Aging Rockers (50-75) today Brian Wilson
iAndroid Yesterday, I wrote about the “Mick”, who I promised via email, to give equal treatment to his industry peers. After achieving “legendary” status, and well deserved accolades, awards, and inductions into the Hall of Fame, what remains for aging rockers? While I’m waiting on Mick’s reply, let’s speculate. For Brian Wilson (75), referred to by journalists as a “genius”, founder of Art Rock, and the California sound, success happened fast! The music of the Beach Boys will forever be associated with the Californian flower power movement, love, light, and happy feelings, arguably, the polar opposite of what Brian was experiencing after Pet Sounds changed the way most of us heard music at that time. Surfin’ U.S.A. propels this then 21 year old into instant stardom. By 1966 at the age of (24), Brian was the first pop rocker to have totally autonomy over producing his music. Pet Sounds is arguably one of the most important albums ever written. It was ground breaking for that time. Brian was even compared to Bach, Beethoven and Mozart. He used the studio as an instrument, spending most of his time there laying creative tracks which eventually, The Beach Boys turned to smash hits. This was unprecedented in the industry at that time. Until Brian’s innovations, the studio was merely a location where one recorded a record. Brian turned it into his playground, and like any other child at play, he learned to express himself, relating to many of us through our childlike minds. He is currently ranked #8, out of the 50 most influential producer that ever lived! The early 60’s was the beginning of a musical revolution. A new wave of beats, melodies, and lyrics was upon us, as the former slowly relented from the charts. Voices of protest gave rise to smooth jazz, classics, and parochial rock-n-roll, and echoed over the radio like never before. Brian was swimming in the same pond as: the Rolling Stones, Paint It Black, 19th Nervous Breakdown (1966), the Beatles, We Can Work It Out, Paperback Writer, Nowhere Man, Yellow Submarine (1966), with the Association’s Cherish (1966), in the number two spot. Barbara Ann ranked (79), Sloop John B (61), and Good Vibration (33). Not bad for 24 year old. Although one of my favorite Beach Boys songs didn’t chart in the top 100 for that year, God Only Knows, it should have! When asked about religion, Brian was always evasive. A journalist asked Brian if he was religious. Brian’s answer was, “No. I believe in Phil Spector”. I don’t think this was anything more than an enthusiastic 21 year old misplacing his faith in an influential person, instead of on the God he grew up knowing. When asked if he believed in the afterlife, at first he said, “No”. However, through subsequent interviews, he did say that he believes that “music is God’s voice…” My favorite Brian quote turns out to be, “God only knows where I’d be without you”. The drugs may have taken a toll on Brian’s life, but not on his music. His three year seclusion (most of it spent in bed), was part of his healing process. Something that not only aging rockers go through, but each and every one of us as well. I seriously doubt that Brian ever lost his faith. It’s hard to loose something that is attached to you at birth, (arms, legs, fingers, etc.). Free will gives all of us an opportunity to place less value on our faith as success, money, and power tend to corrupt in an absolute way. When Brain indicated that “music is God’s voice”, he ultimately surrendered all of the credit for his success, his melodies, and his lyrics to God. No rockers walk around professing their faith, or quoting the bible. Well, at least none that I know of. However, if you really think about, in reality they all have turned to the master Creator as students of creation… creation of musical compositions, which according to Brian (one of the most successful producers living today), “…is God’s voice”!Aging Rockers (50-75) today Brian Wilson
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