Will / should Brian retire (touring) after the 2012 reunion?

[Lowbacca]

Since it was kinda off-topic in the "Taylor Mills"-thread, I'm just starting a new topic on the possibility of Brian retiring (in some way) after the reunion shenanigans of 2012.
To quote myself:

Maybe that's what eventually made him join the BBs fo the reunion. The amount of money he's going to make in 2012 might be enough to leave the road for good. He's never been 100% comfortable on tour (especially the greatest hits summer jobs), and while there where a lot of fine performances and entire tours that really rocked, in the end he did it for the money mostly. He said so in numerous interviews, and oftentimes seemed rather nervous when answering the "Do you (still) like touring?" question. I'd love to know him being busy doin' nothing for the rest of his life (maybe another studio album or two, if he's feeling inspired). Just sitting in front of his living room piano, banging the keys to some odd song he hears in his head, and playing with his kids/dogs. And if Mike, Al & Bruce are in the general area for a gig, pay them a visit. Cause Mike's going to be onstage in a wheelchair. That much we know for sure.

I very much enjoyed seeing him and the band twice (more than that, those probably were two of the best days of my life..), but somehow I think Brian would be happier at home. The reasons are obvious.
What do you think?

[SMiLE Brian]

Brian should be able to retire on his own terms and work in the studio if he feels like it. He could do some sonic experiments or finally make his "rock and roll" album.

[Lowbacca]

Brian should be able to retire on his own terms and work in the studio if he feels like it. He could do some sonic experiments or finally make his "rock and roll" album.

Yeah, that's what I would like to see as well. He could spend a few years to make it (à la Postcard) and keep recording until he's satisfied. Could be no concept, no suite, nothing of that sort, just a few separate cool rock&roll tracks. An album of "Message Men", maybe. Or anything else.

[Iron Horse-Apples]

In a perfect world, Brian should do what makes him happy.

[Pretty Funky]

Not sure about retiring but he sure as hell could have swapped mic's with Jeff while no one was watching!

[MBE]

Brian has nothing left to prove to anyone as a solo artist. I don't know why he should keep touring if he doesn't like it.

[Ron]

I don't think Brian will retire touring after this reunion.  Whether he should or not isn't my place to say.

[urbanite]

The answer to this question depends on how things go with 50th tour.  Even if Brian decides that his touring days are over, he seems to have more than a little interest in writing music and occasionally being involved in the production of it.

[Wirestone]

This is a complicated issue. But there are a handful of facts to consider first.

1.) Brian has never toured heavily as a solo artist. He has averaged a two or three months' worth of shows a year since he's started touring. Most people would consider someone who doesn't work for an average of 9 or 10 months a year retired already. (The one exception, so far, was the year BWPS came out.)

2.) He has taken entire years off from touring. In 2003, he did three shows. In 2006, he did 11. I'm also pretty sure he didn't tour much in 2010, although I can't find the figures for it. This is not the portrait of a man being pressured against all reason to head out on the road.

3.) AGD has stated that Brian enjoys everything about touring except the actual performing. I have no reason to doubt this, particularly -- Brian has never said that he find performing a wholly enjoyable thing. He has said he enjoys the standing ovations and feedback from his crowds, however.

4.) The two years mentioned previously -- 2003 and 2006 -- that Brian took off from touring are when he produced GIOMH, the BWPS sequence, and all the songs for the TLOS project.

5.) There have been tours that have been extraordinary (the 2009 fall U.S. dates, most of the Smile shows, the PS Live jaunt in 2000), where it was clear Brian was functioning on a high level creatively. There have been tours (especially the attempt for a few years to turn him into a summer hits machine) where he has, by reasonable standards, been running through the motions.

6.) Brian's tours have never made huge amounts of money. I seem to recall that his U.S. jaunts have never made money (and in fact lost it), and that his overseas trips are pretty much the only ones that turn a profit.

7.) Melinda has been very clear that they don't book Brian to tour unless he wants to go out. But given that you're dealing with someone with mental illness, it's entirely possible that he might agree to do shows at one point and then not want to do them at a later point.

If you take all of these things together, you have a very shaded picture. There have been tradeoffs made from all sides, including Brian's. I feel very strongly that -- taken in total -- Brian has not been exploited over the past dozen years of touring. I think all sides involved -- from the wifeandmanagers to his band and its various factions -- want him to do well and feel the appreciation of fans.

But we can't deny that the touring has been more erratic in quality than you might expect -- it was a very smooth upward trajectory the first three or four or five years. It then bounced around for the rest of the 2000s -- sometimes you get a great tour, sometimes you get a poor one. And while it was likely a transformative experience for Brian at the beginning to experience fans' love of him and him alone, you get the impression he really doesn't require reinforcement on that front anymore.

On the other hand, he's been extremely productive in the studio. You could say that many of his records from the past 10 years came about directly because he had built up trust with his touring group. But (yet again), if he hadn't toured, he might have been driven to write more original material.

I think everyone (again, including Brian) has done their best. I don't think Brian will ever stop playing or recording entirely. I think he's still driven, to some extent. I do expect that the touring will probably taper off a bit -- maybe only a month or so of shows each year, or a couple of weeks.

Looking back, I think Brian overall should probably have toured less. I think a few more years off would have allowed for more original records, and for more energized solo tours when they were arranged. But I don't know how that applies to the future. It all has to do with what we value -- more original material, more new recordings, or more celebration of the pristine music of the past. I'm not sure there's a single right answer.

We want there to be this one answer. We want this to be simple. We want Brian to be exploited or in command of his destiny. Yet the man's entire life has been one of someone continually clinging to others and forcing them to make hard decisions for him. This won't be any different.

[MBE]

Interesting post Wirestone, it covers all the issues. I saw Brian three times in 1999, 2004, and 2008 and he really was good but at the last show I could tell he was really bored by everything but TLOS and some of the really obscure songs. I didn't notice that at all the other times. Still I am really looking forward to finally seeing everyone together, I saw them with Carl, Mike, Al, and Bruce, but never with Brian or David.

[Wirestone]

Interesting post Wirestone, it covers all the issues. I saw Brian three times in 1999, 2004, and 2008 and he really was good but at the last show I could tell he was really bored by everything but TLOS and some of the really obscure songs. I didn't notice that at all the other times. Still I am really looking forward to finally seeing everyone together, I saw them with Carl, Mike, Al, and Bruce, but never with Brian or David.

Yeah, I head the Gershwin shows were like that too. For the record, I saw him in 2000 (PS with symphony -- awesome show), 2001 with Paul Simon (kind of dud outdoors show, frankly), 2004 with Smile (impressive, although the band did a lot), 2007 with Al doing PS again (pretty cool, although you could tell BW was irked with AJ), summer 2008 hits show (very much "let's get this done with," although well-sung), and two of the fall 2009 shows, which blew the rest of the ones I'd seen away.

It struck me how difficult it must be to be Brian -- imagine knowing that you're capable of kickass shows and writing at the age of 66 or 67. And yet imagine knowing that your mental illness will make that impossible a notable percentage of the time. Tough to contemplate.

[Outtasight!]

I just can't go along with the arguement that Brian tours for the money, c'mon people he is unbelievably minted. The profits from his tours are small change to a man of his wealth. All I can say is that out of the 15 shows I've seen him perform, three are the greatest shows I have ever seen anyone perform, 11 were excellent and 1 was poor, namely the Liverpool pops show. If Brian didn't want to tour he wouldn't tour, he may be encouraged but I can't ever believe he is ordered to tour against his wishes. To answer the question asked by the post, whatever Brian's decision, I'm cool with it. He's given me more than I could ever have expected, will I turn up for more if he wants to tour again in the UK, you betcha!

[Runaways]

I hope he can make it through this tour.  It helps that he won't be singing nearly as much with the rest of the band there

[AndrewHickey]

Interesting post Wirestone, it covers all the issues. I saw Brian three times in 1999, 2004, and 2008 and he really was good but at the last show I could tell he was really bored by everything but TLOS and some of the really obscure songs. I didn't notice that at all the other times. Still I am really looking forward to finally seeing everyone together, I saw them with Carl, Mike, Al, and Bruce, but never with Brian or David.

Yeah, I head the Gershwin shows were like that too. For the record, I saw him in 2000 (PS with symphony -- awesome show), 2001 with Paul Simon (kind of dud outdoors show, frankly), 2004 with Smile (impressive, although the band did a lot), 2007 with Al doing PS again (pretty cool, although you could tell BW was irked with AJ), summer 2008 hits show (very much "let's get this done with," although well-sung), and two of the fall 2009 shows, which blew the rest of the ones I'd seen away.

The Gershwin show I saw actually had Brian very engaged, unlike the 2008 hits show at the Albert Hall, which was just horrible (the band as well as Brian - they messed up Heroes & Villains appalingly). The most engaged I've seen him was in 2007, with the TLOS premiere, but he does seem in general to prefer to be singing stuff other than the hits -- and who can blame him? He probably never needs to hear Surfin' USA ever again.

[oldsurferdude]

I always hoped that someday he'd do a show (with his band) of material he wanted to do-the more obscure tunes, not the standard fare of hits that have been run into the ground that  seems to bore him to death. He could most likely fill small venues with well promoted mini tours of selected songs from Today all the way through to the Disney CD. Let Myke and his tribe sweat to the oldies.

[stack-o-tracks]

Thanks to the magic of Disney animatronics, Brian Wilson will continue touring for another 50 years.

[runnersdialzero]

In a perfect world, Brian should do what makes him happy.

</thread>

[Andrew G. Doe]

In a perfect world, Brian should do what makes him happy.

No - in a perfect world, Brian should do what we think makes him happy.

[Andrew G. Doe]

2.) He has taken entire years off from touring. In 2003, he did three shows. In 2006, he did 11. I'm also pretty sure he didn't tour much in 2010, although I can't find the figures for it. This is not the portrait of a man being pressured against all reason to head out on the road.

1998 -   1
1999 - 24 [ 4 overseas]
2000 - 43 (mostly Pet Sounds)
2001 - 31 (29 supporting Paul Simon)
2002 - 41 [30 overseas] (mostly Pet Sounds)
2003 -   3
2004 - 72 [46 overseas] (mostly BWPS)
2005 - 45 [25 overseas] (mostly BWPS)
2006 - 11 [ 2 overseas]
2007 - 39 [26 overseas] (some TLOS)
2008 - 37 [ 7 overseas] (mostly TLOS)
2009 - 38 [13 overseas]
2010 -   8 [ 6 overseas]
2011 - 38 [12 overseas] (mostly BWRG)
2012 - 60 [12 overseas] (BB C50)

[endofposts]

2.) He has taken entire years off from touring. In 2003, he did three shows. In 2006, he did 11. I'm also pretty sure he didn't tour much in 2010, although I can't find the figures for it. This is not the portrait of a man being pressured against all reason to head out on the road.

1998 -   1
1999 - 24 [ 4 overseas]
2000 - 43 (mostly Pet Sounds)
2001 - 31 (29 supporting Paul Simon)
2002 - 41 [30 overseas] (mostly Pet Sounds)
2003 -   3
2004 - 72 [46 overseas] (mostly BWPS)
2005 - 45 [25 overseas] (mostly BWPS)
2006 - 11 [ 2 overseas]
2007 - 39 [26 overseas] (some TLOS)
2008 - 37 [ 7 overseas] (mostly TLOS)
2009 - 38 [13 overseas]
2010 -   8 [ 6 overseas]
2011 - 38 [12 overseas] (mostly BWRG)
2012 - 60 [12 overseas] (BB C50)

He doesn't do that many gigs because there's low demand for it.  He did a lot of shows for "Smile," but after seeing 500 people show up for a gig for TLOS in Oakland, it doesn't surprise me he didn't do quite so many shows after that.  He also is giving more leads to other band members.  I'm sure he's easing out of it, if not planning on retiring entirely.  The Beach Boys name can get more shows than Brian Wilson, but it's doubtful he'll want to keep touring with them.  They're all getting around 70. At Mike's age, even he might stating easing out of it.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

2.) He has taken entire years off from touring. In 2003, he did three shows. In 2006, he did 11. I'm also pretty sure he didn't tour much in 2010, although I can't find the figures for it. This is not the portrait of a man being pressured against all reason to head out on the road.

1998 -   1
1999 - 24 [ 4 overseas]
2000 - 43 (mostly Pet Sounds)
2001 - 31 (29 supporting Paul Simon)
2002 - 41 [30 overseas] (mostly Pet Sounds)
2003 -   3
2004 - 72 [46 overseas] (mostly BWPS)
2005 - 45 [25 overseas] (mostly BWPS)
2006 - 11 [ 2 overseas]
2007 - 39 [26 overseas] (some TLOS)
2008 - 37 [ 7 overseas] (mostly TLOS)
2009 - 38 [13 overseas]
2010 -   8 [ 6 overseas]
2011 - 38 [12 overseas] (mostly BWRG)
2012 - 60 [12 overseas] (BB C50)

I could've sworn there were two shows in 1998...the St Charles show that was filmed, and his set at Farm Aid. not sure if the latter counts though. If it does, then there was also that show with Deana Carter.

[Lonely Summer]

Brian has nothing left to prove to anyone as a solo artist. I don't know why he should keep touring if he doesn't like it.

I'm more interested in Brian working in the studio, creating more works of the caliber of TLOS; if I want to see a touring oldies act, there'll always been Mike's band.

[hypehat]

Thanks to the magic of Disney animatronics, Brian Wilson will continue touring for another 50 years.

You joke, but they just brought Tupac back to life with holograms....

[Wild-Honey]

I can't believe he is touring as it is,  or that any of them still are and sounding pretty good.  Legends.

[Amy B.]

Brian does seem to prefer to perform the non-hits to the hits. At the Gershwin show I saw, he was bored/off key during some of the hits set and totally engaged/singing with feeling during the Gershwin set. I wish he could just sing what he wants, but honestly, some of the audience members actually got up and left during the Gershwin stuff. A lot of people go see "the genius of the Beach Boys" because they want to hear Help Me Rhonda, not I Loves You, Porgy. I'm thinking everyone-- not just Brian's camp, but Brian himself-- knows that.

The people who make decisions for Brian are really in a tough place. How do you know what Brian wants when he changes every day, or when he enjoys some aspects of touring but not others?