Why Brian Wilson?
MH: I guess the book needed a spiritual guide. I’m not sure why I felt that, but I wanted someone who stood aside from the story who offered wisdom and inspiration. There are always artists that inspire me at a certain time, and at that time it was him. And I’ve always admired artists where there is a push-pull dynamic between their instincts to be commercial and popular, while their mind is warped to what the mainstream really is. And that was Brian Wilson, particularly around the time of Smile [the Beach Boys’ 1967 “lost” masterpiece, rerecorded and released by Wilson in 2004]. He was going through a war inside himself, which spun out of control. He wanted to make popular music that spoke to adults and children while still being intellectual. I can relate to that because in the books I write, I try to be entertaining. But at the same time, my sense of what’s entertaining is a little off and it comes off a little strange, like Smile. BK: So Smile, in particular, was a big inspiration
