No sooner had we learned of the death of Sly Stone than we heard another giant had fallen. This time it was Brian Wilson, the genius (and I don’t use that word very often) behind the Beach Boys. It would be hard to overstate Mr. Wilson’s influence, not just on the music of his era, but on the broader culture as well. His music was a bridge between the sunny optimism of postwar America and the gathering clouds of the Sixties, but what stands out above all in his music (and is particularly touching, given the demons that harassed him all his life) is that there was simply no darkness in it. His beautiful melodies and harmonies, even in his moodier ballads, always shone with something truly angelic.
Rest in peace, sir, and thank you.