Inside the Studio—A Tribute to Brian Wilson

The 2014 film Love and Mercy transcends most band biopics. It chronicles two pivotal eras in Brian Wilson’s life. Paul Dano plays a younger Wilson in the 1960s while John Cusack portrays the older Wilson in the 1980s. Its dual-timeline approach highlights Wilson’s struggles in the formative years of the Beach Boys and his relationship with an abusive psychologist later in life. With award-winning performances, plenty of music and a nonlinear approach, the film spotlights both the creative highs and psychological lows of its protagonist.

Owing to the accuracy of the film, many scenes in the movie showing the recording of The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds album were shot in the actual Studio 3 at United Western Recorders, where the album was recorded in the 1960s. Today that room exists virtually unchanged as EastWest Studios.

Last month, the world lost Brian Wilson. He not only left us with an iconic songbook, but a treasure trove of recordings which challenged mid-century recording archetypes and helped write the playbook for pop and rock music for the next 50 years.