Take Five: Music was in his soul
With Brian Wilson's passing this week, it seemed fitting to share five songs that go beyond the hits and show why he was considered a genius (and another five because, you know, the genius thing).
“Take Five” is posted each Friday, and offers five things I spent some time with over the course of the previous week. No criticism, no in-depth analysis, just a few things I think you might be interested in checking out. When the spirit moves me, I’ll post other things at other times.
Since news broke on Wednesday of Brian Wilson's death at age 82, I have listened to little other than the Beach Boys and solo Wilson music. That didn't require much of a shift in habits; I just wrapped up reading David Leaf's SMiLE: The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of Brian Wilson, and continue to follow along as the Jokermen podcast makes its way through the Beach Boys catalog. Wilson has been the dominant artist for the first half of my year.
I found myself gravitating to the lesser-known corners of the Wilson catalog this week. I'm sure many pulled out Pet Sounds or a greatest hits package (or, let's be honest, turned to an online playlist), but I basically jumped on the hard drive in search of more esoteric ways to celebrate the departed genius. In lieu of a regular "Take Five" this week, I thought I would instead offer five highlights from that journey in the hope of fleshing out the portrait of this tortured soul.
1. Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks — ‘Orange Crate Art’
Reading Leaf’s book about SMiLE — which focuses particularly on the improbable first performances of the work after Wilson and collaborator Van Dyke Parks labored to complete it 37 years after it was shelved — I realized this collaboration between the two was clearly something that paved the way for that success. When Orange Crate Art was released in 1995, the thought of Parks and Wilson working together was exciting. A big chunk of unreleased SMiLE recordings had been released as part of the 1993 Good Vibrations box set from the Beach Boys, and that helped to stoke interest in this project. But this pairing on a rather enigmatic collection of Parks' tunes couldn’t possibly live up to that hype. While Wilson contributed vocal arrangements and all of the vocals, the focus was on Parks' odd, anachronistic music, not Wilson's swirling symphonies to God. Still, the title track is a delight, Wilson harmonizing with seemingly endless versions of himself as he extols the virtues of sunny California as depicted on the paintings that decorated orange crates.
Had I not already written about it earlier this year, this mix of “’Til I Die” would have certainly made this list:
2. Beach Boys — ‘The Little Girl I Once Knew’
I've written before about how my fandom for the Beach Boys evolved, from buying a cheap greatest hits LP when I was 8 to being turned on Wilson’s more mature work in college thanks to the presence of a handful of tracks on mix tapes made by my friend, John. One of those was the single “The Little Girl I Once Knew,” cut during the Pet Sounds sessions. Its sophistication was a revelation for me, particularly the stop/start rhythm and the use of silence to heighten tension before each chorus. Sure, I knew “California Girls” and “Good Vibrations,” but the former was an ubiquitous presence that defied study and the latter seemed like an otherworldly anomaly, as much discovered as composed. But here was a bit of the genius Wilson had been credited with, something I hadn't heard before. It wasn’t a big hit, the first sign that the lockstep between commercial success and Wilson’s creative path were falling out of sync, but it’s an important benchmark for the increasing compositional complexity of Wilson’s songs. Along with “Let Him Run Wild,” “Darlin’,” “Sail On, Sailor,” and “Breakaway,” those mix tapes opened up an entire new world that I continue to explore with glee.
I wrote about “Let Him Run Wild” in a previous Take Five:
3. Brian Wilson — Still I Dream of It (home demo)
Yes, Brian has a bit of a fixation on food, and I have no doubt that when he begins this song with, “Time for supper now, day's been hard and I'm so tired, I feel like eating now,” he is singing exactly what was on his mind when he wrote it. Things shift from stomach to heart as the tune progresses. He wrote this with Frank Sinatra in mind, and while I can't imagine ol’ Blue Eyes giving this a try, it is interesting to think about what he would have done with one of Wilson's most indelible late-period melodies. A studio version was recorded by the band in 1977 and released on that 1993 box set, but it is Wilson's demo that is my preference. Over blocky piano chords, Wilson offers a vulnerable vocal that feels both earnest and shy, as he rasps his way through what might be his most honest lyric (or at least among those not motivated by hunger):
Young and beautiful
Like a tree that's just been planted
I found life today
I made mistakes today
Will I ever learn the lessons
That all come my way
4. Beach Boys — ‘God Only Knows’ (Lei'd in Hawaii version)
While I was hoping to offer a few lesser-known tracks to augment what will surely be an ample sampling of greatest hits you will encounter over the next few days, I can't help but include one of the best-known non-hits, “God Only Knows.” It’s my favorite Wilson song, and among the handful of my favorite songs from any artist. As such, I have several versions of the song, and would encourage anyone who hasn't heard the a capella version from the 1996 Pet Sounds box set to listen, particularly around the one minute mark and the last minute or so to hear how Wilson blended the Beach Boys’ voices into a heavenly chorus. But the version I’m sharing here is the Lei'd in Hawaii version from 1967. The Beach Boys tried to record a concert in Hawaii for a live album, but the performance was lackluster so they returned to the studio hoping to record a “live'“ album there. The results were shelved, but recordings like this stripped down version of “God Only Knows” survived and were eventually issued on various compilations. Here, one of Brian's most beautiful melodies is sung by his brother, Carl, and the stripped-down arrangement lets that shine through. That’s Brian at the beginning vocalizing what is played by French horns on the album. If forced to choose, I still prefer the studio version, but this one is a reverent take on a hymn-like marvel that shows the orchestration and harmony vocals of the original, while beautiful, are not necessary to carry this song.
I wrote about my early Beach Boys fandom, and the recent Beach Boys documentary last July.
5. Beach Boys — ‘Time to Get Alone’
Wilson wrote this for Redwood, the band led by his good friend, Danny Hutton, that would evolve into Three Dog Night. Perhaps sensing he was giving away a gem, it was later finished by the Beach Boys and included on 1969’s 20/20 album. Recording began as early as 1967, well after Wilson had given up on his masterpiece, SMiLE, and had seemed to move toward simpler song structures. However, “Time to Get Alone” shows he still could harness his powers and create concise, orchestral beauties. And while many of his best songs were co-written with lyricists, here he channels his feelings into a heartfelt verse and chorus singing the praises of isolation.
I wrote just a couple of weeks ago about a wonderful solo rendition of the song “Surf’s Up” that was an early indication of SMiLE’s brilliance:
A bonus five, because it was impossible to narrow down:
6. Brian Wilson — “Rio Grande,” a track from his self-titled 1988 solo debut that showed he still had the ability to craft a multi-section epic along the lines of “Good Vibrations” or “Heroes and Villains.” At eight-plus minutes, it’s also his longest song.
7. Beach Boys — “Marcella,” a chugging bit of ’70s pop that extols the virtues of Wilson’s favorite masseuse. It was released on the album Carl and the Passions - ‘So Tough’. This mix from the 2022 edition of the Sounds of Summer compilation punches things up a bit.
8. Beach Boys — “This Whole World,” not at all obscure to anyone who has a mix tape or CD I’ve made in the past two decades, as it’s a near-constant presence. The vocals are so consistent that an a capella mix barely seems odd. Wilson claimed to have written this in about 90 minutes at 2 a.m. on a night when he was “stoned and confused.”
9. Brian Wilson — “Love and Mercy,” a song that suffers a bit from the ’80s production on Wilson’s solo debut. Much better is a version recorded for the Don Was-directed documentary, “I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times.” The soundtrack from that 1995 film felt like the first time we were hearing the real Brian in a long time, and this sweet tune was a highlight.
10. Beach Boys — “Don’t Worry Baby,” a certified hit, and next to “God Only Knows,” is probably my favorite Beach Boys song and the one I would point to as their quintessential song as it contains everything: a soaring Brian lead vocal, lush harmonies, surf guitar, that Phil Spector Wall of Sound feel, and a tale of boys and girls and cars.