So who actually casts the Carl vote these days when it comes to BRI business? Anyone know?

The website for Austin's Backyard venue, site of the October 6th Mike & Bruce show, actually STATES that Brian, Al and Dave will not be participating. Sounds like they have fielded some calls on this issue. I've had emails from half a dozen people asking if I knew this concert was coming and I've told each one that it might be "The Beach Boys" but it ain't The Beach Boys.

Oops, just found a longer trailer which actually includes a bit of Brian:

http://www.traileraddict.com/trailer/beatles-stories/trailer

Here's a link to a USA Today story about Seth Swirsky's new documentary, Beatles Stories. The trailer and the credits prominently mention Brian Wilson being among the many big names who share their tales of encountering the Fabs.

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/popcandy/post/2012/09/12/beatles-stories-lennon-mccartney/70000183/1#.UFJHyUL6ylI

The band Jellyfish only put out two albums, but they eventually issued a 4-CD boxed set which contained NONE of those album tracks. Instead it had the demos of every song, alternate versions, live versions, b-sides and unreleased stuff. It was a great compilation which proved you could do a career-spanning box without including the "hits".

I'm a minister, too, and have twice presented a four-week series called The Gospel According to the Beach Boys, most recently last summer. I could not have dreamed that this year would provide so much material I could have used; the reunion tour and album are beautiful examples of redemption, forgiveness, perseverance. I'm gonna have to add a fifth session next time!
As for songs, I find 'Til I Die very spiritual (and have already specified I want it played at my funeral), and in recent years, Brian has surprised me with things like Happy Days Are Here Again (with its quote from O Happy Day: "...when He washed...") and Walking Down the Path of Life.
He famously said at the RnR Hall of Fame ceremony that music is God's voice. His lifelong commitment to producing beautiful music, even when his life was in torment, is very inspirational. Add Some Music is also a good spiritual song...not to mention the early recording (on the flip of a hit single!) of The Lord's Prayer.
I can't check it at the moment, but isn't there something in the liner notes of Love You about the album being in recognition to the presence of Jesus in the world? Or something like that?
I think the BBs are perhaps the most spiritual band to achieve massive popularity.

Busy Doing Nothing is also notable, especially in hindsight, as a rare example of an American samba, a musical form which was quite trendy in the early-to-mid sixties. Girl From Ipanema and the hits of Sergio Mendes were a fresh flavor to most American ears, and for Brian to compose a samba that was both musically and lyrically credible just shows that the guy can do anything when he sets his mind to it. Listen to the simple lyrics and "lazy"vocal style of the Brazilian leaders of the samba movement;  BDN fits right in.

Jack Jones' cover of God Only Knows (arranged and produced by Bruce Johnston) is a thing of beauty, completely altering the tone of the original, but showing what a great song it is. There's a video on YouTube; he apparently still does it in concert, more than 30 years after recording it. It's a great lesson in how adaptable a well-written song is. Instead of trying to copy the BBs sound, more artists should try reimagining the songs like this.
Also fond of California Music's Don't Worry Baby.

The Onion's AV Club gave it a C+ this morning, but had some complimentary things to say about it. The comments, though, reveal the uphill battle to convince non-fans to give it a chance. On a sunnier note, I got the number two review on iTunes...and the reviews there are almost all terrific.

I don't regret splurging for the VIP package at the Dallas show. True, the "meet and greet" is really neither meet nor greet; it's step behind the boys and smile for 5 seconds. Still, there were remarks from Bruce, Mike, and Al while waiting in line that were fun to hear and respond to. Brian's main concern was getting to the food...but I knew my fantasy encounter with him would likely remain a fantasy. The resulting picture, though, is just great and everyone who's seen it has been jealous or awe-struck.
I would gladly have done without the limited-edition poster, tote bag, and ticket for a really cool-looking shirt that was not available for sale elsewhere. As remarked earlier, the shirt we got is very cheap feeling and (I think) rather feminine in design.
Observing sound check was fun. Hearing the interaction of the band members and realizing that they were literally still figuring out how to do some of the songs was very interesting.
And my front-row, center seat was just awesome. I felt immersed in the concert. It was probably the 8th or 9th time I've seen the BBs, but it was more meaningful and sentimental than any of the others. Three memories from the encore, when people were able to swarm down front: 1. A small girl, about five or six, seated on her mom's shoulders, reaching out toward the stage as though she was seeing an angel, the look on her face was awe and pure childlike joy. Bruce spotted her, left the stage for a moment, and came back to give her a cap or t-shirt. 2. A middle-aged woman in the crowd. Her left hand had no fingers on it. Her right arm ended abruptly halfway down the forearm. Yet, when I looked back at the crowd, I noticed her, waving both arms in the air and wearing the biggest grin on her face. It truly felt like a religious experience and, knowing how Brian defines music, it may have actually been a case of hearing God's voice. 3. Another young girl, this one about 10 or 11. She came down front with her dad during the encore. She was obviously wearing what felt like high fashion to her, a flapper-style dress covered in silver sequins, with a matching silver hairband. After the concert was over and the arena had mostly cleared out, I found myself walking behind her and her dad and I overheard her say, "That was like the best day of my whole life." Still makes me a little teary.
That's what was so great about this show and this tour. Forget the autotune crap, forget the songs missing from the list, forget the past hard feeling among the BBs. This was a night of harmony--in every way--and I am content, even if I never see another Beach Boys show, that there has been closure and a fitting postscript to 50 years of music which changed the lives of not just those five guys onstage...it changed me, too.

In the early 70s, the airbrush was experiencing a rediscovery, having slipped into obscurity after its heyday in the advertising art of the 40s and 50s. Dave Willardson was a fairly well-known artist who was in the forefront of bringing the airbrush back into use in "fine" art instead of just advertising. I believe that the CATP cover was an existing work by Willardson, and its use at the time for an album cover was actually hip and current, like using a Warhol for Sticky Fingers. I liked it then and I like it now.

Think that's about it for tonight. True, there was no "This Whole World," but it was still an awesome show.

After Rhonda ended, Mike said to Al, "It looks like someone is offering you a cup of tea."
And Al said, "Or TWO cups, actually."
Pretty funny.
In answer to previous question, my pix were just taken with my iPhone. I have a lot of blurry ones, but some came out okay.

A green bra is tossed onto the stage, narrowly missing Mike. He gingerly picks it up...

and hangs it on Al's mic stand as Al is imploring Rhonda for help.

I DO have pics of Bra-gate 2012, but can't post them until tomorrow. Many other shots, too, that I'll have to sort through, sine I know many aren't good.

Lots of funny lines during sound check, which I'll try to recall.
At one point, Scott T. said, "Does anybody need more Darian?..that's a rhetorical question, Darian." Someone else said, "I got enough of Darian YEARS ago."
Rehearsing the ending of Sail On Sailor, Scott demonstrated what he wanted. Darian then asked, "Scott, do you wanna hear how Brian's been doing it?" After it was demonstrated, Brian's way won out.

Regarding the VIP goodie bag, it's not very impressive. The limited edition shirt is a plain White tee with the 50th logo  in a metallic gold. Tote bag is okay, poster is nothing special (but you could get I flat or rolled), souvenir lenticular ticket is pretty cool, lanyard with meet/greet pass is blah.
Saw Melinda at sound check, without glasses. Also, Billy Hinsche.

I'm going to the show tonight, sitting in the front row. I've got two hours before I report to the lobby at 4:00 for the VIP experience. Did not sleep much last night; this is like Christmas when I was a kid...and that's been a long, long time (since we've been strung out on love).

Actually, reel-to-reel tape was just another format choice for buying music in the 60s. You couldn't get everything on reel, but most high-profile albums were issued in that format; it was the audiophile choice at the time.

Just saw this on a westcoast music blog:


The Eagles’ Glenn Frey will release his first solo album since 1992 in May. Titled After Hours, it will be a collection of pop standards, re-recorded by Frey in a “cocktail lounge” style. Apparently, Frey was motivated enough by Rod Stewart’s recent Great American Songbook covers albums to make one of his own, and it will be released on May 8.

Among the songs covered on After Hours are Caroline, No (originally by the Beach Boys), The Look of Love, Route 66, and The Shadow of Your Smile.


Just what the world has been waiting for...

Finally got around to scanning a couple of large photos I bought almost 25 years ago in a shop on Hollywood Blvd.

My Solution session:
http://s3.amazonaws.com/data.tumblr.com/tumblr_m1lnyzipY31rqpfjso1_1280.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAJ6IHWSU3BX3X7X3Q&Expires=1333033987&Signature=cI%2FgS1Vl3NlSNp4xxlvGrr9hong%3D

All-time great Brian portrait:
http://s3.amazonaws.com/data.tumblr.com/tumblr_m1lo1yzikp1rqpfjso1_1280.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAJ6IHWSU3BX3X7X3Q&Expires=1333034024&Signature=KbjVm2goKPIjbffiFKXgvIvQcPE%3D

I'm going to the Dallas show and sprung for the big VIP package. I've said for years that I didn't want Brian to get back with the BB, but I have to admit that I'm very excited about it now and all the signs so far point to it being a positive experience for all involved.

I just picked up a VIP package for the April 26th show outside of Dallas. I had to choose between that one and a Houston date in June, but decided to go with this one because it's only the second date of the tour and therefore is more likely to be a bit more experimental than later shows. I was glad to see prices go down from the initial ones offered...although I would probably have paid it anyway. I figure this may be the last roundup, so I'm willing to splurge to be on the front row and meet the band, although I've met Bruce, Al, Dennis and Carl. Just two months to wait!

Why should he NOT sell it? Todd Rundgren did a whole album side (Faithful) of cover songs in which he tried to duplicate as closely as possible five or six songs from 1966-7...including Good Vibrations. This Pet Sounds recreation was obviously a labor of love. I wouldn't buy it, but I don't have any issues with him trying to get a few bucks for his countless hours of effort.

http://boingboing.net/2011/12/13/pet-zounds-by-golab.html

Came across this today and was stunned by how much he sounds like Brian at the very beginning. Very, very decent recreation of my favorite Pet Sounds song, and he's spent years doing the whole album. What dedication!