The Warmth of The Sun – Brian Wilson – an appreciation
Musically the thing about Brian Wilson is that it’s not all about Pet Sounds and Smile. A lot of Beach Boys tracks are equally impressive. Ballads such The Warmth Of The Sun and In My Room are a template for vocal harmonies achieved by groups such as Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and The Eagles. David Crosby and Jerry Garcia were Beach Boys defenders even when the cool kids thought they were unhip. Neil Young once shared a house with Dennis Wilson. Songs like I Get Around (Keith Richards’ personal favourite), Good Vibrations and Sail On Sailor rock like mad. Often overlooked albums like Smiley Smile (sort of an unplugged version of Smile), Friends, Sunflower, Surf’s Up, Holland, The Beach Boys Love You and Carl And The Passions – So Tough contain many gems.