If Brian was 19 or 20 in 2014

[ThyRavenAscend]

An incredibly loaded question--but I like it. 

Considering Brian's penchant for songwriting collaboration, I wonder who he would partner with today.  A lot of Top40 currently has a lots of duets and "Artist-X featuring Artist-Y"--even bands like Coldplay and Eminem featuring artists like Rihanna.  Conversely, I wonder which artists today would seems out something like Brian to feature on one of their songs...I have no good answers lol--anyone have any good suggestions?  There are probably some sensible pairings we could think of--but what would be a bizarre pairing that might actually work??

[Ron]

Suppose Brian Wilson was young today. What kind of music do you think he would be working on, and would it be popular? (I'm talking young, ambitious, energetic Brian.)

he'd be a rapper.  As much as their music sucks, the rappers have the most creative music these days.  Rock & Roll is now rap.  What peple call 'rock and roll' generally is elevator music, Brian Wilson would never make elevator music. 

I agree with the earlier sentiment that 'the magic' wouldn't have happened without him growing up where he did, when he did. 

[mikeddonn]

Hawthorne, California could certainly influence him to be a rapper.  A lot of good acts have come from that area, Compton etc,  maybe that's why "Smart Girls" was so hip hop!

[ThyRavenAscend]

Suppose Brian Wilson was young today. What kind of music do you think he would be working on, and would it be popular? (I'm talking young, ambitious, energetic Brian.)

he'd be a rapper.

He'd invent falsetto-rap.

[Ron]

I don't think he'd do falsetto again, he was just imitating some of the stuff going on at the time.  None of that is going on, now... honestly i'm not sure he'd get into music either in this day and age.  You have to wonder who he'd be inspired by.  He mentions everybody from Nat King Cole to the Four Freshmen to Chuck Berry to Rosemary Clooney as influences. 

Another thing to ponder since we're getting all crazy with it, is what did Brian ADD to the music scene that's permanent?  It's completely possible that without Brian certain things wouldn't have happened, and the music scene might not sound like it does right now.  Right now, there's not much left to 'invent' or do great that hasn't already been done.  Depending on Brian's contributions and how they affected the way music has changed over the years, it's possible that without him in the early 60's, some things may not have been done musically... which would leave more room for a modern day 'genius' to come along and show the world something new. 

It's really kind of unfair to modern artists, they have to do something creative or new that 60 years of Rock & Roll hasn't given us.  Brian had 5 or 6 years of Rock & Roll to trump; it was easier for him to go places that hadn't been gone to yet. 

[Magic Transistor Radio]

Suppose Brian Wilson was young today. What kind of music do you think he would be working on, and would it be popular? (I'm talking young, ambitious, energetic Brian.)

he'd be a rapper.

He'd invent falsetto-rap.

Like this?
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zNZ78c-hh1Y

[hypehat]

Brian sure wouldn't be one of those "phony singing for money" artists.

Heaven forbid.

[hypehat]

Who's to say he would even be the same person nowadays.

His entire family dynamic would probably be completely different. A less strained relationship with his father, a different sort of relationship with his brothers (like someone mentioned earlier, new technologies and such). That motivation to please his father (which is assumed) probably wouldn't have been the same and he wouldn't have had the same drive. The harmony with his brothers probably wouldn't have really formed at all, either. No one really wants to do that sort of thing anymore.

I don't think he would have landed a recording contract like he did, without any real craze to cash in on. He'd probably just be another guy out there struggling to get noticed.
He might not have even discovered the Four Freshman and Chuck Berry - and where would he be without those early influences?

He could be the guy delivering your pizza. 

P otm, except one of the biggest breakout acts of last year were three sisters who grew up singing harmony together (Haim!) so it's not entirely out of the realms of possibility, but then again they sound more like Fleetwood Mac, and Fleetwood Mac wouldn't sound like Fleetwood Mac if it wasn't for Lindsey Buckingham's obsession with Brian Wilson...

[Magic Transistor Radio]

Just a thought, I'm not sure what the equivalent is today to the Chuck Berry, Four Freshman mix, but 20 years ago perhaps someone could mix Boyz 2 Men style harmonies with Nirvana type rock. Not sure what the Phil Spector of the 90s would be. Moby? Beck?

I think a gen x Brian might be something like Jason Lytle of Granddaddy. Or Daniel Johnston.

[Sam_BFC]

Lorde's songs feature harmony.

[Ron]

The Beach Boys are one of the top 4 or 5 acts... EVER, though... so there's only a couple artists today that would be comparable as far as 'star quality' to what Brian was in the early 60's.  So if Jason Lytle or Daniel Jonston for instance have his kind of vibe musically, it's still not even similar because they only have about a hundredth of the star power the Beach Boys achieved.  So we'd be talking about somebody with the star power of Eminem, or Beyonce, or whatever.


So my whole point is, if we take Jason Lytle for example (never even heard of him)... I assume he's fairly creative or you wouldn't have mentioned him.  Now, imagine a world where that guy blows up to the level of Eminem. 

That's what the early 60's were like.  An incredibly creative period for music, where the most creative and talented musicians were actually appreciated on a mainstream level. 

[frightfulhog]

assuming a 20-year-old bw in 2014 would have similar musical tastes if not necessarily background, i imagine him along the lines of the daniel johnston-jason lytle-dent may types already mentioned. he'd probably have already amassed a lot of home recordings, like a lot of introverted, musically-minded millennial kids, and with his brothers he could easily found a successful indie band. but i have trouble imagining him with more than moderately-successful-indie-band popularity; he'd be too involved in creating his own small universe to care.

[ThyRavenAscend]

Suppose Brian Wilson was young today. What kind of music do you think he would be working on, and would it be popular? (I'm talking young, ambitious, energetic Brian.)

he'd be a rapper.

He'd invent falsetto-rap.

Like this?
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zNZ78c-hh1Y

lol, maybe, yeah, sure.    Fun fact: Danielson was on Tooth & Nail Records for a time, and that record label is/used-to-be my favorite!

[hypehat]

I keep thinking about this, even trying to ignore the 'If Brian is in 2014, did the beach boys ever exist? What happens if they didn't exist?' time paradox.

Weird how everyone we are attempting to consider as 'what would Brian sound like as a 20 year old in 2014' is actually in their 30's or 40's.

There are lots of odd things to consider. For example, would Brian learn piano? Would he even have one in the home? It's not as common as it was in the fifties. And if Brian didn't learn piano, what would he learn? Guitar?

Would he be making music on computers? Absolutely. And that changes something that seems to have plagued Brian esp around his production peak - how do I get this sound onto tape? And more often then not coming to the conclusion that it can't. But Smile is easily made on computers... by anybody. I point you to Egon's spectacular remake http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJb8ZQdLTzY which he has painstakingly recorded at home! (stop me if I'm wrong, Egon). But anyone with a free piece of software and some mp3's could make a smile mix. Brian of 2014 could hear all those wild adventurous songs and do them instantly by himself without having to free up channels on a 4 track or losing things in the mix by having to record direct to the master, etc. He wouldn't even need a record deal (More on that in a bit)!

Also, much harder for someone to throw your vocal master in a skip...

Other things - Brian would have been exposed to a radically different musical landscape as a teenager now. The obvious takeaway is that Brian would have heard Jay-Z before he would have heard The Four Freshmen or Chuck Berry (in any event, he would have probably still met Kanye West, a strange constant of the universe). But 1960's teen Brian wanted to be famous at the start. He wanted to be played on the radio. A crucial difference in 50 years of popular music has been the fact that you don't need to actively court the mainstream to be considered a successful musician. The thing is, is 2014 BW's version of success the same as 1961 BW's?

Maybe not - he might actually know more about how major labels will f*** you up all the time and would want to retain his control over his music*, and unlike in 1961, actually have an alternative to that path. He would be able to find out more about how the industry works, how a successful album is rewarded with two years of gruelling stadium touring (and that THAT'S how you actually make your money!) and having your movements followed by arseholes with cameras shouting at you. That'd have a devastating effect on him! But it would have instilled the same competitive streak that made him write his best work in the 60's because that's still how mainstream pop works.

So if Brian doesn't decide to court the mainstream, would he have pushed himself to write as well? He was competitive at that level. I can't imagine BW of 2014 going 'I'm going to write a song that's gonna be so much better than The Arcade Fire!' just as I can't imagine anyone saying that with a straight face. He'd have a completely different set of motivations. If Brian isn't pushing himself to sell more records, when the way he thought to sell more records was to simply WRITE BETTER SONGS, he might not even force himself to write a song as good as California Girls, let alone Good Vibrations and Smile.

Again, I think Haim is the most successful 'Beach Boys in modern times' analogue we have. Musical siblings start band, sing harmonies. No craze to latch themselves onto tho (Selfie USA?), but wildly successful straight off the bat with their first release. They are also totally different to The Beach Boys, so not sure how valid it is.


*Minor thing - Capitol didn't like Pet Sounds, but released it anyway. In 2014, the label would most likely either tell you to do it again with another producer, or drop you. There's a reason Beyonce self-released her album....

[Ron]

Well said.  Another thing to think about is, although it's easier to release music now (put it out yourself on youtube if you want)... and easier to record music now (anybody with a computer can for free, essentially create a halfway decent recording)... in the 60's... once Brian or Murray or whoever convinced Capitol to RECORD a song, they were kind of committed to promoting it and getting it on the radio. 

So I can see a scenario today where Brian records a song himself, and then nobody listens or even cares.  At least when Capitol recorded it, you were guaranteed Capitol would make sure somebody would hear it and it would be pushed a little bit.

Did Murray pull some strings to get them the Capitol records try out?  Even with music being easier to record now, il'l bet it's MUCH harder to get an audition, as an unknown, with a record company.... especially when you're a self taught 'garage band'. 

[Magic Transistor Radio]

The Beach Boys are one of the top 4 or 5 acts... EVER, though... so there's only a couple artists today that would be comparable as far as 'star quality' to what Brian was in the early 60's.  So if Jason Lytle or Daniel Jonston for instance have his kind of vibe musically, it's still not even similar because they only have about a hundredth of the star power the Beach Boys achieved.  So we'd be talking about somebody with kthe star power of Eminem, or Beyonce, or whatever.


So my whole point is, if we take Jason Lytle for example (never even heard of him)... I assume he's fairly creative or you wouldn't have mentioned him.  Now, imagine a world where that guy blows up to the level of Eminem. 

That's what the early 60's were like.  An incredibly creative period for music, where the most creative and talented musicians were actually appreciated on a mainstream level. 

Good point. I think Radiohead and the Flaming Lips are good examples of modern progressives that are mainstream. But Jason Lytle has a style that has a Brian vibe to me. He also produces his own records and plays all the instruments in the studio
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RIGqUy8gzGY

Daniel Johnston reminds me of Love You era Brian.

[Magic Transistor Radio]

Personality wise, today, I think Brian would be like the singer of Sparkle Horse, hopefully without shooting himself. Mike would be Timberlake and Dennis would be like Kurt Cobaine. Imagine those two trying to get along.

[hypehat]

The Beach Boys are one of the top 4 or 5 acts... EVER, though... so there's only a couple artists today that would be comparable as far as 'star quality' to what Brian was in the early 60's.  So if Jason Lytle or Daniel Jonston for instance have his kind of vibe musically, it's still not even similar because they only have about a hundredth of the star power the Beach Boys achieved.  So we'd be talking about somebody with kthe star power of Eminem, or Beyonce, or whatever.


So my whole point is, if we take Jason Lytle for example (never even heard of him)... I assume he's fairly creative or you wouldn't have mentioned him.  Now, imagine a world where that guy blows up to the level of Eminem.  

That's what the early 60's were like.  An incredibly creative period for music, where the most creative and talented musicians were actually appreciated on a mainstream level.  

Good point. I think Radiohead and the Flaming Lips are good examples of modern progressives that are mainstream. But Jason Lytle has a style that has a Brian vibe to me. He also produces his own records and plays all the instruments in the studio
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RIGqUy8gzGY

Daniel Johnston reminds me of Love You era Brian.

They are also all old enough to be hypothetical 2014 BW's father...

[SMiLE-addict]

He'd probably still be in college and not be making music professionally yet.

[hypehat]

Well said.  Another thing to think about is, although it's easier to release music now (put it out yourself on youtube if you want)... and easier to record music now (anybody with a computer can for free, essentially create a halfway decent recording)... in the 60's... once Brian or Murray or whoever convinced Capitol to RECORD a song, they were kind of committed to promoting it and getting it on the radio. 

So I can see a scenario today where Brian records a song himself, and then nobody listens or even cares.  At least when Capitol recorded it, you were guaranteed Capitol would make sure somebody would hear it and it would be pushed a little bit.

Did Murray pull some strings to get them the Capitol records try out?  Even with music being easier to record now, il'l bet it's MUCH harder to get an audition, as an unknown, with a record company.... especially when you're a self taught 'garage band'. 

iirc, Murry just walked into that office and browbeat Nik Venet into giving them a record deal. A model that barely flew in 1961 will hardly fly now.

[Magic Transistor Radio]

The Beach Boys are one of the top 4 or 5 acts... EVER, though... so there's only a couple artists today that would be comparable as far as 'star quality' to what Brian was in the early 60's.  So if Jason Lytle or Daniel Jonston for instance have his kind of vibe musically, it's still not even similar because they only have about a hundredth of the star power the Beach Boys achieved.  So we'd be talking about somebody with kthe star power of Eminem, or Beyonce, or whatever.


So my whole point is, if we take Jason Lytle for example (never even heard of him)... I assume he's fairly creative or you wouldn't have mentioned him.  Now, imagine a world where that guy blows up to the level of Eminem.  

That's what the early 60's were like.  An incredibly creative period for music, where the most creative and talented musicians were actually appreciated on a mainstream level.  

Good point. I think Radiohead and the Flaming Lips are good examples of modern progressives that are mainstream. But Jason Lytle has a style that has a Brian vibe to me. He also produces his own records and plays all the instruments in the studio
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RIGqUy8gzGY

Daniel Johnston reminds me of Love You era Brian.

They are also all old enough to be hypothetical 2014 BW's father...

Right, but I mean, they are artsy bands that are upper tier popularity wise today. Radiohead at least. Maybe they are past their prime now though, I don't know.

[Ron]

When Brian was 19 or 20, he wasn't 'artsy', though, he was really mainstream Rock & Roll.  So at 19 or 20, he'd be... Justin Bieber. 

So if the model holds true, Justin Bieber is about to get into a HUUUUUUGE Pissing contest with New Direction.

[Myk Luhv]

I wonder how his drug use would change if he grew up now instead of in the '60s. Maybe he'd do a lot more ketamine or MDMA than heroin or coke. And how would that change the music he'd end up making!

[Rocket]

Suppose Brian Wilson was young today. What kind of music do you think he would be working on, and would it be popular? (I'm talking young, ambitious, energetic Brian.)

he'd be a rapper.  As much as their music sucks, the rappers have the most creative music these days.  Rock & Roll is now rap.  What peple call 'rock and roll' generally is elevator music, Brian Wilson would never make elevator music. 

I agree with the earlier sentiment that 'the magic' wouldn't have happened without him growing up where he did, when he did. 

I have been fascinated with this thread for a while, this post in particular. I agree with this post definitely. Brian would probably be a hip-hop producer, but not mainstream hip-hop. The more experimental stuff.

[Loves The Sunflower]

If Brian was 19 or 20 in 2014...

Thank Almighty God that he isn't, and that he is who he is and was able to accomplish what he's best known for when and where he did. (The reasons I feel this way have already been mentioned in this thread so I'll refrain from repeating them all.)