Brian Live in Norway - the whole show online

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

I agree with both of you. I don't want anybody else in the band taking leads. If I wanted to see a Wondermints show, I'll buy tickets for one. I too still like Brian's voice, faults and all. However, my feelings about this stem not just from that one show, but because, as Marie pointed out,

I sometimes wonder if having Brian tour every single year, with so many songs from the Mike Love playbook, is just a way to say "nyah, nyah" to Mike.  Allowing Al to tour with Brian, after forbidding Brian to have contact with him for several years, just adds to my suspicions.

and I agree totally. Let me also say that I don't doubt for one second that Brian is pure of heart and his intentions are good. However, I feel his "management" is doing him and the fans a disservice.

[theduke]

I rarely post, but this topic intrigues me.

First, I think that this discussion is amazing proof of how many of our dreams have come true since 1999. Go back in time and tell your past self, "Not only will Brian become a staple on the tour circuit, but he'll perform PET SOUNDS live with an orchestra, finish SMiLE and win a Grammy, record an excellent Christmas album, and play live hidden gems like...'Til I Die', 'The Night Was So Young', 'Breakaway', 'Friends', 'Meant For You', 'Add Some Music', 'Please Let Me Wonder', 'Kiss Me Baby', 'Forever', 'Good Timin', 'Marcella', 'Busy Doing Nothing', 'You're Welcome' and more. Who could've predicted it. Heck, even 'The Little Girl I Once Knew' was, at the time, pulled out of obscurity.

So, we're some 8 years or so along, and after what were admittedly a series of high-demand setlists, Brian and his band have pulled back to a "workhorse" setlist. They're ragged (who wouldn't be after the work of the last few years), but they're having a good time, and more importantly, no matter how "pure hearted" Brian is, it's got to be satisfying that he can pull in a better crowd at bigger venues than the Beach Boys, especially after all the other triumphs. He enjoys live shows now, it's obvious, and I wouldn't be surprised if his competitive spirit is taking on Mike where Mike has most excelled now that Brian has succeeded at being Brian Wilson and finished SMiLE. Think about it.

[Aegir]

Some people are saying "I can sing better".

Sure, but Brian is deaf in one ear and hears Satanic voices in the other, and sounded alot worse 25 years ago. I hold Brian to a different standard than I do most professional singers.

Besides, you guys might be able to sing them better, but can you write them better? NO!

[MBE]

All of what you say has merit, but Brian started hearing voices well before his voice declined in 1975 and was deaf long before that too.

[XY]

I think what really counts is how the shows were received by the audiences, the people who were really there. Correct me if I'm wrong, but until now, the European tour was a success. There are tons of praising newspaper articles and folks who were there enjoyed the songs and themselves and reported that Brian sounded great live. The tickets sales seem to be good, at least until now, don't know about France yesterday. There were 5'000 people there in Oslo. Just my 2 €-cents.

[SloopJohnB]

Somebody I know told me that the sales for France weren't "as good as expected". First reason: the price. I considered going to the show in Paris, but at 100€ (more or less $140) for a good seat, without special prices for students...    And second reason: France has never been known for having a huge number of Brian fans.

[Amy B.]

I just remembered when I first heard Paul McCartney's ca 1990 live album Tripping the Live Fantastic. I was horrified. Having listened to Beatle-era Paul obsessively, I expected 1990 Paul (then around age 48) to sound the same. He didn't. He sounded terrrrrrrible in spots. I kept thinking, "Why is he trying to sing it in that key?" And Brian is a lot older than Paul and has performance anxiety (whereas Paul, I'm guessing, has no performance anxiety). Both of them got well into the music and neglected the technical aspects of their singing.

People don't always sound great live. They have good nights and bad nights.

[Sheriff John Stone]

I just remembered when I first heard Paul McCartney's ca 1990 live album Tripping the Live Fantastic. I was horrified. Having listened to Beatle-era Paul obsessively, I expected 1990 Paul (then around age 48) to sound the same. He didn't. He sounded terrrrrrrible in spots. I kept thinking, "Why is he trying to sing it in that key?" And Brian is a lot older than Paul and has performance anxiety (whereas Paul, I'm guessing, has no performance anxiety). Both of them got well into the music and neglected the technical aspects of their singing.

People don't always sound great live. They have good nights and bad nights.

Amy, I'm not trying to start a fight or go of topic or anything, but there is very little comparison between Paul McCartney and Brian Wilson in their live performances. I know that wasn't your main point, but I had to respond.

While I agree that Tripping The Light Fantastic isn't one of Paul's better performances, he has been pretty consistently excellent for decades, sounding very much like his former Beatle self, sounding very much like his Wings/solo years, and continuing to hit all the necessary notes. Paul PLAYS the bass, keyboards, lead guitar, and rhythm guitar. Paul not only performs much of his post-Beatles material, he features it. Paul interacts with his band, and interacts with his audience. I guess what I'm trying to say - and went a long way to make the point - is that Paul McCartney is basically the same Paul he was in 1967, 1977, 1987, and 1997.

Now, take Brian Wilson as a live performer. Compare his performances to the above Paul's, and Brian is almost completely opposite. I am not posting this to hammer Brian, but to look at his performances realistically. He barely plays an instrument, he barely sings his former part(s), he barely plays his solo material (he's been a solo artist for 20 years now), and it's a stretch to say that he resembles his former self.

Now before you send Stan and Rocky after me, I felt the point had to be made. This thread is about Brian's recent live performances. There are very few major rock performers who could get away with what Brian does. And I don't mean "get away with" in a negative vein. And I don't need to be reminded - again - what Brian has been through, it's great what he's overcome, it's great that he's alive, etc. Can anybody give me an example of another artist like Brian's situation who is still touring. Like Mike Love says, maybe "the power really is in the music".

[pixletwin]

The only musician that I know of who is comparable to Brian is Syd Barrett (for those who don't know Syd was the lead singer, songerwriter, and guitarist for Pink Floyd). The difference is that Syd stopped touring and recording in the earl 70's and became the definition of "recluse". While Brian has fought and fought and fought and is still with us today touring and recording. We are blessed to still have Brian but he is not the man he was.

[Roger Ryan]

A crucial point here is that Brian was never much of a live performer. Unlike The Beatles and virtually all of the other surviving 60s recording artists who slaved away in clubs and bars prior to hitting it big, The Beach Boys were primarily a studio group who started touring regularly after they had some hits. In this capacity, Brian lasted only a couple of years before bowing out in '64 (and, at this time, pop concerts were only expected to last 20 - 40 minutes in length!).
Flash-forward to 1999 and you suddenly have Brian (age 57) center stage performing live for two hours on national and international tours. As a live performer, he's no McCartney and he's no Dylan (or any other 60-something who's been on-stage for 40 years or more), but he is unique. You can't compare his live performances to his studio work, you have to compare it to things like the "T.A.M.I." show and the "Lost Concert" (or to Knebworth I guess) which don't feature particularly awe-inspiring performances from him. While he will probably always remain wildly inconsistent on stage, I've seen him do some great stuff over the past few years that demonstrated marked improvement over the documented live work from the 60s and 70s.

Although he has not suffered the same hardships as Brian, I think Dick Dale is a similar case. Dale rarely, if ever, performed nationally during his heyday in the early 60s. After recovering from colon cancer in the mid-60s, he kept an extremely low profile before suddenly reappearing in the early 90s as a live performer. Over the last decade, Dale has toured relentlessly and anyone who's seen him will attest to the power of his concerts. It's one thing for a performer to continue touring 40-odd years after they first hit the scene; it's another for a performer to start touring as they neared 60!

[jeffh]

Another?   

John Fogerty. Refused to tour for a few decades. Was a bit of a recluse.  Does not perform with former band members. Has been touring solo for the last decade or so. Much like Paul M, he still sounds fantastic. As a matter of fact, I will be seeing him in July for the 3rd time!!

[Sheriff John Stone]

Another?   

John Fogerty. Refused to tour for a few decades. Was a bit of a recluse.  Does not perform with former band members. Has been touring solo for the last decade or so. Much like Paul M, he still sounds fantastic. As a matter of fact, I will be seeing him in July for the 3rd time!!

jeffh, you're lucky! John Fogerty's awesome! A true legend. I saw him in a PBS documentary (about Jerry Lee Lewis's new album) the other night. Still looks and sounds great. Fogerty's coming out with a new album also.

But John Fogerty is NOT "another" Brian Wilson-type as a live performer. He IS like Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, Ray Davies, and others. Fogerty PLAYS the guitar. Fogerty sounds almost identical to his Creedence days. Fogerty does feature a decent amount of solo material. Fogerty appears to enjoy being on stage, interacting with his band and his fans. Brian Wilson is nothing like John Fogerty as a live peformer.

[jeffh]

Yup!! That's what I meant

[Rocker]

Another?   

John Fogerty. Refused to tour for a few decades. Was a bit of a recluse.  Does not perform with former band members. Has been touring solo for the last decade or so. Much like Paul M, he still sounds fantastic. As a matter of fact, I will be seeing him in July for the 3rd time!!

Lucky guy ! I wish I would get the chance to see him, but tickets are too expensive for me right now.

[Amy B.]

Amy, I'm not trying to start a fight or go of topic or anything, but there is very little comparison between Paul McCartney and Brian Wilson in their live performances. I know that wasn't your main point, but I had to respond.

And I don't need to be reminded - again - what Brian has been through, it's great what he's overcome, it's great that he's alive, etc. Can anybody give me an example of another artist like Brian's situation who is still touring.

First of all, I can't really defend Brian without mentioning what he has overcome. That plays a major role in his performances, especially if he's still hearing voices onstage. Secondly, I agree that you can't compare Paul and Brian, but that gives Paul even less of an excuse to have "off" nights. With the exception of the late 60s and maybe the early 80s, Paul has been touring for his entire career. He's a veteran, so of course he's going to be better at it than Brian. Plus, Paul is a born performer. You might even argue that Paul _needs_ that experience in his life. Not so for Brian, who actually becomes anxious about it. I've even heard BBs concerts from the 60s where Brian doesn't sound too great because he's clearly nervous. As I said before, Brian was trying to put some enthusiasm into his voice instead of only concentrating on the notes. I'm not saying his voice is perfect, but I was just reacting to the people who were saying that Brian is finished and should retire.
As for Paul, everyone always talks about how great he sounds. He does. But like Brian, he doesn't sound the same as he used to. Very few people can, especially singers who established themselves with a style like Paul's or Brian's, which is very "young" and in a high range.

[MBE]

I have to disagree about one thing, I think Brian's performances that I have heard or seen from 1962-71 (his Tree performance) were overall great. Sure there was screaming, and some nerves but he seemed to have fun. Also those were the only shows that really had all the voices sounding perfect. Even at their best, the non Brian shows didn't quite recapture what he added vocally.

[Wirestone]

Ech. It's just not a great show. That's live performing for you. Brian has a ball, though.

Brian live has never been as consistent (or consistently improving) as his most ardent concert fans suggest. But he's never been as terrible as his most jaded critics say.

Seen him four times -- 2000, 2001, 2004 and 2006. Each show had transcendent and cringe-worthy moments. That's what you get with this fella.

[Rocker]

We should mention that the german concerts were terrific, as I was told. Some german fans posted on the two message boards that Brian sounded great, didn't use teleprompters and sang many parts, that Jeff usually helps on, alone. "Caroline no" was a big highlight they say...

[STE]

I was at the Frankfurt-Mainz concert yesterday night and I can assure you Brian sounded great. The best he did in about 10-12 times I have seen him in the past 5 years.
He really didn't miss a note (I know that's what people always say but now it's really true), didn't forget any lyric (no teleprompter) and actually he now "interprets" the songs rather than screaming out the words.  Losing the teleprompter was the best thing that happened to him.
Yesterday "Caroline No" was definitely the highlight, it would bring tears to your eyes. The best version I've heard after the original recording (and I have attended at least 6-7 Pet Sounds concerts). 
His voice was mixed properly: loud when he was singing leads, low while he sang the background vocals, and that's an important difference compared to the Oslo recording.
Only complaint (beside no Al Jardine) was the absence of surprises on the setlist, altough Billy (on his birthday) sang a great "Sail On Sailor".
Stay tuned for photos and videos.

STE

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

He sang Caroline No? I'd count that as a (pleasant) surprise...

[STE]

Yeah, well, I guess it depends what the reference is. Having heard "Caroline No" live a bunch of times I'm looking for something new (spoiled, ah?)

[Rocker]

He sang Caroline No? I'd count that as a (pleasant) surprise...

But he didn't do "Break away" as I have heard

[STE]

Nope, no Breakaway

[elnombre]

He did Caroline, No in Groningen too, and it was beautiful. As I've mentioned elsewhere - the best gig I've ever seen.

[XY]

This is how the concert in Mainz was promoted