CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Songwriting has never gotten any easier for 1960s music legend Brian Wilson. If anything, the former Beach Boy and author of hits like "California Girls," "Fun, Fun, Fun" and "Good Vibrations" thinks it's gotten a lot more difficult.

"The melodies are harder to come by," Wilson said. "But I'm still trying, you know?"

Wilson was a teenager when he first started writing songs then founded the band that became the Beach Boys, a group that became synonymous with summer, the state of California and American music in general.

"I absolutely could not have written those songs in Wisconsin," Wilson said.

Now 67, Wilson may have slowed some, but he's still pushing his own personal musical boundaries, still mining for new ideas, and still hitting the road a few weeks every year to play. On Nov. 1, he comes to the Creative Arts Center at WVU.

"Touring is as rough as it gets," he groaned. "It's a lot of work -- getting to the bus, getting to the plane. It's hectic."

And it's never been his favorite part of the pop-star job. Over the course of his career, there were times when he did not or could not tour, but stayed home and wrote songs for the Beach Boys. Wilson couldn't take the travel or the crowds. After the Beach Boys became famous, he developed stage fright. It's something he still struggles with.

"Oh, I still have stage fright, very much," he said. "I go through a lot of mind changes before each concert. I think, 'Oh, what if I'm flat? Oh, what if I get dizzy? What if I sing too loud?' But then I go out there and the first note the band is playing and I'm 'ahhh.' I'm cool."

Few pop musicians have been as picked over and studied as much as Wilson. He's often been seen as an uncompromising perfectionist, but a fragile genius. He's battled addiction and mental illness and fought for creative control of his music.

He's managed to come out on the other side of it. In 2004, Wilson revisited his unfinished album "Smile." It was a critical success and earned Wilson his first Grammy award. In 2007, he was recognized for his contributions to American culture by the Kennedy Center Honors and even appears to be on more congenial terms with his old band mates, including cousin Mike Love, who as recently as 2007 was still suing him.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Songwriting has never gotten any easier for 1960s music legend Brian Wilson. If anything, the former Beach Boy and author of hits like "California Girls," "Fun, Fun, Fun" and "Good Vibrations" thinks it's gotten a lot more difficult.

"The melodies are harder to come by," Wilson said. "But I'm still trying, you know?"

Wilson was a teenager when he first started writing songs then founded the band that became the Beach Boys, a group that became synonymous with summer, the state of California and American music in general.

"I absolutely could not have written those songs in Wisconsin," Wilson said.

Now 67, Wilson may have slowed some, but he's still pushing his own personal musical boundaries, still mining for new ideas, and still hitting the road a few weeks every year to play. On Nov. 1, he comes to the Creative Arts Center at WVU.

"Touring is as rough as it gets," he groaned. "It's a lot of work -- getting to the bus, getting to the plane. It's hectic."

And it's never been his favorite part of the pop-star job. Over the course of his career, there were times when he did not or could not tour, but stayed home and wrote songs for the Beach Boys. Wilson couldn't take the travel or the crowds. After the Beach Boys became famous, he developed stage fright. It's something he still struggles with.

"Oh, I still have stage fright, very much," he said. "I go through a lot of mind changes before each concert. I think, 'Oh, what if I'm flat? Oh, what if I get dizzy? What if I sing too loud?' But then I go out there and the first note the band is playing and I'm 'ahhh.' I'm cool."

Few pop musicians have been as picked over and studied as much as Wilson. He's often been seen as an uncompromising perfectionist, but a fragile genius. He's battled addiction and mental illness and fought for creative control of his music.

He's managed to come out on the other side of it. In 2004, Wilson revisited his unfinished album "Smile." It was a critical success and earned Wilson his first Grammy award. In 2007, he was recognized for his contributions to American culture by the Kennedy Center Honors and even appears to be on more congenial terms with his old band mates, including cousin Mike Love, who as recently as 2007 was still suing him.

Wilson has remained productive. His last, "That Lucky Old Sun," came out last fall. A few weeks ago, it was announced he'd be working to complete two unfinished works by composer George Gershwin. Other than that, there's always a song he's working on, at least in the back of his mind.

"Each song is a little different," he said. "Writing for me depends on the mood, the time of the year, the season."

He doesn't give much away. Wilson works on songs slowly, plays out the music on a Yamaha synthesizer, records it then plays it back. He experiments with rhythms, tries then tries again.

"They say with the full moon you can write better. They say that, but it's never helped me."

WANT TO GO?

Brian Wilson

WHERE: WVU Creative Arts Center

WHEN: Nov. 1, 7:30 p.m.

TICKETS: $38, $48, $55, $60 and $65

INFO: 304-293-4406 or www.events.wvu.edu

Reach Bill Lynch at ly...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-5195.