Not an incredibly impressive trailer but it is just a trailer.
https://youtu.be/F_Rspu3Xoi4?feature=shared

I’m a fan of these guys, they’re mainly a Bob Dylan podcast but they’ve also done series on Lou Reed/John Cale and Steely Dan and now they’re doing The Beach Boys. They’ve had some incredible guests like Ezra Koenig, Laurie Anderson, Greil Marcus, and Ira Kaplan. I’m really excited that they’re doing The Beach Boys now and they just put out the first episode today. https://www.patreon.com/posts/101875198

Brian's social media team put out a statement:

Following the passing of Brian’s beloved wife Melinda, after careful consideration and consultation among Brian, his seven children, Gloria Ramos and Brian’s doctors (and consistent with family processes put in place by Brian and Melinda), we are confirming that longtime Wilson family representatives LeeAnn Hard and Jean Sievers will serve as Brian’s co-conservators of the person.

This decision was made to ensure that there will be no extreme changes to the household and Brian and the children living at home will be taken care of and remain in the home where they are cared for by Gloria Ramos and the wonderful team at the house who have been in place for many years helping take care of the family.

Brian will be able to enjoy all of his family and friends and continue to work on current projects as well as participate in any activities he chooses.

The Wilson family

There have also been reports that Brian is suffering from dementia but this hasn’t been specifically confirmed outside of quasi-tabloid sources like Yahoo and The Daily Mail, still it seems very likely given the statement. Damn.
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/beach-boys-brian-wilson-suffering-004837002.html

Was a nice surprise to see the Grammys included both Melinda and Jeff Foskett in their In Memoriam.

Elliot Roberts has done a lot of great videos about and related to the Beatles, he just put out this deep dive into The Beach Boys Love You and it’s really well done.

https://youtu.be/Zn-E3PAtZK8?feature=shared

Put on the 2004 Smile album and Jeff’s voice is the first thing you hear, leading off “Our Prayer”. A powerful voice and such a joyful and enthusiastic stage presence. He will definitely be missed.

Someone I would like to see Al emulate in terms of his solo music is Micky Dolenz, another artist whose songwriting talent may be limited but whose last few albums of cover songs have been really good. He did one of all Carole King songs which I thought was great and one of Michael Nesmith solo songs (I can definitely see Al doing something similar to that, Jardine sings Wilson? I’d buy it!)

There’s also an official Beach Boys children’s book “The ABCs of California” coming out in October. Cute cover art!



https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Beach-Boys-Present-The-ABCs-of-California/David-Calcano/9781970047264#:~:text=This%2060%2Dpage%2C%20full%20color,Boys–talk%20about%20Good%20Vibrations!

And a coloring book by the same author, that one is coming out later this month.



https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Beach-Boys-Official-Coloring-Book/David-Calcano/9781970047240

I will point out as others have, this kinda thing is what Al does, although usually not to this extent. He re-recorded "Cotton Fields" of course and he re-recorded the lead vocal of "Loop de Loop" nearly 30 years after his original falsetto vocal on there. Not to mention how long it took him to get his first solo studio album out. But a funny one people forget is the CD release of "PT Cruiser" in '02 or '03 or whenever. I'm pretty there was a version for the a cappella and the track, but I think there were a few remixes as well. No offense to Al, but who on earth needs however many remixes of "PT Cruiser"?

Don't forget about his absolute need to re-edit Beaks of Eagles on the Sail on Sailor box set (and the entire California Saga medley being repeated on the last disc just to showcase that one pretty inconsequential edit).

And I guess it never changed that much but also the fact that Susie Cincinnati appeared on the B-side of three different singles throughout the 70s (though I'm also guessing it was Al's decision to remix it for the Made in California set).

I actually saw him open for Brian in 2015 (a really great show) and afterwards, I bought the DVD of the documentary and also bought the soundtrack. The movie was mostly about the legend surrounding him but what really made it work was what a likable and charismatic figure he was. I’m glad he was able to enjoy his comeback. He wrote some really wonderful songs.



https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/rodriguez-searching-for-sugar-man-rocker-dead-obit-1234803231/

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen—

did Mike start doing that thing and… why?

Listener Top 60 Countdown

Pretty good list! A few surprises, congrats to everyone who voted for Ding Dang lol

60. Wild Honey
59. It’s OK
58. California Dreamin’
57. Surfin’
56. Hushabye
55. This Whole World
54. Good Timin’
53. You’re So Good to Me
52. She Knows Me Too Well
51. All I Wanna Do
50. Long Promised Road
49. That’s Why God Made the Radio
48. Girl Don’t Tell Me
47. Girls on the Beach
46. Disney Girls (1957)
45. Hawaii
44. Let Him Run Wild
43. I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times
42. Getcha Back
41. Add Some Music to Your Day
40. Ding Dang
39. Shut Down
38. Kiss Me, Baby
37. The Little Girl I Once Knew
36. Break Away
35. ‘Til I Die
34. Wendy
33. Please Let Me Wonder
32. Surf’s Up
31. Forever
30. All Summer Long
29. Caroline No
28. When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)
27. Do You Wanna Dance?
26. Dance, Dance, Dance
25. Be True to Your School
24. Catch a Wave
23. 409
22. Heroes and Villains
21. The Warmth of the Sun
20. Surfin’ Safari
19. Barbara Ann
18. Little Deuce Coupe
17. Do It Again
16. Sail On Sailor
15. Darlin’
14. Kokomo
13. I Can Hear Music
12. Surfin’ USA
11. Fun, Fun, Fun
10. Help Me, Rhonda
9. Surfer Girl
8. In My Room
7. I Get Around
6. Sloop John B
5. Don’t Worry Baby
4. California Girls
3. Good Vibrations
2. Wouldn’t It Be Nice
1. God Only Knows

A band called AJR was featured on the channel, choosing a few of their favorite Beach Boys songs with some between-song commentary. Never heard of them and the show itself was way too short but it's nice to hear some actual DJ programming on the channel, which normally seems to just be the catalog on shuffle. They picked Sloop John B, Wouldn't It Be Nice, and Surfers Rule and then ended with their own version of Darlin' which sounded pretty good, reminded me of Nate Ruess's version from the Brian Wilson and Friends concert DVD.

From looking at the excerpts, it looks like David Marks wasn't interviewed for the book at all which is odd, especially as he's usually been included in these sort of retrospectives in the past decade or so.

https://www.genesis-publications.com/book/9781905662845

Looks like a more affordable edition will be out in bookstores next year.
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/the-beach-boys-official-book-1234787659/

It doesn’t even work as a joke. It’s a reference to a trans actress who did an innocuous tiktok sponsored by Budweiser. I don’t even use tiktok, it’s demographic seems to be teens to mid 20s but somehow conservative circles got wind of it and interpreted it as “BUDWEISER DOESN’T CARE ABOUT REAL WOMEN” or something like that. Doesn’t really make any sense but I’m glad Mike thinks it’s HILARIOUS (and also the government is somehow involved because he mentions the FBI? The whole thing is pretty dumb).

 
And the full album:

https://youtu.be/9sFsIlj0RJw

7 out of 10 of these songs were already on Unleash the Love. Not exactly a new album, unless they’re different recordings (and I’m not interested in listening to all of those songs twice to compare lol).

That’s actor/comedian David Cross.

If we’re still going by 50 year anniversary like with the last two sets, we’d be waiting until 2026 but I hope that’s not the case! I hope they’re working on it as we speak in time for a release either this or next year.

The Beach Boys are playing this big NJ festival headlined by The Killers and Foo Fighters. Pretty high profile gig for Mike and Bruce https://www.seahearnowfestival.com/?utm_source=attentive&attn-vid=bfb488e3a3d44a19867259502484f403

I wonder if Brian, Mike, Al, and Bruce (also maybe David?) will do a few songs together, at least Brian and Al seem to be winding down in terms of their performing days, might be the last time they ever appear together as a group which would be a special thing.

Is Ricky not singing on “Funky Pretty”? I always thought he was part of that round with Al, Blondie, and Mike:

where's my spark in the dark? - Al
Glow glow glow c’mon glow - Ricky
The funky pretty flame in my heart - Blondie
Me and my Pisces lady are apart - Mike

But I can see how that could just also be Blondie.

Laughed at Carl “Cookie” Wilson, never occurred to me that was Carl doubling himself on “Mess of Help”, I never really questioned what that was but it makes for a cool effect!

The bonus instrumental track from Brian Wilson presents Smile is used as background music around 20 minutes in to “Mickey: The Story of a Mouse” and I was completely thrown when it started playing, I recognized it immediately!

EDIT: and perhaps not coincidentally, a photo of Brian Wilson wearing a Mickey Mouse T-shirt also appears in a montage later in the documentary.

This set also leads me to ask why was We Got Love left off Holland?  That could have been a staple on FM radio.

We Got Love was on the version of Holland that was rejected by Warner Bros. because they felt it lacked a good single. The album originally led off with Steamboat (which while a fine song is fairly mellow to be an opening track on a Beach Boys album) and We Got Love ended Side 1, coming after California Saga. When Sail On Sailor was added as the opening track, We Got Love was taken off to make room, though apparently some early German pressings came out with the original rejected track listing by mistake.

But clearly the band really liked the song, they kept it in their set list until Ricky left the group and including it on the In Concert album probably gave some incentive for fans to hear a “new song”.