Brian Wilson Performing at NON-COMMvention 2015
The Beach Boys Songs That Mean the Most to WXPN Hosts, In Memory of Brian Wilson
Brian Wilson, the leader and creative force who shaped the sound of The Beach Boys and forever changed pop music, has died at 82. His family posted the news of his death with no further details. The eldest and last surviving of three musical brothers, he and his fellow Beach Boys rose from a local California band to international stars, but it was Brian Wilson who was the visionary yet fragile leader of the band that made him one of the world’s most influential recording artists.
Wilson himself was celebrated for his music but was also plagued by personal demons that included the pursuit of perfection, mental illness, drug use, and despair following the death of his brother Dennis. The Beach Boys rank among the most popular groups in music with more than 30 singles in the Top 40 and global sales of more than 100 million. In 1988, The Beach Boys were voted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
He leaves behind a body of work as moving as it is innovative; a reminder of what pop can be when someone captures good vibrations and shares them with the world.
In 2015, Wilson joined David Dye on WXPN’s World Cafe for a rare, candid conversation and live performances. He spoke about his creative process, reflected on favorites like “God Only Knows,” and discussed the emotional experience of seeing his life portrayed in the film Love & Mercy. It was an intimate look at an artist who gave so much of himself to his music.
Wilson’s influence runs deep in the music we play every day on WXPN. To celebrate his lasting impact, we invited WXPN hosts to share their favorite Brian Wilson songs that have resonated most deeply with them.
Raina Douris – “Help Me Rhonda”
I always liked it because it really played nicely in the contrast of “clean cut sweetheart surfer boys” and “total dirtbags.”
Kristen Kurtis – “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”
It perfectly captures the naïve teenage belief that being an adult will bring unadulterated freedom to do whatever you want – which is, of course, spending ALL your time with the one you love.
Robert Drake – “Sail On Sailor”
From the Holland album, “Sail On Sailor” is a wonderful departure from the ‘traditional’ Beach Boys sound with the rare appearance of Blondie Chaplin on vocals. This song was an intricate part of the soundtrack of my youth.
Dan Reed – “All Summer Long”
Keith Kelleher – “In My Room”
A perfect encapsulation of all the angst and swirling feelings of being an adolescent and wanting to hide from the world and all its troubles. Gorgeous vocal harmonies, and that tremolo guitar are just a magical 2 1/2 minutes of perfection.
Amber Miller – “God Only Knows”
A “basic” love song crafted into an intricately complex and hugely impactful work of art. The juxtaposition of the simple sentiment of the lyrics with the wizardry of Brian Wilson’s arranging and production makes for a gorgeous and powerful listening experience. What a treasure.
Kallao – “Surfin’ USA”
The lyric “If everybody had a surfboard” is the type of idealism you’d expect from a bunch of teenagers from Southern California and they made it a mantra for generations of folks hoping to catch some rays and a few waves. I’ve never been a good surfer, but this song makes me feel cool for even doing it in the first place. See you at Swami’s!
Bob Bumbera – “Heroes and Villains”
Especially because I was honored to watch him sing it live during an XPN Free at Noon Concert in May of 2015. I was amazed at how he performed an energetic and inspired rendition of the classic. Legend.
Eric Schuman – “Heroes and Villains”
By many accounts, The Beach Boys spent more time working on “Heroes and Villains” than any other song in their entire run.
Finally released in 1967 after countless revisions, the single’s commercial failure not only spelled doom for the planned Smile album, but served as another brick in the wall dividing Wilson from his bandmates and from reality itself.
An unpredictable and often monomaniacal force in the studio, Wilson’s boundary-pushing resulted in as many musical masterpieces as altercations with family and colleagues. Surrounded by heroes and villains for his entire life, Brian Wilson forever changed pop songwriting and production by bringing to life a world that made sense to him, even if it took decades for everyone else to catch up.