Brian on Carl and the Passions, Holland and the Light Album

[Curtis Leon]

And yes that is him on He Came Down (the piano and the EEEeeee part, where he does indeed sound like his 1976 self.

Huh? I don't get it. His voice didn't change drastically until 1975, when his vocal chords were thrashed. How could he sound like his 1976 voice in 1972? Please explain. Does he make his voice sound gruff and raspy on "He Come Down"? If so, when?

Brian sang a lot of bass vocals during that period, most notably on a large chunk of the American Spring album, and possibly the "Glowing magic transistor radio" bit on Mount Vernon and Fairway. (Though that could just as easily be Jack Rieley) It seems to me he was doing a lot of experiments with his voice during that period, trying to run away from using his falsetto. Undoubtedly he realized the damage it started to take through the trouble he was having with it.

[adamghost]

The evidence (and from what I've heard, the opinion of at least one person close to the situation) suggests that, far from thinking it was a problem, Brian deliberately trashed his voice in the mid '70s.  Certainly he made a lot of on-record comments at the time about hating his falsetto voice, and I remember a quote from that time (I don't remember if it was attributed) that "he's been smoking like a chimney to get that husky sound."

[hypehat]

He never really lost that macho thing - criticising his voice on LHRW as 'girly' and such. Which is heartbreaking.

[Jim V.]

Does anybody think he did it unintentionally?  I gotta admit, I think his voice from the 15 Big Ones-era thru the recording of at least "Stevie" (approximately late 1975 until 1981).

Do you think he was ever bummed that his voice changed? I don't think so myself, although I do feel from reading interviews, that he did know he needed to up his game for when he started doing his solo tours, but that was more about his singing in the correct way, and less about his voice, if that makes any sense.

Me myself, I think the only times where I find his vocals unbearable are indeed "Let Him Run Wild" (sorry! I do agree with Brian, too shrill, kinda bothers me), "She's Got Rhythm" (too screechy!),  most of BB85, Brian Wilson, Sweet Insanity, and Orange Crate Art. For some reason I enjoy his vocals on I Just Wasn't Made For These Times even though its apparently from the same time as OCA. But with Imagination he sounded great, along with most of SMiLE, TLOS, and BWRG. On GIOMH the material was so bad, that even good singing wouldn't have saved most.

During the second Landy era he just sounded way too nasal, I don't know what that voice was all about. Way too shouty, and it almost sounds like he wants to sound like Mike Love at points. I think if he would have sang in a softer tone like on BWRG, but in the 80's, he would have sounded much more "commercial". I forget what song it is, I think "Heavenly Bodies", but for a bit in that song, he sounds much more mellow, and it sounded really good.

But anyways, what I'm saying is I've accepted what his voice is, and I don't really wish he got it back or anything, except in one case. Listening to "Surf's Up" from BWPS the phrasing is just a little different, and thats where I miss the younger Brian vocals. But at the same time, its still a very emotional song and performance from Brian, who seems to be giving near his all.

[MBE]

On L. A. Light Album Brian is only on Angel I guess. I can't hear him myself.

Surf's Up Brian is on everything but Student, and Looking. Source Steve Desper and my own ears. He was at most of those sessions much better shape then later. He is on Long Promised Road doing the Down Down Down and Ba Ba Ba Ba parts. Voice sounds fine the whole album


So Tough
He is on Mess Of Help doing a nice high part.
He Come Down he does do a low voice but it's less raspy. He does that (and high notes) on Sweet Mountan on Spring. Sounds like he's trying to sound like that. It's tonally similer to 1976 but again less rasp. Listen To Bakers Man Brian's trying to sound low and racous even there.
Marcella he's in the mix most notably doobie doobie do at the end. Sounds clear mid range.
Cuddle Up he may be on briefly doing a touch of falsetto.

Holland. Not on Sail On Sailor but arranged it over the phone!
Steamboat sure does seem to be him doing the high part. Probably is
Big Sur I hear he did the harmonica
California he sings part of the lead and heard more on the single. Sounds clear mid range a bit like Mike.
Funky Pretty. He is doing the Funky Pretty Good lin and sounds fine mid range. High part at end elctronically speed up. It's fine but I think he did it to sound younger.
He's all over the Fairy Tale
Magic Tansister is him and Carl mid range
Pied Piper he's doing some mid range stuff (I think)
Radio Kingdom he's doing the falsetto. Again he sounds fine
In short Brian was on the almost all the 1971 and about half of the 1972 stuff. His voice sounded fine to me until 1975.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Marcella he's in the mix most notably doobie doobie do at the end. Sounds clear mid range.

The doobie doobie do part is Al...Brian's part is isolated to one channel..."marcella hey".

[MBE]

Marcella he's in the mix most notably doobie doobie do at the end. Sounds clear mid range.

The doobie doobie do part is Al...Brian's part is isolated to one channel..."marcella hey".

Sounds like Brian to me but man they could sound just like each other from 1966-74.

[Curtis Leon]

Is Carl doubling himself on the end of Long Promised Road? The "I'd love to see you" bit. It sounds like someone is singing along with Carl during that bit.