Fun, Fun, Fun

[poliphilo]

BBC3 has been relaying concerts from the Glastonbury festival. Last night they gave us Brian Wilson's gig. Yes, you heard right- Brian Wilson. The Beach Boys' mentally fragile, drug addled infant genius was up on stage with a great backing band belting out the classics. He's in his 60s, paunchy and had to do most of the set sitting down; his voice is weak, he can't reach the high notes but-wotthehell- this is only slightly less sensational than the raising of Lazarus.

Michael Moorcock says of the Beatles that they're "the poets of paradise"- well so they are- but so are the Beach Boys. Fun, Fun Fun, Barbara Ann, Good Vibrations- these are the happiest, most beatific songs of any generation.

Comments

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

Well, it does make a difference when you understand that, and I agree that it was great to see such sunny songs getting an outing at Glastonbury anyway. It certainly seems a very appropriate setting for hearing them.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Those songs are 40 years old and they still sound fresh.

The Beach Boys had a style all of their own. There is and was nobody like them.