4 beer plan

[the captain]

OK, I didn't get back to this as quickly as planned. And I drank a lot more than four beers. (Well, technically zero beers, but a lot of wine.)

I'm taking it a slightly different direction, in that I'm not going to focus on the lineup for a live band's show. Since it's Never-Never Land anyway (or at least Probably Not-Probably Not Land), my attempt at a pragmatic solution is aimed at doing an album. Oh yeah. That old thing again.

It includes Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston and David Marks. Because I'm thinking studio work, it isn't essential that there be just one functioning band: different guys COULD play on different tracks. But for the hell of it, it would be nice to at least focus on a core group. Maybe this:

Mike Love, vocals
Brian Wilson, vocals, keyboard
Al Jardine, vocals, guitar, bass
Bruce Johnston, vocals keyboards, bass
David Marks, guitar, vocals
...
Darian Sahanaja, keyboards, pitched percussion (i.e. vibes, xylophone, etc.), vocals
Scott Totten, guitar, vocals
Mike D'Amico, drums, vocals (Cowsill is fine with me, too. But I want a drummer-singer to keep the group smaller)

Ideally, this album is recorded along the lines of the way BWPS and TLOS were, with the instrumental tracks done with as many people playing together as is possible, minimal overdubbing. Certainly a D'Amico, Jardine/Johnston, Marks, Sahanaja, Totten group could do that. Vocals, too, would be done as much together as possible to maximize blend and feel.

The tracklist? I think we'd have to assume that as great as newly penned Wilson/Love songs would be, those would be few. So maximize some unreleased or under-released songs that would prove inoffensive to Love's idea of the band. Maybe some things along these lines.

My Maryanne
Some Sweet Day
This Isn't Love
The First Time
Walking Down the Path of Life (perhaps expanded with Love and Jardine contributions)
Everything I Need
I'm Broke (David not only soloing, but singing lead?)
It's Trying To Say (Baseball)

If Al's album were scrapped and some of its better originals added, I'd be in favor of that. As for any of Mike's songs, well ... I'll keep an open mind, but I really prefer what he writes with Brian or the others. (And if he can team up with anyone to do any amount up to an album's worth, I'd be thrilled of it.)

As for Dennis/Carl stuff, I have mixed feelings. The flown-in vocals sort of bug me, younger leads over aged tracks and vocals. Maybe just unreleased stuff, though I don't know what Carl has unreleased that would be worth hearing. (With Dennis, we obviously all know of a gem in WIBNTLA.) Or maybe even the current group covering one of each of their songs. I don't know.

Anyway, those are some thoughts.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

I think Bobby Figueroa should be there because Dennis personally chose and hired him!

And the same goes for Billy Hinsche because he was so close to Carl and there was so much mutual respect between the two.

[the captain]

Nothing against either of them, but I think the two musical directors plus D'Amico offer a little more (trying to say this nicely) quality, especially vocally. And if you start getting into who Dennis and Carl liked, well, you need to bring in both Blondie and Ricky and possibly another slew of sidemen. My whole thing was keeping it contained so everyone was involved.

[variable2]

I'm going to take Luther's album idea and go in a different direction.

Full on Beach Boys Love You style album with Brian, Mike, and Darian in a room with Brian sitting in an easy chair and a couple of synthesizers on hand for him to record basic tracks with keyboards, synth bass, bass drum/snare, then flesh them out with the members of Brian's band (including a bonus release of the original Brian-tracked demos)+ vocals from the rest of the Beach Boys.  Boom.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

Yeah, but both Ricky and Blondie quit or were fired (depending on who's telling the story) whereas Bobby and Billy were around for years and years.

But, yeah, there's no way everyone would be happy however it turns out.

I just hope it wouldn't be Brian's band, and only so it wouldn't just be Brian solo with a few old guys who come out and sing on some songs and then go sit back down. If Brian's band is there, I think they'd insist on singing all over the place and steamroll the "purity" of a Beach Boys reunion!

[the captain]

I doubt it's Brian's band that has any control over how much they themselves do (in the studio). They're hired sidemen (and -woman), and that's it. Collaborators to a point, but do you REALLY think Nelson gets a whole lot of say over what he's going to be tackling on any given day?

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

I honestly don't know! I think Brian and his band have been together, more or less intact, for so many years now, that things probably function more like a "real band" than we would assume. But I could be completely wrong.

[Pretty Funky]

You know, the weekend is coming up and I think with 14 beers we could all see not only the five living Beach Boys but Carl, Dennis and Elvis moon-walking with Jackson onstage in our own homes with Murry calling out 'syncopate' from the side of the stage.

Anyone care to go to the gig?

[Aegir]

Nothing against either of them, but I think the two musical directors plus D'Amico offer a little more (trying to say this nicely) quality, especially vocally. [...] My whole thing was keeping it contained so everyone was involved.

Well, in order to keep everyone involved, you would have to include someone from Al's band, perhaps his musical director, Billy Hinsche. Additionally, almost everyone in Al's band has played with the Beach Boys.

I think a good combo would be:

Brian Wilson
Mike Love
Al Jardine
David Marks
Bruce Johnston
Darian Sahanaja
Scott Totten
Billy Hinsche
Jeff Foskett
Bobby Figueroa

[donald]

Aegir,   your line up is essentially in line with the original 4 beer plan.   I salute you!

[Aegir]

And I only had two tonight!

[Mr. Cohen]

This is all so wrong, let me fix this:

Brian Wilson (keyboard, vocals)
Mike Love (saxophone, vocals, lyrics)
Joe Thomas (co-producer, arranger)
Jimmy Buffet (guitar, vocals, lyrics)
Bruce Johnston (keyboard, vocals, lyrics)
John Stamos (drums, vocals, guitar, Dennis Wilson)
Al Jardine + David Marks (give Brian back messages, pick up lunch, play bass/rhythm guitar occasionally when needed)

The BBs new hit single, "Jojomo", hits #1 7/21/10!

[donald]

add Joe Thomas' mother and call it jomama