Van Dyke Again

[jimmy1949]

after reading pages and pages of complaints about the lack of VDP with this project I was happy to see a full page pic and article featuring VDP himself onpage 3 of the enclosed book!!!

[Wirestone]

Yes, but the piece not written by Van Dyke and it features no new quotes or information from him. That's what people reacted to. For whatever reason, he has declined to take part in this project.

Someone has tried to get him to talk about it, but it seems things are testy now ...

“Whenever you meet Van Dyke, you know there’s something going on.” So spoke one of Parks' intermittent collaborators, Brian Wilson, back in a 1999 interview with the "London Guardian." “Van Dyke got it all out of me, he pulled it all right out of my soul.”

Of course,  Parks' most notorious byline remains for a project that never saw the light of day, as lyricist for The Beach Boys’ aborted 1966 album, "Smile." This week the original album –- rather than the re-recording of it by Wilson that was released in 2004 -– will finally see a release some 45 years on. Yet Mr. Parks adamantly refuses to answer questions about that album, flashing a bit of latent Southern irascibility in his gruff “no comment.”

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2011/10/van-dyke-parks-talks-early-arrangements-skrillex-collaboration-.html

[D Cunningham]

He's got to have a payday, yes?  Anybody up on the details of that?

He's got publishing.  Plus his name should be on a couple of "new" songs. (Barnyard and IIGS?)

 

[P.J.]

Interestingly his name is off of "He Gives Speeches". I could've sworn he had credit on "She's Goin' Bald".

[Wirestone]

He did. Oddly enough, he's credited as co-writing HGS on the 2-CD set, but not the 5-CD one.

[Amy B.]

A few possibilities:
A. Maybe he wasn't informed about the decision to release this until the last minute? I seem to remember that when BW was working on the 2004 version, VDP heard about it through the grapevine and got upset that no one had spoken to him. When Brian contacted him to clarify lyrics and he was invited to get involved, he was fine with it.
B. Maybe he was informed about it but wasn't asked to participate in its preparation?
C. Maybe, as I speculated in another thread, he wrote an essay that was rejected for being too critical of the BBs sans BW.

Total speculation on my part.

[Fun Is In]

He did. Oddly enough, he's credited as co-writing HGS on the 2-CD set, but not the 5-CD one.

Ghost of Murry at work?

[Andrew G. Doe]

A few possibilities:
A. Maybe he wasn't informed about the decision to release this until the last minute? I seem to remember that when BW was working on the 2004 version, VDP heard about it through the grapevine and got upset that no one had spoken to him. When Brian contacted him to clarify lyrics and he was invited to get involved, he was fine with it.
B. Maybe he was informed about it but wasn't asked to participate in its preparation?
C. Maybe, as I speculated in another thread, he wrote an essay that was rejected for being too critical of the BBs sans BW.

Total speculation on my part.

Speculation is good, and those are three convincing reasons. All wrong, however. 

[hypehat]

Wirestone, that's the most pertinent point on the thread so far. You'd think he'd pull his finger out for the official release, though.

[Heysaboda]

A few possibilities:
A. Maybe he wasn't informed about the decision to release this until the last minute? I seem to remember that when BW was working on the 2004 version, VDP heard about it through the grapevine and got upset that no one had spoken to him. When Brian contacted him to clarify lyrics and he was invited to get involved, he was fine with it.
B. Maybe he was informed about it but wasn't asked to participate in its preparation?
C. Maybe, as I speculated in another thread, he wrote an essay that was rejected for being too critical of the BBs sans BW.

Total speculation on my part.

Speculation is good, and those are three convincing reasons. All wrong, however. 

we await YOUR speculation AGD.................

 

[Andrew G. Doe]

A few possibilities:
A. Maybe he wasn't informed about the decision to release this until the last minute? I seem to remember that when BW was working on the 2004 version, VDP heard about it through the grapevine and got upset that no one had spoken to him. When Brian contacted him to clarify lyrics and he was invited to get involved, he was fine with it.
B. Maybe he was informed about it but wasn't asked to participate in its preparation?
C. Maybe, as I speculated in another thread, he wrote an essay that was rejected for being too critical of the BBs sans BW.

Total speculation on my part.

Speculation is good, and those are three convincing reasons. All wrong, however.  

we await YOUR speculation AGD.................

 

I don't speculate.

Therefore, of course, I am not good

[Andrew G. Doe]

[brain fart]

[Amy B.]

A few possibilities:
A. Maybe he wasn't informed about the decision to release this until the last minute? I seem to remember that when BW was working on the 2004 version, VDP heard about it through the grapevine and got upset that no one had spoken to him. When Brian contacted him to clarify lyrics and he was invited to get involved, he was fine with it.
B. Maybe he was informed about it but wasn't asked to participate in its preparation?
C. Maybe, as I speculated in another thread, he wrote an essay that was rejected for being too critical of the BBs sans BW.

Total speculation on my part.

Speculation is good, and those are three convincing reasons. All wrong, however. 

Okay... Maybe he was planning to put out "Van Dyke Parks Presents SMiLE," and this release stole his thunder. 

[Andrew G. Doe]

A few possibilities:
A. Maybe he wasn't informed about the decision to release this until the last minute? I seem to remember that when BW was working on the 2004 version, VDP heard about it through the grapevine and got upset that no one had spoken to him. When Brian contacted him to clarify lyrics and he was invited to get involved, he was fine with it.
B. Maybe he was informed about it but wasn't asked to participate in its preparation?
C. Maybe, as I speculated in another thread, he wrote an essay that was rejected for being too critical of the BBs sans BW.

Total speculation on my part.

Speculation is good, and those are three convincing reasons. All wrong, however. 

Okay... Maybe he was planning to put out "Van Dyke Parks Presents SMiLE," and this release stole his thunder. 

Close enough. 

[D Cunningham]

I'll go out on a limb...

With everybody pushing 70 years of age, certain things can happen. I'm going to guess
that Parks wrote some lovely notes, then his secretary (Gladys...also his cousin) forwarded
them to the producers of the new Stealer's Wheel Retrospective Boxed set.  At least we will
have them there.

[Heysaboda]

A few possibilities:
A. Maybe he wasn't informed about the decision to release this until the last minute? I seem to remember that when BW was working on the 2004 version, VDP heard about it through the grapevine and got upset that no one had spoken to him. When Brian contacted him to clarify lyrics and he was invited to get involved, he was fine with it.
B. Maybe he was informed about it but wasn't asked to participate in its preparation?
C. Maybe, as I speculated in another thread, he wrote an essay that was rejected for being too critical of the BBs sans BW.

Total speculation on my part.

Speculation is good, and those are three convincing reasons. All wrong, however.  

we await YOUR speculation AGD.................

 

I don't speculate.

Therefore, of course, I am not good

hardee har har har

Seriously, I hope Van Dyke realizes that he is Hugely Beloved by the entire Beach Boy / Brian Wilson community / continuum.  To me, he is One Of The Gods.

The SMiLE concert @ Disney Hall, LA, 2004, Van Dyke received a standing OVATION at the beginning of the concert, just for coming in and taking his seat!!  He deserved every second of it!!!

[Wirestone]

My suspicion is that it is, simply, a personal decision. Van Dyke and Brian have always had an on again, off again thing. And Van Dyke has similarly often been irritated by how large Smile looms in his life.

Now that he's touring on his own, releasing albums on his own label and getting kudos for his own body of work, maybe it's just as simple as he's done with that part of his life. And to have the BW corporate thing rope him in again ... maybe he's just over it. That's how the LA Times article reads.