Never been a fan of Santa's Beard , the lyrics sound weird with a nearly 74 yr old man singing about his 5 yr old brother. Should just change it to grandson, and it's  a little out of Mike's range as his voice cracks  BUT Little St. Nick sounds fantastic! No one sings that song like Mike Love.

It's just tough to truly do those Pet Sounds leads without Al and Carl. People are so used to them dominating those songs , that the modern versions just pale in comparison.  Especially when you hear Al's recent leads on them.  I also agree about Cal. Girls, pick up the tempo but sounds good.

HA! Love the grandson idea...I could totally see Mike doing that.

Hey!  Thanks for the on-topic posts.  One reason why I like to check in to this thread is to see what fans like you (and me) think of our show.  That's why it's been so frustrating to see all the off topic stuff that's been going on.

As for CAL GIRLS, Andrew Hickey pointed out earlier this year that it was too slow.  So I started picking it up.  I think if you look at where the organ comes in you can see me conducting and that seems to be close to the right tempo, but it ends up settling down a few bpm.  I'll run it today at soundcheck.  On the record, the band plays the choruses a tad slower than the verses, while the vocals seem to be ahead of the beat most of the song.

As for Sloop, Bruce wants me to double him at the top, and from this youtube I think that sounds ok.  I note that Mike has made up a counter melody that isn't on the record.

As for WIBN, the melody is doubled on the record, that's what we were going for.  Maybe we'll try it with just Jeff.

Thanks for your thoughts!

Scott

Scott- Thanks for posting a reply! I noticed your conducting and I recall you addressing the issue previously on the board. It's one of those things you don't really notice until you look for it...but once you've found it, it's unavoidable.

Perhaps it's Mike's counter-melody that was sounding off to me. I just noticed something different/not quite right.

Again...thanks for posting and not just giving up on this board. Some of us here DO actually care about the music! 

Someone can correct me but without the extended outro, they both clock in about the same 2.45.

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

Open up two windows and start them at the same time. It's uncanny.

The Christmas tunes sound great...I wish they'd do a Christmas show close enough to me one of these years.

California Girls gets slower every time I hear them play it...otherwise it sounds great.

Sloop John B melodies were really rocky in some places, and Wouldn't it Be Nice was really distracting in that you could clearly tell Scott AND Jeffrey were both singing lead. It sounded like two voices, instead of one strong one (which I'd think is the sound they're going for).

And it doesn't need to be said but....damn Bruce, tone back the handclaps.

Saturday Night on Hollywood Blvd seems like it could actually get some airplay assuming Joe Thomas doesn't ruin it.

I think it would be GREAT if one of the guest artists got "too much fame" singing BW's songs. If his work can connect with still more people than it does, that's spectacular. if the songs suit their voices, what's the harm? It certainly doesn't diminish BW's stature any.

Nate Ruess is already famous for being the lead singer of the band "Fun.", who've had a couple big hits ("We Are Young", "Some Nights").

He also guested on a Pink song that hit #1.

I do agree with Brian that he kinda sounds like Carl.

I love fun.  However, I think he has more of a Freddie Mercury quality about his voice.

And for what it's worth...I always thought the bridge from "Walking The Dog" had a very "Kokomo" quality about it. The melody and phrasing is very similar to the verse of "Kokomo" as well as the chord structure.

Walking The Dog
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCisO0YCjaI

Brian and Alan both sound excellent! Great setlist...can't wait for this special...and hopefully a good full-length bootleg 

Two great clips on Brian's FB rehearsing "Summer's gone" and "Pacific Coast Highway"   

Why didn't Joe import attractive young actors for the PBS Beach Boys' C50 special? The audience they filmed for that, which Joe also produced, was filled with elder folk from Florida.  Why now?  Because it's Brian solo?

It's being marketed to a younger audience, especially given the contemporary guest stars on the album.

As for the C50 videos (there were actually two), I'm not aware that either of them was shown on PBS. But I might be misremembering that.

I believe the "Do it Again" one that was more of a documentary than "concert video" was shown on PBS in June '12. Both show very elderly audiences indeed...

The Albert Hall seem to have updated their site today.  Tickets go on sale on Friday at 9am.  Yay!

So this is really JUST Mike & Bruce? No other bands on the bill?....no other band members on the bill?

...good luck guys!

So about that Beach Boys 2015 tour, a UK date on 31st May 2015 at The Royal Albert Hall has been announced according to Andrew. I might just go to that didn't get to go to TRAH last time around.

Have Mike and Bruce ever played RAH without any other BB's?

Not trying to toss more logs on...just genuinely curious! Seems like a very odd choice in venue for their show.

This is why people don't like Beach Boys fans  

Frankly, this is why people don't like The Beach Boys...sometimes it's just not worth the fandom. Put the records on and enjoy...

The sarcasm was all over that post against BW's nervous breakdown.

But it isn't just Brian...it's almost all of them really. Actually, I'd go as far as to say it's all of them except Mike Love.

Alan was really the first to approach his involvement this way, of course, his was probably the most legitimate and/or honorable of all excuses.

Then David's quiet removal...Brian's breakdown...Dennis's drunken days...Carl's solo excursions.

The Beach Boys have always been a pretty faceless entity as far as live shows...EXCEPT, I think most people know that they're gonna see that nasal guy with the ball-cap front and center when they go to a concert.

So the problem occurs because people know the NAME: Brian Wilson (as they damn well should). Thus, you get the general public which I believe takes the name Brian Wilson without much or any history and associates that with the live show. However, I don't think this started at all because of C50 or the lineup changes to follow.

The Beach Boys did this to The Beach Boys from the beginning. That's it.

I said $150.00 a ticket.    For a basic Bb road band show.     Or did I miss something.   

Is there a Symphony with them?

That's very, very odd. M&B don't typically have seats over $100 unless it's a benefit or gala type thing.

Still, expected wobbly 21st-century Brian Wilson vocals...BUT, at least it doesn't sound any worse.  "God Only Knows" has never been much of a live vocal highlight for Brian though...would love to see any other clips...

Meeting in the middle ? The mythical "room" ?

Okay, so you say "meeting in the middle" would be fair. What's the middle? Less band members? Mike gets to write or co-write more songs/propose more themes? Maybe that's all reasonable. So let's say Brian moves in that direction. What does Mike give up? Because, it sure seems like it's Brian who has to give up things from C50, while Mike gains. And that'll be the "middle".

Andrew, pray tell, what do you think Mike should be willing to "give up" or budge on?

And sure, yeah, I'm sure they could meet in a room and write a few things. But I feel a feeling the goalposts would be moved if Brian signaled that this would be cool.

Wasn't it Capitol who moved the goalposts in 2011/2012?

I have no idea what you're talking about...

What did Capitol do back then to change things?

Mike said something about someone not letting him and Brian write the songs by themselves.  I just assumed it was Capitol who did that, seeing as they also chose what would be on the album for the most part (according to Bruce).

The "wivesandmanagers" if you will...

Who would want to download the same show over and over again?

I'm not exactly a big Springsteen fan, but I do know that he makes radical changes in his setlist from night to night. Where as any touring version of the beach boys maybe changes 2-5 songs...if any.

Plus, I think Springsteen's live shows draw the attention of a wider age range as well an age-range that is far more tech-savvy than the Beach Boys'.

Went to an M&B show last night and noticed something interesting -- Bruce made the call for the audience to come down to the front of the stage and dance, just like Denny used to do so many years ago in BB shows. I don't recall seeing anyone make that call in any of the recent touring entities

I don't recall Dennis doing that...

Yes, this sort of thing was encouraged at the show I saw this summer during the encore (Kokomo/FFF) but I can't say I remember Bruce or anyone specific really starting it...it just sort of happened! 

As for background videos of  ex members or current members, I saw ian Anderson's show last week and  he had old film of himself and others running in the background as he played.  I s this becoming a trend in dinosaur acts?

Paul McCartney uses tons of Beatles clips on his video screens.

If anyone here has seen Flo & Eddie's "Happy Together" shows...all the artists on that bill have clips of them on Sullivan or American Bandstand playing their hits while they do before you.

The screen thing is becoming very trendy, and in some cases too distracting. I've grown to appreciate shows that don't utilize a screen at all lately.

Dave seems pretty comfortable with the band, and having him there certainly helps with the legitimacy of the band being 'The Beach Boys':
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wlrAinur7A

Nice seeing David up there in the action! Sounding great as well...Mike's vocals? Not so much...

David is a serious asset to any version of a Beach Boys touring band he can be part of. Unlike the others, his musicianship and instrumental capabilities have improved over these fifty years.

Great stories indeed!

Was "their hearts..." the only real oddball in the setlist?

[Pet Sounds]

This summer, more than once, I posited to those who would be involved the notion of a Pet Sounds 50th anniversary celebration  - hereafter referred to as PS50 - which included another full-on reunion tour (I claim no credit, Helen Keller could see that one coming), and the response was negative, and surprisingly heatedly so. My strong impression is that given the current situation (arising from the summer nonsense), no more whole band onstage reunions. Ever.

That said, these are The Beach Boys: never say never, as the usual rules don't apply. We got The Smile Sessions, we got C50.

Do you think that any of the negativity might also stem from the fact that a "PS50" tour would inevitably result in the press rehashing of the C50 ending and talking about "BRIAN WILSON'S MAGNUM OPUS, PET SOUNDS". In addition to the fact that they'd all be two years older, I gotta imagine that it'd be pretty exhausting dealing with all of that nonsense when doing promotion. If I'm Mike Love, other than cementing the band's artistic legacy, I see very little appealing about a worldwide PS50 tour.

Perhaps instead of a full blown tour they'd be better served doing some short residencies at the appropriate venues in the big markets (LA, NY, London, etc). As a NY'er, I'm envisioning 4 or 5 shows at Carnegie Hall or Radio City with a full orchestra, take a few weeks off and then move to the next market. That'd drop the touring expenses pretty dramatically (local back line would be much cheaper for multiple nights, no need for buses, etc.) and it would also give them the opportunity to build up the prestige for the shows and charge appropriate ticket prices.

That's the way to go. However, we're all certainly jumping the gun a bit as David pointed out....we may not have five living beach boys when this anniversary is celebrated! But then I guess that raises another question: would something like this still be on the table if we lose one of them by then? Not trying to take this down a morbid path or anything, but I couldn't see this having any media hype if Brian OR Mike were no longer with us to make it happen.

As some have eluded to, this could probably work with *some* of the early hits. However, five people playing "Good Vibrations"..."Heroes and Villains"...? No way, at least not THESE five guys.

Mike's role wouldn't change. Bruce has said before he's not a great bassist, so I wouldn't count on him. I'd like to think he still has his 60's keyboard chops, he just doesn't use them? I don't know, he's strange. Alan can hold down a rhythm part, sure. David would especially shine in this setting as he's easily the most competent musician of the bunch right now. And obviously Brian would be worthless in this setting.

So my response is, add a bassist to that drummer you mentioned and this MIGHT fly with songs like "I Get Around" "Surfin' USA" "California Girls" etc.

I've always loved Bruce on Please Let Me Wonder, although I haven't caught it live in concert in over 20 years but he's still got it. Slightly different take on it than Brian but right up there.

Also he really loves that song, which adds something to it.

Bruce did an excellent job on this last month when I saw them. It was the highlight/surprise of the show for me.

He sings it with a different kind of soul than Brian. However, I prefer the version I heard on C50 with Brian taking the lead.

Why do they have the keys next to some of the  songs? Would Jeff accidentally play them in the old Brian Wilson band keys ? Are they based on Mike's relative vocal range for that particular day ?

Mike's daughter probably sings Darlin' in a different key than Cowsill.