3. The Man Who Wrote The Albums Lyrics Quit Halfway Through
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptxwWt2JeGQ Prior to Pet Sounds, Mike Love had been the Beach Boys primary lyricist, and what he wrote centred around surfing, cars and girls. But for Pet Sounds, Brian Wilson wanted a clean break from their past sound, and to work with someone new, someone he hadnt collaborated with before. He chose copywriter Tony Asher, who listened to some of the instrumental tracks, wrote You Still Believe In Me, and was instantly hired for the whole album. For SMiLE though, Brian brought in another new collaborator, the budding composer Van Dyke Parks. The two had been introduced by David Crosby in 1965, and Parks unique manner of speaking so enthralled Brian that he quickly asked Parks to help with SMiLE. Initially things went well, but the friction between Brian and the other Beach Boys who didnt understand some of the lyrics soon pushed a wedge between the collaborators. In the end that pressure, coupled with all the other madness surrounding the project, got too much for Parks. He became increasingly apprehensive around Brian, and more and more frustrated with Loves scepticism over his lyrics. He quit SMiLE in April 1967, saying he didnt want to be responsible for adding tensions to the band. In a 2013 interview,
he described the project he had left as a shambles.