Joe Thomas Interview: On Brian Wilson, the Reunion, & TWGMTR

[rab2591]

And seriously, most BW fans probably don't want a whole album of Spector influenced, heavy moog, heavy guitar songs - so why he'd say that to keep the fans happy is beyond me.

I'd love to hear a BW album like that! Actually, if there is another Beach Boys' album, with Mike Love and David Marks on board, I'd like nothing more than that.

Oh no doubt! Me too! (Did you see my post in the demands for the next Beach Boys album??? I want every song with moog synths and crazy chords haha)

I'm saying that you're average Beach Boys/Brian Wilson fan is not looking for that. They love songs like 'I Get Around' and 'California Girls' - Brian knows that most Beach Boys fans have never heard of 'Love You' - So when Brian says he wants to record a whole heavy RnR album I really doubt he's trying to please the majority of his fanbase.

You wouldn't consider I Get Around Spector-esque Rock & Roll?

I think you're missing my point

Care to explain rather than "rolling your eyes?"

I was more or less referring to the Wall of Sound.

We're all expecting 'Pleasure Island' to sound like 'Love You' or 'BW88' (moog-drenched, wall of sound, rock songs) - it probably won't have any songs that sound like the beloved classics (I Get Around, California Girls) which are most popular among Brian's/Beach Boys fan base. Thus it doesn't make sense that Brian would be touting 'Pleasure Island' to please the majority of the fan base.

[Tord]

I like the fact that Mike had to go to the office and meditate to come up with

Spring Vacation
Good Vibrations
Summer Weather
Were back together

Wonder how deep he had to go to find those spiritual gems?*

*not Mike bashing - just funny

According to Joe Thomas, Brian Wilson wrote those words, not Mike Love.  Joe said in an interview that Brian wrote the chorus and Mike wrote the verses part of that song.  Since Brian is in charge of music and Mike is not, I assume Joe was referring to the lyrics.  Brian also came up with the phrase "easy money," which was the first set of words he had to go with "Spring Vacation," the title of which Brian also thought up.  Although I'm not sure why it would take a meditation session to come up with Mike's verse lyrics, either, which aren't much better. 

Joe Thomas: "And within five minutes, Mike had written “Spring vacation, good vibrations, summer weather, we’re back together.” It was like, “Wow. Five minutes.” "

http://andrewromano.tumblr.com/joethomasbeachboys

[KittyKat]

Joe said Brian wrote the chorus and Mike wrote the verse somewhere else.  Maybe he did mean the music part and not the lyrics, or at least the melody.  He also said Mike came up with a bass melody part of another song.

[startBBtoday]

And seriously, most BW fans probably don't want a whole album of Spector influenced, heavy moog, heavy guitar songs - so why he'd say that to keep the fans happy is beyond me.

I'd love to hear a BW album like that! Actually, if there is another Beach Boys' album, with Mike Love and David Marks on board, I'd like nothing more than that.

Oh no doubt! Me too! (Did you see my post in the demands for the next Beach Boys album??? I want every song with moog synths and crazy chords haha)

I'm saying that you're average Beach Boys/Brian Wilson fan is not looking for that. They love songs like 'I Get Around' and 'California Girls' - Brian knows that most Beach Boys fans have never heard of 'Love You' - So when Brian says he wants to record a whole heavy RnR album I really doubt he's trying to please the majority of his fanbase.

You wouldn't consider I Get Around Spector-esque Rock & Roll?

I think you're missing my point

Care to explain rather than "rolling your eyes?"

I was more or less referring to the Wall of Sound.

We're all expecting 'Pleasure Island' to sound like 'Love You' or 'BW88' (moog-drenched, wall of sound, rock songs) - it probably won't have any songs that sound like the beloved classics (I Get Around, California Girls) which are most popular among Brian's/Beach Boys fan base. Thus it doesn't make sense that Brian would be touting 'Pleasure Island' to please the majority of the fan base.

I'm not expecting it to sound like 'Love You' or 'BW88.' I have no idea what Brian intends to do on his next album, but I don't hear "Spector Rock & Roll" and think of 'Love You' immediately.

Also, while The Beach Boys doing a 'Love You'-esque record wouldn't appease fans, a Brian Wilson solo 'Love You' type record likely would. I see The Beach Boys and Brian Wilson fans as having different expectations and different tastes.

[rab2591]

And seriously, most BW fans probably don't want a whole album of Spector influenced, heavy moog, heavy guitar songs - so why he'd say that to keep the fans happy is beyond me.

I'd love to hear a BW album like that! Actually, if there is another Beach Boys' album, with Mike Love and David Marks on board, I'd like nothing more than that.

Oh no doubt! Me too! (Did you see my post in the demands for the next Beach Boys album??? I want every song with moog synths and crazy chords haha)

I'm saying that you're average Beach Boys/Brian Wilson fan is not looking for that. They love songs like 'I Get Around' and 'California Girls' - Brian knows that most Beach Boys fans have never heard of 'Love You' - So when Brian says he wants to record a whole heavy RnR album I really doubt he's trying to please the majority of his fanbase.

You wouldn't consider I Get Around Spector-esque Rock & Roll?

I think you're missing my point

Care to explain rather than "rolling your eyes?"

I was more or less referring to the Wall of Sound.

We're all expecting 'Pleasure Island' to sound like 'Love You' or 'BW88' (moog-drenched, wall of sound, rock songs) - it probably won't have any songs that sound like the beloved classics (I Get Around, California Girls) which are most popular among Brian's/Beach Boys fan base. Thus it doesn't make sense that Brian would be touting 'Pleasure Island' to please the majority of the fan base.

I'm not expecting it to sound like 'Love You' or 'BW88.' I have no idea what Brian intends to do on his next album, but I don't hear "Spector Rock & Roll" and think of 'Love You' immediately.

Also, while The Beach Boys doing a 'Love You'-esque record wouldn't appease fans, a Brian Wilson solo 'Love You' type record likely would. I see The Beach Boys and Brian Wilson fans as having different expectations and different tastes.

That's why I included moog synth in my list of expectations:

(moog-drenched, wall of sound, rock songs)

Sorry you missed that lol.

As for your second point, fair enough.

[startBBtoday]

And seriously, most BW fans probably don't want a whole album of Spector influenced, heavy moog, heavy guitar songs - so why he'd say that to keep the fans happy is beyond me.

I'd love to hear a BW album like that! Actually, if there is another Beach Boys' album, with Mike Love and David Marks on board, I'd like nothing more than that.

Oh no doubt! Me too! (Did you see my post in the demands for the next Beach Boys album??? I want every song with moog synths and crazy chords haha)

I'm saying that you're average Beach Boys/Brian Wilson fan is not looking for that. They love songs like 'I Get Around' and 'California Girls' - Brian knows that most Beach Boys fans have never heard of 'Love You' - So when Brian says he wants to record a whole heavy RnR album I really doubt he's trying to please the majority of his fanbase.

You wouldn't consider I Get Around Spector-esque Rock & Roll?

I think you're missing my point

Care to explain rather than "rolling your eyes?"

I was more or less referring to the Wall of Sound.

We're all expecting 'Pleasure Island' to sound like 'Love You' or 'BW88' (moog-drenched, wall of sound, rock songs) - it probably won't have any songs that sound like the beloved classics (I Get Around, California Girls) which are most popular among Brian's/Beach Boys fan base. Thus it doesn't make sense that Brian would be touting 'Pleasure Island' to please the majority of the fan base.

I'm not expecting it to sound like 'Love You' or 'BW88.' I have no idea what Brian intends to do on his next album, but I don't hear "Spector Rock & Roll" and think of 'Love You' immediately.

Also, while The Beach Boys doing a 'Love You'-esque record wouldn't appease fans, a Brian Wilson solo 'Love You' type record likely would. I see The Beach Boys and Brian Wilson fans as having different expectations and different tastes.

That's why I included moog synth in my list of expectations:

(moog-drenched, wall of sound, rock songs)

Sorry you missed that lol.

As for your second point, fair enough.

I didn't miss it, I just don't think 'moog synth' when I think of Spector Rock & Roll.

[rab2591]

Good lord.

I was saying that Pleasure Island will probably sound like a combination of moog synths and spector rock and roll. I never said that Spector rock and roll sounds anything like moog music.

[Jonathan Blum]

According to Joe Thomas, Brian Wilson wrote those words, not Mike Love.  Joe said in an interview that Brian wrote the chorus and Mike wrote the verses part of that song.

...I think you're getting your quotes confused; the song where Brian did the chorus words was "Isn't It Time".  Joe's "Spring Vacation" story was about Mike going out of the room for five minutes and coming back with the chorus!

Cheers,
Jon Blum

[lance]

I think Brian wrote the: Easy money ain't life funny what's it to ya hallelujah part.

[KittyKat]

Could be that I got the song stories confused.  Brian did write the framework for the the chorus lyrics for "Spring Vacation," including making all the chorus lyric lines four syllables each to fit the short melody.  No wonder Mike wrote the chorus in five minutes or less and it's particularly simple and dumb.  The "good vibrations" part is especially cringe-y but when Brian called it "Spring Vacation" it sort of invited that as a rhyme.  What I can't figure out is why Joe Thomas said Spring Vacation was the original version of Lay Down Burden.  I haven't heard that other song in a long time but they're nothing alike.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

There was an interview where it was stated the 'easy money/ain't live funny/hey what's it to you/hallelujah' was Brian's lyric.

edit

Lance beat me to it

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

KittyKat- Thomas said "Spring Vacation' was originally named 'Lay down Your Burden', and Carl was supposed to sing on it. When he died, they used that title (slightly changed) for a new song.

[KittyKat]

Oh, I thought it was the same song or something.  My bad.