Brian Wilson as a Beatle rival

by **Chris Speers** » Fri Dec 06, 2002 1:46 pm

See how the Beatles and the Beach Boys used the rivalry to make their music better and didn't make it into a sort of bitter personal thing. They respected each other and made each other better.

If it happened today, there would be dissin' and the distinct possibiliy of an unstable Brian Wilson trying to put a cap in John Lennon's a-s-s or an East Coast - West Coast sort of thing. Instead, they used the rivalry to make them better

by **Ram1** » Fri Dec 06, 2002 11:46 pm

I gotta agree with you, Chris, that Brian's work rivaled just about anything the Beatles did between '64-'67. (The Beatles are still tops, but still...) I mentioned this in another thread a while back, but Surf's Up is perhaps the Beach Boy's best song EVER. Atleast IMHO. That song rivals ANYTHING on Pepper. Without a doubt. Absolute masterpiece. If you haven't heard this song, you're missing out. Beautiful.

by **Steve-o** » Fri Dec 06, 2002 11:55 pm

Surf's Up is an awesome song, no doubt, but I'm a bit biased when it comes to MY Pepper, LOL.

by **Chris Speers** » Fri Dec 06, 2002 11:55 pm

Surf's up is pure genius and it's a shame it's not as heralded as "DAy in the Life". Carl Wilson was a gemius as well as Dennis Wilson. Dennis Wilson's legacy will always be his association with the Manson Family - Sadly, it broke the guy apart - Within Dennis Wilson, was a pure genius singer, song-writer...

My mind wanders to what the Wilson brothers could have done if and only if their father wasn't a complete and utter scumbag. The musicianship and brillance of the Beach Boys between 1965 and 1967 is total greatness. And the main guy (Brian WIlson) did it by himself with no record company support, no great producer to bounce ideas off of, and most importantly no great song-writing partner.

SGT. Pepper is brilliant but i put Smile, PEt Sounds, and some of that early Beach Boys magic up against anything the Beatles did at the same time period - Brian's favorite partner may have been food, LSD, and chocolate chip ice-cream but whatever it was - it worked.

Kind of sad to see him now - I'm glad he's at peace but he's like the Pop Music version of "Muhammad Ali" mumbling and stumbling around - a shell of his former greatness. Listening to the Pet Sounds out-takes - he was a guy totally driven and totally in control.

by **Ram1** » Sat Dec 07, 2002 12:00 am

quote:Originally posted by stevew628
Surf's Up is an awesome song, no doubt, but I'm a bit biased when it comes to MY Pepper, LOL.

Oh, don't get me wrong. There is only ONE Sgt. Pepper. But I'm just saying, Surf's Up could have easily been placed on the Pepper album. There is no way, (IMHO), that any song on Pepper is 10 times greater than Surf's Up. That song is just a masterpiece. Yes, Chris, it's sad about Brian. I am happy as well that he is reportedly at peace and happy. But I was wondering today, I wonder if he could sit down TODAY and write another Surf's Up or Good Vibrations. I mean, if you're a genius, you're a genius. It doesn't just dissapear. I wonder if he REALLY wanted to, if he could sit down today and write another masterpiece.

by **Ram1** » Sat Dec 07, 2002 12:03 am

Yeah, listening to outakes is just amazing. I was just listening to some Good Vibrations outtakes a few minutes ago. Amazing. I'm about to listen to Smile in a few minutes. Well, what *would have been* Smile.

by **Steve-o** » Sat Dec 07, 2002 12:06 am

quote:Originally posted by Chris Speers
Brian's favorite partner may have been food, LSD, and chocolate chip ice-cream but whatever it was - it worked.Don't forget the sandbox.

by **Ram1** » Sat Dec 07, 2002 12:06 am

LOL, yes the sandbox.

by **Ram1** » Sat Dec 07, 2002 12:10 am

How about Here Today? Magnificent. No doubt one of my top favorites from Pet Sounds.

by **Chris Speers** » Sat Dec 07, 2002 12:12 am

His comeback song in 1988 was called "Melt Away" - and it was pretty good. I think he does have it in him but i hear he goes through terrible, terrible bits of writer's block.

I think of him as being the opposite of McCartney. McCartney is very loose about song-writing and keeps a cool, sort of level ahead about his creative process. McCartney is like the cool kid in class who walks in with very little studying and gets A and B's on his exam and just takes it all in stride. For Paul, it comes really easy.

Brian Wilson, on the other hand, is a nervous wreck who continually second-guesses himself and analyzes himself. Wilson is like the nebbish kid on exam day who studies and preps himself the night before and still is looking through his text-book just before the exam. A complete wreck. For Wilson, creativity seems painful, almost sheer agony.

Brian Wilson as a Beatle rival

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