It's also worth noting, as Wirestone alluded to awhile back, three months after the TWGMTR album was released, there was no band to support it.

It doesn't matter. There are two kinds of people who showed up to those BB reunion shows. Hardcore fans like all of us here who bought the record Day One. And casual  fans who don't care for any new music they release and only want to hear the hits. Even if the band had stayed together, there's no audience for new music from old acts beyond the hardcore fanbase. Paul McCartney, in a recent interview, talked about this :

"I’d like to do a whole show of new songs but that’s for the anoraks in the crowd, that’s for the deep fans. Most of the people who come and see me, who have paid good money, have brought their mums and dads, who have travelled a distance… I’m not so sure they wanna hear the deep cuts. I think they want Beatles stuff mainly, Wings stuff, and maybe some of the new stuff. I force some of the new stuff on them. I know which ones people like because you can see it all light up, all the phones recording… when you say you want to do a new one it’s like a black hole!"

Where are you getting your statistics for this? Were there any demographic studies done of the concert goers that year?

very true.

I'm losing brain cells reading this drivel. Honestly. How you can write that even after HeyJude spelled it out in crayon for anyone to understand is beyond me.

[Quick poll: who here, when you're told that TWGMTR made it into the top-5 billboard in 2012, thinks that that chart position suddenly equates TWGMTR with the musical and commercial success of ANY classic Beach Boys record from the 60s?]

Why didn't "Unleash The Love" go top-5 if it were a case of the calculations behind the album charts and the diehard fans coming out the first week to binge on buying the album? Obviously more than the diehard fan base bought TWGMTR, otherwise it would have hit the charts around 78 or something instead of number 3.

Mike Love solo doesn't have the same diehard fanbase as the Beach Boys with Brian Wilson.

The latest album by the Who opened at number 2 on the US Billboard 200 chart. McCartney III similarly opened at number 2. Rough and Rowdy Ways, by Bob Dylan, opened at number 2. Blue & Lonesome, an album of blues covers by the Rolling Stones, made it to number 4.

So all we're saying is that, when one hears "the album was in the top 5", it needs an asterisk where people are reminded that it doesn't mean the album resonated with the record-buying public, had commercial success or had songs that got into the public consciousness. It just means that the fanbase bought it, which in this day and age is enough to get a top-5 showing for one week if you're an old, established Sixties band.
 

Quick poll: who here, when you're told that TWGMTR made it into the top-5 billboard in 2012, thinks that that chart position suddenly equates TWGMTR with the musical and commercial success of ANY classic Beach Boys record from the 60s?

Personally, I don't think it's worth needing to footnote every instance of when an album charts with how the culture/medium/chart-meaning changed in that instance of time just for the sake of knocking down TWGMTR a few pegs. I'm hopeful that other message boards aren't adopting such a ridiculous practice...can't imagine a Bob Dylan forum asterisking every mention of Dylan's recent #1 digital sales chart with "gUyS iT's IrReLeVaNt BeCaUsE lYkE a RoLlInG sToNe ChArTeD tWo In 65!!!"

I credit the overall fanbase for having more intelligence than a rock (thus being able to easily decipher that TWGMTR is clearly not on par with Pet Sounds), I wish others did as well.

I don't understand why there can't just be a pat on the back moment, a collective high-five, saying how cool it was for them to score a top-5 album instead of the parsing and explaining away what most artists would consider a great achievement, especially one that basically caps off their long career. Sometimes you just have to enjoy the sandwich instead of finding things to complain about.

It's odd to me as well. Here is why:

With all the pre-orders being counted in the first week of release, yes, any older pop/rock act is nearly guaranteed a strong first week. Bob Dylan had 3 #1 albums in the 70's - Planet Waves, Blood on the Tracks, Desire - and then nothing until Modern Times and Together Through Life in the 00's. Do I believe either of those albums sold as well as his classics? No.
So having a top 5 album in the 2010's is a nice feather in the caps of the Beach Boys, but it's not the same as Endless Summer and Spirit of America being hits in the mid 70's. It doesn't put TWGMTR on the same level as Beach Boys Today or Pet Sounds.

The Beach Boys are a band that created most of their hits/recognized songs 50+ years ago. They made an album 50 years after their formation called TWGMTR. TWGMTR came after decades of massive musical trend shifts in pop music, changes in social culture, massive changes in the way people consume media. Even through the decades of culture shift and evolving music trends, TWGMTR placed #3 it's first week and it stayed in the top 200 for 8 weeks. Just think about that: 50 years is nearly the time it took us to fly the first canvas winged airplane to landing a man on the moon. 50 years is a HUGE stretch of time culturally and technologically speaking (especially in the last 200 years).

Also, did TWGMTR's chart placement have anything to do with the quality of the music? Well, 2012 was well into an era where you could easily listen to samples of each song before you buy (on both Amazon and iTunes). The lead single peaked at #16 on the Billboard singles sales (and was later named the 30th best song of 2012 by Rolling Stone). So I think people had a pretty good idea that it was a quality album, they bought it, and it landed at #3. Obviously if the album were a clunker it would not have sold as well.

So if anything, with all of that in mind, that chart placement is a huge accomplishment. And I don't think anyone is claiming this chart position places TWGMTR on the same pedestal as Pet Sounds. But even if they were, the mention of the chart placement also shouldn't elicit an equally ridiculous response of feeling embarrassment or cringe.

To sum it all up, I don't think the measure of a successful album (from a 50 year old band) in 2012 should be based on how many people shout to hear 'Isn't It Time' in concert 10 years later, or if it sold more units than BB85. In 40 years, if Justin Bieber makes an album that hits #3 on the charts I will be just as impressed. Because in 40 years musical trends will have shifted so much further, social culture will have shifted so much further, that to still have an influence on charts 50 years after your initial breakthrough is a huge achievement and hearing someone mention it is nothing to cringe at.

[Summer In Paradise]

I always cringe when I see  TWGMTR "top 5" in a post. If the album had been the mega-hit that kind of chart peak implies, the Beach Boys and Brian/Al would still be performing those songs today. Yes, the album had a great first week on the charts, but let's not fool ourselves, it wasn't Summer Days and Summer Nights part 2. How much airplay did any of those songs get? There's wasn't a Getcha Back size hit on the album, let alone a California Girls or Kokomo.
On the other end of the spectrum, it shocked me and stunned me how many years the group was pushing SIP material in their shows. How long had KTSA songs stayed in the setlists? Rock 'N' Roll to the Rescue? BB85 songs other than Getcha Back? Yet the group kept pushing this pathetic album, year after year. Maybe that's what killed Carl.

Sorry Lonely, but it was a top 5 album. Did you have a top 5 album before? Did any of your friends? It was a nice accomplishment either way. People were excited for the album and bought it. If it was a collection of remakes featuring The Beach Boys with Bruno Mars and Locash, I'm willing to wager it wouldn't have gotten that high on the charts. People knew it was a new album featuring Brian Wilson. It mattered and it sold. Can't say the same of of Summer In Paradise, not selling enough to likely get in the top 500.

Sorry. I know the era was what it was, as far as physical copies of albums, but this is group that had albums chart at 151 or whatever just years after having massive hits. So yeah, the chart placement was a big deal. If Mike Love had an album chart at number 5 today, you and drbeachboy and whoever would be throwing a party at the Endless Summer Forum.

So, did it sell more than the Titanic soundtrack or Rumours? No. But it did well. Just as McCartney's latter day albums have been doing. Or whoever's.

Okay, so it was a big hit, as you say. Where are those songs today? Why aren't fans calling out requests for "Isn't it Time", "Spring Vacation", or "Summer's Gone"? Surely people attending BW shows or BB shows want to hear their latest hits?
You're more likely to hear "Love and Mercy", "Getcha Back" or "Still Cruisin" in a setlist today than any TWGMTR tracks.

I mean, I still hear the 'That's Why God Made The Radio' jingle at times on my local classic rock station and I did hear the actual song being played for a while after it came out - not sure if they still play it as I don't listen to the station as regularly as I used to. You say you "always" cringe when you read that the album was a top-5....I don't understand why one would even have such an abnormal visceral reaction to an album that was probably the best case scenario for us Beach Boys fans. Just because fans aren't clambering to hear 'Spring Vacation' at concerts doesn't mean the album isn't worthy of occasional praise (or worthy of it's top-5 placement). Most every song that is played at BW/BB shows has had 50+ years to become wonderfully rooted in the hearts/minds of Beach Boys fans, Kokomo was a #1 hit and (like it or not) is an 80s cultural phenomenon, and the songs that define the classic California lifestyle (and classic post-WWII America) are of course going to be the ones played at concerts. That doesn't make a comeback/reunion album any less enjoyable for most fans...nor does it make it unworthy of it's original chart placement.

Gotta say though, Beach Boys fandom never ceases to amaze me: never thought I'd see someone complaining about a high chart placement of a Beach Boys album Gotta love it.

I'm unhappy that this, as too many discussions about the Beach Boys, has devolved into talking of drugs. ALL of them are so much more than their drug use,  or lack of it.

Quoting my own post. You guys you just can't stop, I see.

Zenobi, this is a message forum where discussions fluidly meander across many topics that do relate to the band. Discussions about POB can evolve into talking about Dennis' death, discussions about 'Let It Shine' can evolve into talking about Landy's psychological torment of Brian. Sometimes uncomfortable topics about the band are brought up - it's not against the rules nor is it taboo. It's just the way online forums work. If you feel bothered by a topic, you can easily scroll past...I do it often here and elsewhere.

“Mr Clean Living” looking high af and smoking a cigarette.

i don't think Mike has ever denied doing a little reefer back in the day. He drew the line at hard drugs - and more power to him.
I find it odd that we diss the guy with the courage of good sense to stay away from cocaine and heroin and all the other bad stuff, while the worst abusers are thought of as nearly saintly.
At least Carl was strong enough to get off whatever he was on in Australia. I sure wish Dennis had followed his example.

I think the worst abusers are looked at sympathetically, not saintly, for their hard drug use. As for their psychedelic drug use, while many revere Brian's acid trips and marijuana use, I look at it with pure sadness....Brian says himself that the LSD usage shattered his mind. Studies have shown that marijuana actually triggers the part of the brain that harbors schizophrenia (in those predisposed to the illness). I have no idea if Brian heard voices before his first toke, but it certainly did not help his condition.

I admire Mike for staying away from all that stuff most of his life. I also feel sadness for the Wilson brothers who had a lot of demons they tried to silence with the use of hard drugs.

I would love to see an alternate reality where Brian and the rest of the guys never did drugs. Maybe Pet Sounds didn't happen in that alternate timeline. And I would happily trade/erase every memory of Pet Sounds from my mind and never hear it again if it meant Dennis was still with us, if it meant that Brian never shattered his brain with psychedelics, and perhaps if Carl didn't touch smokes he'd still be blessing us with his angelic voice.

I think one of the downsides to GIOMH is that most of the songs on the album go on for 4+ minutes. Back in the 60s he'd make these 2-3 minute (closer to 2 minute) songs that were just the right length to keep you interested. I feel like if each song on GIOMH was chopped in half it would have a lot more appeal.

So this song, A Friend Like You, isn't a monumental sonic achievement, however it is kinda catchy - and I feel like if it clocked in at around 2 minutes it would be appreciated a lot more.

Let’s talk about the remix. I’m amazed they did this!

It sounds great to my ears. I only wish I had the original more readily available for comparison (my copy is stored somewhere on a hard drive). Really wish they'd remix the whole album and put it up for streaming or purchase on iTunes.

To me, Brian’s solo career is similar to the late era/most recent era of Paul’s solo career in that there are always some great things on the albums, but the days of front-to-back stunning albums are long gone. (I think Brian’s “Smile” is kind of its own thing, but certainly if we count that as just his “next album” in 2004, it’s by far his strongest front to back).

It's a shame that this is the case. I would argue that the Gershwin album is a front-to-back stunner (every song on there is a polished gem if you ask me)....but it's not really pure Brian solo material either.

Awesoman, somebody prefers apples, somebody (like me) prefers oranges.
I could not care LESS about who has the more success. If success were my guiding light, I'd be a fan of Justin Bieber and C.
And no, I don't think preferring Brian makes me a music illiterate. Quite the contrary.

Yeah, I don't think an artists' success and one's personal preference in music have anything to do with one another. I think the Beatles are the greatest band to ever come into this universe, however if left on a desert island I would 100% no doubt take The Beach Boys catalogue over the Beatles any day. Likewise, Paul has clearly had a better solo run than Brian (it's really not even a close comparison). However I'd listen to Imagination or the Disney album any day over anything McCartney has done. It's not a knock at McCartney, I just prefer Brian's music.

I think it just depends on what you’re looking for in your music. I love Brian’s harmonies, so while Imagination is kinda corny in places

(and I really can’t stress how annoying/devastating it is that Joe Thomas put awful nylon guitar on seemingly every second of that album….I mean seriously, you get to work with THE Brian Wilson and the 90s adult contemporary sound is what you go with? Reminds me of Kubrick making 2001 and opting to go with classical music rather than Pink Floyd because he didn’t want his movie to be dated to the 60s (which solidified that movie as a timeless classic). So, how on earth do you say “yes, this clearly to-be-dated 90s adult contemporary style is what Brian has been needing to do all these years.”? It’s interesting that the rest of Brian’s solo work isn’t really as dated as Imagination - okay, maybe BW88 but that album is just awesome so it’s forgivable. And the thing is I can totally dig South American - it is pure cheese but it fits Brian’s persona so well (in that it’s a quirky but fun song). So it’s not even really the songs themselves but that awful AC sound. But that nylon guitar needs to go. I know it will never happen, but they need to do a remix of Imagination and bury all that AC garbage. There is a great album tucked behind that mix somewhere. I know the powers that be won’t want to have Mark spend a couple weeks remixing the thing, but really what harm can it do? They’re probably worried Joe Thomas will sue them haha).

Anyways, rant over….so while Imagination is kinda corny in places, I could listen to Brian’s harmonies on that album any day over any solo Macca albums. But that being said, I totally get why people would love Macca solo albums over anything Brian has done in his solo career. Just different tastes. Thankfully it ain’t a competition. I’m glad both artists have stayed busy recording music well past the 1960s.

I would like to think we're all, or mostly all, adults here. We have two eyeballs, two ears and a brain. And if you are here you likely care about the music of The Beach Boys and Brian Wilson.

It's not projection or libel to ponder that Brian looks at best disinterested and at worst... I don't know... to be on stage these days. To think that or type it isn't born out of some bizarre "hatred" or "jealousy" for the man.

In fact, it's quite the opposite. To love some one, truly, you have to be honest. Wanting someone to be something they can no longer be is not fair to them or you. It's, frankly, delusional.

Maybe Brian still enjoys being with the guys and going out on all these dates, I don't know. I don't know Brian Wilson. His overall comportment would suggest otherwise, however.

But, what do I know...

What you’re saying is not the problem; it’s the people saying that  there are nefarious reasons behind Brian being “forced” to tour…and worse. I apologize for being vague but some of the things I’ve read on Reddit and especially Facebook would rank down there with the very worst things I’ve ever read on the internet.

This comment on Reddit made quite a lot of sense to me:
'So...the implication is that he isn't retiring, but they seem to be acknowledging that he is currently in no state to perform (as seen on his current tour with Chicago).
For his 2021 tour, Brian sounded better than he had in years. The time off during the pandemic seemed to have rejuvenated him. Then he gets a break before starting his tour with Chicago and yet right from the first show it was clear he was in no state to perform. ...What happened health wise between the end of his 2021 tour and the start of the tour with Chicago? Is it physical health, or mental health? Is he recovering from Covid or something? We may never know.'

This is only my theory, and it's just that... it's likely a lot less nefarious than some might think. I remember David Leaf once saying that Brian had 'turned the other cheek so many times he's got whiplash'.

I wonder if, maybe, Brian knows the shows mean a lot to everyone and he just kind of rolls with it. Not the's being forced to, but that instead of saying "I'm done guys", he's just kind of...rolls with it.

Maybe him ceasing touring right now is Al, Blondie, Carnie, Wendy (whoever) saying "Brian", "Dad", take a break.

" "
Sea of Tunes, I'd LOVE if the reason were this one. "Brian/Dad, take a break." How I'd love this. 

I quoted Carnie Wilson (from a 2014 interview) a couple pages back saying that her Dad does "whatever he wants" regarding touring and that she wishes he would take it easier.

Carnie is perhaps one of the few people who know Brian the best (though honestly I'm not sure how much time he actually spends with her), and if Brian truly did feel obligated to keep touring for the sake of his band-members, I feel like she would say something along those lines, instead of casting the "blame" solely on Brian. In that interview she seemed to be openly concerned about his active touring, so I just feel like if there was another reason other than Brian wanting to tour she would've called it out. Of course that interview is 8 years old, and things have changed since then.

Honestly I myself have thought a bit about the theory of Brian feeling obligated to tour, and it very well could be the case. But I am leaning more toward what Galaxy Liz posted - that it is Brian just trying to hold onto something special that he doesn't want to let go of.

I wrote this on Ang's FB Brian Wilson Tour page

when you get old you like to see that your life had meaning and seeing people enjoying your music must do that. Giving it up because you can't physically do it any more is not 'Oh good I can have a rest' but 'Oh God my life is over'. I just hope he can get better and find a quality of life in whatever way he can.

Significantly Paul von Mertens 'liked' it. Could be his personal opinion and nothing to do with how Brian feels, could be self serving believing he's not doing any harm by touring with Brian but I think many people who retire feel this.  I loathed my job and I felt it - giving up your raison d'être must be so much worse.  It used to be that you toured to sell the music but these days it's the other way around.

THIS! I think I've mentioned this before, but my grandfather-in-law had to give up woodworking in the last few months of his life. Woodworking was his passion, his art - he had a shop with so many specialty tools, he loved making things for himself and others. And he was forced to quit due to health reasons. It was heartbreaking to witness.

Which is why for the last 10 years I haven't given a hoot if Brian isn't jumping around on stage singing like he's 20 years old. I know some fans see Brian's detached performances as a sign to hang it up (and they've held this opinion for almost 10 years now). But really for the last 10 years he's been mostly always alert during performances, and he clearly wants to be there (otherwise he just wouldn't be there), and the people I've stood around and had conversations with after the shows are all blown away by how good the show was. Just irritating that these naysaying "fans" have complained and called for Brian to quit all these years, and they haven't the heart to realize that Brian is a complicated elderly dude who is out there trying to put on a show through fighting mental and physical demons...and that perhaps he is trying his hardest to keep the show alive because some part of him needs for that show to go on (both figuratively and literally).

Anyways, I am with everyone else in this thread: whatever is best for Brian's comfort and wellbeing is what should be done for the guy. Honestly he can still go on making great music, putting on a show here and there perhaps. It doesn't have to be the end of music for the guy, but perhaps a less active schedule would make Brian a bit more comfortable.

But that's for Brian and his doctor(s) to decide.

Truly, it is fascinating that both Mike and Bruce don't seem to have any interest in taking the sunset years of their lives and relaxing on a more extended basis and having more time to enjoy their large houses and gold plated toilets or whatever it is they've got going on. They seem happy to schlepp across the country (and around the world) and just take a few weeks here and there at home. They seem happy spending more time on airplanes and in hotel rooms than in those mansions and non-mansion mansions. I don't know that it's admirable per se, but it's interesting and fascinating.

I mean, we're not talking about retiring from the insurance industry, here! These are rock stars! Last month they played the Royal Albert Hall. So far as I can tell--and to Mike Love's credit--it just never got old for him. He wants to be out on stage singing his hits and doing his bits and signing autographs and hearing the crowd cheer, and I mean, I don't think I'd want to give that up either, if I were him!

I've heard that some rock stars hit rock-bottom when their tours end - they go from this "high" of sorts (being around crowds that cheer for them, being on the road, partying, etc), to the complete boredom of home. And it drives them crazy.

While Mike owns the giant mansion, I'm sure in his latter years he realizes how fruitless those material luxuries are and probably gets far more satisfaction bringing beautiful music to people night after night than watching his 90" flat screen alone at home.

It's probably why Brian (who clearly dislikes performing) likes to be on the road....it's not boring, it's not quiet, it's not routine. Touring means getting to try new food each night, seeing friends around the country, it means hearing people cheer for your hard work. When you're elderly, I'm sure that hanging onto a life full of living vibrancy is much more appealing than being around the material goods you have acquired over the years.

Just saw this: https://1027wkbh.com/2022/08/01/brian-wilson-scraps-all-upcoming-dates/

'Brian Wilson has scrapped all of his remaining summer and fall dates. Although no official reason was given, a statement cancelling his September 22nd show at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium read: “Due to unforeseen health reasons Brian Wilson will not be performing at the Ryman on September 22.⁠​ BRIAN IS BUMMED TO MISS THIS SHOW BUT LOOKS FORWARD TO SEEING HIS FANS ON THE ROAD AGAIN.”' [my caps]

Please don't crucify me for saying this folks but based on his overall health status and well-being during this tour, his cancelling these remaining shows is probably for the best.  If whatever health issues he's dealing with are treatable and manageable enough (for an 80-year-old Brian Wilson anyway) for him to comfortably get back on the road and be more engaged, than more power to him.  But his current status during those shows was inevitably a big concern for many concertgoers even when you factor in his lifelong mental health issues.   I just want the guy to spend his remaining years comfortably doing what he wants to do.  But his health should come first. 

Couldn't agree more.

For better or worse, I think people need to also consider the possibility that his “stage presence” at recent gigs actually doesn’t have much or anything to do with the canceled dates. I think it’s quite possible that Al (and apparently Robert Lamm?) getting Covid at the tail end of the tour may have led Brian’s team to realize that it’s better to be overly-cautious right now. Even with boosters, Brian is probably even more at risk of serious Covid complications than Al or someone else of a similar age who seems to be otherwise in good health.

I think this scenario would be both for better and worse, because I do think his stage presence is something they should be looking at too. But, I don’t say this particularly with glee or doom because it is a complicated issue, but I could actually envision the show going back on the road at some point, perhaps early next year, if everybody is otherwise in the same shape and Covid isn’t having any appreciable spikes.

I’m not into telling anybody what to do. But from the fan perspective, I’d be fine if Brian stopped with the full-blown touring. If he can muster some additional performance strength, then maybe a show here and there with Al and Blondie could still be enjoyable. I dunno.

I completely understand that this is a possibility, but I really hope that those in charge of the tour (management), his bandmates who witness this first-hand, and those who look after him medically would've raised some concern about Brian's condition. While Brian has always had his own aloof personality onstage, I am completely aware that the recent videos show him being far more distant and non-participative for a bit of the shows.

Y'all know I defend Brian and his management to ridiculous levels, but I really do try to look at things from a logical perspective, and one just can't ignore how Brian has been acting at times on this current tour. While you may be 100% correct that Covid was the only driver behind the tour cancellation, I would really hope that Brian's mannerisms on this tour raised a lot of red flags to those around him and it was also a driver behind the cancellation.

That being said, I really hope that someone in or near the band could clarify these things for us, or that Brian's management would release a more detailed statement in the near future regarding Brian. Clearly his fans are worried about him, and all our speculation only drives different theories that could either be correct or incorrect. Better to just give us the straight dope than having us armchair quarterbacks bickering about what could or could not be happening.

[he has continued to do whatever he wants]

On the other hand if anyone raises a question about  Brian's wellbeing, some will call them misinformed or conspiracy theorists.

The problem isn't that people raise questions. The issue arrises when people make libelous claims that implicate almost every person in Brian's current orbit right now. Those claims don't logically conform to the reality of Brian's situation.

Perhaps I'm wrong, but I don't think that any sane fan would defend improper care of Brian. Jon Stebbin's FAQ book raised a huge red flag for me in that passage about his witnessing Brian being talked down to harshly (or was he being straight up yelled at?) backstage within the last decade (or two? I can't remember when he witnessed that). Didn't Carnie Wilson supposedly call Melinda "Me-Landy"? Didn't Brian lay down on stage in the middle of a concert many years ago?

I don't think we're ignorant of the issues that have come up over the years regarding Brian. Those issues are concerning. However, taken as a whole, for every one concerning issue that pops up Brian has seemingly 1000+ good days. If Brian were being forced to tour against his will (and well-being), how could any of Brian's best friends not know about it? Wouldn't his family be speaking out daily about it?

I brought up Carnie's supposed "Me-Landy" quote. Here's a verified quote from Carnie just 8 years ago regarding Brian: "(He) is doing Ok. He is laying back a little bit, which is about time. I want him to do that. He has been on the road for 15 years, and he has continued to do whatever he wants. I like to make him dinner and hang out... I want him to slow down."

That's his own daughter saying that Brian does whatever he wants...if he were being forced to tour I doubt his daughter would say anything to the contrary about that very issue. In this quote she is worried about his well-being, but not because of some nefarious outside force controlling Brian.

I brought up what Jon Stebbin's witnessed, and I'm not defending that incident at all (or disputing what Jon saw). However, if such abuse were an ongoing thing I think we would have heard about other incidents by now. You know how many people roam backstage and around dressing rooms before these shows? Over the last 25 years (over 800 shows) I think we would've heard something other than what was in Stebbin's book.

I think every fan is currently concerned with Brian's well-being and we're all hoping for the best possible outcome regarding this situation...which is basically, we're all hoping that whatever is decided regarding Brian's life/touring/etc that he is happy and comfortable.

These mental geniuses hate how people dictate what’s best for Brian , as they themselves dictate what’s best for Brian.  They figured it out! Everyone in Brian’s band, his family and loved ones, everyone, all banded together to force Brian to tour against his will to be miserable onstage all in the name of breaking even , if that. Everyone in the world except these brave keyboard warriors . 🙄

This exactly. I get very defensive when I see the "handler" or "Brian is controlled" talk come up, because it implies some very awful things about the people in Brian's life - from his family, to his good friends, to the band members. None of them deserve to be thought of as aiding in or ignoring some deplorable conspiracy against Brian's wellbeing by the hand of Melinda Wilson.

Sadly I don't think certain fans think too deeply about what their speculation implies.

I’m not signaling the demise of Brian, but in any scenario where the rest of the band goes out as a “Brian Wilson Band” sort of thing, one has to remember that not only would there be a question of the type of bookings they could get (which in turn would dictate that it would be difficult to pay for that many musicians), but it’s not clear that all of the members would want to keep doing that. Obviously, some of them already do side gigs with tribute bands and whatnot. But at least a few of them don’t, and I’m not sure they’d want to keep it going without Brian. And obviously, either position/opinion on that is totally justifiable.

I tend to doubt the show *currently* makes a ton of money considering how many musicians are on stage. If they had to book smaller venues, I don’t think they could afford it. What you’d end up with is a scaled-back band along the lines of the band behind Al and his gigs.

Yeah I guess I didn't think of whether or not the band members would even want to continue in their current form without Brian as the foundation (though I do realize that such a setup wouldn't likely be financially stable).

That being said, I do hope that Darian and other bandmembers who want to, will make some original music again. I think they could do some really cool stuff, and all with the essence of Brian Wilson. I don't know, just a thought.

I just find it all so sad...the abrupt tour cancellation and Brian's seeming health decline. I said it before, but I really hope he'll be okay. And I hope all of us fans band together and send some prayers/positive thoughts his way.

Also, if Brian isn't able to tour anymore, I hope that his band sticks together. Honestly, they should just go back to being the Wondermints or something, and start releasing music, going on small tours. Heck, Brian could produce or write some songs for them to perform. I don't know how fiscally realistic that could be, but they gotta try and keep their amazing talent together for as long as they can.

I like that list.

Really like the inclusion of 'Baby Let Your Hair Grow Long' and 'A Day In The Life of a Tree'.

I would add 'In The Back of My Mind' and 'She Says That She Needs Me'.

This video made me realize that the bonus track on the Party/Stack o Tracks twofer doesn't seem to be readily available on the streaming services I have - I wanted to compare them directly because the one nitpicky thought I had was looking for a higher frequency when the organ came in - but that might just be mixing with the ukeleles.

I had no idea that ukuleles were even played on 'Help Me Rhonda' until I watched Joshilyn's video. Also, watching the drums being played was eye opening for me - I always think of drummers as just pounding away on the drums, but this was such a mellow beat that was lightly played....makes you realize that instead of just using the drums as the main instrument to drive most of the rhythm, Brian was using almost every instrument to do drive the rhythm - the drums were just one small part of it.

Again, great video, Joshilyn. I've been watching it over and over again since you posted.

Billy, now "they" get to say that they were right all the time...

They perhaps will say it, but their standpoint is still not backed up by any presentable facts.

Brian is 80 years old, so health issues are just a given. Brian may be done touring for good, or he may just be going through a health slump. Who knows. Some are even berating management for not announcing Brian's complete retirement from touring lol. It's interesting because these fans supposedly care about Brian's well-being, yet they have zero respect for the possibility that Brian does want to tour. These people act as if it's a fact that Brian is a 'Weekend At Bernie's' dead guy who is being controlled by Melinda or Darian or whoever. These fans have no respect for Brian's dignity (and clearly no respect for those around Brian) - they see him as a vegetable which is why they talk as if he is one.

When in reality, Brian is a walking/talking/breathing human who has said on countless occasions that he does like to tour these days (yet these fans don't believe him). Brian is clearly going through some health issues and management is supposed to immediately announce the complete cancellation of any future tours? Come on.

I just hope that he is doing well and that whatever is decided about the touring, Brian's life, etc, that it will make him happy, comfortable, and at peace with life.

The BB Reddit page is truly awful. Avoid at all costs.

They have some great discussion there, and a lot of people there are truly passionate about the music. But it sure is ground zero for the "Brian is being forced against his will" conspiracy theories. Any thread regarding Brian's touring is pure cancer on that site. Also, their take on the new Sounds of Summer was so over-the-top, you'd think someone had burned all The Beach Boys masters in a heaping inferno on a street in Berlin.

Joshilyn, this put this biggest smile on my face. I'm still grinning ear to ear.

This is PERFECT. The piano part at 2:07 blew my mind, sounds like an exact copy of the original (and for that matter the entire thing sounds like an exact copy of the original). Seriously awesome work.

Gonna be playing this throughout the day.

Did anyone from here buy this version?