If he wanted to, could Brian do it again?

[Roger Ryan]

When you compare Brian's activity and output since 1988 to, say, John Fogerty's, Brian has not been stingy with his talent. The idea of recycling unreleased material is irrelevant as well since we only know he's delving into his stockpile because we're so damn obsessive! Brian is among a small group of 60s artists who still issue new material; a lot of it I like and the best of it holds up with the greatest work he did as a young man. Brian has been doing it again in his own way.

[Sheriff John Stone]

You know, threads like this really bother me, because they assume that because a person is mentally ill, that his illness impacts his whole life, thereby rendering him incapable of functioning.

Mental illness does affect one's entire life to some extent. I didn't read anyone rendering Brian incapable of functioning, just the degree of his functioning. I believe most record executives are questioning the same thing.

Brian is working on an extended composition as we speak

Based on what we've read about Brian's past "collaborations" with people like Eugene Landy, Jeff Lynne, Andy Paley, Joe Thomas, and even Darian Sahanaja, along with Brian's desire to re-record his own material, I think it's perfectly normal to question the extent of Brian's contribution to new projects.

So I am left wondering more about the extended naysaying on threads like this and the naysayers than I am about Brian's compositional ability, which based on his output since 1977 appears intact, if a bit uncommercial.  There's Rio Grande, Melt Away, Don't Let Her Know She's An Angel, Desert Drive, and Smile as released, just to mention a few tunes. Any artist would be proud to claim any of those songs as his own.

You have named just a few good ones (in your opinion) out of several dozen not so good ones (in my opinion), at least according to the standards that Brian himself has set with his past work, and that is the topic of this thread. You state that any artist would be proud to claim any of those songs as his own. Do you know if Brian is proud of those songs? Do you know what Brian thinks about BW88, Imagination, Getting In Over My Head, or the Christmas album. I respect your opinion and your knowledge, Peter. And the fact that you have a relationship with Brian. What do you think Brian thinks of his output post 1975?

And, yes, I know we should be and are grateful that he's still sharing his music with us. We're just making conversation on a message board; harmless fun really...

[Peter Reum]

Mental illness, as any disability, impacts Brian's life episodically.  It appears that we are seeing what is called "the spread effect" in threads like this, with people assuming that functioning is totally impacted by one's disability. At this point, other than some moderate anxiety and depression, my perception is that Brian is healthier than he has been in years. He isn't 100%, but then he wasn't either in the 60s when he made all those  BB records. What IS different today is that his medications are state of the art, and appear to  be effective.

Brian isn't collaborating with anyone on the new piece. I look forward to his work, and judging it on its own merits, rather than "grading on the curve." I personally have never done that with any of Brian's work anyway.

Brian's solo works are more personal than his BB output. Therefore, a number of  BB people do not find them as accessible. I find them satisfying in the sense that they are very honest in their outlook. Since BW '88, I have enjoyed about 70% of each solo album he has done-with the exception of Smile and the Christmas cd. Those were 100% enjoyable to me. I think there are lots of people who would love to see Brian fall on his ass so they can say his talent was a flash in the pan. Compositionally, his songs are as diverse and interesting as ever. Unless you are a Beach Boy fan who wants to see them reunited. In that instance, Brian's songs will suck until he is reunited with the surviving Beach Boys, at which point Brian's work will again be "genius" caliber.

As for management-if Ronnie Lippin could be nominated for sainthood, I would do it. Wrong religion, though. She gave Brian the freedom within his capability, given his illness, to proceed at his  own pace in the manner he chose to proceed. If you want to question Brian's management, question Brian. He has ALWAYS had the final say about what he would do and wouldn't. There are no conspiracies, just a person who was frightened of opening his music to the world, and who now is more confident and less fearful of being rejected.

[Amy B.]

Somewhere on one of these boards, I read that Darian had no idea Brian was working on anything new until the premiere date was announced. This was taken as a bad sign. Why not take it as a good sign... that Brian is indeed working on his own, at his own pace, with the motivation coming from himself?

[Daniel S.]

I wonder if Paul McCartney could do it again if he wanted to? Hmmmm.....

[the captain]

I wonder if Paul McCartney could do it again if he wanted to? Hmmmm.....

No. If history is our guide, he (like pretty much every other best case remaining from the 60s*) can only keep doing either cheese or the same old thing.

*Dylan is the exception, with his past couple of albums really, really good. And I mean no harm or disrespect to the others, but let's be realistic, one's point of innovation is usually long-since past by the time one hits 50, much less 60. Dylan--and Waits, I guess--are the only two aging popsters I can think of who are doing anything other than repeating themselves (or worse).

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

I think Brian's "problem" (and I put that in quotes for a reason) stems more from age and complacency than his illness. In the first category, you have guys like McCartney. You just aren't as driven in your sixties as in your twenties and thirties. It goes with the territory. You want a real good example? Take Rod Stewart. I'm not even talking about his classic period; even when he was "selling out" to commerciality, he was still writing a great majority of his own material. However, since 1996, he has released TWO songs written by himself, and by his own admission has not written a single song in part or in full since 2001! It happens.

In the other category, though...take the case of Daniel Johnston. Ignore your opinions on his music, as it is a love/hate thing (I personally feel he is a genius in his own right, and love his work). He was writing and recording  more material in 4 years than most do in an entire career. After his breakdown, he slowed down a lot. However, under the correct medication, he is experiencing a career renaissance and is more "together" than he has been in years, and truthfully, probably ever. Sound familiar? Read this interview http://www.thecultureshock.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=662&Itemid=44

Brian might surprise us yet.Peter's post about the piece Brian's working on sounds promising...

[MBE]

It's funny but I don't look at it as mental illness affecting Brian in musical terms. To me that's neither here nor there. In 1981 he wrote two great songs at his absolute mental nadir. "City Blues" and "Oh Lord" As I said in my post I look at it as an artistic thing not a personal. The only thing I will stick strongly too is that Brian's voice went AWOL in 1975 and never came back though it is quite pleasent today. Whether mental illness caused him to damge his voice or not is debatable. It's touigh to know for sure when he credits so many of his creative ideas to other people at least in their origin.

[Smilin Ed H]

"When you compare Brian's activity and output since 1988 to, say, John Fogerty's, Brian has not been stingy with his talent" and let's face it. much as I love Fogerty, the case with him is not so much using unreleased material, but basing his new stuff on his old material!

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

BTW...What Love Can Do is a nice little song that shows Brian could have a very good album left in him. After hearing it for the first time a few minutes ago, I'm really anticipating this new work...

[matt-zeus]

I wonder if Paul McCartney could do it again if he wanted to? Hmmmm.....

No. If history is our guide, he (like pretty much every other best case remaining from the 60s*) can only keep doing either cheese or the same old thing.

I must disagree, Chaos and Creation was possibly the best Macca album since Ram, and having heard every album in between, I think thats a fair assessment. I would say a few of the songs on there are as good as quite a few Beatles songs.

[the captain]

I thought C&C was fine, but I don't think it is an example of Paul doing anything other than what he's been doing for the past 40 years. It's good. But it is the same old thing (and cheesy, as Paul is wont to be).

[MBE]

I don't love C&C wither. Much better then Driving Rain but Flaming Pie along with Press To Play,  are the only LP's of new material I like of his over the last 20 years. The oldies ones and Unplugged are good though.

[matt-zeus]

C&C was consistent all the way through which was more than I think about PTP (Though love Only love remains and Press) and Flaming Pie (Godawful Jeff Lynne production), I think C&C also avoided some of the Macca cheese factor, going for some more considered and thoughtful writing, I look forward to his next album - the divorce album!

[MBE]

Taste is subjective, but I like Jeff Lynne's productions.

[Sheriff John Stone]

If Brian Wilson was functioning on the same "musical" level of Paul McCartney, including live performance (playing bass, guitar, keyboards, singing, talking), recording critically acclaimed albums, and basically remaining the same "Paul" we've come to appreciate for over 45 years now - we'd all be doing cartwheels and most of the threads on this message board wouldn't even be thought of. This is not to overly praise Paul McCartney or to denigrate Brian Wilson, but I don't see much comparison.

[Smilin Ed H]

You're dead right, Macca's been functioning 'normally' and our boy had personal crises, mental health issues, drug-related problems and control freaks to deal with.  I still think that some of those 'critically acclaimed' albums aren't anywhere near as good as BW88.  Quite like Ram and Band on the Run...

[MBE]

Ram is my fave too. McCartney one is nice, Back To the Egg is half great. Band is of course good

[Ron]

Brian couldn't 'do it again' because the world has turned, no band or especially no 1 man is doing what Brian did in the 60's musically.  There are still many great musicians but the birth and early years of Rock & Roll was an exciting time, there isn't much of an envelope to push anymore, there will be no Good Vibrations that knocks everybody off their chair anytime soon. 

Basically: It's all been done, whoo oooh ooooh. 

[Rocker]

If he wanted to, could Brian do it again?

If he wanted to, Brian could save the world... 

[Summer_Days]

Brian couldn't 'do it again' because the world has turned, no band or especially no 1 man is doing what Brian did in the 60's musically.  There are still many great musicians but the birth and early years of Rock & Roll was an exciting time, there isn't much of an envelope to push anymore, there will be no Good Vibrations that knocks everybody off their chair anytime soon.

100% agree with this. Sure, there are many records these days that I love, by bands such as Wilco, but nothing that hasn't been played with before. It's nice, but not really new.
Brian was really competitive, driven and at the height of his powers, circa '65-'66. So was Macca and the other Beatles. Those days and those ways are pretty much long gone. We're all now just retreading much of the past several decades of music.
I'm just glad to have Brian still with us, still making music. A lot of his peers aren't so lucky.

Basically: It's all been done, whoo oooh ooooh. 

Heh! Good to see a fellow BNL fan here.

[Pretty Funky]

If he wanted to, could Brian do it again?

I mentioned a few weeks back the youtube-Ronnie Spector/ Brian "I Can Hear Music" clip.

That was in 2001. He adds a fantastic, well timed backing vocal IMO that fits in well with the song. If he came up with that, then in the use of harmony he does still have it.

Hit albums...I doubt it.

[Ron]

Yeah, in the realm of his harmonic genius (?), he's still got everything he once had, imho.  that's the 1 part that hasn't changed... there were tons of nice harmony ideas dripping all over the Christmas album, and there were some really neat ideas on GIOMH.  I always mention it, but look at how brilliant the harmony/double track/ background vocals/ background production is on "What I Really Want For Christmas" (the song)... there's areas where he's singing it solo, some he's double tracked with himself, some with the full band, some acapella, some with him and a piano, some fully produced, etc. it's brilliant and just all over the place, but yet sounds so polished and complete.  Most songwriters don't sit down and structure the harmonies in a song that way, and I rarely hear anybody that will mess with dynamics the way Brian still will.  He has no problem making a song soft one second and shrill and ear splitting the next... it doesn't always work well (lol) but on things like "We Wish You A Merry Christmas", the background parts are ALL shouted, and it sounds great. 

oh BRING! me some figgy pudding, oh BRING!!!! me some figgy pudding, oh BRRRINNNNNGG!!! me some figgy pudding," etc.

[Chris Brown]

I totally agree Ron.  When it comes to vocal arranging, Brian is as good as he ever was.  There were lots of vocal things on the Christmas album that I thought were awesome, every bit as innovative as you'd expect.  Vocal arranging comes so naturally to him that I don't think he can ever really "lose" that gift. 

Songwriting is more difficult of course...after writing for over 40 years, I can imagine coming up with new ideas would be a very frustrating thing.  But I still think he's got a few great tunes left in him.  Heck, I really liked "What Love Can Do", and I'd be perfectly happy to have a few more songs in that vein.  And who knows, he might shock us with "That Lucky Old Sun" this fall.  At the end of the day, he's still Brian Wilson, the guy who has blown our minds several times over with his songs.  Even though most of that was 40 years ago (and Brian is a very different man than he used to be), you can never totally count out someone so immensely talented.   

[mikeyj]

At the end of the day, he's still Brian Wilson, the guy who has blown our minds several times over with his songs.

Totally agree with you there. I think that point is spot on and what some people forget sometimes.