What does it say about Brian Wilson that, perhaps alone among recording artists, he made his creative breakthrough in a Christmas song? When the single “Little Saint Nick” was released in the fall of 1963 Wilson had already written and recorded the touchstone ballads “Surfer Girl” and “In My Room,” but the bulk of the …
Hard to believe I was almost 30 before I finally listened to Pet Sounds. SUMMERTIME, 1981 In preparation for my first cross-country road trip from the Midwest, to Seattle – where I’ve now made my home since 1985 – I was recording mix tapes to play in the car. I’d already filled several tapes with …