Brian Wilson Embodied The Warmth Of The Sun
God only knows what we'd be without the music of Brian Wilson.
What good is the dawn, that grows into day; the sunset at night, or living this way. For I have the warmth of the sun, within me at night.
Brian Wilson, who died on June 11, overcame immense life challenges to share 'the warmth of the sun' with multiple generations of fans, throughout his near 60 year career. And despite his passing, his musical and cultural significance is guaranteed to continue, with the consistency and majesty of waves rolling across the sea.
Wilson's place in American history is primarily as the leader of The Beach Boys, one of the most influential bands in rock n' roll history. As the band's principal composer, his mastery of harmonies was principally responsible for the 'sound' that led to the sale of over 100 million records globally, including over 33 RIAA Platinum and Gold Records. His 1965 masterpiece 'Pet Sounds' is generally recognized as one of the top two or three album recordings in popular music history.
Wilson also achieved fame with his extraordinary achievements in musical production and arrangement. His ability to use the voices of his bandmates as musical instruments themselves, and his willingness to incorporate professional musicians (e.g., the famous 'Wrecking Crew') set the standard for record production for a generation.
It's no stretch to describe Wilson as the modern day equivalent of Stephen Foster, referred to as 'the father of American music'.
But Wilson's legacy extends far beyond his achievements as a composer and performer. It extends to the broader meaning of the music, his related impact on American culture and his courageous battle to overcome crippling mental illness.
Wilson once attributed the success of the Beach Boys to how the music 'celebrated the joy of life in a real, simple way.' And that they did, whether it involved a surfboard, a T-Bird or 'girls on the beach'. Aspects of Wilson's music as sung by his band can be found in many aspects of our daily life; it's hard not to watch television or a movie, or listen to the radio, and not hear some reflection of Wilson and The Beach Boys' music.
Beyond the music, few artists have had such a significant impact on American culture than did Wilson. The band's early focus on an 'Endless Summer', with its lifestyle of sunshine, surfing, cars and young romance contributed enormously to the explosive 1960s attraction of Southern California as a magical destination. If everybody had an ocean…across the USA, then everybody'd be surfin', like Californ-i-a…Wilson's music moved people, both figuratively and literally.
And as Wilson's listeners grew older and confronted more serious emotions than life at the beach, his music evolved to address what they ‒ and he ‒ were feeling. The enduring attraction of Pet Sounds is found in the way in which Wilson, and his lyricist Tony Asher, reflected 'coming of age' sensitivities within a lush orchestral mixture. Rolling Stone described it as '…an intense, linear personal vision of the vagaries of a love affair and the painful, introverted anxieties that are the wrenching precipitates of the unstable chemistry of any love relationship.'
Yet the most understated aspect of Wilson's life was his ability to write such joyous harmonies while suffering from the traumas of an abusive father and mental challenges ultimately diagnosed as schizoaffective disorder and depression. These challenges were exacerbated by the drug abuse so typical of artists of that era. And they were exploited in near-legendary manner by a controversial 'celebrity psychologist'.
That Wilson was able to prevail for decades against such pressures is a testament to both his personal courage and his artistic commitment. When many would have abandoned their careers when confronted by such barriers, Wilson persevered. His ability to complete the legendary Smile album, after 40 years of suspended work, gave hope to others struggling with similar conditions.
Of course Wilson was not the sole messenger of his music; full credit is due to his lifelong band mates: brothers Carl and Dennis, cousin Mike Love and friends Alan Jardine and Bruce Johnston. There could be no substitutes.
Indeed, Love's autobiography tells of the remark one-time Beach Boy Glen Campbell once made to Johnny Carson, that 'The Beach Boys' music will never die'. Carson retorted that 'Everyone has to die. Even the Beach Boys have to die sometime'. And certainly they do, at least from a bodily perspective. But the spirit of their music, as crafted by Brian Wilson, will undoubtedly live on as long as American popular music is chronicled.
My love's like the warmth of the sun; it won't ever die.
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