That is Brian

Pictured with the late country music crooner Jim Ed Brown.

And yet another interesting thread descends into "Let's all sh*t on Mike love because...why the hell not?". All this Mike hatred is turning into a sick obsession.

Already five posts today about Mike.  There's a lot of irony in saying good on Brian and Al for moving on.   

Tough sh*t, Kid. It's an open forum.

Mod skills 101, ladies and gentlemen.

That wasn't really necessary

You're right, and I apologize for it. It wasn't directed at me, so I shouldn't have said anything.

Er, ah; ya might want to back off on the apologies.

Regarding the hats...keep in mind, this is a man who did the ALS "Ice Bucket Challenge" a few years ago, where a bucket of ice water was dumped over his head while he was wearing a ballcap...and his hat did NOT come off. It's uncanny. If you did that to most men wearing a ballcap, the cap would come off in the deluge of ice water. Not Mike.

Do you think Mike and Trump share tips on how to keep that head covered? Trump picked up on the self-promoting baseball caps.  I'm thinking Mike rejected that creation on top of Trump's head?! But maybe the "glue down" process.  

It's post like the one above that cause me to love this forum and hate it at the same time. Oh, well.

Was I weird?  Then allow me to apologize. 

The Beatles were a great band. Still, I can't imagine anyone believing the Fab 4's music in 1963 was anywhere close to Beach Boys quality.

You really can't imagine *anyone* believing that? You really feel the Beatles' 1963 output was *that* inferior to the BBs?

I can't imagine anyone who truly knows both catalogs up and down having such an extreme view. I think anywhere but a BB message board, other well-informed fans or critics would hand the year to the Beatles. I *do* think a compelling argument can be made for the BBs, and reading such an argument is worthwhile. But I think it's beyond extreme to claim incredulity as to why someone would point to the Beatles' 1963 output being superior.

Hey Jude. I have great respect for you and always enjoy your posts, so this is in no way an attack on you.

I don't share 4th Wilson Brothers inabilty to imagine, but I do share his sentiment about quality, and extend it to the entire Beatles catalogue. I'm not trying to be hip, different,  ironic, difficult, or contrary.

I just don't like the Beatles music very much. I don't hate it. It just does nothing for me. It bores me if I'm honest. I genuinely put I Get Around, which I consider a piece of musical perfection, well above their entire catalogue.

Your seeming reaction  of utter incredulous disbelief is typical I'm afraid. A lot of Beatles fans genuinely dont get people who don't share their almost religuous devotion. Me, I couldn't care less if people hate the Beach Boys.

If I'm misreading what you appear to be saying then I apologise. I also apologise for being patronizing,  but you do need to accept the fact that their are some very musically minded people out there who don't share your love. They're not wrong, they just hear a different thing to you.

Rant over

Nice post, HVPIV.  And, like you, I normally enjoy HJ's posts and his obvious insight into all things musical.  I must admit, however, to being somewhat taken aback by his reaction to what I believe was an innocuous post in which I stated my preference for the BB's music circa 1963.  Did I take it a little far by stating that "I couldn't imagine" anyone believing the Beatles' songs were better during that period?  Perhaps; but I also never imagined that tiny bit of hyperbole would offend or cause anyone pain.  I was obviously wrong, so again, I apologize.

[extreme view]

The Beatles were a great band. Still, I can't imagine anyone believing the Fab 4's music in 1963 was anywhere close to Beach Boys quality.

You really can't imagine *anyone* believing that? You really feel the Beatles' 1963 output was *that* inferior to the BBs?

I can't imagine anyone who truly knows both catalogs up and down having such an extreme view. I think anywhere but a BB message board, other well-informed fans or critics would hand the year to the Beatles. I *do* think a compelling argument can be made for the BBs, and reading such an argument is worthwhile. But I think it's beyond extreme to claim incredulity as to why someone would point to the Beatles' 1963 output being superior.

Extreme view???  Like I said, *I* can't imagine why anyone would think the Beatles' music in 1963 was better than the songs the Beach Boys were producing in that same period. That statement in no way implies a belief that every other music fan must share that opinion.  I acknowledged in my first sentence that the Beatles were a great band.  And had the OP asked about my preference for the period covering the middle to late 1960s, I'm quite certain my response would have been "the Beatles."

It was never my intent to embarrass anyone simply by sharing my honest opinion. My apologies, sir; I'll try to clean up my act forthwith.

The Beatles were a great band. Still, I can't imagine anyone believing the Fab 4's music in 1963 was anywhere close to Beach Boys quality.

So, yeah, I'm happy too.

Note to RangeRover: Your post on Page 1 was magnificent.

Dec. 21 – the birthday of one of (if not THE) greatest vocalists/musicians/entertainers of all time … and a genuinely good person to boot.

If you're looking down on us, Carl:  Happy Birthday, great man.  You're still missed after all these years.

I was in attendance, so let me correct an error or two:

The concert was still in progress when winds from a nearby tornado damaged the roof at Riverwind World Resort.  The Boys had left the stage a few moments earlier, then returned for encores. There was no roof collapse in the concert hall and no noise could be heard other than the (very loud) music being played by the band.  People were receiving alerts on their phones that bad weather was approaching, but most of us believed (rightfully so) that we were safer inside the casino/concert hall than our other option (running outside).

Most patrons began filing out of the concert when water began to pour from a light fixture in the mezzanine section above us.  But there was no panic and the Boys were still playing when folks began walking toward the exits.

My only regret was that the concert was cut short by 10-15 minutes because of the bad weather.  The guys put on a good concert and it was good to see/hear Dean Torrance perform a few songs.

I'd also like to add that I've lived in Oklahoma all my 67 years. That "one scary state" comment…well, all I can say is it's pretty amusing.

By the way, I've been a Beach Boys fans since I was 13 years old, and this was my first time to see the band live in concert.  I'll forever regret having never seen my musical hero, Carl Wilson, but Saturday's concert was still a dream come true for this Beach Boys fan.  And I very much hope to see Brian and Al before they (or I) ride off into the sunset.

God, how I wish I could attend a live show that featured Carl along with the rest of the original band.

Me too! I often wonder if Carl's voice would have held up as well as Al's has over the years.

I do as well, Doc.  And I can't help but think that it would have.  Seems to me his voice was still improving as he approached 50. Even with the terrible effects of lung cancer, Carl still sang beautifully six months before he passed away.

["It's been a long time since I've had serious depression, or elation. Mostly I'm just pleasantly depressed."]

"It's been a long time since I've had serious depression, or elation. Mostly I'm just pleasantly depressed."


I laughed out loud at that one.

[WAS]

Carl Wilson WAS The Beach Boys (the touring band, at least). Carl would be 70 now, quite a bit younger than the other living partners (except for David), who are all still performing.  God, how I wish I could attend a live show that featured Carl along with the rest of the original band.

Gina has remarried twice since Carl died.  She married Jason Heathman in the early 2000's.  She was listed as Gina Wilson Heathman in the 2003 Carl Wilson Foundation booklet by that name.  In 2001, Gina attended the CWF Walk and was still listed as Gina Wilson in the photo.  So, it was sometime between 2001 and 2003 that she remarried.  From a reliable source in BB's world, they had said that Gina and Heathman split and he later died.  She remarried again to someone named Rick Romano sometime after March of 2009.  Here's a photo:  https://www.blacktie-colorado.com/photos/photodetail.cfm?id=96172&partyID=2139

Someone had said they saw her in 2012 at one of the Beach Boys' concerts out west.  Red Rocks, I believe.  Other than this, the trail ends on her.

Great find, BSummers.  That photo is pretty small so the detail isn't the greatest, but Gina looked almost the same (pretty) in 2009 as she looked in the mid-1990s. She also looked happy, which I'm sure is important to almost every Carl Wilson fan.  Carl's time on earth was short, but the majority of those years were shared with beautiful and obviously loving wives.

I wonder if Manilow and Bruce had a falling out?  Might be a bit difficult for an LGBT person to be buddies with someone who politically supports a president with bigoted cabinet members.

LOL. Did you forget KKK members, Nazi sympathizers, Holocaust deniers and misogynists?

It's not that simple. I'd have to find the physical photo album in storage (not any easy task), scan the photo, and watermark a huge copyright notice on top of it.

The core of the image is already there on the poster. The only thing that's different is the guitar and the blurred background (to remove the names of "competing products"). The composition is the same.

I'm pleased that you all like the image. It's just that I've had other of my photos taken off the web and had my copyright notices removed from them and used without permission. I've worked with copyright on a professional basis for all of my career as a graphic designer, so that drives my response.

No worries, I completely understand. If you ever happen upon it, I would love to see it even with a watermark/copyright.

BTW, this is still one of my favorite BBs items:

Man, the artist really did a great job.  The only band member that doesn't look almost exactly like himself is Dennis (IMO).

I so much regret that I never got the chance to meet Carl Wilson, the one member of the Beach Boys that I've idolized since my early teen years.

Carl's studio vocals are what MAKE the song. Although I have to say that Mike's vocals are very good on the studio recording too, and as much as people might have issues with the song not being "BBs" enough, or too cheesy, Mike does sing well in this register. But without Carl's vocals, it's just weak sauce. Carl literally made the song.

^^^ This!!!  Try watching/listening to a live concert performance from the late '80s/early 90s and you'll forget about any inadequacies that you've noticed since Carl's passing.  Carl Wilson's vocals are what made that song a huge hit for the Boys.

Tapes of the Wilson-Smith sessions?  Would absolutely love to hear them.

I saw Al's Beach Boys Family and Friends perform on a daytime variety show.  Can't remember which show it was – could have been Oprah (don't know if Merv or Mike Douglas were still airing in 1999).

Regardless, the performed at least two or three songs.  Can't recall which ones they did, but I do remember that they sounded absolutely fantastic.  Wish that same band, plus Brian, was still performing today.

I apologize that it's more than a week late, but I just wanted to say I loved Carl Wilson Like a Brother……though we never even met.

I suppose its a coincidence that the Hallmark channel is airing the show on Carl Wilson's 70th birthday.

   If "lower priced gas" is the best reason you can find for living in Texas, I would agree that it's probably time for you to go.

And RangeRover:  Perhaps Carl's failure to act when his son was being flogged by that young lady was motivated by the realization that one Wilson getting his butt kicked is exponentially better than two.

I agree that the story about Jonah Wilson getting his butt kicked in the karate class was probably meant to be just an amusing anecdote, even if the storyteller seemed to take a little too much satisfaction telling it.

I have to add, however, that JL was the first poster to use the term "bigot," and that he did so to describe some citizens of Texas, a state he subsequently referenced as that "sh*t hole" state.

Based on his stated opinion of "some" Texans, I am relieved to know he won't be stopping in Oklahoma when makes his exit from the Lone Star state. 

It's likely that Jonah and Justyn are, like their dad, pacifists.  It's also likely that the brothers are/were gentlemen and much too nice to try to kick a girl's butt, even if she was basically a grown woman and they were both little boys.

So, go ahead Brix and brag about your conquest over one of Carl's sons.  I'm sure Carl Wilson taught his sons to never hit a girl, even a doofus like the one who bragged about beating a child at karate.

"Pet Sounds and Race."  God Almighty.  Where/when will this end?