Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Klang]

I'm certain it's more of a vanity title. It will be Brian's show in reality.

 

[Ovi]

"Executive producer" usually means that you're some kind of supervisor to the actual producer. So he won't really produce the album.

Ah, it's all good then. It's really unexpected news, isn't it? There were some rumours about them getting reunited , but I would have never thought they'd be working on a new album. You must be really glad, Joost.

[Joost]

I'm certain it's more of a vanity title. It will be Brian's show in reality.

 

Not too sure about that. If Mike really doesn't like something, count on it that it won't happen. And besides that, not even Brian's solo albums have ever been completely Brian's show. So a new Beach Boys album probably won't be either.

Ah, it's all good then. It's really unexpected news, isn't it? There were some rumours about them getting reunited , but I would have never thought they'd be working on a new album. You must be really glad, Joost.

A new album and a world tour is more than I hoped for, but I actually was expecting that they would do something together. I just thought it would be something smaller. I'm also very curious about the compilations that will be released, since there's still a lot of excellent unreleased stuff in the vaults.

[BeatlesForever]

Not too sure about that. If Mike really doesn't like something, count on it that it won't happen. And besides that, not even Brian's solo albums have ever been completely Brian's show. So a new Beach Boys album probably won't be either.
A new album and a world tour is more than I hoped for, but I actually was expecting that they would do something together. I just thought it would be something smaller. I'm also very curious about the compilations that will be released, since there's still a lot of excellent unreleased stuff in the vaults.

Hi Joost! In my opinion, THE BEACH BOYS has always been Mike's show because of the big offstage decisions. If Brian was ever the leader of THE BEACH BOYS, at one point, its because Mike let him during the early part of THE BEACH BOYS career.

However, if before and during THE BEACH BOYS Reunion tour, Mike thinks that he is going to be pushy with Brian and have his way like he did in the past, Mike had better think again. One thing that I can guarantee is that Brian's wife Melinda will be there and will be keeping an eye on things. If Mike gives Brian any problems, I promise you that Melinda will tear Mike a new a*s! Take care.         

[Klang]

Heh. What so I know? You guys are probably right. I guess we're all just hoping for a great album and that it's a positive experience for all concerned. Looking forward to it.

 

[Joost]

An excellent article by Henry Rollins:

At this moment, I am sitting in front of my stereo as the Beach Boys' SMiLE album wraps up with "Good Vibrations." Sonically, the album is one of the best things you are likely to hear in all of your life. There are moments on SMiLE that are so astonishingly good you might find yourself just staring at your speakers in unguarded wonder, as I have.

SMiLE is perhaps the Beach Boys' most legendary album. It was recorded in 1966 and 1967 but only saw a formal release in 2011. That's a long time to wait for what was said to be Brian Wilson's masterpiece.

The reasons the band did not release SMiLE in 1967 are probably myriad and perhaps not made any clearer with the passing of more than four decades. Being one of those people who have heard hours of outtakes of the songs, I have my theories as to why the album didn't come out, one of which I will come back to shortly.

Several of the songs on SMiLE have been released over the years: "Heroes and Villains," "Surf's Up" and, of course, "Good Vibrations." The entire album -- the concept, as it were -- was left for the bootleggers to assemble.

And did they ever. The Beach Boys are one seriously bootlegged band, almost on the level of the Beatles and Dylan. As proof, I direct you to the site surfermoon.com/boots.shtml, which has a fairly exhaustive list. One label in particular, Sea of Tunes, seemed to have total access to the Beach Boys tapes. Several years ago Beach Boys box sets on Sea of Tunes were dropping every few hours, it seemed.
Some of them clearly were assembled by the insanely obsessive. There is a multidisc set that covers the song "Good Vibrations" only! I had a feeling that the person or persons liberating the source tapes must have been working feverishly on the down-low, and that these sets were not going to be around for long. I reckoned I needed to get all of them. For this reason I traveled to record stores and underground outlets all over New York City, Singapore, Japan and Germany. As to the limited availability of the sets, I was right. Soon, the Sea of Tunes boxes were gone. Months later, I saw color-copy-covered CDR versions in some of my normal haunts, but those beautiful box sets were no more.

SMiLE was supposed to be the follow-up to the band's ridiculously good Pet Sounds album, released in 1966. Perhaps their biggest competition for youthful genius dominating the world at that time would have been the Beatles, who were in their Revolver-Sgt. Pepper's-Magical Mystery Tour phase, and to a minor degree the Rolling Stones, who were still in their pre-Their Satanic Majesties Request era.

Both the Beach Boys and the Beatles were aware of the other, and both were incredibly driven. The major difference was hands on deck; the Beatles had two Godzilla songwriters in Lennon and McCartney and a great one in Harrison. The Beach Boys had Brian Wilson. Though he collaborated with the extremely talented Van Dyke Parks, and other band members made contributions, Wilson carried the weight. Therein lies a biography that is at times fascinating and sad, and often imbued with a lot of pain.

Brian Wilson, a true, not-up-for-debate musical genius, was under immense pressure from Capitol, his bandmates and his own extremely high standards. The weight took its toll on Brian, whose adolescence is the stuff of nightmares, thanks to a violent father, who made Brian the target of his rage. He was the band's manager until 1964, when, at around age 22, Brian fired him.

And now my theory as to what happened to SMiLE. When you listen to these songs, at once you hear the breathtaking harmonies of the band, arrangements on the complexity level of a classical master composer, and lyrics that are heartfelt and sometimes whimsical but all completely unguarded. SMiLE, to me, is the work of a man trying desperately to hold on to himself as he struggles to navigate his great and fragile talent through a psychotic breakdown and corporate expectations. These songs are those of a man on a small boat, thousands of miles from any shoreline, sure of his navigational abilities but surrounded by the vast and turbulent ocean of his talent.
I think that at some point, he had so many parts that ultimately he didn't know what he had anymore and hit the ejector button. (Listen to "Good Vibrations" on headphones and trip on how many different sessions are seamlessly glued together.)
What we don't know and perhaps never will is if we are hearing the full version of the album exactly as Brian Wilson has envisioned it. Be that as it may, to hear all these songs in final mix, in sequence -- WOW. I have seen Brian Wilson play a couple of times. He still has it, in large quantities.

Even if you are not a Beach Boys fan, please, listen to SMiLE, all the way through, at least once. Totally worth the trip. What would have happened to the Beach Boys and the music world had SMiLE been released in 1967 or 1968 is one of those conceptual discussions that will have to wait until we are all stuck on the tour bus in the middle of one of those really long hauls. For now, a 40-plus-year-old labor of greatness has finally been brought to light. Prepare to SMiLE.

[BeatlesForever]

An excellent article by Henry Rollins:

Great article Joost, thanks for posting it.

[Joost]

Always great to see a glimpse of the old Brian.

[BeatlesForever]

Always great to see a glimpse of the old Brian.

Great pictures Joost, keep them coming!

[KelMar]

Carl Wilson was born on this date in 1946.

I'm glad Brian gave him this song.

#6 The Beach Boys - God Only Knows (Pet Sounds)

[BeatlesForever]

Carl Wilson was born on this date in 1946.

I'm glad Brian gave him this song.

#6 The Beach Boys - God Only Knows (Pet Sounds)

"God Only Knows" is one of the most beautiful songs ever written. Happy "B" Day Carl! R.I.P. Carl Dean Wilson, Born 21 December 1946, Died 6 February 1998 at age 51.

[BeatlesForever]

Here's a Christmas song from THE BEACH BOYS!

White Christmas - The Beach Boys

[Ovi]

Hey, everybody. A few Beach Boys questions here :

1) What's the story behind the famous "elements" from SMiLE? I know that we have Fire (or Mrs. O'leary's Cow), Water (or Love To Say Dada), but what about earth and wind? Is "Wind Chimes" supposed to be the wind one? And I read some stories saying that Vega Tables is supposed to be earth. Does anybody know for sure?

2)What happened to Brian after the 1976-1977 "comeback" (with "Big Ones" and "Love You"). He really seemed better, didn't he? I also saw the 1976 interview he had on "The Mike Douglas Show" in which he seemed SO fine and he was talking about his drug addiction so open, like he was 100% sure he won't fall into that pit again. I remember him saying something like "It's not worth it" about the cocaine use. I watched a few documentaries but my mind isn't yet clear about what really happened after 1977. I know that he went in 1982 (?) into Landy's surveillance.

I've listened lately to two Beach Boys albums from the 70's : "Carl and The Passions - So Tough" and "Love You". I like them both pretty much. I like the first one's sound, the soul/blues added to the Beach Boys sound fits perfectly in my opinion. I've never heard before of Blondie Chaplin or Ricky Fataar, but they both sound good here and seem to be a good addition to the band. "Love You", I think it's one of those albums that you have to know it's background to love it. Brian is back and he is allowed to do whatever he wants here. As Joost said a few pages ago on this thread when I asked his opinion on the album, the instrumentation is not very inspired and it's kind of annoying at times, though there is some good keyboard playing ("I'll Bet He's Nice). The lyrics are funny and I have no problem with them ("If Mars had live on it, I might find my wife on it"), how can you not love them. "The Night Was So Young" is gorgeous and "Good Time" is such a joyful piece of music and a very special song because it is showing Brian's voice as it was back then in 1970. Those two tracks are the stand-outs on "Love You" for me. All in all, both albums are good.

Oh, and here's my Beach Boys song of the moment :

Beach Boys - That Same Song (with gospel choir)

[Joost]

1) Nobody knows for sure. It could be that 'Wind Chimes' was indeed the air section and 'Love To Say Dada'/'Cool, Cool Water' the water section, but another theory is that The Elements was just an idea that Brian had and that only the fire section was ever realized.

2) Landy was fired in the late 70s because The Beach Boys and Brian's family thought that Brian was "cured". When he slipped back into his old lifestyle (and even deeper than before), Landy was rehired. Dennis Wilson's death was a real wakeup call for Brian.

If you like the influence that Blondie en Ricky had on the band, check out the untitled album of their own band, The Flame. It's out on CD and shouldn't be too hard to find. I personally don't really like it, but then again, I don't like their Beach Boys compositions either and most of the songs on the album are similar to those.

'Love You' was mostly therapy for Brian. Landy instructed him to write about whatever was on his mind (with some pretty bizarre results) and most of the 'Love You' tracks came out of that.

'That Same Song' is cool. Too bad the gospel choir isn't on the album version!

[Ovi]

2) Landy was fired in the late 70s because The Beach Boys and Brian's family thought that Brian was "cured". When he slipped back into his old lifestyle (and even deeper than before), Landy was rehired. Dennis Wilson's death was a real wakeup call for Brian.

Even though it's very sad, I find Brian's life very fascinating. It's one of those things that make you wonder and than read more about it. Thanks for the answer.

'That Same Song' is cool. Too bad the gospel choir isn't on the album version!

I've never heard 15 Big Ones. But now that you say it, it really is a shame, I think both the video and the song great and all the boys seem to be having fun. Even Brian is smiling at some point.

[BeatlesForever]

Here's another Christmas song from THE BEACH BOYS!

The Man With All The Toys By: The Beach Boys with Lyrics HQ

[Ovi]

I've never heard 15 Big Ones. But now that you say it, it really is a shame, I think both the video and the song great and all the boys seem to be having fun. Even Brian is smiling at some point.

[BeatlesForever]

Hi 5th Beatle! How are you? Merry Christmas! You should hear the 15 BIG ONES album on Youtube and be the judge if it is a good album. Me personally, the album doesn't do anything for me. Take care.   

[BeatlesForever]

Here's another Christmas song from THE BEACH BOYS!

The Beach Boys - Frosty the snowman

[Joost]

Hi 5th Beatle! How are you? Merry Christmas! You should hear the 15 BIG ONES album on Youtube and be the judge if it is a good album. Me personally, the album doesn't do anything for me. Take care.   

'It's OK', 'That Same Song' and 'Had To Phone Ya' are great songs, but I don't care much for the rest of the album. Especially 'Everyone's In Love With You' and 'TM Song', those are among the worst songs The Beach Boys ever released.