Over the years, the legend of Brian Wilson’s personal struggles has threatened to overshadow the groundbreaking work he did with the Beach Boys. In I Am Brian Wilson (Da Capo, $26.99) the musician, with writer Ben Greenman, finally gets a chance to tell his story from his own perspective. In many ways, this book is an antidote to his earlier memoir, Wouldn’t It Be Nice: My Own Story, ghostwritten by Wilson’s domineering therapist Eugene Landy. In this update, Wilson freely admits that his memory is spotty, and the book often reads as Wilson’s attempt to make sense of his recollections, both good and bad. The narrative often succumbs to melancholy, as when Wilson reflects on his tyrannical father, his mental breakdown at age twenty-five, his struggles with drugs, his therapist Landy, and his own inadequacies as a father. However, Wilson also shares his musical inspirations, insights into his creative process, his joy at making music, and his artistic comeback in the 2000s. I Am Brian Wilson is ultimately a rewarding read, as the author invites us to help him comb through his life story and find the one thing that always came so easily to him in his music: harmony.
