Carnie Wilson Talks Singing Beach Boys Songs With Dad Brian Wilson After Conservatorship Filing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1abygPaCncw

Thanks so much for posting this. Steak, Mac-n-cheese, Dodgers games, and Be My Baby. What an awesome life update. Glad he's doing well!

To add to your points, Guitarfool: This reminds me of when ‘That’s Why God Made The Radio’ was playing on our local rock station, and a friend of mine said “Hmmm that’s a good Beach Boys cover band” not knowing it was the actual Beach Boys (with help on those higher notes from younger talent).

My point being that even The Beach Boys themselves see the value in trying to sound like their younger selves - because that is what people relate/gravitate to. Granted I would so much rather hear Matt Jardine sing harmonies than an Artificial Intelligence Al Jardine, but in a recording setting they’re both somewhat (and I stress “somewhat”) trying to do the same thing - sound like the vintage Beach Boys. I’m not speaking strictly about the official nature of The Beach Boys releases, or the moral implications of AI - I’m speaking mostly about what listeners gravitate toward (and thus what is released) as it relates to the sound of The Beach Boys music.

There are also people on YouTube who try to do exact note-for-note covers of Beach Boys songs (to the point where they dress up in the blue striped shirts for their music videos). If all they are doing is a line-by-line copy, why wouldn’t we just listen to the original? Because some people like seeing the talent that other creatives produce. And those people making the covers enjoy the process/art of it all. Plus it’s neat to hear different inflections/ideas that the band/artist may interject.

TBH I am completely on the fence about this music. On one hand, I completely agree with Guitarfool & others that this music has the capability to enhance our personal enjoyment of the music. On the other hand, I agree with HeyJude about how ‘uncanny valley’ it is. And furthermore, even if I enjoy a song like ‘Thank Him’, I will still get this small feeling in the back of my mind that these creations are somehow ‘wrong’.

However you frame it, whether outright calling it absurd or using a Simpsons screen-grab, it doesn’t diminish how belittling it is to those who create and enjoy the AI music. You keep using these analogies to make your point, but as you admit the analogies are clearly imperfect.

For instance, take Dae Lims’ attempt at Smile: If we’re going to use a fireplace/TV analogy, you have to get rid of the TV altogether, because most of the music (backing tracks, many vocal tracks) we’re listening to are the real deal. So it’s more akin to watching a real fire but someone has thrown borax on top of it to change the color of the flame a little. It’s not natural, and for some it doesn’t add any value to the fire, but for some it creates visual excitement and enhances the fire a little.

But that analogy is also imperfect. So why not just call a spade a spade? People are using modern technology to re-create Beach Boys vocals in order to create tracks that never were. Some people are going to dig it, some aren’t. But honestly there is no point in trying to “educate” people on the “correct” way to enjoy The Beach Boys - because we’re all different and enjoy different things about this band. So no matter how many analogies are thrown around or however much things are called absurd, I am still going to thoroughly enjoy a cleaned-up AI version of ‘Thank Him’ because my brain/soul tells me it’s beautiful.

Again, I used the term “borderline shaming”, and I specifically said that because at heart I don’t think you’re actually trying to shame people - but when you use words like “absurd” to describe the enthusiasm people have about this music, how else do you expect people to feel about their preference/interest?

Thinking about all this I was reminded of a scene from the movie ‘Mr. Holland’s Opus’ where Mr. Holland, a music teacher, is explaining to his superior the reason he is using an unorthodox way of teaching his students music:

“Mrs. Jacobs….I will use anything from Beethoven to Billie Holiday to rock and roll, if I think it'll help me teach a student to love music.”

I guess how this relates is that I see people in this thread excited about The Beach Boys - and I honestly don’t think it matters why they are excited about them. I think that every fan in this thread would agree that the real Beach Boys are the way to go. But that shouldn’t diminish someone’s excitement, interest, and enjoyment in an AI track, either.

I do see where you’re coming from, HeyJude, and we probably agree more than disagree. But I guess I’m just happy to see people using this technology creatively in a positive way, and I’m happy that it’s bringing enjoyment to people.

I said you were borderline shaming because: you’re claiming people are “breathlessly” searching for these AI tracks…two people low-key ask for some lossless files and they’re breathlessly asking? Really? You said that listening to AI tracks is like “cheating on your family”…There’s a clear difference between imploring and questioning versus making outlandish analogies that deride people’s musical tastes and interests (whatever your reasoning behind the analogy). I just see a bit of exaggeration with your posts and honestly don’t see the need. If you’re genuinely curious about why people like this stuff, perhaps ask them “why?” instead of telling them to listen to a Tampa ’74 show.

As for the rest of your post, I still completely stand by everything I said about musical/technical creativity and people’s personal music taste, and don’t see the need to respond further about that.

Hey Jude, your “family” analogy seemingly assumes that the only thing people should care about is the “family” or “band” as it relates to their real music and real history.

What is being forgotten/ignored is that many fans are very drawn to the technically creative side of the band. Which means many fans probably appreciate the technically creative side to many other musical creations. So when someone uses both technical and musical expertise to artificially create something related to The Beach Boys, it is only natural that some fans will enjoy listening to those creations.

Listening to those creations is not like ignoring your family. Rather it just is what it is: people who love this band so much that they’ll listen to real or fake versions of The Beach Boys. And again it comes down to what we each enjoy, at a personal level, about the band. Yes, I can listen to 5 hours of Sea of Tunes Pet Sounds Sessions to enjoy both the history and the creative aspect of the music. But maybe I also enjoy hearing and seeing Dae Lims creative take on a Beach Boys tune…it’s not that I want to ignore the real Beach Boys, but it’s that I want to hear something creatively beautiful, regardless of where it comes from. That’s my own musical taste and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Some fans solely enjoy trawling through hundreds of hours of demo tracks and live albums because they are drawn to the real band and the real history, and they have every right to do that. Other people apparently like hearing alternate histories and ideas, and there’s nothing wrong with that either.

And that isn’t to say you shouldn’t speak your opinion about the tracks - but I don’t think those opinions should extend to, borderline shaming, comparisons involving ignoring family, either.

I say this as someone who has almost two decades experience shaming people who like the Summer in Paradise album. So take all this with a grain of salt

I'm a big space nerd…

Snap! Between this and The Beach Boys, we’re 60s tragics obviously. 👍

Right?! What I'd give to be laying on a Florida beach listening to 'I Get Around' on the radio watching a Saturn V take off

I do agree that they are "two different beasts" - but I feel like it can't be impossible to create something on a 'Get Back' level, at least in regards to the narrative of the documentary. I guess I liken it to how 'Love & Mercy' could've been another 'Walk the Line' but instead it was done in a style that made it stand out so beautifully from other biopics. I would love to see that attention to narrative in a documentary about The Beach Boys.

I'm a big space nerd, so I watch a lot of documentaries on the Apollo program. Two documentaries from two different eras come to mind; 'For All Mankind' (from 1989), and the recent 'Apollo 11'. 'Apollo 11' is like the 'Get Back' of space films because the creators unearthed vintage IMAX-level quality film of the Apollo 11 launch. But 'For All Mankind' uses grainy/shaky footage and is almost just as impactful because it was created in a way that shows it as art and not an extended 60 minutes informative piece (which this Beach Boys documentary seems to be).

Anywho, sorry for the rambling haha. I do agree that we need to wait and see. We could be pleasantly surprised.

Not gonna lie…it’s incredibly hard for me to see Brian like this. I know it happens to us all but that doesn’t make it any easier .

During my year long hiatus from the board, I experienced a number of personal setbacks , most of which I don’t care to go into publicly. One I will,  however, is the loss of my Aunt Dee, who raised me from childhood.  I barely knew my birth mother but Aunt Dee was my mother in every other way. She passed away just shy of turning 96 last March , and suffered from dementia the last few years of her life. I wouldn’t wish that on *anybody* , and to see one of my heroes in life currently dealing with this is harder on me than I can express.

Hey Billy, very sorry for your loss, and I definitely feel what you're saying. Dementia is terrifyingly cruel, and it is absolutely hard to see loved ones go through that. I also wonder how Brian's other mental issues will affect him during a dementia "decline". But I'm happy knowing that he will be given the best care during these years, and I'm also so happy to see loved ones surrounding him.

Thank you, Juggler, for updating us with the Lakers post and Carnie's post. Really makes me happy that even through the worst hardship, Brian is still singing and enjoying life.

Out of curiosity, I watched the official 'Get Back' trailer and this new 'Beach Boys' official trailer back-to-back. The former gave me goosebumps, and yeah I even teared up a little. The latter left me feeling almost zero emotion at all. The actual 'Get Back' movie left me speechless/excited/inspired after each segment. I am not at all getting those vibes from this Beach Boys doc.

I know they're two separate beasts, but I have to imagine that some creatively talented director could create something as...stimulating? Or breathtaking?...as 'Get Back' when it comes to The Beach Boys. But this looks like a complete run-of-the-mill, cookie-cutter, colored in all the spaces, documentary. No risk, seemingly no artistry or narrative that would get some buzz going. How can you create a documentary using an overused formula about a band that constantly broke the rules of formula?

Also very tired of seeing modern "artists" gush about this band in interviews in these documentaries. Like how insecure are we about the music that we need Ryan Tedder to explain to us the appeal of the music? Or why do we need to hear thoughts on band dynamics by the person who brought us the cerebral, apex-of-modern-intellectualism-song that is 'Water Slide'?

I wish the documentary all the best, and I hope I'm proven wrong about my initial reaction to the trailer. But good grief, this band's music deserves better.

ai is starting to get half-decent at creating full tracks.  Fortunately not good songs, but if Mike finds out about this we're all doomed.

https://app.suno.ai/song/4d1f91ef-4f0e-4052-bb7b-1fee8e5fe8b8

This is crazy (and very funny at the same time ). I think we're all about to find out first-hand what a paradigm shift this technology will create in our society. As a graphic designer/videographer, I have been slightly worried about the AI graphic/art advancements that have been introduced in the last year...however, the Sora video generator is the most frightening thing I have witnessed regarding AI. And I can't imagine what will be coming down the pike in the next 5 years in this field.

It blows my mind that a computer chip can create a decent 60s song (I mean, it's clearly not great, but imagine this technology 3 years from now!). I still think that human beings will always crave human created content. But it scary to think that we now live in a world where we can't easily make the distinction between human and AI content - and in 1 decade who knows where we'll be.

What kinda does get me excited for this technology is that I have always wanted to hear a 1960s/Pet-Sounds version of the 'Love You' album...a complete album with wrecking crew instruments/vibes, young sounding band.

This all makes me wonder. Not wonder about Brian's bravery and determination, for he has those to spare.

But I wonder about me, and about so many of us who wanted to see Brian do well. If I look back honestly, the shows I saw him do in 2009 were incredible -- the best ever -- but even the BB50 dates didn't quite reach that level. And everyone could see that he was lagging by the 2013 Beck tour, and each subsequent jaunt saw him do a little worse. Yes, he would rally time after time, and you could always see some of the old spirit and verve. But he was growing older, and the performances objectively declined.

Then we come to 2022, and anyone who saw those shows knew something was seriously wrong. Perhaps it had started a couple of years earlier with the back surgery, but no one could deny the difficulty that he now faced. And I just wonder. Should we have been firmer about pushing back form 2015-2019, when it was clear he was doing okay broadly speaking but going through the motions a bit at the shows? I hate to think that we encouraged him to go out when he was scared and unprepared and uncomprehending.

Who knows. Perhaps he wanted it. But I think those of us who love him, those of us devoted to this man's music, have to be a little self critical now. I wish it wasn't true. But it is.

I see where you’re coming from, Wirestone. You’re one of the few in The Beach Boys world whom I hold a lot of respect/trust for your insights, information, and thoughts, so I do not take what you wrote above lightly. We care for and love Brian, and I think that’s why we’re so passionate about our viewpoints. I honestly don’t know what the right answer is, but here are my thoughts:

At the end of the day, it was up to Brian, Melinda, and his doctors. But ultimately up to Brian. I’ve heard it many times, and wonder how much of it is true, but the statement “Brian isn’t going to do anything he doesn’t want to do.” comes to mind.

If Brian was scared and didn’t want to face the fear, he wouldn’t have performed. If Brian would’ve rather stayed at home watching TV, he wouldn’t have performed. And honestly when he stopped touring most recently, I think that was Brian finally saying he had to stop.

Now, for those recent years he was performing, you have to ask, okay maybe Brian wanted to perform but is that in his best interest given his age, mental fragility, limited mobility, etc? I’d honestly say yes (and I wonder if his support staff including doctors also agreed with this). I’d imagine that those support people around him saw that Brian being active was good for his mental and physical health. You stay at home watching TV all day with no purpose you’re going to check out rather quick. I honestly think that Brian liked being on the road, and thus that’s what he did and it kept him active and alert and physically moving (even if it was from the bus to a chair). As someone watching a loved one currently die of late-stage Alzheimer’s, I can without a doubt say that I’d rather see this person out and about smelling the roses (while they can), than cooped up indoors watching movies on Lifetime.

No, I don’t think we should have been firmer in pushback. Why? Because we are fans who have no idea what is happening in Brian’s head, we don’t sit in on appointments with Brian’s support team at UCLA. We aren’t Brian Wilson.

What I do know is that Brian’s path in life has led him to this point now. Brian Wilson, the once 300+ pound cocaine addicted, prisoner of Landy, mind shattered by LSD, hears voices of negativity, taken to court countless times, taken advantage of countless times, etc etc…that man is still alive at 81. And for the last 30 years he has been on a healthy course of life: making music, putting smiles on countless audience goers, facing his fears. And that path also includes his last years of touring.

No, if collective “fans” had any say in how Brian had run his life for the last 30 years then I doubt Brian would be alive right now. I think everything that happened to Brian was meant to happen to Brian - the good, the bad. But the last 30 years, at moments sometimes imperfect, I think have been the best situation Brian could have ever found himself in. And even his last years on tour, he was out there trying - trying to recapture youth? Trying to make his audience happy? Trying to live another day.

Heartbreaking. Prayers for Brian and his family.

Indeed. One of those paragraphs in particular (in the Yahoo article) is very hard to read. I hope he can find happiness and comfort from his support group, family & friends who are all caring for him.

Oh man . As Brian asked us, I will definitely say a prayer for her, and I'll be praying for Brian and his family.

I can't begin to express my appreciation for her efforts in Brian's life over the years - through the good and the bad, Brian was able to create some very incredible and high quality records. More astonishingly, he was able to bring his music to so many cities/venues over the last 2+ decades. That Brian has been able to live a life free of drugs/alcohol/abuse for the last 3 decades is wonderful. And I really hope that Melinda was happy during that time.

I'd imagaine there would be issues with how old the software this board uses when it comes to making all pages secure. The software is now 9 years out of date.

Correct.  Someday maybe I will be able to fix that.

Hi Chuck, is there a roadmap/plan that could be put in place for such a transition? And could the mods here help facilitate any work moving forward to help this happen? Could our community as a whole do anything to help this happen?

And man this place and its mods sure do live rent free in some people's minds. Once this boards issues are figured out it'll be nice for the universe as a collective whole to not be subjected to posts about "Chuckie" and the "mods" from the EH forum.

On the forum where they pat themselves on the back daily for their supposed positivity and inclusion, Dae Lims is getting completely shellacked for his work there.

Kinda blows my mind that a lot of people can't see the talent/time it takes to make these tracks - nor see anything remotely positive about it. Or see the imagination behind creating these harmonies, etc.. I mean I don't think that everyone has to like this stuff, and there have been tracks I haven't liked, but it's kinda crazy seeing the dogpile of hate.

People have made Smile mixes for how long now? People have been using Brian Wilson's very own work/voice to create their own fantasy album(s) for how many decades now? I know this is a whole other universe of technology/creativity, but at its heart it is the same thing: a fan trying to create something that never was.

As Guitarfool said above: But if a fan does work like this who clearly knows the music on a level beyond collecting records and being a fan, and can import the precise musical details into the work and be musically and sonically accurate in doing so, it's a work of art unto itself.

I googled this crime and found an interesting tidbit from Karmafrog on reddit:

"Scott was far from blameless, but I'll just say there was some very selective release of information and omission of context by the prosecution, and the media coverage that resulted.
....

Some of what I know is second hand through a (female, and very feminist) lawyer who viewed the entirety of the tape, not just what was released. She was outraged at how it was portrayed."

Those closer to Scott are probably more willing to forgive based on context that those of us in the nose-bleed section aren't privy to.

Dae Lims presents AI Dennis Wilson singing Holy Man, with special guests the AI Beach Boys.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jnPAXYUQnM

I don’t want to gush about this, but when I listen to this it feels like the first time I heard some of my favorite beach boys tracks. Anyone else feel this way?

And yet it’s fake…And I don’t really care. This hits me right where stereo ‘Don’t Worry Baby’ hits me. That coda made my jaw drop to the floor.

Dae Lims, you’re really doing something special here. With all the terrible things AI can be used for, you’re creating something so beautiful - in the true spirit of the band itself.

Dae Lims definitely deserves credit for putting all this overblown AI technology to creative use producing most rewarding results.  I'm still not entirely clear how he utilizes the tech though.  Is he singing the vocals himself and then running his voice through an AI genorator to change his voice to whomever he wants?  If that's the case then you have to really appreciate his skill.  Because I'm assuming you have to adopt the phrasing and tonality of the desired singer's voice to really pull off sounding like them.  In this most recent offering you can really pick out "Carl" and "Al" in the appropriate places.

I’m not sure if he does a breakdown of every track he works on, but he has streamed hour+ long breakdowns on YouTube where he goes into great detail about how he puts these together. Here is the one for the Like I Love in You:
https://www.youtube.com/live/N4EZSHqPVwQ?si=0hPO7cTuVajOo7yy

Speaking of which, that’s one of my favorite BW solo tracks - and this latest AI track is phenomenal!! Couldn’t have asked for a better mix.

man who had a lifetime of heavy drug use

I'm not sure that "lifetime" is a totally fair descriptor.  Wouldn't it be more accurate to say that, over the course of approximately 15-20 years, Brian had periods of heavy drug use?  Without a doubt, though, drug use comparable to Brian's during those bouts would have and did kill many of his peers, cf. Elvis, Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Keith Moon and many others.  It is indeed a minor miracle that Brian is very much alive at 4 score and 1.5 .  I agree that Melinda deserves a big share of the credit for Brian's survival, but it does "take a village," and Carl Wilson as well as friends such David Leaf and all the Peter Reums and Jeff Fosketts and Darian Sahanaja's in Brian's life have made their own contributions as well.  But you know who, I think ultimately deserves the lion's share of the credit for Brian Wilson's survival?  One Brian Douglas Wilson. There's a tendency to see Brian as this rather helpless, semi-passive player in his destiny.  But I do think most of this boils down to Brian's own will to survive and actions of surrounding himself with the right people and making healthier choices

Yeah "lifetime" is probably not the best descriptor. Also want to add that I forget if Brian's voices tell him to "kill himself" as I wrote above - I do know they say absolutely horrible things, but I'm not 100% on what I wrote above.

Everything else I totally agree. I hope my previous post did clarify that I think Brian is a huge part of his own survival (hence my mentioning how his big heart has helped him overcome so much with the help of others). If I've learned anything from my years of being a fan, it's that most everything I've read/heard about Brian Wilson (especially from his detractors) is false - he is the furthest I could think of being helpless/vegetable. After hearing all that nonsense for years on end, and then watching him control soundcheck one night before a concert, I gotta say that's a man in control - and it's awesome to witness.

Great post, Rab and it mirrors my thoughts to a T!! I've met Melinda twice and she was very genuine in my eyes.

Sadly, some fans don’t appreciate the care Brian has been given since 1991. I often wonder if these fans wish Brian had never met Melinda. In the spirit of the season, it makes me think of ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ where George Bailey gets to see what life would be like without him. While some fans despise Melinda’s presence in Brian’s life, I wonder if these fans have taken the time to wonder what Brian’s life would look like had he never met her. I’m sure they’d envision a life full of re-blossoming creative power that leads Brian to creating a series of solo albums that rival his genius on Pet Sounds. Or perhaps Brian reunites with The Beach Boys and they create a resurgence of commercial success unrivaled by any of their contemporaries. Or perhaps it’s a life of small creative achievements accompanied by Brian living a happy single/bachelor lifestyle until he’s 90 years old.

Yet the stark reality is that Brian has severe mental issues that aren’t treated/solved by Brian being best-buds with creatives in the studio. His mental issues were never treated by fame. His mental issues could never be alleviated solely by him never getting remarried.

Brian is a person who, *with* medication, hears voices that tell him to kill himself. He is a person who, when given the reins to his life, nearly killed himself with an overabundant diet of steak and cocaine. In a world where Brian never meets Melinda, who is the person who facilitates Brian’s physical and mental care (to the point where he beats ALL the odds and is living into his 80s)? Who is the person who manages Brian’s financial wealth (to the point where his children’s children’s children will never have to worry about money)? Who is the person who helps manage Brian’s music career (to where he has 10+ quality solo albums and an incredible live performing career post-91)?

I think the most important question is this: is Brian living a happier life now than he would be if he had never met Melinda? Or should we ask if Brian would even be alive now had he never met Melinda?

We will never know that. What we do know is that a man who had a lifetime of heavy drug use, nearly died of overdose, who is a manic depressive with schizoaffective disorder is still alive at 81 years old. That is a miracle straight from the creator Himself - and to not credit Melinda or anyone else currently in Brian’s life as an instrument in such a miracle is asinine.

I think what saved Brian, and what still keeps him alive to this day, is the collective love from every imperfect person that has cared for Brian all his life - be it Carl, be it Peter Reum, be it Marylin or Melinda, his children/friends, be it the fans who cheer Brian on through the thick and thin, etc.. Their love coupled with Brian’s big heart have kept him going all these years.

I just hope he's in a good place now. I hope he's enjoying his life with his family and friends. He's given us a lot.  Do I hope that we hear a bit more from him? Sure I do. But if not, and he just wants to relax, fine with me.

This is exactly where I'm at now, too. I just want him to be happy - if that means being on the road, in the studio, or being at home watching The Price is Right. Given his age and physical capabilities, I hope he's doing the best he can right now.

Hey Lonely Summer, thanks for your post. Your agreeing with me to a point could be a matter of my post intentionally having a very quick overview of Brian’s 70s/80s life (and not being in-depth enough to credit Landy for Brian making a weight/health reversal from his 300 pound era). While I agree that Brian did look better from his 300 pound self, there were also moments in pictures and video where clearly something isn't right - Brian looks healthy, but his eyes look vacant. Brian looks tan and thin, but he's also doped up to the point where's he nearly drooling on a TV interview.

I quickly looked up some Brian Wilson interviews on YouTube - one from 1984, and his Letterman appearance in 1988 - what a stark contrast in demeanor. He seems absolutely mentally with it in 1984, and just 4 years later he's acting like he's a patient of Nurse Ratched. So while there was improvement in the 80s, a quick overview shows he was still on a downward spiral (which I'm sure we'd both fully agree on).

I was watching the "evolution of Brian Wilson" video on YouTube last night, and I was blown away by the 180º turnaround in his voice (and other band/instrument qualities) from the mid-90s onward. And it's a mostly consistent great voice from the mid-90s onward. It's just crazy to hear it summed up in 10 minutes on that video.

That evolution video showcases the absolute horrific changes in Brian's life during the 70s and 80s - it was crazy to see him going from normal Brian to 300 pounds, ragged looking, to the atrocious skinny ken-doll look that Landy forced onto him. But then in the mid-90s onward Brian just looks like an average Joe. And he sounds great - his songs, his voice, they all have a consistent/coherent polish.

I know it's somehow "cool" in some circles to constantly hate on Melinda...but you can't deny her involvement in Brian's life and his simultaneous vast improvement in health, music, etc. And I realize that it's also the positive influence from so many people in his life during this time (from bandmates to close friends).

Someone wrote in the comment section of that video: "It's so unsettling to see his eyes darken and getting sunken as his inner turmoil deepens, but it's so heartwarming to see them brightening up as if he were a child again as he grows older." - that sums it all up. You can see it in his eyes, you can especially hear it in his music. Obviously he's had bumps in the road during these years, but I can't imagine he'd still be with us if it weren't for the love/support he's had since Melinda came on the scene.

Anywho, it's probably corny, but a huge THANK YOU to Melinda and to all others who have shown Brian love for the last 30+ years. You've given him and all of us fans such an incredible gift.

I'm also immensely grateful for Melinda and for others who have helped Brian. Sometimes I'm amazed that, given his struggles, not only has he outlived both his brothers, but he also gave us a surprise (and rather fine) recording and touring career later in life.

I had a seat near the front for the 50th anniversary concert I attended. During one of the closing songs when Brian was playing bass, he stopped singing momentarily and contorted his face. (Since Brian has said he still experiences auditory hallucinations even while performing, I assumed that was the reason.) I saw him say to someone seated nearby, "Where's Melinda?" That spoke to me as to what a support she is to him.

Or he wanted to make sure she wasn't getting into a fist fight with Mike's wife But for real that's an awesome story.

My only issue with his recording career is that there isn't more of it! I very much had hoped he would make his rock & roll album Pleasure Island and am sad that that never happened (there is still time, but I highly doubt it will happen). But he has given us so much more than we could've imagined or deserved.

From the "vaults." Dae Lims unearthed 1960s version of She's Got Rhythm, in mono and with crackles straight from the 45!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUgaztzcizk

First one I've not been overly thrilled about. The quality is great - it's just that Brian's vocal sounds too polished. The track kinda sounds like it would fit perfectly on an early 2000's arthritis prescription medicine commercial. Reminds me of AGD's comment (I forget it he said it or if he heard it from somewhere else) about Soulful Old Man Sunshine sounding like it was made for a shampoo/conditioner commercial haha.

Whereas the MIU version is great because it doesn't sound polished...while Brian is trying to sound like his younger self, he still sounds gruff - has sort of a 'Drip Drop', 'Shortenin Bread' vibe that really makes the corniness of the composition work.

Just my two cents, but as always, smile AD does a fantastic job creating/mixing!

I was watching the "evolution of Brian Wilson" video on YouTube last night, and I was blown away by the 180º turnaround in his voice (and other band/instrument qualities) from the mid-90s onward. And it's a mostly consistent great voice from the mid-90s onward. It's just crazy to hear it summed up in 10 minutes on that video.

That evolution video showcases the absolute horrific changes in Brian's life during the 70s and 80s - it was crazy to see him going from normal Brian to 300 pounds, ragged looking, to the atrocious skinny ken-doll look that Landy forced onto him. But then in the mid-90s onward Brian just looks like an average Joe. And he sounds great - his songs, his voice, they all have a consistent/coherent polish.

I know it's somehow "cool" in some circles to constantly hate on Melinda...but you can't deny her involvement in Brian's life and his simultaneous vast improvement in health, music, etc. And I realize that it's also the positive influence from so many people in his life during this time (from bandmates to close friends).

Someone wrote in the comment section of that video: "It's so unsettling to see his eyes darken and getting sunken as his inner turmoil deepens, but it's so heartwarming to see them brightening up as if he were a child again as he grows older." - that sums it all up. You can see it in his eyes, you can especially hear it in his music. Obviously he's had bumps in the road during these years, but I can't imagine he'd still be with us if it weren't for the love/support he's had since Melinda came on the scene.

Anywho, it's probably corny, but a huge THANK YOU to Melinda and to all others who have shown Brian love for the last 30+ years. You've given him and all of us fans such an incredible gift.