In 1970, perhaps the best Beach Boys album was released: Sunflower. By 1970, Brian Wilson was but an empty shell of his 1965-7 self. His Smile concept album had fizzled out, unfinished, in early ’67, and he had retreated to the master bedroom of his Bel-Air mansion (where I paid him a visit in ’75, a story for another time). Yet, on the Sunflower album a new song from Brian appeared, and it was a shock. It is stunningly good.
Sunflower is perhaps the best Beach Boys album of them all. Brothers Carl and Dennis had risen to take Brian’s place in directing the group. By 1970, the group was already considered a ’60’s oldies act; Hard-Rock, Blues-Rock, Acid-Rock, Country-Rock, and Progressive-Rock were what was being listened to and considered hip.
In 1971 I was in a band with a bunch of hippies, and try as I might, I could not get them to take The Beach Boys seriously. I played them the incredible "This Whole World" from the album, and sat there in absolute disbelief as the brilliance of the song appeared to go unnoticed by the band members. I quit the band.
Brian is known for his melodies and harmonies, but his brilliance starts on a deeper level: that of his chord progressions. In the first 22 bars of "This Whole World", the song modulates (changes keys) four times! At each of those junctures, the first chord of the new key contains a couple of notes also contained in the last chord of the old key. The modulation revolves around the "pivot point" of those notes. It is a technique used by J.S. Bach, Gershwin, and other superior composers, but by NONE of Brian’s contemporaries.
Another musical technique Brian is brilliant at employing is that of the inversion: having the bass (or the piano voicing) play not the tonic (root note of the chord), but the 3rd or 5th of the chord. J.S. Bach used inversions a lot. Rockers, not so much. ;-) One exception is the bass part James Jamerson (the Motown house band bassist, and Paul McCartney’s favorite on the instrument) came up with for the exquisite "What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted". Original by Jimmy Ruffin, and Joan Osborne does a great version.
There are a number of YouTube videos wherein a music teacher breaks down the chord structures of Brian’s songs: "Surfer Girl" (go ahead, laugh. The joke’s on you ;-) , "God Only Knows" and others from the Pet Sounds album (Paul McCartney’s all-time favorite album, and the impetus for Sgt. Pepper), "Surf’s Up" (Leonard Bernstein included an examination of the song in his Pop Music TV special), a number of others. Compare them to any songwriter you care to, including Lennon & McCartney. He is in an entirely different class.
Then go buy the Sunflower album. You’ll thank me.
