Opinons on what's false about what's written in WIBN: My Own Story

[cutterschoice]

Basically Gold - and he admitted this in Billboard - took other people's quotes and put them in Brian's mouth (his excuse was that he had to flesh out Brian's terse/monosyllabic interview responses).

When was it that Brian became so terse in his responses?
I've seen and heard early interviews where he's very talkative and articulate. Is it that, these days, Brian isn't just terse in interviews, but just in general?

Was it a sudden shift as a result of the abuse his mind was put through with the over-medication of psychotropic drugs, or a more gradual thing?

[cutterschoice]

You have to be pretty stupid to like this book because it has been conclusively proved to be a major sham.

I don't think you have to be stupid to like it, just ignorant of the facts. And you can't really blame anyone for that since the facts are sometimes difficult to establish, especially if you're just a casual fan.

[Bill Tobelman]

Have always wondered where Todd Gold got the info on Brian's LSD trip experiences. Can anyone tell me where these really are from?

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Obviously, people other than Brian!

[Bill Tobelman]

And the interaction with his astrologer Genevelyn must have been taken from another source as well. My guess is Gaines, but if not then maybe Landy invented it out of thin air possibly after he wrote "Eve Of Destruction."

The family fight about drug use seems to reek of Tennessee Williams influence (though I doubt it was him).

[cutterschoice]

Have always wondered where Todd Gold got the info on Brian's LSD trip experiences. Can anyone tell me where these really are from?

I don't think we can really know for sure. But Brian has mentioned some of them again in less detail, so at the very least there's elements of truth to the trips. Given that an LSD trip is such a powerful emotional experience, there are details you don't forget from the experience, so it's not unfathomable that Brian would recall things from them.

[Bill Tobelman]

Those trip experiences might be part of some court testimony or something like that.

Beyond that, my guess is that they came from Erich Segal, likely prior to LOVE STORY.

Experts please??

[Bill Tobelman]

The bio also places Dennis Wilson at the writing of "Surf's Up." Perhaps Mr. Stebbins will prove this incorrect for all of us.

We await the correction.

[Bill Tobelman]

Cutterschoice said:

I don't think we can really know for sure. But Brian has mentioned some of them again in less detail, so at the very least there's elements of truth to the trips. Given that an LSD trip is such a powerful emotional experience, there are details you don't forget from the experience, so it's not unfathomable that Brian would recall things from them.

I agree with you.

[Jon Stebbins]

And the interaction with his astrologer Genevelyn must have been taken from another source as well. My guess is Gaines, but if not then maybe Landy invented it out of thin air possibly after he wrote "Eve Of Destruction."

Her name is J'nevelyn Terrell. She was a good friend of David Marks' mother Jo Ann (who is also a psychic). Brian met her through Jo Ann, full details in the Dave Marks book.

[Bill Tobelman]

So she really did exist? Wow!!!

How about Dennis being at "Surf's Up"? Who's fantasy does that belong to?

[Jon Stebbins]

The bio also places Dennis Wilson at the writing of "Surf's Up." Perhaps Mr. Stebbins will prove this incorrect for all of us.

We await the correction.

Van Dyke Parks told me that when Brian first played the music for Surf's Up to him, that Dennis was there too. He also said the title was in a way a nod to Dennis and/or the fact that the image of "Surfing" had become uncool in the days of Swinging London.

[Jon Stebbins]

So she really did exist? Wow!!!

Yeah the psychic that consulted Brian regarding the release date of Heroes and Villains was J'nevelyn, and that story predates the WIBN bio by many years.

[Bill Tobelman]

I want to thank you Jon for responding.

My flippant posts are meant to show that not everything in the bio is incorrect.

The "Surf's Up" Dennis-was-there thing explains many of the song's lyrics.

I encourage you, Jon, to view the the stripped shirt thing through another lens given importance of "Surf's Up" & the BB's image at the time.

Think of "columnated ruins domino" vis a vis the stripped shirts, Koestler's puns/like a domino w/2 meanings/and the chessboard western shirts of the Beach Boys' SMiLE photos.

Anyway, just sayin'. Oh yeah, and thanks for being honest and speaking up!!!

[MBE]

Basically Gold - and he admitted this in Billboard - took other people's quotes and put them in Brian's mouth (his excuse was that he had to flesh out Brian's terse/monosyllabic interview responses).

When was it that Brian became so terse in his responses?
I've seen and heard early interviews where he's very talkative and articulate. Is it that, these days, Brian isn't just terse in interviews, but just in general?

Was it a sudden shift as a result of the abuse his mind was put through with the over-medication of psychotropic drugs, or a more gradual thing?

Brian was always slightly eccentric in interviews but before 1976 it wasn't glaring by rock star standards. His interviews could be strange from 76-82 but generally he seemed to be aware of what was being asked and knew how to react to it. After 1982 Brian's reactions become more odd and gradually he became less engaged by his surroundings. There are exceptions but you have to be very carefull with a post 1983 quote. I got him to talk a little because I covered music he usually didn't discuss much, but he wasn't nearly as through as I expect a pre second Landy term Brian would have been.

[Jay]

What about the story of Brian walking on the beach when he came up with the concept of "Til I DIe"? Is any of that true?

[Jay]

Basically Gold - and he admitted this in Billboard - took other people's quotes and put them in Brian's mouth (his excuse was that he had to flesh out Brian's terse/monosyllabic interview responses).

When was it that Brian became so terse in his responses?
I've seen and heard early interviews where he's very talkative and articulate. Is it that, these days, Brian isn't just terse in interviews, but just in general?

Was it a sudden shift as a result of the abuse his mind was put through with the over-medication of psychotropic drugs, or a more gradual thing?

Brian was always slightly eccentric in interviews but before 1976 it wasn't glaring by rock star standards. His interviews could be strange from 76-82 but generally he seemed to be aware of what was being asked and knew how to react to it. After 1982 Brian's reactions become more odd and gradually he became less engaged by his surroundings. There are exceptions but you have to be very carefull with a post 1983 quote. I got him to talk a little because I covered music he usually didn't discuss much, but he wasn't nearly as through as I expect a pre second Landy term Brian would have been.

I've seen and heard interviews of Brian up to 1985 where he seemed to be fairly talkative and "outgoing". After that, Landy's "medicine" started to become noticeable. I've seen a brief interview with Brian from a tv news broadcast about the 1993 box set, and he seems pretty active. He slurs his speech badly though. He also seems to be smoking. You never see the cigarette, but you can see smoke around him.

[Barnshine]

What about the story of Brian walking on the beach when he came up with the concept of "Til I DIe"? Is any of that true?

The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band on Stage and in the Studio states that Brian told the story in the press material for Surf's Up album, which of course makes the story credible, but I'll leave the confirmation to the people who know more about the topic.

[andy]

So she really did exist? Wow!!!

Yeah the psychic that consulted Brian regarding the release date of Heroes and Villains was J'nevelyn, and that story predates the WIBN bio by many years.

I haven't been around these parts in years. Would you mind sharing the backstory about H&V? Much appreciated.

[MBE]

It wasn't in any press story. Nobody knew publically that Brian was that depressed at the time. The story about Til I Die is false.

[Jay]

Does anybody have any contemporary press material from the period in question? Possibly Ian, or c-man?

[Andrew G. Doe]

The thing you have to bear in mind is that Brian's sole contribution to this thing was to be interviewed for several hours by Todd Gold. The proof copy with what were alleged to be his corrections is of highly questionable authenticity. Further, I was told by someone who was present that the vast majority of Brian's responses in those interviews were "yes", "no" and "I don't remember". Hence Gold's justification for stealing the work of other people, notably David Leaf and Steve Gaines, and using it uncredited. Gold also pillaged the rock press on both sides of the Atlantic 1963-1990 to put words into Brian's mouth, or to use something he had indeed said, but in another context entirely. This is one of the times when being the retentive geek I am pays off: back in 1991, when I first read it, I was recognising whole passages from the Leaf & Gaines books, realised what was happening and blew the whistle in my Stomp review. A "White Paper" in the October 5th 1991 edition of Billboard was particularly damning.

[The Heartical Don]

In its own way its a fun read, but only if you know the gist of the real story. As AGD noted, 'borrowing' stuff uncredited from others is unforgivable. And that it's so well distributed to 'laypersons' (i.e. non-SSnet folks), is not so good either.

But to me it's also laughable, the story of the good doctor intervening and saving BWs life, who purportedly was turning yellow, weighing 1000 kilos, and had no lungs anymore. With all the psychobabble that came with that. I seem to recall some of Brian's 'own words', in which he explains his OCD-symptoms in a surprisingly lucid manner - in other words, Brian would never have been able to report such a diagnosis.

And who the heck is 'Seymore Stein'? Didn't they even have time for a name spelling check?

I like the photo of Landy hugging Brian in that hammock, though. I bet the words '50%' and 'last will and testament' went through his head at the time...

[Jay]

I've always wondered what kind of "therapy" went on between Landy and Brian in a private one on one setting.

Actually, I may not want to know....

[The Heartical Don]

I've always wondered what kind of "therapy" went on between Landy and Brian in a private one on one setting.

Actually, I may not want to know....

Reportedly, they played a lot of chess. And read Shakespeare.