"Rio Grande" is a psychedelic western saga co-written by Brian Wilson and Andy Paley and co-produced by Brian Wilson and Lenny Waronker for Brian Wilson's first solo album. Its modular set of movements hearkened back to the style that Brian Wilson used during the "Good Vibrations"/Smile era with musique concrète. "Rio Grande" was evidence that he could still create brilliant, pictorial landscapes of music similar to Smile whenever he had the freedom, confidence, and courage to do so. It is the longest piece of music in the Brian Wilson catalogue at eight minutes and 12 seconds.