This one truly saddens me. Brian Wilson has passed away. He was 82 years old. He’d been suffering for some months from dementia, although no cause of death was immediately given.
Brian Wilson was a true musical genius. He was the driving force behind the Beach Boys, yes, but that often lightweight group was the vehicle for his sophisticated musical explorations. Not only was he a brilliant arranger, of both voices and instruments, but one of the finest composers of the 20th century.
I don’t make that last statement lightly. Brian’s songwriting prowess is the equal of Burt Bacharach, Jimmy Webb, and Carole King. His compositions, even his early ones, are harmonically and melodically sophisticated. His songwriting was difficult to categorize; he had no real “tells” like some composers have, each song followed its own internal logic that created a mood to serve the lyrics (which were typically supplied by collaborative lyricists). He created a large catalog of incredible and incredibly lasting songs, including “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” “Don’t Worry Baby,” “Wendy,” “The Little Girl I Once Knew,” “The Warmth of the Sun, “Caroline No,” “California Girls,” “Good Vibrations,” “Surf’s Up,” and the incredibly complex “Heroes and Villains.” His best song, “God Only Knows,” vies (in my humble opinion) for the title of best pop song ever written. It is simply brilliant, although by no means simple. His songs seldom were.
In Brian’s memory, today’s classic song of the day comes from the Beach Boys’ legendary and groundbreaking 1966 album, Pet Sounds. With lyrics by Tony Asher, “I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times” describes Brian’s disillusionment with and disassociation from society. In Brian’s own words:
“That song reflects my life. It’s about a guy who was crying because he thought he was too advanced, and that he’d eventually have to leave people behind.”
Brian Wilson was, indeed, a guy who just wasn’t made for these times. His musical brilliance was light years ahead of his peers, and his lifelong struggles with mental health often isolated him from the kind of support and love he needed to both survive and thrive. He was a genius, yes, but a damaged genius.
My wife Sherry and I caught Brian Wilson in concert at Minneapolis’ State Theater in 2008. Brian was not the most natural or confident entertainer, but the crowd knew his story and was extremely supportive. Also supportive were the Wondermints, the backing band that helped rescue Brian from obscurity and get him back out in front of appreciative audiences. Although his own performance was often halting and hesitant, and it seemed at times like he either wasn’t there or didn’t want to be there, when Brian and the band launched into “God Only Knows,” it brought tears to my eyes and to the eyes of thousands of others in the audience. It was a moment, one of the few that stay with me after all these years.
To Brian Wilson’s memory, then, I dedicate today’s classic song of the day. His music was as close to perfect as you can get. Now his demons are behind him and he’s finally at peace.
