Brian Wilson is the chief songwriter and producer, co-lead vocalist, and former bassist of The Beach Boys. Due to his unorthodox approaches to pop composition, and arrangement, as well as his extraordinary mastery of the recording studio, he is widely acknowledged to be one of the most innovative and influential songwriters and producers ever in the pop idiom. The Beach Boys Brian Wilson formed The Beach Boys, originally the Pendletones, with Mike Love, Al Jardine, and his brothers Carl and Dennis, in 1961. The group initially found success as a novelty act of sorts, releasing a string of singles that related almost exclusively to California and surfing: "Surfin'," "Surfin' Safari," "Surfer Girl," "Surfin' USA," etc. ...show more

Brian Wilson is the chief songwriter and producer, co-lead vocalist, and former bassist of The Beach Boys. Due to his unorthodox approaches to pop composition, and arrangement, as well as his extraordinary mastery of the recording studio, he is widely acknowledged to be one of the most innovative and influential songwriters and producers ever in the pop idiom. The Beach Boys Brian Wilson formed The Beach Boys, originally the Pendletones, with Mike Love, Al Jardine, and his brothers Carl and Dennis, in 1961. The group initially found success as a novelty act of sorts, releasing a string of singles that related almost exclusively to California and surfing: "Surfin'," "Surfin' Safari," "Surfer Girl," "Surfin' USA," etc.

By 1964, Wilson's ambition had reached a boiling point and he declined to tour with the rest of the group, instead focusing on his role as songwriter and arranger. A run of increasingly sophisticated releases followed, and in 1966 the Beach Boys released what is generally regarded as their magnum opus, a paean to the trials of adolescence and beyond entitled Pet Sounds. Soon after, the Beach Boys released "Good Vibrations," which Wilson described as "a teenage symphony to God." The track was remarkable in its breadth and innovation - at the time, it was reportedly the most expensive track ever recorded. It moved quickly to #1.

Around this time, Wilson began working on an even more ambitious work - to be titled Dumb Angel later renamed SMiLE - in collaboration with fellow composer and lyricist Van Dyke Parks. However, due to myriad obstacles - drug problems, resistance from his fellow bandmates, and a sharp decrease in confidence chief among them - the project became too much to handle, and Brian eventually withdrew. The results of these sessions, or at least some of the results, were scattered among subsequent releases. The unfinished album went on to be the stuff of legend for nearly 30 years. ...show less