Farewell Brian Wilson

We've lost another great. Brian Wilson, of The Beach Boys fame, has died. He was 82.

The Beach Boys are my mom's favorite band and because of that, I have seen them live in a few different iterations over the years. Plus, their songs were always on rotation in my house and in the car when I was growing up. Plus, as a kid, The Beach Boys made me want to visit California and see the ocean! Pet Sounds remains one of the most inventive and beautiful albums I've ever heard. That album is Wilson's masterpiece.

Wilson was a musical genius and also a troubled man who fought addiction and psychological issues for much of his adult life. I hope his family finds peace after such a loss.

Comments

[Metalboy!]

This news has just left me devastated …

First Sly and now Brian …

I was fortunate enough to see Brian Wilson on September 10, 2000 at Jones Beach Amphitheater on Long Island and he was just fantastic, only missing like 1 or 2 notes (who doesn’t?) during the entire performance … He was accompanied by the Wondermints and a 21 piece orchestra to perform “Pet Sounds” in it’s entirety as well as several hits at the end including “Good Vibrations”!

I cried then and I’m crying now!

p.s. If you haven’t seen any or all of these movies, I strongly suggest you do, as you’ll experience what it’s like to have witnessed this true genius at work:

“Surf’s Up” - An excellent documentary on The Beach Boys with many, many, many uncut live performances from over the years, something fairly uncommon when it comes to documentaries.

“The Wrecking Crew” - The history of the crack band of L.A. session musicians he used on “Pet Sounds” and many of The Beach Boys hits … Lots of footage of him and The Beach Boys working with musicians who made up “The Wrecking Crew”.

“Love and Mercy” - “The breakthrough 2014 bio pic starring Paul Dano, eerily portraying a young Brian Wilson as not only does Dano look very similar to him but does what amounts to an extraordinary portrayal of him, as a whole … He IS Brian Wilson! … John Cusack is also excellent as a recovering Brian Wilson, along with Paul Giamatti as Dr. Eugene Landy, Wilson’s abusive “life coach” and Elizabeth Banks as the woman essentially saved Wilson from Landy and who eventually became Wilson’s wife.