Brianisms Appreciation Thread

[Pretty Funky]

A place for Brian's quotes, sayings and one liners that baffle most but worryingly we here understand what he means!

Words and if possible a source please.

Press conference discussing Dennis's death and the bands future. 1984

'For me the mourning is over' he said 'As far as I am concerned, nothing is going to hold back the ball of wax' It's still a go'.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=HKQyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Fe8FAAAAIBAJ&pg=2769,3010420&dq=brian+wilson&hl=en

[hypehat]

Whilst not his most bizarre, this one is just so lovely in it's phrasing. He's so modest....

'I get recognized all the time - what is going on here, I say. Well, I must be famous - I feel a little bit paranoid acutally'.

It's from the FB questions.

[Lorenschwartz]

i see devils in the shower...Ahhh!!! there over there, i say AAAhhhh!!!

diane sawyer interview excerpt '91??

[Mahalo]

"I've been up down and all around, but I'm still, I'm still Rockin' "...American Band

[summerinparadise.flac]

I'm really PROUD OF THAT CHICKEN

[Ron]

Here's a couple I got off the SurferMoon site.

"Being called a musical genius was a cross to bear. Genius is a big word. But if you have to live up to something, you might as well live up to that. Gosh Darn!"
..................................Brian Wilson, 1988

"There's nothing greater than a girl.... Well a kid, your daughter, but that's a girl too."
..................................Brian Wilson, 1979

From a chat room interview he had about 4 years ago to promote an album, Brian was asked how often he has sex.  He replied

"Twice a day, every day"

[Mahalo]

His manuerisms in the Sloop John B video crack me up...when he greets everyone at the door, when he makes Mike walk the plank of the diving board...

[Mr. Cohen]

Brian and Sean O'Hagan talking about making an album (according to Sean, and me paraphrasing a little):

Brian: "We'll get Hal and Carol on the record and make it a #1!"

Sean: "Brian, it doesn't have to be all about making a hit record. I just want you to be creative."

Brian (confused): "Wait, you mean you don't want a #1?!"

[jonathan anderle]

"I'm never, ever still. Always in turmoil, you know. Hoping that somebody will save me, or someone will come along and save my life, or save my day, you know...That the world won't blow up, the universe won't explode, we'll never have each other again, you know."

<beat>

"I have my fears."

[The Heartical Don]

In the NME, or Q Magazine, during the 1988 comeback campaign:

"Say Brian, how much money did you spend on drugs?"

(without any hesitation) "Oh, $ 100,000".

(Cracks me up every time).

[grillo]

"We started off as little babies and now we're grown men! That's the story of the Beach Boys!" from the end of American Band (going off my memory here)

[Mr. Cohen]

A whole video of Brian doing Brianisms: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLBMIOB9E1I

Just like in that Black Cab video, he gets confused whenever directions or locations get brought up.

[Andrew G. Doe]

A classic from 1985:

"I'd really like to meet Madonna - I seriously doubt she's a virgin, but that's a good tune".

[The Heartical Don]

A classic from 1985:

"I'd really like to meet Madonna - I seriously doubt she's a virgin, but that's a good tune".

  immortal!

[Runaways]

"I'm never, ever still. Always in turmoil, you know. Hoping that somebody will save me, or someone will come along and save my life, or save my day, you know...That the world won't blow up, the universe won't explode, we'll never have each other again, you know."

<beat>

"I have my fears."

and now i am sad.

[PongHit]

When he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame, there was an interview videotaped for permanent display at the museum, with fascinating insights such as this:

Q: Do you have an iPod?
BW: Yes.

Q: What's on your iPod?
BW: About 300 songs.

[hypehat]

A classic from 1985:

"I'd really like to meet Madonna - I seriously doubt she's a virgin, but that's a good tune".

That, and

Q: Do you have an iPod?
BW: Yes.

Q: What's on your iPod?
BW: About 300 songs.

are hilarious! 

[SloopJohnB]

MOJO interview, 1995 - the whole paragraph is 100% Brian:

"Well, I spoke to Mike about a week ago. The first thing he says is 'I really wanna get together with Don Was'. I said that's what I've been after you to do for about a year now! There was so much enthusiasm in Mike's voice. So we're cool now. Mike and I are just cool. There's a lot of sh*t Andy and I got written for him. I just had to get through that goshdarn trial! I totally went crazy over that! Lots of stress! But I got through it. That's how it works. You've got hurdles, you know? A hurdle to me represents lots of mental effort and extreme mental stress. It's like a woman having a baby. What stress! To go through that! And for that big baby to come out of that little vagina. NOBODY KNOWS HOW THAT'S DONE! Someone can try to explain it, but you see the woman afterwards and she's cool. With artistic things, it's the same thing. Art doesn't come easy. It never did!"

 


Lots of other quotes such as this one can be found here: http://smileysmile.net/OLDlibrary/timeline.html

"The lawsuit ripped my heart right out. But it turns out that the trial was actually a godsend, because it totally put (Mike and me) together."

"We're putting Carl's guitar on next, which will make it even more raucous. It might even fly away. It's good enough to totally fly out of the universe."

"The thing with the boys is, they're great, professional singers. It kind of hurts to feel like I'm going to lose them, or that they're not gonna take my trip. Hurts my feelings a little bit."

"It seems like I need leadership. When I was younger, there was nothing I did better than go into the studio and say, "Here, you sing this" or "You sing that" and "Engineer, punch this button and bring that knob up and bring those voices down and bring up the mike on the lead" - that kind of thing. Nowadays, I don't really take charge as much in the studio, which is more indicative of how I live. For example, I haven't driven for three and a half years, and when I go to the studio it's the same thing. I'm convinced now that collaboration is, like, sixty times better than working on your own, because you have checks and balances. I was considering working with Mike as a producer, but I think it would blow his mind if I told him. [laughs]"

"I just don't want to get into a trip where I act like an idiot in front of a bunch of people."

"We're going to try and get Dolly Parton who I adore. I think Dolly is one of the greatest . . . of course, very big breasts . . . very alluring . . . she's a very alluring girl."

[PongHit]

I guess the Bono story should be added to this thread.  Here's 3 accounts previously posted to this board:

Bono, dressed in black, approached Brian's table to introduce himself and to exclaim that he was a big fan of Wilson's music. Brian responded "Thank you...I'd like a Diet Coke, please". Bono paused for a moment before realizing Brian had mistaken him for a member of the waitstaff, then proceeded directly to the bar and returned with Brian's soda in hand!
 ________________________

Bono: [kneels before Brian] God bless you for all the great music you've written.

Brian: Thanks - could you get me a diet coke ?
 ________________________

Brian was in England getting some award. There were servers wearing black jackets. Bono comes up to Brian, and he's wearing a similar black jacket. He said, "Brian, I'm a big fan. Your music has been a huge inspiration to my work. I'm thrilled to meet you...etc. etc. etc." Brian says, "Thanks....Could you get me a Diet Coke?" And the kicker: HE GOT BRIAN THE DIET COKE!! 

[Wirestone]

It's like a woman having a baby. What stress! To go through that! And for that big baby to come out of that little vagina. NOBODY KNOWS HOW THAT'S DONE! Someone can try to explain it, but you see the woman afterwards and she's cool.

"We're going to try and get Dolly Parton who I adore. I think Dolly is one of the greatest . . . of course, very big breasts . . . very alluring . . . she's a very alluring girl."

I love these so much -- I don't even know what to say.

[Pretty Funky]

"Beware the lollipop of mediocrity; lick it once and you'll suck forever"

Not sure of the source but just like it. Don't even know if Brian said it first as it sounds like something Landy or another quack would quote.

Another is story from a paper about what Brian didn't say. He was in a restaurant eating soup with the writer when a fan came up to thank him for all the music etc and Brian didn't flinch and kept eating so the fan walked off upset. of course he had been speaking to Brian on his deaf side.

[Wirestone]

From my October 09 interview with him:

What do think you have in common with Gershwin? Do you feel any connection with him?

Not really a connection, no I don't.

You've released quite a few albums and DVDs over the last 10 years. What's inspired you to be so productive?

Well, my synthesizer sounds so good that it makes me write good songs.

[the captain]

"[The Beach Boys are] the one subject I wish I could master. If I could just master that and get it all together. Someday I will. Now let me invent a subject: what is it like to produce a record. Would you like me to talk about that?" BW in "Trouble in Mind - A Revealing Interview with Brian Wilson," by Jerry McCulley (as printed in Kingsley Abbott's excellent compilation "Back to the Beach."

[Ron]

There's the famous story about how a female songwriter (Sheryl Crow maybe?) walked up to him backstage with a copy of Pet Sounds or something, and asked him to sign it.  Brian graciously acknowledged, and wrote

"To a Great Songwriter! - Love & Mercy, Brian Wilson"

So as she walked away, Brian stopped her, took the sharpie and marked out "Great" and wrote "Good". 

[Chris Brown]

There's the famous story about how a female songwriter (Sheryl Crow maybe?) walked up to him backstage with a copy of Pet Sounds or something, and asked him to sign it.  Brian graciously acknowledged, and wrote

"To a Great Songwriter! - Love & Mercy, Brian Wilson"

So as she walked away, Brian stopped her, took the sharpie and marked out "Great" and wrote "Good". 

I remembered it being about a male songwriter...could be wrong though.  As I recall AGD knows the identity of the person in question.

Either way though, absolutely hilarious!  This is an excellent thread, Brian is the unintentional king of one-liners.