Van Dyke Barks

[Imperator]

Brian on the other hand...  I've seen quite a few places where he's described as simply having a savant-ish ability.  My own original opinion of him was "as close to a savant as you'll get without actually being a savant".  That has since been amended to "probably has a bit of Asperger syndrome".  That is, enough autism to mess up his social abilities.  One of the key signs of Asperger is a lack of empathy (in this case, meaning the ability to understand what a person is experiencing from their frame of reference).  I don't think Brian actually understands how much he hurt Mike's feelings by going with Asher and then Van for lyrics.  Another trait of Asperger is a failure to react appropriately to social interaction.  Saw that plenty from Brian in the 70s.  That old RS article, Saving Brother Brian, it mentions Landy having to teach Brian how to interact with people (again).

I don't think Asperger explains Brian's weirdness.

I've thought he might have Asperger's too (and maybe it would be more obvious before the bad medications, etc.), though of course I'm not a psychologist and I don't know him.  But, based on what I've read of his social skills, his confidence/interest in limited areas (music), some of the ritualistic behavior (playing "Be My Baby" every morning), or possible stimming (the Linda Rondstadt story about working out a vocal arrangement while playing an unrelated pattern on the piano), it wouldn't surprise me.  Many people with Asperger's would take issue with the "lack of empathy," though.  It may appear that way to Neurotypicals on the outside, but that is not how many of them feel.  You seem to define the word better than some, but I'd say he had empathy, even if his social skills made it show differently.  He did cowrite "God Only Knows," after all.  There are many neurotypicals who would not express their souls and human emotions like Brian Wilson has.

Symptoms of ASD and the obsessive-compulsive spectrum are scattered amongst those with psychotic disorders - the very word 'autism' itself was coined as a trait marker for the schizophrenic as opposed to the pediatric developmental disorder it would later become. You would not call these individuals autistic, but rather, schizotypal. For it to be autism the signs and symptoms must be present in early childhood as well as adulthood, of which we have no evidence Brian had any autistic symptoms at all during childhood.

[CenturyDeprived]

He's had 50 years to let the world know that he had a hand in the musical side of Smile and he's said jack, getting pissy about it now is not doing him any favours.

Agreed completely about the not doing himself any favors thing. But I am perplexed why he didn't publicly mention the arrangements thing much earlier, if indeed that has been bugging him for years.

Or maybe it becomes more of a situation like with Mike, where he might have been told or he thought it was implied by Brian's past generosity that Van would get more crediting or compensation than what eventually came to pass decades later upon the actual release. It's very strange, but maybe the truth is somewhere in the middle of all this.

But IMO, I think the falling out ultimately probably has to do with the fact that Brian's team wants to solely be the barometer of collaborators' crediting amounts, and argumentative pushback is not particularly well-tolerated. There may be an overprotectiveness to prevent collaborators from trying to take too much credit (perhaps even when a bit more crediting is actually due), which is probably a reaction to the decades of people actually taking way, way too much credit than deserved. It thus may be a tad unfair to Van, or maybe a tad more than a tad, but he seems to have an attitude about it which sadly probably hurt his cause to start with.

[buddhahat]

Personally I think we need to cut him some slack. After years of being asked about Smile, the thing finally comes out - there's renewed interest, a movie that touches on his period with Brian, and all in all I get the sense he feels his contributions have been undervalued, financially or otherwise. In short he probably feels shafted by the Beach Boys/Brian Wilson hype machine and he's being vocal about it. There's a lot of talk about how one should behave in these situations, but can any of us really comprehend his situation - the frustrations Smile must have caused him over the years?

When I listen to Smile I hear something wholly different from anything the band did before or after. I remember when I finally heard Song Cycle, I realised just how much of VDP's sensibilities are all over the Smile material. The guy deserves more credit imo, and more consideration from all those piling in on him because he's not always glowing about BW and the band, because he's raised the GV cello thing a few times and is not enthusiastic about the movie.

[buddhahat]

VDP is famously oblique, so it becomes as difficult to parse his train of thought as it was to pin Bill Clinton down on the definition of oral sex. But it is clear that he remains haunted by SMiLE and probably feels that he was used in order to complete a BWPS, and then summarily discarded. He's clearly had a strange off-and-on relationship with BW over the years, and it's one that's always leaving him dissatisfied. (Which is where that connection to Mike's experience, alluded to in some recent posts, becomes very intriguing.)

Many of you are quick to dismiss the influence of the Laurel Way crowd on Brian's musical evolution, preferring to paint them all as pretentious dilettantes. But  it's clear that there was musical "value added" from several of these folk, with VDP (who had a much more encompassing musical education than BW) being key to this. There's a barely articulated assumption that BW leapt from Wall of Sound influences to bass-driven "technicolor arrangements" to "Copland-esque" kick-ass tone poems ("Cabinessence") all on his own, or (as it's implicitly argued in LOVE & MERCY) due to sonic hallucination. While much of that is the case, there's room in that scenario for some amount of "expansion of musical horizons." I don't think it's outrageous to speculate that some of this came from VDP, who was in tow for the spring of '66 in the build-up to SMiLE.

And the fact that two of the major songs that hit a brick wall ("Surf's Up" and "Cabinessence") have much more overt VDP elements (the arrangements of these songs are more ambitious and unusual than the rest of the SMiLE tracks) might indicate how his view of SMiLE and what happened to it contains a perspective that is at odds with what now seems to be the "received wisdom." VDP resisted telling his own definitive version of that story for decades, preferring to be cleverly oblique. Possibly there are aspects of the story that he experienced which would paint everyone in a bad light (including himself) but that would have demonstrated how his role was larger than controversial lyricist...possibly he regrets not taking such a path earlier, when such a narrative could have been of some benefit to his own position--but throughout all those years, SMiLE was a failed Icarus-like moment, awash in myth, and given BW's long incarceration, he seems to have felt that he should lend support by remaining cryptic. One gets the sense that he's come to regret THAT decision.

So...locked out of credit as a musician and a creative supporter, self-censoring over details about the process for decades, kow-towing to BW's legend, losing out on song credits in several phases of his collaboration, feeling "seduced and abandoned" in the runup to BWPS...one can see how a troubled, complicated guy who's always been too precocious for his own good might wind up in a spot where he can only continue his oblique commentary instead of laying out a story that would put many in a bad light and would likely create more backlash against him. Trapped in the ongoing myth, relegated to a position that is a good bit less lauded ("controversial" and "pretentious" lyricist), VDP is probably feeling a not-inconsiderable amount of pain about all of this, what with the end of his life a whole lot nearer than his musical heyday.

None of this condones the behavior, but it does provide some plausible perspective (and a lot less moralizing) about why he's doing it and how he got himself into such a predicament. Acknowledging that he might well have some legitimate pain (and, quite possibly, some legitimate beefs) about things is less condescending than pitying him and less judgmental than censuring him. Clearly he's fallen victim to envy--and that's a shame, because when that happens, nothing good can come of it.

I just read your post after posting mine - you communicate my sentiments far more sensitively (and eloquently). Spot on, Don!

[Andrew G. Doe]

While the “shred” is indeed humorous...

Personally speaking, I've always found such "shredding" - of anyone - to be about as humourous as a severe attack of piles. Truly, truly infantile.

[buddhahat]

While the “shred” is indeed humorous...

Personally speaking, I've always found such "shredding" - of anyone - to be about as humourous as a severe attack of piles. Truly, truly infantile.

Well, different strokes, certainly when it comes to what is and isn't humorous. Personally it strikes me as the sort of goofiness that a young Brian Wilson would love.

That said, I can understand why some wouldn't find it funny. What I can't comprehend is why some here find it offensive.

[Wirestone]

How often did session guys from the time talk about Van Dyke arranging or producing those songs?

They didn't. Because He didn't.

A player in them? Sure. Someone who made suggestions? Undoubtedly. But it's been long-established -- including from VDP's own words -- that BW was responsible for the Smile music. Full stop.

[JK]

The BB shred has its humorous side for me but shredding in general is a pain in the arse.

[buddhahat]

How often did session guys from the time talk about Van Dyke arranging or producing those songs?

He didn't.

A player in them? Sure. Someone who made suggestions? Undoubtedly. But it's been long-established -- including from VDP's own words -- that BW was responsible for the Smile music. Full stop:

Well if you want to take that binary approach to who did what, so be it. I don't think Smile can be so easily compartmentalised. I believe the two artists' sensibilities bled into one another right there in that sandbox. It's the only way I can explain the genius of the music. It's not just one guy tacking words onto the work of another. It's a collaboration through and through. Once VDP left the whole project fell apart. That speaks volumes to me.

[Andrew G. Doe]

While the “shred” is indeed humorous...

Personally speaking, I've always found such "shredding" - of anyone - to be about as humourous as a severe attack of piles. Truly, truly infantile.

Well, different strokes, certainly when it comes to what is and isn't humorous. Personally it strikes me as the sort of goofiness that a young Brian Wilson would love.

That said, I can understand why some wouldn't find it funny. What I can't comprehend is why some here find it offensive.

Potayto, potahto -  I can't comprehend why some posters here... well, bother at all. 

[filledeplage]

... And why would VDP disrespect Brian's wife.  

He is not dissing the wife. He is referring to Melinda, the partner in the business of Brian Wilson. She is a public figure now.  If she had no legal say-so or sway in Brian's business and creative affairs, I believe she would be hands off to such critical mention.
[/quote]
A recent diss regarding the L & M film...referring to it, in some fashion as Mrs. Wilsons biopic...

Happy Friday people! 

[Hank Briarstem]

While the “shred” is indeed humorous...

Personally speaking, I've always found such "shredding" - of anyone - to be about as humourous as a severe attack of piles. Truly, truly infantile.

Well, different strokes, certainly when it comes to what is and isn't humorous. Personally it strikes me as the sort of goofiness that a young Brian Wilson would love.

That said, I can understand why some wouldn't find it funny. What I can't comprehend is why some here find it offensive.

Potayto, potahto -  I can't comprehend why some posters here... well, bother at all. 

Regardless of one's opinion regarding the "shred" -- humorous, silly or offensive -- context is everything in this case. It seemed rather apparent from the context that VDP meant it as a rather less than opaque insult to Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys. I say "rather apparent" because while it seemed obvious to this old man, others disagreed. Subsequent comments from Mr. Parks on his Twitter account and elsewhere offer further evidence that it was intended as an insult, or perhaps worse, as a dismissal. I assume Mr. Parks' reasons seem adequate to him.

[pixletwin]

Touching back on the point someone raised about TLOS being the start of the dissonance between VDP and BriMel, didn't Live Let Live originally have lyrics by Van Dyke which were replaced with lyrics by Scott?

[Paul J B]

How often did session guys from the time talk about Van Dyke arranging or producing those songs?

He didn't.

A player in them? Sure. Someone who made suggestions? Undoubtedly. But it's been long-established -- including from VDP's own words -- that BW was responsible for the Smile music. Full stop:

Exactly. How does a glorified scribe, regarding Smile, suddenly become as responsible for Smile as Brian. You don't need to be Sherlock Holmes to see that he got a bug up his butt after BWPS and TLOS. As is the case many times in life... sometimes you can't go back. His "new" lyrics for BWPS sure didn't work for me. Maybe trying to recreate the magic starting with BWPS , was a mistake. Maybe in '67 Parks was pushing the album in a way Brian did not want to go. Maybe he rubbed Melinda the wrong. Maybe he rubbed Brian the wrong way. Remember what happened with Jeff Beck...they did not click at all. 

In any case, no amount of speculation or guessing by fans or anyone else will change the fact that matters. That fact being that VDP is losing his credibility by behaving like a jealous teenager.

[Cyncie]

Van Dyke's been around long enough to know that the business is just that…. business. He's never complained in the past about being slighted where SMiLE is concerned and at times seemed to want to distance himself from the association altogether. Now, all of a sudden, he's in the same "I did that" mode that Mike and Carol Kaye are in. If they feel they need more credit, that's fine. Hammer it out where it matters. Snarky interviews and tweets about a critically acclaimed movie is only looking petty and unprofessional. Love and Mercy is not a movie about the making of SMiLE or Pet Sounds and it's not about the Wrecking Crew. It is a movie about Brian's creative zenith collapsing under the weight of psychological issues and substance abuse, his painful fall and his eventual recovery. He's being brutally honest about his own issues,  putting them on the big screen for all to see. That has to be painful, and that takes guts.  I find it sad that so many people who should be rejoicing that he survived at all want to make this about them. Let the guy have his moment of triumph, lay off the childish public comments, and correct the inaccuracies in the history books.

[Cam Mott]

Van Dyke's been around long enough to know that the business is just that…. business. He's never complained in the past about being slighted where SMiLE is concerned and at times seemed to want to distance himself from the association altogether. Now, all of a sudden, he's in the same "I did that" mode that Mike and Carol Kaye are in. If they feel they need more credit, that's fine. Hammer it out where it matters. Snarky interviews and tweets about a critically acclaimed movie is only looking petty and unprofessional. Love and Mercy is not a movie about the making of SMiLE or Pet Sounds and it's not about the Wrecking Crew. It is a movie about Brian's creative zenith collapsing under the weight of psychological issues and substance abuse, his painful fall and his eventual recovery. He's being brutally honest about his own issues,  putting them on the big screen for all to see. That has to be painful, and that takes guts.  I find it sad that so many people who should be rejoicing that he survived at all want to make this about them. Let the guy have his moment of triumph, lay off the childish public comments, and correct the inaccuracies in the history books.

I mostly agree, be factual not petty, but I don't think Brian's repeated claims that the movie is very accurate are helping the situation where people who were also there feel it is not accurate about them from their point of view.

[Hank Briarstem]

Some, though certainly not all, seem more willing to criticize Mike Love’s behavior toward Brian than to offer the same criticism toward VDP’s actions. I’m reminded of something written by the great sportswriter Blackie Sherrod – “If you bet you can make three spades, that's entertainment. If you bet cotton will go up three points, that's business. See the difference?”

Monetarily, at least, both Mike Love and VDP have benefited from their association with Brian. That is not to say that they must genuflect. I will observe that – monetarily, at least – Brian has benefited greatly from his association with Mike. Both through receiving a share of money earned over the years from Beach Boys tours and through increased record sales that surely have resulted from the constant touring, Brian has doubtless made a great deal of money.

And make no mistake about it – Mike Love has labored long and hard for the money he has earned. One can make many credible observations about Mike, but one cannot credibly say that he has been lazy, that he has lived off his cousin’s legacy, or that he has failed to contribute to the success and longevity of the Beach Boys and of Brian Wilson’s music.

VDP certainly contributed to Brian Wilson’s legacy – and to a lesser extent contributed work that made Brian money. But it is laughable to compare his contributions to those of Mike Love.

So both VDP and Mike Love have every right to criticize Brian Wilson and the biopic of his life. Indeed both men might have legitimate reasons to be critical – and it would be impossible for them not to have their own perspective on events. If Hank Briarstem had been depicted in the film, Hank Briarstem and his former wives doubtless would have felt that they had every right to comment on that depiction. But there ought also to be a deep well of gratitude within Mike and VDP for what Brian’s work brought to their lives. It would be nice if commentary and criticism was delivered in a way that honored that gratitude.

I might add that Brian would probably do well to say, at some point – “I appreciate that Mike Love has given much of his life to showcasing my music again and again to the public.”

As to whether Brian Wilson could have made the creative leap from Pet Sounds to Smile without VDP, he made in astonishingly rapid fashion the creative leap from “Surfin’” to “God Only Knows.” Certainly the work we know as “Smile” would have been different in debatable but important ways were it not for VDP’s contributions, but I suspect that in any case it would have been quite marvelous. One can only speculate the extent to which the outcome might have been different.

[Mujan, 8@$+@Rc| of a Blue Wizard]

Van Dyke's been around long enough to know that the business is just that…. business. He's never complained in the past about being slighted where SMiLE is concerned and at times seemed to want to distance himself from the association altogether. Now, all of a sudden, he's in the same "I did that" mode that Mike and Carol Kaye are in. If they feel they need more credit, that's fine. Hammer it out where it matters. Snarky interviews and tweets about a critically acclaimed movie is only looking petty and unprofessional. Love and Mercy is not a movie about the making of SMiLE or Pet Sounds and it's not about the Wrecking Crew. It is a movie about Brian's creative zenith collapsing under the weight of psychological issues and substance abuse, his painful fall and his eventual recovery. He's being brutally honest about his own issues,  putting them on the big screen for all to see. That has to be painful, and that takes guts.  I find it sad that so many people who should be rejoicing that he survived at all want to make this about them. Let the guy have his moment of triumph, lay off the childish public comments, and correct the inaccuracies in the history books.

I mostly agree, be factual not petty, but I don't think Brian's repeated claims that the movie is very accurate are helping the situation where people who were also there feel it is not accurate about them from their point of view.

They need to get over it. What's he gonna say? "The movies a pile of sh*t that makes everyone look bad"? And sabotage his own triumphant moment? Not realistic. People like VDP and Carol Kaye need to understand that in a film you've got to condense years into minutes. So maybe Carol wouldn't have questioned Brian about X, but that was the most effeicient way to show Brian was thinking on a level beyond his peers. And maybe SMiLE was more VDP's than we realize, but this isn't the time to hash that point. Ultimately it's irrelevant to what the movie is about. If he's upset he hasn't got his due, he had his chance to to set the record straight all these years, especially 2004 and 2011 and he didn't.

[rab2591]

Van Dyke's been around long enough to know that the business is just that…. business. He's never complained in the past about being slighted where SMiLE is concerned and at times seemed to want to distance himself from the association altogether. Now, all of a sudden, he's in the same "I did that" mode that Mike and Carol Kaye are in. If they feel they need more credit, that's fine. Hammer it out where it matters. Snarky interviews and tweets about a critically acclaimed movie is only looking petty and unprofessional. Love and Mercy is not a movie about the making of SMiLE or Pet Sounds and it's not about the Wrecking Crew. It is a movie about Brian's creative zenith collapsing under the weight of psychological issues and substance abuse, his painful fall and his eventual recovery. He's being brutally honest about his own issues,  putting them on the big screen for all to see. That has to be painful, and that takes guts.  I find it sad that so many people who should be rejoicing that he survived at all want to make this about them. Let the guy have his moment of triumph, lay off the childish public comments, and correct the inaccuracies in the history books.

I mostly agree, be factual not petty, but I don't think Brian's repeated claims that the movie is very accurate are helping the situation where people who were also there feel it is not accurate about them from their point of view.

Out of the people who are making these inaccuracy claims, who besides Carol Kaye has actually seen the movie?

Mike admitted he never the saw the thing, Van Dyke Parks basically admitted that he hasn't seen it. Brian's repeated claims about accuracy aren't helping? Aren't helping what? From his perspective the movie is very accurate, and until these people actually watch the movie they really have no right to comment on the accuracy of it.

[filledeplage]

Van Dyke's been around long enough to know that the business is just that…. business. He's never complained in the past about being slighted where SMiLE is concerned and at times seemed to want to distance himself from the association altogether. Now, all of a sudden, he's in the same "I did that" mode that Mike and Carol Kaye are in. If they feel they need more credit, that's fine. Hammer it out where it matters. Snarky interviews and tweets about a critically acclaimed movie is only looking petty and unprofessional. Love and Mercy is not a movie about the making of SMiLE or Pet Sounds and it's not about the Wrecking Crew. It is a movie about Brian's creative zenith collapsing under the weight of psychological issues and substance abuse, his painful fall and his eventual recovery. He's being brutally honest about his own issues,  putting them on the big screen for all to see. That has to be painful, and that takes guts.  I find it sad that so many people who should be rejoicing that he survived at all want to make this about them. Let the guy have his moment of triumph, lay off the childish public comments, and correct the inaccuracies in the history books.

I mostly agree, be factual not petty, but I don't think Brian's repeated claims that the movie is very accurate are helping the situation where people who were also there feel it is not accurate about them from their point of view.

They need to get over it. What's he gonna say? "The movies a pile of sh*t that makes everyone look bad"? And sabotage his own triumphant moment? Not realistic. People like VDP and Carol Kaye need to understand that in a film you've got to condense years into minutes. So maybe Carol wouldn't have questioned Brian about X, but that was the most effeicient way to show Brian was thinking on a level beyond his peers. And maybe SMiLE was more VDP's than we realize, but this isn't the time to hash that point. Ultimately it's irrelevant to what the movie is about. If he's upset he hasn't got his due, he had his chance to to set the record straight all these years, especially 2004 and 2011 and he didn't.

Carol Kaye was very well presented in that film, I think. Her character was strong, assertive and very fashionable in cool shades and true-to-the-era costuming.  

There is an exchange between Carol and Brian where she questions whether playing two keys is a mistake. She is questioning Brian! I found the scripting priceless and find that she serves as sort of a good role model for young women in music from that era.  And it is a cameo appearance.  Her character may even have more lines than those portraying BB's.

[Mujan, 8@$+@Rc| of a Blue Wizard]

Van Dyke's been around long enough to know that the business is just that…. business. He's never complained in the past about being slighted where SMiLE is concerned and at times seemed to want to distance himself from the association altogether. Now, all of a sudden, he's in the same "I did that" mode that Mike and Carol Kaye are in. If they feel they need more credit, that's fine. Hammer it out where it matters. Snarky interviews and tweets about a critically acclaimed movie is only looking petty and unprofessional. Love and Mercy is not a movie about the making of SMiLE or Pet Sounds and it's not about the Wrecking Crew. It is a movie about Brian's creative zenith collapsing under the weight of psychological issues and substance abuse, his painful fall and his eventual recovery. He's being brutally honest about his own issues,  putting them on the big screen for all to see. That has to be painful, and that takes guts.  I find it sad that so many people who should be rejoicing that he survived at all want to make this about them. Let the guy have his moment of triumph, lay off the childish public comments, and correct the inaccuracies in the history books.

I mostly agree, be factual not petty, but I don't think Brian's repeated claims that the movie is very accurate are helping the situation where people who were also there feel it is not accurate about them from their point of view.

They need to get over it. What's he gonna say? "The movies a pile of sh*t that makes everyone look bad"? And sabotage his own triumphant moment? Not realistic. People like VDP and Carol Kaye need to understand that in a film you've got to condense years into minutes. So maybe Carol wouldn't have questioned Brian about X, but that was the most effeicient way to show Brian was thinking on a level beyond his peers. And maybe SMiLE was more VDP's than we realize, but this isn't the time to hash that point. Ultimately it's irrelevant to what the movie is about. If he's upset he hasn't got his due, he had his chance to to set the record straight all these years, especially 2004 and 2011 and he didn't.

Carol Kaye was very well presented in that film, I think. Her character was strong, assertive and very fashionable in cool shades and true-to-the-era costuming.  

There is an exchange between Carol and Brian where she questions whether playing two keys is a mistake. She is questioning Brian! I found the scripting priceless and find that she serves as sort of a good role model for young women in music from that era.  And it is a cameo appearance.  Her character may even have more lines than those portraying BB's.

Yes, but supposedly she's taken offense to that, saying she never would have thought that was a mistake. That's what I'm referring to

[Paul J B]

Van Dyke's been around long enough to know that the business is just that…. business. He's never complained in the past about being slighted where SMiLE is concerned and at times seemed to want to distance himself from the association altogether. Now, all of a sudden, he's in the same "I did that" mode that Mike and Carol Kaye are in. If they feel they need more credit, that's fine. Hammer it out where it matters. Snarky interviews and tweets about a critically acclaimed movie is only looking petty and unprofessional. Love and Mercy is not a movie about the making of SMiLE or Pet Sounds and it's not about the Wrecking Crew. It is a movie about Brian's creative zenith collapsing under the weight of psychological issues and substance abuse, his painful fall and his eventual recovery. He's being brutally honest about his own issues,  putting them on the big screen for all to see. That has to be painful, and that takes guts.  I find it sad that so many people who should be rejoicing that he survived at all want to make this about them. Let the guy have his moment of triumph, lay off the childish public comments, and correct the inaccuracies in the history books.

I mostly agree, be factual not petty, but I don't think Brian's repeated claims that the movie is very accurate are helping the situation where people who were also there feel it is not accurate about them from their point of view.

Out of the people who are making these inaccuracy claims, who besides Carol Kaye has actually seen the movie?

Mike admitted he never the saw the thing, Van Dyke Parks basically admitted that he hasn't seen it. Brian's repeated claims about accuracy aren't helping? Aren't helping what? From his perspective the movie is very accurate, and until these people actually watch the movie they really have no right to comment on the accuracy of it.

Who said Kaye saw it. When she went on her Facebook rant she thanked her fans for alerting her. She may have seen it since then but she was making obnoxious comments before she had.

[rab2591]

Van Dyke's been around long enough to know that the business is just that…. business. He's never complained in the past about being slighted where SMiLE is concerned and at times seemed to want to distance himself from the association altogether. Now, all of a sudden, he's in the same "I did that" mode that Mike and Carol Kaye are in. If they feel they need more credit, that's fine. Hammer it out where it matters. Snarky interviews and tweets about a critically acclaimed movie is only looking petty and unprofessional. Love and Mercy is not a movie about the making of SMiLE or Pet Sounds and it's not about the Wrecking Crew. It is a movie about Brian's creative zenith collapsing under the weight of psychological issues and substance abuse, his painful fall and his eventual recovery. He's being brutally honest about his own issues,  putting them on the big screen for all to see. That has to be painful, and that takes guts.  I find it sad that so many people who should be rejoicing that he survived at all want to make this about them. Let the guy have his moment of triumph, lay off the childish public comments, and correct the inaccuracies in the history books.

I mostly agree, be factual not petty, but I don't think Brian's repeated claims that the movie is very accurate are helping the situation where people who were also there feel it is not accurate about them from their point of view.

Out of the people who are making these inaccuracy claims, who besides Carol Kaye has actually seen the movie?

Mike admitted he never the saw the thing, Van Dyke Parks basically admitted that he hasn't seen it. Brian's repeated claims about accuracy aren't helping? Aren't helping what? From his perspective the movie is very accurate, and until these people actually watch the movie they really have no right to comment on the accuracy of it.

Who said Kaye saw it. When she went on her Facebook rant she thanked her fans for alerting her. She may have seen it since then but she was making obnoxious comments before she had.

True. I think she posted again, after that initial rant, having seen the film and she still had ridiculous things to say about it....but I could be wrong here, going by memory.

[SBonilla]

Panties in a bunch all over the place.

I had to go listen to The Cookies - Don't Say Nothin' Bad About My Baby.

Which reminded me, Rev-O-Lution (Rachel & The Revolvers) is Loco-Motion over the Don't Say Nothin' Bad About My Baby template.

Ah, feelin' better now.

[Cam Mott]

And vice versa, if you claim things are accurate you might anticipate another point of view from those involved who disagree.