LONDON ¨C As far as I can tell, Brian Wilson is in a good mood. Speaking from his Los Angeles home, the legendary Beach Boys mastermind certainly sounds upbeat, laughing when his dogs interrupt us, and seems enthusiastic about bringing ¡°Pet Sounds,¡± his opulent masterpiece, to Japan to celebrate its 50th anniversary.
¡°Japanese audiences are the best audiences except for Australia,¡± he says. ¡°They like American music better than Americans!¡±
The problem is, as far as journalists are concerned, Wilson¡¯s mood seems to make little difference. Now 73, and with a story of childhood trauma, drug abuse and mental illness nearly as famous as the incredible music he created during the 1960s, he cuts a frail figure, unwilling ¡ª or unable ¡ª to converse on any meaningful level.
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