The beach boys

@DavidT8899 Beach Boys are like Roxy Music to me in that I liked their pop stuff as well as when they were weird. Beatles of course, too.

@uncalled4 well said

@uncalled4 Wilson had so many good songs ,but another great one came later on in his career: " Untill I Die ."

@uncalled4 I always wonder what he could have been if he wouldn't have fallen into his long depression ,came out with Smile in 1966 and went to have a solo career after that .

@DavidT8899 I was just listening to the Cabinessence backing track. He probably could have done amazing film scores.

@uncalled4 Have you heard " Fire !"?

@DavidT8899 of course, was just listening to the 11/66 session. It's nuts.

@uncalled4 " Wonderful" is another great song - it could have been his " A Day in the Life "

@DavidT8899 Not sure if I agree, not dynamic enough. Wonderful is pretty linear.
Perhaps a completed Surf's Up.

@uncalled4 Surfs Up was an amazing tune , wasn't it ? It really makes you wish Wilson would have completed Smile in 1966.

@uncalled4 Interesting fact about " Heroes and Villains": although Wilson took it through over 50 versions ,he insists that he never could get it to sound the way it did in his head .

@DavidT8899 I have a theory that his schizoaffective disorder prevented him from seeing the finish line, with H&V, with Smile, hell, even Good Vibrations. Ever hear the 40+ minutes of outtakes? I don't see why he had to try EVERY idea he had.

@uncalled4 Because that's how his mind worked .But I believe another factor in him not completing the album was his lack of a support system ; indeed ,his band mates attacked his music at every turn .

@DavidT8899 Yeah, they got off tour and heard Smile and were like, uh, what? Probably took the wind out of his sails. He didn't seem the type to tell them to put up or shut up(no Beach Boy was his songwriting equal), which, again, is what a producer sometimes has to do.

What really blew my mind is that there is no evidence that Brian ever tried a rough assemblage of the album.

You ALWAYS have the end zone in sight when you produce. It might just be the most important thing.

What he heard in his head? I mean, you never get there, ever. There's always a compromise. I still think he had executive function issues and that may have killed the album. Cancelling sessions and weeks with no forward progress...it's a real shame.

@uncalled4 Like I said ,think of what he might have done if so many of his years has been lost to his mental issues .

@DavidT8899 He still did a lot of great work. I love Sunflower and Surf's Up and his Imagination solo album, some of the solo Smile album was an improvement, as well, even the over-Autotuned That's Why God Made The Radio.

@uncalled4 I heard he came out with a record "Sweet Insanity" that was shelved.

@DavidT8899 I've heard it(or whatever rough mixes there are) and...I don't think it's very good. It was definitely a step down from the 1988 solo album, and I don't blame Sire Records for not releasing it.

@uncalled4 " Love and Mercy " was a good single .

@DavidT8899 L&M was great, up there with his best solo. Landy was one of the many angel/devils in Brian's life, he might not have made it if not for him but he overstayed his welcome. See also Murry Wilson and Mike Love.

@uncalled4 Maybe he was helping him at the start , but by the end he was blatantly abusing and taking advantage of him .He's was supposed to be a doctor ; he will get no credit or sympathy from me .Muarry Wilson was also an abuser who was jealous of his sons success ,and Mike Love should have shut up and realized that without Brian Wilson ,he would have been parking cars somewhere.

@uncalled4 So ,if you had to rank it ,what would you say is the single best song he ever wrote? I know most people say " God only Knows" but as great as it is ,I believe "Good Vibrations" surpasses it .

@DavidT8899 Tough one. I couldn't pick, but overall I'd probably go with GV. Might be the best single ever. I'm sure it scared the shit out of The Beatles.