*Merged* Brian Wilson current album thread

[Niko]

He would look so cool wearing a scarf in that photo.

[Ron]

He looks really happy.... I know he can fake it but these pictures don't look fake to me.  Seems like he enjoys being in the studio.

[Mujan, 8@$+@Rc| of a Blue Wizard]

He looks really happy.... I know he can fake it but these pictures don't look fake to me.  Seems like he enjoys being in the studio.

It totally makes sense, that being the place he was always free and encouraged to express himself most of his life. People who are older especially tend to feel happiness and meaningful if they have something to get up for, whether it be a dog to walk, plants to water or in this case, an album to work on. I recall reading some less than flattering accusations that Brian is being forced to work on new material by his "wifeandmanagers" but I'd like to think he really does just love to produce music.

[The Shift]

He looks really happy.... I know he can fake it but these pictures don't look fake to me.  Seems like he enjoys being in the studio.

Ah, while I agree we have to realise that they're never going to post the Angry Brian, Tearful Brian or Snoozy Brian pics!

[The Heartical Don]

He looks really happy.... I know he can fake it but these pictures don't look fake to me.  Seems like he enjoys being in the studio.

It totally makes sense, that being the place he was always free and encouraged to express himself most of his life. People who are older especially tend to feel happiness and meaningful if they have something to get up for, whether it be a dog to walk, plants to water or in this case, an album to work on. I recall reading some less than flattering accusations that Brian is being forced to work on new material by his "wifeandmanagers" but I'd like to think he really does just love to produce music.

I don't think that one could ever force Brian into a studio to work on new music. Should this happen, then at best he'd sit there quite passively, perhaps banging out some dreadfully routine piece every now and then. He has this passive-aggressive resistance about him... doing nothing would be his way of saying: I am not here out of my own free will.

It is well possible that some real convincing was/is necessary to get him out on the road - IIRC he already showed marked uneasiness when playing live long before his health deteriorated; also please recall his breakdown on board of that plane (was that 1964?).

From what I know him playing live nowadays has immense therapeutic value, it is possible that this consideration plays a part if those nearest to him try to get him on stage. People with depressive illness benefit very much from what researchers call: novelty, enriched environments, social contacts, physical efforts. Let me get a bit scientific here (I'll try not to be pedantic): in depression and related disorders, there is a circuit-like system in the brain that may 'take over' for a while, it's called the 'default system'. This happens especially when there is no 'external input' of stimulating things/events. Then, lack of incoming positive signals leads to a state of ruminating, passivity, having negative thoughts (about being alone, about death, even). From what I know about Brian's history, he has had these phases oftentimes, and drugs aren't really required to enter them; endogenous depression is enough.

Going by reports here and elsewhere, he experienced live shows (e.g. during the C50 tour) where he needed time to get into the flow of the proceedings; he started out uneasy, but visibly got more active and happy later on. That more or less confirms my ideas, I guess.

[Alex]

Lana Del Rey is a poseur. Poor little rich girl whose father has bought her a music career. Sorry to be such a d*** about it, according to some here. But out of the three women that Brian is dueting with, she has the highest sales figures, so that's why she's there.  I do think her saying such things about wishing she were dead makes her a bit of a bad role model to her younger fans, but that's not Brian's management's problem, is it?

Lana Del Rey apparently grew up in Lake Placid, NY, 3 towns away from me, opposite corner of the county (and no, I've never met her, I'd never even heard of Lana Del Rey/Lizzy Grant until 2012). Essex County, New York is pretty rural, small towns, lots of mountains, mostly blue collar and pragmatic. Placid is the exception when it comes to economic status. It's primarily a tourist town, a lot of million-dollar second and third homes, overpriced hotels...sort of like an east coast Aspen, or a middle-of-nowhere equivalent to the Hamptons. It comes as no surprise to me that someone who grew up in that town is a trust fund baby. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Placid,_New_York

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

I don't mind Lana Del Rey, I just hope the track they did together isn't a re-recording of "Lana" from the SUSA album...

I don't mind her either .....

Trust fund kids as famous musicians is nothing new. If we wanna talk about trust fund Kids getting their career bought for them, we should be talking about The Strokes! .... Hell, Dave Crosby was a trust fund kid!

I think the thing with Lana Del Rey has as much to do with how accustomed we've had to become with what constitutes a female artist these days, than anything really about her.... It seems, girls must either be heavily produced R&B belters ala Adel, or "hipster" artists such as Saint Vincent, or whoever.

Lana Del Rey writes her own ..... odd....material, is cute, but not cute in the way we generally see with famous female artists. She can sing, but doesn't seem the least bit interested in showing off chops. Also, her basic awkwardness seems to have been simply left alone by the powers that be...... We'll see where she goes. I'm quite curious.

[Dudd]

http://www.examiner.com/article/brian-wilson-takes-new-journey-on-upcoming-solo-album?CID=examiner_alerts_article
Interview with Joe Thomas.

[The Shift]

http://www.examiner.com/article/brian-wilson-takes-new-journey-on-upcoming-solo-album?CID=examiner_alerts_article
Interview with Joe Thomas.

All recycled.

[Dudd]

Oops

[bgas]

http://www.examiner.com/article/brian-wilson-takes-new-journey-on-upcoming-solo-album?CID=examiner_alerts_article
Interview with Joe Thomas.

All recycled.

Of course. Would you expect anything else?

[Andrew G. Doe]

I always expect the worst and to be fair, in this respect The Beach Boys rarely disappoint.

[leggo of my ego]

Happie Burf Day Bri!!

[Wirestone]

http://www.examiner.com/article/brian-wilson-takes-new-journey-on-upcoming-solo-album?CID=examiner_alerts_article
Interview with Joe Thomas.

All recycled.

Of course. Would you expect anything else?

That is utter nonsense. Did either of you even read the article?

Here, let me refresh your memory. Sail Away is an entirely new song. Thomas says a couple of others come from the late 90s.

This new material is not a reprise to [TWGMTR] at all; it’s taking it further. We played this song for Capitol Records and they were very pleasantly surprised. “Sail Away” is a brand new song, but there a couple of tracks from songs that we wrote back in the late 1990’s.

The problem isn't that you didn't read the article, which is fine I suppose -- it's odd to link to something you didn't look at, but whatever -- it's that you perpetuate untruths.

[Jim Rockford]

I'm really looking forward to getting this. 

[Wylson]

http://www.examiner.com/article/brian-wilson-takes-new-journey-on-upcoming-solo-album?CID=examiner_alerts_article
Interview with Joe Thomas.

All recycled.

Of course. Would you expect anything else?

That is utter nonsense. Did either of you even read the article?

Here, let me refresh your memory. Sail Away is an entirely new song. Thomas says a couple of others come from the late 90s.

This new material is not a reprise to [TWGMTR] at all; it’s taking it further. We played this song for Capitol Records and they were very pleasantly surprised. “Sail Away” is a brand new song, but there a couple of tracks from songs that we wrote back in the late 1990’s.

The problem isn't that you didn't read the article, which is fine I suppose -- it's odd to link to something you didn't look at, but whatever -- it's that you perpetuate untruths.

Ummm... I think he meant the article is recycled. Having a bad day by any chance?

[pixletwin]

I also took his meaning as the article being recycled.

[The Shift]

http://www.examiner.com/article/brian-wilson-takes-new-journey-on-upcoming-solo-album?CID=examiner_alerts_article
Interview with Joe Thomas.

All recycled.

Of course. Would you expect anything else?

That is utter nonsense. Did either of you even read the article?

Here, let me refresh your memory. Sail Away is an entirely new song. Thomas says a couple of others come from the late 90s.

This new material is not a reprise to [TWGMTR] at all; it’s taking it further. We played this song for Capitol Records and they were very pleasantly surprised. “Sail Away” is a brand new song, but there a couple of tracks from songs that we wrote back in the late 1990’s.

The problem isn't that you didn't read the article, which is fine I suppose -- it's odd to link to something you didn't look at, but whatever -- it's that you perpetuate untruths.

So the Joe Thomas quotes aren't the same ones that appeared in ESQ?

Cos here's what the author of both pieces says in the Examiner piece:

Thomas spoke with me about the song “Sail Away” in the Spring 2014 edition of Endless Summer Quarterly (published in March). Here is an excerpt from that conversation.

Recycled

[KittyKat]

So David Beard of ESQ is trying to make a little spare change (the Examiner pays very little) by re-publishing an interview he did for his fanzine, along with bringing attention to the fact ESQ exists. I don't think anyone should begrudge him in the low-paying Internet economy.

[The Shift]

So first I didn't read the piece, now I'm having a go at David?

I hope this album hits stores soon so we can return to the real world…

[Andrew G. Doe]

So David Beard of ESQ is trying to make a little spare change (the Examiner pays very little) by re-publishing an interview he did for his fanzine, along with bringing attention to the fact ESQ exists. I don't think anyone should begrudge him in the low-paying Internet economy.

That's what I'd call a really bitchy comment. Like Thumper said, iffn you can't say anything good, don't say nuttin'.

[bgas]

So David Beard of ESQ is trying to make a little spare change (the Examiner pays very little) by re-publishing an interview he did for his fanzine, along with bringing attention to the fact ESQ exists. I don't think anyone should begrudge him in the low-paying Internet economy.

That's what I'd call a really bitchy comment. Like Thumper said, iffn you can't say anything good, don't say nuttin'.

Makes me wonder, then, why you post sometimes....

[Jim V.]

Well whether or not this was new info, I do like the fact that "Sail Away" is a brand new song. For some reason, I had it in my head that none of the material for the new album was newly written. But regardless I'm glad to see Brian is still writing new material. And regardless, I'm just hoping to hear some great performances of newly recorded Brian Wilson songs on this album.

Even though I was nervous for a while, I'm starting to feel a bit better about this album.

[KittyKat]

So David Beard of ESQ is trying to make a little spare change (the Examiner pays very little) by re-publishing an interview he did for his fanzine, along with bringing attention to the fact ESQ exists. I don't think anyone should begrudge him in the low-paying Internet economy.

That's what I'd call a really bitchy comment. Like Thumper said, iffn you can't say anything good, don't say nuttin'.

No, it's not a bitchy comment. I'm not even sure exactly how it can be interpreted that way. It's the truth. I have a relative who is a freelance journalist and that's what she does sometimes, recycles interviews she's done in the past and re-markets them, as do all her many freelance journalist friends. They do it to survive. When journalism was strictly print, freelancers did the same thing, parsing up the same interview to make sales to more than one magazine or paper.

[Ron]

I actually like Joe Thomas, seems like a great guy.  Glad to see he thinks Brian's on another level right now, we'll see when the album comes out!