Brian has had mental-health issues for decades, and his drug use in ‘60s and ‘70s likely exacerbated that, combined with all the legal meds that his looney-toon psychotherapist Gene Landy pumped into him in the ‘80s.
And yet no one can deny, that despite all his issues, the man was (and probably on some level still is) an incredible genius of musical composition, production and arrangement. Truly in his own category of talent. In the documentary on the “Wrecking Crew” musicians, the late Leon Russell, no slouch himself as a musician, states flat out that Brian was the greatest genius that he ever worked with.
We watched that movie/doc on the Wrecking Crew—amazing. That fat bass line in Wichita Lineman has no rival..
Surf rock is my favorite genre of music even though it was a little before my time. I frequently listen to surf instrumentals including work done recently by newcomers.
An aside ... When Brian has a breakdown on the road in ‘64, they called in Glen Campbell to fill in for him. At least, that’s what I saw on TV yesterday. So it must be true.
Your comment makes me wonder if the term savant can be applied to him. Maybe a high functioning one but still someone with mental health issues but yet had a natural brilliance in, in his case, music that was a step above other musicians.
He openly declared that acid messed up his mind. He said he was never the same after.
I’ve read that he and Paul McCartney can visualize a song and play the musical instruments independently & put together a song.
There’s an online story about Wilson talking to Alice Cooper and asking him to introduce him to John Lennon, which Alice did. Lennon told Alice later he had met Brian dozens of times over the years.