Brian Wilson & Phil Spector
Wirestone:
Here's a thought: Phil did one thing. From the beginning, pretty much, he made massive-sounding, professionally written soul music. That essentially never changed throughout the 60s -- he was perfecting that single thing.
Brian did a half-dozen things in that period, and continued to shift and evolve through the 70s and 80s. He never chased a sound with the single-minded determination (madness) that Spector did. So in a certain way, he never did surpass Spector. Certainly not at Spector's own game.
But the consolation prize for this is that he did a lot of other music, that sounded different, and that went different places. Not something that Phil can say.
BJL:
For a long time I didn't understand Brian's worship of Phil Spector. Then one night I heard the song "Do I love you" and suddenly I understood. It is one of the most perfect sounds i've ever heard. It absolutely just blew me away, i listened to it over and over.
I think Brian achieved a similar level of perfection on a handful of his best ballads "don't worry baby" and "please let me wonder" come to mind.
But i totally understand where the infatuation comes from. It's not about phil spector's musical achievements or innovations, its about the feeling in a handful of those old spector records that has few parallels in music, any music. in my opinion anyway
Surfer Joe:
The way Brian feels about Spector is the way a ton more people now feel about Brian. You just don't see that many people other than Brian gushing about Spector in interviews, liner notes, or documentaries- especially now, I guess.
I love Spector, but agree with Carl's assessment about who should be bowing down to whom.
phirnis:
I tend to leave it to the psychiatrists to call anyone crazy, so to me Spector's just being a prick.
Do we know, by the way, that BW is indeed unaware of Spector talking so disrespectfully about his musical talents? He must have read or heard that somewhere I would reckon...
Bicyclerider:
Quote from: Mark A. Moore on September 18, 2009, 08:02:31 PM
Well, I've never liked that Brian fawns all over Spector . . . even before Spector put the gun in the woman's mouth and blew her brains out.
It's right and a noble thing to acknowledge influences and praise peers. But I think Brian was always laying it on way too thick with Spector. Brian has also been mentally ill, so there's doubtless a correlation there.
As a writer, arranger, producer, and artist . . . that total package . . . Brian Wilson surpassed Phil Spector very early on.
Another myth — perpetuated even in Beach Boys documentaries — is that the Wrecking Crew were "Phil Spector's musicians." So sorry, but that's fantasy. Those musicians played with just about every L.A. studio act.
Spector and Jan Berry started -- with self-penned hits -- in the same year (1958). Earl Palmer (Wrecking Crew) played on Jan & Arnie's Top-10 "Jennie Lee" (and their other sides) in 1958. Jan worked with the L.A. studio guys from day one.
The "Spector's Musicians" thing is a total myth . . . But in terms of style, you can give him the "Wall of Sound." That's enough to hang his hat on.
M.
Mark - I think the argument can be made that Brian hiring the top LA musicians to do BB sessions more likely came from Jan Berry than Phil Spector, can it not? But when he started hiring twelve to fifteen musicians or more, as he did with some of Today and then certainly Pet Sounds, that was part of his desire to emulate and surpass the Wall of Sound Phil was doing.
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