Brian Wilson’s favourite song by The Rolling Stones: “Feeling that energy and excitement”
Rightfully seen as one of the architects of modern pop, thanks to his seminal work with The Beach Boys, Brian Wilson’s opinion on the golden age of pop music is one that everyone should pay attention to. The star songwriter has been clear in his devotion to the crystalline sounds of the decade and has rarely strayed too far from what he considers to be perfect recordings. His pop songs should be textured, layered with excitement and deliver a feeling rather than a thought.
Famed for meticulously planning his studio sessions and perfecting his sounds with the band, Wilson is a bonafide genius behind the mixing desk and has an ear for a tune like no other. He know that sometimes it takes hundreds of sessions to get the perfect pitch of a pop song. It makes his opinion on songs more vital than most.
However, sadly, the star hasn’t spent an inordinate amount of time sharing those opinions. His praise is usually reserved for the greatest bands of the day, and, in a rare video, Wilson does just that. The clip, dating back to 2002, sees Wilson being asked off the cuff to name a number of his favourite records, which also sees him pick out his favourite song by one of his favourite bands, The Rolling Stones.
Wilson, who is sitting down on a hill while an interviewer runs him through quickfire questions, unloads a number of his favourite tracks by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Carole King, James Taylor and many more. While the interview offers a fascinating insight into the man we know of as a pop genius, some of Wilson’s picks arrive as much more obscure choices than others.
It showcases that while Wilson may have been a contemporary of these artists, many even suggesting he was a rival for The Beatles and Paul McCartney, much like The Rolling Stones, he was actually a huge fan of them. Rarely entering into any kind of machismo match-ups or band rivalry, Wilson has spent his life dedicated to music, and it seems only fitting that he enjoys pop music like the rest of us.
The vocalist’s favourite number by The Rolling Stones is an obscure choice, to say the least. But that’s what makes it all the more brilliant. Wilson picked ‘My Obsession’, which featured on 1967 effort Between the Buttons, which was the Stones’ fifth studio album. The track was never even released as a single and has never been played live, but it’s a track that clearly had great significance for Wilson nonetheless.
It’s a notion that he doubled down on in 2008 when he spoke to Rolling Stone about the music that had made him the maestro he is. As well as doffing his cap to ‘With A Little Help From My Friends’ by The Beatles and his all-time favourite song, ‘Be My Baby’ by The Ronnettes, he also picks out the lesser-known Stones track once more. “’Satisfaction’ is my second-favourite song by the Stones,” Wilson tells the publication.
“This one is my favourite,” he says before hinting at what might have been an incredible collaboration. “They invited me down to their studio in Hollywood when they were mixing it. I remember sitting there and feeling that energy and that excitement.”
It’s easy to see why Wilson may connect with the song, even if it is one of their more obscure tunes. The song, and the album it comes form, represents the band in their most experimental phase. It’s more coherent than Their Satanic Majesties and therefore lands with more vigour. Sewing together so many different styles and themes, ‘My Obsession’ isn’t even a songwriter’s song, but a studio master’s kind of music.
