It has been a bad string for the music of my past. Rick Derringer passed away 5/26, Sly Stone on 6/9 and now Brian Wilson on 6/11. That's 3 big names in 16 days. Much melancholy.
So, to complete the trio, RIP Brian Wilson, who passed away 6/11 at the age of 82.
Brian Wilson was, of course, the genius behind The Beach Boys, writing most of their hits, and more or less single-handedly creating the masterpiece "Pet Sounds" (with lyrics by Tony Asher). There's a reason that Pet Sounds is universally acclaimed; There's only a few albums from the rock era I'd call "important", and Pet Sounds is one of them. [hmmm, there may be a separate post needed on that topic]
I spent the mid/late 60's listening to Top 40 radio, so The Beach Boys were a significant part of that. With 29 Top 40 hits between 1962 and 1969, they were pretty significant. I didn't get my first Beach Boys album until 1974's compilation "Endless Summer", and the subsequent compilation "Spirit Of America". I've long lost those albums, but picked up a CD version of the first somewhere along the line, plus a few digital copies of the later hits. It was several years later before I discovered "Pet Sounds", at least beyond the hits. I'm not sure I could've properly appreciated it at 6 yrs old!
Brian Wilson's passing is a huge loss, one of the really influential artists of the era...
Rest In Peace, Brian Wilson.