The Smiley Smile Message Board

Following Sexy Intellectual's previous film about Brian Wilson's magnificent craft; Songwriter 1962 1969, comes this companion piece covering the maverick composer's life and work throughout the 1970s. While this latter part of his career is rarely championed with the same kind of enthusiasm that greets his 1960s productions, it remains an essential part of Brian's story and contains many, many moments of glory which compare favourably to those which litter the era generally considered his heyday. FEATURES INCLUDE Historical musical performances and rare and classic recordings re-assessed by a panel of esteemed experts. Obscure footage, rare archive interviews and seldom seen photographs. Contributions from Beach Boys manager, Fred Vail; Brian's sometime co-producer, David Sandler; his close friend, Mark Volman (The Turtles / Flo & Eddie); Brother Records Studio engineers, Earl Mankey and Stephen Desper; Wilson collaborator Stephen Kalinich; Three Dog Night's Danny Hutton, plus Beach Boy Bruce Johnston and the Wrecking Crew's Hal Blaine. Live and studio recordings of many Brian Wilson classics and obscurities. Review, criticism and comment from biographers and writers, Peter Ames Carlin, Domenic Priore, Professor Philip Lambert and Barney Hoskyns. EXTRAS INCLUDE Extended Interviews; Featurettes, Behind The Music , Out Of Bed/The Man Behind The Myth , Brian Goes Country ; plus contributor biographies and more.

Blimey... I'd spotted this several days ago but didn't look hard enough. Assumed it was a repackaged reissue of Vol 1.

Jeepers, how'm I gonna sneak this past the missus along with 12 remastered, two fresh GHs packages, a "career-spanning box set", a Doin' it Again Blu-Ray....

Already got away with tickets for two gigs in London...

Truly we are blessed… truly I am in the sh*t...

Blimey... I'd spotted this several days ago but didn't look hard enough. Assumed it was a repackaged reissue of Vol 1.

Jeepers, how'm I gonna sneak this past the missus along with 12 remastered, two fresh GHs packages, a "career-spanning box set", a Doin' it Again Blu-Ray....

Already got away with tickets for two gigs in London...

Truly we are blessed… truly I am in the sh*t...

never thought they'd actually follow up with the post-hits decades.

Me neither. What's next? 'Volume 3: 1982-2012'??

I really want an analysis of SIP....

Would be mostly solo-career.

You do have a point about Brian not being in the group much.... :lol  (I sometimes think the terms BBs/Brian Wilson are interchangeable.)

Course they could compare his solo work to the BBs work over the years.

Me neither. What's next? 'Volume 3: 1982-2012'??

You do have a point about Brian not being in the group much.... :lol  (I sometimes think the terms BBs/Brian Wilson are interchangeable.)
Course they could compare his solo work to the BBs work over the years.

I was making a joke about Dennis' statement about Brian being the BBs

Guess I don't know what statement you're referring to.

"Brian Wilson is the Beach Boys. We're just his messengers." (D. Wilson)

I'm curious to know what material from 1982 will be discussed if the cut-off is actually 1982. There really isn't much of anything past 1980 to discuss in terms of released material. They could perhaps just be delving into his condition up until the re-appearance of Landy, and/or making room for some discussion of post-KTSA material like "Stevie" or the "Hamburger" tapes, etc.

I'm surprised they don't go to 1988 at least...Love and Mercy and a few others off the first solo album would be worth some discussion.

That is happy news! I don't even have the 1st one. Hope I can order THIS.

when was the first volume of this series released?

DVD Release Date: November 23, 2010

"Brian Wilson is the Beach Boys. We're just his messengers." (D. Wilson)

Wow this DVD is out of the blue...Hope it covers the rare session work Brian did in this period...Tim Curry, Jackie De Shannon, Johnny Rivers, Jan Berry :hat

Wouldn't it be something if there's rare video of him doing California Feelin '74?







There's not, but just a what if...

I've always loved that photo on the book cover. Brian exudes a "yeah-I'm-badass" kind of confidence. An attitude I've rarely seen him display throughout his career and I would say unheard of post-Landy.

Is Professor Lambert involved with volume 2  :brow ?

book cover? what book?

Oops... brain fart.  I meant DVD cover.

Still like the photo though.

Wouldn't it be something if there's rare video of him doing California Feelin '74?







There's not, but just a what if...

Sneak peak:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNEgfAcxMlU

Weird 'trailer'.  :lol

Never heard the Kalinich track, though.

So I don't know if you guys have seen the documentary yet? Well, it's not a very good, I mean, it's ok, but there's really nothing revelatory about it (I guess as expected). I like the sequences where this guy analyses the actual music, and shows the theory on the piano. The only thing that bugs me about it is that he fails at certain points to use half steps when playing the songs' melody lines.

Is it anything like the first Songwriter documentary?
______

Judging from that 'trailer' I think I'll enjoy it very much. There was nothing revelatory about the first DVD in this series, but there were a lot of great anecdotes from people like Hal Blaine, Fred Vail, etc...as well as detailed song breakdowns by Philip Lambert. If it's anything like the first I can't wait to see it.

Now, we all know I don't know sh*t about Brian... but I do believe he didn't contribute squat to the songwriting of those sessions.

There may have been some anecdotes, but the first 'Songwiter' DVD was a lot better IMO.

what songs are discussed? any rarities?

Weird 'trailer'.  :lol

Never heard the Kalinich track, though.

COMMENT:  The production company contacted me from England two months in advance of sending a "film crew" for an interview. Another call a month later firmed up the date plus we went over the line of questions he would be asking. The producer (and cameraman) was well prepared and interviewed me for four hours. Very good questions and follow-up questions.  Of course no one knows what winds up on the cutting room floor, meaning, how well you are represented after editing . . . but we shall all see it soon.

~swd 

COMMENT:  The production company contacted me from England two months in advance of sending a "film crew" for an interview. Another call a month later firmed up the date plus we went over the line of questions he would be asking. The producer (and cameraman) was well prepared and interviewed me for four hours. Very good questions and follow-up questions.  Of course no one knows what winds up on the cutting room floor, meaning, how well you are represented after editing . . . but we shall all see it soon.

~swd 

I particualrly enjoyed the extras section where Stephen Desper tells a great anecdote about Brian literally phoning in his production duties to a recording session (But Mr Desper - which recording was this? You don't mention it in the doc!).

At least he did co-write with Jan Berry.

At least he did co-write with Jan Berry.

Didn't mention songwriting in the original post, was expressing that it may cover the rare session work that he done. :3d

Agreed with HeyJude.

Much like the first volume, I found this one engaging from first to last. IMHO, this series is the most thorough musical bio doc we are likely to get, with fairly in-depth takes on each album/major singles and their backgrounds, enhanced by some choice performance and TV lip-synch clips and some primary key (outside the inner circle) authoritative sources interviewed, who offer us mostly MUSICAL or album background insights, rather than just the gossipy or en familia stuff. Peter Ames Carlin, Stephen Desper, Philip Lambert (I love his insights on piano), Steve Kalinich, Fred Vail, and Dominic Priore guide us through the still fascinating journey. This is a serious endeavor to get some of the extraordinary musical heritage and timeline right and on the record once and for all.

Loved hearing about 20/20, for example...I agree the ending was rushed after Love You and Adult Child. Agree, would like to hear all the extended interviews as extras.

I think this is an important release and I'm surprised that more people here are not picking up on it.

Is the American Spring and Equinox sessions mentioned at all in the doc?

I want this! Gah, hate being broke...

My main problem was the fact that they missed a few of Brian's more noteworthy '70s compositions, notably "Good Timin'" and "California Feelin'". Especially "Good Timin'" though, seeing as though it was a 'top 40' hit and was his only songwriting contribution to the L.A. (Light Album).

I also thought they skimmed over the whole M.I.U., L.A., and KTSA period. And yes, M.I.U and KTSA don't have any of Brian's best material, and yes, L.A. had only one original song and one interpretation, but still, it seemed rushed.

I agree. Songs like Match Point, Belles of Paris, Sweet Sunday Love and My Diane are noteworthy songs IMO. Especially Match Point.

Something confused me about the first volume: Was the first one supposed to end in the beginning of 1969, or is the second one supposed to begin from there? '62-'69 didn't even mention 20/20 or Do it Again.

Somehow 1978-1982 and beyond were encapsulated in like 5 minutes (KTSA was not mentioned at all).

When I afford to will definitely get a copy. Any rare or unseen pics and do they discuss Brians vocal change?

The 69 - 82 dvd starts around 65 or 66. Don't know why. But the second dvd touches on 20/20 a bit.

Interesting. Maybe Volume 3 will recap 1978-1982 in the same way?

One thing that was covered on this doc was the Kalinich Poetry album. I downloaded it from itunes about a month ago. Then just a few days ago listened to it all the way through for the first time. I must say I was very impressed! I created an MP3 disc with this album plus, American Spring, Flame and Western Justice. Perhaps I should include Pacific Ocean Blue on that list! :)  I kind of wish Fred Vail would have let us listen to some of the country album he recorded with Brian. I know he thinks he's too 'old' to start a music career, but that doesn't mean fans like us wouldn't be interested.