Art is subjective. You can’t really compare artists to other artists. There’s a million right answers to any debate you could drum up. But that doesn’t stop us from playing that game. Moreover, it doesn’t stop artists from comparing their talent to their peers’. Once-in-a-generation songwriter Brian Wilson wasn’t always satisfied with his lot. Even though his fans saw him as a pure magician in the studio, there was one thing he thought he lacked: the vocal chops of another 1970s icon, and those like him.
The 1970s Singer Who Brian Wilson Compared His Vocals To
As The Beach Boys’ career trekked on, Brian Wilson became increasingly more of a behind-the-scenes kind of guy. But he was once a vocalist for the band, adding stunning high harmonies to many of their biggest hits.
The real wonder of The Beach Boys is the many vocal parts they were able to imbue their songs with. You need a serious division of vocal ranges to be able to pull off what they were touting back in their heyday. While fans are more than satisfied with what Wilson brought to the table, he once called his voice limited, wishing he had the edge of another singer: Kenny Rogers.
The country icon had the exact opposite voice to Wilson. His deep timbre reverberated around in the listener’s chest. According to Wilson, he brought a distinctly masculine nod to every song he delivered. On the other hand, Wilson’s voice was what he called “effeminate.” He once said he wished he had the opposite effect as a vocalist. He called the Pet Sounds cut, “You Still Believe In Me”, a prime example of his lilting vocals.
“‘You Still Believe In Me’ was more of what I would call a man who would not be afraid to take all of his clothes off and sing like a girl because he had feelings for people from that perspective,” Wilson once said.
“I was able to close my eyes and go into a world and sing a little more effeminately and more sweet – which allows a lot more love to come down through me, you know what I mean,” Wilson added. “It’s like Kenny Rogers. There’s an example of a guy who has a fairly masculine-sounding voice. ‘You Still Believe In Me’ was quite the opposite.”
To many, Wilson’s voice was just right for his role in The Beach Boys, but the notion of wanting what we can’t have is all too well known from fellow musicians to fans alike. Revisit Wilson’s singular vocals in “You Still Believe In Me” above.
(Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
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Author: Alex Hopper