Thanks for the clarification. I was calling it a celeste based on the otherwise excellent "Behind the Sounds" video on YouTube.

He did play on "Surf's Up," and maybe his finest hour on a Beach Boys song was "Wouldn't It Be Nice," where he played timpani, tambourine and celeste.

Here is a clip playing the hell out of the triangle, and then drums on "The Pink Panther Theme," with Plas Johnson, who played on Beach Boys songs, featured on sax.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBupII3LH_Q

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/premieres/hear-brian-wilsons-retro-nineties-rarity-some-sweet-day-w500735

Nice track.  Sounds like it was written for Grace of My Heart from Andy Paley's description.

Sounds like it was written for Brian Wilson and called "Meet Me in My Dreams Tonight." 

Regarding the awful song and video for the BBs "Problem Child", it's funny that awhile back someone noted that it may be a "tell" on the part of Carl that he's not into the project when he wears sunglasses in the music video. I figured that was probably not *really* likely to be true, but then I start to wonder when I see this TV news report on the making of the music video, where Stamos, Mike, Bruce, Al, and even the kid from the movie sit down for interviews but Carl is nowhere to be seen in the interview sessions:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvMmx5QBaqY

And yet Carl sang on it, but walked out on Brian and the reunion album in 1995. I don't get it.

- Dennis seems determined to continuously talk to the Reagans. I'm curious to know what he was saying, but eventually after some on-stage mingling it seems pretty clear that Mike purposely sandwiches himself between Nancy Reagan and Dennis. Prior to that, though, Dennis is completely alone clearly trying to explain something to the President, and I think he replies with something like "we'll try to get one for you"; I don't know if Dennis was asking for an autograph or a bottle of water or what.

at 21:30 you can hear Dennis say to the President: "Where did you get your coat? It's beautiful."

That's terrific! Thanks for making and sharing it.

Ed, I love that photo you had of the Beach Boys with Christine sitting on Carl's lap.

To people saying none of the Boys could act, have you never seen this clip? Nobody in the history of TV or film ever delivered the word "bullpucky" better than Brian. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MdwhxyYDXE

I think "Here Comes The Night," the original version. Brian's vocal is great, but it's not in his instantly-recognizable falsetto. And, like most of the songs on the "Wild Honey" album, there aren't a lot of harmonies, which were the Boys' calling card.

It's a great song, but one that doesn't scream "Beach Boys," if you didn't know it was them.

If we're looking for Mike's single worst lyric ever, it's "Christmas comes this time each year." He so easily could have written something like "How I love this time of year" to fit that template.

The California girls lyrics are hardly profound, but to me they work for the vibe of the song, and hey, ONE of the boys was still a teenager at the time. 

The worst thing about the California Girls lyrics is that they eventually spawned this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=id4a_eswyvk

Another ecology hit: Big Yellow Taxi.

I think they did have a hit single in the vaults they could have brought out after Endless Summer: Soulful Old Man Sunshine (with Carl's "shunshine" flub cleaned up). It was a really good old-school Beach Boys style song, and even if it was mostly Rick Henn's song, it had Brian's name on it, so people would believe he was "back."

San Miguel would have been another good cut for an album in 1975 -- and I think they should have bump one of the covers off 15 Big Ones to put it on.

I think Murry, Brian and Dennis all needed the same thing, a good psychiatrist. Murry was abused by his dad, and Brian and Dennis were abused by Murry.

I think a lot of Brian and Dennis' downward spirals were because they never resolved their issues with Murry. Needleinthehay is right that Dennis tried to make peace, but I don't think they got there before Murry died, and supposedly during Dennis' last few months, he kept talking about Murray and the things he died.

Brian and Dennis skipping their dad's funeral showed the depth of their issues with him, even though I firmly believe they loved him, and he loved them. If Brian and Dennis had gone to a good psychiatrist after Murry's death and dealt with their daddy issues, I think things would have turned out much differently for them.

While I have a lot of respect for Mike's contributions to the group, I'm not a big fan of his, particularly for his decisions from the late '70s on. If I had to pick a "team," I'm certainly on Team Wilson and not Team Love.

But having said that, I think people are actively looking to put the blame on Mike for the album not happening in 1995 or 1996.

For me, I think that if Carl had been on board and supportive, there definitely would have been made. I think Al would have been a "yes" to a album -- even after Mike had kept him out of most of the Summer In Paradise sessions because of a "bad attitude," Al still came in when asked and sang on Mike's songs.

If Brian, Carl and Al were in, I can't figure Mike would have passed on being on the album, even if he didn't get to sit in a room and write songs from scratch with "Cousin Brian."

Letterman is definitely a Beach Boys fan. He had Brian on a number of times, and had the Boys on twice, once (without Brian) to sing the numbers on a top 10 list,

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

and once with Brian as they did Little Deuce Coupe with James House to promote Stars and Stripes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fe577Ff6Lqc

I remember several times when he referred to a guy with blonde hair as looking like Al Jardine.

My favorite Letterman Beach Boys reference came near the end of his run. He had a band on (I don't remember the name), and at the end of the song, he came over to thank them. He shook hands with the guys up front and acknowledged the guy behind the drum kit as "Denny, the hard-working drummer."

That alternate Sunflower is an amazing 12-track album.

[Brian's]

I know many people on the board have said this before, but it boggles my mind that Carl walked out on the proposed 1995 album because he didn't think Brian's songs were good enough but sang on this and the Summer in Paradise album.

Was "We'll Run Away" really all Brian?

The original Smiley Smile credits gave Brian sole credit for Wind Chimes, right? I know subsequently the credit has been Wilson/Parks, but those words seem more like Brian to me. There are no attempts at wordplay, which would seem unusual for Van Dyke.

This song absolutely deserved to be a hit, and it kills me to think about the "what if" had the charts taken this to the top. Would Dennis have focused on writing more commercial hits? Would Brian get motivated enough and collaborate with Dennis on some chart topping material?

It's so damn sad to hear that story that Fred Vail told about the east coast radio stations refusing to promote or play anything from the Sunflower album. It is pure gold and a shame that it's relegated to Rolling Stone top album lists and pretty much nothing more.

As for the re-done drums in the song posted, it's a cool take on the song, but the original is perfect.

I've thought the same thing: What would have happened if Slip on Through had (deservedly) been a hit? I think it means another single, most likely Forever, to capitalize on Dennis' success. And I think Forever would have been a hit.

If so, the follow-up album would have had plenty of Dennis. The record company would have demanded it.

I'm not sure the exact time frame but Nick Grillo was the manager for a while in the late '60s. And briefly, and badly, in 1977, Henry Lazarus.

Well, Carl and Mike is interesting. But they were often in different factions in the band.

True - but who would ever have thought there would be D. Wilson/M. Love credits, if factionalism was the deciding factor?

I think up until the fight on the tarmac in 1977, Dennis and Mike had a lot of "up" in their up-and-down relationship. I remember Timothy White, in his book, stating a time during the 15 Big Ones session where he and Brian walked into Brother Studios to find Dennis in a friendly conversation with Mike and Stan, telling them how he had just seen "The Wiz" in New York and how good it was.

If Dennis was going to sing YSGTM and fell asleep in his truck, why didn't Brian just wake him. If I were Dennis and, and I had no lead vocals and few prominent backgrounds parts on the album (after being all over "Today" vocally), I would want to be awakened from my nap.

A quick look at YouTube clips from last night and some googling of the Heart connection shows the keyboardist may be Debbie Shair, who also appeared earlier this year at that Wild Honey Orchestra show that many Brian cohorts appeared at.

I guess my post on the previous page was so long that no one got to the bottom of it. 

Saw Brian tonight at Oakdale in Wallingford, Conn. I had seen him solo in 2000, 2001 (full Pet Sounds) and 2012 as part of C50. In 2012, Brian was in very good voice singing and sang a lot of leads, but I don't think he said a single word. Obviously Mike was the MC of that show, but Al talked a fair amount and David and Bruce spoke a little, but Brian never talked. I guess he loosened up on the tour.

Tonight, Brian's vocals were very rough and strained in spots, and a couple of times he missed words, but he talked a lot and seemed in a good mood.

The setlist (I believe) was:

California Girls
Dance Dance Dance
I Get Around
Shut Down
Little Deuce Couple
In My Room
Surfer Girl
Don't Worry Baby (Matt NAILED it, and got a huge ovation)
Salt Lake City (one of Brian's best vocals of the night, I thought)
Wake The World
Add Some Music to Your Day (again, one of Brian's best)
California Saga: California
Sail Away (I thought it was very good, but a lot of people made a bathroom break)
Wild Honey (Blondie wailing on guitar, very entertaining)
Sail on Sailor (Brian walked off for intermission during the song. Don't know if that's normal)

INTERMISSION

Row, Row, Row Your Boat (good doing it here as people were getting back into their seats from intermission)
Wouldn't It Be Nice (Matt great on Brian's part; Brian OK on Mike's)
You Still Believe in Me (Matt again very good)
That's Not Me (Nice by Brian, including the into: A guy looks in the mirror and says ""THAT'S NOT ME. He also sang it like that once)
Don't Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder)
I'm Waiting For the Day
Let's Go Away For a While
Sloop John B (A loose Brian intro'd it as "something Al Jardine and I cooked up")
God Only Knows
I Know There's An Answer (maybe the best song, both Jardines in great form)
Here Today
I Just Wasn't Made For These Times (part Brian, part Matt)
Pet Sounds (Blondie came out and hammed it up on tambourine)
Caroline No (again, part Brian, part Matt, again Brian walked out early as the band was playing out the song)

Good Vibrations -- no cursing, but Brian asked if we wanted "Bad" or "Lousy" Vibrations. Good job by Brian,
Help Me Rhonda -- It's AMAZING how well Al's voice has aged. He sounded great all night.
Barbara Ann
Surfin' USA
Fun Fun Fun
Love and Mercy -- Brian altered the lyrics a lot, but sang it well with a lot of feeling. Great way to end.

One surprise to me. No Darian, and no Billy Hinsche in his place. Instead it was Debbie Shair on keyboards. Paul Von Mertens said she played with Heart -- "Another Wilson band," as Paul put it. So no Darian, no "Darlin'".

I'm sure we all forgive Brian for vocal shortcomings we wouldn't let slide in other artists, but he deserves a pass. But it was a great show, and it's Brian Wilson and it's "Pet Sounds" -- and a whole lot of other good songs. The band obviously loves him, Blondie seemed like the happiest guy on the tour, and the Jardines are both tremendous.

If this winds up being the last time I see Brian, I will count myself very lucky to see the big man four times. My Brian live many more years. His music will live forever.