NXNE day 1: Sweating to the oldies with Wilson, Hatfield, Dando
By DJ M on June 17th, 2011
In Brian Wilson/B. Boys
THE COAST "I'd never really considered Brian Wilson's genius until, ironically enough, I attended a launch in New York for a book of essays called Kill Your Idols, where music writers wanked on and on, ripping classic rock albums to shreds. I figured if a music writer felt compelled enough to write thousands of words why The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds sucked so badly, it was worth a closer listen. That's when I discovered the brilliance: deceivingly simple, rich layer upon layer. It is the blueprint for pop music. But seriously, why would anyone want to interview the notoriously reclusive, awkward artist? I applaud those who try, but maybe Wilson should be considered a wonder like Stonehenge, and leave it at that. It was a lovely idea to present him with the NXNE Lifetime Achievement Award, but to expect anything other than the shortest acceptance speech in the world was silly—I arrived at the ceremony as it was wrapping up, no time for cameras."