The Smiley Smile Message Board

From BW's official Facebook page:




Who knows.. maybe this turns out to be a cool event. Although I have to admit it's most likely there will be yes/no/oneword-answers to dumb questions like "What's your favourite song?" or "What's your favourite Foskett?" - and it will be over in 10 minutes. But, you know, let's see... :)

Thanks for the heads up.  You can't blame for what we can expect to be the standard yes/no answers when you can bet there will be some pretty dumb questions being asked. How many times should we expect to see someone ask "What's your favorite song you ever wrote?"

My prediction for how this may go over:

"What kind of music do you listen to now"?

"I only listen to the 50's and 60's station on DirecTV."

"How do you make music?"

"I put my fingers on the piano and just feel, you know?"

"Will you play with the Beach Boys again?"

"I am enjoying doing my own thing."

"Thank you. That's all the time we have. Love and Mercy. Brian."

haha yup pretty much.

But is his favorite movie still Norbit?

I HATE how Brian's people do that "Love and Mercy" sign off, oh the cheese.

I know this may be a stupid question, but how will this be handled? Will he only answer certain questions? Is everyone allowed just one question?

FANS

This has the potential to be really cool. In reality, though, I think it may be disappointing. Brian (especially at his current age and mental state) is often not very good at articulating himself verbally in an enlightening manner.

I know that, but he has a lot of fans. How could he answer it all?

All Brian Wilson Facebook FANS can participate!

But I'm a PERSON, not a FAN, let alone a CAPSLOCK FAN

I'm a Brian Wilson air conditioner, way COOLER than being a Brian Wilson fan (rimshot)

Anyone know how this might be handled? Will the questions be answered on an external website, like a big chat room? Or will he answer questions posted on his wall in the form of status updates?

They've now posted two photos saying he will be answering questions about Smile and his new album, which is pretty exciting.

Thats my birthday, any good Brian Wilson birthday related questions?  :lol

I know that! You still don't get my point. How can he answer over 100,000 fans? Even if only 100 people participate, how can he answer that many people?
Geez.

It's about to start...  :)



https://www.facebook.com/officialbrianwilson/app_190322544333196

Standard stock questions and answers so far. This one though....

Q:Hi Brian! Who or what was your inspiration for "I'm Waiting for the day" ? It's my favorite song on Pet Sounds!
A:No, not really.

 :lol :lol :lol

It really MUST be him!

Asked him if he'll be singing falsetto on the new project.  8)

My question was "What's your favorite new song you've been working on?"

He ignored it.

I was about to post that. :lol



Maybe he's still going to answer it..? ;)




My question: "When is your new solo album coming out and what was the (main) inspiration behind it?"


 . . . .

Brian says San Miguel is his favorite Dennis song. Interesting.

Cool. :3d

Guess what he just said his favourite song is in general.. ;D People still asking that....

Brian wants his legacy to be that he was a good singer. I always thought he was criminally underrated there. Also said he loved singing "Wake the World."

I asked him what specific electronic bands inspired (if any) during the mid 70's.

I tried. More than once.  :(

"Norweigean Wodd"

Good to know his spelling of his greatest influences is coming on strong

Favorite new songs are Sail Away and Last Song. He did answer it!

That settles it, Doge is typing for Brian.

"Such Vibrshuns. Very guud"

I had no expectations for this going in - but we're getting so many "Brianisms" out of this! And he even answered my question - said there's a similarity between the harmonies on Friends/Sunflower and the new album.

"Last song" certainly sounds enticing

Brian talking about Berlin makes me wanna check them out more. "Take my Breath Away" is a real gem of the 80's.

So far this is my favorite Brian answer:

Q: are there any modern/more recent songs you're fond of?

A: I liked Take My Breath Away
A: A group called Berlin

Some collected highlights:

You never know, Brian might collaborate with Daft Punk!  :o

They have apparently reached out to him more then once but they've been turned down.

"What is your general reaction to last night's Grammy show...performamces and winners?

Brian Wilson: No I didn't watch it but I understand Paul and Ringo were on it

Brian Wilson: Taped it I haven't watched it yet

Brian Wilson: I heard Paul and Ringo were great"

 :-D

Two weeks to write Wouldn't it Be Nice yet Surf's Up was written in what? An hour I believe.

Weird how inspiration strikes at different times.

"No, I stopped meditating. It stopped working!"

When asked about his favorite thing about The Radiant Radish.

"The cash register. I learned how to do it".

This is awesome  ;D.

Q: The Munsters or The Addams Family

A: The Addams Family. I don't know, I just do.

....who's coming up with this?!?! :lol

Do you listen to classical music?

"No, I really don't."

That sounds like utter disgust to me


 :o

"I was in my car and drove home and that song inspired me. No, it wasn't When you Wish upon a star." - On surfer Girl

"Help Me Rhonda - I would've made a better rhythm - it wasn't in the pocket"

Still won't forgive Brian for being a Yankees fan  :lol

Q: Surfer girl is a great song, what do you like about that one?

A: I was in my car and drove home and that song inspired me. No, it wasn't When you Wish upon a star.

 ??? :lol

"What do you think of some of the newer artists saying you are their inspiration or covering some of your songs?"

"See there you go - how does it make you feel! It makes me feel proud."

erm.

Dang, no response to whether or not he's singing some falsetto on the new album. Oh well. Maybe at the very least someones eyes (Jeff's? lol) saw it and planted a seed.

Not disgust - indifference, I'd say. Also, he answered it referring to present times.

He's obviously not going to answer my stupidly long question about his transitioning from writing for keyboards to synthesizers but it would be awesome if he did! I should've made it shorter...

He would have mixed California Girls differently? Wow,

Aw, he's done.  :'(

Actually some very nice questions asked and answered.

That Mike and Bruce picture somebody just posted on his page is rather random: https://www.facebook.com/officialbrianwilson#!/photo.php?fbid=10200907762411150&set=o.34250497240&type=1&theater

It's over already . .  :P
(But they say they'd do it again.)

So we got two new song titles from the new album/sessions: "Last Song" and "Sail Away."

They sound very 'Life Suite'- esque. ;)

Didn't have my questions answered but that was fun. Lots of good questions.

Short, but not bad. Some pretty interesting things came out of that.

Yeah that turned out much better than I thought it would have. Congrats to all you that got questions in to be answered.

"Hi Brian. Just wanted to know, years from now, what would you like your legacy to be?"
"That I was a good singer"

"Hi Brian, Which song from Rubber Soul inspired you the most to create Pet Sounds?"
"Yeah, Norweigean Wodd"

"Hi Brian! Throughout your musical career, what questions do you get tired of answering? What question do you want someone to ask you, and what is your answer to that question?"
"I get most tired of "how do you feel?""

"What do you feel is the absolute best song that you've ever written?"
"God Only Knows."

"Hi Brian, what is your most favorite Dennis‘ song? (besides Forever). Thanks"
"My favorite was San Miguel. It was a great record."

"What are your 3 favorite "Brian Wilson" songs (don't count songs marketed as "Beach Boys" song)?"
"Caroline, No and, let me think, probably I Loves You Porgy."

"Hi Brian! Friends is my favorite album, one of my favorite tracks from the album is "Wake The World" can you tell me the inspiration for this track. Thank you!"
"One by one, stars appear (sings). It's one of my favorite songs - it really is. I loved singing it."

"Hey Brian, thanks for all of the wonderful music over the years. After all of these years, is there anyone you want to collaborate with that you've never worked with?"
"No, not really, no."

"Hi Brian, which Beach Boys album would you say was your favourite and why?"
"Well, my favorite is SUmmer Days and SUmmer Night because it had cool rock and roll songs"

"Hi Brian, what was the most challenging song of yours to arrange and sing harmonies for?"
"Good Vibrations - I really worked hard on that with the guys. I just wanted to make a great record -and I did!"

"Is there any similarity between the songs on your new album to your previous works like Friends and Sunflower?"
"Well just the harmonies are similar, yeah"

"What is your favorite Sonny Bono song?"
"Yeah, my favorite is the beat goes on."

"What is your general reaction to last night's Grammy show...performamces and winners?"
"No I didn't watch it but I understand Paul and Ringo were on it. Taped it I haven't watched it yet. I heard Paul and Ringo were great."

"Also, what's your favorite food?"
"Sushi. I havent had it for awhile"

"Hi, Brian! I'm from Japan. If you could return to past, when and what would you want to do?"
"I would not take drugs. No one should take drugs"

"What is your favourite instrumental that you've written?"
"Let's go away for awhile is my favorite"

"What is your favorite song ?"
"My favorite song is Be My Baby by the Ronette"

"What are your thoughts on the Friends album? To me thats one of the unheralded late 60s classics.. that and Wild Honey.."
"Yeah, and my favorite song on it was Friends"

"Hi Brian! Who or what was your inspiration for "I'm Waiting for the day" ? It's my favorite song on Pet Sounds!"
"No, not really"

"Almost two years after it was launched, what's your opinion on "That's Why God Made The Radio"?"
"Yeah, I like that song a lot. And Pacific Coast Highway and From There to Back Again. Very much so."

"What do you think about Mr. Al Jardine?"
"I think he's a great singer and a good music guy. He wrote some good tunes."

"Hi Brian. How does it feel to be so awesome?"
"I don't know - I cant answer that question"

"Hi Brian.... Will you ever do an album with Paul Mc Cartney?"
"No I don't think so, but you never know"

"Brian--I heard that you wrote more than one song with Burt Bacharach, (aside from "What Love Can Do") will we ever be hearing any thing else from the two of you, and can you say what influence Burt has had on you as a songwriter?"
"Not very much actually. I love his music and he did teach me something about harmonies"

"are there any modern/more recent songs you're fond of?"
"I liked Take My Breath Away. A group called Berlin"

"Hi Brian, I'm curious as to whether or not you're able to read or write sheet music. Do you, or did you ever use sheet music to instruct the musicians in your sessions on what to play, or did you just teach them everything by ear or using the piano?"
"Yeah, I write out manuscript music and sometimes at the piano"

"Who was the inspiration to your bass lines?"
"Phil Spector"

"Hi Again, Friend--
"I Was Made to Love Her" (Wild Honey) makes me wish that the Beach Boys and Stevie Wonder could have collaborated on something. Did you ever have the chance to work with Stevie? (It's never too late!!)
--Love Ya!"
"He is one of my favorite music guys, Stevie Wonder"

"Hi Brian - you ROCK!! I am wondering about the song Busy Doin' Nothing. It has an odd-for-Brian-Wilson bossa nova influence. The song also has odd-for-Brian-Wilson time signature fluctuations. I was wondering if you were listening to any bossa nova records at that time, or any jazz."
"Yeah, bossa nova in general inspired that"

"The story goes that when you first heard "Strawberry Fields Forever" you felt weakened by it. Has any song in the past ten years made you feel that way again?"
"No, that's not true. It was a very weird record, but yeah, I liked it."

"I know how much you like doo wop and how much it influenced you, What's your favorite doo wop song?"
"Yeah, it did - it turned me onto writing songs and harmonies. It very much influenced me."

"Hi Brian !! How long did it take you to write, wouldn't it be nice?!!!"
"I took me about two weeks"

"Do you still meditate?"
"No, I stopped meditating. It stopped working!"

"Hello again Brian! Do you plan to work with Daft Punk?"
"You never know"

"Hi Brian, what kind of music do you listen to these days ?"
"I listen to oldies and goodies - 60s and 70s"

"Hi Brian, I was wondering what are your recollections of working with Leon Russell on a handful of Beach Boys albums... He seems like a nice guy, great musician too!"
"He was my keyboard player - GREAT keyboard guy"

"Hey, Brian. What Beach Boys song (or songs) can you think of that you believe doesn't get as much attention as it should?"
"The Little Girl I Once Knew should've been"

"The Munsters or the Addams Family?"
"Addams Family - I don't know, I just do."

"Have you ever thought about writing a classical piece?"
"No I wouldn't be able to."

"Was "Surfin'" already written before you and the guys visited Hite and Dorinda Morgan at Stereo Masters?"
"No, it was written shortly after them."

"What do you think of some of the newer artists saying you are their inspiration or covering some of your songs?"
"See there you go - how does it make you feel! It makes me feel proud."

"Brian, what do you recall about meeting Dean Martin, and are there any particular Dino songs that inspire you?"
"Yeah, I met Dean Martin at a White House Party in 1984. They were very nice to me."

"Brian, who was your favorite Beatle? (as a songwriter)"
"Paul McCartney"

"Hi Brian, what really inspires you these days, musically and sentimentally? I wish you all the best and let you know I cannot express what your music means to me, so just THANK YOU!"
"The past records that we made and my wife"

"Who was you favorite baseball team as a kid?"
"Yankees"

"I've heard you're a Dodgers fan. What's your favorite Vin Scully moment?"
"Yankees. Because of Mickey Mantle. I played center field in high school"

"Hi Brian, did you and Jeff Beck write any songs together for your next album?"
"Jeff didnt' write with me - he's playing on them."

"Hi Brian, do you listen classical music?"
"No, I really don't."

"Hi Brian. What was the last concert you attended where you did not perform?"
"Yeah, Paul McCartney - great show"

"Brian - I think Lucky Old Sun is the GREATEST album I've ever heard!! - Thanks for it!!!!"
"Oh, great - thank you very much!"

"What was your favorite part about running the Radiant Radish Health Food Store? What was your biggest seller?"
"The cash register - I learned how to do it."

"are there any songs..you think you could of done better on?"
"Help Me Rhonda - I would've made a better rhythm - it wasn't in the pocket"

"Surfer girl is a great song, what do you like about that one?"
"I was in my car and drove home and that song inspired me. No, it wasn't When you Wish upon a star."

"Brian– Sorry to post three questions in a row, but do you ever see Hal Blaine these days?"
"No, I havent' see Hal in a long time"

I'M SO HELPFUL RIGHT

Thank you!

Let's not quote that post anymore, please.  :lol

This one?

sorry!

Naw, different one.

Not that surprising, he has said on more than one occasion that it is his least favorite BB vocal effort and that Mike "rushed it a bit"

(Assuming that Brian is referring to the Randy Newman song) I'm really excited for 'Sail Away'! I've always wanted him to perform that song. I think It would fit great with the 'Life Suite'.

If I had woken up an hour earlier, I would have asked Brian a question. Damn It!

And I'm sure it would've been a pleasure for Brian to read had you come up with something as disturbing as your Justin Bieber post.

Interesting that of the questions he answered, the two albums most discussed - three q&as each - were PS....and Friends. 

Noticed Love You didn't get an answer.

His choosing the Addamses doesn't surprise me.  You just know Lurch's (actually Vic Mizzy's) harpsichord playing gets to him.  (Though I still wanna know what his fave Mission: Impossible ep is, or where he stands on Cinnamon vs Dana vs Lisa.)

All the more puzzling why this track wasn't on Made in California...

Brian genuinely just posted this:

(https://scontent-a-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/t1/941513_10152177876917241_1835183877_n.png)

His photoshop skills are getting better!

Actually, I was going to ask him if he plans on an Australian tour with Al, David and Blondie.

And I suggest you go back to the Today's Mainstream Music thread, and you can see that I admitted to going too far

I bet VDP is already seething with rage  :-D

Nice work Judd, appreciated.

No prob. :)



 :lol


 :o

wait you're serious

 Pharrell beat Mike Love to the room to write with BW....

.

Could some modern sweet young dude enlighten us old farts? Who's the guy in the inflatable Baden-Powell hat?

He sang on "Get Lucky" with Daft Punk... His name escapes me...

His name is Pharrell Williams

Heck, Pharrell Williams, Jay Pharoah - I can't keep track of these kids with their nutty names. 

Give me Pharoah Sanders and Sharon Farrell anytime.

Pharrell Williams is his actual name.

Pharrell wasn't that bad on The G's last night. Did they say he had 7?  One of the few artists who wasn't auto-tuned into submission.  I have Never seen Country Music on Robot Patrol before, and then she won for the song!  Also Pharrell was  one of the few I didn't fast forward through (I DVRed it just in case, and was smart to do so). Read on Smilers.

A couple of thoughts and a question after reading the answers and questions on here

-about Brian's fav DW song being San Miguel, it totally makes sense! Being that he used the melody on his unreleased song from Sweet Insanity: Someone To Love...perhaps, at the time he might have thought since it didn't get originally released on an album (10 Years of Harmony being a greatest hits comp that included a few bonus tracks), nobody would notice the usage of it on his second proposed solo album.

-My other thought is about Brian mentioning Sail Away being a song on the new album....now this could be one of many things: a cover of Randy Newman's Sail Away (quite possible with it being on one of his favorite albums), a rendition of the Styx song (highly doubtable but never say never when dealing with BW), another version of Van Dyke Parks' Sail Away (which Brian sang lead on a little under 20 years ago on VDP's Orange Crate Art), or it's a totally new song by Brian. So who knows.

-how long was he on Facebook?

Maybe a little under a half hour.

In an issue of Mojo magazine back in May/June, there was an article that mentioned that there is only one track (no name mentioned) that is not an original. It says it is the first song Brian learned to sing that he learned from his grandmother. Things could have changed since then but if not, Sail Away should be an original.

That song being "Danny Boy," perhaps?

I believe the non-original they were referring to turned out to be Danny Boy.

I think a lot has changed about this project since it was first announced. Wouldn't surprise me if Punkinhead was right and this turns out to be a cover of Newman's song...in fact I'm kinda hoping it is!

Sail Away and Last Song fill me with much more excitement than Run James Run.

I hope so too! I think 'Sail Away' would work perfectly in Brian's 'Life Suite'.

As great a song as it is, Lyrically a song about tricking Africans into becoming American slaves seems an odd fit for a "Life Suite"

Meh...I like Randy Newman and the album Sail Away but the title song doesn't do much for me. But, if Brian likes it, well....But, more covers on a Brian Wilson solo album?...sigh...

Regarding the Facebook questions/answers, Brian continues to show that he really doesn't have MUCH to say. 

Highly doubtable indeed, but there is in fact a link: BW and Styx used to share a drummer.

The name of the Styx song is "Come Sail Away", and I'm sure Brian wouldn't cover that song.  Not his style at all...too much rawk guitar.

Oh ok, I've honestly never know that song very well, but it was used greatly on one of the first episodes of Freaks and Geeks...I honestly don't know much of anything about Styx...didn't even know if it had two x's or one.

That's one of my favorite scenes from any tv show.

If Brian covered 'Come Sail Away' and made it the first track on Pleasure Island, I wouldn't be an unhappy man :-D

Freaks and Geeks.. :love


I don't care if the song is Styx or Newman or new original-BW.. 8) I'm simply looking forward to more solo output by Brian, since I love 96,35% of his solo output so far. 'Even' In The Key of Disney. Such a cool record!

Are we talking about the same BeeDub who just toured with Jeff Beck!?!?! :lol

Yeah, I agree.  That just would not work.  I want Brian singing upbeat rockers.  I'm ready for the Rock-n-Roll record.  If he wants to pay tribute to Randy, my first choice would be "I Love L.A."

Yeah, you guys are right. I didn't really think about it at first.

Still, I would love to see Brian cover 'Sail Away', but not apart of the "Life Suite".

I want to hear Brian tear into "Rednecks"!

Looks like they edited Brian's answers and posted them on the site...haven't had a chance to look through yet:
http://www.brianwilson.com/news/

I may have missed somebody else pointing this out, but Brian's site has noted in the transcript that "Sail Away" is a Brian Wilson song and not the Randy Newman song.

Doesn't say it's a BW song, just that it's not a Randy Newman song… granted though, chances are it'll be a BW song!  :D

YES!  Me too, add that to my list.

Valid point. That's what I get for assuming. I guess we'll see soon enough though.

I took it to mean it was a BW original.

 I'm extremely excited about this album for reasons I can't quite express. I have a good feeling about this...

Have you considered the medium of interpretive dance ?

(http://mrwgifs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Alison-Brie-Dance-Gif.gif)

"Sail Away" and "Last Song"? Brian is doing the Edward Bear song?