Worth also keeping in mind that the possible quality of this sort of thing will likely develop rapidly. You might imagine a scenario in years to come where AI voices are licensed out for all sorts of purposes, with the theoretical possibility of having AI Elvis “sing” whatever you choose. All sorts of problematic issues here, but I also can’t help but imagine hearing lost vocals, unfinished work completed etc.

Personally, I’ve always struggled to listen properly to “alternate” track listings, lost albums etc, possibly because they’re just not what the artist intended. That’s not me being a purist, I’ve tried many times to construct those sorts of tack lists, but I always come back to the original albums. I can enjoy stereo remixes and not feel the same, including those with digital extraction used. So I don’t know how I’ll feel about a partially AI Smile, for example. Nonetheless, I very much hope to hear more of this and would dearly love to hear an AI construct of some of those things I’ve only ever heard in my head (Sail on Sailor with Carl’s vocal, Holy Man with Dennis etc). We’ll never know how Carl might have phrased his take on Sail on Sailor, but maybe an AI version would be worth it just to hear an approximation.

I can see a reasonable use case for finishing things that weren’t completed, but I think there are debates to be had about widespread use in commercial releases using AI vocals.

[here]

Hey all,

I came across some new technology and decided to have a little fun with it!

Here's one to test the waters:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13ICunDuIcg&ab_channel=DaeLims

I've been debating posting, but it was too overwhelming to think I'm the only who has heard any of this stuff.  

The technology is here. Should we have some fun before all the sh*t takes start popping up?  

PS - Lots more where this came from, if people are interested!

VERY interested to hear more. It’s a strange experience listening, knowing it’s AI and still hearing some very clear Brian in tone etc. Very impressive work!

My first thought on hearing the recent Kanye examples was what an AI Dennis singing Holy Man could sound like. There are so many ethical issues with AI and art/music (and AI in general), but the technological developments are extraordinary and the possibilities are becoming both incredible and quite frightening.

Does a really solid AI voice model require lots of isolated vocal tracks?

Slightly off topic, but it sounds like a lovely version of “I Wish For You” playing in the background. Is it just Carl performing live for this organisation (i.e. the audio from the short shots of Carl with guitar in the video)?

Of all the box sets, digital releases and outtake releases we’ve had over the years, I have to say that this set really is the most extraordinary release of them all. The alternate mixes, backing track + vocals, and vocals only versions really do show this period to be something of a group vocal peak for the boys. Can any other era compare with the outstanding group vocals during this period?

I sometimes think that I’ve listened to the Beach Boys so much over the years that maybe there isn’t much more for the music to give, but this really is like hearing the music again for the first time. I’m hearing layer upon layer of beautiful new detail in tracks I’ve heard many hundreds of times before - things that were barely audible to me in their full mix presented here and standing up as highlights in their own right.

As a teenager growing up listening to capitol era CD twofers, with everything after 20/20 out of print, I can remember the thrill of hearing a snippet of “All I Wanna Do” whilst watching Endless Harmony and imaging what treasures those 70’s records might hold. I have the exact same feeling hearing the vocals only version of All I Wanna Do here - it is spine tingling. Maybe Pet Sounds represents a peak for Brian as a songwriter, producer, singer and arranger,  but I think this set makes it clear that for the group as a whole this period is their absolute peak (did any other group reach collective highs such as this?)

This whole thing is an utter joy and it is a privilege to be receiving this as a fan. Sometimes the hype and the waiting for releases can eventually lead to anticipated releases being something of an anti-climax, but this surpasses every expectation I held, by a considerable distance. It feels insufficient to say it, but all I can offer is the biggest “thank you” to Alan, Mark, Howie and anyone else involved in this for all that you’ve done to make something so incredible for us. You have presented this outstanding group at their absolute finest here and have created the most incredible showcase for their music. Thank you!

I enjoy NPP a lot and think it's one of the better albums in Brian's solo career. I think it's good but not great and my main issue is that it does sound a little like two (or three) projects compiled into one single album. There are the the guest appearances that work well together, the songs featuring Al that sound like they could be from a TWGMTR follow up and the songs that sound like a BW solo album in with a TLOS vibe. Along these lines:


Duets:
"Runaway Dancer" (featuring Sebu Simonian)
"On the Island" (featuring She & Him)
"Half Moon Bay" (featuring Mark Isham)
"Our Special Love" (featuring Peter Hollens)
"Guess You Had to Be There" (featuring Kacey Musgraves)
"Saturday Night" (featuring Nate Ruess)

Beach Boys album:
"This Beautiful Day"  
"What Ever Happened" (featuring Al Jardine and David Marks)
"The Right Time" (featuring Jardine and Marks)
"Tell Me Why" (featuring Jardine)
"Sail Away" (featuring Blondie Chaplin and Jardine)
"The Last Song"  
"Somewhere Quiet" 

BW solo:
"One Kind of Love"  
"Don't Worry"  
"I'm Feeling Sad"

In some ways the tracks work fine together and I can enjoy the album as whole piece, but can't help thinking that perhaps this was more than one single cohesive project. A Beach Boys album of the above tracks featuring Al, extended with similar material could have been killer. The duet songs are great, but sit better alongside each other. Again, a full album of duets could have been excellent. From a marketing point of view, either a new Beach Boys album or a set of duets/guest songs would probably have been an easier sell. The 'solo' sounding songs might have formed part of a Love and Mercy companion album, that might also have been a better selling point.

I'll probably end up listening to my alternate track listing and the TWGMTR/NPP blend I've playlisted. The Al tracks work brilliantly with the TWGMTR stuff.

I would however say that "Sail Away" it's absolutely outstanding. To me it will be a latter day Beach Boys classic, regardless of the named artist. Even now when I hear Al sing "Try and imagine how our life would be, if you could sail away with me", I'm floored.

it's Brian's last ever European tour, the 50th Anniversary of Pet Sounds and Good Vibrations, so stop messing around and just make it a Beach Boys tour.

I would love that to happen, more than you could imagine. Alas, the indications of the last few years argue strongly against any such thing happening.

However...

These are The Beach Boys:anything is possible.

There's no disputing that of course. But then I'd never have pictured the C50 tour happening, let alone a new studio album that was actually good!

I won't be getting my hopes up but if the right person in the right place and time was able to start making the right noises with Mike and Brian, you just never know. Joe Thomas did the impossible for 2012 and it seems beyond unlikely that he'd have enough favour left to do it again.  But money talks and if C50 showed one thing it's that a full Beach Boys tour with Brian and Mike has huge potential in financial terms. We know that there were significant potential offers for more shows back in 2012 and maybe there are people who could start getting those sorts of offers back on the table, even if pulling all parties together again seems like a task beyond mere mortals. But if the money was right............

I'm pretty gutted too. I was especially looking forward to seeing Brian with Al, Blondie and Matt there too, so I hope they'll be part of whatever happens next year.

But seriously - it's Brian's last ever European tour, the 50th Anniversary of Pet Sounds and Good Vibrations, so stop messing around and just make it a Beach Boys tour. Leaving aside what we know of the personal differences, the frictions and differences of opinion, take this last ever chance and do it right. The last one proved to be the biggest success they'd had in decades and the reasons for not doing it get less compelling with each and every day.

I just found this thread, which might have been referring to the same vocal snippet:

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,17201.0.html

(I think the soundcloud link is dead now, so can't verify either way).

Interesting!

I'm not certain but the vocals sound like they could be from Turning Point - does that sound right? If so, could that mean that the multi-tracks are where they should be (and that someone is listening to them)?

Thanks for this, just managed to catch it. The vocals were excellent and Mike's voice seemed stronger and fuller than on some of the audio I've heard in recent years and Bruce sounded way better than I expected. It's cool seeing Dave there and the band vocals were great too. I could be totally wrong but I'm pretty sure I could hear an organ/keyboard but couldn't see one, which seems a bit odd to me.

Mike told me about this Saturday - they pre-recorded the track, live vocals.

Thanks for the clarification. Probably the only way to really do it under the circumstances. The vocals were spot on in my opinion.

Thanks for this, just managed to catch it. The vocals were excellent and Mike's voice seemed stronger and fuller than on some of the audio I've heard in recent years and Bruce sounded way better than I expected. It's cool seeing Dave there and the band vocals were great too. I could be totally wrong but I'm pretty sure I could hear an organ/keyboard but couldn't see one, which seems a bit odd to me.

The set list from Manchester looks absolutely fantastic and I seriously wish I'd been there. On All I Wanna do I get the comments about Mike's vocals but he just about gets away with it and deserves huge credit for having given it a go. Fortunately the band seems to have done a fantastic job with performing it and the rest of the vocals are outstanding. I can't help but think it would would really suit Bruce's voice these days though, so maybe that's an option for the future.

Well done to all involved for performing a show that covers such a broad range of the catalogue and doing it so well. One of the criticisms I have of the touring band (which can be extended back to the days when Brian, Carl and Dennis still toured) is that the full depth of the Beach Boys music isn't often explored. This is exactly the sort of set set list that I think gives a better impression of what the Beach Boys are, beyond the well known hits.

I think the live shows to Mike are very simply a case of giving people what he thinks they want and he's probably in a better position to judge what that is than most of us are (and it looks like Brian judges things in a pretty similar way). I'd love it if the live shows had always presented what I think is the best side of the band, but that's totally unrealistic. Almost all big acts return to the songs that people know, and why wouldn't they? If I'd been at a show in 1992 and Wouldn't It Be Nice and Don't Worry Baby had been cut so that they could play the Summer in Paradise album in full I'd have been pretty upset, and that same feeling would probably apply to some people attending and not hearing Barbara Ann. The point about failing to generate new hits to add into the mix seems pretty crucial to me, as it's pretty impossible to generate interest in oldie that few in the crowd know just through playing it at live shows (where all but the die-hards will probably hear it once). It's a shame they didn't get lucky with an deeper cut making it into a big film at some point (which could have had a similar effect to the Stamos-forever thing, only without Stamos).

Bruce is a class act in many ways. He's one of Brian's biggest cheerleaders and clearly hugely appreciative of Brian's talents and grateful for the opportunity to work with him. Bruce as a Beach Boy doesn't quite work for my after his return and he sometimes appears not to be making the most of his talents but he clearly loves the music and manages to keep out of the politics pretty well considering. Bruce has been there for Brian when he's needed him on many occasions over the years. He was there in the sixties when they needed someone to tour, there in the studio when Brian needed a reliable voice, there as a PR guy when Pet Sounds was coming out, there in the late 70's when Brian needed someone he could trust to come in, there when Brian began his return to live performances in the late 90's etc etc. In my book he's a true supporter of Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys and appears to be as big an admirer of them as many of us are.

We can joke about shorts and mic stands but to me he seems like a solid guy who enjoys what he does and doesn't pretend to be something he's not. He's pretty self-deprecating for a guy with his CV. I don't know about Mike and Bruce being friends but to me it looks like Bruce has been a true friend to Brian over the years.

The album has held up well with repeated listens, though I can't help but think that it could have been improved by better sequencing and track selection. Generally speaking the standard version flows very well and feels cohesive, but is weaker for the absence of Somewhere Quiet and I'm feeling Sad. I'd have included both of those tracks at the expense of one or two others and sequenced it slightly differently.

Brian and Al's vocals are excellent and Matt blends in extremely well to make these the best sounding vocals on any Brian solo album bar his first (and even then I'm unsure). Sail Away is absolutely outstanding and to me has become a latter day Beach Boys classic. Somewhere Quiet is also a brilliant track and has completely defied the odds in turning out better than the original instrumental.

If I had the time and skill (I certainly don't have the latter) I'd edit some of the tracks to make them a little and I'd think the album would hang together better. After taking out Runaway Dancer and Our Special Love, adding in Somewhere Quiet and I'm feeling Sad, I'd then aim to reduce some of the repetition of the Right Time chorus and extend the first verse if possible, along with condensing Last Song  (taking out the single voiced "La La La" bit). If I could shorten Tell Me Why a bit I'd also do that. I think those small changes would make a big difference.

It feels pretty close to a five-star album to me, but just falls a little short overall.

[Smile]

Have to politely disagree - 2012 was the last kick of a dying bull. Let's be honest, most of us expected something would happen. What happened in 1966-67 robbed the music world of not only possibly the best album ever released but also decades of music from one of the very, very few bona fide genii in the pop/rock field. Brian was never the same after Smile was scrapped. There were odd sparks and flarings of the flame, but compared to the upwards curve of 1963-66, it was dim stuff. Nothing compares. Nothing ever will.

That the band not only survived that but also came to produce music of genuine quality is hugely to their credit. But just imagine what could have been. The two saddest words in the English language: if only...

Fair enough. My opinion might be slightly coloured by the fact that I ended up missing the 2012 live shows entirely, with my son's birth coinciding with the RAH date. My only chance of ever seeing a full Beach Boys line-up gone, forever!

Same here, our sons must be pretty much the same age! I'd have loved to see them all together and would have made the trek to London (I might have JUST managed if they'd played in Manchester) but there was no way with the timings. And then they were gone...

Back to the original question, for me it's a tie between the abandonment of Smile, for the reasons AGD just mentioned, along with the mid-70s power shift to Mike after Endless Summer. Two times when they were making great music but were yanked backwards by cowardice/greed.

I could probably have made Manchester or somewhere else on any day but the 27th. As much as I can look back at that with disappointment (regret would be the wrong word, I was exactly where I should have been), I'm pleased to say that with almost no intentional indoctrination, my son's favorite song is "Beach Boys" (by which he means "Do It Again").

More generally I do think it's a shame that they didn't fit in a few more dates in England, even within a fixed term reunion scenario.

They played Wembley the next night. Really, some people just don't try hard enough. 

You're right, of course. I could technically have made that and not missed the main event. Although my marriage might have then ended as messily as that tour did!

[Smile]

Have to politely disagree - 2012 was the last kick of a dying bull. Let's be honest, most of us expected something would happen. What happened in 1966-67 robbed the music world of not only possibly the best album ever released but also decades of music from one of the very, very few bona fide genii in the pop/rock field. Brian was never the same after Smile was scrapped. There were odd sparks and flarings of the flame, but compared to the upwards curve of 1963-66, it was dim stuff. Nothing compares. Nothing ever will.

That the band not only survived that but also came to produce music of genuine quality is hugely to their credit. But just imagine what could have been. The two saddest words in the English language: if only...

Fair enough. My opinion might be slightly coloured by the fact that I ended up missing the 2012 live shows entirely, with my son's birth coinciding with the RAH date. My only chance of ever seeing a full Beach Boys line-up gone, forever!

The most devastating moment to me is the breakdown / non-extension of the C50 reunion. For a brief moment I think the Beach Boys took back their rightful place as one of the greatest and biggest popular music groups of all time. Brian reclaimed his legacy as a Beach Boy, the world heard how incredible Al's voice is, the catalogue got a wider airing, Mike was winning people over with all of his best talents, they put out an album to rival anything they'd done since at least 1977, David was back in the fold etc, etc. The possibilities that could have followed that period were huge. And then? They chucked it all away. THAT was devastating.

To my mind, as much as I wish Smile had been completed and released, it's shelving led to some of my favourite Beach Boys records (the run from Smiley Smile to Love You is my favourite decade of Beach Boys music). So I find it hard to see Smile's abandonment as being as devastating as some others do. Dennis' decline and the all too early passing of both him and Carl are clearly devastating, but in terms things within the realms of control, the end of C50 seems to me to be the most devastating 'event' of any that I can think of.

I quite like the idea of Mike opening the doors Brian, Al and Dave permanently, even on his own terms. Clearly there are some major financial complications with that, but my view is that if Al or Brian want to perform as Beach Boys, they should be able to.

I can't see another C50 happening as it did, but perhaps Brian and Mike could make a deal - Mike continues to run the live show but incorporates Brian and Al into it, whilst Brian holds control over anything they opt to do in the studio. In practice that means Mike drops his issue over writing with Brian but keeps his live show the way he wants it, whilst Brian sticks to what he knows and enjoys best without having to take leads on the majority of songs in a live show. That's the best of all world's isn't it?

It'd probably not work out financially and Brian might not have any interest in touring at the rate Mike does, but in theory it seems like a workable compromise. It'd have the benefit of having the live shows covered by multiple primary vocalists and in an era where the guys are getting old, poses much less of a problem should someone take ill, lose their voice or injure their knee whilst inexplicably jumping during I Get Around.

I'd like to think that a deal made on that basis would eventually lead to a more varied set list and some greater involvement for Mike in terms of song writing, but with both happening in a natural way rather than through a forced compromise that neither part would be truly happy with.

[Quickly back to the Al thing, your statement implies Al didn't get the "majority vote" *because* he didn't want to pay the BRI license fee. I don't buy that at all. Al's case for a license or for being in the "Beach Boys" was dead before he had even departed the touring group. It's all in the Stebbins/Marks book; he already knew what was going on, and once he knew Dave was back "in" full time, Al knew he was scr]

It has been, in my view, those defending the status quo concerning the touring band who have implied greediness on the part of Carl's estate (and Brian for that matter). Or, if not "greed", than caring more about money than the brand/band/music, etc.

Quickly back to the Al thing, your statement implies Al didn't get the "majority vote" *because* he didn't want to pay the BRI license fee. I don't buy that at all. Al's case for a license or for being in the "Beach Boys" was dead before he had even departed the touring group. It's all in the Stebbins/Marks book; he already knew what was going on, and once he knew Dave was back "in" full time, Al knew he was screwed.

That temporary "non-exclusive" license malarkey wouldn't have panned out either way; it's a non-issue and didn't impact anything other than prolonging the inevitable. The idea of Carl's estate in 1998 to grant non-exclusive licenses may have been well-intentioned, but even if Al had secured such a license, an *exclusive* license would have been issued to Mike soon enough any way, both because that's clearly what Mike wanted all along, and they ALL would have eventually come to realize that having two bands touring as the Beach Boys would have been beyond confusing. The only thing it *may* have prevented was the 1999 injunction attempts against Al's band.

I was simply referring to the statement in the court document that BRI wanted Al to pay 17.5% to tour as The Beach Boys Family and Friends.

I completely agree that Al wasn`t going to tour in a group calling itself The Beach Boys but that was never part of the equation.

It is interesting that you talk about confusion over the name because there are obviously quite varied opinions about that on this board. Some believe that Al touring using that name caused so little confusion that he should have been able to use it for free for example...

Now the ideal financially for BRI would seem to have been for Mike to go out doing 100 dates while paying them 20% with Al going out playing how ever many shows they could as BB F&F and paying 17.5%. Obviously Al didn`t feel he could pay that so it became a moot point.

Wouldn't the ideal position for BRI be to have one touring Beach Boys unit and receive 100%? In my opinion the issuing of a license to one member of BRI was an enormous mistake that has damaged the Beach Boys reputation and weakened the brand.

I can't help but think that there have been periods over the last twenty years or so when there has been some serious  momentum behind the Beach Boys name. There was something of a renaissance of support centred around Brian's reputation as the 'genius' architect of the Beach Boys work, particularly around Pet Sounds and onwards. Brian and the Beach Boys have been name-checked and praised as influences by an enormous number of well-respected names in music, giving the potential to open them up to new generations of fans. That's continued on and off over the years but there's been next to no ability to capitalise on those opportunities because the visible and tangible representation of the Beach Boys has been Mike and Bruce. I don't say any of this as a dig at either of them, but the touring hits show featuring one original member (who's might almost be as famous for litigation as he is for his lyrics) isn't going to be something that can feed into or feed off any increase in critical reception and the potential for a growing fan base as a result.

Having a touring group that people would see and/or accept as THE Beach Boys would have allowed all sorts of opportunities for generating new fans and interest and therefore sales for BRI. In 2012 we had exactly that and it was an incredible success, with the Beach Boys appearing all over the place and having a top-3 album and rave reviews for the live shows. We didn't have that in 2004 when Brian finished Smile, we didn't have it in 2011 when the Smile Sessions box set came out and we didn't have a 2013 'Made in California' tour. I'm not saying they would have all been worthwhile or successful but it's clear that the Beach Boys lack the ability to drive any sort of campaign without a recognisable group touring or doing promotional work. I know some people will say that no-one knows or cares who anyone in the Beach Boys is except maybe for Brian, but I think that problem is self-perpetuating. If the touring entity is made up of one original member, people won't care who's on stage or take more that a passing interest in what the Beach Boys are doing. If seeing the Beach Boys means seeing every living member of one of the greatest bands of all time, maybe people will start to notice who's there and identify more with the people they see on stage. Then a Beach Boys shows is more of an event and something more significant.

All just my opinion, but it's hard to see how the license arrangements and everything that's happened since 1998 has really served anyone but Mike that well. The Beach Boys name has been spread thinly and is now weak as a result, through a billion different budget-priced compilations of hits and constant touring by Mike and a band. It should be allowed to return to a name that means something.

I feel  sorry for the people left behind. His three children and wife.

I expect to be flamed for opinion but so be it. Suicide is the ultimate act of selfishness and cowardice. Suicide wrecks the lives of those left behind.

We all know it wrecks lives and you can label it selfish or cowardly if you like, but that just gives the impression that you haven't even the vaguest understanding of the issues. I consider myself to be lucky to have had only very occasional and very brief bouts of depression and anxiety, but from even those brief moments of utter despair I can understand why some people end up seeing no alternative. I can't adequately put into words how I felt at those times, but feelings of utter despair, fear, helplessness and a total absence of hope or joy is about the best I can do (and as I said, I've been lucky in comparison to many people who have likely experienced these issues for much longer periods - I can only imagine how awful some people must feel). I'm lucky to have an incredible wife who was with me and just about kept me going until I felt better, but in my mind at that time there was only one way to stop those feelings of utter despair and fear. If I had to live a life like that, I'm not sure how long I'd be able to do it. It's not a rational act, so why judge people who do it as though it is?

I apologise if I've got you wrong here, I just struggle to understand your viewpoint. I think a little sympathy and understanding for someone who (seemingly) felt unable to live their life any longer seems in order. You can feel sorry for the people left behind without calling the person who took their own life selfish and cowardly. You might even feel sorry for all of them.

My sense is that the shift into permanent oldies territory happened during the 80's and continued into the 90's (and generally since then). There were still very varied and interesting set lists right into the late 70's. At some point though, almost anything good became an oldie because the standard of studio output dropped of a cliff in the late 70's. When everything is an oldie, it's easy to see why you'd just play the more popular ones.

At this point, I would guess that Mike is pretty locked into the oldies show in his role as the license holder. Whether it's in the terms or not, would the BRI shareholders be happy to keep Mike as the sole license holder if he went round the world touring Summer in Paradise?

From my perspective the general shift to a set primarily made up of oldies is a shame because there are big portions of the Beach Boys music that are massively under-appreciated. I know why it's mostly an oldies game, but I'd still prefer the lesser known material to get more of an outing, because some of it is incredible and a lot of people just don't hear it. To many people, the Beach Boys will always be that surfing/car group from the 60's and I think the set lists of the last 30 years or so simply reinforce that view. Again, there's a clear and sensible logic to giving people what they know, but I still wish there could be more of an attempt to demonstrate the wider range of Beach Boys music.

As for Stamos, I just find it a bit odd really. I'd almost prefer it if he became a permanent member of the touring band, rather than a regular special guest aimed at bringing in a bigger crowd. The latter motive seems strange, pretty desperate and not at all fitting for one of the greatest groups of all time. I'm one of the few who enjoys the SIP version of Forever (a lot) and I've got absolutely nothing against him at all. I just think the Beach Boys music should stand for itself, without the need for a celebrity guest.

We know that Al is keen to be "out there" performing the music that he loves and that he's worked quite a bit with Brian over the last three years, so perhaps he was interested in performing with Mike but not altogether happy with the manner of the approach or that it wasn't likely to be a regular thing and decided that working Brian was a better offer on any number of levels. It's probably fair to assume that he feels more loyalty to Brian and that he's on better terms with Brian than he is with Mike. It's probably all a sensitive area for Al, in that he presumably feels he should be entitled to tour with or as the Beach Boys and that being asked to play a show as a one-off is a bit like receiving an invite to your own party.

It's a typically shabby affair though and it's a huge shame that what could have been something of an olive branch has turned into yet another public disagreement of sorts. Al's announcement isn't unpleasant, but yet again it's something that could have been handled much better than it has been. Just say that you're not now able to play the show (or never were) but that it would have been a nice occasion and that you wish Mike and the rest of the band the best of luck for what you're sure will be a great show. Rise above it, keep things friendly and everyone's happy!

Plus, there is no guarantee that the last `Beach Boys` gig will feature any original members whatsoever...

That's a hugely unpleasant thought, but definitely not beyond the realms of possibility. In my view they've been playing it fast and loose with the Mike and Bruce show anyway (by using the Beach Boys name rather than in reference to the quality of the shows) and it isn't an unfathomable leap to consider a Four Freshmen type arrangement. The idea of a Beach Boys show with absolutely none of the originals wouldn't ever sit right to me, though. I hope that never happens and I hope they do have a formal last gig at some point. I like the idea that Mike decides to retire at some point and goes on one last tour to celebrate that fact, with Brian, Al and David on board for one last tour. That might be hugely unlikely but it'd be a nice way to finish things off.