How The Beach Boys Sounded Without Their Instruments

Brian Wilson photo: audio-eclectic.com

Brian Wilson is a genius. The proof is at the bottom of this post.

Andy Warhol said everyone would have 15 minutes of fame. With hits songs I believe it is more like 15 seconds.

Will anyone ever remember most of the “music” that has been on the pop charts during the last 30 years – 50 or 100 years from now?  I’m asking rhetorically, because the answer is no. I believe most music is transitory and of the time. To be remembered 100 years or 200 years from now, the way Mozart and Beethoven are or The Beatles and Duke Ellington will be, is unlikely for the majority of musical artists.

The Beach Boys Brian Wilson used session musicians to record a lot of the songs on their albums. But the singing was all theirs.

Here are three songs from the album Pet Sounds;

God Only Knows

Sloop John B

Wouldn’t It Be Nice

Now here are The Beach Boys performing those three songs sung a cappella.

This is what separates Brian Wilson from 99.9% of rock n’ roll musicians. Brian Wilson’s genius at arrangement and harmonies.