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Home , Brian Wilson, Eugene Landy, Murry Wilson, Pet Sounds, The Beach Boys, Tony Asher

Volume ! La revue des musiques populaires

10 : 2 | 2014 Composer avec le monde

Kirk CURNUTT,

Daniel Harrison

Electronic version URL: http://journals.openedition.org/volume/4094 DOI: 10.4000/volume.4094 ISSN: 1950-568X

Printed version Date of publication: 10 June 2014 Number of pages: 228-233 ISBN: 978-2-913169-35-7 ISSN: 1634-5495

Electronic reference Daniel Harrison, « Kirk CURNUTT, Brian Wilson », Volume ! [Online], 10 : 2 | 2014, Online since 30 June 2014, connection on 10 December 2020. URL : http://journals.openedition.org/volume/4094 ; DOI : https://doi.org/10.4000/volume.4094

L'auteur & les Éd. Mélanie Seteun 228 Notes de lecture

Kirk Curnutt, Brian Wilson, Icons of , Halstead & Lang, Equinox Publishing, 2012.

Finally, the Professors Brian’s work, often using terms, snatches of of English have gotten lyric, song titles, and other saved bits of text to Brian Wilson! This is produced by Brian and , as well great news, since we as their spokesmen, chroniclers, and critics. don’t need any more (Thanks to previous authors and collectors, chronologies, antho- the documentary record of Brian’s professional logies, mythologies, career, at least, is extremely rich.) From his own psychologies, or hagio- training, Curnutt makes us aware of aspects graphies. The main of Brian’s work that invite questions about facts of his biography race, gender, and social positioning. What’s a to date are settled, and white “glee club” doing with licks? those few in dispute What’s up with Brian’s ? What’s so great are both long-standing and familiar to fans. about ? Further, even more interes- Those interested in Wilson’s music are in need ting questions have emerged in the last twenty of critical, broadly humanistic, and cross-cutting years, as Brian has returned to active status as perspectives that illuminate the “backstage” of a performer (albeit reading lyrics from a screen his biography—his cultural situation, his public and pantomiming at an unplugged keyboard in image, the legends & myths concerning his life concert). Why is there such affection for him? and works. These can only enlighten the analy- Why do we care so much? sis and appreciation of his artistic productions. A good teacher of the Higher Literature can Is it because Brian is a genius? Curnutt provide this milieu, and we are fortunate that addresses this well-known matter straightaway Kirk Curnutt has taken on the job. in the Introduction and unpacks it neatly, pro- viding a long-needed genealogy of this meme. He writes a telling and touching preface of how , a British publicist who arranged he came to his subject. Having often been quiz- a release party for attended by zed myself about my interest in the Beach Boys, Lennon and McCartney, among others, is the I register and note all the signs, references, source for the version that has held sway since and indicia of long-term exposure to the music 1966—that is, Brian Wilson has unfathomable catalog, as well as how the developing scholar depths of musical imagination, which elevates handled these. It’s as good an emotional appeal his music into the realms of Art. It is music to ! n° 10-2 to a knowledgeable fan as Aristotle could have be listened to for meaning and nuance. Now it’s desired. true that if Pet Sounds were another Summer Throughout this fascinating book, Curnutt Days (and Summer Nights!!), the claim would be

Volume makes important thematic observations about laughable. But Pet Sounds is indeed a musical 229 Brian Wilson, Icons of Pop Music text of unanticipated complexity: ’s To be sure, luck and market (cultural) conditions lyrics are subtle and literate; Brian’s music has play their part in pop-music success, but Brian a consistent richness of invention, arrangement, once again timed things perfectly, since Pet and production; and the order of the ’s Sounds was released at a moment when adults songs suggest the long arc of a , not realized that were coming into merely a thematic collection. Though one can majority and bringing their music with them. hear beginnings of this sensibility on the B-side The condescension that marked establishment of The Beach Boys Today! (which allows for a discussion of “teenage” music in the early progressive, evolutionary reading of Brian’s (most famously, as Curnutt reminds us, in compositional career rather than a sudden Tom Wolfe’s portrait of , “The First breakthrough), not all the elements are in place, Tycoon of Teen”) disappeared so quickly that especially the keystone to high art: organic unity. Pet Sounds is really quite an extraordinary —a leading cultural-capita- achievement, and if Derek Taylor needed to find list—was praising “Surf’s Up” on a CBS News some angle and catchphrase to publicize this, special in 1967. (“The [best ] is so “genius”—despite all the contestation about exciting and vital, not to say significant, that it the term—is not inapt. claims the attention of every thinking person.”) In these new circumstances, what may have But what about the surf and car songs of the been a publicist’s puffery became a serious cri- preceding years? Curnutt deftly reminds us of tical point. another type of genius that Brian seemed to have until Pet Sounds: the ability to make hit Curnutt follows the “genius” thread through . This is the genius of commercial suc- next phases of Brian’s biography, where it acqui- cess, the ability to turn experimental mashups red some telling adjectives. The Smile debacle of Chuck Berry licks, “secret” and localized sub- showed Brian to be a “troubled” genius, while cultural references, and state-of-the-art vocal the sad state of Brian’s life in the mid- sug- arrangement into an ongoing project that esca- gested that he was a “mad” genius. At the cur- ped faddism and trendiness. Further, and most rent point in Brian’s career, his genius is cliché significantly, it was inimitable and therefore and part of his history rather than the present, practically trademarked. came despite continuing to underwrite the devotion close (with Brian’s help!) to turning the Beach many fans continue to give his releases. But

Boys’ “sound” into a general style (e.g., “Little Volume Old Lady from Pasadena”), but their hits only it’s a powerful history, and in the end, Cur- highlighted the fact that the Beach Boys were nutt offers both a penetrating critique and an the leaders and the rest were followers. It’s appreciation of the myth. If his Preface—writ- this sense of genius, the mysterious ability to ten by the longtime, adoring fan—threatened ! n° 10-2 make hit after hit, that allowed Taylor’s version to turn off readers with less investment in Brian to resonate: the story had to be that Brian was Wilson than Curnutt has, his Introduction shows going to take this ability and put it in service of how much that investment can return when the higher art. experienced literary scholar gets to work. 230 Notes de lecture

The main body of the book contains three or “Friends,” which reminiscences of favors chapters: on lyrics and related texts; on musi- done and received. (Tellingly, Curnutt points cal expression and materials; and on Brian’s out that Brian himself believes he himself is “peculiar appeal” as a pop icon. Curnutt exa- “gifted,” and that much of his music is meant mines song lyrics as an English professor does, as a thank offering to whatever spiritual force is which is to say that his close readings often responsible.) In sum, this general broadening freshen up overfamiliar lyrics and invite a new of critical attention to Brian’s lyrics is an outs- (re)hearing of songs. Further, he performs tanding contribution of Curnutt’s book, one extremely useful meta-critique of the standard which I began to realize clearly in his brilliant line about Beach Boys’ lyrics. For example, discussion juxtaposing “masterpiece” Smile Pet Sounds and Smile aside (that is, leaving and “embarrassing” The Beach Boys Love You out the lyrical contributions of Tony Asher and together under the rubric of “Adult Child.” ), the catalog has been charac- Equally insightful and ear-opening is the final terized as having a few serious, “melancholy” chapter, which explores critical and historical songs dispersed in an emulsion of silly ado- contexts of Brian’s reputation and public image. lescent ephemera—and some of the latter Here, Curnutt picks up themes from the first seem decidedly pre-adolescent, working the part of the book—genius, melancholy, inno- margins of childlike/childish. In this situation, cence, among others—and works out a recep- critics tend to over-focus on the melancholic tion history of them among critics and fans. mode to justify their work, skirting and skim- For a fan as involved as Curnutt obviously has ming over the rest as unserious and not worth been, he achieves remarkable scholarly objec- the effort. A nexus between the melancholic tivity about the issues in play. It’s refreshing, for songs and biography is also commonly under- example, to have the agon between Brian and stood, so that, for example, “,” Till cousin —a foundational myth for the I Die,” and “Caroline No,” describe, respec- failure to complete Smile and for Brian’s with- tively, Brian’s escape from his domineering drawal from the Beach Boys—described with father, Murry, his episodes of depression in the sympathy for Love’s contributions and achie- early 1970s, and disenchantment (according to vements (e.g., being the energetic front man her) with his first wife, Marilyn. Curnutt rightly for a that has been touring constantly for suggests that these critical efforts reflect an 50 years). One might expect, for a book about “…anxiety toward his lyrics’ susceptibility to Brian Wilson rather than the Beach Boys, that being dismissed as ‘dumb’.” Curnutt himself the various moves to precipitate out Brian from appears not to have these anxieties, and he his bandmates, family, “bad” influences, and is able to read some apparently silly songs as the like would be endorsed. But Curnutt places “gift gestures…that promote human connec- ! n° 10-2 these under critical scrutiny and achieves a more tion and empathy.” “Meant for You,” a short nuanced portrait of Brian as a result. introit to Friends, perfectly encapsulates this sensibility. But one can also read this in “Vege- In this light, a powerful “Let Brian be Brian”

Volume tables,” with its exhortations for healthy eating, urge can be seen as a thread among 231 Brian Wilson, Icons of Pop Music his fans: it is best for him to be free to make his from respected session players. (If you’ve heard art without undue pressure and influence from tapes of the Beach Boys recording sessions others. (The relationship between this urge and circa 1966, it’s clear how this process played out.) belief in Brian’s “genius” is clear: genius is an Brian’s first compositional impulse, it appears, individual attribute.) Yet the full picture of Brian’s is not to create from scratch, but to arrange work that Curnutt presents shows how Brian has and transcribe. In this, he put himself through, never successfully worked alone. He has always by all accounts, what teachers would needed collaborators (mostly lyricists, including recognize as an intense course of ear training— Love) or assistants of various stripes as part of listening to Four Freshman records and playing his artistic project. Sometimes they are cha- them on the keyboard, trial and error, until note- racterized as benign and helpful, such as Van perfect. It’s this musical-training behavior that Dyke Parks, and sometimes as malign and dan- allowed Brian quickly to “get” licks and gerous, such as controversial psychotherapist songforms, and then to layer vocals into them. . About the latter, Curnutt makes Further, Brian’s arranging skills are responsible good promise in the preface to downplay both for that quintessential quality of the Beach Boys’ and Landy in his account, both early music, what Jim Miller memorably descri- of whom have been figures of sensational and bed as “a weird cross between even lurid interest in most biographies. Yet Lan- and the Teenagers and Chuck Berry.” Identi- dy’s influence on Brian during the production fiable traces of hybridity in a musical structure of his first solo album, 1988’s Brian Wilson, was or utterance are, I submit, evidence of the arran- paramount, and for Curnutt not to weave this ger’s art rather than of the composer’s work (i.e., fact into the critical tapestry is, to this reader, opus). Given how much care he took in crafting a missed opportunity. Instead, Scott Bennet’s the chord changes, vocal lines, instrumentation, role in is analyzed for the and sound effects, it seems perfectly unders- very issues that Landy’s role first broached and tandable that someone else might get the lyrics presented most compellingly. started, or that ones he wrote himself wouldn’t evince the same rich detail of invention as the The issue of collaboration can be pushed fur- music. ther, I think. A surprising conclusion one can draw from Curnutt’s work is that Brian Wilson This complicates Curnutt’s discussion of lyrics, is a “producer who composed,” not the other as good and generative as it is, because it’s not

way around. (In this, he is quite like his early quite clear who’s really responsible for them, Volume model, Phil Spector) The producer’s role is enti- since the role of collaborators complicates in rely collaborative and coordinating, just like it general the picture of Brian as and as is in other multimedia arts. Brian composed solitary genius. This picture has become even chord progressions from the piano, some rou- harder to draw in recent years, as Brian no longer ! n° 10-2 tine and stock, others new and experimental for even produces records the way he once did. I pop music. These structural members were fully hear much more jobbing out of work to collabo- elaborated in the recording studio with Brian rating producers of his recent records. Indeed, I rehearsing, directing, and taking suggestions detect a certain ennui in Brian about the work of 232 Notes de lecture

making records—a sense of “yeah, whatever…” is missing what a good grounding in music to any assent his gives to a suggestion from a theory—including harmony, ear training, collaborator. It’s one reason why the 2004 Smile form—enables: more integrated text-music release has a bit of the bootleg about it; Brian readings of the songs as well as observations heard the song sequencing of some of the about musical genre and—for Smile in particu- better sourced bootlegs and agreed to it. (A lar—motivic integration between songs. For- scene in “,” a documentary tunately, he recognizes Philip Lambert’s Inside about the making of Smile—in which his “musi- the Music of Brian Wilson as an excellent guide cal secretary,” Darian Sahanaja, plays portions to these matters, and the musically sophistica- a bootleg to Brian’s evident approval—all but ted reader of Curnutt’s work can put the two confirms this.) books in productive dialogue. (Lambert’s book, When, in the second chapter, Curnutt details too, lacks musical notation, and perhaps for the techniques of musical compositions and arran- same reasons as Curnutt’s. But his descriptions gements, the book makes a strong case for benefit from his training as a music analyst, and the value of examples using lead-sheet/gui- he moreover deploys helpful schematic charts, tar-tab symbols at the least, standard Western tables, etc. that don’t require music-notation notation in the acceptable middle, with visually literacy.) annotated audio clips an ideal. (The latter can’t A small point: songs are referred to by the be implemented in hardcopy, of course.) Cur- album they first appeared on. This flattens out nutt uses lead-sheet symbols to good effect in the representation of the catalog: significant various places, such as his discussion of Brian’s differences between single vs. album versions use of chord inversions and unusual bass notes are effaced, for one thing, as are differences (p. 105) and certain a capella effects (p. 78). among live versions. I wish that date-of-release But musical notation is really needed convey was the primary index, or date of composition effects described in the discussion of “Add if a song wasn’t released at all (or only as part Some Music to Your Day” (p. 99) among other of a later reissue). I hold with many that, until places. I do note that books in the “Icons of Pop Pet Sounds, the single was the basic unit of ” series are “designed for undergraduates for the Beach Boys and were uneven and the general reader,” which underscores the assemblies. Thereafter, albums were the basic fact that musical notation isn’t widely read these unit (if also uneven at times) and individual days, so the expenses of acquiring the exper- songs were extracts. This scheme has its com- tise in the first place and of printing the artwork plications, especially as Smile-era songs were in the last are, alas, difficult to bear. But the portioned out in later albums, but music history insuperable difficulties that we have describing is better represented by “facts of composition” ! n° 10-2 musical structures and effects in pure prose are than by ad-hoc marketing devices, which pre- on display throughout the chapter. Pet Sounds albums certainly were (along with All this is to say that for knowledgeable, nota- many later compilation albums, starting with

Volume tionally-literate musicians, Curnutt’s book Endless Summer). 233 Brian Wilson, Icons of Pop Music

And a final word about the book cover: a blue- a later middle-aged Brian—mature, knowing, tinted, soulful photoportrait from the 2000s and self-possessed—is perfect for this work of of an older Brian Wilson. The striped shirt is cultural-textural analysis Curnutt accomplishes long gone; also the falsetto, the long hair, the with such distinction in this book. beard, the bloat, the bathrobe, the medica- ted vacancy of the Landy years. This image of Daniel HARRISON

Fabien Hein, Do It Yourself : autodétermination et culture punk, Congé-sur- Orne, Le Passager Clandestin, 2012.

quée visant à échapper au contrôle du système « dominant » de production des bien culturels, notamment à celui des majors. Et, symétrique- ment, d’aborder le DIY et les questions que ce mode entrepreneurial soulève d’un point de vue sociologique par le biais de la « culture punk » et de son histoire. Ni véritable enquête socio- logique au sens strict du terme, ni approche exclusivement historique, la démarche de l’au- teur consiste à retracer différents exemples en multipliant et en croisant habilement les sources et les différents témoignages de figures-clés dans la mouvance punk, et à les interroger dans une logique heuristique. À travers cette démarche se laisse ainsi dessiner, page après page, témoignage après témoignage, exemple après exemple, une forme de mouvement circu- laire entre le punk tel qu’il se pense, c’est à dire Volume une certaine vision du monde et de l’individu, Dans cet ouvrage, Fabien Hein se propose et le punk tel qu’il se fait, au sens très matériel d’aborder l’histoire de la « culture punk » par

et pragmatique des techniques de production ! n° 10-2 le biais de son mode privilégié de production, engagées pour créer les biens culturels punk le Do It Yourself (DIY), littéralement « fais le – mouvement duquel participe ce que l’auteur toi-même », qui participe d’une forme d’auto- nomme les « trois grands piliers originaux » du détermination et de débrouillardise revendi- punk : refus du consumérisme, rébellion contre