Sounds so great. Brian when he's at ease is a wonderful thing.

Wow. Very moving indeed.

His voice is definitely rougher in POB. In the late 60s/early 70s stuff, I think it's got its own beauty--different from the beauty of his brothers' voices, but pretty to listen to, nonetheless. Mid 70s, it's rougher, though I don't find it hard to listen to. But obviously in the early 80s, that was damage on a whole other level.

Seems he spoke, must watch later 

Trump and his merry band of privileged white men.

My thoughts on it (and no proof, but just my guess) is that Brian's upset with the sale of the songs had nothing to do with him somehow knowing they would be worth many times more someday, I would think he was more upset that his "babies" so to speak were sold. He put his blood, sweat and tears into them and then had them taken away. Granted he was still listed as the songwriter and stuff, but he no longer had as much control over the songs.
Also, the fact that Murry got all $700k of it and didnt even give Brian $1 from what I've heard also probably pissed him off.
I know that both of those factors would anger me if I was in his position...

I agree. I think it was less about the money and more about the total disregard for what Brian would want for his own work.

One...Michael...Do It Again is a song TITLE...not marching orders. 

Ha!
Well, that's just it, Lee. He loves it. The Beach Boys do it again! Mike Love does it again! He thinks it's clever. Hey, lets get surfing again, like the old days. Let's record that song again, like the old days.

Maybe he should find a melodist and write song new lyrics, creating a new song? If Brian won't do it, find someone else. Maybe it will help erase the notion that he's out of ideas and earn him some respect?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fypoqXaQHo0&app=desktop&persist_app=1

Best I could do at the time

Ah, thanks for that. Well...it's hard to hear, but I prefer the original. I can hear that Mike is singing the first verse and Taylor Hanson is singing the second, but I couldn't have guessed it was Hanson unless I knew beforehand, at least not based on this video. It's actually much more poppy than what they normally do these days. For example, here's their cover of the Beatles' "Oh Darlin" :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIHEMQ5rFW4

I Googled this and I dont' see anything about it on the Internet.

So, I was a longtime fan of Hanson...not for any teen idol reasons, but because I thought they were a good band. And they were. It's just that they sort of plateaued at a certain point where you'd hope, given their potential as kids and teens, they'd sort of get into more innovative stuff. Also because they always insisted that they were not a pop act or a boy band, but a rock band. And they were. But while they've made several albums of enjoyable pop-rock, they always, always play it safe. They're quite conservative and religious, so perhaps that has something to do with it? I don't know. But just so you all know, the oldest brother is pushing 40, and they have many kids among them. So they're not teenagers anymore. Mmmbop came out 21 years ago.

Speaking of playing it safe...Mike Love. Again with the rehash of an old song? Couldn't they at least have recorded something new?

A friend who is not a huge BB fan texted me the photo, knowing I'm a fan. She wrote, "This photo is hilarious. What's with the shirts?" So...yeah. That's what she noticed. Nothing about the significance of the reunion. The shirt thing is not a huge deal, but it's just another one of those weird missteps this band tends to make that contribute to people thinking the band doesn't understand PR.

(Of course, she's also aware of the Beach Boys' dysfunction, having seen them live in the 70s. She said Brian was mumbling onstage and making no sense, and one of the others had to stop him by starting a new song. That's her main memory, along side great music.)

Hypothetical: Flip the script and both Al and Brian show up wearing these shirts yesterday, while Mike, Bruce, and David are sporting normal street clothes.




In that case, I suppose no one would notice, including the media outlets writing about the shirts, and anyone noticing and commenting would be called a hater. Right?

As we know, it's not really about shirts. It's about one member of the band using the reunion as an opportunity for self-promotion. Also, to be disappointed about that decision is not to miss the importance of the reunion and the joy in seeing Brian and Mike smiling at each other. We can have two thoughts at once. We can have complicated opinions about Mike.

By the way, I love that Brian shirt. Hadn't seen his merch in a while.

Who wore it better?
The striped shirt thing reminds me of going to conferences and getting company t-shirts. Some of us avoided wearing those ugly things.

https://gumroad.com/l/mRwVf


Really? That's my reaction. Tacky. A schtick. Distracting from what the event actually was. And if anyone starts getting on Brian and Al for not wearing them, remember that those shirts have nothing to do with the Beach Boys in their present form. Especially with Mike's photos in the lining and the cuffs.

Just my 2 cents.

Right. Does Mike want a reunion because he wants to spend time with his family or because he wants to make money? I get it-- both. Understandable, but the shirt thing comes off as a --as you said--tacky ploy. He's using the reunion for self-promotion because he knows more people will pay attention with both him and Brian in the same room.

I haven't been one that's begging for a reunion, but this is a really sweet photo. Maybe the best thing for these two is just to have lunch occasionally. Reminisce, have a laugh, and no time to get into the pettiness.

Hey, July has gotten better. We've gotten to the point of getting all five guys in the room, whereas it was this at the beginning of the month:

Stamos didn't get the dress code memo. Not garish enough.

What would make it worthwhile for me is for the get together to go well with no bad vibes, that they leave on good terms. That could possibly help heal a bit of the post C50 stuff.

What are the odds of that?

Watching it now, though I missed the very beginning. They get a lot of the chronology wrong, and the story is very simplified. Several times, they say, "Eager to get Brian back on track so he can get on the road and MAKE THEM SOME MONEY..." A lot of it is about the band pushing Brian onto the stage, into the studio, into treatment with Landy, etc, "so they can make money."

But they do interview a lot of the heavy hitters, including Jon Stebbins.

The re-enacting actors are terrible. They don't even sound American.

GF, I found the auction page for that letter, but it doesn't have the text.
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/52960769_brian-wilson-handwritten-letter-to-maharishi

Interesting that it was found in Milton Love's dresser drawer. No one thought to look inside before selling the dresser?!

There's also this article about the items. The handwriting in the photo is attributed to Brian but refers to Brian in the third person and sounds more like Mike.

https://www.dailybreeze.com/2017/05/26/lost-memoirs-photos-of-the-beach-boys-up-for-auction/

Brian is using a wheelchair on stage now - https://www.facebook.com/alanjardine/posts/1946717888719830

He looks quite animated, which is great. 

He's definitely into it.
Brian has been seen in a comfy chair before shows, and he wrote about it in his book, too. I always wondered why he couldn't sit in a comfier chair onstage, albeit one that would still allow him to play the keyboard. Looks like the wheelchair gives him some support. And it would make it easier on whoever helps him onto the stage.

I’m a little disturbed by a number of comments on here about the use of wheelchairs.  And this has nothing to do with Brian. For all I know a wheelchair might not help with brian’s health issues so that’s besides the point. But for those that do need a wheelchair, whether temporarily, permanently, or in specific situations, there’s nothing shameful or alarming about using one.  A number of comments here suggest that Brian might “not want to be seen” in one or that fans “might be alarmed” to see him in a wheelchair.  This kind of attitude perpetuates the stigmatization of people that use wheelchairs or mobility devices. 

The jazz giant Clark Terry was often in a wheelchair in his last years and, I believe, performed live while using a wheelchair.  Instead of seeing that and feeling uncomfortable for whatever reason, or worrying that he’s on the decline, we should all take our hats off to someone who has physical or mobility issues but uses whatever tools are available (wheelchair, walker, what have you) to allow them to do what they want to do.  That’s called kicking ass, and it’s not something to be ashamed of. 

Marcella, I was one of the people who made some wheelchair comments. I in no way meant that using a wheelchair is shameful or anything like that. But it's the way people react, and I was saying a real possibility that Brian or one of his staff thought people would react to a wheelchair. I wasn't saying it was correct to do so. People reacted when he had to be helped onstage. There's nothing shameful in needing help, either. I'm probably not explaining myself well, but I do apologize if I implied that using a wheelchair is anything to be ashamed of.

I completely understand what you're saying, and I wasn't calling out any one comment, just the idea that people could react negatively if they saw Brian in a wheelchair. I understand that the paparazzi will spin something like that into a story on Brian's decline or whatever, but frankly, so what? If B-list magazines and whatever "camps" want to suggest that Brian shouldn't be touring - well, as many have pointed out, that's been happening for years, and it doesn't seem to hold any sway with Brian. My point was just that people should be able to use whatever mobility device or medical assistance they need in order to let them do the things they want to do, without worrying about what anyone else thinks.

I agree with you, and I'm just saying that sometimes, people who work for celebrities ARE paid to look after the celebrity's image. I'm hoping Brian doesn't care. People speculate about him a lot-- he may slur his speech, not answer questions, be carried to the stage, whatever-- and people speculate, including some of the people here. I'm sure people have speculated about his health since at least the 70s.  I would hope Brian just carries forward without worrying and does what he wants. I think that's probably the case. The thing is, Brian continually defies the doubters. As someone said in this thread, how many 76-year-olds go on tour, months after back surgery?

I’m a little disturbed by a number of comments on here about the use of wheelchairs.  And this has nothing to do with Brian. For all I know a wheelchair might not help with brian’s health issues so that’s besides the point. But for those that do need a wheelchair, whether temporarily, permanently, or in specific situations, there’s nothing shameful or alarming about using one.  A number of comments here suggest that Brian might “not want to be seen” in one or that fans “might be alarmed” to see him in a wheelchair.  This kind of attitude perpetuates the stigmatization of people that use wheelchairs or mobility devices. 

The jazz giant Clark Terry was often in a wheelchair in his last years and, I believe, performed live while using a wheelchair.  Instead of seeing that and feeling uncomfortable for whatever reason, or worrying that he’s on the decline, we should all take our hats off to someone who has physical or mobility issues but uses whatever tools are available (wheelchair, walker, what have you) to allow them to do what they want to do.  That’s called kicking ass, and it’s not something to be ashamed of. 

Marcella, I was one of the people who made some wheelchair comments. I in no way meant that using a wheelchair is shameful or anything like that. But it's the way people react, and I was saying a real possibility that Brian or one of his staff thought people would react to a wheelchair. I wasn't saying it was correct to do so. People reacted when he had to be helped onstage. There's nothing shameful in needing help, either. I'm probably not explaining myself well, but I do apologize if I implied that using a wheelchair is anything to be ashamed of.

Hi ; I haven’t been on in quite a while but wanted to add to this discussion.  I wanted to say that Brian has had these back issues for years and has had several procedures done since 2012 ; three to my recollection. The most extensive however, was the lower back surgery he had a few months ago.  Back surgery is a rough deal ; the rehab from back surgery is a bitch to say the least. I can verify that from personal experience. Brian is in the rehab process of rebuilding the strength in his legs which has been deteriorating for awhile , pre-surgery, and it’s going to take time. He’s getting there slowly but surely  ; and he’s doing it on the road because that’s what he wants to do, play his music and touring.

Great to hear, Ray. Thanks for posting.

But he also may not have wanted to be seen going to his piano in a wheelchair, perhaps thinking that this would cause more concern than necessary.

Remember when TMZ or somesuch took footage of Brian being wheeled through the airport in a wheelchair? Fans knew it was because of his back, but the general public probably thought he was permanently wheelchair bound and may have been concerned. So yeah, Brian might not want people to worry. (By the way, my father wrenched his knee a couple of years ago and my stepmother wheeled him through the airport, and they got priority boarding. My father was embarrassed because it really wasn't THAT serious, but since he's in his 80s, people assumed the worst.)

I think we have to assume that Brian, having just had surgery, got advice from his doctors on whether touring is advisable. Whether they actually advised against touring and he ignored it, we can't know. But hopefully doctors gave their blessing. And also, maybe they took into account what many people (including Brian himself) have said: that touring helps keep the depression at bay.

Dennis, potentially could have been a lot closer to Brian if he didn't go off the rails

Agreed. Dennis didn't have the same discipline as peak-era Brian, and look what he still managed to do.

Happy birthday, Brian!


This one was just posted on the Buddy Holly facebook account:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO A BRILLIANT CREATIVE,INNOVATIVE MUSIC GENIUS!
BRIAN DOUGLAS WILSON
June 20th 1942
Maria Elena and The Buddy Holly Education Foundation are thrilled and proud Brian has graciously accepted our invitation to recieve a very special Buddy inspired guitar.This particular instrument,titled "Everyday"was first presented to the late,great Ventures guitarist,Nokie Edwards,who was a wonderful supporter and Ambassador for TBHEF.
Brian was a huge fan of Nokie and The Ventures.
More details to follow later.
In the meantime we wish Brian,the incomparable music icon,a wonderful birthday with family and friends.
Here's a few stunning all-time classics from the great artist and his Beach Boy colleagues.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkPy18xW1j8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lD4sxxoJGkA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSAoEf1Ib58

www.tbhef.org

Click this link to join our page https://www.facebook.com/thebuddyhollyeducationalfoundation/
www.tbhef.org

Fantastic!
Happy birthday, Brian, and many, many more.
I just went to the FB page, and they also have a message for Paul from two days ago. I can't help but notice that Brian's is way more gushy.     I love them both, but Brian is incomparable.