The decline in Brian's piano playing

[ghost]

What happened to Brian's keyboard skills? There's a 1990ish performance of God Only Knows where Brian is looking real smart in a jacket and those Pet Sounds glasses, he plays very nicely and shows few signs of the strange playing he has demonstrated since and before in the 70s. I heard something of him playing piano and he sounded not much better than how I play. That is not a compliment from a musician's perspective really. To non musicians I can sound good playing, as would Brian, but to musicians I am obviously unlearned and just finding my way around it not with much knowledge. One thing I would personally enjoy far more than a full band production is a Brian solo album, even if just released online, or things he's recorded alone at home. I like hearing him alone writing music or playing what he likes.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

I've wondered about that, and also about his seeming inability these days to play and sing at the same time.

Meh...he IS getting older.

[ghost]

I've wondered about that, and also about his seeming inability these days to play and sing at the same time.

Meh...he IS getting older.

Paul McCartney still doing raunchy renditions of the Charles Manson theme would disagree with you there...

There's something weird going on with it... he was a competent keyboardist in the 60s perhaps just from obsessive playing for the good of his career and over time it declined through neglect. He's always had his own uniquely simplistic style the way he taps out the rhythym with his right hand and his left hand right brain does all these crazy abstract bass movements that take your mind everywhere. He displayed this a little on the Mike Douglas show when he seemed to want to cut the sh*t and get the Sloop John B groove going somethin good, and for once he and the band grooved nicely for a bit and Brian played the bass line from the Pet Sounds version and it is very exciting to hear him display such an obvious knowledge of his instrument. These days... he's lifeless. The Heroes and Villains he played in a deep red shirt at a piano in a bluely lit darkish room with white socks and black shoes and black jeans was weird.... his big fish hands lightly tapping the chords instead of pounding the life out of them like Brian Wilson rock & roll mad genius in the HUmble Harv demo... what's up with that...

[Mike's Beard]

I've wondered about that, and also about his seeming inability these days to play and sing at the same time.

Meh...he IS getting older.

I'm more concerned when I see him having to read autocue when singing something like Good Vibrations.

[ghost]

His autocue also says things like, "Inhale, Exhale, Inhale, Exhale..." right?

Stand up. Sit Down. Smile. Do weird hand motions. Mok Mike Love-isms. Pretend to play piano, don't worry, it's not plugged into the mix.

[I don't mean to insult Brian if he really is at the point of oldism where he needs baby cards to tell him what to do but to me personally it all comes off as Brian's circus management keeping their performance bear from getting too eccentric - too much like, you know, himself.

If Brian Wilson was left to his own whims in presenting an audience performance art & music he would first lecture on Phil Spector for 45 minutes and then play Be My Baby on the piano several hundred times to make sure you really GET IT.

[juggler]

Eight years ago or so, this same subject came up on the old Smile shop board, and folks were complaining, "Hey, what's the deal with Brian's piano playing?  It's like he can barely play."

 I remember the late Bob Hanes explaining that Brian can (and does) still play beautifully.  Bob described watching Brian play flawlessly for an hour or so in a nearly empty venue before or after some show.   Whether it's due to stress or anxiety or some other reason, Brian's playing that YOU see at a live show (or when a camera is on) is not representative of his true ability.   This probably won't be a satisfying answer for some people, but the truth is often complicated.

[ghost]

Eight years ago or so, this same subject came up on the old Smile shop board, and folks were complaining, "Hey, what's the deal with Brian's piano playing?  It's like he can barely play."

 I remember the late Bob Hanes explaining that Brian can (and does) still play beautifully.  Bob described watching Brian play flawlessly for an hour or so in a nearly empty venue before or after some show.   Whether it's due to stress or anxiety or some other reason, Brian's playing that YOU see at a live show (or when a camera is on) is not representative of his true ability.   This probably won't be a satisfying answer for some people, but the truth is often complicated.

Oh I can understand that - when I play piano around others I feel more inclined to do other things than I would in private. But I heard something that was not in a live situation and it still had a very disrupted disjointed unsure uncertain 'few years of experience' sound to it. That's just how it sounded to me. My initial impression really was, this sounds just like me playing. And I hate how badly I play.

[ghost]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOKJ-LJh4YE&feature=related

Wow, Danny Hutton & Brian should've done an album together, their voices are beautiful together and they have such a good friendship! Wow, what a great performance, Brian's voice is so good. Just so good.

LOVE DANNY'S SMILE AT THE END WHEN HE REALIZES AND INHALES DEEPLY - I JUST MADE MAGIC WITH BRIAN WILSON ONCE AGAIN. DING DANG HALLELUJAH.

[hypehat]

Eight years ago or so, this same subject came up on the old Smile shop board, and folks were complaining, "Hey, what's the deal with Brian's piano playing?  It's like he can barely play."

 I remember the late Bob Hanes explaining that Brian can (and does) still play beautifully.  Bob described watching Brian play flawlessly for an hour or so in a nearly empty venue before or after some show.   Whether it's due to stress or anxiety or some other reason, Brian's playing that YOU see at a live show (or when a camera is on) is not representative of his true ability.   This probably won't be a satisfying answer for some people, but the truth is often complicated.

Pretty much this. There are tales of BW being able to play Rhapsody in Blue in it's entirety - he's a very good piano player to do that from study alone, as is the story.

[Pearlfisher David]

I wonder if the difference is that BW is just not that interested in being a musician per se. Sure he can play a bit when he needs to / feels like it but why would you bother honing technical playing skills when you can hear that in your head and get those guys to help play it / realise it so beautifully for you. There are plenty great artist writers who don't really cut it as musicians and some amazing musicians who couldn't conceive of a plate of scrambled eggs on toast without a score to tell them how and when. Even if there is a decline in the playing the artistic modus operandi seems fairly unchanged to me.
And there's a difference between needing Autocue and wanting Autocue isn't there? When BW started touring I heard from reliable source that he tended to make less mistakes when the screen failed. In one of my lines (broadcasting) they talk about pre-record vs live and the analogy of the tightrope walker - if there's a safety net you tend to fall...
As for him getting older - well, no way to dispute that.  

[37!ws]

Regarding the prompter...that's pretty standard. I've mentioned it time and time again on other fora, but MANY artists use prompters. In fact, on one of Paul McCartney's tour DVDs, there's a scene in which he's going over the "Hey Jude" lyrics on the prompter and correcting them. Conan O'Brien actually had his cue card guy make a cue card that said "We'll be right back" -- Gilbert Gottfried had a blast pointing that out. "Look at what a genius this guy is!" (shows the cue card to the audience). And of course, the 25th anniversary show: every single word, spoken and sung, on cue cards.

Years ago Foskett (I think; don't quote me on that) said that Brian's prompter only has the setlist on it...three problems with that: 1) why use an expensive piece of technology to just put the setlist on it when a piece of paper on a brightly-lit stage will work fine?, 2) Why didn't the REST of the band have same?, and 3) David Feldman had a front row seat at one of Brian's shows and had full view of Brian's teleprompter. He said not only did it scroll the lyrics, but it also had directions on it, such as "exit to the left," "talk here," etc. (During one of the Pet Sounds shows in 2000, it was clear that Brian's teleprompter indeed scrolled the lyrics -- and was messed up -- because he somehow awkwardly and inexplicably sang a line from "Love And Mercy" right in the middle of "That's Not Me.")

And wasn't it on February 20, 2004 in London when during the encore they were just about to start do it again and Brian stopped everybody and said his teleprompter died? Jeff said, "Brian, you KNOW 'Do It Again'!" And they performed it anyway, and Brian indeed did know it.

In 2008, Brian played at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York with only five of the guys playing behind him. Besides several band members missing, two other things were missing: Brian's two teleprompters. He didn't use prompters AT ALL that night. It was clear that for the most part he indeed didn't need them, although there were one or two times when he forgot a word and Scott (who was on drums that night) stepped in and doubled/saved him, and I think it was only on the new tracks from the yet-to-be-released That Lucky Old Sun. Otherwise he was flawless.

And remember, it's one thing to be able to play piano and sing at the same time; it's another to play piano and sing consecutively while being watched by a huge crowd of people when you're in a normally uncomfortable situation in the first place.

[ghost]

Good post upside down Smile.

[37!ws]

 

[WaxOn]

...Years ago Foskett (I think; don't quote me on that) said that Brian's prompter only has the setlist on it...

Well, I watched the prompter for a good 30 minutes just 3 weeks ago, and it had a lot more than the setlist as I mentioned in my review.
It had lyrics to many songs but not all, apparently only the ones that Brian forgets. He still did. It also had instructions like [Brian Plays Piano] and [Brian Waves To Crowd, Exits Stage Right <----------] arrow pointing stage right. Pretty funny. Anyway, when he did forget the lyrics he smacked his forehead and muttered something as the lyrics were right there.

Basically he was completely ignoring the screen as it was one of his "on" nights. He also really, really played the keyboards, except for instrumentals and solos. After hearing so much about how it was unplugged, they just prop him up there - etc. It was nice to find out that these stories should be taken with a grain of salt. He played about as much as he could given the framework of the band that night, and really went at it for the Gershwin set. Ok, when he picked up the bass, he only played a few chords.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

I don't think Brian really cares about being a musician per se.

He's a writer/producer/singer and with him it's all about the end result/product, which is a combination of many many elements.

Being "good" at any particular instrument isn't something he's probably ever really worried about (beyond 1964-65 at least).

[oldsurferdude]

Just a doggone shame he cannot live up to our expectations. Let's pile on some more and then let's do more after we're done with more piling on.  It feels good to do this and makes me feel like I'm the ultra-authority on this subject. How about when he sings off key or writes a song that we as, a group of experts, don't think is very good. Why not initiate a thread based on things that he does that aren't the same as he did whem he was young and just what in the hell is  wrong with him anymore? 

[ghost]

Just a doggone shame he cannot live up to our expectations. Let's pile on some more and then let's do more after we're done with more piling on.  It feels good to do this and makes me feel like I'm the ultra-authority on this subject. How about when he sings off key or writes a song that we as, a group of experts, don't think is very good. Why not initiate a thread based on things that he does that aren't the same as he did whem he was young and just what in the hell is  wrong with him anymore? 

f*** off dumbass. If you think I of all people here hate on Brian for changing, evolving, progressing in his music since the mythical glory days then you've clearly never read any of my posts. I'm all for Brian letting his hair down and doing anything he wants. What this thread was about is what appeared to be a decline in his playing skills. I wondered what the cause was for it - such as the Landy drugs that gave him tardive dyskensia {sp}. I don't even think Brian did his best work in the mythical glory days - give me Melt Away or Being With The One You Love over anything on Pet Sounds.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

I think OSD is (in his own way, mind you) just speaking of the general (and steadily evolving in the opposite direction) sort of "disappointment" in Brian that has been something of a Beach Boys camp factor for too long now.... Like when I first became a fan, all anyone would talk about was "Why did Brian never give us another Pet Sounds" waaaa waaaa waaaa" It's insulting to Brian and us fans who embrace the whole picture.... Thank God it's not quite the thing anymore.

[oldsurferdude]

Just a doggone shame he cannot live up to our expectations. Let's pile on some more and then let's do more after we're done with more piling on.  It feels good to do this and makes me feel like I'm the ultra-authority on this subject. How about when he sings off key or writes a song that we as, a group of experts, don't think is very good. Why not initiate a thread based on things that he does that aren't the same as he did whem he was young and just what in the hell is  wrong with him anymore? 

f*ck off dumbass. If you think I of all people here hate on Brian for changing, evolving, progressing in his music since the mythical glory days then you've clearly never read any of my posts. I'm all for Brian letting his hair down and doing anything he wants. What this thread was about is what appeared to be a decline in his playing skills. I wondered what the cause was for it - such as the Landy drugs that gave him tardive dyskensia {sp}. I don't even think Brian did his best work in the mythical glory days - give me Melt Away or Being With The One You Love over anything on Pet Sounds.

Hey, put your ugly freakin' head between your two speakers, play Love You real loud and while your stupid ears are still ringin', walk around thinkin' up some more  pathetic posts and while you're at it find a taller bridge a-hole.

[FatherOfTheMan Sr101]

I was sitting in a crummy thread with my hand on my chin...
A lot of people out there trolling and it really ticks me.

Love and Mercy is all that you need tonight

[ghost]

Just a doggone shame he cannot live up to our expectations. Let's pile on some more and then let's do more after we're done with more piling on.  It feels good to do this and makes me feel like I'm the ultra-authority on this subject. How about when he sings off key or writes a song that we as, a group of experts, don't think is very good. Why not initiate a thread based on things that he does that aren't the same as he did whem he was young and just what in the hell is  wrong with him anymore? 

f*ck off dumbass. If you think I of all people here hate on Brian for changing, evolving, progressing in his music since the mythical glory days then you've clearly never read any of my posts. I'm all for Brian letting his hair down and doing anything he wants. What this thread was about is what appeared to be a decline in his playing skills. I wondered what the cause was for it - such as the Landy drugs that gave him tardive dyskensia {sp}. I don't even think Brian did his best work in the mythical glory days - give me Melt Away or Being With The One You Love over anything on Pet Sounds.

Hey, put your ugly freakin' head between your two speakers, play Love You real loud and while your stupid ears are still ringin', walk around thinkin' up some more  pathetic posts and while you're at it find a taller bridge a-hole.

will do

[runnersdialzero]

Sure he can play a bit when he needs to / feels like it but why would you bother honing technical playing skills when you can hear that in your head and get those guys to help play it / realise it so beautifully for you.

This is exactly why.

There are plenty great artist writers who don't really cut it as musicians and some amazing musicians who couldn't conceive of a plate of scrambled eggs on toast without a score to tell them how and when. Even if there is a decline in the playing the artistic modus operandi seems fairly unchanged to me.

Well said.

[runnersdialzero]

while you're at it find a taller bridge a-hole.

Not necessary.

[oldsurferdude]

while you're at it find a taller bridge a-hole.

Not necessary.

Uh, but "f*uck off dumbass" was?  

[runnersdialzero]

while you're at it find a taller bridge a-hole.

Not necessary.

Uh, but "f*uck off dumbass" was?  

I didn't say that.