It is interesting to think about what it means to be a “Pet Sounds” type of song. I often think of the Summer Days album as having that Pet Sounds level of Production quality, but with lyrical content more in line with the Beach, Surf, Girls of the early albums. I would wholeheartedly agree with Let Him Run Wild, Please Let Me Wonder and the Little Girl I Once Knew. Personally, I would add The Night Was So Young into the mix. It has a Don’t Talk quality about it.

I would argue that a misstep was not permanently enlisting Jan and Dean into the band following the success of Barbara Ann. It seemed like when they worked with Brian that both sides got their biggest hits. In interviews, Jan and Dean lamented the fact that they only had their two voices and wanted to be part of a larger vocal group. Their harmonies with Brian on Surf City added a new dimension on the high end. I also think they could have been mature voices in the band that would help Brian in his fight to change their creative direction to compete with the Beatles.

Maybe it is just me, but the riff in the chorus of “A Thing or Two” off the Wild Honey album sounds like a play on the Shortenin’ Bread riff.

Not quite sure I understand what Lambert means by these lyrics possibly being about Brian stopping touring.
Would the "you" in the 1st line be interpreted as "the band"?

Yes, I re-read the passage and he based this on a quote from Brian’s first autobiography. FYI, he was very selective of the material he referenced in that book due to the heavy Landy authoring. Brian described the song as “a plea to the others to let me pursue my own creative path.”

He also mentions that the first session was 2 weeks after the Houston plane incident. About a month after that session he told the other Beach Boys he would no longer tour.

What about cases where the actual members singing the song didn't understand the references? (And I'm not talking about Mike and VDP on "Smile", etc.)

I've always wondered if it's more an apocryphal story, but it's amusing to imagine Al Jardine recording "Somewhere Near Japan" and only *later* when tasked with singing it live did he become aware of the song's drug references and then allegedly refuse to sing it live.

This requires a few questionable suppositions, namely that Al didn't understand some of the song's potential lyrical meaning, and also that he would refuse to sing a song with a not-particularly-blatant drug reference. I mean, "Sloop John B" refers to a "trip" that some people like to reinterpret as a drug reference. "Kokomo" has a "tropical contact high" reference that was scrubbed from the eventual Muppets remake.

There was one instance I wondered about reading Philip Lambert’s book: Please Let Me Wonder. He says Brian wrote that song about stopping the touring so he could write really special music for the Beach Boys. I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t realize it was a song to them.

I built all my goals around you
That some day my love would surround you
You'll never know what we've been through
For so long I thought about it
And now I just can't live without it
This beautiful image I have of you

In Hal's defense, they probably wouldn't hire Hal for a session where they planned to have Dennis play the drums. I would be surprised if Hal ever SAW Dennis play the drums on a record. That said, of course Dennis played drums on several Beach Boys recordings.

This is the kind of comment that is so pervasive, so inaccurate, and so casually tossed off by both fans of the BB's and fans of the Wrecking Crew. I'm sure the poster meant no offense, and I want to emphasize that my anger is not directed at you personally, but just at the way this incorrect perception has solidified with so many well meaning people. The definition of several..."more than two but fewer than many"... let's start there. When actually looking at the facts I can say with total confidence that Dennis played drums on more than 100 Beach Boys tracks that were released in his lifetime as either single or album track releases, including somewhere around twenty of their top 40 hit singles. Hal Blaine played drums on approx 35-40 Beach Boys tracks, including approx ten or so of their top 40 hits. This is not written to diminish HB, it is only to illustrate the ratio, Dennis played drums on way more Beach Boys recordings and Beach Boys hits than the great Mr. Blaine did. Just a simple fact. I'm sure C-man can give us the exact numbers, but I'm confident my ratio is reasonably correct.

And regarding the statement that it would be surprising if Hal ever saw Dennis play on a record, I seriously doubt that could be true. First off Hal has commented to me about Dennis using his drums on a session, and the anecdote seemed like he was witnessing the destruction of his hardware by Dennis. But that's anecdotal. There are numerous sessions where Dennis was playing drums and Hal was playing percussion (Hawaii, I Get Around, Dance Dance Dance, That's Not Me and others). There are examples where the opposite is true, Hal drums, Dennis percussion, and there are examples of both guys playing drums on the same song (Fun Fun Fun). It's likely that in many of these cases the two were recorded at different times, and not together in the studio, but is that the case for ALL of them? probably not. C-man can fill us in if these were ALL overdubbed and separate sessions, or if DW and HB were performing simultaneously at times. IMO it seems very unlikely, due to the overlap in their participation on so many Beach Boys recordings that Hal never saw Dennis play the drums on a record.

I apologize, clearly poor word choice on my part. I always considered several and many to be synonymous. My intention was to express that Dennis clearly played drums on many Beach Boys records. You learn something new every day I suppose.

That said, to criticize Hal for not really remembering Dennis playing the drums is kind of harsh. When the boys talk about Hal Blaine and the Wrecking Crew they talk about how Brian had these great finished tracks that the band just had to lay the vocals over when they got back from touring. Of course Dennis played on far more records for the Beach Boys than Blaine, plus he was their live drummer. Hal has probably played on thousands of sessions in his career. When I hear Hal talk about Brian or the Beach Boys he always tells the same couple stories. The Beach Boys historians on here can tell you more about the sessions Hal was on with the boys than Hal can. I think it's fair to say Hal doesn't obsess with what was a small portion of his career.

I believe you're absolutely correct in saying that the Wrecking Crew's musical contributions seem to be overstated by revisionists. The vocal harmonies made those records jump out of the radio and they would have been big hit songs with just the Beach Boys and simpler arrangements/production. I feel their biggest overall contribution was that they could learn the songs faster, allowing Brian to increase his output. They also increased the scope of what was possible, encouraging Brian's creativity.

In Hal's defense, they probably wouldn't hire Hal for a session where they planned to have Dennis play the drums. I would be surprised if Hal ever SAW Dennis play the drums on a record. That said, of course Dennis played drums on several Beach Boys recordings.

To someone else's point, the vocals make the Beach Boys. In interviews with the Wrecking Crew they had no idea that a lot of their records with Brian would be hits based on what they laid down in the session. The vocals make the record and the boys were a hit long before the Wrecking Crew got involved. They added an extra layer of wonderful on top of what would have already been phenomenal songs written by Brian. Overall, their contribution may be overrated and overstated from a musical perspective... but they allowed Brian to increase his creative output many times over in terms of what became possible from a production standpoint and the speed that they could lay down complex arrangements.

To me, I can tell apart the vocal harmonies because Brian's harmonies move me to tears. To me, I disagree with the common notion that it takes multiple listens to "get" Pet Sounds or the Beach Boys. I think you either get it or you don't. For me, listening to the Beach Boys brings me closer to God and to a spiritual place more than church ever did (and that is not a knock on church). Their voices are angelic, yet convey so much feeling and emotion that just cuts right through to my soul. There is just so much love in those vocals that it overwhelms me with emotion. For whatever reason, most people aren't moved by the Beach Boys in that way. I don't feel the need to argue the point with them, I think they are wired one way and probably the majority of this board is wired closer to my perspective. God bless all the wonderful fans on this board who simply "get it". I "got it" the first time I heard them when I was 4 years old. I'm betting a lot of people on this board had a first encounter with the Beach Boys that hit them like a bolt of lightning the same way it did to me.

I was at tonight's show. I doled out the extra cash for the VIP package with the sound check. ppk700's list is pretty darn accurate from what I can recall from memory. At the sound check they also played You Still Believe in Me (and it sounded great). I think they'll be adding that to upcoming setlists. To answer GuyO's question they didn't play She Knows Me Too Well.

I'll start with the good:
1. Soundcheck far surpassed anything I was expecting. Granted I don't have much concert experience, let alone VIP experience. There were about 15 of us and I was sitting in the front row taking video of Brian and Al from a few feet away and singing along. They played a couple complete songs and it was like a mini private concert of sorts. Simply blew me away. I was expecting it to just be guys tuning their instruments and playing short snippets of songs (not necessarily in unison).

2. Going in, I really didn't keep tabs on what the setlist was going to be. The setlist had just about all my favorite Beach Boys tunes, so I was ecstatic.

3. The band sounded great. Brian kept saying Jardine between songs and I didn't realize he was sometimes referring to Al and sometimes referring to Al's son. Al's son sang the high parts and I thought he was spectacular.

4. Speaking of Al, he seemed like a really nice guy and I thought he added a tremendous amount to the show. I couldn't believe how good his voice still sounds. As far as the performances go, Brian isn't the focal point for very much of the show. Without Al and Blondie, I probably would have been disappointed by the show, because at the end of the day, I'm there to see Brian Wilson / Beach Boys. However, those two took the spotlight for much of the show and gave the show the authenticity it needed.


The bad:
1. I was in the 3rd row and I experienced the piano blocking out my view of Brian (except for songs where I got to stand). Didn't seem like he was doing a whole lot anyways though. I had a great view of Al and Blondie. That was a bit disappointing, but the sound check from earlier made up for it (as I got to see Brian from close up at that point).

2. I'm pretty bummed about how the Meet and Greet was. That was one of the major reasons I got that ticket package and the package was like $500. There were only like 15 of us there, but they really rushed us through (they said they were running behind schedule). They handed Brian my item to sign as they had me walk around the table to stand behind him. As he handed me my signed item he yelled "picture!". They snapped the picture and I got rushed out of there. I didn't even get a chance to say anything to him. It didn't damper the soundcheck and concert portion of the experience for me. The more I reflect on it though (now that it's over), the more it bugs me. I'll probably never get another opportunity to say anything to him in my life (and he has meant so very much to me through the years). It's clear Brian doesn't like doing signings and taking pictures. On the other hand, it wasn't like the line had 100 people. I'm sure part of it is my fault and I probably had unreal expectations. I thought it would be more like the VIP group would get to spend 15 minutes backstage with the whole band and talk to all the different members for a little bit.

Hey Big Daddy,

Thanks for sharing your experiences. I really wanted to go with the VIP package, but I just couldn't afford it. I was back in row 30... but I had a great, clear view of the stage - an aisle seat, and no one sitting in front of me.

What drove me crazy was how many people kept walking up and down the aisle, during every song. It was ridiculous how many people decided to get up and go to the bathroom or smoke a cigarette during "Surf's Up"!! And a whole drove of people left after "God Only Knows". Gotta beat the dang traffic! 

Pretty awesome that they played "You Still Believe In Me" during the soundcheck... did they play any other songs not played during the actual concert?

No other full blown non-concert songs were played. The songs from the concert they played during soundcheck were Sail On Sailor, Our Prayer, Heroes and Villains, Darlin, Surf's Up, and Then I Kissed Her (not in that order). I'm guessing they'll continue to work in more Pet Sounds stuff so they are ready for the 50th Anniversary. I think Paul Von Mertens said they hadn't played You Still Believe in Me in like 2-3 years, but it sounded great. One other interesting thing was to see Brian interact with the other musicians during the Sound Check, directing people here and there like a small glimpse of the studio perfectionist we hear on session tapes.

I was in the 3rd row with (I'm assuming) the diehards so I didn't experience the aisle and smoking crap. I would encourage anyone who can make it to a show to go. Seeing Brian up close, I really don't think he'll be around in 10 years. Even though Al looks old, he still seems very spry. Brian looks to be in rough shape overall. His body isn't in great shape, he was limping around and he definitely had high anxiety during the meet and greet. It almost seemed like he may have been experiencing the auditory hallucinations during the meet and greet. He was yelling "picture!" in a desperate plea sort of way to one of the crew as each person cycled through. It wasn't real loud in the room, just a general buzz, but it was like he was trying to combat all the "noise" going on around him. It was almost like a toned down version of the 60s dinner scene in Love and Mercy.

During the Meet and Greet, his face looked different than it does in the TV interviews we see. I want to say that there are certain facial characteristics you see in people with struggling mental health. I hadn't really seen that on Brian's face until the meet and greet. I'd seen glimpses of it from the 80s Landy period in TV interviews/appearances, but not in the more recent stuff on TV.

He was much more at ease once he was behind the piano. I think part of it is that there is a little more distance in being up on stage from the strangers in the audience. Maybe he needs a certain amount of personal space. I'm probably reading too much into things. I will say that I think it is huge for him that Al is there. I don't know that he would have that same amount of comfort without Al.

As a fan, I'd rather they just skip the Meet and Greet if it is really as nerve wracking as it seemed to be for Brian. He seemed to enjoy the stage, I'd say they should probably just stick to that. One thing is for sure, he is a tough SOB.

I was at tonight's show. I doled out the extra cash for the VIP package with the sound check. ppk700's list is pretty darn accurate from what I can recall from memory. At the sound check they also played You Still Believe in Me (and it sounded great). I think they'll be adding that to upcoming setlists. To answer GuyO's question they didn't play She Knows Me Too Well.

I'll start with the good:
1. Soundcheck far surpassed anything I was expecting. Granted I don't have much concert experience, let alone VIP experience. There were about 15 of us and I was sitting in the front row taking video of Brian and Al from a few feet away and singing along. They played a couple complete songs and it was like a mini private concert of sorts. Simply blew me away. I was expecting it to just be guys tuning their instruments and playing short snippets of songs (not necessarily in unison).

2. Going in, I really didn't keep tabs on what the setlist was going to be. The setlist had just about all my favorite Beach Boys tunes, so I was ecstatic.

3. The band sounded great. Brian kept saying Jardine between songs and I didn't realize he was sometimes referring to Al and sometimes referring to Al's son. Al's son sang the high parts and I thought he was spectacular.

4. Speaking of Al, he seemed like a really nice guy and I thought he added a tremendous amount to the show. I couldn't believe how good his voice still sounds. As far as the performances go, Brian isn't the focal point for very much of the show. Without Al and Blondie, I probably would have been disappointed by the show, because at the end of the day, I'm there to see Brian Wilson / Beach Boys. However, those two took the spotlight for much of the show and gave the show the authenticity it needed.


The bad:
1. I was in the 3rd row and I experienced the piano blocking out my view of Brian (except for songs where I got to stand). Didn't seem like he was doing a whole lot anyways though. I had a great view of Al and Blondie. That was a bit disappointing, but the sound check from earlier made up for it (as I got to see Brian from close up at that point).

2. I'm pretty bummed about how the Meet and Greet was. That was one of the major reasons I got that ticket package and the package was like $500. There were only like 15 of us there, but they really rushed us through (they said they were running behind schedule). They handed Brian my item to sign as they had me walk around the table to stand behind him. As he handed me my signed item he yelled "picture!". They snapped the picture and I got rushed out of there. I didn't even get a chance to say anything to him. It didn't damper the soundcheck and concert portion of the experience for me. The more I reflect on it though (now that it's over), the more it bugs me. I'll probably never get another opportunity to say anything to him in my life (and he has meant so very much to me through the years). It's clear Brian doesn't like doing signings and taking pictures. On the other hand, it wasn't like the line had 100 people. I'm sure part of it is my fault and I probably had unreal expectations. I thought it would be more like the VIP group would get to spend 15 minutes backstage with the whole band and talk to all the different members for a little bit.

Related question: Has the stereo version of Surf's Up from Side 4 of the vinyl in the Smile Sessions Box Set been released on CD anywhere? I just got the MiC set in the mail and found from the track listing that it appears stereo versions from Side 4 of the vinyl for Vega-Tables and Wind Chimes made it on. I find it odd that some of the stereo versions on Side 4 of the vinyl didn't make it on to the CDs in the Smile Sessions Box Set and that the Surf's Up on Side 4 in particular didn't make it on the MiC box.

I saw the movie a little over a week ago and I'm torn on my opinions of the movie. From a purely artistic standpoint, what they did with the movie I found to be rather breath-taking.

However, I feel like the story-telling, relationships and character development left a lot to be desired. For me, that is the meat and potatoes of a movie. I get the feeling that the void in these departments probably has more to do with a lack of direct involvement with Brian Wilson himself than anything else. Some of it may just be that I have a different preference for things I would have liked to have seen with greater focus:

1. To me, the love story of Brian and Melinda barely seems convincing. Part of this is probably Cusack's fault. While he may capture certain ticks or mannerisms or do a good job mimicking Brian interviews we can all see on Youtube, his portrayal lacks heart and charm. More often than not he makes Brian look like a creep who can barely talk. If you watch Brian interviews throughout the decades, he could always talk like a normal person, but here and there he would choose to be more reserved. Back to the original point, it almost appears that there is no reason for Melinda to fall in love with him other than the fact that he is a Beach Boy. This relationship just comes across as shallow in the movie. The part where he played Love and Mercy on the piano when she entered the room was the only part with Cusack where I could see a blossoming love. I'm sure part of this is the writers fault as well.

2. The scene with Murray basically shooting down God Only Knows certainly comes off as a pivotal moment in the movie. The problem is that the audience barely knows who this guy is. Their relationship is hardly explored at all. This opens up a huge can of worms with me, where is the rest of his family? Where is his mother? Where are his brothers? Where is his wife Marilyn? These are really the most crucial supporting characters of the 60s Brian Wilson story. In my opinion, the dynamics of the Wilson family relationships are the most important ground to be covered in the 60s. I feel like we see more of Hal Blaine than Carl Wilson or Dennis Wilson.

3. Where is the focus on what drives him as a musician or what he wanted his songs to accomplish? These are important questions. We get to watch him in the studio with the wrecking crew. We get to hear him talk about needing to "get this stuff" out of him. What did it feel like to harmonize with his brothers? Were any of his songs messages to the people around him? Certainly he had deep conversations with a guy like Tony Asher while developing lyrics for Pet Sounds. What about Van Dyke? Why don't we get to see how other musical influences affected him like the Freshmen and Phil Spector?

4. The studio portrayal by Dano seemed off to me. Just from listening to the Pet Sounds sessions, he always seemed to know exactly what he wanted, was well composed and professional. They make him look like a little kid having a blast in the studio, but 97% of the stuff I've heard from sessions was him honing in on a precise sound. He just doesn't come across anywhere nearly as efficient and intelligent and as he actually was when recording. I've heard in interviews with Brian that recording the vocals with his brothers on Pet Sounds that it was very much a religious and spiritual effort. I would have loved to have seen that conveyed.


I suppose I just feel like the fundamentals of the movie are severely lacking. The movie fails to capture the most endearing qualities of Brian Wilson and his story. Seems like more flash than substance to me. The strengths of the move are audio/visual effects and interesting scene juxtaposition and sequencing. The movie is clever in spades, but lacks heart and soul.