Download or read book I Am Brian Wilson written by Brian Wilson and published by Da Capo Press. This book was released on 2016-10-11 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: They say there are no second acts in American lives, and third acts are almost unheard of. That's part of what makes Brian Wilson's story so astonishing. As a cofounding member of the Beach Boys in the 1960s, Wilson created some of the most groundbreaking and timeless popular music ever recorded. With intricate harmonies, symphonic structures, and wide-eyed lyrics that explored life's most transcendent joys and deepest sorrows, songs like "In My Room," "God Only Knows," and "Good Vibrations" forever expanded the possibilities of pop songwriting. Derailed in the 1970s by mental illness, drug use, and the shifting fortunes of the band, Wilson came back again and again over the next few decades, surviving and-finally-thriving. Now, for the first time, he weighs in on the sources of his creative inspiration and on his struggles, the exhilarating highs and the debilitating lows. I Am Brian Wilson reveals as never before the man who fought his way back to stability and creative relevance, who became a mesmerizing live artist, who forced himself to reckon with his own complex legacy, and who finally completed Smile, the legendary unfinished Beach Boys record that had become synonymous with both his genius and its destabilization. Today Brian Wilson is older, calmer, and filled with perspective and forgiveness. Whether he's talking about his childhood, his bandmates, or his own inner demons, Wilson's story, told in his own voice and in his own way, unforgettably illuminates the man behind the music, working through the turbulence and discord to achieve, at last, a new harmony.
Download or read book Good Vibrations written by Philip Lambert and published by University of Michigan Press. This book was released on 2020-03-06 with total page 303 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Good Vibrations brings together scholars with a variety of expertise, from music to cultural studies to literature, to assess the full extent of the contributions to popular culture and popular music of one the most successful and influential pop bands of the twentieth century. The book covers the full fifty-year history of the Beach Boys’ music, from essays on some of the group’s best-known music—such as their hit single “Good Vibrations” —to their mythical unfinished masterpiece, Smile. Throughout, the book places special focus on the individual whose creative vision brought the whole enterprise to life, Brian Wilson, advancing our understanding of his gifts as a songwriter, arranger, and producer. The book joins a growing body of literature on the popular music of the 1960s, in general, and on Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys in particular. But Good Vibrations extends the investigation further and deeper than it has gone before, not only offering new understanding and insights into individual songs and albums, but also providing close examination of compositional techniques and reflections on the group’s place in American popular culture.
Download or read book Inside the Music of Brian Wilson written by Philip Lambert and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2007-03-19 with total page 417 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Inside the Music of Brian Wilson is, as author Phillip Lambert writes in the prologue "completely, and intensely, focused on the music of Brian Wilson, on the musical essence of his songs and the aesthetic value of his artistic achievements. It acknowledges the familiar biographical contexts of his songs, but it tells completely new stories about the birth and evolution of his musical ideas, identifying important musical trends in his work, heretofore undisclosed inter-song connections within his music, or between his music and that of others, and the nature and extent of his artistry. It aims not just to identify great songs, but to explain exactly what makes them so." Lambert, a renowned musicologist, brings to this work to life with both his professional expertise and an infectious personal appreciation of the power of pop music. His clear, engaging tone and accessible writing style allows even a musically inexperienced reader to follow him as he traces Wilson's musical evolution, with a particular focus on the years leading up to the writing and recording of Pet Sounds and SMiLE, albums which many consider to be the masterpieces of his oeuvre. Inside the Music of Brian Wilson is the definitive book on Wilson's music and is essential reading for fans of Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys, and great pop music. Includes THREE amazing Appendixes: Appendix 1: Brian Wilson Song Chronology* Appendix 2: Four Freshmen Albums, 1955-1961 Appendix 3: Favorite Songs and Influences Through 1961 *The most complete song chronology ever published.
Download or read book Wouldn t It Be Nice written by Charles L. Granata and published by Chicago Review Press. This book was released on 2016-10-01 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When he first started working on Pet Sounds, Brian Wilson said that he was going to write "the greatest rock album ever made." That album, released in 1966, fifty years ago, changed the face of popular music.From conception and composition to arrangement and production, Pet Sounds was the work of one extraordinary man. Turning his back on the protest songs and folk rock of his contemporaries and even on the bright surf sound of his own creation, Brian Wilson reached deep within himself to make music that struck an emotional chord and touched people's souls. Embracing the rapidly advancing recording technology of the time, he expertly created an original studio sound that would inspire generations of listeners and musicians.Featuring a detailed track-by-track analysis of the songs and extensive interviews with key personalities, this unique book reveals the influences--musical, personal, and professional--that together created this groundbreaking album. Now revised to include new information and recent developments, this is the definitive book on one of the greatest albums ever made.
Download or read book Wouldn t It Be Nice written by Brian Wilson and published by Bloomsbury Paperbacks. This book was released on 1996-12-19 with total page 398 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Autobiography of Brian Wilson, of the Beach Boys fame including fame, addiction and frank revelations
Download or read book Becoming the Beach Boys 1961 1963 written by James B. Murphy and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2015-06-08 with total page 435 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: They were almost The Pendletones--after the Pendleton wool shirts favored on chilly nights at the beach--then The Surfers, before being named The Beach Boys. But what separated them from every other teenage garage band with no musical training? They had raw talent, persistence and a wellspring of creativity that launched them on a legendary career now in its sixth decade. Following the musical vision of Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys blended ethereal vocal harmonies, searing electric guitars and lush arrangements into one of the most distinctive sounds in the history of popular music. Drawing on original interviews and newly uncovered documents, this book untangles the band's convoluted early history and tells the story of how five boys from California formed America's greatest rock 'n' roll band.
Download or read book Catch a Wave written by Peter Ames Carlin and published by Rodale Books. This book was released on 2007-06-26 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Now the subject of the movie Love & Mercy, starring John Cusack! Brian, Carl, and Dennis Wilson, along with Mike Love and Al Jardine--better known as the Beach Boys--rocketed out of a working-class Los Angeles suburb in the early sixties, and their sun-and-surf sound captured the imagination of kids across the world. In a few short years, they rode the wave all the way to the top, standing with the Beatles as one of the world's biggest bands. Despite their utopian visions, infectious hooks, and stunning harmonies, the Beach Boys were beset by drug abuse, jealousy, and terrifying mental illness. In Catch a Wave, Peter Ames Carlin pulls back the curtain on Brian Wilson, one of popular music's most revered luminaries, as well as its biggest mystery. Drawing on hundreds of interviews and never-before heard studio recordings, Carlin follows the Beach Boys from their earliest days through Brian's deepening emotional problems to his triumphant re-emergence with the release of Smile, the legendarily unreleased album he had originally shelved.
Download or read book Blood on the Tracks written by Willson, S. Brian and published by PM Press. This book was released on 2011-08-01 with total page 749 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “We are not worth more, they are not worth less.” This is the mantra of S. Brian Willson and the theme that runs throughout his compelling psycho-historical memoir. Willson’s story begins in small-town, rural America, where he grew up as a “Commie-hating, baseball-loving Baptist,” moves through life-changing experiences in Viet Nam, Nicaragua and elsewhere, and culminates with his commitment to a localized, sustainable lifestyle. In telling his story, Willson provides numerous examples of the types of personal, risk-taking, nonviolent actions he and others have taken in attempts to educate and effect political change: tax refusal—which requires simplification of one’s lifestyle; fasting—done publicly in strategic political and/or therapeutic spiritual contexts; and obstruction tactics—strategically placing one’s body in the way of “business as usual.” It was such actions that thrust Brian Willson into the public eye in the mid-’80s, first as a participant in a high-profile, water-only “Veterans Fast for Life” against the Contra war being waged by his government in Nicaragua. Then, on a fateful day in September 1987, the world watched in horror as Willson was run over by a U.S. government munitions train during a nonviolent blocking action in which he expected to be removed from the tracks and arrested. Losing his legs only strengthened Willson’s identity with millions of unnamed victims of U.S. policy around the world. He provides details of his travels to countries in Latin America and the Middle East and bears witness to the harm done to poor people as well as to the environment by the steamroller of U.S. imperialism. These heart-rending accounts are offered side by side with inspirational stories of nonviolent struggle and the survival of resilient communities Willson’s expanding consciousness also uncovers injustices within his own country, including insights gained through his study and service within the U.S. criminal justice system and personal experiences addressing racial injustices. He discusses coming to terms with his identity as a Viet Nam veteran and the subsequent service he provides to others as director of a veterans outreach center in New England. He draws much inspiration from friends he encounters along the way as he finds himself continually drawn to the path leading to a simpler life that seeks to “do no harm.&rdquo Throughout his personal journey Willson struggles with the question, “Why was it so easy for me, a ’good’ man, to follow orders to travel 9,000 miles from home to participate in killing people who clearly were not a threat to me or any of my fellow citizens?” He eventually comes to the realization that the “American Way of Life” is AWOL from humanity, and that the only way to recover our humanity is by changing our consciousness, one individual at a time, while striving for collective cultural changes toward “less and local.” Thus, Willson offers up his personal story as a metaphorical map for anyone who feels the need to be liberated from the American Way of Life—a guidebook for anyone called by conscience to question continued obedience to vertical power structures while longing to reconnect with the human archetypes of cooperation, equity, mutual respect and empathy.
Download or read book Good Vibrations written by Mike Love and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2016-09-13 with total page 448 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mike Love tells the story of his legendary, raucous, and ultimately triumphant five-decade career as the front man of The Beach Boys, the most popular American band in history -- timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of "Good Vibrations." The eBook edition includes 85 additional photos. As a founding member of The Beach Boys, Mike Love has spent an extraordinary fifty-five years, and counting, as the group's lead singer and one of its principal lyricists. The Beach Boys, from their California roots to their international fame, are a unique American story -- one of overnight success and age-defying longevity; of musical genius and reckless self-destruction; of spirituality, betrayal, and forgiveness -- and Love is the only band member to be part of it each and every step. His own story has never been fully told, of how a sheet-metal apprentice became the quintessential front man for America's most successful rock band, singing in more than 5,600 concerts in 26 countries. Love describes the stories behind his lyrics for pop classics such as "Good Vibrations," "California Girls," "Surfin' USA," and "Kokomo," while providing vivid portraits of the turbulent lives of his three gifted cousins, Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson. His partnership with Brian has few equals in American pop music, though Mike has carved out a legacy of his own -- he co-wrote the lyrics to eleven of the twelve original Beach Boy songs that were top 10 hits while providing the lead vocals on ten of them. The band's unprecedented durability also provides a glimpse into America's changing cultural mores over the past half century, while Love himself has experienced both the diabolical and the divine -- from Charles Manson's "family" threatening his life to Maharishi instilling it with peace. A husband, a father, and an avid environmentalist, Love has written a book that is as rich and layered as the Beach Boy harmonies themselves.
Download or read book Good Vibrations written by Mike Love and published by Akashic Books. This book was released on 2020-06-02 with total page 29 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mike Love and Brian Wilson's world-famous song, gloriously illustrated by Paul Hoppe, will bring smiles to the faces of children and parents alike. I'm pickin' up good vibrations She's giving me the excitations (oom bop bop) I'm pickin' up good vibrations (good vibrations, oom bop bop) She's giving me the excitations (excitations, oom bop bop) Good Vibrations is a lively picture book based on Mike Love and Brian Wilson's number one hit about absorbing positive energy from the people around them. Often praised as one of the most important compositions in rock, the Beach Boys' original version of this song was their third number one Billboard hit. With lyrics by Brian Wilson and Mike Love, and illustrations by Paul Hoppe, this picture book follows a girl and her dog as they make their way down to the beach, sharing good vibrations all along the way. Parents and children alike can share and enjoy one of rock's greatest hits through the colorful pages of Good Vibrations. Released in 1966, this is one of the defining and iconic songs of the era The recording involved the then-revolutionary process of tape-splicing, cutting up and editing pieces of the master tape together The musicians used in the recording of the song included members of the Wrecking Crew, the legendary set of Los Angeles session studio players Beach Boys publicist Derek Taylor described the song as a "pocket symphony" (Derek was the former press officer for the Beatles and the Beach Boys, and worked with the Byrds and the Mamas & the Papas, among others) The unusual sound featured in the song's chorus was produced by an electrotheremin The song was a transatlantic number one, reaching the top spot in both the USA and the UK The song was the last US number one the Beach Boys achieved in the 1960s Inducted into both the Grammy and Rock & Roll Halls of Fame Rolling Stone ranked the song at number six on its 2010 list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All-Time In 2001, the RIAA and the National Endowment for the Arts published their Songs of the Century list, with "Good Vibrations" at number 24 The song is part of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's permanent exhibition,500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll
Download or read book Back to the Beach written by Kingsley Abbott and published by . This book was released on 2002-02-02 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Newly Expanded edition of the hugely acclaimed Beach Boys compendium, which collects all of the best articles, interviews and reviews from their five decades of music, along with a number of inspiring pieces specially commissioned for this volume. Since the book's first edition, the Beach Boys' world has endured the tragedy of Carl Wilson's premature death and the triumph of a re-energised Brian Wilson performing 'Pet Sounds' live in its entirety with a thrilling young band. Brian also appeared to much acclaim at the Queen's Golden Jubilee concert at Buckingham Palace. In line with these events, the new edition is expanded to include a revealing Carl Wilson interview by Geoffrey Himes, a tribute to one of the most underrated members of the band, as well as a new interview with 'Pet Sounds' lyricist Tony Asher and an essay on the resurgence of Brian Wilson by editor Kingsley Abbott. Book jacket.
Download or read book Why the Beach Boys Matter written by Tom Smucker and published by Univ of TX + ORM. This book was released on 2018-10-02 with total page 182 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “An excellent introduction to the band that might have evolved, [the author] suggests, into the Beatles.” —New York Journal of Books Of all the white American pop music groups that hit the charts before the Beatles, only the Beach Boys continued to thrive throughout the British Invasion to survive into the 1970s and beyond. The Beach Boys helped define both sides of the era we broadly call the sixties, split between their early surf, car, and summer pop and their later hippie, counterculture, and ambitious rock. No other group can claim the Ronettes and the Four Seasons as early 1960s rivals; the Mamas and the Papas and Crosby, Stills and Nash as later 1960s rivals; and the Beatles and the Temptations as decade-spanning counterparts. This is the first book to take an honest look at the themes running through the Beach Boys’ art and career as a whole and to examine where they sit inside our culture and politics—and why they still grab our attention.
Download or read book That Lucky Old Sun written by Brian Wilson and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 54 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A musical love letter from Southern California, That Lucky Old Sun continues the awe-inspiring concept album journey that Brian Wilson first began with The Beach Boys' 1966 classic, Pet Sounds & has continued to evolve during his solo career, highlighted by his 2004 critically-acclaimed Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE. The four transitional narratives, co-written with Van Dyke Parks and spoken by Wilson, offer cameos on life and the heartbeat of Los Angeles which propels the album's musical story.
Download or read book Christianity written by Brian Wilson and published by Psychology Press. This book was released on 1999 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a concise survey of the history of Christianity, from its beginnings in late antiquity, through the Reformation in the West, to its present day global status.
Download or read book The Nearest Faraway Place written by Timothy White and published by . This book was released on 1997-07-11 with total page 406 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book I Just Wasn t Made for These Times written by Charles L. Granata and published by . This book was released on 2003 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Om indspilningen af The Beach Boys' album Pet sounds fra 1966
Download or read book Brian Wilson written by Kirk Curnutt and published by Equinox Publishing. This book was released on 2012 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: " ... This is the first study of Wilson to eschew chronology for a topical organiozation that allows discussion of lyrical themes and musical motifs outside of any ... presumptions about their place in the trajectory of his career. The chapter on lyrics explores questionsof qualty, asking why the words to [his] songs are so often considered a detriment, before surveying such tendencies as melancholy and introspecton, the conceit of childlike wisdom, his depiction of women, and Americana/nostalgia. The section on music focusses on his alsetto, the famous harmonies, the peculiar whiteness of the Breach Boys' sound, as well as song structure. A final chapter on iconicity asks how rock criticism's auteurship both maintains and limits his reputation. ..."--Back cover.
