Brian Wilson – 2011 Topps

“Cabin Essence Timely Hello”

Yes, this is a baseball card blog. And yes, this is a baseball card.

Brian Wilson, you know, he’s a ninja or something or other with tacos.

He’s also another nutty relief pitcher. I think pitchers, especially relief pitchers, are very much candidates to be nutballs.

Much like auteurs.

Like Brian Wilson, genius musician.

SMiLE came out, finally. The story is, well, too complicated to get into on a simple blog. But to be concise. Wilson wanted to top “Pet Sounds”, and add on to the legacy of “Good Vibrations”. The album never got finished, but some of the sessions were released, and some of the other songs were re-done (in inferior fashion). I had a bootleg of the sessions and there was a lot of potential, though unrealized and probably over-ambitious.

Anyway, the quote at the top is from my favorite track “Cabin Essence” (or “Cabinessence” as it appeared on the “20/20” album in 1969. They needed that track to fill out an album, though I don’t think Wilson approved.)

“Cabin Essence” is not a typical Beach Boys song. It’s all about the production and the arrangements. When you listen to it, it’s best to listen with headphones as loud as you can so you can hear everything.

Anyway, here’s to SMiLE. And nutballs in every profession.