BRIAN'S SONGS

BRIAN'S SONGS

By Andy Weddington

Friday, 10 July 2026

I believe that music is God's voice.  - Brian Wilson

Sixty years ago our family of seven - two girls (one mom) and five boys (one dad) and pets - camped, in a tent, at the beach; two weeks, usually. 

People and pet sounds - rings nostalgic. It was. 

In those summer days, Topsail Island (NC) was basically deserted except for small Surf City on the south end of the island. 

North of Surf City Family Campground (outskirts of town) was untamed nature, for miles and miles, with a usually sand swept asphalt road that lead to the north tip and the best surf fishing. If lucky, the road passable. 

Topsail was, in a boy's mind, heaven. 

Last night came flood of great memories - mid-60s through mid-70s - and carefree days at the beach; fishing, flying kites, horsing around on the dunes, sparklers at night, and listening to music. 

The music! 

On Prime a documentary about Brian Wilson - filmed in 2021 four years before he died - caught my attention.

Brian Wilson - beach boy. 

The Beach Boy - who wrote and produced songs for The Beach Boys. 

And it was The Beach Boys we listened to all those decades ago; for free on the radio in the VW bus meandering country roads to the coast and 3 plays for a quarter on the jukebox at the small convenience store/arcade across the street from the campground. 

Brian created a sound. 

A wonderfully haunting sound that lead to sounds. And so on. 

He changed music. 

The documentary, in part, wondered the origin of his sounds. Where did they come from?

Brian struggled to answer. He didn't know. 

One long-time producer told of asking Brian where a particular sound came from. 

Brian described sitting at a piano and being taken with the geometric shapes his fingers made playing chords. 

Brian did not talk technical aspects of music - keys, chord patterns, notes, etc. - but shapes. 

The producer laughed and said he did not know if Brian told him the truth. 

(My bet is) Brian absolutely told him the truth. 

The producer trapped in, unwittingly restricted by, the language used by musicians but not so was Brian. 

Brian created.

While those of lesser ability but schooled in the technical language translated - scored - Brian's invention(s).

Brian hummed and made whatever sounds necessary to release that rattling around in his brain.

Others made sense of the sounds though Brian was quick to correct when the musicians did not have it quite right. 

"Genius" was used quite a bit during the story. 

"Artist," too. 

Only a genius and artist could create something as mindbogglingly beautiful, and enduring, as 'Good Vibrations.'

Was Brian Wilson's music God's voice? 

I believe ...

'God Only Knows.'