The one musician David Gilmour believed “mastered songwriting”
There is no shortcut to songwriting, as Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour knows all too well. While this only happens on extremely rare occasions, a perfect song can arrive fully formed at the least expected moment, such as waiting for the kettle to boil.
More often than not, artists have to work tirelessly and put countless hours into songwriting, which can often lead to nothing. However, persistence is key, and if the talent is there, eventually, the tireless graft will pay dividends.
If there were a simple formula for songwriting, it would be a science rather than an art form. The most important facet of the craft is how it makes the listener feel and the connection that’s formed with the composition, which most artists spend their whole careers chasing. There are few more accomplished songwriters in British musical history than Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour. Having helmed classics such as ‘Comfortably Numb‘ and ‘Wish You Were Here’, he speaks with an almost unrivalled authority on the subject.
Gilmour is an artist who knows every trick in the book regarding songwriting, and as he proved on 2024’s Luck and Strange, he is still searching for ways to enhance his skillset. However, despite the wealth of knowledge that Gilmour boasts on the matter, he’s still committed to improvement. In his mind, Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys achieved the pinnacle and hit heights that had never been seen before.
When The Beach Boys were at their peak, Gilmour had yet to join Pink Floyd but had played in various groups and spent some time busking around Europe. He also kept a keen eye on the prolific and high-quality work Wilson’s band produced across the Atlantic.
During this period, Gilmour was still learning his trade and desperately tried to absorb as much music as possible. Although on the surface, Gilmour’s brand of prog-rock doesn’t significantly overlap with the uplifting sound of The Beach Boys, Wilson taught him vital lessons that he later interpolated into his own art.
Wilson’s website proudly boasts a quote by Gilmour, which reads: “Even in those very early days of the Beach Boys, songs like ‘In My Room’ and ‘Don’t Worry Baby’ were giving indications that Brian Wilson wanted to paint with a much more colourful palette than was offered by the surf music that he was so adept at.”
Gilmour continued: “His brilliance leapt from strength to strength over a very short period, and in a little over four years, he mastered the art of songwriting, record production, orchestral arrangements and every form of studio trickery to culminate with the wonderful songs on Pet Sounds.”
Furthermore, during an appearance on the BBC Radio 2 feature ‘Tracks Of My Years’, Gilmour again divulged his love for The Beach Boys and Wilson. The singer-songwriter explained his sentimental attachment to ‘God Only Knows’ which sends him on a nostalgic trip down memory lane whenever he hears it play.
Gilmour recalled: “I love The Beach Boys, my early band in Cambridge when I was a teenager did a lot of Beach Boys songs, but I didn’t want to play one of the too surfy ones. I just love the place that Brian Wilson got to as he got out of all the surfing music, and some of these things are just sublime. ‘God Only Knows’ is one of the best things he ever did”.
For Gilmour, he appreciated The Beach Boys’ appetite for experimentation rather than staying within the realm of surf music. Although that scene established their name, Wilson was capable of so much more, as he proved on Pet Sounds. Furthermore, it wasn’t just his lyrics that made him a celebrated talent, but his expertise in every area required, which makes a song come to life.
