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

[bgas]

Brian said he wanted to promote vegetables & health because "health is an important ingredient in spiritual enlightenment."

Brian's favorite book, Arthur Koestler's The Act Of Creation, outlines the logic behind laughter and lays out how achieve art which gets the desired result. Epiphanies are possible.

The SMiLE project employs the tools set forth by Koestler: from the pun, the visual pun, through animal impersonations, and a child's word for father "dada".....it's all there.

Haven't read this, don't plan to: still, I'm curious where and when Brian proclaimed this as his Favourite; was it recently or in the distant past?

[rab2591]

Brian said he wanted to promote vegetables & health because "health is an important ingredient in spiritual enlightenment."

Brian's favorite book, Arthur Koestler's The Act Of Creation, outlines the logic behind laughter and lays out how achieve art which gets the desired result. Epiphanies are possible.

The SMiLE project employs the tools set forth by Koestler: from the pun, the visual pun, through animal impersonations, and a child's word for father "dada".....it's all there.

Haven't read this, don't plan to: still, I'm curious where and when Brian proclaimed this as his Favourite; was it recently or in the distant past?

It was the distant past - thus during and before the SMiLE era. I remember reading not too long ago that Brian's favourite book was Koestler's The Act Of Creation when growing up...Wish i could give the source - perhaps Bill or someone else has it.

[bgas]

Brian said he wanted to promote vegetables & health because "health is an important ingredient in spiritual enlightenment."

Brian's favorite book, Arthur Koestler's The Act Of Creation, outlines the logic behind laughter and lays out how achieve art which gets the desired result. Epiphanies are possible.

The SMiLE project employs the tools set forth by Koestler: from the pun, the visual pun, through animal impersonations, and a child's word for father "dada".....it's all there.

Haven't read this, don't plan to: still, I'm curious where and when Brian proclaimed this as his Favourite; was it recently or in the distant past?

It was the distant past - thus during and before the SMiLE era. I remember reading not too long ago that Brian's favourite book was Koestler's The Act Of Creation when growing up...Wish i could give the source - perhaps Bill or someone else has it.

SO, not currently?  A once upon a time thing, then. Tho, I suppose, a good basis for Smile, if true. 

[Andrew G. Doe]

Brian said he wanted to promote vegetables & health because "health is an important ingredient in spiritual enlightenment."

Brian's favorite book, Arthur Koestler's The Act Of Creation, outlines the logic behind laughter and lays out how achieve art which gets the desired result. Epiphanies are possible.

The SMiLE project employs the tools set forth by Koestler: from the pun, the visual pun, through animal impersonations, and a child's word for father "dada".....it's all there.

Haven't read this, don't plan to: still, I'm curious where and when Brian proclaimed this as his Favourite; was it recently or in the distant past?

It was the distant past - thus during and before the SMiLE era. I remember reading not too long ago that Brian's favourite book was Koestler's The Act Of Creation when growing up...Wish i could give the source - perhaps Bill or someone else has it.

SO, not currently?  A once upon a time thing, then. Tho, I suppose, a good basis for Smile, if true.  

From The New York (not The New Yorker) Magazine, August 2005:

NYM: Can you tell me what sort of literature affected you when you were growing up in Hawthorne, California?

BDW: The Act of Creation, by Arthur Koestler, and it turned me on to some very special things. It explains that people attach their egos to their sense of humor before anything else. After I read it, I saw that trait in many people.

NYM:It made you look at people differently?

BDW: Yes. The book’s about the logic of laughter, and I noticed that people are very self-conscious about being funny. They sort of watch themselves as they’re being funny, and there’s even a competition—it’s [affects tone of mock horror] “You’re funnier than me?!" I think [seeing] a sense of humor is important to understanding what kind of person someone is. Studying metaphysics was also crucial, but Koestler’s book really was the big one for me.

Whole interview is here

Remember, at El Camino CC, Brian's major was psychology.

[John Manning]

The demo recording for "Vega-Tables" includes a laugh track which puts both health & laughter together (two ingredients for spiritual enlightenment).

There's also that hummed laughter backing vox line in the finished version - one of my favourite SMiLE moments – which if isolated would be almost chant-like. Love it!

[bgas]

Brian said he wanted to promote vegetables & health because "health is an important ingredient in spiritual enlightenment."

Brian's favorite book, Arthur Koestler's The Act Of Creation, outlines the logic behind laughter and lays out how achieve art which gets the desired result. Epiphanies are possible.

The SMiLE project employs the tools set forth by Koestler: from the pun, the visual pun, through animal impersonations, and a child's word for father "dada".....it's all there.

Haven't read this, don't plan to: still, I'm curious where and when Brian proclaimed this as his Favourite; was it recently or in the distant past?

It was the distant past - thus during and before the SMiLE era. I remember reading not too long ago that Brian's favourite book was Koestler's The Act Of Creation when growing up...Wish i could give the source - perhaps Bill or someone else has it.

SO, not currently?  A once upon a time thing, then. Tho, I suppose, a good basis for Smile, if true.  

From The New York (not The New Yorker) Magazine, August 2005:

NYM: Can you tell me what sort of literature affected you when you were growing up in Hawthorne, California?

BDW: The Act of Creation, by Arthur Koestler, and it turned me on to some very special things. It explains that people attach their egos to their sense of humor before anything else. After I read it, I saw that trait in many people.

NYM:It made you look at people differently?

BDW: Yes. The book’s about the logic of laughter, and I noticed that people are very self-conscious about being funny. They sort of watch themselves as they’re being funny, and there’s even a competition—it’s [affects tone of mock horror] “You’re funnier than me?!" I think [seeing] a sense of humor is important to understanding what kind of person someone is. Studying metaphysics was also crucial, but Koestler’s book really was the big one for me.

Whole interview is here

Remember, at El Camino CC, Brian's major was psychology.

Heck, based on reading that, it just might be his most influential book ever.

[Bill Tobelman]

One interesting thing about Koestler's way of thinking is that in humor you need some energy to make it work. "A drop of adrenaline" is part of the equation.

This may well explain Brian's health & vegetables & fitness "obsessions."

Also note when Brian doesn't work out or eat right (while at the same time promoting such lifestyle choices) it makes sense. Brian has already been spiritually enlightened, he doesn't need to do those things.

[18thofMay]

I wonder what direction of enlightenment he was taken on after he read the Bible or his porno stash?

[bgas]

I wonder what direction of enlightenment he was taken on after he read the Bible or his porno stash?

Do we know that he read either of those?

[Bill Tobelman]

A likely scenario is that Brian revisited his bookstore riddle to find "the answer." But you'd have to give the discredited biography's account of the flashback a chance of credibility to benefit from that idea.

I understand why folks aren't likely do do that but make no mistake: the idea of people doing such things in the 60's is a credible one.

'"Not many people take more than three or four trips a year. Some fast a little beforehand, or read Huxley or dwell on Zen koan to limber up the brain; others say they concentrate mainly on their own psychological "hang-ups."'

~Barry Farrell, "Scientists, Theologians, Mystics Swept Up in a Psychic Revolution." LIFE, March 25, 1966: 31.

[18thofMay]

I wonder what direction of enlightenment he was taken on after he read the Bible or his porno stash?

Do we know that he read either of those?

Yes

[Bill Tobelman]

Someone agreed with me about this:

I must be a jerk to not be able to get this idea across (13 years I've been at it).

It's a start.

[Bill Tobelman]

Don't you guys think that an album with the ability to 'turn you on' is EXACTLY what "The Moment" & the Summer Of Love were all about?

Brian nailed it!!!!!!!!

[Mike's Beard]

I wonder what direction of enlightenment he was taken on after he read the Bible or his porno stash?

Do we know that he read either of those?

You don't read porn, you just look at the pictures. And rapidly lose interest after 3-5 minutes....

[bgas]

I wonder what direction of enlightenment he was taken on after he read the Bible or his porno stash?

Do we know that he read either of those?

You don't read porn, you just look at the pictures. And rapidly lose interest after 3-5 minutes....

Ahh, a lightweight... you need to make it last

[Bill Tobelman]

My guess is that when VDP said this:

"You know, any sane magician would never reveal his method of deception. And I don't think that a sensible musician would either."

He was referring to (at least as far as SMiLE goes) The Act Of Creation.

[MrRobinsonsFather]

If you read through the acknowledgments you'll find "Brian" says Al, Bruce, Danny Hutton & Van Dyke Parks all shared memories with him for this book.
Have any of them ever commented about their involvement with this book ?
(I know I've asked this earlier on in this tread but no one replied)

Here's it is:
"Danny Hutton, who graciously contributed his recollections of a past both of us have long put behind us: Van Dyke Parks and Tony Asher,......who assisted by remembering details that might've been overlooked....Al Jardine and Bruce Johnston  shared their memories with me for inclusion in this book"

I've only asked this because there are conversations with Hutton & Parks that could be true.

[Andrew G. Doe]

I think you'll find that in this instance "shared" and "contributed" means "via previously published interviews that my co-author has shamelessly appropriated".

He also thanks Gary Usher who had been dead for close on a year when the book was published and was in no condition to be interviewed while the book was being 'written'.

[MrRobinsonsFather]

haha very true,
its mainly the conversation with danny that raises my eyebrow, the one where Brian's really depressed at one of his parties.