'A Grammy Salute to the Beach Boys' Review: A Special That Offers Wilson-like Performances

God only knows it was only a matter of time before the Recording Academy chose the Beach Boys as the recipient of one of its annual star tributes, and the band's legacy is unshamed with "A Grammy Salute to the Beach Boys," airing Sunday night at 8 ET/PT on CBS (and for on-demand streaming on Paramount+). No bad harmonies are struck, literally or figuratively, in a two-hour show that starts out feeling a little bit by the numbers but ends up landing on a jaw-dropping series of Wilson-worthy covers.

Are you surprised that Brandi Carlile is the highlight of a special tribute? Then, get out from under your rock and stay up late enough to catch both of her performances on the show, as she's one of a handful of artists who have been awarded solo and duo spots on the setlist. First in the running order, she has a version of "In My Room" that can't really be considered "solo", since she's joined by bandmates Phil and Tim Hanseroth for an arrangement that has their own. modern mastery of paying three-part harmony. homage to The Boys' under-incarnation as a balladic vocal trio. You're hoping for something transformative in tribute performances like these, and you know you're getting the moment when Carlile lends his perfectly subtle vibrato to the "roo-oo-oom" and "a-frai-ai-aid" at some of the opening lines. She and the Hanseroths make the bridge feel like you're doing a gentle waltz while wrapping yourself in a confident embrace, before the falsetto ending spoils that warmth with a shiver down your spine. Yeah, it's so good.

Phil Hanseroth, Brandi Carlile and Tim Hanseroth perform onstage during A GRAMMY Salute to The Beach Boys at Dolby Theater on February 08, 2023 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy) Getty Images for The Recording A

And so it's the duo that ends the show, with John Legend on "God Only Knows" , where two pros show what can be done with simpler two part harmony, honoring the spirit of the unsurpassable original "Pet Sounds" with blended vocals that, for a few bars in the chorus, almost make it sound like a whole new song. (But don't worry, it's still a great one.)

The other collaborative efforts are also solid: you can't say exactly that Jim James of My Morning Jacket and Beck do anything transformative with the penultimate "Good Vibrations", but you realize that it really takes two to pull off this particular number in any way, and succeed with a song also essentially uncoverable deserves some credit.