If Wilson must be known for one thing, let it be his inimitable sense of harmony, perfected across his craft and completely unignorable on “God Only Knows,” a masterclass in vocals, love, emotional depth, harpsichord and the intersection of all such forces.

Remembering the life and legacy of Brian Wilson, co-founder of the Beach Boys, who died at 82 04:03. Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys' visionary and fragile leader whose genius for me

We’re picking up sad vibrations. But how traumatized can we feel, once the first few notes of any of Brian Wilson’s most classic songs hits our tympanic membrane? Even his most sorrowful songs — and there were plenty of those,