More About Brian/ Beck and New Album.

[Pacific Coast]

I'm convinced that when the rumors started of "three albums" what was meant is that there seems to be three types of songs with distinct flavors: (1) BB 2012 leftovers, (2) Beck 2013 collaborations, and (3) new BW solo. We know from Matt Jardine's comments that there's around nine songs with vocals now, so chill out.

I'm sure that Management deems it best to wait to release the album---whatever form it takes--when the Biopic brings the spotlight back to the Wilson Circus. That's a smart move, and if that means there's more time to lovingly craft a decent record, then all that's happened in the meanwhile is fanatical impatience. Relax and listen to MARCELLA 2012. Sweet!

  

The rumors stem from an article in which Brian (I think - might have been Thomas) observed that there was enough material for three albums... which  is of course some way from anyone saying there will be three albums. Business as usual, some over eager fan reading what they want into a perfectly ordinary statement.

I cannot find the article now, but my recollection is it was the writer - not Brian or Joe Thomas - who speculated the material being worked on could turn out to be three albums, based on the different styles and accumulating number of songs.  I definitely do not remember Brian making this comment.

It appears to be Jason Fine, the Rolling Stone writer.

"Actually, the record that Wilson started working on with longtime collaborator Joe Thomas almost immediately after wrapping up the Beach Boys' 50th-anniversary tour last fall has morphed into what could be three records: an album of new pop songs, recorded with his touring band and Beach Boys Al Jardine and David Marks (both of whom will also join Wilson at solo shows this Summer); a set of mostly instrumental new songs with an unlikely collaborator, British guitar legend Jeff Beck (who may also appear on the Wilson solo album); and a complex, melancholy group of interwoven tracks he calls "the suite," created in the modular style of SMiLE, and dealing with loss, vulnerability and hope as Wilson approaches the final chapter of his career."

Rolling Stone, but I found it on the bw website. http://www.brianwilson.com/news/2013/6/20/brian-wilson-rocks-with-jeff-beck-plans-new-lps

Whether the reporter was told this or just inferred it isn't clear, but it is definitely presented as if it were a distinct possibility that there would be three different albums.

I'm still convinced this is hyperbole: rather than "what could be three records"  --- there are three different styles of music. It's a mixed bag, in other words, and even Brian admits in the article: "I keep thinking, 'What's this record gonna be? I have no idea!'".

Let's not forget the author of the article is also associated with the Brian Wilson hype-machine, which not only polishes his public-image but strokes his ego too. So, massage the facts a little and it seems like the genius with writer's block who produced not more than two new collections of songs in the last twenty years is on a winning-streak again after the demise of the very successful Beach Boys reunion.

I'm sure an album is forthcoming around the time of the bio-pic, and I'm sure that it will be a BRIAN WILSON AND FRIENDS album, not a "Beach Boys" record.

[Lonely Summer]

Any chance Al and Dave could do some dates with Mike and Bruce this summer?

"Mike Love's Beach Boys featuring Bruce Johnston, with special guests Al Jardine and David Marks"?

[KittyKat]

No kidding that Jason Fine is part of the Brian Wilson hype machine. He's the writer Brian is working with to write his latest autobiography. I would think he should recuse himself from writing articles about Brian until well after that book is published, or at least reveal the relationship every time he writes one for RS or any other magazine. They probably spend lots of time together, and he's also not going to write anything that Team Wilson doesn't want him to.

[Jonathan Blum]

No kidding that Jason Fine is part of the Brian Wilson hype machine. He's the writer Brian is working with to write his latest autobiography. I would think he should recuse himself from writing articles about Brian until well after that book is published, or at least reveal the relationship every time he writes one for RS or any other magazine. They probably spend lots of time together, and he's also not going to write anything that Team Wilson doesn't want him to.

Yeah, God forbid someone with inside access tell us what's happening.  I mean, that's perilously close to an official statement.  We should all stick with our ignorance, speculation, and AGD's gut feelings, it's the only way to really know what's going on.  :-)

Cheers,
Jon Blum

[the captain]

I wouldn't worry about music journalists recusing themselves... They aren't Supreme Court justices weighing in on constitutional questions, or even hard-news journalists, but people providing entertainment news, which is pretty much just fluff. I say this with all due respect to those of you working in the field--Howie, et al.--and my background is journalism as well, so it's with myself clearly visible in the mirror. But I wouldn't worry as much about conflict-of-interest questions when we're talking about somebody's next pop music album.

[Andrew G. Doe]

My current take (gut feeling, and if you saw the size of my gut, you's understand why it's a weighty opinion...) is that the Beck collaboration is patently on the ropes and the count's up to nine... the album's been in production for over a year and I'm not convinced it's going to be another Smile... looking like a case of too many cooks, maybe and we all know what happened the last time they tried that... chances are we'll get an album of some sort to tie in with the movie premier/fall tour.

In short - not sanguine.

[c-man]

Another BW session was held yesterday at Oceanway, with Scott B., Brett Simons, Paul von Mertens, Probyn Gregory, and Jim Keltner...per pics on Facebook.

[The Shift]

Many thanks for that - whose Facebook pics Craig?  Seeing nothing on Brian's page…

Edit:  got there: Brett Simons:

[SMiLE Brian]

Finally some interesting news about BW's new album. I wonder what songs are being "wilson-ized"?

[Aomdiddlywalla]

What is the interesting news?!!

[KittyKat]

They finally revealed the last name of Brett. That's big news right there.

Why is Brian using so many musicians who are not members of his band? Jim Keltner on drums, Brett Simons on bass. 

[MaxL]

Brett Simons is/was in the BW band. Keltner's probably involved because of JT's connections, I don't know. Hoping to see some proper news come out soon(-ish), it's hard to maintain that much interest when you're just drip-fed studio selfies. Although if the biopic tie-in turns out to be a thing (which it most likely will) then it's understandable and all is forgiven.

[KittyKat]

I didn't know Brett was in the BW band. I guess he's had various bass players through the years.

[urbanite]

Was Joe Thomas at the Ella Awards?

[c-man]

I didn't know Brett was in the BW band. I guess he's had various bass players through the years.

Just two, really: Bob Lizik until 2008, then Brett until 2012, then Bob again, and now Brett again (apparently).
Brett's also on a few cuts from "TWGMTR" and appeared with The BBs on The Grammys.

[LostArt]

Brett Simons is/was in the BW band. Keltner's probably involved because of JT's connections, I don't know. Hoping to see some proper news come out soon(-ish), it's hard to maintain that much interest when you're just drip-fed studio selfies. Although if the biopic tie-in turns out to be a thing (which it most likely will) then it's understandable and all is forgiven.

Jim Keltner is one of the best session drummers in L.A. and was the drummer for the I Just Wasn't Made for These Times doc.

[Shady]

Must be a great album, they've been making it forever.

[ThyRavenAscend]

Must be a great album, they've been making it forever.

Or could be a bad album that they have to keep re-making... 

[bgas]

Must be a great album, they've been making it forever.

Or could be a bad album that they have to keep re-making... 

Can't be bad, cuz there have never been any Bad BW and/or BBs albums

[joshferrell]

Actually they have been recording hundreds of songs for a new beach boys cd but Mike keeps on rejecting them,so eventually they'll come up with 12 songs, it may take them 5-10 years but they'll get there,, 

[chrs_mrgn]

Why is Brian using so many musicians who are not members of his band?

Mike asked the same question!

Maybe switching things up will get us something even better

[soniclovenoize]

Wait, Brian is on Morning Phase?!   

I'll have to give it another chance!

[ESQ Editor]

Not sure who has the new ESQ yet, but there's some news there…and I can confirm a new studio album is happening this year.

Probably September-ish.

Around the same time as the Brian movie.

[Shady]

Is the autobiography coming out around then too?

September should be fun.

[Jim V.]

Is the autobiography coming out around then too?

September should be fun.

Unfortunately I don't think the book is coming 'til 2015. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if that was also a reason why things are quiet right now on the Brian front. I'm sure Jason Fine is being given quite a lot of time with Brian to fashion a coherent autobiography. And then of course I'm sure after a rough draft is written Brian will have to go over it. And unless it was already underway long before we knew about it, I'm sure a lot of work is going into it.

And despite what everybody probably thinks, I'm actually really excited for Brian's book. Not because I want any juice behind the scenes stories, but just because hopefully he will discuss the songs and albums more in depth, and cover eras like '71 to '75 in a better fashion than that *click-click* thing that was done with the first "autobiography".

The movie on the other hand, I'm not expecting much. Besides hopefully an interesting soundtrack that gives us some previously unreleased goodies!

And of course most of all, I'm super excited for the new album. Brian's been sounding great on his last few projects and I can't wait to hear Blondie and Al with him. And hopefully the material is once again strong.