By 1966, Brian figured he'd join the psychedelic generation where he could disguise his adult expressions in the jargon of peace, love, understanding, flowers and "Good Vibrations." The story of the six months in the studio (studios - they recorded in four) and the fanatical perfectionism with which Brian attacked his "3 Minute Symphony" is well known. What isn't often discussed is the why.

Early in his career, Brian used the surf-youth culture as his theme upon which to make music that would be popularly successful and pleasing to himself. He felt restricted in the latter in order to maintain the former. The growing gap was driving him, quite literally, insane. To top it all off, the Beatles, his only real peers, had just released the baroquely ornate and rapturously received Sgt. Pepper album.

"I can top that. I can put together an even better album that will confirm once and for all that I am not only their equal, I am their superior. I have this handicap. I must remain a child. That's all they will accept from me, even my own brothers and cousin want children's stories. I'll show them. I can get hip to this psychedelic lingo. I've taken acid, too. My Mother used to always talk about vibrations - how dogs and animals could pick up on fear and stuff. Why not people too?"

Mike was into it. He was a psychedelic guy himself, always ready for something new. Anything to stay young and take his mind off of his hair, or vice versa.

The song took all Brian had. By the time he finished "Good Vibrations" he was drained emotionally, physically, mentally and artistically. The proposed album, Smile, fell apart. Brian destroyed the master tapes. "Good Vibrations" was great, but was it worth it? Probably not. It would have been preferable to have a sane Brian Wilson for the next 20 years.

That was basically it for Brian for almost 20 years as a functioning human being, although musically he had a brief, beautiful return to form with "Do It Again" and "I Can Hear Music" in '69, the latter exquisitely sung by Carl Wilson.

The 70s were fallow. The Beach Boys Love You was a sweet, painfully childish album. It bore no hits. It was as though Brian had rebelled against the pressure to make adolescent music by making blatantly childish music. And this was the highlight of the '70s.

The '80s were better - the Regans had them to the Whitehouse. "Getcha Back" was catchy and broke the Top 30 in 1985. Things really picked up with "Kokomo" and Brian Wilson's first solo album, both in 1988. "Kokomo" was the Beach Boys first #1 single since "Good Vibrations."

"Kokomo" revived the idea that paradise is a place that can be reached here on earth. Brian Wilson had lost his ability to write toward that paradise - he had lost his willingness to explore a myth in which he no longer believed.