The Smiley Smile Message Board

when was the last time, at this point in time, Brian delivered a knockout falsetto part?....

I believe on certain days etc he is very capable and can sound 'Wow!' like only Brian can when he can or 'wants' to.....

any recommendations on what was maybe the last great spine tingling falsetto Brian has given to us?

either audio or video?

RickB

Think About The Days (not the highest falsetto part though, that's Jeff I think)...and he goes falsetto at the tail end of Please Let Me Wonder from one of the UK 2012 gigs - either RAH or Albert Hall.

I do love the high note on 'the first noel'..... I know that's some years ago....

I dig the BWPS 2004 on surfs up 'a children's Sooooo...nnnnn.....gggggggg'

I love his vocal on 'the like in I love you'...... would have love to have heard him in just in falsetto on it....

bump him up 4 or 5 keys lol!........


no doubt Brian can still hit some GREAT high's........  I would just like MORE!!!!

RickB

I agree with his high 'Noel' part.. Brian sounds great on this.

Also check out his version of 'Heaven' which was done as a tribute to Carl.

I firmly believe he can still do it when he wants to.  Maybe its a confidence issue?  I'm sure when he's alone at home or taking a shower or whatever he breaks out the falsetto..

It would seem to be a confidence issue given you can hear him start to "go for it" a few times during the reunion shows and then kinda crap out halfway through, much less in a "losing my breath and can't keep up" way and much more in a "oh God, what am I doing?!" way. Pre-crapping out, though, he sounds a lot better than you'd imagine him to and it's upsetting to hear him stop short of delivering something that could probably be pretty cool. He ain't got the tone he had 50 years ago (who would?), but I'd imagine he can still pull off a pretty decent falsetto.

He indeed has some nice bits of falsetto on "Think About The Days", "Surf's Up" '04 (now almost ten years ago, though), and "Heaven". I doubt he wants to go crazy with it given he couldn't keep up with doing so live (again, after 50 years, who could?), but it'd be cool to hear him do it a time or two on record.

yeah!

Brian's home and strength has always been in the studio....

sometimes he pulls off a 'knockout' performance, but the next night, not so sharp....

I have to go back to Brian's 'heaven'.... great version from memory, I havn't heard it for a while...

Thankyou for the reminder....

so keeping this studio related, 'heaven' may be the latest and best Brian falsetto 'on tape'....

RickB

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9MAjImAFSA

Good choice. Really nice ending from him there.

He did that at the Houston show too...spot on here too. Didn't even sound like his 'whiny' Landy and afterwards falsetto either. Nailed it.

One of my favorite moments ever.  Damn shame the RAH or Wembley show wasn't the official DVD for the tour. 

Is the GIOMH EPK on youtube anymore?  Brian sings an impromptu "look so fine" of Help Me, Rhonda in falsetto during a practice session.

Would love to hear than Rhonda line. Also is Heaven still up somewhere online?

Here's Heaven...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFs9DXqZdas

I haven't heard much of the recent live recordings, but I was listeining to the Disney album the other day and he absolutely kills "Baby Mine" over and over again he sings falsetto and it sounds great. 

He's much smarter about how he does it now, he kind of sets up certain notes and swoops up into them like he used to do in the 60's.  I'm sure there's lots of studio trickery to fix stuff but it sounds great to me. 

Alll those same people who (falsetto) SCCCCOLLLLD (head voice) you....

what they'd give, just for the (falsetto) RIGHT TO HOLLLLD YOUUUUUU

The way he works it around the melody is very nice on that particular song.

I also thought he sounded very nice on that very strange "On my OWNNNNnnnnnnn" at the end of "Pacific Coast Highway"... I believe that's what the track's called on the latest Beach Boys album. 

Can't tell if he's doing any of the falsetto on "Bill and Sue"... I know Jeff is mixed in there finishing sentences for him in falsetto in several parts, but a couple times it sounds like Brian's doing it too. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZcHsZQe1SM

Falsetto from Brian in 1985

Someone posted a video recently (on here but I can't remember where) of Brian on some radio show. They start playing the studio version of Surfer Girl, Brian sings the opening few lines in perfect unison with his younger self and for those brief few seconds life was just fine. Beautiful stuff.

Somebody have that link?

I was the one who posted the link of the radio show.
Here it is...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmQ0HutAFaE

It's a wonderful clip. LOOK AT 2:00

Thanks Nate! Wonderful indeed.

Thanks for posting!