Brian Wilson Smiles Again: Live at the Royal Festival Hall, London
Barney Hoskyns, Rock's Backpages, March 2004
WE STILL HAVE so much invested in the idea of Brian Wilsons genius. Three decades since he last wrote a genuinely great song, we continue to revere this damaged, insular, perhaps autistic man – the suburban misfit who elevated Californian teen pop to a level of musical genius that places him alongside Mozart and Schubert.
Total word count of piece: 1042
Best Databases: RBP is Runner-up in Best Niche category
Video: Johnny Marr talks about Rock's Backpages
RBP on Spotify: The Very Best of 40-year-old Virgin
RBP Album Club, June 13th: Miki Berenyi and Lucy O'Brien celebrate a Blondie classic
Essential Listening: Green Day grilled by Roy Trakin
RBP Album Club, July 11th: Nick Hornby and Nick Coleman celebrate Southside Johnny's debut
Essential Reading: Bud Scoppa's 1971 Byrds classic