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Start giftingGod Only Knows
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Learn moreOriginally published in 1978 as The Beach Boys and the California Myth, this groundbreaking study was both the first full-length book on the band and the first to recognize Brian Wilson as one of the most significant and influential artists of the twentieth century. Covering the turbulent family strife and internal conflicts as well as giving proper attention to the remarkable music, the book was an instant classic. An intimate look at Brian's rollercoaster of a life and career, it's told through the eyes of those who were there during Wilson's most legendary productions including Pet Sounds and Good Vibrations.
Revised and updated, God Only Knows covers the decades since the 1985 edition, including Brian's first acclaimed solo album, his startling return to live performing, the landmark Pet Sounds tour, the "All-Star Tribute to Brian Wilson" (which Leaf wrote and produced), and the triumphant and miraculous Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE world premiere in London.
Filled with surprising revelations, insight and behind-the-scenes detail, this indispensable book written by renowned Brian Wilson expert David Leaf begins with an overture from Sir Paul McCartney and includes essays from Sir Barry Gibb, Brian's wife Melinda Wilson, and an introduction by Jimmy Webb.
David Leaf is an award-winning writer, director, and producer, whose feature credits include the Venice Film festival favorite The U.S. vs. John Lennon, the Grammy-nominated Beautiful Dreamer: Brian Wilson and the Story of SMiLE, The Night James Brown Saved Boston, and Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is 'Everybody Talkin' About Him?). As well as publishing the seminal The Beach Boys and the California Myth in 1978, David wrote the Bee Gees' authorized autobiography. Leaf is also a professor at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music in Los Angeles.
Alex Knox is a classically trained actor, equally comfortable as a leading man and a comedic character performer. In addition to a long list of theater credits, he has appeared in commercials, hosted a web series ("Science Talks with Alex Knox"), and, as an improv performer, entertained thousands of guests at Southern California's theme parks. Alex wrote No Static at All, a one-man play about seeking spiritual enlightenment through the music of Steely Dan, and has performed the show to sold-out houses in New York, Seattle, and Los Angeles. He is a graduate of UC Santa Barbara and the Yale School of Drama.