-ARTISTIC MELTDOWN #1-
Everyone has bad days, especially artists. And like most people, when artists have bad days, it tends to affect their work. However for artists, this doesn’t necessarily mean poor quality. Oftentimes (though not all the time) it can mean the exact opposite. I’ve been interested lately in artists that have created some of their best or most interesting work during times of extreme instability and depression.
One of the most famous examples of this in music would be the case of Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys and his album SMiLE. While SMiLE is an incredibly grand and masterful experiment in rock music, it’s clearly the work of a man without sanity. As many of you may know, the album was nearly 40 years in the making, originating in 1966 following the release of Pet Sounds. However, as a result of technical difficulties, lack of support, and Brian Wilson’s increasing paranoia and acid usage; production for the album collapsed. Psychologically crippled by the cancellation of SMiLE, Brian Wilson was never the same.
But then in 2003, much to the surprise of his former band mates, Wilson made a return to the much delayed album. The resurrection was a resounding success. In 2004, Wilson performed the album live in concert: a performance that received a 10-minute standing ovation upon its conclusion. SMiLE was a major achievement and is now considered a landmark in music history, earning Wilson the happy ending he rightfully deserved.
Kudos Brian Wilson, you crazy bastard you.
~M.C.
