“Get that inspiration”: Brian Wilson on the only person who inspired him in 30 years
As far as inspirational figures go, few can rival the all-encompassing impact of The Beach Boys’ founder and primary songwriter, Brian Wilson. From his early days delivering sun-kissed surf rock to a rock and roll-obsessed generation, to the enduring legacy of seminal releases like Pet Sounds, the songwriter has amassed an iconic reputation over the years. Even today, his legacy still looms large over the landscape of pop music and songwriting.
During the very early days of The Beach Boys, following their initial foundation in 1961, Wilson’s sound was endlessly indebted to the rock and roll pioneers of the previous decade. In particular, many of the band’s early hits borrowed heavily from the guitar riffs of Chuck Berry, a key architect in the formulation of rock and roll music. In fact, this direct inspiration led to criticism of The Beach Boys, not least from Berry himself, who recognised the parallels between his discography and that of the California outfit.
Before too long, though, Wilson’s songwriting hit its stride, leading to timeless records like Pet Sounds, which forever changed the world of pop. Without that iconic concept record, other legendary records like The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band might never have existed. It is fair to say, therefore, that Wilson has been among the most influential figures in rock and pop music for some decades now.
So, who inspired Wilson himself? Aside from the aforementioned influence of Chuck Berry, the songwriter took many of his cues from the records of Phil Spector’s ‘Wall of Sound’. The Ronettes’ ‘Be My Baby’ has always been a particular favourite of the Pet Sounds songwriter, and he often attempted to incorporate the magic sounds of those 1960s sessions into his own work. Alas, the decade would not last forever, and the ‘Wall of Sound’ soon slipped away into obscurity, leaving Wilson devoid of his greatest influences.
It took a number of decades for Wilson to stumble across anything quite as inspiring as Spector’s roster of artists, but he eventually came upon Washington D.C. multi-instrumentalist Andy Paley. “The only time I ever really jumped out of my chair in 30 years was when I heard Andy’s stuff, where Andy was at with him music,” Wilson later recalled. “It got me off my chair, clapping my hands, moving around, writing songs, y’know?”
Hearing Paley’s work seemed to be a spiritual awakening for the songwriter. “It took 30 years — since Phil Spector’s records — to get that inspiration,” he shared. ”So when it comes along you recognise it, you don’t fuck it with, ‘cos it’s the real thing.”
Quickly, Wilson set about working alongside Paley, which he did multiple times, starting with his self-titled solo album in 1988. “I don’t want to go [he puts on a whiny voice]: ‘Oh, I’m too scared to work with Andy Paley but I still think he’s great.’ That’s bullshit, too. Being scared of somebody is bullshit, of course,” the Beach Boys founder declared.
Paley and Wilson ended up working together multiple times over the years, culminating in an unfinished recording project back in the 1990s, informally called the Andy Paley Sessions. Reportedly, the pair planned to write and record an album together, with the musical backing of The Beach Boys, but the final product never came to fruition due to a plethora of legal challenges and personal issues plaguing Wilson at the time. Still, his love for Paley’s work shines through on the various bootlegs that these sessions produced.
