Remembering Brian Wilson | "God Only Knows" Isolated Vocal Track

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Yesterday, the world lost one of humanity's greatest artists and one of music's truest geniuses, Brian Wilson.

And as the days turn into years, and the years turn into decades, and the decades turn into centuries, if he's remembered best for any one composition it will likely be "God Only Knows."

Wilson wrote "God Only Knows" with frequent collaborator Tony Asher and gave the lead vocals on the track to his brother, Carl Wilson, because, he said it fit his "beautiful spirit."

You've probably heard this song many, many times. And with good reason; it's widely considered one of the greatest compositions of all time.

In so many ways, "God Only Knows" is an absolute masterpiece, but it's the final coda—those cascading vocal rounds between Wilson and Brian Johnston—that offers one of the most powerful, transcendent single minutes in all of recorded music.

Again, you've probably heard this in its original form many times.

But in 1997, when the Beach Boys released The Pet Sounds Sessions box set, it included something truly extraordinary: an a cappella, or isolated vocal, mix of "God Only Knows." And hearing these vocal lines for the very first time laid bare—unaccompanied, unfiltered—hit me, and continues to hit me every single time, almost thirty years later, with an emotional intensity and an intimacy that borders on sacred.
It's vulnerability and love and devotion expressed and distilled into one beautiful minute of music, and then, at the very end, there's a wonderful bit of studio chatter, not heard on the original album, that you just can't help but smile at.

Brian Wilson once said that he wanted to "write joyful music that would make other people feel good."

So whether what you're about to hear is brand new to you, or like me, you've heard it a thousand times, let that joy wash over you, as we mourn the loss of a genius, yes, but more importantly we also celebrate the joyful legacy of an artist whose work will be with us forever.

Brian Douglas Wilson
June 20, 1942 – June 11, 2025

#brianwilson #beachboys #thebeachboys #godonlyknows #petsounds