The Smiley Smile Message Board

Hi everyone - I've been less than present lately, in part b/c I somehow forgot how to log in to the system. But anyway.

Last year I spent some time with Brian around the time the Gershwin record was about to come out. A written-up version of the story ran in the Times (UK) last summer, but since that was super-short, I figured I'd pay tribute to the man's 69th birthday and put up more of the raw transcript on my website blog. So here it is. :http://www.peteramescarlin.com/node/194

More soon...

Peter

What a fun interview. It always kind of amazing how comfortable he seems when he's around people he's familiar with. Compare that to, say, what I read in whateverrandomnewspaper a couple of days ago, and you'd never think it was the same guy. I love the bit about UFO's, too.

Thanks for sharing, Mr. Carlin.

Welcome back Peter! Glad to see you again, and great job on the interview.

It's amazing the difference between an interview like this, where Brian gives thoughtful and interesting answers and the recent few where it's basically been "yes" or "no" answers.  This was one of the most enjoyable Brian interviews I've read in ages.  You really brought out the best in Brian as an interview subject Peter, well done!

I found especially interesting his dislike of Imagination - if I'm reading correctly, he doesn't even seem to think of it as his own work ("I didn't really like that Imagination album as much as I did some of mine").  Maybe he meant "my others," but I found it to be an interesting choice of words.

It's unfortunate that he hasn't been able to write, although I suppose I might find it difficult to come up with something new and original after so many years and hundreds (if not thousands of songs).  Still, I don't think we've heard the last of him in terms of original material though.

Good discussion of other artists too, it's rare to see him interested in modern music like that - hope you get him that CD!

In several interviews in 1999, he mentioned he didn't like it. One in particular, he said "it's not my kind of music...well vocally, it is".

Must have missed those - sounds about right though, the vocals are the best thing about that album.

The one I quoted was done by Paul Zallo, and it should be archived on the web.

You can see how Brian's mind works in an interview like this. He already has his set of answers to the Gershwin questions in his back pocket, so he rattles those off in an attempt to lay it all out as quickly as possible. What happens is the responses that were coherent the first time Brian gave the answer (several interviews earlier) now sound elliptical as they begin to collide with one another. I assume he means his parents didn't own the "Rhapsody In Blue" record he heard when he was young, but it comes out sounding like the parents didn't own "Along Comes Mary"! But when you get to the casual UFO reference, Brian is in conversation mode and he sounds much more comfortable.

I really think the ideal interview for Brian is one where the Beach Boys, touring, his demons or his latest project are not addressed.

peter - thanks for posting this lovely piece. beautiful to read BW being...BW

Thanks, Peter...I really enjoyed that! He sounds like himself throughout...

Excellent interview — probably the best one in years!

PAC, I LOVE this. Best BW interview in a long long time and I especially love the interjections and the commentary. haha

Also, big fan of yours. The Macca book is terrific!

Great job, Peter!  I wish you had the opportunity to interview him every year.

Not sure how I feel about the Dennis part. Especially to say the stuff they did was horrible...'Oh Lord' was horrible? Really?

Never met or talked to him, but to me it sounded like the most typical BW interview since whoknowshowlong...

Thanks Peter ! Next time play him Presley's version of "You've lost that loving feeling". He'll love that
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjrH3SeLVG4 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjrH3SeLVG4)

Unusually great interview, with plenty of those "WTF?!?" moments we've come to love from that time-honored tradition, The Brian Wilson Interview or The Interview With Brian Wilson (Judaean People's Front/People's Front Of Judaea, anyone? ;)) I found myself personally disagreeing with some of Peter's parenthesized opinions but that's life. One of the best interviews with Brian Wilson I have read in a long time. Kudos to both of them!

If Brian says he hasn't spoken to Bruce in years, then when was the last time they actually saw each other ? Was it on the roof of the Capitol Tower in 2006 at the Sounds Of Summer celebration ?

Last time they actually saw each other was late of May 2011, as reported elsewhere. Prior to that, yeah, the Tower in 2006.

Hadn't they dinner togerther with their wifes after the rooftop? Or was that before?