The Smiley Smile Message Board

http://vegasseven.com/2015/06/30/seven-questions-brian-wilson/

(1) Which of those four names doesn't belong?

(2) So the idea would be to have one guest artist per track. If he's really planning this, he must have especially enjoyed working with the guests on NPP.

Odd. We'll have to see if this is actually a plan or just one of Brian's peculiar brainwaves -- see Pleasure Island.

Has he blown off the UK for this maybe? :o

Maybe Brian will actually get Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Paul McCartney and Barry Gibb to duet on their own songs on this Brian rock covers album. If he must do duets, this idea is much better than any other duets album I can think of!

Right. I've always thought this was just an easy way for him to give an answer to "what are you going to do next?". But he may surprise us again.

This was reported a few months ago, wasn't it? At least I thought it was... First I'm hearing of the guest artists, though.

This is my favorite part:

Q) When you were performing with the Beach Boys and coming to Vegas in the ’60s, was there anything in particular that struck you about the city?

A) I liked the bathtubs in Caesars Palace.

Me personally, Caesars has my favorite restrooms on the Strip. They even play really nice music in there.

I love Brian doing covers but only if they're quirky or really deep, like Chapel of Love or Just Once in My Life on 15 Big Ones. Let's see...

I thin it's the choice of artists to cover and the guests concept that are new ...

For what it's worth,  last night I had a dream that Brian recorded Black Water by the Doobie Brothers.

I want Brian cover Smoke on the Water.

This seems like a bad idea.

Not crazy about the guest artist format again. I'd say leave out the fancy stuff this time. Just sing some good old sh*t-kicking rock'n'roll, Brian. Lots of slap bass and echo. ;D 

I had reservations about Brian's band doing a rock and roll album, but after seeing them in person Monday night in Philly, I'm now 100% confident they can pull it off.

But, they need to include a bonus DVD of the recording sessions showing Nelson Bragg running around with a cowbell and hitting symbols with sleigh bells. 

I'm hoping the 12 to 14 guests was Brian being funny. Taken that way, it's actually a pretty good joke.

PS -- In fact, in the light of day, I'm guessing it was a joke.

I'd say at the very least it doesn't sound like a particularly exciting idea. Also, considering the guests/duets stuff, a bit "Stars & Stripes-y".

Then again, I absolutely loved Brian's rendition of "I'm Into Something Good" from a couple of years ago, so let's wait and see.

If you can believe it, that's seven years ago now.

But yes, it was excellent.

Anyway, I very much doubt that plans for an all-star oldies album exist anywhere other than Brian's mind.

My bet is that someone gives him a deal to make a Pet Sounds pt. 2 style record. After L&M, that's the most obvious direction to go. A big, recorded live in the studio project. Possibly with a T Bone Burnett or Don Was or Rick Rubin type helping out.

If Brian is to be the sole lead vocalist on 12-14 rock and roll songs, it is not a good idea. Brian Wilson is not a good rock and roll singer. But, I can think of a couple of other guys who ARE good rock and roll singers - Mike Love, Al Jardine, and Blondie Chaplin. How about David Marks on guitar? How about Ricky Fataar on drums?

The Beach Boys do have management, right? Well, how about calling a meeting and discussing a Beach Boys' rock and roll album. I would think that Capitol Records would be interested in such a project. Yeah, yeah, I know - been there, done that. But that was 40 years ago, and it would be an understatement to say that the finished product (15 Big Ones) was a train wreck, for multiple reasons. And, yeah, yeah, I know that The Beach Boys consistently show that they haven't learned anything in 55 years. Still, I'd be interested in hearing what that combination/lineup could come up with. I know, not a chance in hell, but still I dream of it.

Lead Vocals:

Mike - 5
Brian - 4
Al - 3
Blondie - 2
Bruce - 1 (a ballad)
 

Good post. That was the initial idea behind the album reunion (an album of cover versions). We know Brian has a killer version of Honeycomb, and he had some cover versions recorded after TLOS. Those who heard them say they're cool and quirky. And as much as I'd kill to hear a Mike Love vocal on a newly-recorded rocker, by the BBs, I think Brian can rock pretty decently as per Goin' Home.

Of course the former BBs that have been playing with BW will be part of that album project, it's obvious! How could you NOT get Blondie in after he's been tearing up "Wild Honey" like that? How can you tell Al to stay home and feed the goats when he can still sing like that? I sure hope Ricky Fataar is available, too.

 Mike Love can stay in Tahoe and work on his epic rerecordings tho, I'm sure they'll be defended to the death by those hissin' at Honeycomb.

According to your list, I see five reasons not to buy it already.  :thud

Brian's certainly has a great rock voice on this current tour...

Agreed OSD and Billy, give me leads from BW and his band after seeing them live recently. Mike and Bruce cannot sing compared to the arsenal of the BW band's voices.

Did you have the fortune to going to any of the current shows, SB? Purely phenomenal.

Went to Philadelphia, they were on fire!!!!!!!!!!!!! :hat

 Brian doesn't 'do' duets.  It'll be way better than one of those poop-infested duet releases.  There are no duets on NPP.  Why would there be on the next album?  Even the song 'Delirious Love' with Neil Diamond wasn't a duet.  Neil and that Streisand woman singin' 'You Don't Bring Me Flowers'?  Now THAT was a duet.  Oh and it'll be Rock 'n' Roll not Rock.

Brian'll do the songs he chooses to include  Brian Wilson style.  Not that 15 Bigguns 'warm-up' before actually recording the album failure which got released when the whole 'plan' fell apart.  And YES I hope he includes some of his former mates as guest vocalists on *A* song each...And maybe all of them together on ONE tune.  Brian's been talking about this Rock 'n' Roll album for some 10 years now.  He wants to get 'er done.  The decks are now clear.  So let 'er rip Brian.

[meanwhile ... the clock is ticking]

I see 6...

That's what I heard!

Needs to be a live album from this tour, preferably not mixed by Joe Thomas (hint: I work cheap....)

A live album is great idea, I hope my singing on "row, row, row your boat" makes it on there.

I was never good with math.  ;)

Sure, we need as many live albums as possible. Can never have too many versions of Help Me Rhonda, Good Vibrations and Surfer Girl.

I dunno...considering there's a possibility that this may be Brian's last tour ( although  I don't believe it for a second ) , it might be a good idea to document it. Besides, there are plenty of songs that HAVEN'T had a live release.

He started a joke

Oh, I know. Just wanted to make clear why I felt that way. Hell, just a soundboard recording would be ace. Absolutely no kind of trickery or post production  would be needed.

In the recent past, some artists (The Who, John Fogerty to name a few) have made soundboard live recordings for each show during a tour available for a small fee. 

I'd love to see Brian do something similar. 

With the recent release of the Soundstage DVD, I'd be surprised to see a live release from this tour. 

Best idea I've seen here in a long while and one that I could see the various estranged members being lured by. Would still love an album of new (Brian) material performed by the Beach Boys with the simple, laid back production that Al's Postcards had, but I'll take whatever's offered. One rule: no covers of Beach Boys' own tracks. One other rule: they tour to promote it.

As to the split of lead vocal duties, I don't mind long as they're all (very) evident in any harmonies.

Still find it hard to fathom why some "fans" here wouldn't buy the idea of another reunion, unlikely as it seems.

I don't want a covers album no matter who is singing.  I have a strong preference for new material.  Pretty sure nobody cares what I want, but hey, now it's out there on the www.

EoL

I may be in the minority... but I love, absolutely love Brian's cover albums.  The Disney album may actually be my favorite album of his.  I would love to hear him do a cover album of classic Rock songs.

Also, i'll just add, I really loved Paul McCartney's "Run Devil Run" which was the same thing, and was excellent. 

I see what you did there

Agree re. The Disney album; have returned to it quite a bit recently and some of those songs really do rock. There's the start of a rock n roll album right there…

My only complaint with his songs usually is that I think the lyrics are weak.  I have no idea literally, what he's talking about on almost all of No Pier Pressure.  Cover songs eliminate that problem for me. 

I'll enjoy whatever he does though, if he writes all new Rock songs that will be fine too. 

I like the lyrics to Whatever Happened

I agree (see also my review of the album). For example: "Tell me why" is such a monster of a song (in the best possible way) and has some really great moments in the lyrics (exactly: the beginning and the chorus). But somehow the rest sounds just incoherent. Could've been Brian's greatest solo song ever imo. What a song....

That's a highpoint lyrically for sure... but it's still a little shaky.  Just my opinion. 

Yeah.... this may not be the best place to go over it, but I'm just stunned by how bad the lyrics are on the album (mostly, not all songs).  I'll go find your review :)

Joe Thomas loves making reference to wine in his lyrics.  Probably.

"Summer wine, my favourite time, the night that I met you."

"We were singing a new song...sippin' on a new wine."

"From the consequence of the wine...another place in time."

Any others?

Brian should do a medley of "Fanny Mae" and "Help Me Rhonda" with Dick Dale...

last time Brian produced a GOOD album of "new material" was the spring of '77- Love you.

If you think that, why haven't you told us?

That's definitely worth a thread or...something!

But it had Good Time on it, and that was from Sunflower, so it's ANCIENT waaaaaaaaaaaa  OMG it so OLD

:lol

I want a rock and roll album from Billy C!

http://www.mcall.com/entertainment/lehigh-valley-music/mc-interviewing-brian-wilson-beach-boys-founder-coming-to-eastons-state-theatre-still-finds-inspiration-20151016-column.html

Recent interview.

Do you listen to the radio and listen for new music?

“Well, yeah. I listen to the ‘80s music, yeah.”

Do you have a good sense of newer artists? Up-and-coming artists on the radio?

“Well, yeah, but I don’t get the names very much, you know?”

Yeah. Hey, you played our Sands casino in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, a couple of times, and you and I talked a couple of years ago when you did those shows. And when we talked, you said that you had enough material that it was difficult for you to just make one album out of it. And I was wondering whether other album of that material are going to come out?

“No. Well, we’re going to try a tribute album. ‘Brian Wilson Sings the Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Artists.’ Like Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, Little Richard, Chuck Berry. And, you know, Bill Haley.”

Is that in the works already?

“No, no. We’re going to do that next year.”

 But as far as other music that you did at the same time as “No Pier Pressure,” it’s  not going to be released in any way.

“No, no.”

Is there any new music? I mean, in addition to those tribute songs , is there any new music that you’re working on, or do you constantly work on new music?

“Well, I play the piano a lot. I don’t really listen to the radio that much anymore, but I play the piano a lot.”

If it doesn't have Brian's synth driven version of "Proud Mary", I'm not buying it!  :smokin

I have to reiterate what I've said before, which is that *another* covers album doesn't sound appealing to me very much. I'd even rather see Brian pull a "Gettin' in Over My Head" and just dust off rejects from old albums and re-record them. Kind of a "try again and see if something sticks" sort of scenario.

A covers album could be interesting, but only if it had some truly odd, less era-specific song selections. Brian doing a faithful cover version of Chuck Berry or Little Richard doesn't sound very interesting. Covering the Stones or McCartney *could* be interesting if he went with some off-the-beaten-path track picks. His cover of "Wanderlust" was a good start. But I don't need to hear covers of "Let It Be" or "Start Me Up."

In his post about Cory Wells, Brian mentioned "Mama Told Me Not To Come." I'm not even that into that song, but if Brian picked stuff he liked that doesn't sound like stuff he's already done, that *might* be interesting.

So, no tour - no album?

No thanks.  To me, what really counts is the recorded album. I've never understood how so many of my fellow BB fans here consider touring so sacred and essential.  I've love to see a tour come from such an album, but if it's too logistically problematic, or unpopular amongst the participants, or would preclude recording the album-- I say screw the tour.  Reunion doesn't necessarily need to include touring.  I can't be the only one here who sees it this way.

It must be incredibly frustrating to interview Brian.  Chance of a lifetime? Yes.  Thrilling, definitely.  But informative?  You'd get more information from a pile of rocks.

I agree. The still living Boys could guest on a new Brian album. That would be cool. But leave it at that. No more Beach Boys albums, no more "reunion" tours...

Normally, I find studio albums/work to be far more essential than any live tours. However, while I thought TWGMTR was a solid album overall, I thought the quality of the reunion tour was really the most triumphant aspect of the C50 reunion.

And as I’ve said before, when we’re just talking about what would be good in an ideal circumstance (as opposed to realistically what might happen), I can’t imagine anything MORE substantial and important and enjoyable than a another full Beach Boys reunion, under the Beach Boys name, with a studio album (indeed including some Brian/Mike co-writes if at all possible) and another tour.

When I think about the difference between a C50-quality reunion and Brian doing a solo album of 50s cover versions, or Mike re-recording “Alone on Christmas Day” as a solo single, I don’t think for a microsecond that anything other than a reunion is preferable in every conceivable way.

Well, at least he's up to the eighties now. That's progress.