Landy song-writing

[mikeyj]

I read that Landy's credits were removed from Brians debut album, is this true, on my CD version it still says "Landy" all over the place and also how come his credits were never removed for Im So Lonely etc.. or were they?

[Andrew G. Doe]

Landy's credits have been removed from the 2000 reissue of Brian Wilson (indeed, almost every mention of him has been excised) and also from the 2000 reissue of The Beach Boys (as explained in the liners). I understand there was some sort of financial settlement.

[mikeyj]

Landy's credits have been removed from the 2000 reissue of Brian Wilson (indeed, almost every mention of him has been excised) and also from the 2000 reissue of The Beach Boys (as explained in the liners). I understand there was some sort of financial settlement.

Thats interesting. I obviously must have the earlier issue of Brians solo album. The Landy era is one that I have very little clue about. Where is the best place to read about this era Andrew?

[Andrew G. Doe]

Well, sure as hell it's not Brian's pseudobiography ! The best account of what the 2nd Landy era was like is probably Stephen McParland's The Wilson Project, written with the very active participation of Gary Usher (whom, it must be noted here, had a vested interest - even so, the picture it paints of Brian's life at that point is truly sickening).

[mikeyj]

Well, sure as hell it's not Brian's pseudobiography ! The best account of what the 2nd Landy era was like is probably Stephen McParland's The Wilson Project, written with the very active participation of Gary Usher (whom, it must be noted here, had a vested interest - even so, the picture it paints of Brian's life at that point is truly sickening).

Yeh I know a lot of people still dont know (particularly new fans) that Brian didnt write "his" autobiography but it annoys me (and its not the persons fault its Landy's fault) when people say "I love Brians book, I never realised how great Landy was, I thought he was bad" etc.. or they use that book to prove a point. I do really like my copy of the book though but only because it has Brians autograph in the front of it

Thanks for the recommendation Andrew. I will chase the book up (if I can find it - cause it aint on Amazon, atleast I couldnt find it)

But as I said I especially hate how people think of Landy in a different way after reading that book. That news report on Landy off YouTube sickens me. It makes me so sad just to even think of it. The interviewer asks something like "how come you havent visited your daughters in the last ten years" and then Brian just responds "I dont know.... Im guilty... Im a bad parent" etc.. which of course Im not condoning Brians actions (with drugs etc..) but Landy had clearly brainwashed him. And then theres the bit where it interviews Brians former lawyer (or something) and he says that if Brian didnt agree with Landy in some Beach Boy meeting Landy would take him away and drug him and then Brian would come back in and his eyes would be rolled to the back of his head. And Landy KNOWS hes guilty as is plainly obvious in that news report when the reporter asks him a question questioning what hes doing with Brian and he just sits there for like 40 seconds and then his argument is ridiculous. Anyway, sorry for my ramblings I just really dont like Landy much....

[Andrew G. Doe]

Diane Sawyer's clinical dissection of Landy was one of the most vicious pieces of TV I've ever seen.

And I enjoyed every single second of it. It's almost as if he didn't think she'd ask those questions, and thus had no comeback. She chewed him up and spat him out. It's on YouTube - check it out.

[mikeyj]

Diane Sawyer's clinical dissection of Landy was one of the most vicious pieces of TV I've ever seen.

And I enjoyed every single second of it. It's almost as if he didn't think she'd ask those questions, and thus had no comeback. She chewed him up and spat him out. It's on YouTube - check it out.

Yeh I really enjoyed it too. I mean I heard people saying "oh Landy isnt THAT bad" etc.. but when I saw that thing off YouTube (thats where I saw it) that was just proof to me that he was definately guilty and he knew it too. What do you think though Andrew, I tend to lean towards the opinion that Landy DID save his life (or atleast put him back on the right direction) but then he just went TOO far and took total control and became a control freak.

[MBE]

I never liked the book and I saw that interview when it aired. Brian was never that angry in footage I had seen so I knew the book was a sham. The 1990-91 Brian was told to say nasty things and that didn't jibe with anything he said before or since.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

What do you think though Andrew, I tend to lean towards the opinion that Landy DID save his life (or atleast put him back on the right direction) but then he just went TOO far and took total control and became a control freak.

Personally speaking, the whole redrafting of Brian's will was the real kicker. Makes you wonder what his true intentions were...Look how much better Brian got after 1992 ,although from everything I've been reading/hearing. the past few years though he seems more prone to have moments where he goes "blank", and doesn't seem as "with it" and outgoing as he seemed in 1995. On the other hand his singing is 1000x better than in 1995 (which to me in all honesty was the nadir vocally)

Well, sure as hell it's not Brian's pseudobiography ! The best account of what the 2nd Landy era was like is probably Stephen McParland's The Wilson Project, written with the very active participation of Gary Usher (whom, it must be noted here, had a vested interest - even so, the picture it paints of Brian's life at that point is truly sickening).

The part I bolded in your quote...I'm glad you said that, because there are some things in that book that in all honesty don't jibe. Not the Landy stuff, mind, but some other things. I've always personally felt that Usher wasn't exactly how he was portrayed in the book, and had his own agenda too.
Or maybe that's just me...

[the captain]

I've always personally felt that Usher wasn't exactly how he was portrayed in the book, and had his own agenda too.
Or maybe that's just me...

I think that is very safe to say as being true. NOBODY can tell any story without framing it in his or her particular way. Sometimes it is obvious, sometimes subtle; sometimes intentional, sometimes unintentional. But no one source can offer objective reality on anything. That's one of the interesting and frustrating things about the Beach Boys, in my opinion. You've just got so many people, the real truth is very mysterious and hidden. Sadly, in a lot of cases, several key sources are dead, and others aren't in a position to give very lucid accounts of things.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Things I hated...

1.Usher claimed that none of the Beach Boys were very good singers...and he was including CARL in that!
2.Usher claiming that he was shown in a dream that he was supposed to save Brian. That in and of itself isn't bad, but it is implied that he felt it was his duty given to him by a higher power.
3. Brian being told by Usher that only drum programs would be feasible, in that live drums were passe.

Those are just some of the eye rolling moments. The one person though (besides the Landy crew) that I want to beat the hell out of though is Bill f*cking Champlin.

[MBE]

Usher's work with Brian in 86-7 is pretty subpar. Usher was like Terry Melcher, Joe Thomas, and Steve Levine as far as the whrilling do dads go. Usher and Melcher had a degree of talent but they got too caught up in the crappy digital age.

[mikeyj]

Things I hated...

1.Usher claimed that none of the Beach Boys were very good singers...and he was including CARL in that!

Id like to hear Usher sing see if he could sing Surf's Up or just about anything by The Beach Boys and see how he would go. Ive never read anything that suggests Usher was a singer, did he ever sing on record? Why doesnt he listen to the a capella version of Forever on a surround system. Now THAT is heavenly, I think hes probably just jealous or something. Anyone who says that The Beach Boys are bad singers are insane. Im not saying their the best ever (though from what Ive heard they are) but to say that they are not very good is pretty absurd

[MBE]

Well I think he was saying that their voices didn't hold up through the years especially Brian's. He was a mediocre single as the Sacramento single Brian cut on him proves.

[mikeyj]

Well I think he was saying that their voices didn't hold up through the years especially Brian's. He was a mediocre single as the Sacramento single Brian cut on him proves.

But even still Carl's voice was ALWAYS brilliant. Even on his last live performance (from 97 - atleast one of his last) when he sings he is still in fine form (of course perhaps not his best - but considering his sickness you obviously have to take that into account) and he gives it everything hes got. And Dennis, while Im sure he technically got worse, he could still use his voice to great effect (of course not towards the end from the 80's onwards) but around 77 etc.. he was still a decent singer. And if Gary Usher did say that, well to me thats pretty obvious, of course they're not going to be as good singers. Has he ever heard of a thing called drugs? Also with age a lot of peoples voices deteriorate. So those two factors obviously come into it.

[Exapno Mapcase]

I think the production of some of the Usher stuff from that period is as bad as the Landy stuff.  The Wilson Project's a hell of a read, but you ghet the feeling that by point, Usher had lost his muse, much in the same way Melcher had when he got involved with the Beach Boys in the 80s.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Id like to hear Usher sing see if he could sing Surf's Up or just about anything by The Beach Boys and see how he would go. Ive never read anything that suggests Usher was a singer, did he ever sing on record? Why doesnt he listen to the a capella version of Forever on a surround system.

Because he died in 1990 ?

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

I think the production of some of the Usher stuff from that period is as bad as the Landy stuff.  The Wilson Project's a hell of a read, but you ghet the feeling that by point, Usher had lost his muse, much in the same way Melcher had when he got involved with the Beach Boys in the 80s.

Amen.

Because he died in 1990 ?

Death never stopped Tupac from releasing new albums.

[MBE]

Tupac

[Malc]

Things I hated...

1.Usher claimed that none of the Beach Boys were very good singers...and he was including CARL in that!

Id like to hear Usher sing see if he could sing Surf's Up or just about anything by The Beach Boys and see how he would go. Ive never read anything that suggests Usher was a singer, did he ever sing on record? Why doesnt he listen to the a capella version of Forever on a surround system. Now THAT is heavenly, I think hes probably just jealous or something. Anyone who says that The Beach Boys are bad singers are insane. Im not saying their the best ever (though from what Ive heard they are) but to say that they are not very good is pretty absurd

Gary Usher sang quite a lot during the early 'surf'n'hot-rod' period of 63/64 - that's his lead on the Four Speeds "RPM", and he provided much of the vocal input to most of his hot-roddin' productions (Competitors, 4-Speeds, Hondells, Ghouls etc etc) ... and if you're still looking for the Wilson Project book by Stephen McParland then check out http://www.garyusher.com/cmusic.html
 

[MBE]

Oh one other thing is that Still I Dream Of It was perfect the way it was. Brian didn't seem to like him rewriting it. I haven't heard this version but the new words look crummy. I think he was way off base putting down the original.

[Chris Brown]

Oh one other thing is that Still I Dream Of It was perfect the way it was. Brian didn't seem to like him rewriting it. I haven't heard this version but the new words look crummy. I think he was way off base putting down the original.

Wow that's interesting, I never heard about Usher rewriting that song....who on earth would even TRY to write new lyrics to that?

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Yeah...Usher hated the lyrics, and that was mentioned in The Wilson Project book.

Remember this is the same guy who was working with Fabian at the same time.

[grillo]

Usher, like melcher and boetcher, was a hack who used his insider knowledge to gain a foothold in the music industry. I actually like the super-stocks, but it is pretty sophomoric , and Sagitarius is simply over-hyped crap. And, like Zekeley, he seemed to love looking the gift horse in the mouth. Without the BB connections, all of these guys would be forgotten (except maybe Melcher).

[endofposts]

Usher, like melcher and boetcher, was a hack who used his insider knowledge to gain a foothold in the music industry. I actually like the super-stocks, but it is pretty sophomoric , and Sagitarius is simply over-hyped crap. And, like Zekeley, he seemed to love looking the gift horse in the mouth. Without the BB connections, all of these guys would be forgotten (except maybe Melcher).

I respectfully disagree with you about those three gentlemen.  Usher and Melcher produced some key songs/acts, and I think it took some talent to do so.  As for Boettcher, he did more than just Sagittarius.  He did brilliant production work for the Association, and excellent work with Ballroom, Millenium, and Sandy Salisbury.  None of that stuff hit, but it was on par with a lot of '60s pop material that did.  Listen to more of Curt Boettcher's work before rendering judgement.