Fare forward, Brian Wilson
Sad news, as reported in The New York Times: “Brian Wilson’s Family Seeks to Place Him Under a Conservatorship.”
Melinda Wilson (1946–2024)
Says Brian, on Instagram: “She was my savior.”
Jeffrey Foskett (1956–2023)
A man for all seasons, and a key figure among the musicians who brought Brian Wilson back from, well, the wasteland.
The passionate surfer
Christopher Marlowe meets Brian Wilson.
California fail
As the Mike Love–John McLaughlin–Charles Lloyd version ran through my head yesterday, I realized that I’ve always misunderstood “California Girls.”
Long Promised Road coming to PBS
Brian Wilson is coming to the PBS series American Masters.
Brian Wilson at his piano (?)
I think there’s more and less here than meets the ear — more than Brian Wilson at his piano and less than Brian Wilson at his piano.
Los Beach Boys
Los Lobos cover “Sail On, Sailor” — and other songs from Los Angeles.
Britney and Brian
An opinion piece by Helaine Olen in The Washington Post: “What Britney Spears has endured would not have happened to a male star.” A glaring counter-example would be Brian Wilson.
The Beach Boys at the zoo
Long-lost footage of the Beach Boys in 1966 at the San Diego Zoo. That’s where George Jerman shot the cover photograph for Pet Sounds.
“Surf’s Up”
In today’s Atlantic crossword, by Peter Gordon, a nice tip of the hat: 10-D, nine letters, “Surf’s Up singers, with the.”
Thank you, Brian and Al
Brian Wilson and Al Jardine disavow a Donald Trump* benefit put on by Mike Love’s touring version of the Beach Boys.
Orange Crate Art redux
I think the Omnivore description — “sounds like nothing before or since” — is objectively accurate. Orange Crate Art is music of no time and for all time.
Orange Crate Art returns
Coming June 26, from Omnivore Recordings, a remastered reissue of Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks’s 1995 album Orange Crate Art, with instrumental tracks and three unreleased songs, including an affecting Wilson-Parks interpretation of “What a Wonderful World.”
Some Beach Boys history
From Fortune: “How the Beach Boys became two separate, warring factions.”
Brian and Al in the news
“Beach Boys founding members Brian Wilson and Al Jardine alerted fans Monday that they have no part in an appearance later this week by a version of the group fronted by cofounder Mike Love at a trophy-hunting convention where Donald Trump Jr. will be the keynote speaker.”
Nick Walusko (1960–2019)
Nick Walusko, aka Nicky Wonder, cofounder of the Wondermints and longtime guitarist with Brian Wilson, has died at the age of fifty-nine. Too soon. Too soon.
Brian Wilson 2018
From a review of a recent performance: “Throughout most of the show, Wilson sat at his piano, staring blankly and sometimes running a hand across his forehead. Occasionally he played and sang a lyric. But often he missed his cues, mumbled or sang off key. It was sometimes hard to watch.”
“God Only Knows”
The BBC Radio 4 show Soul Music now has an episode devoted to Brian Wilson and Tony Asher’s “God Only Knows.” There will be tears.
Brian Wilson, A student
Not from The Onion : the grade of F that high-schooler Brian Wilson received for his song “Surfin’” has been changed to an A.
Dirt Sounds
“A hand-made record containing soil from the house where Brian Wilson grew up in Hawthorne, California.”
This blog in Spin
My blog and me in Spin : “It’s Been Ten Years Since Brian Wilson Said His Favorite Movie Was Norbit .”
Being wrong about beauty
Elaine Scarry: “Those who remember making an error about beauty usually . . . recall the exact second when they first realized they had made an error.” With Pet Sounds as an example.
Quintessential Love
“This meditative gathering included my lawyer Mike Flynn, front left, who won my copyright suit against Brian.” That’s Mike Love.
Brian Wilson on safari
“I’m sure it’ll beat another boring vacation down in Kokomo.”
Paul Williams (1948–2013)
He founded Crawdaddy!, the first magazine of rock music criticism, and wrote frequently about the music of Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys.
Paul Tanner (1917–2013)
He played on “Good Vibrations.”
The Beach Boys in Newsweek
A member of Brian Wilson’s band speaks.
Arkhonia on the Beach Boys
Arkhonia cares about the Beach Boys’ musical legacy and writes about that legacy at length.
Brian Wilsons
Two takes on a Beach Boys reunion.