Brian Reimagines Gershwin

[Seaside Woman]

All of a sudden, all I wanna do, is listen to the original mix...

[Andrew G. Doe]

All of a sudden, all I wanna do, is listen to the original mix...

Hardly any difference.

[Runaways]

k guys, me and the first girl i fell in love with ended last night.  this album is being heavenly leaned on now!

[Autotune]

I'll make you a deal Peter; You don't steal original one-of-a-kind personal Dennis Wilson quotes from other author's books and I won't "doubt" Peter Reum, who made the most ridiculous and inaccurate quote about Brian Wilson that I have ever read. A quote so silly, backwards, and incorrect that I felt the need to immediately call him on it.  A quote so off that -- politics be damned -- YOU should have called him on it. It's a historian's DUTY to call people on inaccuracies -- even if they were a source for your book and even if you're riding high on being invited to some listening party.

Even if Peter.
Even if.

Howie, take it outside, will ya?

[brother john]

Sounds like a good idea to compile all the gershwin material. I'd be interested to hear that if you get round to it (please!).

As for the question: what did Brian do, I think it's a fair one, and one that bedevils this record particularly since it is ostensibly a covers album.

Thanks.

Well, here is a link to a collection of earlier versions. You could make any number of compilations like this, probably hundreds with none of them being the same, but from what material I could lay my hands on these seemed to represent by and large the 'original' versions of the songs, that is, none of these are avant garde interpretations and seem to be generally representative of what people did with the songs before Brian did. Obviously some people won't approve of all of these (Doris Day, anyone?) but then on the other hand there is a great version of Gershwin playing I got Rhythm.  

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=7PJMHF44

N.B. The file names are slightly adumbrated here and there, but the MP3s are tagged properly so will look fine in iTunes etc.

[Shady]

That's my understanding - Disney are looking at the Grammys.

Man, I hate being out of whack.

Don't really understand this. What was Brian's orginal mix and why would if have any hindrance on winning a Grammy?

[Wirestone]

Because the mixer, Al Schmitt, has won a boatload of Grammies for engineering various high-profile records. The bet is that some people in the industry will notice his presence.

On a totally different note, played several tracks for my husband -- who was very surprised by Brian's vocals. He is not a fan of current BW (he likes Friends and Holland best), but even he was saying, "He's singing better than he has for a long time."

[donald]

A few comments.

As for the different releases and bonus tracks,  I don't know if there are any but,  I bought TLOS at Best Buy early upon release.  I got a good price and the bonus tracks that some who bought elsewhere didn't.   So check there before buying.   

As for the music, I had heard some clips of BWRG but just now had a chance to hear the whole thing.  It is very nicely recorded and sounded good even on a cheap set of PC speakers.     Brian sounds great and I like the production and arrangements.
As good as one could have expected.  I'll continue to listen to this.   Its growing on me just as TLOS did.
As for boots etc,  I will buy the official release from a retail outlet as soon as it is available.  Even though there are other sources for one to obtain almost any music these days. 

A final thought after listening to Our Love is here to Stay....did the Four Freshmen cover any of these songs?   seems they did but I can't recall which era of FF or which recording.

Finally, I got a kick out of reading the Carlin/Stebbins et al debate earlier on this thread.  Thanks for sharing the juicy insider stuff guys!   Keep writing!!

[TdHabib]

The Freshmen did "Love is Here to Say"--I have their recording, it's very good.

Will be listening to this record one week from today, can't wait and you will certainly be hearing my thoughts.

[Jon Stebbins]

Jon - This is getting absurd. We're talking about ten words in a 100,000 word-plus book that I wrote five-plus years ago. You're asking me to go back and trace the specific steps of how and where I found one quote out of the hundreds that derived from my own interviews, from years worth of books, magazines, news articles, etc. etc. etc. Is it possible today to fire up the good old Google and jump right back to where I was five years ago? Is the Internet even remotely the same as it was back then? I have no idea. I can tell you that I just did a Google search and, within less than a second, the browser came back with 960,000 pages it believes has the words 'dennis wilson' and 'if you want to know me' on them. Not all have the precise quote, but may do.  Including a DW bio on Rotten Tomatoes, which is where the following graf appears:

Stephen Kalinich in an interview with Adam Webb stated that "He had soul in his music and he was a master. And yet a primitive master in the sense that he may not have heard all of Beethoven or Bach but he had a feeling of combining the pain and the joy together." He remained honest throughout his songs, which he sung in a soulful croon. Dennis never felt loved and it was something that he always sought. This can clearly be seen in his song "Time" from his 1977 solo album Pacific Ocean Blue where the lyrics state "Known a lot of women, but they don't fill my heart; with love completely..." Dennis once stated “The greatest success in life is to feel I’m something for someone; the feeling of falling in love, the newness of love.� A lot of Dennis’ songs are expressed not only with great passion but also with great sorrow, and it is only in his music as Dennis describes that people can gain a true understanding of the person he was. "Everything that I am or will ever be is in the music. If you want to know me, just listen."

Do you see the attribution there? Me either. Do you suppose this is the only article on the Internet, or anywhere else in the world, that has lifted your quote? I don't. If only because I see fragments of my own interviews with all kinds of people pop up places. And if it's just ten words out of a book, or even a 3,000-word article? I really, honestly don't care that much.

Sometimes quotes, like brand-names, fall into popular usage. It kind of sucks, but that's just how it goes. I just find it difficult to sit here and have Howie, or anyone, accuse me of plagiarism. That's the sort of scorched earth, make-him-deny-it type of discussion that corrupts what has until this point been a really collegial and interesting conversation about a fascinating new record.

Peter, I'm not asking you for anything. I read your response to Howie and in there you stated that "I felt bad about Jon feeling irked, and quickly found a handful of stories/sites that had the full quote, minus any attribution." I was merely attempting to correct your memory of those events. My clear recollection is when I inquired as to your source for the quote in '06 after reading a pre-release copy of your book you COULD NOT find any alternate source other than my site and my book. That's the point. You admitted to me that you did not have any attribution for the quote, and since you hadn't found it in my book or on my site, and you could not find your alternate source for the quote...you admitted it was a case of sloppy record keeping. Water under the bridge. By stating NOW, in 2010 when the quote is everywhere, that the quote is everywhere... duh...that's just a dust cloud that has nothing to do with our exchange in 2006. Yes the quote is everywhere now. It wasn't in '05/'06...that's why it stood out to me in your book, otherwise there would have been no reason to contact you about it. We obviously have different memories of the subsequent events if what you stated to Howie is how you remember it. I wanted to chime in that I remember it differently. Peter, I've written several books too, I know its hard to nail down every inch when you're pumping out tens of thousands of words under deadline. I'm cranking out 150,000 under deadline right now. The web allows us to grab things on the fly, sometimes they have no obvious attribution. The world turns. I get all that. But I remember you being in denial back then when I pointed out the quote you used was essentially uncirculated, you looked into the matter, and then came back to me with no alt. source and an apology. Not an apology for using the quote, but an apology for subsequently arguing that the quote was well circulated and that I was overreacting by asking where you had found it. You seemed to understand why I was taken aback to see the quote in your book with no attribution precisely because it was not "out there". Now you're using that same excuse that you admitted was incorrect, again, in your response to Howie. Hence my comments to try to jog your memory...and with the full understanding that I'm probably just banging my head against cement.

[drbeachboy]

Jon,

Please, only bang your head against a padded wall. I don't want anything to happen that stunts your creative writing. You are a fantasic author, so please keep it coming and keep that head of yours safe and sound.

[Peter Reum]

With respect to a 2005 quote from Brian cited by Howie Edelson...if you knew Brian, you wouldn't take that quote out of context. The FEW moments before Brian goes onstage are always rough...once he gets out there and is playing, he's as content as any human can be onstage. But since you haven't been backstage with Brian before a show, I wouldn't expect you to understand that quote in context. There are a numer of quotes from Brian saying that touring in moderation is something he enjoys. Guys stil beating the poor "exploited Brian" drum don't know Brian.

[Howie Edelson]

With respect to a 2005 quote from Brian cited by Howie Edelson...if you knew Brian, you wouldn't take that quote out of context. The FEW moments before Brian goes onstage are always rough...once he gets out there and is playing, he's as content as any human can be onstage. But since you haven't been backstage with Brian before a show, I wouldn't expect you to understand that quote in context. There are a numer of quotes from Brian saying that touring in moderation is something he enjoys. Guys stil beating the poor "exploited Brian" drum don't know Brian.

Peter, I have been with Brian before shows. Don't you know that?

You're the guy that collects thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands of pictures of Brian, right?

[Wirestone]

For someone on this board to attack someone else for obsession over a topic is pretty silly.

Can't we all just get along? Do the Peters and Jon and Howie have to ride on separate planes to their shows now?

[grillo]

I think it's hilarious that words that a third party said could ever be thought to be owned by, or the property of, any writer/reporter/human. Yes, you may have 'discovered' that quote and done whatever work it requires for that quote to be put into an article/book, but you no more own that quote than the car maker owns the car I bought.

Oh, I just have a real problem with this whole intellectual copyright stuff, so don't take my rant personally, but do take it seriously (or not)...

[TdHabib]

It irks me that there's always a "Brian's being exploited" topic when a new piece of product from him is coming out. For heaven's sake, he just released an album of material that by all accounts fully engaged him, by GERSHWIN, a sophisticated arty project, an by all accounts it's terrific. Furthermore, his life performances in the last year or so have almost all been called some of the best he's ever done solo. I have to respectfully say that there is a portion of the fanbase that seems not to accept anything new from Brian and won't until he returns to his old 1966 Pet Sounds self. That just makes me wanna scream. Loud.

I love Brian and I will accept anything he deems releasable. If it's crap (GIOMH), I will say so. If it's great (BWPS, TLOS and by all accounts BWRG---have only heard snippets and don't wanna until I purchase it at Borders on the 17th) I will rejoice and enjoy it because his music means that much to me. Peter, Howie, Peter, and Jon, yes all four of them, are people to be trusted, fine writers and people that are close to the action. If Bob Hanes was still aroun I'd say the same for him. Let's be friends.

TD

[Shady]

Because the mixer, Al Schmitt, has won a boatload of Grammies for engineering various high-profile records. The bet is that some people in the industry will notice his presence.

On a totally different note, played several tracks for my husband -- who was very surprised by Brian's vocals. He is not a fan of current BW (he likes Friends and Holland best), but even he was saying, "He's singing better than he has for a long time."

Ah right.

Would be a dream come true for Brian to win a grammy for this project, won't bank on it though.

[Wirestone]

Just wrote this in a private message -- but I don't see why I shouldn't post it here.

This is the first album Brian has done since I became a fan -- and I jumped on board in the mid-90s -- that I feel I don't have to defend. Either to friends or family, or on boards like this one. I'll enthuse about it, point out certain things -- but this album does not need defenders.

It only needs listeners.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Just wrote this in a private message -- but I don't see why I shouldn't post it here.

This is the first album Brian has done since I became a fan -- and I jumped on board in the mid-90s -- that I feel I don't have to defend. Either to friends or family, or on boards like this one. I'll enthuse about it, point out certain things -- but this album does not need defenders.

It only needs listeners.

This album is the grand slam. 

[Curtis Leon]

Re: the album (to change the subject back for a moment), the stream that I've heard is compressed quite a lot more than the free download from bw.com and its also lacking quite a lot of its high end. Before we make criticisms or judgements of the record it would be worth waiting until we've all heard the real thing on CD.

Having said that, Brian seems to be singing well on it, and while there may be no Autotune (TM) on it there is certainly some (every good DAW has a manual pitch correction plugin which will raise or lower pitch by however many degrees are deemed necessary) kind of pitch correction here and there, despite what some people believe to the contrary. There are a small number of moments where I believe I hear it in Brian's higher and lower registers, where he struggles the most. There are some notes that, with the best will in the world, it would be unrealistic to think he could reach perfectly, no matter how patiently he sat at the microphone. But, who cares, as I'd much rather have him in tune than out of tune.

One thing that has exercised me a little, given some of the comments I've read in this thread, is that if Gershwin wrote the songs, Mertens arranged the strings and the links in between the songs, and the band came up with most of the instrumentation (given that they know what BW wants by now) what, apart from sing it, did Brian actually do?

And finally, as I don't know the Gershwin catalogue very well, I'm going to source all the tracks on BWRG and make a Gershwin Imagines Gershwin album to listen to as a comparison, as I think that would help me appreciate BW's disc all the more!  

I've got a version that seems to be in much higher quality - I've heard it might be a leaked promo CD. Still, though, I'm definitely going to buy the CD when it comes out, both to support Brian and to compare to the version I already have.

Heh, I haven't even listened to Gershwin at all. Most of my older music harkens back to classical and ancient times. I can imagine that Brian did have quite a bit of involvement in the arrangements. Example: The references to Farmer's Daughter in I Got Rhythm. I hear a /lot/ of SMiLE in I Got Plenty o' Nuttin'. I dunno how different it sounds to the original, having never listened to it, though.

I just wish that Brian would produce one more masterpiece, one more masterpiece in the old style. You know, the way that he did during Pet Sounds and SMiLE. But I doubt it'll ever happen, to be honest. He's 67 right now, this is probably as involved as we're ever going to see him. And I'm okay with that, completely okay with that. He's made some fine records already, so I have no qualms with him about the issue.

[Howie Edelson]

To answer Grillo: It's really not hysterical. As a working rock journalist it sucks having somebody rip you off. I don't know what you do for a living "Grillo" (is that your real name???), but if you wrote or built something and someone took it after you created it, you'd be pissed too. It happens a lot with the Internet, especially bloggers. And as someone who conducts hundreds of interviews and writes even more pieces a year you'd be amazed at the amount of lazy hacks that'll take your work and peddle it as their own (especially if you have something special beyond McCartney telling the "Getting Better" story for the 6,000th time.) It's your dribble that gets them to make the basket. It's about code. Like Dylan (a man ALSO known to hum a Gershwin tune, or two) once sang, "but to live outside the law you must be honest."

When you're a working writer you unfortunately also tend to "have a real problem with this whole intellectual copyright stuff" too -- but not nearly as big a problem with people who say "if you knew Brian..." or "I wouldn't expect you to understand..." Guys like this don't know me or my work -- OR my relationship with the BB's and their circle. Over the years I've interviewed Brian in depth nearly a dozen times (real interviews), been around him on numerous occasions, before shows, after shows -- I've been to his HOME. Maybe I don't have the garage full of the photos of him at Western in '66 or the memorabilia needed to "REALLY" know him, but in terms of time, yeah, I think "I know Brian." I think "I understand."

[jeffcdo]

"Nothing But Love" is emerging as a favorite for me.  It would be fun to get in the magic time machine and hear the original Boys sing this, I can really envision Carl on it in particular, and Mike singing those bass vocals towards the end.

[buddhahat]

"Nothing But Love" is emerging as a favorite for me.  It would be fun to get in the magic time machine and hear the original Boys sing this, I can really envision Carl on it in particular, and Mike singing those bass vocals towards the end.

Was thinking exactly this earlier today - it's as if Brian wrote the bass parts for Mike. Perfect song!

[buddhahat]

I don't know what you do for a living "Grillo" (is that your real name???),

I don't see the problem with using an alter ego on this board. I seem to remember this was one of the charges laid against Sheriff John Stone, by you, in that unpleasant thread where he was seemingly hounded off this board - great shame, if you ask me.

I use an alter ego - wanna know why? Because I don't want the entire world knowing what an almighty Beach Boys nerd I am. I get enough flack from my partner about it. That's reason enough for me.

[mtaber]

peace and love, let's not be like the Beach Boys and have all this "in-fighting"...

"Cassius" Edelson vs "Sonny" Reum... just doesn't have the right ring to it...

Hey, Peter, hope all is well...