One of the great musical geniuses of the rock and roll era passed away on June 11. Brian Wilson. How do you capture the impact of this founder and heart of The Beach Boys, one of the most influential, critically acclaimed and successful bands of all time? You could spend at least a day listening to his genius over the course of his roughly 60- year career as a songwriter, musician, and producer, and it would be a day well spent. (This literally happened to us in our college years when a friend who was a fanatical Beach Boys fan wouldn't let us leave his apartment until we'd listened to every Beach Boys album he had up until that time. Have to admit it was worth it.) Rather than keep you cooped up, though, we've selected just three of his songs as a completely inadequate tribute to him: "Surfin' U.S.A." (1962), "God Only Knows" (1966), and "Sail on, Sailor" (1973). But if you want one near- perfect aural experience, go listen to his masterpiece album "Pet Sounds."
To someone who's given the world so much joy: sail on, sailor.
BONUS: The BBC captures some of the tributes to Brian Wilson here.
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