Brian: He's been in his mind so long...
“I’ve been in this town so long that back in the city I’ve been taken for lost and gone and unknown for a long time…”
These words, written by Van Dyke Parks, the syllabic slave of mastermind Brian Wilson, kick off my second favorite song of all time, “Heroes And Villains.” Like the Big Black Bear (who you will hear more about as time goes by), the song’s protagonist is missing in action, at least in the eyes of the general public. Meanwhile, on a more private sidestage, it’s a full-on shootout. The singer finds his mojo, loses it, has a family, comes back, retires, sleeps. You can do all of this in America, and people have been doing it for years. Here then, is my own personal mix of the classic pop tune, loosely inspired by the recent (circa 2004 and on) arrangement by Brian Wilson’s band. If you like what you hear, you can’t go wrong purchasing Brian’s album SMiLE or the Good Vibrations box set from the Beach Boys. Enjoy.