By its very nature, music is a highly collaborative effort – even between two bands that never existed at the same time – constantly evolving and building off what was previously created. Lindsey Buckingham was a member of one of the most famous Fleetwood Mac lineups, and yet when asked about a band’s influence, he names The Beach Boys as the most impactful.
Fleetwood Mac was plagued with interpersonal drama, which often bled into the songs they wrote even as the band shifted between genres like blues and folk rock, to great effect. But through it all, Buckingham was always awed by the technical skills The Beach Boys displayed in their songs, led by Brian Wilson’s intimate understanding of a good song’s architecture.
Lindsey Buckingham was impressed by The Beach Boys, even at a technical level
There are a lot of layers to any one single song, with multiple rhythmic threads having to work in harmony together at different paces. Music lovers will doubtless hear some similar drum beats across very different genres, for one thing. But when Buckingham listened to the work Wilson concocted for The Beach Boys, he heard something different. New.
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Indeed, Wilson characteristically liked to break from tradition, go against the mold, and throw some formulas right out the window. It was revolutionary, which fit the fresh theme the band promoted in every way. Not only was it refreshing; Buckingham also found it inspiring.
“I would relate to Brian’s struggle as an artist against a machine that tended toward serving the bottom line,” said Buckingham. “Music meant much more to him than that. He was trying to do something bigger than that with his teenage symphonies to God.”
Wilson’s decisions helped push Buckingham and others forward
Wilson’s experimental side can especially be heard in Pet Sounds, notes Far Out Magazine. It ended up being an opportunity for trying new things and mixing unexpected sounds. Just the idea of defying expectations, seeing an artist pursue his own interests, was game-changing for Buckingham during a very formative time in his own career.
“They may have sold the California Dream to a lot of people, but for me, it was Brian Wilson showing how far you might have to go in order to make your own musical dream come true,” he shared with Rolling Stone. “In the process, he really rocked the boat and changed the world.”
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