None of it was probed too deeply in a Thursday evening discussion and performance at the recently opened Grammy Museum in downtown Los Angeles. But this wasn't a night built to debunk myths. In a swift chat before a brief, 25-minute performance, marked by competent renditions of “God Only Knows," “California Girls" and “Surfing U.S.A.," Wilson had no trouble amusing an intimate crowd of around 200, not to mention moderator and museum Executive Director Robert Santelli.
When asked about the warming synth-pop song “Love & Mercy," a cut from his 1988 self-titled comeback album, Wilson offered a detail about his songwriting at the time. “I had just drunk a half a bottle of Champagne, and I said, 'Hey, I feel like writing a song,'" Wilson said. “So I wrote 'Love & Mercy half-drunk."
Wilson later assured the crowd that such methods hadn't been employed since. But for much of the night, Santelli's questions came fast, and Wilson's answers came quicker. Six decades were covered in a little under 40 minutes, which included a brief time for an audience Q&A with the artist. As for the latter, despite a stern Santelli warning to ask “insightful" questions, the obligatory reveal-the-contents-of-your-iPod inquiry was still raised. But Wilson didn't miss a beat: “About 500 songs."
Indeed, Wilson's answers were direct -- often charmingly literal -- and usually under 20 words. Asked, for instance, to describe his day as a child, Wilson responded with a course itinerary rather than his interests. “I went to school," he said. “First I had Spanish, then I had English, then I had history and physiology and then finally I had physical education, where I could practice football."
