Books like The Nearest Far Away Place: Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys, and the Southern California Experience

This is a very poetic history of the Beach Boys---if you want dirty details about who did what drugs while zoomin' someone else's wife, check out Steven Gaines's bio. This one makes a fine case for the BBs being an expression of californimythification (please don't sue me, Flea). If you think it's a stretch to connect Steinbeck to Brian Wilson, Tim White will convince you (as will the song "California" on HOLLAND). I also like this book because it gives due credit to SUNFLOWER, which, in my humble and probably worthless opinion, is second only to PET SOUNDS as the band's greatest. It also includes some revamped/revised profiles written for CRAWDADDY in the mid-70s, around the time of 15 BIG ONES. This was Dennis W's zenith, and White nicely reminds us that The One Who Was Charles Manson's friend was more than The One Who Was Charles Manson. Long live PACIFIC OCEAN BLUE!