The Man Who Just Wasn’t Made For These Times
Brian Wilson, 20.6.1942 - 11.6.2025
If there ever was a definitive “Music Man,” it’d have to be Brian Wilson. A man consumed by so much musical talent, the “real world” was almost too much for him, but oh how he bestowed his talents unto us. He gave us fun songs, happy songs, silly songs, sad songs, and some of the most beautiful songs to keep us going for a lifetime. An innovator and one almighty risk taker, Wilson and The Beach Boys hugely impacted American culture, as well as popular music as a whole. Many a road leads back to The Beach Boys.
A man of extreme highs and lows, for all his successes and huge amount of talent, his life was also peppered with affairs, a conservatorship by a shady “doctor,” A LOT of family drama and mental health struggles. You could say his talent and strive for perfection was often too much for him. Perhaps he burned a little too brightly into a burn out that often saw him drift away.
But it was his vulnerability and almost child-like wonder and curiosity that always shone through and was his magic. His attention to detail, as pedantic as it must’ve been for everyone involved, paid off as his songs will never lose their sparkle.
For me, he was a dreamer and an artist in their purest forms.
Here are five of my favourite Brian Wilson songs:
This version is one of the Brian silly songs that brings me complete and utter joy. It’s fun, it’s catchy and it’s believed (although not confirmed) that it’s Paul McCartney chomping in celery in the background.
“Don’t Worry Baby,” Shut Down Volume 2, 1964
Brian’s ode to The Ronettes is simply gorgeous. Angelic falsetto and The bringing together of the times big boy and girl groups into the 60s pop song of dreams.
“Love and Mercy,” I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times, 1995
After the I watched the film of the same name, I couldn’t listen to this song without getting teary. Well done Brian.
“I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times,” Pet Sounds, 1966
One of the heart wrenchingly sad Brian songs that seems to encapsulate the man himself. I would argue that this is his definitive song…
“God Only Knows,” Pet Sounds, 1966
But how can I when he created this? I know he didn’t sing lead and is maybe the predictable choice, but he did sing harmonies, and it must be the song that best displays his talents. Hauntingly beautiful.
And if listening to these songs aren’t enough Brian Wilson for you, maybe I suggest watching Beach Boys: Good Vibrations Tour, 1976? The outfits are mad, Mike Love thinks he’s Mick Jagger, Dennis Wilson is delicious, and Brian conducts all of his interviews from the comfort of his own bed. Highly recommend.