UNCUT Magazine: Brian, Mike & Bruce feature

[KittyKat]

I always interpreted Paul's initial reaction to a.) shock and b.) not appreciating a bunch of reporters swarming in his face asking him something so personal when he was still processing shock, therefore giving a curt answer to get them the heck away from him. He had a lot to deal with, not only with what happened to John, but realizing he could face a similar threat to his personal safety.

[pixletwin]

That's bullsh*t. When my father died, I was there, but I didn't go around telling people "My dad died, it's a drag". As ever, people fall over themselves to cut St. Paul of McCartney some slack. That kind of sycophancy repulses me: why can't they just admit, dude made a tasteless comment. He's human, it happens.

John Lennon said that when he heard about Stu Sutcliffe's (his best friend) death, he just started to laugh uncontrollably. Just pointing out, when dealing with this kind of stuff, people's reactions can vary wildly, and it doesn't mean they're cold, unfeeling or tasteless.

And Macca, being the most PR-oriented beatle of them all, would certainly have come up with a better statement if he hadn't been in a some sort of shock. Just my two cents, baby!

Paul hasn't been able to deal with trauma since his mother died when he was a child. His tendency to nearly break down in public about Lennon's death, 30 years after the fact, suggest he still hasn't properly dealt with his emotions about it.

This.

If you see the actual footage, it's obvious he is broken up and trying to avoid dealing with his emotions in front of a bunch of journalists.

[I. Spaceman]

And one should note Paul's comment upon hearing from his father that his mother had passed: "What will we do without her paycheck?".
He may be referring to that shameful occurrence in these lines:
Why she had to go
I don't know, she wouldn't say
I said something wrong
Now I long for yesterday

Relate that to John's laughter and hijinx on the day of his mother's funeral, and you'll know a lot about why him and John related to each other, especially as they never talked about it with each other in psychological terms. Their methods of dealing with similar traumas was sometimes similar, mostly opposite, making them perfect artistic partners and balancing figures.
One of my favorite Beatles press conference moments is one where an unthinking, uninformed Australian journalist asks the group if they brought their mothers on the trip. John says "Well, me and Paul didn't".

But, back to The Beach Boys.

[southbay]

so what specific 80's picture of Brian were they referencing?  To be fair, during that period he does look good in some, not so much in others

[hypehat]

So Mike and Brian were shown pics of emotionally turbulent times in their lives, and people expect them to suddenly get all introspective and deep and reveal some inner turmoil in front of each other and strangers...?

What's most likely is that these guys were trying to keep it superficial to avoid getting into the trauma.

"Brian in the 1980s? Yeah, how was that for you, being drugged and estranged from your family and under the control of Landy?"

Or... "You looked good. Next picture."


Don't read too much into it.

Maybe so. Like I said, I'm not insinuating that Mike was going 'BRIAN LOOKS GOOD WHEN HE'S BEING PSYCHIATRICALLY ABUSED', but if I saw a picture of Brian in the 80s, I'd hesitate to say he looks good because he was in the essential process of having a psychiatric lobotomy and he sure as hell wasn't doing good. Mike knows that was what Brian went through and that he hasn't been the same since. Thrown into sharp relief by Brian's apparent weirded outness by the photo.

I guess, for Mike 'Summer Of' Love and Pistolwhipping Bruce Johnston, beauty is only skin deep?

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

John Lennon said that when he heard about Stu Sutcliffe's (his best friend) death, he just started to laugh uncontrollably. Just pointing out, when dealing with this kind of stuff, people's reactions can vary wildly, and it doesn't mean they're cold, unfeeling or tasteless.

And Macca, being the most PR-oriented beatle of them all, would certainly have come up with a better statement if he hadn't been in a some sort of shock. Just my two cents, baby!

I agree. John apparently did not learn how to express his emotions, so that accounts for laughing. And Paul too, maybe, to some extent, was not encouraged to express his emotions outwardly. And it's true that Paul is INCREDIBLY concerned about his own image, which is where he gets that "saintly" "friendly' image that people buy into. I don't think the guy is perfect by any stretch, but the fact that he was no cognizant of his image in that moment is an indication that he was in shock and not able to get it together... which is an indication of how much he really cared about John. If one of my oldest friends was killed and someone stuck a camera in my face asking how I felt, I don't know that I wouldn't say something stupid either.

As for Mike, you'd think by now he'd be able to express his thoughts on Dennis's death in a more sensitive way, but maybe it's just not in him. I don't know that I've ever heard of him expressing a real appreciation for Dennis's music or understanding of Dennis's personality, so maybe he just can't outwardly reflect on Dennis's passing.

Listen to the Beach Boys podcast series from a few years back. Mike has some very good things to say about Dennis. And that's just one example... Let's not just forget how tumultuous his and Dennis' relationship was. Especially in those final years. I can't imagine it's pleasant for Mike to even think about Dennis letalone fawn over him in public knowing full well each word and gesture will be forked over for more evidence of what a bastard he is.

[smilethebeachboysloveyou]

I get uncomfortable when people start criticizing others for not mourning properly.  People respond to the loss of close family members differently, particularly when they have had difficult relationships with them.  As long as Mike is not being actively disrespectful to Dennis (which he doesn't seem to be here), I don't think it's right to criticize him.

[18thofMay]

I get uncomfortable when people start criticizing others for not mourning properly.  People respond to the loss of close family members differently, particularly when they have had difficult relationships with them.  As long as Mike is not being actively disrespectful to Dennis (which he doesn't seem to be here), I don't think it's right to criticize him.

Agree

[Jim V.]

I get uncomfortable when people start criticizing others for not mourning properly.  People respond to the loss of close family members differently, particularly when they have had difficult relationships with them.  As long as Mike is not being actively disrespectful to Dennis (which he doesn't seem to be here), I don't think it's right to criticize him.

I agree that we should't criticize how people mourn other people's deaths, but there is one thing Mike also seems to do a lot. He seems to tell a lot of anecdotes about how "me, Brian, Carl, Al, and Bruce" did this or that. Like he purposely doesn't say Dennis' name. And yeah, one could say he hasn't been around in 30 years, but Carl hasn't been around for 15, so whatever.

[MBE]

I feel Mike became better on Dennis as the years passed. I think 30 years on his comment isn't so bad. Paul's could be seen as flip because of when they were made, but he's explained what he was going through and he just couldn't be articulate so soon after finding out that someone so close to him had been murdered. Basically I give both the benifit of the doubt here.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Then instead of potentially upsetting people who had just lost a family member, why not just say "I can't talk right now" ?

[Jim V.]

Then instead of potentially upsetting people who had just lost a family member, why not just say "I can't talk right now" ?

Probably because some people aren't thinking all that clearly and rationally after they lose somebody close to them Andrew.

I know I'm sure not able to stick to the script when people close to me have passed away.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

Then instead of potentially upsetting people who had just lost a family member, why not just say "I can't talk right now" ?

Like Brian did at the press conference when he started talking about Dennis and then just said "and I don't wanna talk about it anymore"...... And the press was polite and didn't push it. Then again, this is Brian and he's seen as all around more sensitive than a lot of rock stars.... Mike and Paul seem to have some personality similarities where the need to keep a straight face and appear to just roll with things means something to them.... To not break face... Paul's public personality is very upbeat, positive yet tendered to reality. Mike is very much the same as in, keeping on the positive.... Saying "it's a drag" certainly jives with both of these guy's outlook, which is: life sucks and we lose loved one and will die ourselves, but you just roll with it, man knowing it's the cosmos pulling the strings.... Or something like that.... If they had just said "it's a drag" with a smirk and a shrug, that would be one thing, but this wasn't the case.... Both these guys are highly aware out their public persona's to an extent that you and I can't really even imagine.... I remember at dinner after my grandfather's funeral, I got chewed out by a couple of relatives because I said something like "Yeah, this sucks but it's the only way to get all of use together" ..... I was shocked because this was an awful day for me. I ended up going off into a room by myself and crying (I hadn't even cried during the funeral) ... It meant something for me to keep it together in front of all these people and I just cracked that line in an attempt to lighten the mood... I learned that it's better to just let it all hang out and cry if you have to cry.... Point is, we all deal with these things differently....

[MBE]

Then instead of potentially upsetting people who had just lost a family member, why not just say "I can't talk right now" ?

It would be better if Paul had said that. To be fair when I am shocked I don't think I am articulate.

[Zander]

Well I'm sure if there had been a funeral for Lennon, McCartney would've been there. Brian and Dennis couldn't be bothered to go to Murry's funeral.

Devil's Advocate...

[pixletwin]

Then instead of potentially upsetting people who had just lost a family member, why not just say "I can't talk right now" ?

That would have been the political thing to do, I guess. I but grief, especially when fresh, isn't political, is it?

[Andrew G. Doe]

No - it would have been the polite, the respectful thing to do.

[bgas]

No - it would have been the polite, the respectful thing to do.

REALLY?  Who give a hang about polite/respectful when you're asked on the death of your best friend?
Lucky there was no punching, I say.
Judge not....   

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

No - it would have been the polite, the respectful thing to do.

Why on earth would you expect a total stranger to modify their off the cuff response to the death of a best friend/family member in order to not offend .....you?........

[pixletwin]

No - it would have been the polite, the respectful thing to do.

I don't know about you, but after a friend gets murdered, I often feel very polite and respectful, especially when strangers ask me about my friend's murder hours after it happened.

I also don't recall reading anywhere that any of John's friends or relatives found Paul's reaction to be impolite and disrespectful. Could you point me to some sources? Who are these hypothetical people you are talking about?

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

No - it would have been the polite, the respectful thing to do.

I don't know about you, but after a friend gets murdered, I often feel very polite and respectful, especially when strangers ask me about my friend's murder hours after it happened.

I also don't recall reading anywhere that any of John's friends or relatives found Paul's reaction to be impolite and disrespectful. Could you point me to some sources? Who are these hypothetical people you are talking about?

These guys can't win.... Go check out the clip of Paul being "interviewed" the day after George died. You can tell he's just trying to keep it together and basically not say ANYTHING but the guy just keeps on asking and asking and asking.... Would "Get the f*** out of my face" me more respectful or would it be better for him to go running in the opposite directions with a bunch of guys carrying mikes chasing after him.

[DonnyL]

WILSON: "I was a bit nervous to be around the guys after such a long time. I didn't mind when Mike when on without us, as I had my solo career. I wanna record some of the songs on The Beach Boys Love You and do them onstage, in my solo career -- if I ever do something again."

[Sheriff John Stone]

WILSON: "I was a bit nervous to be around the guys after such a long time. I didn't mind when Mike when on without us, as I had my solo career. I wanna record some of the songs on The Beach Boys Love You and do them onstage, in my solo career -- if I ever do something again."

Well, who's stoppin' ya?

[Jim V.]

WILSON: "I was a bit nervous to be around the guys after such a long time. I didn't mind when Mike when on without us, as I had my solo career. I wanna record some of the songs on The Beach Boys Love You and do them onstage, in my solo career -- if I ever do something again."

Could anybody pleeeeeeeeeeeease post this article? I went to my local bookstore for this and unfortunately they didn't have the latest Uncut issue in.

[DonnyL]

WILSON: "I was a bit nervous to be around the guys after such a long time. I didn't mind when Mike when on without us, as I had my solo career. I wanna record some of the songs on The Beach Boys Love You and do them onstage, in my solo career -- if I ever do something again."

Could anybody pleeeeeeeeeeeease post this article? I went to my local bookstore for this and unfortunately they didn't have the latest Uncut issue in.

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