The Beach Boys on Jay Leno tonight !

[Shady]

Good thing nobody watches Leno

[Justin]

Damn what the F happened in there?  I'm afraid to catch it on the West Coast.  Sounds like a clusterf*ck of things going on. 

You've got to watch it, to see Mike's expression.  He has this look on his face like he is staring death in the eyes.  The entire performance is crashing around him, so he tightens all his muscles up, stands there stone eyed like Clint Eastwood with this "Go Ahead.  Make My Day, PUNK!" Look on his face... and tried to sing the second verse although apparently his microphone was turned off or down or something.  Either that, or he busted out his "All I Wanna Do" Falsetto out, I couldn't tell what the hell I was hearing. 

You could hear Dave plain as day in a couple spots.  The mix was THAT screwed up. 

Hot damn.  I'm watching definitely but I'll be watching it like a horror movie: eyes squeezed tight and volume turned down.  Ah damn....would've been good to have this one go down well.  I"ll see for myself how bad it is in a couple hours...

[Ron]

Just rewatched it, the saving grace of the whole thing is Brian looks so relaxed and happy.  He looks like a 8month old that just woke up from a nap.  Same sweet grin. 

[Pretty Funky]

This I gotta see!

[Justin]

I wanna see Mike's Clint Eastwood impression!  I see a new board meme coming soon......

[EgoHanger1966]

Just rewatched it, the saving grace of the whole thing is Brian looks so relaxed and happy.  He looks like a 8month old that just woke up from a nap.  Same sweet grin. 

He was so concentrated on doing his fake-smile-be-happy thing that he forgot to sing the song!

[Doo Dah]

I wouldn't call it a train wreck. I'd call it rough. The mix sounded like there was some improvising goin' on, and you can't be running the faders on a chorale like TWGMTR. It also didn't help that Brian was flat on the call and response.  Isn't it Time woulda been a gutsy move, but aw well.

I think that too much is made of the make or break of shows like Leno's anyway. Only one out of a litany of interviews and publicity.

Agreed though about Fallon - even though the vocals were off on the track, the overall energy was much higher. This was just an assembly line sausage production from the NBC sound people.

The album will succeed because of the litany of relatively positive promo, and not slip up because some doofus in Iowa didn't care for the harmonies coming out of the middle 8. "aw Helen...didn't sound so hot...guess I'm not gonna buy it after all"

[EgoHanger1966]

I wouldn't call it a train wreck. I'd call it rough. The mix sounded like there was some improvising goin' on, and you can't be running the faders on a chorale like TWGMTR. It also didn't help that Brian was flat on the call and response.  Isn't it Time woulda been a gutsy move, but aw well.

I think that too much is made of the make or break of shows like Leno's anyway. Only one out of a litany of interviews and publicity.

Agreed though about Fallon - even though the vocals were off on the track, the overall energy was much higher. This was just an assembly line sausage production from the NBC sound people.

The album will succeed because of the litany of relatively positive promo, and not slip up because some doofus in Iowa didn't care for the harmonies coming out of the middle 8. "aw Helen...didn't sound so hot...guess I'm not gonna buy it after all"

Yeah, but the idea is that if non-fans (or casual fans, whatever) see them on Leno and they kick ass, they will sell albums.
I can't see anyone wanting to buy the album after hearing that - meaning someone who didn't know they had an album out already.
I love these guys with all my heart, but honestly, it was a train wreck. I just wish someone would have asked for a second take....

[Justin]

In today's day and age...there is no such thing as bad press.  Even if they sucked as bad as they apparently did...that's not gonna stop one person from going on Amazon to listen to samples or going to BB.com for more info on the album.  Once there, they will see just how worthwhile the album is and maybe give it a chance.  

Would've been nice if they nailed this performance but it doesn't matter that they didn't.

[Mikie]

Well, what the hell.  It ain't live - it's taped in the afternoon on the West Coast.  Why couldn't they have run through it again a second time if it didn't sound good?

[startBBtoday]

Watched a second time, not as bad as I originally thought. The Mike 2nd verse thing seemed like it was more the director's error of focusing on Mike, than Mike trying to "steal the lead." Or save anything.

I know everyone's been saying it, but Dave's presence really makes them look/feel a lot younger than they may really be. Vans slip ons and slim jeans help.

[TV Forces]

Was it worse than this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVjzUG1tzWE

[Ron]

I'ts not that bad guys, I just rewatched it and compared to the other sh*t he probably usually has on there it's probably on par.  

The mix is just pretty bad.  And you know how when three or four people are trying to harmonize and 1 of them is way out of key so they all kind of vacillate out of key?  Lot of that goin' on.  

I can't tell what Mike was doing, he doesnt' sing the first verse, but he's singing the second verse... so I don't know if he was just enjoying himself, or was trying to cover for Brian, or what.  The dude's a pro, maybe he sang it so if they had to they could mix him in in post.  

Dave sings the line after "Antennae" clear as day.

You can hear Mike's bass vox rumbling in pretty good towards the end, especially in the 'acapella' part.  Dave sings the first line of the acapella part alone I think.  You can really hear Mike's bass in the part just after the 'antenna' line as well.  

[Doo Dah]

In today's day and age...there is no such thing as bad press.  Even if they sucked as bad as they apparently did...that's not gonna stop one person from going on Amazon to listen to samples or going to BB.com for more info on the album.  Once there, they will see just how worthwhile the album is and maybe give it a chance.  

Would've been nice if they nailed this performance but it doesn't matter that they didn't.

True. The amount of people that blindly go into a cd shop to buy an album unheard is probably rather small. Clips rule nowadays. Like restaurant reviews.

Tonight, the kitchen slipped up and the soup was cold.

[Landlocked]

::REWATCHING THE ROLLING STONE VIDEOS TO WASH THE TASTE OF THAT PERFORMANCE OUT::

LMAO I kid you not, as soon as the performance ended, I opened up my laptop and watched both the "In My Room" and "Surfer Girl" RS vids from earlier. Hilarious.

What was NOT funny was how bad that was. I was morbidly curious if you guys were as shocked and disappointed as I was. Seems you all are.

[donald]

my initial impression: better than Fallon's show


got both recorded, will compare tomorrow.

Brian seemed happy.

[Jon Stebbins]

Album's already a big hit. This blip means nothing. They could have square-danced in speedos and the album would still be top 5 next week. Move on.

[Doo Dah]

Album's already a big hit. This blip means nothing. They could have square-danced in speedos and the album would still be top 5 next week. Move on.

You know Jon, that would've worked with Isn't It Time.

Isn't it time
We danced the night away...

[Awesoman]

I wouldn't call it a train wreck. I'd call it rough. The mix sounded like there was some improvising goin' on, and you can't be running the faders on a chorale like TWGMTR. It also didn't help that Brian was flat on the call and response.  Isn't it Time woulda been a gutsy move, but aw well.

I think that too much is made of the make or break of shows like Leno's anyway. Only one out of a litany of interviews and publicity.

Agreed though about Fallon - even though the vocals were off on the track, the overall energy was much higher. This was just an assembly line sausage production from the NBC sound people.

The album will succeed because of the litany of relatively positive promo, and not slip up because some doofus in Iowa didn't care for the harmonies coming out of the middle 8. "aw Helen...didn't sound so hot...guess I'm not gonna buy it after all"

Yeah, but the idea is that if non-fans (or casual fans, whatever) see them on Leno and they kick ass, they will sell albums.
I can't see anyone wanting to buy the album after hearing that - meaning someone who didn't know they had an album out already.
I love these guys with all my heart, but honestly, it was a train wreck. I just wish someone would have asked for a second take....

Let's not be over-dramatic, shall we?  Yeah, tonight's performance sucked; it was even worse than when they performed this song on Fallon.  But as Leno introduced them, the new album is already at #1 on Amazon.com (although I still haven't received my copy from those bastards).  I don't think this performance is really going to change anyone's mind.  And no one is expecting the band to become hip with the Justin Bieber crowd.  

[Sheriff John Stone]

I just wish someone would have asked for a second take....

I don't know if that would've done it, sadly. I hate to say this, but the only way it could've been improved substantially would've been to turn Brian's microphone off. The guy was giving his all, he was smiling, the hand gestures were back, he was singing his heart out - but he was so off key he was killing it. And his part is so prominent in the mix on that song...TV just has a way of exposing this group.

Let's be honest, if they sound great, they sell albums. THAT'S WHY THEY ARE DOING THE SHOW IN THE FIRST PLACE! If they sound bad, people will judge the new album by that performance and NOT buy the album. We'll just have to move on....

[Ron]

Hey when you guys get a tape to watch, check the "Receiving your signal, like a prayer" and listen to Mike go

"Prayyy aaaayyyyy


                            ayyyyy


                                       yyyyeerrrrrrrrr"


He drops the bottom out of it there for a minute.  The whole performance sucked but some of the little things here and there were cool.  

Also, if you watch Brian, he's happy as hell (I swear he really does look like an infant, it's crazy), He does a really cool beethoven 'conducting' thing in sonme of the little parts where an instrument pops in or something.  He holds his hands out (mostly offscreen) when they get to the Acapella part.  

[Awesoman]

Was it worse than this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVjzUG1tzWE

...the hell?

[Justin]

Let's be honest, if they sound great, they sell albums. THAT'S WHY THEY ARE DOING THE SHOW IN THE FIRST PLACE! If they sound bad, people will judge the new album by that performance and NOT buy the album. We'll just have to move on....

Yeah but really the people who would only find about the album and WANT to purchase it would have to be some kind of a fan of the band, yes?  A fan big enough to want to hear a reunion album.  I would think it would take more than one single performance to make the call to not buy it at all.  I mean, the people who would judge the album by this performance...aren't really the audience we're looking for are we?  They're not fans and probably wouldn't have bought the album anyway.  

As I mentioned above, nothing is stopping a true fan or a casual fan or a non-fan from watching this "bad" performance on Leno and then running to their computer, wondering "Damn, does the whole album sound like that??"  Then after listening to the samples they find out the album is nowhere near as bad as the performance.  So regardless of how well they perform, it still gets people to look up the album to find out more.

[NatureShowInStereo]

It sounded a little weak, but I think the mix/sound was worse than the actual performance. The Fallon performance was better. Leno's never had good mixing for the bands he has on, though. I first noticed that when I was like 13 and didn't know anything about that kind of stuff. I watched it with my little bro and his friend (both about 15) and they dug it.

[Ron]

I'm with Justin.  It would have been great if they just blew it away and talked everybody watching into buying the album, but I think more than that it was simply to inform people that they have an album out.  Half the people who heard it aren't going to think it's that bad (we're all obsessive!) and those that notice how off it was, will go listen to the snippets (now that they know the album's out) to hear what else is on there.

Barb-barb-barb... Barbara "This Whole Damn Song Is Off Key" Ann was one of their biggest hits, btw.