Brianisms Appreciation Thread

[Dunderhead]

From a mid-'60s interview:

Interviewer: There has been a change recently in the music of the Beach Boys. Their mastermind, Brian Wilson, is here with us now to discuss what might have precipitated a seemingly about-face from the teen anthems of "I Get Around" to compositions like "Good Vibrations" and especially the forthcoming album entitled SMiLE. Welcome to the show, Brian.

Brian Wlson: Thank you for having me.

Interviewer: Can you explain to us what motivated your curious musical trajectory, especially the off-the-beaten-path mystique of SMiLE? There is no doubt that both songs like "Don't Worry Baby" and "Wouldn't It Be Nice" are fantastic, but there is a certain... 'I know not what' about this new material that we, the listeners, are astounded with; can you elaborate upon this?

BW: Well, you see, I had known I was doing something real good musically for a while now, something I'd think people would feel nice about! One day, then, as I was reading fragments from the 19th century German philosopher Novalis's notebooks, I came across something that totally blew my mind! He said, "The world must be romanticized. Then one will again find the original sense. Romanticizing is nothing more than a qualitative involution. In this operation the lower self is identified with a better self. In the same manner we are such a qualitative series of powers. This operation is still completely unknown. When I give the commonplace a higher meaning, the customary a mysterious appearance, the known the dignity of the unknown, the finite the illusion of the infinite, I romanticize it. The operation is the converse for the higher, unknown, mystical, and infinite; through this connection it becomes logarithimized. It receives a customary expression. Romantic philosophy. Lingua romama. Reciprocal elevation and debasement." And that hit me, you know? I went, "Wow, that guy is saying something I can really dig!"

Interviewer: Could you maybe explain that a little bit? I don't think Tiger Beat readers are especially well-versed in 19th century philosophy -- certainly not German, at any rate.

BW: Sure, well, I'll tell you what I got out of this. I thought Novalis was saying that the world we live in and the divine we believe in should not be distinct, basically. I thought that was groovy because it really emphasizes the unmediated connection humans have with God. Spirituality is important for us in The Beach Boys, and I do think that God is suffused throughout music, expressed in multifarious ways -- as if He were the white light refracted through Newton's prism, presented as a wondrous array of expressivity we can comprehend! I think SMiLE will be a hell of a record when we're finished, and I think if he were around Novalis would dig it too. He also said, in Pollen, that "Many books are longer than they seem. In fact, they have no end. The boredom they generateis absolute and infinite. [. . .] This is a pot into which everyone can throw their own example." I think that's true of music too, and I really hope no one feels that way about our new LP; I just want everyone to dig the cool music and great tunes above all else!

Interviewer: That is deeply felt, Brian, thank you. I'm sure no one could ever think such a sensitive young man was capable of releasing an album of such transcendence that is boring; you don't have to worry. Thank you again for your time.

BW: My pleasure, thank you.

Hey Romanticism buddy!
I was just about to post some Hermeneutics of smile stuff in here about Schlegel and Novalis and the philosophical fragment. But you beat me too it! I didn't know a single person at university who knew Novalis, figures I should find one at a beach boys message board.

[b00ts]

"Always up, always up. Drinking, cocaine...the works. [Pause and shrugs] Throw me in jail."

Amazing, when is this one from?

[b00ts]

From a mid-'60s interview:

Interviewer: There has been a change recently in the music of the Beach Boys. Their mastermind, Brian Wilson, is here with us now to discuss what might have precipitated a seemingly about-face from the teen anthems of "I Get Around" to compositions like "Good Vibrations" and especially the forthcoming album entitled SMiLE. Welcome to the show, Brian.

Brian Wlson: Thank you for having me.

Interviewer: Can you explain to us what motivated your curious musical trajectory, especially the off-the-beaten-path mystique of SMiLE? There is no doubt that both songs like "Don't Worry Baby" and "Wouldn't It Be Nice" are fantastic, but there is a certain... 'I know not what' about this new material that we, the listeners, are astounded with; can you elaborate upon this?

BW: Well, you see, I had known I was doing something real good musically for a while now, something I'd think people would feel nice about! One day, then, as I was reading fragments from the 19th century German philosopher Novalis's notebooks, I came across something that totally blew my mind! He said, "The world must be romanticized. Then one will again find the original sense. Romanticizing is nothing more than a qualitative involution. In this operation the lower self is identified with a better self. In the same manner we are such a qualitative series of powers. This operation is still completely unknown. When I give the commonplace a higher meaning, the customary a mysterious appearance, the known the dignity of the unknown, the finite the illusion of the infinite, I romanticize it. The operation is the converse for the higher, unknown, mystical, and infinite; through this connection it becomes logarithimized. It receives a customary expression. Romantic philosophy. Lingua romama. Reciprocal elevation and debasement." And that hit me, you know? I went, "Wow, that guy is saying something I can really dig!"

Interviewer: Could you maybe explain that a little bit? I don't think Tiger Beat readers are especially well-versed in 19th century philosophy -- certainly not German, at any rate.

BW: Sure, well, I'll tell you what I got out of this. I thought Novalis was saying that the world we live in and the divine we believe in should not be distinct, basically. I thought that was groovy because it really emphasizes the unmediated connection humans have with God. Spirituality is important for us in The Beach Boys, and I do think that God is suffused throughout music, expressed in multifarious ways -- as if He were the white light refracted through Newton's prism, presented as a wondrous array of expressivity we can comprehend! I think SMiLE will be a hell of a record when we're finished, and I think if he were around Novalis would dig it too. He also said, in Pollen, that "Many books are longer than they seem. In fact, they have no end. The boredom they generateis absolute and infinite. [. . .] This is a pot into which everyone can throw their own example." I think that's true of music too, and I really hope no one feels that way about our new LP; I just want everyone to dig the cool music and great tunes above all else!

Interviewer: That is deeply felt, Brian, thank you. I'm sure no one could ever think such a sensitive young man was capable of releasing an album of such transcendence that is boring; you don't have to worry. Thank you again for your time.

BW: My pleasure, thank you.

This is very interesting actually because the idea of romanticizing the mundane brings to mind the work of Beck, specifically Odelay/Midnite Vultures, and a quote of his: "Sometimes there is more resonance in a dollar store than in an existential void." It certainly applies to the Beach Boys/Brian's work as well.

[summerinparadise.flac]

"Always up, always up. Drinking, cocaine...the works. [Pause and shrugs] Throw me in jail."

Amazing, when is this one from?

I Just Wasn't Made for These Times.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmexRESUl3c

[Ron]

I think we should go ahead and make this thread a sticky, to show how to turn a great thread into a horribly boring thread.  LOL

[Myk Luhv]

[snip...]

Hey Romanticism buddy!
I was just about to post some Hermeneutics of smile stuff in here about Schlegel and Novalis and the philosophical fragment. But you beat me too it! I didn't know a single person at university who knew Novalis, figures I should find one at a beach boys message board.

Hiya!

I actually almost wrote one of my paper for that class [19th Century German Philosophy, oddly enough] on the widespread appreciation for Romantic thought and aimed to incorporate a not significant portion about Brian Wilson into the essay. This is, of course, until I realised that it would have probably been a terrible philosophy paper but a potentially great paper of lyrical and psychological analysis; it's a shame I'm not also an English major or something! In the end, I believe I wrote that particular paper on gender essentialism [how does Firefox not recognise that as a word?] in the later Schlegel's philosophy. (It was an awful paper in fact, because I misread Schlegel almost completely! Maybe my initial idea would have been better; that professor is a total hipster too, I bet she loves The Beach Boys! )

[Margarita]

Has anyone heard the story of when Brian met Queen Elizabeth at the Jubilee in 2002?  Evidently they were all coached in the protocol and were told not to address her as "Queen".  Our man Brian cheerfully greeted her by saying, "Hi, Queen!"

We heard this from Jeff Foskett in 2003, and we also discussed it with Nelson in 2006 when he told us the Bono story.  Nelson commented, "Only Brian Wilson could get away with this kind of sh*t!"

[Wirestone]

From BW's tour appearance in Lowell, Mass. last year:

Brian was lavishing praise on the band for their performance of "Their Hearts Were Full of Spring." Jeff said, "And we should thank you for that beautiful arrangement." Brian: "Oh, I stole it from someone." Band cracks up.

"Lowell! We're here in Lowell. Is that the name of your place? Lowell? I like that. Low-ell. It's a cool word. Low-ell."

"We're going to do something for you. Again, another soft song. I know you want to rock and roll; we'll be doing that soon. Just sit back and let us take care of music for you. Don't go running around scared. Just sit calmly in your seats."

"It says on my teleprompter (stern voice): 'Brian, sing it sweetly.' So I guess that means I should go into my feminine mode now."

From his show in Concord, NH:

"It's good to be here tonight, and we want to put on the best show we can. And if the drums are too loud, we'll tell Mikey to play softer. If the guitars are too screechy, we'll have a nice felt pick."

"We'd like to dedicate this to you guys [Then I Kissed Her]. It's Jeffrey on lead and the rest of us on percussion."

In this next song, "this guy did a very, very uncool thing to his girl. And that was it. She said, 'That's it, buddy, we're through.' He was like, 'WHAT?' So he's walking up and down the street at night wondering what the heck happened. And it's called 'Soul Searchin'"

[Mahalo]

This is my all-time favorite smileysmile.net/board thread

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

"It says on my teleprompter (stern voice): 'Brian, sing it sweetly.' So I guess that means I should go into my feminine mode now."

LMFAO.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Has anyone heard the story of when Brian met Queen Elizabeth at the Jubilee in 2002?  Evidently they were all coached in the protocol and were told not to address her as "Queen".  Our man Brian cheerfully greeted her by saying, "Hi, Queen!"

We heard this from Jeff Foskett in 2003, and we also discussed it with Nelson in 2006 when he told us the Bono story.  Nelson commented, "Only Brian Wilson could get away with this kind of merda!"

Yeah, Jeff told us that one in the UK about a week after it happened. According to A. N. Other in the band, after she'd moved on Brian looked around and said "What's up... why are you all staring at me like that ?"

[Myk Luhv]

Did the Queen Elizabeth react in any way that would be worth mentioning or was she mostly just like, "welp" and moved on?

[The Heartical Don]

Has anyone heard the story of when Brian met Queen Elizabeth at the Jubilee in 2002?  Evidently they were all coached in the protocol and were told not to address her as "Queen".  Our man Brian cheerfully greeted her by saying, "Hi, Queen!"

We heard this from Jeff Foskett in 2003, and we also discussed it with Nelson in 2006 when he told us the Bono story.  Nelson commented, "Only Brian Wilson could get away with this kind of merda!"

Yeah, Jeff told us that one in the UK about a week after it happened. According to A. N. Other in the band, after she'd moved on Brian looked around and said "What's up... why are you all staring at me like that ?"

Priceless! 

I must seek out a CDR that I have lying around somewhere. Landy and Brian are being interviewed. Landy clearly is guiding Wilson, perhaps there even were 'rehearsals' before the Q&A between the two of them.

I try to do it from the top off my head:

Q: hey Brian, how were you before you got into therapy with mr Landy here?
A: (Landy) he was very much in a hole
A: (Brian, veeeery submissive) yes, I was in a hoooooooooooooooooooooooooooole.....
A: (Landy) we were afraid he was going the way of Elvis
A: (Brian, shocked) you mean that??? was I going the way of Eeeeeelviiiiiisss???

I guess you'd have to hear it. It was so clear that something was very much wrong with Brian, despite all the therapy for years.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Did the Queen Elizabeth react in any way that would be worth mentioning or was she mostly just like, "welp" and moved on?

Reportedly she just smiled sweetly, shook Brian's hand and carried on down the line.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Has anyone heard the story of when Brian met Queen Elizabeth at the Jubilee in 2002?  Evidently they were all coached in the protocol and were told not to address her as "Queen".  Our man Brian cheerfully greeted her by saying, "Hi, Queen!"

We heard this from Jeff Foskett in 2003, and we also discussed it with Nelson in 2006 when he told us the Bono story.  Nelson commented, "Only Brian Wilson could get away with this kind of merda!"

Yeah, Jeff told us that one in the UK about a week after it happened. According to A. N. Other in the band, after she'd moved on Brian looked around and said "What's up... why are you all staring at me like that ?"

That is SO Brian.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Glastonbury, June 2005, blazing sunshine, band had just finished "All Summer Long" (I paraphrase slightly):

"Well, it's summer, but I have a Christmas album out this year, so let's have a Christmas song, OK ?"

And they played "Little St. Nick" !

[PongHit]

At a live BW show I saw last year, he said he didn't wanna play "Sail On, Sailor," & he called the lyrics "sh*tty."  After the song was over, he said, "See?  Those lyrics are bull****!!" 

Next Scott asked the audience to get-up & boogie for "Do You Wanna Dance?," then Brian commanded, flatly, for us to, "Be seated!" for "Sloop."

[Ron]

Did the Queen Elizabeth react in any way that would be worth mentioning or was she mostly just like, "welp" and moved on?

Reportedly she just smiled sweetly, shook Brian's hand and carried on down the line.

I'm not british so forgive me if I'm out of line, but the Queen has always seemed like a very classy woman to me.  I've never seen her do anything rude to anyone.  What's that famous fingerbowl story?  I think she was having a banquet, and when they brought out the fingerbowls one of the foriegn dignitaries ignorantly starting drinking out of it.  So, not to embarass her guest, she did the same thing. 

Class act. 

[Margarita]

I'm not British either...I have a feeling that the protocols have been made up by people outside the royal family, and the royals themselves could really care less about all of the hoopla.  They probably laugh behind closed doors at things like people having to back out of a room or use particular words when speaking to them.

Back to Brian...it always cracks me up when he does "Row Row Row Your Boat" in concert and yells "SING!" at the audience. 

[Jason]

At a live BW show I saw last year, he said he didn't wanna play "Sail On, Sailor," & he called the lyrics "sh*tty."  After the song was over, he said, "See?  Those lyrics are bull****!!" 

Next Scott asked the audience to get-up & boogie for "Do You Wanna Dance?," then Brian commanded, flatly, for us to, "Be seated!" for "Sloop."

I was at that show.

Brian - Now, this next song I don't like. We have, like, what, 35 songs to do tonight? Out of 35 songs this is the one song that I don't like singing. I mean, it's just such a negative, shitty...
Scott - Should we DO it?
Audience - YES!!!!!!!!!!!!
Brian - Alright.

After the song...

Brian - You see, the lyrics are all a bunch of bullshit! The melody is ok but the words are just so, ugh...
Jeff - Change 'em!
Brian - I will!

Be seated! Be seated, please! We come on the Sloop John B...

And, to Her Majesty, the Queen, we dedicate this concert. We dedicate the concert to YOU...Queen...

I didn't like the resistance at all. I didn't like it. I didn't like it. I didn't like it at all.

Mike Love is a genius.

Teleprompter! What happened?!?

Happy Fourth of July! Did you guys bring fireworks? BLOW 'EM OFF! What the heck?!?

With Pet Sounds I wanted to make an album that was an expression of the love in my soul. And, uh, and I did.

[Wrightfan]

Someone should really collect these these and make them into a book.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Actually, that's an awesome idea.

The wit and wisdom of Brian Wilson ...that'd be fucking killer.

[Peter Reum]

There was a collection of Yogi Berra malapropisms published in the late 90s, I could see a collection of Brian's being a fun read...

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Sounds like a great money making idea...hmmm....

[NightHider]

"It says on my teleprompter (stern voice): 'Brian, sing it sweetly.' So I guess that means I should go into my feminine mode now."

LMFAO.

Funny, at the recent Scottsdale show on the intro for GOK Brian said something to the effect of  "This next song is gonna be sung by a girl, a little 4'3 girl, so I'm gonna put on my wig and dress and sing it for you now.",  and then really put his heart into trying to hit the range.

Here's the performance, too bad the guy who posted it cut off the funny intro :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TX7znc-bhDs