*Merged* Brian Wilson current album thread

[halblaineisgood]

.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Al and Blondie are still going to on the record. Nothing's changed except Jeff Beck likely wont be on there, RS be damned. If anything, this project makes more musical sense now, as i didn't feel Brian and Beck were compatible in the least from the very beginning,  musically and otherwise.  Brian certainly seems more enthused now as well.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

He's not "turning into Phil Spector." You must suspend disbelief in order for the trick to work its magic.

So, no fright wigs? :/

[puni puni]

Listening to that clip again, I wonder what Brian is thinking every time he plays back Zooey's lazily inflected "taaaayaaaking it slow"

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

I'm just glad Brian's not working with Lorde...

[Niko]

I'm just glad Brian's not working with Lorde...

That would really annoy Mike. "He's working with EVERYBODY but me!"

[pixletwin]

I'm just glad Brian's not working with Lorde...

I would love that actually. Her vocal layering has some interesting things in it that Brian could definitely exploit to good effect.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

i think she has a pleasant voice, and I like a couple of her songs, but I listened to the disc all the way through, and the hype is beyond me. Many of the songs sound like demos, and almost the whole thing sounds the same all the way through. Was very disappointed.

[guitarfool2002]

I'm just glad Brian's not working with Lorde...

That would really annoy Mike. "He's working with EVERYBODY but me!"

This brings up an interesting point about the state of hit songwriters and songwriting in general in 2014. A lot of musicians who were in bands from the 80's, 90's, and even 2000's who had radio hits have gone on to become successful songwriters and producers for other artists after their band's run ended. There are obvious examples going back a decade or more, like Linda Perry from 4 Non Blondes, the guy from The Hooters, even "Dr. Luke" from the SNL band...they've been involved with some major hit records over the past two decades as songwriters, co-writers, or producers. Look at Bruno Mars, and even Pharrell Williams in the past 2-3 years: They're writing and making hit records outside their own names or projects. It even goes back to the Bee Gees, when they were all but pariahs in the music biz after the disco backlash, the brothers Gibb were still writing songs that became major hits for other artists, songs that sounded nothing like you'd expect a Bee Gees record to sound, but songs which were written with the skill that a top-notch songwriter would bring to the table.

And today, especially in country and pop, a lot of songwriting is about collaborations and songwriting "teams". Nate Reuss from Fun was mentioned with Brian's album, he is also a songwriter who brought in songs like "We Are Young" to their album project as guitar and vocal demo performances, and the producer(s) knew they were hits before anything was done to them in the studio.

One thing to consider with Brian's guest artists is that they are also songwriters, and even though they're not getting involved in writing the songs necessarily and are more guest performers, they're still getting a chance to work with one of the most successful songwriters of the 20th century, and getting something like a master class going into a studio to work on something, anything with Brian Wilson involved in the creative process.

It makes me wonder, and in all seriousness too, why hasn't Mike Love done anything where he'd take his lyric writing into other projects with outside artists and writers, and not even designing the songs so he or any notion of the Beach Boys would be singing them? Just get into writing and collaborating on a pure songwriting level with some different artists in different styles, and not think about covering the classics as was done on the Stars And Stripes project or anything of the sort, or not even be boxed into an expectation of what his fans or Beach Boys fans would expect him to write.

It could be interesting if not liberating.

[startBBtoday]

In the rolling stone article in mentions a fall release. That's exciting!

It mentions Zooey, Frank Ocean, Lana Del Rey, Kacey Musgraves, Jeff Beck, Nate Reuss from Fun and Don Was all makes appearances.

The last track apparently titled "Last Song" is said to be his last song which Lana Del Rey sings on.

That's really exciting that Nate Ruess will be on the album. I don't love fun., but his previous band The Format had some incredible songs.

This is one of my favorite songs recorded in the last 10 years:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx1TFg5Wrtc

This one's pretty fantastic too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdRVrbfQLVI

He has a very unique voice, and it's pretty obvious that he's been heavily influenced by Brian and the Beach Boys.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Holy sh*t that's pretty cool. I need to reconsider now for real. But my god, some of the YouTube comments were ridiculous.

Thanks for posting that.

[startBBtoday]

Here's one more Nate Ruess song that I absolutely love. It's pure pop, but it's catchy as hell:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUWOL9r9bwU

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

Ya know, a Foster The People collaboration could have been cool too!

[guitarfool2002]

Here's one more Nate Ruess song that I absolutely love. It's pure pop, but it's catchy as hell:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUWOL9r9bwU

Very cool song and production, I've posted that one here as well. I think of "All The Pretty Girls" as the best tribute to ELO and Jeff Lynne that wasn't on an ELO tribute album.    Both the song and the production, right down to the acoustic rhythm guitar tracks and the backing vocals, nail that classic 70's ELO style.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Here's one more Nate Ruess song that I absolutely love. It's pure pop, but it's catchy as hell:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUWOL9r9bwU

wow...that makes my daughter's idea of covering strange magic even cooler.!

[guitarfool2002]

For those interested in the behind-the-scenes elements, and it ties in with what I said about songwriting and collaboration, the musician who produced and played on the Fun album is named Jeff Bhasker. He originally wanted to become a jazz piano player, started playing keyboards for Kanye West, then got into production and songwriting.

Among the artists he's written for, with, and produced are Kanye, Jay Z, Rhianna, Alicia Keys, The Rolling Stones, Taylor Swift, and of course Fun.

It just shows how crossing genres and musical styles in modern songwriting and production is a lot more diverse than i think some listeners realize, and the same guy who wins a Grammy for a Kanye and Jay Z record can be in the studio working with the Stones, or Taylor Swift, or even creating songs that owe a debt of influence to bands like Queen or ELO to name two on Fun's sonic influences,  bringing the same kinds of methods and creativity to wildly different artists and styles, and having hit songs as a result.

I'm just mentioning that as well to tie in with the discussions about Brian Wilson working with artists not immediately associated with his own style, as it's not always about staying within one style or genre when it comes to creating music. It can bring out some interesting results musically and sonically when the lines are crossed, and what you'd expect to hear from a guy who produced rap hits isn't necessarily the case when the same guy with the same set of skills works with a band like Fun or even the Stones. It's not that unusual in that context to think of Frank Ocean singing on a Brian Wilson album.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

For those interested in the behind-the-scenes elements, and it ties in with what I said about songwriting and collaboration, the musician who produced and played on the Fun album is named Jeff Bhasker. He originally wanted to become a jazz piano player, started playing keyboards for Kanye West, then got into production and songwriting.

Among the artists he's written for, with, and produced are Kanye, Jay Z, Rhianna, Alicia Keys, The Rolling Stones, Taylor Swift, and of course Fun.

It just shows how crossing genres and musical styles in modern songwriting and production is a lot more diverse than i think some listeners realize, and the same guy who wins a Grammy for a Kanye and Jay Z record can be in the studio working with the Stones, or Taylor Swift, or even creating songs that owe a debt of influence to bands like Queen or ELO to name two on Fun's sonic influences,  bringing the same kinds of methods and creativity to wildly different artists and styles, and having hit songs as a result.

I'm just mentioning that as well to tie in with the discussions about Brian Wilson working with artists not immediately associated with his own style, as it's not always about staying within one style or genre when it comes to creating music. It can bring out some interesting results musically and sonically when the lines are crossed, and what you'd expect to hear from a guy who produced rap hits isn't necessarily the case when the same guy with the same set of skills works with a band like Fun or even the Stones. It's not that unusual in that context to think of Frank Ocean singing on a Brian Wilson album.

Oh man! That's an endlessly fascinating subject that goes way way back!

McCartney writing for Badfinger, Prince writing for The Bangles, (here's a whole list of Prince songs that others made hits from: http://prince.org/msg/7/239543) ..... and on and on and on.

[Cyncie]

Rolling Stone:

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/brian-wilsons-girl-powered-lp-in-the-studio-with-the-beach-boy-20140718

[bonnevillemariner]

Rolling Stone:

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/brian-wilsons-girl-powered-lp-in-the-studio-with-the-beach-boy-20140718

"He sips wheatgrass juice and munches on a chocolate doughnut."

Love that!

[Lowbacca]

Rolling Stone:

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/brian-wilsons-girl-powered-lp-in-the-studio-with-the-beach-boy-20140718

Wow, loads of new information. So psyched. This fall!

[Amy B.]

Rolling Stone:

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/brian-wilsons-girl-powered-lp-in-the-studio-with-the-beach-boy-20140718

Very intriguing. I'm looking forward to this album. Also: "He sips wheatgrass juice and munches on a chocolate doughnut." How Brian of him.

[pixletwin]

Frank Ocean rapped on "Special Love," though the track remains unfinished and may not make the album.

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/brian-wilsons-girl-powered-lp-in-the-studio-with-the-beach-boy-20140718#ixzz37pXBzi7m
Follow us: @rollingstone on Twitter | RollingStone on Facebook

Thank goodness for that.

[rab2591]

Fall is right around the corner and I can't wait to hear this album. I wonder if we'll hear any news about Love and Mercy soon...

[bonnevillemariner]

"'For a while, Wilson let the music go: "I was writing for the Boys, so I thought, 'What am I gonna do without them?'"

But last year he got the idea to bring in guest singers to finish the songs."

Sad.   Much as I look forward to this album, I'll probably listen to every note wishing it was a Beach Boys album.

Interesting that the article doesn't mention Al and Blondie's contributions.  I still hope they're somewhat significant. 

[Crow]

Here it is: A little disappointed about Danny Boy and Summer means new love... would prefer all originals...

Brian Wilson was deep into writing songs for a new Beach Boys album when Mike Love pulled the plug on the group's 2012 reunion tour. "It was a shock," Wilson says. "I was so proud of how the Boys were singing. Then it just ended."

For a while, Wilson let the music go: "I was writing for the Boys, so I thought, 'What am I gonna do without them?'"

Goodbye Surfing, Hello God: Brian Wilson's Tortured Effort to Finish 'Smile'

But last year he got the idea to bring in guest singers to finish the songs. Wilson had loved working with female vocalists since his early Beach Boys days, when he'd moonlight producing tracks for girl groups like the Honeys, which featured his first wife, Marilyn Rovell. He invited some of his favorite young singers to Ocean Way studios in Hollywood, including Lana Del Rey, Kacey Musgraves and Zooey Deschanel. Frank Ocean rapped on "Special Love," though the track remains unfinished and may not make the album. A track with Nate Ruess from fun. was more successful: He "sounds a little like my brother Carl," Wilson says.

Today, Wilson sits at the console at Ocean Way, recording Musgraves' vocals for "Guess You Had to Be There." He sips wheatgrass juice and munches on a chocolate doughnut. The song is lighthearted and fun, but the session didn't start that way. "Kacey said, 'Boy, he really tells you when he doesn't like your pitch,'" says Wilson's manager.

Wilson is often passive in social situations, but in the studio he barks instructions to musicians and creates complex vocal arrangements on the spot. "When it's good it's good, when it's not – do it again," he says. "But after three tries, Kacey nailed it. I like the way she just slides over the notes – she has a very cool sound."

"Brian's really on it," says Don Was, the president of Blue Note Records, who also plays bass on the album (which is due out this fall). "I was knocked out by a couple of songs on that last Beach Boys record – 'Summer's Gone' ranks with his greatest work. I didn't expect that he's got a whole other album of stuff on that level."

The tracks come from all over the place: "Summer Means New Love" is a remake of a 1965 Beach Boys instrumental; "On the Island" is a space-age bossa nova with Deschanel; "Danny Boy" is a harmony-drenched take on the old standard, which features Jeff Beck on a track salvaged from aborted Wilson-Beck sessions last year.

"Last Song," the album's centerpiece, is a heartbreaking ballad that was recorded in two versions – one with a haunting vocal by Del Rey and one with Wilson's lead vocals. The song recounts his sadness about the Beach Boys' dissolution. "It started out being about lost love," says co-producer Joe Thomas. "But after the tour fell apart it became more about a missed opportunity for Brian and the guys to ride into the sunset together."

"I got really choked up playing bass on that track," adds Was. "There's something about Brian signing off with it, saying, 'This is it, this is my last song.' It's really intense. If 'Last Song' turned out to be his last song, can you imagine? Wow. That'd be some coda."

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/brian-wilsons-girl-powered-lp-in-the-studio-with-the-beach-boy-20140718#ixzz37pbE2N00
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