The Beach Boys, "In My Room"
Brian Wilson, songwriter, singer, musician, producer, arranger, and all-around musical genius, died today at the age of 82.
"In My Room" reflects Wilson's need for shelter and refuge, a need that, driven by his decades-long mental health struggles, would take over his life in the '70s and beyond. As he put it, "I had a room, and I thought of it as my kingdom. And I wrote that song, very definitely, that you're not afraid when you're in your room. It's absolutely true."
Wilson blended the songwriting savvy and sensibilities of the Great American Songbook writers with the energy and flash of early rock'n'roll. His mid-/late-'60s rivalry with Lennon-McCartney saw him carry the standard for the U.S. when it came to innovative, creative, even visionary songwriting and production in pop music. No-one else on these shores at that time even came close to his ambition for the pop song.
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A hitmaker elevated and burdened by the label of genius, he transcended the breezy surf genre to create complex harmonies and intricate soun
