Music of the spheres

Back in the 1980s there was a classical music FM station in Tulsa that always closed their broadcast day with an a capella Russian choral piece. Sometimes late at night I would have the radio on that station just so that could be the last thing I heard before falling asleep. Pure serenity and peacefulness.

What does that have to do with a blog about power pop? Everything really. For in the rock universe we have our own vocal prayer, that never-duplicated combination of Brian Wilson at the top of his game and the peerless harmonies of the Beach Boys. From the aborted Smile project circa 66/67, here is Our Prayer to lull you off into a night of peaceful contended sleep.

When I Go Anywhere I See Love

There is nothing like a day trip to the Oregon coast to clear one's mind. A spectacular hike at Cape Lookout with temps above freezing and no rain made for a memorable day. Upon return I had a yearning to listen to some Brian Wilson tunes. Today's post was a real toss-up among several of the Beach Boy's lesser-known singles. I settled on This Whole World from 1970. The single did not chart and the LP it came from - Sunflower - was the lowest charting BB album up to that point at 151. By that time Brian was no longer performing but he still provided a number of songs on the group's records. Invariably they were the highlights of the album.

After a two bar introduction with chugging guitar and Carl's solo vocal, the song immediately moves into the main verse:

"Late at night I think about the love of this whole world. Lots of different people everywhere. And when I go anywhere I see love I see love I see love."

Carl's voice never sounded more soulful. And dig the tubular bell chiming amongst the doo-wop background vocals by the rest of the band (something along the lines of aaauuummm bop dibit). Then a new section begins:

"When girls get mad at boys and go
Many times they're just putting on a show
But when they leave you wait alone"

The ultimate Spector-ism - a glockenspiel - plays a counter melody and the band adds their gorgeous "oh-s". The first and second sections are repeated, then at 1:35 the boys go acappella, soaring off into the distance as the track ends before two minutes have passed.

What really casts a glow over me is Brian's incomparable harmonic progressions. I know a thing or two about music theory, and the modulations here are way beyond the grasp of almost any pop group then or now. Brian Wilson has an ear for sounds and harmonies like no other.

Surfs Up

There are not many happy endings when it comes to Rock'N'Roll and drugs. Sometimes it ends in death, other times a lifetime wasted. So it makes my heart very happy to note that Brian Wilson somehow managed to come through many years of mental anguish to be able to again make great music. Even after his well documented crash during the making of Smile in 1966-67, he managed to squeeze out many brilliant songs during what I consider to be the Beach Boys Indian Summer. Break Away, the BB last single on Capitol Records in 1969 is a prime example, so is This Whole World from the sadly neglected Sunflower in 1970. Brian has an ear for chords and harmony unlike almost any one else in the pop universe. I am also a big fan of Sail On Sailor (1973) and almost all of the Love You album (1977) was really a Brian Wilson album with guest vocals by the band.

After that, his muse went mostly silent. At the time I imagined he would end up like the great Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd, spending his later years in and out of therapy. But low and behold, he came out with a touring band (aka the Wondermints) for a live recreation of Pet Sounds in 2002. I bought the DVD and it blew my socks off. The sound was a perfect recreation of his 1966 mastpiece. Proof positive that he was always the prime ingredient in the Beach Boys. Then a few years later, out of the blue, he put out a fabulous finished version of Smile. Though I prefer some of the original BB versions released from the Capitol Records vaults a few years ago, it was wonderful to know that he was able to get himself together and bring closure to what must have been a very painful memory for him.

Here is one of his finest works, the unbearably sad and beautiful Til I Die from Surfs Up (1971).