangs, which later came to be known as surf music. Surf came from surfing, a favorite water sport in California beaches and Wilson’s music was evocative of summertime, fun days at the beach where pretty, tanned young girls proliferated.

With originals led by Wilson’s natural falsetto, The Beach Boys churned out one hit after another starting in 1962. The songs were not very imaginative and in retrospect truly shallow but kids danced to the beat and imagined themselves surfing to tunes like Surfin’; Surfin’ Safari; Surfin ’ U.S.A.; Surfer Girl; Surf City; Little Deuce Coupe, The Surfer Moon; Fun, Fun, Fun; Be True to Your School; All Summer Long; Little Honda; Caroline No; Help Me Rhonda; Dance, Dance, Dance; California Girls; Pet Sounds; and others.

For those of you out there who are now thinking of learning more about The Beach Boys, I think the best way to enjoy their music is to listen to their albums in chronological order. That way you will hear the garage band and then there will be the addition of strings, the experiment with all acoustic accompaniment, the brasses coming in, the disappearance of surf, the appearance of a total concept album, of a full orchestra and many other innovations that Wilson, the emerging music genius introduced.

Listen that way and you will see why I still get a kick over how the surfing sounds paved the way for Good Vibrations; Don’t Worry Baby; The Warmth of the Sun; I Get Around; Hushabye; Sloop John. B; Barbara Ann; Wouldn’t It Be Nice; and that masterpiece of a love song God Only Knows. The latter, elegant, sophisticated with its all-encompassing message is considered the best Beach Boy recording of all time. It is also one of the greatest pop songs ever written.

Wilson suffered a nervous breakdown in 1964. It was the beginning of his lifelong struggle with mental illness. Though he bowed out of live performances with The Beach Boys, he spent his time in the studio at work on the songs that would make him one of the greatest and most influential music figures of our time. He passed away last June 11, nine days short of his 83rd birthday. The Beach Boy is now basking in the glow of eternal sunshine.