It is fair to say we lost a true musical genius with the passing of Brian Wilson, the visionary and the heart of The Beach Boys.

His music was generationally transcendent, a man who turned emotional whispers into large harmony-laden pop songs, who always lived within a contradiction where joy, love, and purity married solemn introspection and fear of the world's harsh truths.

You will find plenty of words already written and yet to be written about his history with the group; his creative disputes with the more artistically and politically conservative Mike Love, the boundless and wondrous energy of the Pet Sounds recording sessions followed by a descent into madness resulting from the abandoned Smile project, to his bed-ridden years as a reclusive addict and the extensive abuse and control suffered under his psychiatrist Eugene Landy. This is all part of rock ‘n’ roll lore nowadays, but the absolute most important thing is what he created, and what thoughts, feelings, and memories he helped transport into people’s lives.

Very few artists have managed to have this much of a continuing and lasting impact, and his death will only result in a legacy that lives on and evolves, with his music so timeless and universal that it easily resonates outside of any era, niche, trends, or........

© Herald Scotland