Brian Wilson: the surf is finally up

A band founded on three brothers, a cousin and a best friend is a sure-fire recipe for tension and upheaval... and so it was at (many) times over many years. But along the way, The Beach Boys gifted the world some of the greatest, sweetest pop tunes of all time.

Now, the last of those three brothers has died - with today's news of the passing of Brian Wilson, aged 82, he joins his brother Dennis (1983) and Carl (1998), leaving only Mike Love and Al Jardine of the original band left.

It is at times like this, when people tend to get a bit lofty with their rhetoric, as words like 'greatest' and 'legend' get bandied around when an entertainer dies. But, Brian Wilson truly was one of the greatest of all time - a legend of song writing, production and arranging - and not to forget his crucial part in the exquisite harmonies The Beach Boys put together in their prime.

Despite not being a surfer (that was Dennis), if he didn't invent surf music, he certainly took it to its highest level, as well as having a good line in songs about girls and cars. His ear for melody and pop hooks is almost unmatched. Paul McCartney always acknowledged that Wilson's writing on Pet Sounds was the album that spurred The Beatles towards their own magnum opus, in Sergeant Pepper. So, directly and indirectly, you can say he is responsible for two of the best records of the 1960's.

The Beach Boys: Surfin' USA (TV appearance)

***

Brian (back) with Carl and Dennis

Brian Douglas Wilson was born on 20 June 1942, the eldest of the three brothers, with family growing up in Hawthorne, California. As well as having an early and prodigious talent for music, he was also a multi-talented sportsman; playing quarterback for his high school, as well as baseball and cross-country.

The Beach Boys started out in 1961, although known as The Pendletones at the time. By 1962 they had changed their name and signed a seven year contract with Capitol Records.

By 1964, the pressure of fame and band life was beginning to tell, with him having a breakdown on a flight to Houston (his place on the tour being filled by a young session musician called Glen Campbell). He withdrew from touring life completely, and descended into a world of drugs and further breakdowns.

The Beach Boys: I Get Around (Live on the Ed Sullivan Show, 1964)

Pet Sounds: the 1966 record considered by some to be the first ever concept album, was possibly Wilson's crowning glory. Partly inspired by The Beatles Rubber Soul, it went on to influence their Sergeant Pepper, completing a weird international pop circle. He took something of Phil Spector's 'Wall of Sound' approach to production, melding tight vocals and intricate arrangements. It was virtually a solo effort by Wilson, with some help from lyricist Tony Asher. It met bemusement from the record label, and got only half-hearted promotion, meaning it eventually limped to number ten in the States. It fared better in the UK, reaching two and staying in the Top10 for six months.

Photo: Fox Photos / Getty Images

The Beach Boys: God Only Knows (Live at Knebworth, 1980 - apparently the last time the original five played together in the UK)

The Beach Boys: I Just Wasn't Made For These Times (Audio only)

There were trials and tribulations throughout his adult life. He was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and bipolar disorder; he experience auditory hallucinations, that he referred to as his 'heroes and villains', and also paranoid delusions. He was subjected to negative influences from outside - his father, Murry Wilson, who was the bands manager in the early days, had a reputation for being controlling and demanding; not to mention his controversial relationship with Eugene Landy.

But it will be, quite rightly, the music that he will be remembered for. Between 1962 and 1979, Wilson wrote something like twenty five US Top40 songs for The Beach Boys, including three number ones. He produced (but didn't write) three more of their Top10 hits, including Sloop John B and Barbara Ann. Burt Bacharach, no mean talent himself, thought Wilson was "one of the greatest innovators" in music history. As George Martin would state, Wilson was perhaps the biggest influence on The Beatles of them all, saying "No one made a greater impact on The Beatles than Brian."

He achieved all that he did despite being diagnosed with significantly diminished hearing in his right ear aged 11. More recently, he was diagnosed with dementia in 2024, but when his death was announced today, just nine days shy of his 83rd birthday, no cause of death was given.

Photo: Scott Dudelson / Getty Images

It is still early days for the tributes to be coming in, but there have been a few already.

John Cale, co-founder of New York legends, the Velvet Underground, wrote, “To me, Brian Wilson was not merely about surf music, rather a true musical genius toiling away at melding POP into startling sophistication. He will he be missed mightily.”

Actor John Cusack, who played Wilson in a biopic, said, ”The maestro has passed – the man was a open heart with two legs – with an ear that heard the angels. Quite literally. Love and Mercy for you and yours tonight.”

Carole King, writing on BlueSky said, "Brian Wilson was my brother in songwriting. We shared a similar sensibility, as evidenced by his 4 over 5 chord under "Aaaah!" in Good Vibrations and mine under "I'm into something good." We once discussed who used it first, and in the end we decided it didn't matter. The world will miss Brian, but we are so lucky to have his music."

He was truly a pioneer, in the studio and on record - but he will always be special for me, because he was the cornerstone in The Beach Boys, my first ever 'favourite' band, the ones that I fell in love with as a six or seven year old, almost literally playing their 20 Golden Greats to death. Rest in peace Brian.

***

I'll leave you with this - I've shared this before, but it's 20 minutes of pop perfection from 1964, not long before Brian stopped playing live.