'That Lucky Old Sun' A new Beach Boy album?

[shelter]

Brian's band are excellent musicians. Great, talented professionals. But, and I don't mean to sound harsh, they are all replaceable. The original Beach Boys aren't.

[Jim McShane]

Brian's band are excellent musicians. Great, talented professionals. But, and I don't mean to sound harsh, they are all replaceable. The original Beach Boys aren't.

Hmmm... I don't think so. Maybe before Smile and TLOS, etc, but not anymore.

The original Beach Boys have BEEN replaced - many times over and for many years.

BTW, like the earlier post by Sam_BFC mentioned - I too find myself "attached" to Brian's current band. Those guys (and girl) are as responsible as anyone for Brian's re-birth. They've set their own egos aside to work with Brian, under what must sometimes be very difficult circumstances. And they provide the kind of genuine affection and emotional support that BW needs. They're amazing IMHO!

[Dancing Bear]

To be replaceable is totally subjective. For some, Carl is irreplaceable in God Only Knows, for others, BWPS's I'm in Great Shape will sound just awkward sung by other voices.

At the end of the day, Brian's band is doing their job. They're pros, and are paid to deal with Brian's idiosyncrasies. Didn't Darian leave the band for a better-paying gig in Disney Productions for a while? Now, it doesn't take away from what they contribute in the studio. Hal Blaine could be Brian's friend but he wouldn't spend hours recording Pet Sounds if he didn't get paid at the end of the session.

Important disclaimer: In the same line of thought, "the Beach Boys" has been a job for everyone involved since at least 1977, but YMMV.

[Jim McShane]

To be replaceable is totally subjective. For some, Carl is irreplaceable in God Only Knows, for others, BWPS's I'm in Great Shape will sound just awkward sung by other voices.

Agreed.

At the end of the day, Brian's band is doing their job. They're pros, and are paid to deal with Brian's idiosyncrasies.

I must confess - I find it incredibly difficult to understand how anyone can feel that way. The body of evidence is (at least to me) so compelling that I just don't understand how that could possibly be the case.

They are pros, but it's clear that not only do they love their work, they really care about their leader (BW). Not all "pros" have that level of caring and commitment and emotional involvement. One of my favorite quotes is from Jeffrey Foskett speaking about Brian - "I'll never let him fail".  That seems to go way beyond a "professional" relationship.


Read the Crutchfield interview with Darian about working with Brian on Smile - how Brian just freaked out - here's an excerpt (Lindsay is the interviewer):

"Then we stopped for the holiday break and the next time I saw Brian, he was a mess. I came over with a stack of lyrics so he and I could sit down and start actually going through the lead vocal parts that he would have to perform and he was not happening. I remember him shaking and he sat down and he started crying and yelling "I'm f@#$%! I'm f@#$%!"

I had seen this through cracked doors, but this was the first time it was just him and me. Melinda was off at a meeting and he was really freaking out. So, I said "OK Brian, let's just try and listen to some of this," and he said "OK. OK. OK."

We made it through maybe three songs and in the middle of the song he hurled the lyric sheet all the way across the room and screamed, "AHHHHHHH!!!" Lindsay, it was scary. I mean really scary. I ran down to the housekeeper who was familiar with this stuff happening. She knew it was for real and he was begging her to take him to the hospital and we are still trying to call Melinda. I didn't know what to do and tried to be a calming force. At one point I heard him yelling to me from the other room "Darian! Darian! They are trying to kill me! They are trying to kill me!"

I thought, "maybe until Melinda gets home, I can just sit with him and talk." He was asking me all sorts of questions and he was just scared. He'd say, "Have you ever dropped acid? Do you take drugs? How do you deal with that?" He'd describe this feeling in his chest that he can't get rid of. Man, that was really scary. And then we had to start rehearsing within the next week with the band, mainly the vocalists. That is some of what you see in the film.

I found out later that that incident was part of his seasonal depression, especially now that he is the last Wilson [of his generation] standing. His mom, dad, brothers are all gone. There was that and then there was the reality that we had to do SMiLE for real. There was a concert date set and we have to do this. All that stuff that happened with Van Dyke in the fall when he was in the moment and it was cool and he was happy, well that was gone. It was now time to do this and it was rough. He'd just sit there and it was like we were working without a head. The head was not attached to the body..."

Continuing later in the article:

"I gotta tell you that just before the London shows, we were all really nervous. Because, you know how SMiLE is broken into three sections running 18 minutes or so each, and we've never done anything like that. What made me even more nervous was knowing that one of the things Brian gets out of a show is getting that feedback, that love and feel from the audience. Prior to SMiLE, it came to him every three minutes or so. But all of a sudden we had to perform these long lengths before any applause. That's what I was most nervous about, whether he could make it through. As a band we didn't know what was going to happen and we had not felt that nervous since our very first show in 1999. It was that heavy."

I think that's a bit more than just "idiosyncrasies", and it takes a special person to do what Darian (and the band) did - not just a hired gun.

As well, other than Mike D'Amico's family situation pulling him out, no one has left the band; and they've been together over 8 years. 

Didn't Darian leave the band for a better-paying gig in Disney Productions for a while?

He never "left", he missed a tour is all. And since the touring had wound down after Smile, how was he gonna pay his bills without working? I've never seen any information about what he earned at Disney vs. working with BW, so to say he left for a better paying job is a bit of a mischaracterization IMHO. He needed more work. They all play in more than one band or are solo acts.

Heck, AFAIK Probyn Gregory still has a day job as an editor of some sort!

Now, it doesn't take away from what they contribute in the studio.

Or on stage - or Paul's arrangements, Darian's "secretarial" work, Scott's compositions, etc.

Or the way they clearly support and encourage Brian both publicly and privately.

Hal Blaine could be Brian's friend but he wouldn't spend hours recording Pet Sounds if he didn't get paid at the end of the session.

Well, Hal had to eat too. But while I think Hal and a few others from the early days had closer than typical relationships with Brian, I don't think any group of musicians has ever gotten as close to Brian as his current band.

TLOS is certainly a BW & band combo - who'd have thought that would happen??

Sorry to be so long winded.

[RickD]

But, and I don't mean to sound harsh, they are all replaceable. The original Beach Boys aren't.

The "original" Beach Boys aren't - unfortunately the heart and soul (along with probably the most important voice in the mix) are both no longer with us.

 Without Brians current band, we wouldn't have seen BWPS anywhere near what it was, if at all (Darian, in particular) or TLOS wouldn't have been what it was (Scott).

I'm not sure just how replaceable some of them are - not a lot of people around with the Beach Boys / Brian Wilson background of Foskett and the Wondermints, and I agree with Jim - they are doing this more for a genuine love of Brian and the music than for money (because they don't get much of that!!)

[Dancing Bear]

Look, I do believe Brian's band are good people.

Anyway, I thought a bit about it and I feel we won't get anywhere debating Darian & Co motivations. We have enough mud slinging with the Beach Boys.

[mikee]

Darian, Scott, Nick, Jeff, Probyn and Taylor are better singers than Mike, Al and Bruce

Having seen Alan perform a couple of times in the past  year or so I think Alan is probably a better, now, than he has ever been.   I'd also say that he is probably a better all around  lead singer than any of those people, and the equal of any of them singing his harmony parts.

[Pretty Funky]

It just irks me that the last 'Beach Boys' (cough) new album was Stars and Stripes?

A good last album befitting such a group has got to be better than remakes and greatest hits IMO.

[Smilin Ed H]

And the one before that was Bummer...

[shelter]

And the one before that was Bummer...

And the one before that had only 5 new songs...

[Jim McShane]

Darian, Scott, Nick, Jeff, Probyn and Taylor are better singers than Mike, Al and Bruce

Having seen Alan perform a couple of times in the past  year or so I think Alan is probably a better, now, than he has ever been.   I'd also say that he is probably a better all around  lead singer than any of those people, and the equal of any of them singing his harmony parts.

Within his range. Think of the range needed to sing the top harmony on "Columnated ruins domino" or "Fresh clean air...".  That's Jeff and Taylor (and possibly Probyn or Darian) country. Al himself has said he doesn't have the range he used to.

Al is a good lead singer, no question - but I wouldn't say he's any better than the people you mentioned other than Probyn - who says himself he doesn't have a lead singer's voice.  As a background vocalist Al's excellent - just like the rest of the band.

That's no insult to Al. He's in VERY good company!

[Sheriff John Stone]

I have nothing against Brian's current bandmates. Nothing at all. They've done a tremendous job, better than anybody could've ever wished for. They're obviously very talented, and, yes, appear to be good people. But my preference for an album with Beach Boys' voices has nothing to do with any of the above.

I have a relationship with the Beach Boys. A history. Their music has been a big part of my life. To quote their song, "Friends" - we've been together through the good times and the tears. High school, college, births, deaths, different jobs, different relationships, good health/bad health, poverty/prosperity, changing music tastes, etc. You get the point.

The cool thing about the Beach Boys is that they give us a snapshot of who they are/were when they recorded their music. The young garage-band punks in the Pendleton shirts. The bird watching, TM lovin', "music is swell", hippie-men. The wasted, bloated, bearded, burned-out legends. And the recovering, Hawaiian shirted, aging but forever young, California callin' but irrelevant institution. I'm starting to sound like one of Mike Love's songs or Bono's Hall Of Fame speeches!

But THAT'S what I love about The Beach Boys. I dig those snapshots. They'e fascinating. Maybe because 5 completely different characters comprised those snapshots. Even when the music was lacking, there was still something there that was redeemable, or worth getting into. Yeah, I'll sit through "Love Is A Woman" because Brian Wilson wrote it, and Mike and Al sang on it. And Carl was the mixdown producer. And it's The Beach Boys! It's that snapshot of where they were in late 1976. Fascinating.

I can't get that from Brian's band - yet. There's a lot more of them for one thing. I don't know their personalities well. And I don't have much of a history with them. But I could get it from a 2008 Beach Boys' line-up. To see/hear the white-haired, still nasal voice of Mike Love. To see/hear if Bruce has any more "Disney Girls" in him. To see/hear if Al can carry the band on record the way Carl Wilson did in his later years. And what might be the most interesting and touching story of all, the return of David Marks as an official Beach Boy after being unfairly ousted some 45 years ago.

And then there's Brian. I'm not going to get into the merits of TLOS in this post. It may or may not turn into a high quality finished recording. But what I do know, is that Brian's two solo albums (of new material) since he hooked up with this current band were Getting In Over My Head and What I Really Want For Christmas. BWPS was a re-recording of 40 year old Beach Boys' songs. Don't misunderstand me, I AM IN NO WAY BLAMING THE CURRENT BAND FOR THIS. My point is that I had hoped that the spark, energy, youth, creativity, and support of these brilliant musicians might rub off on Brian, and inspire him to create something great. And, again, TLOS might be that piece.

Maybe Brian could find a certain chemistry with some old musicians, friends, and cousins, and give us fans another snapshot. I think it would be an interesting mix and configuration. I'd like to see them give it a try.

 
 

[mikeyj]

I have nothing against Brian's current bandmates. Nothing at all. They've done a tremendous job, better than anybody could've ever wished for. They're obviously very talented, and, yes, appear to be good people. But my preference for an album with Beach Boys' voices has nothing to do with any of the above.

I have a relationship with the Beach Boys. A history. Their music has been a big part of my life. To quote their song, "Friends" - we've been together through the good times and the tears. High school, college, births, deaths, different jobs, different relationships, good health/bad health, poverty/prosperity, changing music tastes, etc. You get the point.

The cool thing about the Beach Boys is that they give us a snapshot of who they are/were when they recorded their music. The young garage-band punks in the Pendleton shirts. The bird watching, TM lovin', "music is swell", hippie-men. The wasted, bloated, bearded, burned-out legends. And the recovering, Hawaiian shirted, aging but forever young, California callin' but irrelevant institution. I'm starting to sound like one of Mike Love's songs or Bono's Hall Of Fame speeches!

But THAT'S what I love about The Beach Boys. I dig those snapshots. They'e fascinating. Maybe because 5 completely different characters comprised those snapshots. Even when the music was lacking, there was still something there that was redeemable, or worth getting into. Yeah, I'll sit through "Love Is A Woman" because Brian Wilson wrote it, and Mike and Al sang on it. And Carl was the mixdown producer. And it's The Beach Boys! It's that snapshot of where they were in late 1976. Fascinating.

I can't get that from Brian's band - yet. There's a lot more of them for one thing. I don't know their personalities well. And I don't have much of a history with them. But I could get it from a 2008 Beach Boys' line-up. To see/hear the white-haired, still nasal voice of Mike Love. To see/hear if Bruce has any more "Disney Girls" in him. To see/hear if Al can carry the band on record the way Carl Wilson did in his later years. And what might be the most interesting and touching story of all, the return of David Marks as an official Beach Boy after being unfairly ousted some 45 years ago.

And then there's Brian. I'm not going to get into the merits of TLOS in this post. It may or may not turn into a high quality finished recording. But what I do know, is that Brian's two solo albums (of new material) since he hooked up with this current band were Getting In Over My Head and What I Really Want For Christmas. BWPS was a re-recording of 40 year old Beach Boys' songs. Don't misunderstand me, I AM IN NO WAY BLAMING THE CURRENT BAND FOR THIS. My point is that I had hoped that the spark, energy, youth, creativity, and support of these brilliant musicians might rub off on Brian, and inspire him to create something great. And, again, TLOS might be that piece.

Maybe Brian could find a certain chemistry with some old musicians, friends, and cousins, and give us fans another snapshot. I think it would be an interesting mix and configuration. I'd like to see them give it a try.

Sheriff while I don't necessarily want a reunion as much as you, I totally agree with a lot of what you say. I have heard some people say that they prefer the vocal blend of the Wondermints+Co. over The Beach Boys at their peak!! While everyone is entitled to their opinion, I couldn't disagree more. I mean as you basically say, we (meaning most people on this board) have a 'relationship' with the band. You feel you know each member and the whole reason you feel in love with this music was because of these 5 core (and sometimes more) people and what they brought to the band both vocally, instrumentally and creatively. I don't want to start an argument on 'who's better vocally between The BB and Brian's band' but I'll just say that one of the main reasons I love this music is because of that vocal blend!! And I have rarely heard a version that I enjoy more than the original records (whether that's The Beach Boys live, Brian live, Mike+Bruce live, Al live, re-recordings by Brian or whoever, cover versions etc..)

[Aegir]

Maybe Brian could find a certain chemistry with some old musicians, friends, and cousins, and give us fans another snapshot. 

My first thought was "you forgot brothers". Then I became very sad.

[Jim McShane]

Sheriff while I don't necessarily want a reunion as much as you, I totally agree with a lot of what you say. I have heard some people say that they prefer the vocal blend of the Wondermints+Co. over The Beach Boys at their peak!! While everyone is entitled to their opinion, I couldn't disagree more. I mean as you basically say, we (meaning most people on this board) have a 'relationship' with the band. You feel you know each member and the whole reason you feel in love with this music was because of these 5 core (and sometimes more) people and what they brought to the band both vocally, instrumentally and creatively. I don't want to start an argument on 'who's better vocally between The BB and Brian's band' but I'll just say that one of the main reasons I love this music is because of that vocal blend!! And I have rarely heard a version that I enjoy more than the original records (whether that's The Beach Boys live, Brian live, Mike+Bruce live, Al live, re-recordings by Brian or whoever, cover versions etc..)

Well, some of us feel a strong relationship to the current band. They've been together since 1999, and as a result of seeing BW with them in Rosemont IL in 1999 I pursued some of their "own" music - I own all the 'Mints CDs and some other tracks, I have most of Jeffrey Foskett's stuff, I have the Dotted Line (Scott Bennett), I have Taylor's CD "Lullagoodbye" - and I'll get Nelson Bragg's CD next time I order. I found out as much as I could about them because I really liked their music so much.

I beleive 100% that without the band Brian wouldn't be where he is today. The completion of Smile was an amazing accomplishment. And they and BW have put out a bunch of excellent new music together too:

GIOMH - while I'm not fond of it, the main reason is the vocals (except Desert Drive). If the band did the vocals that would have been a far better CD.

Walking Down The Path of Life
What Love Can Do
On Christmas Day
Christmasey
What I Really Want For Christmas (wow, amazing song - and the first song written specifically for this band to sing. They were magnificent)
TLOS live
No Wrong Notes In Heaven (with Scott Bennett)

As well, Brian has appeared on the some of the band member's own CDs.

That's a pretty decent body of work for a guy who couldn't write anymore, was terrified to be on stage, and was held hostage mentally by the uncompleted Smile. And the live shows have tackled so many really challenging works too. I still can't believe what I've seen live - stuff I NEVER thought I'd see - Pet Sounds (not stripped down either, played properly), Smile, songs off "Love You", Til I Die(!), and on an on... Without the current band those would have never seen the light of day again IMHO.

They've made Brian's loss of vocal range and sometimes loss of pitch much less of an issue. If Brain could sing today the way he could back in the day I suspect that even the hardcore BBs fan would have a hard time saying the vocal blend wasn't just what they remember. As it is - the vocal blend is spectacular, especially considering how Brian's role in that blend has diminished.

Any group of musicians who can do that - as well as play and sing impeccably both live and in studio - and clearly be genuinely good souls is easy for me to relate to. I love those guys (and girl) and what they've done.

Sure, I miss Carl and Dennis, of course! But this current band occupies just as important a role in my mind.