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Brian's Twitter account just posted a picture of him playing bass for his album: pic.twitter.com/DZqnyNGF2i

@BrianWilsonLive 1m
Brian recording a bass track yesterday for his upcoming album at @OceanWayRec pic.twitter.com/DZqnyNGF2i

Interesting

Taken from facebook:

(https://scontent-a-vie.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/t1.0-9/s403x403/11846_10152325250777241_2107945051_n.png)

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Facebook says he's been recording a bass track. I'm buying that. :3d

Halleleja!
Also - glad to see it's an actual Fender bass, instead of the Gibson/Valley Arts model he's been plugging since the U.S. leg of the SMiLE tour (not that that's in any way an inferior instrument to the Fender, but I'm a sucker for authenticity. Now if they'd only go back to analog tube recording!).

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mmm yeah, feeling that too  ;D

Not sure why the appearance on Facebook of a photo of Brian playing bass is any indication of the likely quality of the next album.

A few people have posted that they see it as a good omen but isn't it just a photo of Brian playing a bass? Or have some people accessed a multi-track fully mixed audio file version of the photo that my outdated IPhone can't properly open?

I've seen some lipsmacking photos of BigMacs but the reality still tastes like a fried stool wrapped in cardboard*.




* = let's wait and hear the music…

(http://wtbuzz.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/anigif_enhanced-buzz-12476-1387916597-19.gif)

;D

I'll give my idol the benefit of the doubt. We owe that much to him. I'm VERY excited for this!

Well... at least it's plugged in this time.

Hate to piss on your parade, but if Brian playing bass is your criterion for excellence, chances are it won't be. Brian's bass playing was, at best, adequate for the early studio/touring days, and I can't imagine it's gotten any better since. His main instrument, from before the BB were even considered, has been the piano.

 Brian playing bass will always be good PR for a new album. Looks like he's "hands on." Not to say he isn't, who knows?

 Slightly off topic, but for me the very best instrumental lineup for The Beach Boys as a self-contained band goes like this: Brian-piano, Carl & Dave-guitars, Al-bass, Dennis-drums, Mike-sax, percussion.

 Beach Boys' history might have been a bit different if Dave & Carl had continued as a guitar duo.

Brian has not really 'played' bass properly since the early to mid 80's....
then from there on it has been more of a prop.... with someone else simultaneously playing behind him to make
it look like he's playing all the parts..... you watch his playing in the later years, he is a one note wonder...

but Geez! was he really rockin' in 64'!!!  

it would seem to me it's a mock photo just for facebook.... someone else was more likely 'tracking' their part and they
took a break, and threw the bass on Bri, just for a pic..

RickB

That's what I'm thinking as well. Now if he really did play the bass on a track, it's a good sign because that means he's more involved.

Official Facebook description of the photo says it's him recording a track. If it's just for promotion they wouldn't have to flat-out lie about it. ;) For the time being I'm buying that Brian is actually recording a (simple) bass line for the album. Why not?

New album credits:

Brian Wilson: lead vocals, background vocals, keyboards, bass

"My name is Brian and I'm the man..."

(http://www.thepursuitofsassiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/bw41.jpg)

wow! yeah, imagine that in the credits! I wonder when the last credited bass track Brian is noted on playing?...

RickB

Don't know about the track, but Brian is credited on bass on the Live: The 50th Anniversary Tour album.

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hey Zach.....

forget about your wording..... I think a lot of us a in 'la la' mode while examining that picture.....

so much going on with Brian, and recording, and new album , and Brian with a Bass guitar similar to what he once held and played!!!

enough to make ya 'cream ya pants' eh?

RickB

i doubt he is laying down an actual track but it very well could be that he is check out some simple feels, ideas, etc.  Even if they are simple ideas, they could lead to a track which would probably be played by someone else for the final recording.  why go as far as to wear the headphones for a mock photo....just hold the bass.    

There was a tour or two around '77-'78 where Brian's function was as THE bass player for the touring band, as amazing as it may seem.  The video I've seen was shockingly good, and Brian was running around like a rock star.

Peter Ames Carlin IIRC said that Carl demanded that Brian be moved from bass to piano -- chances are Brian's performance varied a lot, and bass is a pretty pivotal instrument, so he may have had some jusitification.

Yeah, I would say it vaied a lot:  ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1EPXBQV3yM

Brian: Man, my new album sucks! Maybe I can save it by playing the bass myself like in the old days...

(https://scontent-a-vie.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/t1.0-9/s403x403/11846_10152325250777241_2107945051_n.png)

Brian: Well - at least it was worth a try.
>:D



Well, he was pretty good on "Dance, Dance, Dance" and "Susie Cincinnati" anyway!



The Smilie lets me think you actually know that lying is what promotion is all about... :)


That said, the photo does not mean the album will suck. I'm really looking forward to it.

Making things look a certain way isn't necessarily lying. Which is my point. If Brian fiddled around with the bass whilst recordings were underway in the studio they could have just shown that - without a caption or simply saying "Brian with bass". But Facebook caption clearly reads "Brian recording a track" and it's plugged in and he has them headphones on, so... effort-wise, that goes way beyond merely taking advantage of a random situation to promote his album. For the time being I'd say innocent before proven guilty (or: actually playing bass for the new LP in some capacity before proven guilty). ;)

Objection allowed. :)

OK, so it's a Sandowsky rather than a Fender. At least it's tobacco sunburst!

Man, Brian's clothing sure is baggy - is he shrinking? well, guess its comfortable

I'm a little bit "off" and opinionated when it comes to these things, I admit, but that is one of my pet peeves with modern bass.

Not as much of an atrocity as "lead bass" played on a six-string monstrosity (usually fed through a cheesy 'smooth jazz' approved chorus effect)...but if it's a classic Fender tone and feel ye seeks, simply play a classic Fender! End of story.

I know the technical reasons, with these boutique and high-end brand name basses (I could list a bunch of others) having quieter electronics, better necks, easier playability, more 'modern' touches and mods (hey, gotta have a BadAss bridge and tone-pot mod or you can't play! )...and a very high price tag...

But at some point, if you want that 60's P-Bass thump, go out and get a 60's P-Bass, and run it through an old tube Ampeg or Fender bass amp with real speakers, not some aluminum-coned speaker cab or a 600W solid-state "portable" head with onboard effects. To each his own, of course, but it's just me being loyal to a brand that has had many missteps and flubs through the years but which still delivers *that sound*, if that's what you want. if you want a modernized and upgraded take on the classic Fender, Sadowsky is probably the best version but pricey as hell.

***Just a note, Tal Wilkenfeld, Jeff Beck's incredible bass player who is on Brian's album as well, is a prominent endorser and player of Sadowsky basses, but her model is a natural finish Jazz Bass style and shape.

Maybe it was seeing and/or trying Tal's own Sadowsky on tour and in studio that led to Brian getting one for himself, in the P-bass style and vintage sunburst? If it's really Brian's bass, that is.

Its better than his bathrobes.... ;D

I'm hoping for a good sounding album personally, not just looks. ;)

debatable

Brian hanging out in a robe a la Nilsson Schmillson > sunsets and surfboards

It's pretty amazing in general to think that as late as 1980 the actual Beach Boys were the primary musicians fueling the band. In 1980, at most shows anyway, they only had Bobby Figueroa, Mike Meros, and Ed Carter backing them. Bobby usually was on percussion, or filling in for Dennis on drums, so the BB's essentially only had two auxiliary musicians outside of percussion. No additional guitarists. No horns. Most notably as well, for better *and* worse, essentially no auxiliary backing vocalists (Bobby did do some vocals on some songs though). 

IIRC, Brian started back on bass during the sessions for the BW88 album. Don't think he's credited on record, but it's been suggested that "Melt Away" has a BW-written bass parts, if not him on the actual song.

As for BW on bass onstage, he's reasonably competent on the couple of songs he's done. Not always, but certainly when he started doing it back in 2000, he knew the (simple) fingerings and was audible. And in the BW tribute concert, he plays bass on Fun Fun Fun (not a number he usually does) and doesn't sing for periods because he's concentrating on bass playing ...

Oh no, adequacy! D=

The first Beach Boys' concert I ever saw - 1978 at the Philadelphia Spectrum - Brian started the concert on Fender bass and played it for much of the show. It was one of the greatest thrills of my life. I wasn't a sophisticated enough listener at that time so I can't really give a good appraisal of his bass playing. I do remember that one time he played a song with a cigarette between his fingers on his right hand, another time he just sat down on a speaker or monitor and played a song, and there were times when he would brush his hair (his bangs) with his hand - in the middle of a song! I didn't care. I must've focused on Brian 90% of the time. He was wearing a blue Adidas sweatsuit with white sneakers and looked great. As did Karen Lamm-Wilson who made an appearance on stage as a background singer...

Mike Meros was VERY prominent in almost every song; he was spectacular. For some reason, during a lot of those 1980 shows, Carl turned many guitar solos over to Ed Carter, who actually rocked harder than any other Beach Boys' guitarist I ever seen/heard. For the 1978 shows (and maybe some 1979 ones?), Charles Lloyd also contributed some nice horn work.

Given that in 1980 the band was the Beach Boys + Figueroa, Meros and Carter, who played bass when Carter was playing lead guitar?

Mr. Bruce Johnston!!! :o

wow, mr. johston saying his farewell to the bass! thanks.

When Ed Carter switched to Lead in 1980 , Joe Chemay was brought in on Bass ( damn good player ) then later that year Ed went back to Bass.
When Carl left in 1981 , Ed took over the Lead again with Ernie Knapp on Bass ( the less said about his playing the better )

Well, apparently Ernie was good enough a bass player for Brian to use him on a couple of studio sessions in 1982...

I posted this in another thread so my apolpgies for the repetition but I thought it was a wonderful quote from Brian.  Brian did a delightful interview with Harvey Kubernick in the 2007 tour booklet... perhaps the best interview I've read from Brian in recent years... funny and warm, completely unguarded.   They talked about Beach Boys albums and deli food and buying records at Wallach's Music City on Sunset back in the day.

In reference to a question about playing bass, Brian said, "I can't play bass for beans."

don't forget, Bruce also did do some 'miming' bass during the late 80's too....
kokomo, problem child etc etc
90's?..... not sure about that...

RickB

 Bruce seems a reasonable musician. He has become a truly lazy stage performer these past 25 years. I hope he reads this and starts playing his toy keyboard for real.

Playing or not that is an incredibly cool photo..

Just imagine he WAS playing that bass track, it would be my first listen when I get the record.

"Problem Child" was 1990, so yes.

thanks c-man..... Bruce somehow looks more musical playing bass than standing behind that keyboard...

maybe cos it looks at he is actually playing on bass, where as on keyboard, he is more of a 'hand clapper'.....

yet the dude can actually play great!   

back on topic........ then so can Brian on Bass, well once upon a time anyways....

I'm sure it's still there if he wanted it to be..

RickB

Let's hope he is, any weight loss should help his back problems.

Let's not forget Bruce's prowess on the 5-string bass:

http://youtu.be/6r3zz_5Qc4E?t=3m34s (http://youtu.be/6r3zz_5Qc4E?t=3m34s)

I've said this before, but I've always been impressed by Bruce's bass miming skills.  He always LOOKS like he's nailing the part (lest you think this is easy, watch Dennis do it sometimes).  There's an unreal clip on youtube somewhere of him miming the whole intricate disco bass part to "Pipeline" -- no way in the world he played it on the record -- and he's really fricking convincing.

He is supposedly a phenomenal musician -- Hal Blaine singled him out for praise in the Wrecking Crew book, IIRC, for being one of the best organ players he'd ever heard.

At least he looked like he was having fun.

Bruce and Pipeline:

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

I'm pretty sure he's expending more energy miming it than he would actually playing it.  :)

i saw the group  july 1st 1981 in huntington wv. brian was on piano, bruce electric piano during the show. except for help me rhonda. brian got up and took bruce's electric piano, ed moved from bass to guitar and bruce strapped on the bass. he had a very serious look on his face while playing that song. i recorded that show and it has made the rounds. so if you have that show on tape it is bruce on bass. i believe that was the last time i can remember seeing bruce in concert playing the bass.

In the clip below Carl does a good job miming bass, while Bruce on keyboards....?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSLMWasU0rM

Bruce would probably be able to play keyboards more if his mic was adjusted properly by the roadie.

On the C50 tour Brian's bass "playing" hit an all time low where he didn't even seem to attempt changing a note.

Oh well, cue bass solo!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I05cOj9445Y

Bruce played a pretty solid bass on "Party!", I'd say.

I guess speaking as someone who really respects and also enjoys Bruce's musicianship through the years, I'm adding my voice to the choir asking again why hasn't he actually played more on stage and studio through the years with the Beach Boys, especially in the recent years (90's onward) ? I think he gave a funny answer once to that, but as he is a very talented musician who has a bunch of classic records under his belt as a musician, I wish he would play more in his Beach Boys role.

If he just doesn't want to, that's cool too.  :) But some fans I think would like to hear him play as well as sing.

I thought Brian played bass on Party too, or am I mistaken?

Both of them.

The lost concert is all the proof you need to prove that Brian was a very capable bass player, he was killing at the show

TAMI show is the height of the BBs live.

Also that show, he shredded that bass during "I Get Around" and "Dance, Dance, Dance"

yeah, and also beachago.

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'70s, man. beachago '89 sucked.

Brian on bass for Surfer Girl in 2002:  http://youtu.be/Zo135axmVdo?t=5m32s

thanks for the 'surfer girl' clip....... I found that really interesting...

Brian is very concentrated on what he is doing with his playing...... he is actually 'really' playing the song

I see he skiped an octave on one part particularly .....  and doing the Eb to Cm rundown.......

I wish he did more and 'we' had more of Brian playing bass.....

RickB

Brian was feelin' it on that clip, dig the new counter melody part he adds during the tag!  Thanks for sharing, it's a great performance.

Brian was fabulous rocking the base at the TAMI show.  I'd also bet if Bruce had his bass plugged in during Pipeline then it would have sounded pretty good. I'm sure he plays some pretty good bass during the Paris Olympia show as well.

Anyone know who played bass on Here She Comes? I've always loved that one.

I always assumed it was Blondie.

Word!

Brian was a beast on the bass back in the day. Really used to get around that fretboard. I think nowaways bass is just a little too fast for his poor old fingers to move.

Mike?  :o

:lol




(I also dig the lyrical reference to a certain BW solo track.)

Sorry, Robin Leach.  ;D

He really did, very natural player.

Man, they we're a great live band back in the day, fantastic musicians

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