The world of Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys has been a complicated dwelling place for decades.
But it sounded as if the looming 50th anniversary of one of pop music’s most legendary outfits might be the impetus for a peace offering. Or at least a tour.
Last week, Mike Love told Billboard.com that a collaboration was imminent.
"Where we're at right now is Brian Wilson’s written some songs, I've written some songs, [and] we're talking very seriously about getting together and co-writing and doing some new music together. He's been doing his own touring, we've been doing ours, and so we haven't really been able to lock into that. But it looks like this fall we will,” Love told the music industry website.
A couple of hours later, Wilson was asked what he thought about Love’s assertion.
“I don’t know anything about that,” Wilson told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
When asked whether he wanted to participate in an anniversary tour, Wilson was equally declarative.
“Not particularly," he said. "I want to continue with my solo tour. We’re going to do a month in Europe, and I’m looking forward to that.”
Sorry fans, but don’t save any dates just yet.
But Wilson devotees have plenty to comfort themselves with right now.
The iconic singer/songwriter has been in the studio for about a year, working on the follow-up to “That Lucky Old Sun,” his last album of original material in 2008.
He said his next creation will be “harder rock ‘n’ roll."
"It’s something I always wanted to do," Wilson said. "Something I learned about from Phil Spector.”
Wilson, who turned 69 in June, is notorious for his meticulous studio tinkering, but he had a simple answer for how he knows when a song is complete.
“I can tell by the sound of it," he said. "I like to take my time.”
Wilson recently recorded the title track for an upcoming Buddy Holly tribute CD, “Listen to Me: Buddy Holly,” expected to be released Sept. 6.
Wilson said he was presented with “a bunch” of Holly’s songs and narrowed it to his chosen contribution.
“I love Buddy Holly’s music,” he said. “His voice and his music.”
Wilson also has a Disney album in the works and is still basking in his adoration of George Gershwin’s catalog, an affection so strong that last year he released an album of Gershwin songs spun with a Wilson touch -- mainly emphasizing the melody.
Wilson believes that melody -- the hallmark of his music, along with honeyed harmonies -- is the foundation to a great song, and he said he usually begins with a chord pattern on the piano and develops the melody from there.
While earlier dates on his current tour included an entire set of Gershwin material, the most recent shows -- including his stop Wednesday at Chastain Park Amphitheater -- will only spotlight a couple of Gershwin classics.
“We’re mostly doing Beach Boys songs,” he said. “Probably not too much solo stuff. We learned that people want Beach Boys songs.”
A documentary about Wilson’s life is still in the works, with some of the filming being done on the road.
Surely cameras will capture the musically inspiring hero doing what he says he loves best onstage -- singing.
Throughout his monumental career, Wilson has worked with many pop icons -- Elton John, Eric Clapton. But one of his favorite collaborators is Paul McCartney, although Wilson confessed to being “a little scared of him.” The pair sang a duet on Wilson’s 2004 release, “Gettin' in Over My Head.”
So why the fear?
“He’s the guy who wrote ‘Let it Be,’ " Wilson said. “I still can’t figure out what it means.”
Concert preview
Brian Wilson
8 p.m. Aug. 3. $25-$75. Chastain Park Amphitheater, 4469 Stella Drive, Atlanta. 1-800-745-3000, www.ticketmaster.com.
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