The Beach Boys founder is one his way back to Israel.
By DAVID BRINNBrian Wilson performs at the Ra’anana Amphitheater, June 8, 2016(photo credit: PR)
Two years after performing in Israel for the first time as part of the 50th anniversary tour of his legendary Pet Sounds album, Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson is returning for a “greatest hits” show on August 7 at the Menora Mivtachim Arena in Tel Aviv.The 75-year-old Wilson will be touring with a similar band as last time, including fellow Beach Boy Al Jardine and longtime Beach Boy accompanist Blondie Chaplin.Considered one of rock’s visionaries on par with The Beatles and Bob Dylan, Wilson is one of contemporary music’s most enigmatic icons, with a twist-and-turn story that includes triumph, mental breakdowns and continued emotional problems and redemption.He’s written some of rock’s most enduring classics, including “Don’t Worry Baby,” “Good Vibrations” and “God Only Knows.”In an interview with The Jerusalem Post before his Israel debut, Wilson said he didn’t know if The Beach Boys would have been able to break into the music industry today, but that he’s proud of the band’s legacy. When asked what he thinks a contemporary producer might be referring to when he tells his musical client to sound like The Beach Boys, he said,” I would say he’s talking about the harmonies – you want to go for those harmonies. That’s what made us stand out.”At his 2016 show at the Ra’anana Amphitheater, Wilson and his band faithfully recreated the classic Beach Boys sound, and whatever vocal or instrumental lapses the master experienced were ably covered up by his bandmates.With many of his contemporaries – from Elton John to Neil Diamond – announcing their impending retirement from touring, Wilson is offering Israeli fans one more chance to ride the surf in the endless summer.Tickets for the show range from NIS 199 to NIS 690 and are available at www.leaan.co.il.