In fact, the very idea of Brian as a solo visionary was first popularized as the result of a promotional push surrounding production of Pet Sounds, then Smile, from 1966–67. After all, he wrote the lyrics to “Good Vibrations,” perhaps the most innovative track the band ever released. The result? The psychedelic hit “Heroes and Villains.” And Love wasn’t afraid to get adventurous himself if he figured out a way to make it sellable.

When Wilson sought to capitalize upon the countercultural trends of the mid-’60s with his esoteric, retrospectively hailed (albeit aborted) Smile album, he hired abstract lyricist Van Dyke Parks to help him tap into the trippiness of the zeitgeist. Even when he worked with other lyricists, commercial success was his end goal: Pet Sounds hits like “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” were co-written with Tony Asher, a man who wrote advertising jingles for a living. Like so many others in the music business, Wilson measured his creative success by how well the Beach Boys’ records charted. The wisdom of pop music from its relative inception equated commercial success with artistic success, and this was true for both Wilson and Love. However, the reality of the situation was not so black-and-white. He listens patiently to their sound and works with them to adjust it to his satisfaction, crafting new music by combining his own talents with those of his fellows. If they don’t like my approach, they suggest another.” Long Promised Road extolls Wilson’s individualistic genius by featuring endless praises of his musicianship from talking heads ranging from Bruce Springsteen to Elton John, but contradicts itself with scenes depicting Wilson in the recording studio communicating and working amicably with his backing band. As Wilson himself put it in 1965, “When I sit down at the piano to play a new song … we take the melody apart and work it out phrase by phrase.

They were also far from passive acolytes of Wilson’s vision. Brian Wilson’s falsetto was but one part of the band’s vocal blend every member was needed to unlock the potential of their collective sound. The very core of their sound was built upon complex harmonies that required a great deal of coordination and mutual understanding. The Beach Boys were always a vocal group at heart, a rock ’n’ roll choir.

I Am Brian Wilson by Brian Wilson