Brian's current thoughts on Landy?

[Runaways]

I'm curious, has Brian made any recent comments on Landy?  Does he see the wrong in what happened?

[Meade]

I think he's more or less been convinced over time that Landy had questionable motives. But I think that's just Brian being Brian, if he spends enough time around other people all saying the same thing, he tends to go along with them. I remember him saying something about Landy in a more recent interview, but I can't remember where I saw it. I think he's respectful of the guy, but probably glad to be out of his control.

[absinthe_boy]

When Landy died, Brian gave an interview where he said he misses him.

For good and ill, Landy was a big part of Brian's life for many years.

[Mr. Cohen]

Here are some relevant excerpts from interviews that were done around the time of BWPS:

"(Landy) did save my life", says Wilson.

Because you were eating a lot...

"A lot. I went up to 311 lbs. I felt paranoid. Paranoid that people felt I was too big. I wouldn't go out. I stayed in the house."

And Landy was like a psychological policeman...

"Right."

Who put you through this tough regime...

"Right. A lot of exercise and a lot of education. Education and exercise.

Educating me on the facts of life to do with health, diet and exercise.Stuff like that..."

And did he help you get back your self-esteem?

"Yes. He helped me slowly get it back, yes. But he wouldn't let me talk to my family. Members of my family or my friends...."

At this point, Wilson's publicist interjects. "We don't need to keep on the Landy subject..."

A terrible haunted look comes into Wilson's eyes, and he buries his head in his hands. The subject is closed.

You’ve always chosen strong partners, from your dad through Eugene Landy to your current wife. Do you need someone to direct you to where you want to go?

Yeah, my wife. Dr. Landy wasn’t all bad. He was pretty bad, but he wasn’t all bad. He taught me a couple of things about life, but he wouldn’t let me talk to my family, he medicated me heavily and controlled my money. He was quite the tyrant.

Did he have your best interests at heart?

No, he did not. He was self-motivated.

You’re now able to separate people’s good qualities from bad?

I can see the difference between the two now.

I knew that $45 I spent on rocksbackpages.com would come in handy one day!

[Andrew G. Doe]

When Landy died, Brian gave an interview where he said he misses him.

For good and ill, Landy was a big part of Brian's life for many years.

Increasingly for ill as time went by. Just because he saved Brian's life in 1982 didn't confer the right to damn near kill him some nine years later. The BDW we see today is largely the way he is due to Landy's medications 1982-90.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Don't forget the Larry King interview when Brian gets irritated with Melinda dogging Marilyn out and says "It's not her fault...she had no idea he was a crazy man", or something to that effect. ( I do remember the "crazy man" verbiage though)

[Runaways]

well these comments please me.

[MBE]

When Landy died, Brian gave an interview where he said he misses him.

For good and ill, Landy was a big part of Brian's life for many years.

Increasingly for ill as time went by. Just because he saved Brian's life in 1982 didn't confer the right to damn near kill him some nine years later. The BDW we see today is largely the way he is due to Landy's medications 1982-90.

Andrew's right I have seen some interviews from 1981 where awareness of what's going on around him is far greater then hit has been anytime since. He seemed more in the moment personally is how I put it.

[The Heartical Don]

When Landy died, Brian gave an interview where he said he misses him.

For good and ill, Landy was a big part of Brian's life for many years.

Increasingly for ill as time went by. Just because he saved Brian's life in 1982 didn't confer the right to damn near kill him some nine years later. The BDW we see today is largely the way he is due to Landy's medications 1982-90.

[The Heartical Don]

When Landy died, Brian gave an interview where he said he misses him.

For good and ill, Landy was a big part of Brian's life for many years.

Increasingly for ill as time went by. Just because he saved Brian's life in 1982 didn't confer the right to damn near kill him some nine years later. The BDW we see today is largely the way he is due to Landy's medications 1982-90.

Hi Andrew -

can (do you want to) elaborate a bit on what medications Brian got prescribed during those 9 years? I'm curious as to the bad side effects that legal medicine can have, esp. since Landy was a psychologist, as far as I know, and as such wasn't even allowed to prescribe anything (well, that's the case in Europe anyway - 'psychologist' is not a protected title over here, anyone over 18 can call themselves psychologist).

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Same thing in the US.

I'm not sure *what* Brian was given. However, some deductive reasoning can be done. It's no secret Brian suffered the effects of Tardive Dyskinesia due to the medication. What makes it worse is that TD is caused in part due to damage to the dopamine neurotransmitters..considering all of the coke Brian did back in the day, he was already prone to suffering from it anyway, esp considering that Brian was (mis)diagnosed as suffering from schizophrenia.   I wouldn't be surprised if he had been given Thorazine and/or Haldol. Also, remember too that Brian was institutionalized a time or two.  I know almost nothing about his 1968 stay....was ECT outlawed by then?  Consider some of the effects of all of these... Akathisia - a subjective feeling of restlessness with a compulsive desire to move the legs or walk around), Dystonias - slow, sustained muscular contractions or spasms that can result in an involuntary movement of either the whole body or individual parts of the body Parkinsonism - muscle stiffness, cogwheel rigidity, shuffling gait, stooped posture, drooling, 'pill rolling' tremor and a masked expression. These milder symptoms are reversible and can usually be treated by changing medications or by adding an additional medication.  The medications known to cause TD are     * chlorpromazine (Thorazine)
    * thioridazine (Mellaril)
    * trifluoperazine (Stelazine)
    * perphenazine (Trilafon)
    * fluphenazine (Prolixin)
    * thiothixene (Navane)
    * haloperidol (Haldol)
    * pimozide (Orap)

So, yeah, he was probably given one or more of these meds.

In a nutshell, we're all REAL lucky Brian's not a turnip by now.

[The Heartical Don]

Same thing in the US.

I'm not sure *what* Brian was given. However, some deductive reasoning can be done. It's no secret Brian suffered the effects of Tardive Dyskinesia due to the medication. What makes it worse is that TD is caused in part due to damage to the dopamine neurotransmitters..considering all of the coke Brian did back in the day, he was already prone to suffering from it anyway, esp considering that Brian was (mis)diagnosed as suffering from schizophrenia.   I wouldn't be surprised if he had been given Thorazine and/or Haldol. Also, remember too that Brian was institutionalized a time or two.  I know almost nothing about his 1968 stay....was ECT outlawed by then?  Consider some of the effects of all of these... Akathisia - a subjective feeling of restlessness with a compulsive desire to move the legs or walk around), Dystonias - slow, sustained muscular contractions or spasms that can result in an involuntary movement of either the whole body or individual parts of the body Parkinsonism - muscle stiffness, cogwheel rigidity, shuffling gait, stooped posture, drooling, 'pill rolling' tremor and a masked expression. These milder symptoms are reversible and can usually be treated by changing medications or by adding an additional medication.  The medications known to cause TD are     * chlorpromazine (Thorazine)
    * thioridazine (Mellaril)
    * trifluoperazine (Stelazine)
    * perphenazine (Trilafon)
    * fluphenazine (Prolixin)
    * thiothixene (Navane)
    * haloperidol (Haldol)
    * pimozide (Orap)

So, yeah, he was probably given one or more of these meds.

In a nutshell, we're all REAL lucky Brian's not a turnip by now.

Thanks for the info. It's really frightening... misdiagnosis and overmedication, I'd say. The side effects you describe were certainly visible in BW; I am thinking of a Dutch interview from long ago, with host Ivo Hiehe. It was sensationalist, surely. But apart from that: Brian responded slowly, from far away it seemed, and he moved to and fro in his chair, clutching a pillow to his belly and chest, like a little child would.

So the doctors in Landy's team prescribed the stuff, then? I recall a certain dr. Susser being given a mention in the 'autobiography', and perhaps one other person having studied medicine. Were they qualified psychiatrists?

[smile-holland]

I am thinking of a Dutch interview from long ago, with host Ivo Hiehe. It was sensationalist, surely. But apart from that: Brian responded slowly, from far away it seemed, and he moved to and fro in his chair, clutching a pillow to his belly and chest, like a little child would.

part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cN7qj87NCn0
part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ob8AVA3CoU

A very disturbing piece of journalism btw, one of the reasons I don't highly regard mr. Niehe

[The Heartical Don]

I am thinking of a Dutch interview from long ago, with host Ivo Hiehe. It was sensationalist, surely. But apart from that: Brian responded slowly, from far away it seemed, and he moved to and fro in his chair, clutching a pillow to his belly and chest, like a little child would.

part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cN7qj87NCn0
part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ob8AVA3CoU

A very disturbing piece of journalism btw, one of the reasons I don't highly regard mr. Niehe

Thanks! Yes, Niehe doesn't place morality high on his journalistic agenda...

[Dutchie]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-vhRkfFgj8&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9C_lKYhWr4&feature=related

[Mike's Beard]

Does anybody actually understand the workings of the whole "Brains and Genius" sham? Because Landy must have had Brian really over a barrel from a legal perspective with that dummy business partnership if Bri couldn't just can his sorry ass!. Think about it. Brian HIRED Landy. Brian PAID for Landy's services. Technically Brian was Landy's EMPLOYER. On the surface at least, if he'd really wanted Landy gone all he had to do was STOP paying him. I know I have simplified things here but surely if they wanted rid of the little worm, terminating his services and stop signing his checks would have been a good start. I'm guessing getting into bed with him financially was Landy's way of complicating this very straightforward fact. Shame Denny wasn't around, he could have sorted this very quickly with a few good jabs in the mouth I think.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Does anybody actually understand the workings of the whole "Brains and Genius" sham? Because Landy must have had Brian really over a barrel from a legal perspective with that dummy business partnership if Bri couldn't just can his sorry ass!. Think about it. Brian HIRED Landy. Brian PAID for Landy's services. Technically Brian was Landy's EMPLOYER.

Not the 2nd time around - Landy was hired by, and paid by, The Beach Boys.

[Mike's Beard]

Didn't they defer payments though by giving Landy 25% or so of Brian's publishing royalties? Or did that come later after he'd jacked his asking fee up for the nth time? Surely Brother Comp wasn't still pocketing his bills by the time they were attempting to remove Landy from Brian's life? I guess once the courts get involved even something as simple as telling someone to take a hike becomes a long complicated process.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

That makes it even worse...why didn't the BB fire Landy then?

[the captain]

1968 ....was ECT outlawed by then? 

It's not outlawed even now. A former roommate of mine underwent it quite voluntarily to help with her depression about 8-9 years ago.

[Sheriff John Stone]

I was never sure why it was necessary for Landy to prescribe those powerful drugs in the first place. I thought the two main objectives were to help Brian with the weight/diet problem and to treat his addiction to illegal substances. Both of those issues could've been largely handled by the bodyguards.

I'm sure Brian had other psychological issues, but couldn't they have been treated with therapy and less brain damaging drugs? As has been pointed out several times, Brian in 1980-81 did not appear to be that "out of it" mentally...

[mtaber]

Sheriff - zombies are easier to control...

[Sheriff John Stone]

Sheriff - zombies are easier to control...

I know, I know....

[the captain]

SJS, I think you're being overly generous to the character of Dr. Landy or just trying to get someone else to say the truth. Surely you're not anywhere near so naive as that.

[Sheriff John Stone]

SJS, I think you're being overly generous to the character of Dr. Landy or just trying to get someone else to say the truth. Surely you're not anywhere near so naive as that.

A little bit of both. I'm always a little skeptical when it comes to brainwashing and controlling and those types of things. To the best of my knowledge (and somebody please correct me if I'm wrong), Landy didn't use those powerful drugs with Brian in 1976 and got some decent results. He was able to exert enough "control" over Brian without drugging him. I thought it was strictly the 24 Hour therapy program, carried out by the bodyguards. Why use the drugs in 1982? Why risk it? In the end it cost him. Cost both of them, actually...