Paul Simon or Brian Wilson?

[Diamond Dog]

Who gets your vote from these two giants?

[The Slider]

Is a parsec not a unit of time rather than of distance?


Paul Simon has made more far music that means anything to me.

Surf's Up vs America would be a tough call though

[Rayge]

Not much in it as far as songwriting goes, although Paul is obviously a better lyricist (did Brian ever write a {good} lyric?), but Brian wins hands down as a producer/arranger/studio bod, and as a performer. Not that it's relevant, but I also get the impression he's a nicer guy.

[naughty boy]

Not much in it as far as songwriting goes, although Paul is obviously a better lyricist (did Brian ever write a {good} lyric?)

'Don't Worry Baby' is great

[Bent Fabric]

Not much in it as far as songwriting goes, although Paul is obviously a better lyricist (did Brian ever write a {good} lyric?)

'Don't Worry Baby' is great

As is "Til I Die".

[Diamond Dog]

"God Only Knows"? "Wouldn't It Be Nice"?

He didn't write those lyrics, did he?

[Goat Boy]

Brian by miles. It’s not even close for me

[Moleskin]

"God Only Knows"? "Wouldn't It Be Nice"?

He didn't write those lyrics, did he?

Tony Asher was lyricist on Pet Sounds. iirc

[Rayge]

Not much in it as far as songwriting goes, although Paul is obviously a better lyricist (did Brian ever write a {good} lyric?)

'Don't Worry Baby' is great

As is "Til I Die".

They're both great : it's just that he so often worked with lyricists that I didn't know which songs were purely his own.

[Bent Fabric]

If I were compelled to extrapolate my own "Brian, by light years" reasoning (and I'm not at all here to shit on Simon), I might start with the first 22 seconds of "California Girls".

Nevermind "the lyrics" - that instrumental "so modern we still haven't even gotten there yet" overture might be BW in a nutshell. A glorious picture in sound that manages to preface a song about "young men being into chicks" with all of this emotionally evocative pathos. You get into the body of the song, and he's hitting all of these heavy ass emotional harmonic/chordal moves (the changes in the verse...especially as fleshed out by the backing vocals in the second verse), and the up and down moves in the chorus (that last passage through G/Am/B carries a lot of "shit...this guy's a motherfucker!" implied gravitas).

Add to that his apparently singular ability to (repeatedly) get something valid out of Mike Love and there's no doubt we're talking about a deeply unique, singular, and untouchable force of nature.

[Jimbly]

Paul Simon by how ever many light years you could care to mentipn.

[Davey the Fat Boy]

Simon is a great craftsman who sometimes verged into being a great poet. He willed himself into creating a truly astonishing body of work. His work has meant a lot to me over the years. I could (and have) go on and on.

Wilson is a one-off. A visionary. One of those guys with a seemingly open channel to the divine.

I learned most of what I know about songwriting from Simon. I couldn’t learn much from Wilson. He created on a plane that I couldn’t even hope to get near. You can deconstruct his work harmonically, but it is hard to even fathom how he thought to make the choices he made. If Dylan is pop’s Shakespeare, Wilson is it’s Mozart.

So Wilson. Light years. He’s a chimera. No insult at all to Simon, who is one of the most talented mortals who ever walked the earth. It’s actually a testament to his greatness that this comparison isn’t immediately dismissed by all.

It’s just that Brian Wilson is a whole other thing. They’ll be studying him hundreds of years from now.

[naughty boy]

If I were compelled to extrapolate my own "Brian, by light years" reasoning (and I'm not at all here to shit on Simon), I might start with the first 22 seconds of "California Girls".

A major highlight of last year's gig, for me.

(I was going to mention it on your 'our biggest hits' thread too - that band couldn't have sounded more natural and joyous, and they must have performed those songs hundreds of times)

[joels344]

Brian Wilson. Pet Sounds and Smile Sessions are enough for a large margin win.

[Jimbly]

It’s just that Brian Wilson is a whole other thing. They’ll be studying him hundreds of years from now.

I totally agree with you. My problem is that i don't get this from his records. I keep playing Pet Sounds every so often and I like it but don't get the masterpiece that others get.

i usually then go and play some Kraftwerk.........

[jimboo]

If doooeee and dah and boo boo booeeah are considered lyrics then Brian. Otherwise it's the midget with the comb over.

[Brickyard Jack]

I think Paul Simon speaks to me more. I love Brian Wilson's work but I do sort of recognise its genius without really being emotionally involved in many cases.

[Charlie O.]

Wilson. I could echo much of what's already been said.

Instead, I will say this much for Paulie:

a) although it's been 28 years since the last PS album that really satisfied me (The Rhythm Of The Saints), I'd still be more curious to hear what he's up to now than to hear Brian's latest; and

b) if Brian Wilson and Paul Simon were both playing in town, on the same night but in different venues, and if somebody were to offer me free tickets to see either one, I'd choose Simon (unless Wilson was doing Smile again - I missed that tour). I have seen and enjoyed both - several times, in Brian's case - and they both have terrific bands and, duh, terrific songs. But Simon seems like he actually enjoys being on stage; with Brian I invariably get the uneasy feeling that he's only there because his wife and his manager have told him that he needs to confront his demons.

[sloopjohnc]

Not much in it as far as songwriting goes, although Paul is obviously a better lyricist (did Brian ever write a {good} lyric?), but Brian wins hands down as a producer/arranger/studio bod, and as a performer. Not that it's relevant, but I also get the impression he's a nicer guy.

I also think it's a East Coast/West Coast thing. Simon fills up his songs with lyrics, as if he's in a hurry. Wilson's approach to songwriting and lyrics is much more laid back. He gets to the point quicker.

Bruh.

Ask Diamond Dog how much he enjoys that west coast vibe when we're ordering food at an LA Jolly Up? Maybe I read the situation completely wrong, but the slow pace of getting around to the subject after someone mentioned getting food was completely natural to me. But the polite tension on Pete's face as ordering completely stalled, was priceless.

[ChrisB]

Wilson for the music, Simon for the lyrics