Van Dyke's talents are still recognised and in demant. Not only on the forthcoming Joanna Newsom album but on the brand new (and wonderful) album by Scissor Sistors as well.

Hmm, I think this deserves a new thread somewhere.

Your right, sorry.

I was just trying to remind people that there's more to Van Dyke than bad vibes and bitterness towards Mr Love. Parks is still doing great work and has contributed to one of the most interesting and rewarding albums of 2006.

Van Dyke is in interesting company on the forthcoming Joanna Newsom album Ys (Drag City). The Guardian's description:

A glance at the support personnel involved is enough to make you spill your mead. Brian Wilson's lieutenant Van Dyke Parks did the stark string arrangements over a period of eight months. Cantankerous analogue producer Steve Albini (Nirvana) recorded it. Experimental guru Jim O'Rourke mixed it. Most jaw-dropping of all is Newsom herself, a fearless original. She wields a harp (as she did on her debut) and a poetic menagerie of animals, meteors, fear and joy. Marimbas and horse skulls flesh out the harp, vocals and strings on these five long tracks; her creepy boyfriend Bill Callahan (Smog) chips in with backing vocals. Newsom's eccentric child-witch delivery has been tempered somewhat since her debut but remains unmistakable; her dense, storytelling lyrics faintly recall Patti Smith's surging poetry, in texture if not in vocabulary. With weird folk and neo-medievalism all the rage in arty circles, Newsom has decisively outclassed all comers on one of the albums of the year.

The tracks I've heard sounds amazing. Van Dyke is still doing great work.

I probably don't have a lot of fans in agreement with me, but I'd love to see Jeff Lynne produce an entire Brian album, and even write some of the material.

Please keep wannabeatle Jeff Lynne away from Brian

Maybe Rick Rubin would be the right big-name producer for Brian?

Thanks for taking the time to reply, Peter.

I've always enjoyed reading your sharp commenting on the PSML and was expecting a little more personal analysis and observation
from the book than what is actually in there.

So many roads yet to be fully explored, maybe in another book...

I got the book last night and finished reading the last chapters this morning.

Well-written and entertaining it's one of the best books on BW/BB history currently available - still I must admit feeling slightly disappointed.
I guess I was expecting more analysis and interpretation from what I was hoping to be THE book on BW.

A few subjects I was hoping the book might shed some new light on:

1. Brian's complex relationship with new best friends like Van Dyke Parks, Andy Paley and Joe Thomas.

The recent example is Joe Thomas.

We hear about Brian growing close to Joe Thomas, the Wilsons and Thomases buying houses next door to one another in Chicago, Brian letting himself into the Thomas home to use the kitchen and pool while Joe and his wife is out etc. Next thing Thomas skips the Osaka/Tokyo concerts (he didn't like to fly) and then "they never saw Joe again" (pg. 297). Exit Joe Thomas from Brians life - and the book. Okay, "a hail of lawsuits" is mentioned on page 315 but the sad outcome of the friendship between the Wilsons and the Thomases (and other friends/songwriting partners) is never explained.


2. Brian's solo career

The book ends on a high note with the triumph of Smile but BW the solo artist is never really put into perspective. The Christmas album is not mentioned at all and Gettin' in over my head gets only a passing reference. The flirtation with the adult contemporary audience, celebrity duets (Robbie Williams?), frequent change of record labels -  this missing "roadmap" makes BW the solo artists a big question-mark (and talk of another forthcoming rock n' roll album something to look forward to with mixed feelings).

A final comment.

Tony Asher talks about getting to know Brian and the long conversations they had. "We'd ramble on about whatever: girls we had dated, relationships we'd had, heartbreak, and so on" (pg. 77). This seems to be a recurring conversation between BW and his male friends/songwriting partners. For all the talk (and songs) about love I'm struck by how rarely romance and passion (and sex) is mentioned in the book. There seems to be more on Brian's love of steak dinners! - his complex feelings for Diane/Marilyn is hardly mentioned (Don't get me wrong, I wasn't expecting sleazy tabloid stuff).

The book made me want to listen to BB cd's I haven't played in a long time - for that I thank you, Mr Carlin...