Brian Wilson
Brian Douglas Wilson (born June 20, 1942 in Inglewood, California) is an American singer-songwriter, producer, and musician, best known for being the principal songwriter and co-lead singer for The Beach Boys, co-founded with brothers Carl and Dennis. Once known for his iconic falsetto, much of Brian's most well-known work is tinged with melancholy and existentialism. Due to his unorthodox approach to composition, arrangement, and recording, Brian Read Full BioBrian Douglas Wilson (born June 20, 1942 in Inglewood, California) is an American singer-songwriter, producer, and musician, best known for being the principal songwriter and co-lead singer for The Beach Boys, co-founded with brothers Carl and Dennis. Once known for his iconic falsetto, much of Brian's most well-known work is tinged with melancholy and existentialism. Due to his unorthodox approach to composition, arrangement, and recording, Brian is widely acknowledged as one of the most innovative and influential creative forces in popular music.
The first official release credited to Wilson as a solo artist was the 1966 Beach Boys single "Caroline, No" (b/w "Summer Means New Love"), due to being the single's arranger and sole vocal presence. Around the same time, Wilson also produced cuts for other artists such as The Beach Boys' spear counterpart The Honeys (member Marilyn Rovell was Wilson's first wife), and Jan & Dean, whose "Surf City" became a #1 hit single. The 1977 album Love You and the unreleased Adult/Child (recorded during the same sessions) were tentatively considered for release as Brian Wilson solo albums, although the idea fell through. Love You would be last Beach Boys albums to feature Wilson's extended involvement for the better part of 35 years.
Brian's solo career, despite a few false starts, began in earnest with the 1987 single "Let's Go to Heaven in My Car" (b/w "Too Much Sugar"), featured in the film Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol. A year later, his debut solo album, the eponymous Brian Wilson, was released, at the time hailed as a 1980s equivalent of what is widely regarded as Wilson's magnum opus, 1966's Pet Sounds. A follow-up in much the same vein, Sweet Insanity, was scrapped due to various personal issues.
Also left on the shelf was a fruitful collaborative project with multi-instrumentalist Andy Paley, informally known as "The Paley Sessions". Over the years, a few tracks were released through various albums, but dozens more have been bootlegged, and a comprehensive release has yet to be assembled.
Instead, 1995 saw the release of two albums: I Just Wasn't Made for These Times, a collection of re-recordings seemingly meant to reintroduce him to the public, and Orange Crate Art, a song cycle written by one-time lyricist Van Dyke Parks with contributions by Wilson, were released. An album of new compositions entitled Imagination followed in 1998.
Wilson began performing live again in 1999, and with his confidence as a performer growing ever stronger, he chose to release a live album documenting the Imagination tour (Live at the Roxy Theatre). In 2002, he began incorporating Pet Sounds in its entirety into his live performances; this, too, was documented in a live album titled Pet Sounds Live.
In 2004, Wilson revived and completed SMiLE, his unfinished 1967 album, performing the work in its entirety on a celebrated tour. The positive response lead him to record a studio version which met similar acclaim; the album cut "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow" won a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental. That same year, he released Gettin' in Over My Head (containing many songs originating with the ill-fated Sweet Insanity album), featuring guest musicians Elton John, Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, and brother Carl, who passed away in 1998. Brian's song "Lay Down Burden" was written in tribute of his brother.
Brian released a collection of Christmas songs entitled What I Really Want For Christmas in 2005. His 2008 album, That Lucky Old Sun, marked his return to Capitol Records. As part of a two-album deal with Disney, Wilson released Reimagines Gershwin (2010), a tribute to his idol George Gershwin, and In the Key of Disney (2011), a collection of cover songs from various Disney films.
2012 saw the The Beach Boys celebrate their 50th anniversary, reuniting a majority of surviving band members including Brian, for a worldwide tour as well as the release of an album, That's Why God Made the Radio, composed almost entirely by Wilson with an assortment of co-writers. The album became the group's biggest chart success in decades, peaking at #3 on the Billboard album charts. Status quo was restored as the group members went their separate ways again after the conclusion of the tour.
In 2015, Wilson released his eleventh studio album, No Pier Pressure. Originally conceived as a follow-up to That's Why God Made the Radio before The Beach Boys reunion fell through, the album features guest appearances by contemporary artists such as Kacey Musgraves, She & Him, and Nate Ruess (of fun.), as well as former Beach Boys Al Jardine, Blondie Chaplin, and David Marks. Summer 2015 will also see the public release of Wilson's autobiographical motion picture Love and Mercy (named after Wilson's 1988 comeback single), with actors Paul Dano and John Cusack starring as a younger and older Wilson.
The first official release credited to Wilson as a solo artist was the 1966 Beach Boys single "Caroline, No" (b/w "Summer Means New Love"), due to being the single's arranger and sole vocal presence. Around the same time, Wilson also produced cuts for other artists such as The Beach Boys' spear counterpart The Honeys (member Marilyn Rovell was Wilson's first wife), and Jan & Dean, whose "Surf City" became a #1 hit single. The 1977 album Love You and the unreleased Adult/Child (recorded during the same sessions) were tentatively considered for release as Brian Wilson solo albums, although the idea fell through. Love You would be last Beach Boys albums to feature Wilson's extended involvement for the better part of 35 years.
Brian's solo career, despite a few false starts, began in earnest with the 1987 single "Let's Go to Heaven in My Car" (b/w "Too Much Sugar"), featured in the film Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol. A year later, his debut solo album, the eponymous Brian Wilson, was released, at the time hailed as a 1980s equivalent of what is widely regarded as Wilson's magnum opus, 1966's Pet Sounds. A follow-up in much the same vein, Sweet Insanity, was scrapped due to various personal issues.
Also left on the shelf was a fruitful collaborative project with multi-instrumentalist Andy Paley, informally known as "The Paley Sessions". Over the years, a few tracks were released through various albums, but dozens more have been bootlegged, and a comprehensive release has yet to be assembled.
Instead, 1995 saw the release of two albums: I Just Wasn't Made for These Times, a collection of re-recordings seemingly meant to reintroduce him to the public, and Orange Crate Art, a song cycle written by one-time lyricist Van Dyke Parks with contributions by Wilson, were released. An album of new compositions entitled Imagination followed in 1998.
Wilson began performing live again in 1999, and with his confidence as a performer growing ever stronger, he chose to release a live album documenting the Imagination tour (Live at the Roxy Theatre). In 2002, he began incorporating Pet Sounds in its entirety into his live performances; this, too, was documented in a live album titled Pet Sounds Live.
In 2004, Wilson revived and completed SMiLE, his unfinished 1967 album, performing the work in its entirety on a celebrated tour. The positive response lead him to record a studio version which met similar acclaim; the album cut "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow" won a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental. That same year, he released Gettin' in Over My Head (containing many songs originating with the ill-fated Sweet Insanity album), featuring guest musicians Elton John, Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, and brother Carl, who passed away in 1998. Brian's song "Lay Down Burden" was written in tribute of his brother.
Brian released a collection of Christmas songs entitled What I Really Want For Christmas in 2005. His 2008 album, That Lucky Old Sun, marked his return to Capitol Records. As part of a two-album deal with Disney, Wilson released Reimagines Gershwin (2010), a tribute to his idol George Gershwin, and In the Key of Disney (2011), a collection of cover songs from various Disney films.
2012 saw the The Beach Boys celebrate their 50th anniversary, reuniting a majority of surviving band members including Brian, for a worldwide tour as well as the release of an album, That's Why God Made the Radio, composed almost entirely by Wilson with an assortment of co-writers. The album became the group's biggest chart success in decades, peaking at #3 on the Billboard album charts. Status quo was restored as the group members went their separate ways again after the conclusion of the tour.
In 2015, Wilson released his eleventh studio album, No Pier Pressure. Originally conceived as a follow-up to That's Why God Made the Radio before The Beach Boys reunion fell through, the album features guest appearances by contemporary artists such as Kacey Musgraves, She & Him, and Nate Ruess (of fun.), as well as former Beach Boys Al Jardine, Blondie Chaplin, and David Marks. Summer 2015 will also see the public release of Wilson's autobiographical motion picture Love and Mercy (named after Wilson's 1988 comeback single), with actors Paul Dano and John Cusack starring as a younger and older Wilson.
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Heroes and Villains
Brian Wilson Lyrics
I been in this town so long that back in the city I been
Taken for lost and gone and unknown for a long, long time
Fell in love years ago with an innocent girl from the
Spanish and Indian home of the Heroes and Villains.
Once at night, cotillion squared, the fight, and she was right
In the rain of the bullets that eventually brought her down
But she's still dancing in the night unafraid of what
A dude'll do in a town full of Heroes and Villains.
Heroes and Villains
Just see what you done-done
Heroes and villains
Just see what you done-done
Stand or fall, I know there shall be peace in the valley, and
It's all an affair of my life with the Heroes and Villains.
In the cantina, Margarita keeps the spirits high.
There I watched her, she spun around and wound in
The warmth, her body fanned the flame of the dance.
Dance Margarita! Don't you know I love you!
My children were raised, you know they suddenly rise.
They started slow long ago, head to toe, healthy, wealthy, and wise.
I been in this town so long, so long to the city
I'm fit with the stuff to ride in the rough, and Sonny,
Down snuff, I'm alright by the Heroes and Villains.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BRIAN WILSON, VAN DYKE PARKS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on specific lyrics, highlight them
B Miller
@Chris Palin - Not true, they crashed when, under the crush of his addiction and Murray's legacy impact, Brian decided to ditch the '67 Montery Pop Festival, which started a tremendous descent for them:
"The Beach Boys, who had been involved in the conception of the event[27] and were at one point scheduled to headline and close the show, failed to perform. This resulted from a number of issues plaguing the group. Carl Wilson was in a dispute with officials over his refusal to be drafted into military service during the Vietnam War. The group's album Smile was recently scrapped, leaving band leader Brian Wilson in a state and unwilling or incapable of performing (he had not performed live with the group since late 1964). According to friend Michael Vosse, Brian thought the Beach Boys would have been criticized by festival goers who were intent on seeing British acid rock groups.[28]
Mike Love said that "Carl was to appear in federal court the Tuesday after the concert, but for all we knew, they were going to arrest him again if he performed onstage. ... None of us were afraid to perform at Monterey."[29] In 2013, Monterey Pop sound engineer Stephen Desper wrote that the band dropped out of the festival due to Love's objections toward Coca-Cola, who happened to be one of its sponsors ("At the time he was into health foods in a big way and did not wish the group to be a part of MPF for that reason").[30] In 2017, Love reflected that drugs were influencing the band's decisions at the time. He maintained that pulling out of Monterey was not his decision.[31] When asked about the decision, Bruce Johnston said "it went from 'Here's the money, here's the offer, you're headlining' to 'Now this is gonna be a non-profit show' so we pulled out."[32]"
Then, at the Festival, rising star Jim Hendrix proclaims on stage, "Beach Music is Dead." A clear jab at the Beach Boys.
After that, the Beach Boys clearly fell to where they couldn't pack a house anymore. Brian clearly talks in several interviews of how bad it was, right up until Endless Summer's repackaging of their greatest hits in 1974 went to #1 and made them relevant again to the masses:
"Carl and the Passions: So Tough, the first album released with Fataar and Chaplin in the band, descended into lame early-'70s AOR. For the first time, a Beach Boys album retained nothing of their classic sound. Brian's mental stability wavered from year to year, and he spent much time in his mansion with no wish to even contact the outside world. He occasionally contributed to the songwriting and session load, but was by no means a member of the band anymore (he rarely even appeared on album covers or promotional shots). Though it's unclear why Reprise felt ready to take such a big risk, the label authorized a large recording budget for the next Beach Boys album. After shipping most of the group's family and entourage (plus an entire studio) over to Amsterdam, the Beach Boys re-emerged in 1973 with Holland. The LP scraped the bottom rungs of the Top 40, and the single "Sail on, Sailor" (with vocals by Chaplin) did receive some FM radio airplay. Still, Holland's muddy sound did nothing for the aging band, and it earned scathing reviews.
In Concert Perhaps a bit gun-shy, the Beach Boys essentially retired from recording during the mid-'70s. Instead, the band concentrated on grooming their live act, which quickly grew to become an incredible experience. It was a good move, considering the Beach Boys could lay claim to more hits than any other '60s rock act on the road. The Beach Boys in Concert, their third live album in total, appeared in 1973.
Endless Summer Then, in mid-1974, Capitol Records went to the vaults and issued a repackaged hits collection, Endless Summer. Both band and label watched, dumbfounded, as the double LP hit number one, spent almost three years on the charts, and went gold".
So yeah, the Beach Boys "fell out" for a few years...
And don't get me wrong: i think Brian Wilson is the single best songwriter of the 60s, and clearly one of the most tragic stories in music, as evidenced even if you skip the drugs and Murray's demons as simply the fact that when he did Pet Sounds, an album still brought up in arguments about the best album of all time, but the simple fact that he had to promise to his bandmates never to do an album like that again, in order to get their approval for it.
Just imagine doing your best work ever, but having to promise you would take a completely different tack from what you thought was the musical direction you needed to follow. To me, that fact was equally devastating to Brian at the time, on a par with what Murray's demons had set up for him, and the damage the drugs started doing, and then Marilyn leaving him... We have him on tape saying at the time, why care about his music if no one cared about it. His whole world crashed down: his musical future, his wife, his mind under the drugs, and the demons from his dad... We're incredibly lucky he simply survived it all.
Robert Schirm
he looks so much happier in this song. usually brian looks like he doesn't want to be there
Mozart1220
Ironic as well because for over 30 years he was terrified of this song.
Haha 99
Fuck Mike Love
Justifiable Treason
Probably helped that Mike Love wasn't there lol
Michael David
Brian admitted himself to hospital before the show because he was so anxious and after the show he was so pleased that he finally conquered his fear of Smile.
ichibirofl
The whole concert he's looking so happy!
kayla farrell
one of the best beach boys songs ever, very under-rated
Suzanne Schmidt
💯
Anna Hurst
I totally agree. X
Overnord19
Unfortunately because most people don’t know about the Smile version.