The Smiley Smile Message Board

 :-\ I once asked an insider about Brian playing some of his more obscure stuff that hardcore fans might like.  He does do it to some degree.  But the source said that or implied that the person pulling his strings wouldn't allow it.  I couldn't tell if they meant Melinda or Jeff. I would probably guess the Mrs. I also get that he might like to have a "villain" in his life at all times to deflect things for him and that he might welcome it to some extant (see the manipulation thread below).  But I was just curious as to who the "boss" is these days.

->6:35

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpH3RCAkA3s&feature=related

I love how Marilyn appears directly afterwards saying, "Why should he be pushed?"

Yes, you'd never think that in the 12 years since he'd record six more studio albums and win a Grammy.

That bio is a load of sanctimonious claptrap.

wait, wat?

Is Brian still under some kind of legal conservatorship?

 :lol

Beat me to it

Brian is no longer under a conservatorship.  It was dropped several years ago, but I don't remember exactly when.  I've read from various sources that Melinda has a lot of control over Brian, but anyone who lives with someone with his deficits would.  It just depends on the situation.  For example, she filed the suit against Joe Thomas years ago and allowed the lawyers to put in some very inflammatory language, so who knows if that was her or her lawyers suggested it.  She had a lot to do with how the album "Getting In Over My Head" turned out (which is badly, if you believe some reviewers), but I don't think she's meddled as much in any other album before or since then. 

I'm sure she's the one who pushes him to tour so much, or maybe more to the point, tour doing Beach Boys' oldies material.  Brian, IMO, has toured too much at times.  If he doesn't have new material to present or if he (or she, or the band) isn't willing to offer the fans different old songs, then I don't see the point.  He's had tours which were not sell-outs or even close to it.  I was at a show in Oakland a few years ago that only drew 700 fans to a theater that held a few thousand.  I don't know what the point is of him touring the same old music and having him visit markets repeatedly to diminishing audiences, other than Melinda seems to like to stick it to Mike Love and wants people to know that Brian represents the Beach Boys just as much or more than Mike's BB touring outfit.  It doesn't do Brian or his band any favors having him do that and it cheapens Brian's market value.  When Brian started doing shows, it was an event. Now it's just like another BB tribute show, and even his ticket sales suffer for it.

I wish he'd play the Los Angeles area more.  Had to drive to Vegas for TLOS, and there were no LA Gershwin shows.

Say what you will about Brian playing the same old "tired hits" but the best tour he ever did was the 2009 American tour, which was strictly a "tired hits" tour.

You're right. They don't mention what's really important which is that Brian being pushed has worked out very well for us.

Does Brian's band all have other gigs/jobs or is being Brian's band their main bread and butter? I can't imagine it working out very well for anyone involved if the tours/shows end up losing money each time out. I know that simply (not that there is anything simple about it) getting out there and playing Brian's music is probably more than worth it, but Brian really has nothing to lose, but I wonder what the situation is for his band.

I really wish, as I've said before, different band members were given leads at his shows! It would really bring out their individual personalities and Brian could take a break and, gasp, even sit the occasional show out if he wanted to. I really see no point in forcing Brian to sing Fun Fun Fun! Mike simply owns that lead but I'm sure someone in Brian's band could make it really crack! I mean, why not even do "Let's Put Our Hearts Together" as a duet with Taylor?? That might sound stupid, but it would be freaking cool!

I'm my twisted mind, I would love it for Brian's band to officially become The Beach Boys and Brian might show up one night, Mike the other, Al another, Mike/Bruce one night, Mike/Bruce/Al another, another night, no original Beach Boys but Brian's band would put on a killer show.... Insanity, perhaps!

"........I really wish, as I've said before, different band members were given leads at his shows! It would really bring out their individual personalities and Brian could take a break and, gasp, even sit the occasional show out if he wanted to. I really see no point in forcing Brian to sing Fun Fun Fun! Mike simply owns that lead but I'm sure someone in Brian's band could make it really crack! I mean, why not even do "Let's Put Our Hearts Together" as a duet with Taylor?? That might sound stupid, but it would be freaking cool!.........


I would LOVE to hear that duet.  I've suggested it before.  Would be a knockout of a performance. a great showcase for a Love You song, and a chance for Taylor to shine.   

I say let Taylor do Surf's Up even!

Imagine THAT!

Taylor's not with the band anymore, and hasn't been for awhile, apparently.


Not exactly my point. The thing is, that A&E bio had this weird ending where they basically tried -- in 1999 -- to suggest that his life and career was over. The man was 57 years old then! Now, I don't know many guys who would appreciate being told -- at 57 -- that they had better just get out of the way and count their careers and lives as finished.

Ultimately, folks like Marilyn and Ginger have just as much desire to say what Brian should be doing as anyone else. They just flatter themselves into thinking that they have some moral high ground because it involves him doing less work.


Indeed. But it did have Darian instead of Gary Griffen, which makes more of a difference than some might imagine.


They all have other gigs -- with the possible exception of Jeff. Probyn actually had an office job until a few years ago.

Also, not all of the tours lose money. Ask yourself this: Why does Brian tour so much in the U.K.?


A persuasive case except for the fact that it's mostly Brian's BRI vote that allows Mike to continue touring under the Beach Boys name. (Does Brian still get a cut from the touring BB band?)

Thanks for the updates! Had no idea about Taylor!  ???

Hell, get Marylin up there then!!!

I would never have predicted in 1999 that Melinda would not only consent to but encourage a Pet Sounds tour and a Smile tour.  She's probably the only person in the world who could have done that. I don't think even a still-alive Carl and Dennis could have done it.

Moreover, Brian still had those scared shitless unable-to-blink eyes in 1999, which he no longer has. I can understand people thinking in 1999 that he was a puppet, cos that's how his eyes come across, but in 2011 there is life behind the eyes that suggests some voluntary participation.

Conversely I've no doubt that, left to himself, he would have stayed at home watching TV for the last 12 years.

Maybe he ought to be allowed to do just that.

If not for Melinda's influence, would we have the BB Smile box today? Food for thought.

Can she get us a LOVE YOU/ADULT CHILD box too?

And a SIP/S&T two-fer while she's at it?

I think Melinda may have given Brian the most incentive to tour by adopting over 20 dogs and, while I'm sure he loves his kids and his kids love him, I'm not sure about the grand total of five children, either. Or it is six?  I lost count.  I just know the number seemed to increase every time Wendy or Carnie gave birth to another child, which I don't think is a coincidence.  I know, Brian would have done none of what he's done without Melinda.  He also seems happy to have work, a public profile, and seems reasonably happy with his family life (as long as he gets a break from the mob scene at home now and again, especially the large volume of yappy small dogs).  But Melinda is an odd person in her own right.  Perhaps that makes them the perfect couple.

I think Brian's scared shitless eyes around 1998 and 1999 is due to Carl's recent death and his sadness over it. Watching the A&E bio really shows how much better off he is today.

It's hard for any of us on the outside to judge Brian's situation and the people around him. On the one hand, you can say that he ought to be able to retire whenever he wants to. But to the person who said he should be able to watch TV and do nothing...didn't he do that in the 70s, and look what happened. It may be that a therapist has suggested that Brian ought to be kept busy to stave off symptoms of depression. Does that mean he should be on tours? Maybe not. Maybe he could just tinker in the studio. But he does seem to need some guidance to get through his life. Anyone who takes that role is going to catch criticism, but whether that guidance has actually taken a negative turn is hard to say. But she is a human being, and it can't be easy to be married to Brian. You never know what HE's putting HER through--we only consider the reverse.

As for the 5 kids and 20 dogs, sometimes people "collect" to fill a void. Or maybe she just has a big heart.

I have zero say in the matter, but I *do* like the idea of keeping him busy, as I think it does help to keep his "demons" at bay. It's seemingly a bit too much at times, though. The "Brian, your eyes are closed" video posted recently was fairly upsetting to watch. It kinda detracts from the whole, "Brian's a survivor!" thing, and it's extremely discouraging for someone like me who has his own share of mental health issues.

I do think leaving him to rot in front of a TV ala the 70s (as Ms.B. just pointed out) sounds like a bad idea. That sort of thing only allows said demons to fester and grow and get out of control, I say this from personal experience (no, I'm not comparing myself to Mr.Wilson).

The 5 kids and 20 dogs thing is horrifying, in a sense. I'm sure Melinda does have a big heart of sorts, but Brian is nearing 70 and I know she's not especially young herself. You shouldn't be putting children through something like that. People say, "I'm sure they have nannies etc. taking care of them!" but how often are these people involved? Is it healthy to have other people looking after these kids so often? How often is Brian involved? How long until both Brian and Melinda are out of the picture? How likely is it that some of these kids are gonna have no parents to speak of by age 20? 25? I'm 26, I'd be legit rotting in a fucking gutter if I didn't have my parents for the last six years.

I hate to judge, he's not mine to take care of and God knows I probably wouldn't be up to the task, but her adopting kids so late in life... man. Something about it just doesn't sit right with me :(

From the guy who said he should be able to sit and watch TV all day long: well, at 69 years of age, if we're to take his PR machine at its word, a somewhat functional/recovered/moving toward recovery/fully functional - recovered (whatever the line is this week) Brian should be able to do what he wants. Brian sat around watching TV in the 70's as a bloated, insane, substance abusing, smoking like a chimney wreck. At this point in his life, even if he wanted to sit around and do exactly the same: if he's mentally capable, let him. There is no need to push him out there in front of audiences in order to support his PR juggernaut or anyone else..... Besides, there are plenty of other ways for a 70 year old to keep himself busy that don't involve sitting in front of a TV all day/night or long tours crowds/planes/pressure etc.

the what now?

It's a video from when Brian was promoting the Gershwin album. It's a raw feed that TV stations could take talking head clips from. At the beginning, he's practically asleep -- eyes closed, very soft answers. At a certain point, a person who sounds like Jean Seivers (his manager) tells him to open his eyes and start over. Brian seems a little startled and embarrassed. My feeling on this is if Brian wanted to promote the Gershwin album (which he did -- it was a project he clearly cared about) and if he pays Jean to be his manager, then she was simply doing her job. But it does press buttons in these parts to see BW being ordered around.


If they were actually doing that with Brian, I would agree. But with the exception of 2004 -- when he played Smile into the ground -- he's averaged 30-40 dates each year that he's seriously toured. (He basically took 2003 and 2006 off.) That is hardly the heaviest of loads -- it means he's out and about maybe two and a half months a year.

And we also know he's not exactly in the studio 24/7. So for some nine months out of the year, Brian is indeed free to sit in front of the TV all he wants -- and watch that 60s music channel with the blank screen! And drive to his deli for lunch. I mean, yes, he's had a difficult time in his life and everything, but he's not exactly being forced through the Bataan death march here.

T'me, it just goes beyond someone doing their job. It's nothing about him being ordered around. I definitely get the vibe of him being talked down to like he's a child by both she and Jeff. She repeats herself to him several times, Jeff fixes his collar which was sitting just fine (???), and they speak to the interviewer, again, as if he were a child and as if he weren't in the room or something. You can tell Brian gets upset after it's been going on for a while, kind of forcibly saying, "Good!" and then looking off to the side. I think he was a whole lot more embarrassed by the lecture and by being talked down to as much as he was than merely by being made aware that he was looking half-asleep.

Again, I'm never gonna claim I could look after Brian or anything, but I didn't get a good vibe from this video. Just the same, people have said Jeff gets extremely weird at meet and greets over sometimes totally trivial things, not in any rational, normal way. I *know* the guy is likely scared to all hell at meeting strange people (both in that they're unfamiliar to him and in some cases that they're, uh, legit strange), but again, it went beyond that.

My brother met Bono backstage at a U2 concerrt and U2s manager burst out of a door and yelled at Bono to "Get your ass in here, you have to be onstage in five minutes." I think that rock stars hire people to whip them into line so they don't have to worry about it. It's show business and that's why manager's are hired.

i think he should be allowed to do whatever he feels like and as far as i know, he's enjoying touring and making music again.  i feel anyone who says otherwise just want to make villains out of jeff or melinda

Nobody said he outright does not enjoy touring or recording.

BW's touring history:

1998 - 1
1999 - 24
2000 - 43
2001 - 31
2002 - 41
2003 - 3
2004 - 72
2005 - 45
2006 - 11
2007 - 39
2008 - 37
2009 - 38
2010 - 8
2011 - 39

oh come on, it's been said before. 

Eh, not in this thread, anyway. I certainly didn't.

Interesting. So that's around 432 concerts in 13 years. Not a terrible workload, I'd have thought, hardly Elvis at Vegas levels (about 1,100 concerts in 8 years ). Still, I think BW should retire from touring soon and take it easy. If he still wants to record all well and good.

I wonder what type of job managers do when they allow embarrassing moments like this into a PROMO VIDEO!
Why do these things appear in promo material to begin with? There's other promo videos with equally disturbing moments.

My two cents into this is that we, fans, would patronize him if we worked for him. Most of these entourage guys are fans, they idolize the guy. And that condescending tone is not foreign to forums such as this.- Just see how fans get excited when they find an interview in which he pronounces an insightful eight--word phrase: "wow!!! that's the most together he's been in years. wow!!!". Or when a passable live lead vocal surfaces: "wow! he's practically in tune thoughout the song! wow! he seems to enjoy it! look how he seems to smile at 2:47!!"

It wasn't in a promo video.

It was in a raw news feed that is sent to TV station and news websites so they can edit together their own clips about current arts news.

Thanks for the breakdown, Andrew. I was going by your site, but I didn't have access to the 2010 numbers. So he basically took 2010 off, too. So in 12 years of active touring (99 on), Brian has only actively toured nine of those years. And in the nine years he toured, if you exclude the road warrior year of 2004, he averaged 37.4 shows a year.

Dylan, on the other hand, played 100 dates last year. And around 90 this year.

I don't know if anyone here know is 40 shows a year is or isn't too many shows for Mr.Wilson. Just sayin'.

Of course not. But it's useful to have perspective, and to know the actual numbers. Especially when we're talking about other people's motives.

There's preparation time involved in touring, so it's not just the number of dates.  I think more to the point it's excessive touring from the standpoint Brian doesn't sell out all the shows and some years are worse than others.  He tends to revisit the exact same cities and markets over and over again, sometimes without sufficient time between.  So, he wound up selling 700 seats at the Paramount in Oakland, for example.  He played the same theater a couple of years before and sold it out.  He's in the Bay Area nearly every year or close to it.  I don't go to his shows anymore, period.  I'm burned out on it and it's the same thing over and over, even if he adds some new songs from newer projects.  The ticket prices he'd charged have also gotten a lot higher than when he first started out and I'd rather save my money to see other bands, since I can only budget so much for entertainment and I've seen Brian plenty of times since he started touring again.  I guess I'm just not a big enough fan, but I can't be the only one.  I do think he's out there to at least provide a cursory presence to represent versus the Mike Love touring outfit, who I realize play over 100 dates a year, sometimes close to 150 dates or more. 

When Brian started touring, it was a total surprise and no one thought he'd keep it up for ten years plus.  But I think he would have enhanced his value if he had some more years off in there to retain a sense of novelty, or at least toured an entirely different set of cities or markets instead of going to the same ones over and over.  His management seems to be to blame there in terms of deciding what cities he plays and how it's timed.  Although it could also be true he is only capable of selling at all in certain cities or geographic areas. 

forget marie, d'you appreciate anything? *cries* :( :( :(

I don't appreciate seeing the same oldies crap over and over again.   Brian doesn't even sing all the songs anymore.  He also doesn't look happy to be up there and never has.  It's improved, but not by much.   If he can't even keep his eyes open for a TV interview, I don't think he's that engaged by what he's doing.  I'd rather go see performers who like being up there and enjoy the audience and interact with them besides some scripted comments about cigarette lighters.

There was a time when it seemed highly unlikely that Brian would ever perform live again. And then to everyone's delight he did. But then by and large, the novelty wore off and and the realisation that Brian is not a good live performer and is clearly uncomfortable on stage sunk in. No amount of Jeff Foskets can mask this. It makes little sense for Brian to be out performing greatest hits concerts he has zero interest in when we have the more than capable Mike & Bruce show.

Where does one see this video?

Don't know about recording, but someone who would know has said he enjoys touring except for the performing bit. Name of Wilson.

Ask just about any other touring musician, and they'll tell you they love performing but hate the touring part. Interesting that Brian is the opposite. :\

I don't think Brian's dislike of performing has that much to do with his so-called illness, either.  He just never seemed to like it or appear that comfortable when he was younger and healthier.  So, he begged off touring early and often when he was starting the Beach Boys.  It is good that he enjoys traveling, and in interviews he mentions that he enjoys going to places like European countries and Australia.  So, he does get something out of it, it's just not necessarily why people pay a good ticket price to see him.  However, I would recommend his show to anyone that hasn't seen it.  The band always does a good job and sometimes Brian is more on than other times.  I'm just not sure I'd recommend seeing it more than once.  I saw him way more than I should have and got burned out.  But I did enjoy things that were more novel, such as the Smile tour and also seeing him do some more unusual songs when he played the Roxy shows years ago.

Someday, someone's going to write their doctoral thesis on Brian's two wives, their differing philosophies towards Brian's daily life and the resulting effect on his creative output.

Could we just put this to bed and be thankful that Brian is alive and well and that most of us have seen him live over the years :))

Wrong board color.

Forget Marie, it must be nice to be jaded about being able to see Brian a lot. What an ordeal, huh? I don't know how you cope.

Sorry Andrew I don't understand "Wrong board colour"?? I just thought that it's good that Brian is active and more or less in control of his life. Think back to the 80's to really see someone tell Brian what to do 24/7 :(
 

Brian has performed a series of transcendent live shows. By basically any standard. And yes, Mike and Bruce do a creditable, excellent job on their own.

But BW's live work has been astonishing by any measure. Yes, he's had his share of duff shows and ill-considered all-hits mini-tours. But I can't believe that in 2011 we'd have people griping about the fact that BW is on the road performing entire albums with a devoted backing band.

1999 -- That amazing first run of shows that showed he could actually do it!
2000 -- Pet Sounds live with an orchestra.
2001 -- Smile songs make their debut.
2004 -- The string of triumphant Smile shows.
2006-07 -- Brian and Al perform Pet Sounds.
2007 -- TLOS is debuted as a concert performance.
2009 -- The finest BW tour of them all -- a greatest hits tour of the Northeast U.S. (No joke!)
2011 -- BWRG performed in its entirety.

I wouldn't trade any of these shows. And for folks who seriously think Brian shouldn't have done them, or that he was being forced to -- you really had to have been there. Music making and spirit of the highest order.

Here is an interesting question: when did The Beach Boys camp begin to speak candidly and publicly about Brian's mental illness?

I know that SMiLe's abandonment was very public and Carl would talk about how Wild Honey was "Music for Brian to chill out to," but at which point did they go all-in, so to speak, and start being very public about the specifics of Brian's condition?

For my money, it was 15 Big Ones and the Brian's Back campaign. After that, we were treated to a new "Brian's Back" campaign every so often (Beach Boys '85, BW '88, I Just Wasn't Made for These Times '95, Imagination '98, etc).

This depresses me:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZEL7lAmZcs&feature=player_embedded#!

I'd rather hear Brian sing this badly (or even horrifically) than all covered up by Jeff!

Mick Jagger's made a career of barking/shouting songs live with little relation to their recorded versions and no one cares. Brian's 69 years old and should not in a million years be expected to sound like his angel voiced 21 year old self. I know Brian can't sing like that anymore, you know it, and anyone who buys a ticket to his shows probably knows it.

Jeff sounds like one of the guys from NSYNC and it's insulting to Brian.

I know I tend to defend Jeff, but this clip just annoys me.

I don't know about "camps," but between what I read in the '60s teen mags/music press and heard from radio deejays, Brian's issues were pretty well known at the time, starting with his breakdown at the end of '64 and going forward.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJvjW6ZH8IE&feature=related
What are your thoughts on this?

Also look at his "prompter" In this!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4IaZHIIAEU&feature=related

Interesting...the prompter just shows the name of the song playing, no lyrics.

Huh.

Pretty sure that depends on the vintage and familiarity of the song.

I do remember reports from a concert where the teleprompter failed -- Brian stopped things and was concerned, but Jeff told him, "You know the words to all of these songs!" Turns out Brian did, and the concert continued without any major problems.

Also have to say -- love footage of Brian pounding the piano. It's somehow magical to watch him get into the music like that.

Incredibly sad. Not for the prompter.

My seat was behind the stage at Disney Hall for Smile in '04, and I had a view of the prompter, and while I think it showed lyrics for everything else I did note with some amusement that when they got to "California Girls", the screen just read "CALIFORNIA GIRLS".   I also remember it reading "Exit Brian >>>>>>>" (indicating the direction) when he was to make his grand exit at the ends of each set.

I like that clip because at least I can hear Brian! I kinda wish he'd throw in with Mike and Bruce and their band. If he took Nelson and Maybe Darian along with, it might be a cool change of pace. But I guess what I'm really saying is I wish he was still with the Beach Boys, whic is beyond rediculous to be crying about at this point.

Why

I've just assumed he is told what to do by his wife. You know, like the rest of us.

Hell, get Marylin up there then!!!
[/quote]

His handler definitely wouldn't allow that!

I love you.

Yes. Precisely. I go to a Brian Wilson show to hear Brian Wilson sing. I don't like people doubling him because they've deemed him to not be "good enough". He wrote the damn songs and is the one who made them famous, you're not to judge that. Where the f*ck would the likes of Jeff Foskett be if not for knowing this guy? This kind of thing is insulting to Brian and the work he put into these songs.

Jeff flat out singing lead on "Don't Worry Baby" and "Wouldn't It Be Nice?" is blasphemy of the worst kind, but doubling him isn't much better. Doubling him with Jeff's mic being louder is about as bad, I'd say.

You people -- and I say this affectionately --  are nuts.


It respects the songs by allowing them to be performed the way they were written.


Is that really why they're doubling him?


Probably being a professional musician somewhere.


What if Brian can't sing the songs, or wants Jeff to sing them?

NO YOU"RE NUTS, WIRESTONE!!!!!!!!11111111

Then I/we have the option of staying at home.

Or I should say, Brian shouldn't be doing those songs, or not touring. Depends on what HE wants.

 :lol :lol :lol  Good one, Mr. Mott. 

Hah......love how Brian exits....not a wave, more like "to hell with this!"

:lol

What? Along with this logic would be also be saying Jeff Foskett sang on these songs originally. He didn't, obviously.


Pretty much.


I'm so sure he'd be doing even half as well as he's doing now. He owes Brian a lot (and yes, I'm sure Brian owes Jeff a bit, too). Being technically competent doesn't necessarily get you anywhere at all.


Change the key as they did in the past. He wrote the songs.


Assuming Brian wants Jeff to sing these songs is somewhere close to lawyer logic or something.

Ultimately, these arguments are about aesthetics. And there is no answer that will satisfy everyone.

Some really hate Jeff Foskett. I think he sounds fine -- better than fine, actually. Some think the band shouldn't try to duplicate the recordings / cover BW's vocal shortcomings. I think what they do is generally respectful of both Brian and the music.

Some hate band members doing leads. But for the six or so years they didn't, boards like this featured tons of posts from people bitching that Brian shouldn't sing lead on every song. Mike and Bruce doesn't sing lead on every tune the touring BBs perform, after all. He should spread the leads around, they said. But once Jeff stepped up to do so, it became a travesty.

Ultimately, this is not -- whatever anyone says -- about what's right or wrong, or good or bad. It's about what we prefer to hear from Brian in a live touring situation. Erik has already said he prefers Brian to be touring with the BBs. So ... yeah.

My perspective is that Brian doesn't do stuff he doesn't want to do. He's not touring with Al Jardine anymore, for instance. He is still touring with Jeff. So that answers some questions for me. Some of us may prefer different outcomes, but that's what we have now.

I think I fall somewhere in the middle of all this. I don't have a problem that Jeff is there and that he sings lead, it's just that sometimes, not always, but sometimes, I'll see a clip and he will really bug me to the point of storming onto this board and crying like a baby about it.

But I think what irks is that Jeff has seemed to become BRIAN'S LIVE VOICE and I happen to think that his voice just doesn't cut it for that high honor. Like he's trying to sound too much LIKE Brian and just ends up sounding annoying for that fact. Sure, Al tried to be Brian's live voice but he still sounded like AL and we all knew Al's voice because it was so heavily featured on the BBs recordings. I think maybe other band members should be given leads as well as Jeff (I would never say that Jeff shouldn't get to sing leads) so that maybe there would be a better balance and it wouldn't look like Jeff was a sort of onstage Brian fluffer/nursemaid/stunt double.

I don't assume that Al not touring with Brian anymore had anything to do with what Brian wanted.  It was Al's decision, and he has hinted at some behind the scenes stuff that he won't elaborate on that caused him to leave.  Though Al might have decided to leave ultimately after a certain amount of time, anyways, because he wants to do his own thing.  I saw Brian with Al and they appeared to get along well.  It was actually rather touching to see them performing together.  As I recall, when the Hawthorne Beach Boys monument dedication happened, Al was actually forbidden from speaking to Brian.  I don't know whose idea that was, Brian's management or whoever.  I don't think the Al lawsuit was settled at that point , so maybe they wanted to prevent any communication due to that

Just my 2 cents but even some of the leads when Mike/Bruce play are handed to others.

Also, hearing Brian and Jeff double "....columnated ruins domino" live at the Smile London gigs was just one huge ear-gasm

That was the official line, yes.  ::)

I vaguely recall that Al not touring with Brian anymore had at least something to do with money.  They didn't want to pay another salary.  I'm sure it came down to ego and other things and the fact a certain person in Brian's entourage seems to find personalities she can't control to be a threat to her.  Sorry, just tellin' it like it is.  I know a lot of people think Melinda is the best thing to happen to Brian and it could be true, in some ways.  But like all people, she has her sensitivies and ego and all the usual drama.  I'm sure Marilyn had hers, and Brian himself has his.  I don't think Melinda is too fond of anyone from Brian's old world.  I"m convinced that Brian himself was cool with Al, though.  I also think Al may have helped tickets sales.  When I saw Brian with Al at the Paramount in Oakland, it was sold-out house.  The same theater was less than a quarter filled when Brian came back a year and a half later, with a new album to promote (TLOS), too.

Never truer words spoken  :-\  ::)

I don't believe this is the case. Not Melinda's ego, at least. Ask yourself this -- why would Melinda, even given known issues -- book an extensive tour featuring Al and then get rid of him mid-jaunt? That's just not good business.


You must have seen a different show than I did. The tension between the two was -- to say the very least -- thick.

Let's just look at the fact that Al managed to estrange himself from the touring Beach Boys when Carl ran the band (that's why he's on so little of SIP). And he managed to get himself kicked out of Mike's version of the group. Is it really impossible to believe that Brian and company couldn't stand him either?

Just asking.  ;D

I saw the show at Paramount, and if you seek out clips on YouTube, there is one song where there are lyrics that are rather affectionate, and Brian specifically points at Al while singing those lyrics.  It didn't appear he disliked him, put it that way.  I also don't think it would have lasted over the long term, though it was surprising Al didn't finish the tour and I think if he were difficult, it would have prevented him from being hired in the first place.  But you know Melinda had to be the one to get rid of him, because even if Brian had a problem with Al, he would get Melinda to do it and act all innocent about it.  So, it would be hard to tell if it was her idea to get rid of Al, or Brian's idea, or both their idea.