The Smiley Smile Message Board

Something broke my heart recently. Seeing Brian from a decade or so back saying that a hit would really be a good thing for him. He said it with a smile that showed how serious he was - a hit record would be a better drug than anything it seems.

How can Brian have a hit now? I say- get Pleasure Island in the works. Cancel the nostalgia tour, send out an email to the fans saying grow up move on, and get down in Pleasure Island.

He's got hits in him I think. If he makes something that has the incredible rock & roll groove like the My Obsession part of Salt Lake City, mixes it HIMSELF in MONO, and releases it as a single, it could get serious airtime. Something living, vital.

Considering he doesn't listen to music recorded after 1979, I don't think so. Someone should play him any indie album made in the last 20 years.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhtIIyvivSw
Can you imagine Brian getting inspired by that and then recording an album? Hello, SMiLE '11.

Gonna probably get flamed for this, but I would kill to hear Brian do a covers album of modern songs )preferably by artists inspired by his own music) in his own BW style. Hearing him do, say, Stone Temple Pilots 'About a Fool' (inspired by among other things, Friends or something by Weezer, but in his own style, would be killer.

Oh hell yeah! This is the type of stuff I wish Brian would attempt now.

Brian (sort of) had a hit with "What Love Can Do".  Kind of odd he isn't playing that one live.

Brian had a minor hit in the UK with Wonderful at #29 on sales of 7" vinyl alone ('twas a limited edition) a few weeks before BWPS was released. Then in December the SMiLE version of Good Vibrations just cracked the UK top 40.

I reckon a couple of songs of TLOS and Gershwin could have been hit singles if handled correctly.

What CD's would you lend the big BW to demonstrate that modern music is just riding his coattails? And yes, I know everyone would lend him Illinoise. What else?

I might give him the Super Furry Animals Songbook, Dear Science by TV on the Radio (rediscovered this last weekend - what a gem), possibly a disc of Have One on Me by Newsom....

One of my fave BW tracks over the last three decades.

I don't get it. Where and when was this a hit ?


The only way for Brian to get a real smash would of course be a Beach Boys single. Hosently, Brian Wilson on his own will never get a number one hit anymore. The Beach Boys' name though still has enough appeal  for getting a hit with an anniversary single that gets heavy promotion (and only that way). That's the only way imo

I think Brian should rather focus on the songwriting, and I mean really focus (think BW 64-69 type of songwriting), and let other artists perform the songs. Animal Collective being a good alternative for sure. But maybe power-pop acts like The Pillbugs and The Shazam would be even better suited.

I would give him my album. Oh wait, that's already been done :D

Brian mustn't strive for a #1 hit. That would be utterly silly. He would have to abandon quality control, and write either some dance tune bereft of any soul, a faux-funk piece that is a hybrid of many prior faux-funk pieces, or such a tuneless Coldplay thing that sounds just like all other Coldplay things. The man's above all that. He need not compete with hoi polloi.

The Don has spoken.

Agreed. Brian needs to write another living room #1. Some of his latterday stuff wouldn't even chart in his pantry (GIOMH).

Personally, I don't care if he has a hit.  One thing I would like to see him do is work with some sort of girl group and arrange the songs for them.  Maybe just for an album, or a few songs.  I'll bet he'd be interested in that if paid handsomely.  Girl groups are irresistable to me, even the modern ones.  Even things like the pussycat dolls' "Stickwitchu".  They sing all these songs in two part harmony, I'd love to hear a girl group that does 5 or 6 part harmony like Brian's capable of doing.  That would be awesome.  Brian's ability to arrange vocals is as strong as it's ever been.  

I'm talking about medicine for this man's soul. He was raised looking for his father's respect and then the public's buying adoration of his music - to be rejected commercially is tough for Brian. Why can't Brian have a hit? If he wrote a badass song like I Get Around and performed it with Mike, Bruce, Al [Brian on drums, Bruce on organ, Al on bass, Mike on guitar] no one else, and presented it as four old guys rocking the f*** out like they're all 22 it would be great. Mike plays guitar. Brian plays zen-drums. What's not to like about this imagination? I'd love to see Mike playing guitar live, doing something for once. If Brian had to tour in his old age to work off his karmic debt for staying home jerking off so many years then Mike Love has to tour until he's 150 while playing guitar on stage to work off his karmic debt for so much prancing around.

I just don't think Brian has a "badass song like I Get Around" in him anymore - I'd be happy to be proven wrong though. Also, the main problem is his singing voice, hence why I'd rather see other bands do his songs.

Appreciate your point but unfortunately I don't think Brian is into newer music. I just saw an interview with him last night from a decade or two ago and he explained how it is for him hearing the radio. He said it got to a point where he tuned in, couldn't understand what he heard, so stopped tuning in. He dropped out of the collective music consciousness as far as tracking trends and movements and instead retreating into his own eccentric music world. He just watches that 60s channel on TV now.

But I do think he has the songs in him. Just a hunch, really. He just needs the right inspiration. He needs to start hanging out with Yoko Ono and get into some zen flavors. Sloop John B is an oriental song. It has similar noises as the Cabinessence chorus. In fact, Sloop John B and Cabinessence both reach similar peaks. Sloop in the very speedy latter part of the song and Cabinessence in the time warped Over & Overs.

Don is spot on (except for the Coldplay bit) - For Brian to get a number one hit he would have to give up his knack for finding amazing new chords/melodies and he would have to solely focus on writing a song in the Am-F-C-G chord structure (isten to the radio for 20 minutes right now - almost guaranteed that every song will use this progression). The public LOVES plastic hits - hits that are phony and have no originality. Thus the public would hate Brian's Gershwin-esque musical style.

I agree though, get Mike, Bruce, Al, Brian, and David and make a bitchin' mono album with a kickass single. They could honestly do it. And I would really care less if it was a radio success. Brian has children that listen to the radio - Brian has heard this sh*t and Brian knows that it is sh*t - It would probably be an insult to him if he got a number one hit today.

Fiiiiiiiiiiiine, let's hope he FAILS in the charts then...

I've always actually thought that Brian's life would've gone much better if he could've put out home recorded albums even of just piano playing things - like a Daniel Johnston.

He's more entertaining anyway just by himself playing and singing, than with his entire band, so why not see if it works out? Brian is pushed on us by the media as eccentric reclusive musical genius, but the best examples of his genius we hear are what.... Jeff adding Farmer's Daughter onto I Got Rhythm? Come on.

Hmm, well, if he has it in him, why hasn't he unleashed it yet? Lack of inspiration? Too controlled environment?

Hiya rab2591 -

I did not mean to specifically ridicule Coldplay, nor to offend anyone in his/her taste. I chose Coldplay because I myself don't 'get' them, whatever that may mean. Obviously, millions of other people (and that includes the gorgeous Gwyneth Paltrow) think otherwise - hence their headlining almost all major European outdoor festivals this summer.

I don't think there's any one cause. It's everything to do with what music he's pegged as making, who he's pushed as in the media, who he's with daily that influence him, who hears and judges his new songs [we know how sensitive Brian is to this - who knows how many classics he's junked because some moron said they don't like it?], what label he's releasing stuff on, for what purpose, etc.

He should really work with Danny Hutton. He's an old friend not a 'helper' which is how many of Brian's current pals like Jeff sometimes appear. You can imagine Brian and Danny smoking a joint and playing music together. You can imagine Jeff Foskett at Christian summer camp teaching the kids how to be square.

Medecine for Brian's soul? That would be no touring, no interviews, no meet and greets, no pressure. A chair, a comfy one preferably, a baseball game on TV, a beer and a cheeseburger, an occasional trip to the piano, an hourly visit to the jukebox for a Be My Baby hit, another beer and a chili dog, more baseball on TV, then bed for 20 hours or so, large breakfast, shoot a few hoops in the driveway, chair, baseball, burger, jukebox, piano, bed. Maybe one recording session a month just to test some ideas. A salad now and then to keep the system flowing. No pressure, no touring, no interviews. He deserves this regardless of what we all want.

So with you Jon. And maybe if he got all this, he would be able to unleash his genius again.

Don, you are not alone my friend ;)

Billy if he's gonna go the STP route, Brian covering "Sex Type Thing" would make a great novelty tune.

Sounds like it inspired some of his songs such as 'I'd Love Just Once to See You', 'Busy Doin Nothing' and 'I Went to Sleep'. Not national hits, but they are hits in my living room. Same with TLOS and BRG

So....either Zooey Deschanel's CD was recorded before 1980, or Brian was lying at one point. :)

BTW, let's not forget that Smile went to #13. Not bad for Brian in 2004. At all! For comparison's sake, that's also the same peak chart position of the album that gave us "Fun, Fun, Fun," "Don't Worry, Baby," and "TWOTS."

If Brian wanted that I'd be the first person to want him to have it. It's the rest of you guys who want him to continue doing things.

I love Animal Collective but don't think this is really where Brian's head is at nowadays, more's the pity.

Nobody is carrying the torch for harmony drenched Wilson/Spector pop melodies quite like AC's Panda Bear though. Man can he write a cool tune. A Collaboration between Brian and Panda Bear could reap spectacular results, but I just can't quite visualize who would do what and in what universe this might occur. One's thing for sure: Jeff's Foskett's overbearing nasal twang would definitely not feature.

I am sure Jon Stebbins has a much more direct insight in these matters than I do. And I too think that Brian must be in a position to do what he likes best. My own humble caveat is that too much passivity (20 hrs in bed? Irony, I hope?) does not seem beneficial to me. Brian suffers from clinical depression, as far as I know, and has medication for that (fluvoxamine, IIRC). This implies that he'd not be that well off with a rather passive lifestyle and much bedtime. What happens then is that certain brain areas, collectively known as the 'default mode network', become active for a prolonged time, which in depressed people leads to sad and ruminative thoughts, feelings of guilt and worthlessness, and all of that in a cyclical form.
Which poses a dilemma, I know. In how far can one 'push' a person with a mood disorder into activity, e.g. stage performances and recording? Is that tinkering with one's free will? But what if that free will, if realized in full, is actually bad for that person?
I don't have an answer. I only know that activity, changes in environment, creative acts, much socializing, and a plethora of stimuli from the outside world considerably diminish feelings of depression. And it's a fact that depressed people have a tendency to do that which precisely is not good for their moods, like retreating, living as a recluse, eating unhealthily, and using alcohol (a depressant!) and drugs.

If Neil Diamond can have a number one record (admittedly an album) then the Beach Boys could.

I think Brian has given us enough. If he wants to live unhealthily, let him have his last ten years of doing so. 20 hour stretches of sleep was ironic...not 20 hours everyday, but you know, let the old fella sleep in...no schedule, no routine, no stage fright, no freaking out on airplanes, no scary people. He gave us his all, let him rest.

Brian has it etched in his head that his self-worth is tied to having a number one hit. In this day and age, many of the best artists never have number one hits...or any hits. It would be great if someone could make him realize this, and I think a few have tried. Remember when Elvis Costello brought him that stack of CDs from artists he thought Brian should hear? But I don't think it's easy to get this through Brian's head.

It's hard to know what's best for Brian. If he sits around doing nothing all day, will his depression get the best of him? Or will he finally get the peace of mind he deserves? Maybe he'll start getting musical ideas, and he can record one-offs to post on iTunes, like many of us have wished--without worrying about whether any of those songs will be a hit. Or maybe he's better off keeping busy. And maybe it's the idea of getting a hit that keeps him motivated. I just hope he realizes that just because something doesn't reach the top of the charts doesn't mean it's not worthy of attention.

Especially nowadays. I glance through Rolling Stone once in a while and look at the charts - normally it's Justin Bieber, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Justin Bieber, etc. Fine if they actually recorded anything that had any semblance to artistic merit - but they don't. It's the same shitty chords over and over again. It's monotonous, and the public eats it up for some reason.

I say good riddance to charts. Brian should just write from the heart (if he chooses to write). Forget the charts, forget the fans, just write some music if you want.

The last thing Brian Wilson wants to do is be Brian Wilson. Touring for him is an escape where he can occasionally eat junk food. Honestly. He doesn't love performing, he doesn't love recording. I'm guessing there's at least SOME happiness in composing -- but then again, who knows? Who knows what makes him happy now? I actually don't believe he's "happy" that often. I don't know if "happy" plays into it -- like reptiles, they just keep existing. "Joy" isn't really a factor. He's been writing for 50 years, my guess is that it's like brushing his teeth or breathing at this point. I believe silence or not being asked to do anything is what Brian wants. I think its safe to say that a "Number One Hit" -- which is insanely ridiculous to presume would or could or should happen -- wouldn't make Brian REALLY be "back." (I thought 'SMILE '04' cured Brian? No?) This is it, people. This as good as it gets. A "Number One"? Jeez -- what are we 15?

Re: Performing live -- I know people who caught recent shows who told me that it would be their last time due to Brian being so obviously unhappy (e.g. looking "tired,'" "mentally troubled," or that it made them "physically uncomfortable," -- I tell them, "Hey -- that's part of the show, like lasers.")

At this stage of the game I think the only valid or real Brian Wilson music will come from working with Mike Love. I think anything past that is really pushing it.

I agree with the sentiment, but Heartical Don may well have a point. With Brian's mental health problems a busy schedule might actually keep the demons at bay. I'm no expert in the inner workings of BW's mind though. I think we're all on the same page - whatever makes him happy.

Friend of mine has Parkinson's. I recently had to ask him for a few phone numbers and bank account details. He didn't even have to look them up - just reeled them off.  His way of keeping alert and making suffer that rotten disease doesn't get the better of him.  Suspect part of Brian's tour schedule might performa  similar function against his demons, as buddhahat suggests. Peter Reum could no doubt throw much more qualified opinion into the ring but I've always considered Brian's shows – and therefore us, his audience – to be part of the ongoing improvement plan.

But as they say, his happiness is his priority. My happiness is one of mine!

Of course he does. But that's not the point in this thread. Ghost mentioned an interview (look into the youtube thread, I put a link there yesterday or the day before) where Brian does say that he wants that hit and we'd would discuss how he might get it.
At least that's how I understand it and into what direction my wonderful post was going.

But I guess we shouldn't overlook what was said in this thread. Commercial success was alsways a very, very big part for Brian. And I should think that the fact that the Beach Boys' last number one wasn't written, produced or arranged by him and he wasn't even part of it in any way, does hurt him and is some kind of open wound. I would feel the same way.

I agree with Jon's sentiments too, but in the context of the subject at hand, unfortunately I just don't think it's possible for Brian to have a number one hit on his own.  Partly for musical reasons, given the quality of the drivel that goes to number one these days, but also because he doesn't have the name recognition of a Rod Stewart or Barry Manilow (who can put out cover albums on par or worse than BWRG and have much bigger hits). 

I have no doubt that Brian still yearns for a hit.  That's what he was "programmed" to do by his father.  As others have hinted at, I think Brian's best shot at one last number one hit is with the Beach Boys - not necessarily because that would mean writing with Mike, but because the public still knows their name.  Weirder things have happened I suppose.

Don't worry, there's nothing to get but pretention.

I respectfully disagree.  I don't think anybody should be allowed to do that, no matter how old they are, or how much they've given the world.  I hope I drop dead working on something.  Who the hell wants to lie around the house all day?

I thought that by "hit" we meant an album that would never get radio play but still unanimous perfect scores on review sites. Kinda like when Pet Sounds came out but not really. It goes without saying that he would have to dumb down his music significantly to get a club radio hit in this day and age... And now I'm thinking of "Niiiight tiiiime is the riiiight tiiiime for meee".

Yep, it's is incredibly scary for any musician to be completely ignoring 30+ years of evolution. I think Paul McCartney was like this after the '80s until Flaming Pie. Supposedly, it took The Beatles Anthology for him to realize that he was out of the loop.

More likely, I think he'd go "Hey, these guys stole one of my melodies!"

Yeah.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDDqZ5KVvmI

 :lol reminds me of one Van Morrison. For decades now, he writes grumpy songs about journalists, and, more to the point, about lesser artists than himself who stole his melodies and/or lyrics, and reaped great fruits thereby. It's a side of a great artist that I can't appreciate, because I don't think he's right. No one was or is 'after him'. And, even if someone were, they wouldn't be able to touch his talent.

The sad thing is that I think Brian wanted this after 1967 and was never allowed it at least since 1976. The only period where he seems to have simply followed his own muse was pre Brian Is Back. Yes he self destructed after Murry died, but in his mid to late twenties it seems he had a few brief moments of enjoying his life the way he chose. Does anybody really think Brian Wilson wants to do Disney covers and oldies shows?

Depression....as I've said before, I know a thing or two about living with and caring for somebody suffering from clinical depression.

I do not know Brian Wilson but in my experience (caveat - YMMV) letting a depressed person stay in bed, doing nothing and NOT giving them a daily routine to follow leads to them becoming suicidal quickly. And I mean real despair-filled, want to cut their wrists in a bath full of hot water suicidal.

However, given the right treatment and a purposeful daily/monthly/yearly routine the same person can enjoy extended periods of good mental health and in some cases (I am told) even recover such that they don't need much help and support (emotional or chemical).

There's no doubting that sometimes Brian wishes he wasn't on tour...no doubt that his answers to questions in interviews vary sometimes wildly. There's also little doubt that he'd like to have a hit single on his terms. If a BW-penned and produced song featuring wonderful vocal harmonies and chord changes that only Brian could conjure up were to be a major hit....we'd all probably shed tears of joy along with the man himself. But I do agree that Brian actually trying deliberately to have a hit might be a poor idea....what if it doesn't succeed?

Back in 2004 when Brian learned that the Wonderful single had debuted at #29 in the British charts he seemed really excited. It takes a lot to excite somebody suffering from clinical depression. It seems that the aftermath of SMiLE was that a fire was lit under Brian's bum for a while, he wrote new songs, worked hard, he was engaged with his life and his art.

I have few doubts that commercial success is viewed by Brian as some form of validation...as is the adoration of his fans and the reception he gets after a good concert.

I've always thought that he should do a multi-collaboration disk with assorted musicians and producers. He's got to have a handful of songs and ideas floating around someplace. They don't even have to be that developed. Just give each song to a variety of top-notch folks from a huge variety of musical genres.

Something similar just worked for Devo, working with Teddybears, John King, Greg Kurstin, John Hill, Mark Nishita and Santi White.

Anything from alt and techno to hip-hop and country.
Some have already been named, some not. Guaranteed, a who's who of people would be knocking down the door for a chance to work with him.

First, Brian has less pressure of having to "get along" with any one group or person. It's one song, a couple of weeks and some time off before the next one. Then he's back at it again. Nice and easy.

Advantage, new blood. New thoughts. Pushing Brian in some direction he would never dream of or even know existed.
Perhaps even, come across somebody he develops a relationship with. And even the potential for some serendipitous and unforeseen synergy combining into something that gets airplay. And perhaps even [gasp] chart.

Problem with the Wondermints is they're too indebted to BW, and while they've done a lot of good moving him forward, that time has come to an end. Nothing new will come from this, and nothing else can be mined from a back catalog.

Just my 2¢.

That's an interesting observation re: the years post Smile and pre 15 Big Ones.

It's probably an expression taken straight from the "pseudobiography" but personally I really love that early-70s "postcards to the outside world" approach to releasing new stuff. "'Til I Die", "Mt. Vernon and Fairway", "Marcella", you name it.

It's hard to do that as a solo artist, however, which is too bad, as he arguably created some of his very best material when the pressure of having to come up with an album's worth of consistently good Beach Boys songs had faded.

I don't know about having a number 1 cd but the record companies should at least promote his cds with tv commercials etc..I wonder how much promotion "Smile" will get after all it IS the most famous unreleased album in rock n roll history,they should at least promote the hell out of it,in my opinion, I know that when Brians solo version came out it didn't get a lot of promotion and it still did pretty good though..

BWPS was promoted well in the UK....I didn't visit the USA that year so I can't comment. BWPS peaked at number 7 on this side of the pond....aided by a clever ad in the press (a spoof ad asking the reader to look for this album lost 37 years ago) and an advance single (Wonderful, mentioned above) which actually got some mainstream radio play. There was even a TV advert, ableit late at night on some cable channels.

Curiously TLOS received no promotion that I saw....although BBC Radio 2 (music station aimed at an audience too mature for chart music) did play several songs from it. TLOS, despite being an excellent album with a handful of potentially commercial songs only charted at 37 in the UK.

yeah in america there was virtually no promotion other then an add in rolling stone..

Hard to believe... but it may be the case that the number one "record" in the nation isn't what folks would really choose if they were given a true choice.

And I would bet the farm that Brian would come to life if there was music being made that was inspiring.

I think the Beach Boys just don't want an album that is number 2, like Summer in Paradise.

To a lot of us music afficionados, it really doesn't matter much if a Brian or Mike or Beach Boys record tops the charts or not.

I am pleased for Brian when his records do well, and if a future BB single, EP or album was commercially successful I'd be similarly please for all concerned....but as far as I am concerned what matters is whether or not I enjoy listening to it.

I enjoy lots of music which has never charted and never will.

when you say #2 do you mean the second worst cd in the history of man kind.."the caveman hits a stick and rocks" being the worst?

eh....I'm thinking in this context, number 2 is 'having a sh!t. ;)

oh yeah that too...lol...

I'm certain that 'Good Kind of Love' has serious hit potential. It sounds like it was written for a romantic comedy (the type that usually features Julia Roberts, Sandra Bullock, Tom Hanks and/or Hugh Grant) and if it would actually be used for such a movie, I can see it becoming a #1 single.

Wow, it only took 2 weeks for it to sink in! :)

I've heard a high fibre diet helps.

It is a cool song. It has the ghost seal of approval. They should do a new Drew Barrymore movie and use it.