A Conversation with Brian Wilson – HuffPost 11.9.11

Mike Ragogna: Brian how are you doing?

Brian Wilson: I’m good, what’s up with you?

MR: Right now, I’m about to do an interview that I’ve been looking forward to for quite a while now!

BW: Well, let’s go ahead with the interview.

MR: (laughs) Thanks. Brian, what was your vision with Smile?

BW: Early Americana, trying to capture the feeling of Americana and old days.

MR: What was the collaboration like between you and co-writer Van Dyke Parks?

BW: It was a thrill because he was very much a genius lyricist.

MR: Did you find that your minds melded as far as how you looked at the world?

BW: Not really, no.

MR: Well, that’s sometimes the best way isn’t it.

BW: Right.

MR: I wanted to clear up the myths about Smile. Nobody seems to have the definitive answer as to how Smile got shelved.

BW: We were taking a lot of psychedelic drugs, like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, so it got us very into the music to the point where we got lost in it. We said that we better shelve this because it’s getting too heavy.

MR: As you were getting into the album and as you were recording it, did you realize that you had a really cool project?

BW: Well, yeah, we kept asking each other, “Where the heck is this at?”

MR: When you were finished with the follow up Smiley Smile, did you ever consider going back to Smile?

BW: Nope, never did, not until 2004.

MR: Yes, everybody loved that record, Brian Wilson Presents Smile. What made you decide to put Smile out in that format?

BW: My wife, my publicist, and I got together for a meeting one day. They said, “We got you here because we think it’s time for people to hear Smile.” I couldn’t believe it, I said, “My God, I completely forgot about Smile.” We did it, we learned it, and we created a whole piece of work.

MR: I wanted to ask you about Smile in the context of the songs on there. For instance the song “Vegetables.” Did you know some people refer to that being one of their favorite Beach Boys songs.

BW: Really? I didn’t know that.

MR: There was stuff that was even created as snippets that have developed into being some of the great Beach Boys songs.

BW: Right, exactly.

MR: When you were putting together your Smile, as you pictured it in your head, did you have an idea of how it was working song to song?

BW: That was up to my wife and my engineer, they helped me sequence it and make it make sense. We took a couple of months of hard work to get that together.

MR: When you look at that classic batch of songs, are there any that really jump out at you as great songs?

BW: Yeah, “Heroes And Villains.” That’s the one I like the most.

MR: You co-wrote that with Van Dyke, right?

BW: Right.

MR: The original Smile is being released in a few different configurations, and obviously, there needed to be some research to put this all together. Were you a part of that process?

BW: Not so much, no.

MR: It was Mark Linett and Alan Boyd, your main guys who have been with you for a long time right?

BW: Right.

MR: So have you sat down and listened to that Smile yet?

BW: Yeah.

MR: What do you think?

BW: I thought it was a positive move.

MR: Listening to it all these years later, did you have a different take on it this time when you listened?

BW: Well yeah, we were on drugs then. That’s why it blew my mind. It was so new to me.

MR: Okay, let’s get to your new Disney album, In The Key Of Disney, and start with the track list. For instance, you do that great Randy Newman song, “You’ve Got A Friend In Me.” I’d love to go down this list and see what you think of these songs here.

BW: Alright, go ahead.

MR: What about “You’ve Got A Friend In Me?”

BW: It’s an absolute work of art, I love this song. It had a good rock ‘n’ roll spirit, and the lyrics were absolutely fantastic.

MR: You’re familiar with Randy Newman’s material, right?

BW: Right.

MR: I imagine you guys have crossed paths over the years.

BW: We’ve crossed paths, but very briefly.

MR: So, you record songs like “The Bare Necessities.” How did you come up with the tracks on In The Key Of Disney?

BW: Well, they sent us 15 songs, and we chose 12 out of the 15.

MR: Personally, I love track like “When You Wish Upon A Star.”

BW: That was one of my favorites when I was a kid.

MR: This seems to be a cross between a new Brian Wilson album and a “kids” album.

BW: Hey! That’s a good idea!

MR: (laughs) Thanks. Brian, every couple of years you’re putting out something new, what is your creative process like these days?

BW: The last couple of weeks, I’ve been having a creative explosion again for the first time in five or six years. I’m really into the music. I recorded 6 or 7 songs with Joe Thomas my producer. My God, it’s great.

MR: Does it have a central theme?

BW: No theme, each one is different.

MR: Are you co-writing with others?

BW: Yeah, I’m co-writing with Joe.

MR: You have these concepts of what a project could be, so do you have anything that you’re thinking of right now?

BW: No, but I have a song called “The Private Life Of Bill And Sue,” which is a great title. We recorded it last week and it really turned out good.

MR: I’m wondering if there were any guests on there like when you had Matthew Sweet onBrian Wilson Presents Smile.

BW: No, just my regular band.

MR: Are you going to be touring to support In The Key Of Disney?

BW: Yeah, probably next year.

MR: Has it been tempting to further revisit Smile?

BW: Probably not, no.

MR: And there already was your CD and DVD releases, so I guess that’s the statement right?

BW: Right.

MR: What advice do you have for new artists?

BW: Well if you’re going to write a song, try to get together with a collaborator because it’s better to write with collaborators.

MR: Is that for the creative process?

BW: Yeah.

MR: Do you feel when you write with somebody, is there a synergy going on?

BW: Yeah, bounce back and forth.

MR: Let’s say you write a song with whomever, and you get into the studio, do you try to keep the vision in your head when you’re recording or does it evolve into something else?

BW: It evolves into something else.

MR: Have you been surprised by some of the ways things have evolved?

BW: Yeah, did you hear a song called “Stay Awake?”

MR: Yeah, from In The Key Of Disney.

BW: Isn’t that a beautiful tune?

MR: Yeah, it sure is.

BW: That’s the most beautiful tune I’ve ever heard.

MR: I would love to ask you a question that I ask a lot of people. You’re Brian Wilson in 2011 and you’ve had an amazing career. When you look back at your career, are you impressed?

BW: Yeah…well, proud too. I feel very proud, and it’s mind boggling to think about how much I actually wrote.

MR: And how much Beach Boys music has become such a large part of the culture.

BW: Right. I think the people of America and the people of London really appreciate our stuff.

MR: And when you turn on a pop radio station, you’re guaranteed to hear a Beach Boys song eventually.

BW: Right!

MR: Brian, I appreciate your time very much.

BW: Thank you for the great interview.

Transcribed By Theo Shier