Here Comes The Sun:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ocVBm_aU-E

Is it joke? Hilarious.

Unfortunately I don't think it is. 

That is a truly awful cover version.

I saw them at RAH a couple of years ago.  It’s quite a place to see them. 
Just wondering, who sang lead on Sail on Sailor and Summertime Blues? 

Happy birthday, Brian!

I agree with a lot of Rab's points, especially that this speculation is pointless because we have no idea what's goin on.  I admit I engaged in speculation myself when I said that the fact that they're booking new dates in September could be a good sign, but that's because I want it to be a good sign, a sign that things are improving.  But honestly, we can all look at videos of this or that until we're blue in the face, but none of us are medical professionals treating Brian (as far as I know) and we really, really aren't qualified to diagnose what he needs or doesn't need. 

Also agreeing with another comment by Rab, I do think a lot of the comments are based on the assumption that Brian has no control over his life, and that he's somehow being taken advantage of.  It's rather disrespectful of Brian as well as those around him.  Just from having seen so many interactions of the various band members and Brian, I really don't doubt that these guys truly love Brian and I just can't see people like that standing by and watching him be exploited.  The argument is that a lot of people depend on Brian for employment, but come on, does anyone really think that someone like Al Jardine is so desperate to tour that he'd watch his friend and colleague of almost 60 years be taken advantage of?  Especially given the history with Landy, I would imagine that Brian's friends and family are very protective.  The undertone to a lot of these comments about what Brian should or shouldn't be doing is quite condescending and assumes that he's not capable of deciding that himself. 

New dates announced for 9/23 and 9/28. For whatever it's worth, they're still booking more September shows as if he'll be back on the road.

We've got to take that as a good sign, right?

I guess it depends on each person's outlook. I'm sure we all hope this means whatever has gone on isn't too serious. But certainly others might feel that it would be okay for Brian to take more time off. A concern that August/September shows might be still difficult would not be unfounded.

We obviously don't know any particulars of what's going on with Brian. But it's a pretty unprecedented step that he took both in terms of why he had to postpone the shows and also the frankness of explaining why. But that tends to make some fans, who again don't know the details, worry that whatever is going on can't be addressed sufficiently in the span of only about eight weeks.

Yes.  I just meant the former, i.e. I'm hoping it means that whatever has gone on isn't too serious.  If he needs more time, by all means he should take it.  I would never suggest that he rush back onto the road.  On the contrary.  I just hope that if they're booking more shows, it means that he's doing well and hoping to be back at it. 

New dates announced for 9/23 and 9/28. For whatever it's worth, they're still booking more September shows as if he'll be back on the road.

We've got to take that as a good sign, right?

I hear what you’re getting at, but I think a lot of it just has to do with the production techniques of the era.  One thing I find interesting is how much better Carl’s solo material sounds when it’s performed live (for example, on the Bottom Line CD).  I think others on this website have pointed the same thing out.  Material that’s pretty lacklustre on the albums sounds so much better on the live recordings.  And it’s precisely because it’s missing that 1980s Pointer Sisters vibe. 

Magnum PI

Any thoughts on the original theme song? It lasted for about 9 or 10 episodes.

I’d forgotten about the original theme!  I re-watched the first couple of seasons of Magnum a few years ago and was surprised to hear the original theme as I didn’t remember it from the first time around.  To answer your question, I think it’s a fine piece of music on its own and actually quite interesting, but as theme music to the opening credits of a show it just doesn’t compare to the later theme.  The second, more long-running theme and opening credits just worked so well together and created a real sense of excitement.  The whole is greater than the sum of its parts, I guess is what I’m trying to say. 

What do you think?

Magnum PI
Miami Vice
Sesame Street (which bears more than a passing resemblance to GV)

Hi Smileysmilers,

Does anyone know of a good online community or messageboard for discussion of the band Chicago?  Thanks in advance.  

Hi marcella27,

I didn't know of one (and nor does anyone else by the look of things) so I searched around and found this:

https://chicagotheband.com

Maybe it's what you're looking for.  

Thanks, JK.  Yes, the official fanclub.  But you gotta pay for membership!
If anyone knows of, or stumbles across, another site devoted to in-depth discussion of the band along the lines of our beloved Smileysmile site, please let me know!

Hi Smileysmilers,

Does anyone know of a good online community or messageboard for discussion of the band Chicago?  Thanks in advance. 

I’m at a loss right now and I really don’t know what  to say really.  The man’s my idol and not just musically, but  glad he’s taking time for himself.  I could tell it wasn’t just his back , that he was dealing with some sh*t.  I admire the fact that he’s saying what’s really going on, because it would’ve been easy to say it was his back.  But he’s got this, I know he does.  From what he said it seemed like it got real bad after his third back surgery. I wouldn’t be surprised if his pain medications were messing with his other medications. From current personal experience I know there can be interference , and if an adjustment had been made he may need time off for that. If you’re in medication for mental illness it can be a crapshoot.

While I'm very much not into trying to wring some sort of pie in the sky scenario out of this where it isn't as serious as it seems to be, I do think a connection to his surgery could indicate that some of his issues could have been exacerbated by that surgery, either directly or indirectly. The issue with having to change around medications could certainly be a cause or at least something that inflames whatever else is going on. And, while I'm no doctor, I have heard of cases where people go in for surgeries for some sort of physical malady, and they come out of it with some mental after-effects due to a huge spectrum of possible reasons (anesthesia, not enough medication, too much medication, PTSD-type trauma).

I can only guess this is a hugely challenging situation for all involved, as there are lot of conditions and issues that are co-morbid, and also the opposite. I'm not saying he has anything along the lines of dementia, but if someone had a pre-existing mental illness and then *completely separately* developed some other mental condition (whether age-related or otherwise), that would make everything more complicated and murky.

Yes, definitely, surgery can have an impact on mental health.  People often underestimate the effects of general anaesthesia, for one thing, and then you have issues such as medication interaction, or having to stop one medication to avoid an interaction with another, etc... The average 76-year old is on a lot of medication to start with; add medications to treat mental health issues and back pain and I would imagine you've got a very complicated situation, medication-wise.  

Also, ongoing physical health issues can have an impact on mental health as well.  Issues like pain and, perhaps even more problematic, increasing physical limitations, can have a profound effect on mental health.  

HeyJude is right that none of us is Brian's doctor and we can't do anything more than guess at what is going on.  But it's obvious that a 76-year old with a well-documented history of severe back issues as well as mental health issues makes for a very complicated medical situation.  It also makes you realize how strong Brian is to have been touring as much as he has the past few years.  

My heart sank when I saw the message that the upcoming shows are cancelled.  For months I have been looking forward to seeing Brian, Al and the band in Burlington on Sunday.  I am really sad that that's not happening.  But I am far more sad about why it's not happening.  The message from Brian is heartbreaking.  It is definitely the right decision to prioritize health over work/touring and I sincerely hope that Brian gets better very soon.  

Here is the message I received about the Burlington, Vermont show. 

Brian Wilson Cancellation

 

We have received news that Brian Wilson has cancelled all upcoming tour dates due to mental health issues. Therefore, his performance scheduled for Sunday, June 9, 2019 is cancelled. We wish Wilson a speedy recovery and hope to present him at a future Burlington Discover Jazz Festival.
   

All tickets purchased for this show will be refunded. Please contact the Box Office at 802-86-FLYNN (802-863-5966) with your order number and credit card information handy so that we may confirm your refund details. Tickets need not be returned to the Flynn Box Office. All tickets will be refunded to the original method of purchase. Cash sales will be refunded by a check sent to the account address on record. We will be processing refunds over the next several days; please allow a week to ten days for the credit to post to your account or to receive a refund check.
 
We apologize for the inconvenience. If you have any questions, feel free to inquire in person at the Box Office at 153 Main Street in Burlington or by calling 802-86-FLYNN (802-863-5966).

[Pet Sounds is not a racist text, but its impact was racist]

I JUST WANT TO SAY SOMETHING.  I WANT TO SAY SOMETHING.  THE BEACH BOYS, "AMERICA'S BAND" AS THEY WERE DUBBED, WERE JUST THAT.  although they were formed by white people, the beach boys brought in blacks, filipinos, puerto ricans, and even greeks (stamos, lol). to contribute to the group sound.   The spirit of america indeed!

https://www.popmatters.com/racializing-rock-the-60s-and-the-white-sounds-of-pet-sounds-2495414567.html

Pet Sounds is not a racist text, but its impact was racist because it further encoded rock as a white genre, perpetuating the institutionalized prejudice that relegated African Americans to the margins of rock.

Granted, this is the same online cesspool that published a NPP review where the reviewer didn't bother to fact-check or do even the slightest amount of logical thinking before writing the piece. Not surprising in the era of click-bait yellow journalism.

_______

But Chewy, you are ABSOLUTELY right though! This music brings together so many styles, so many people. I mean, even from the latest 20/20 set release, there was that track/story about the African American kid they found rapping (probably the wrong terminology but I'm not sure what else to call it) on a street in New York and decided to pull him into a studio and record him - and now he and his rap from 1968 are a solidified part of Beach Boys history. How freakin cool is that?!

And the main thing is this: The music is about love. You can't not be knocked out by some of those harmonies, no matter where you're from. It is hitting something spiritual and loving...both lyrically at times and sonically. The Beach Boys could not help growing up white suburban kids. But man they took their white suburban life and morphed it into an enterprise that accepted people of all colors, religions, and cultures...that in itself is something incredible...and I'm pretty proud to consider The Beach Boys to be my favorite musical group ever.

Yeah.  That Pop Matters article made me livid when I read it.  I absolutely hate that kind of navel-gazing, self-important, what Woody Allen would call mental masturbation.  Yes, Pet Sounds has been analyzed beyond belief and some of those analyses are quite interesting.  But sometimes the analysis goes way too far and at a certain point I want to say, listen man, it's just an album.  It's just a collection of songs, which are made up of musical notes and words.  I fail to see how that can "perpetuate the institutionalized prejudice that relegated African Americans to the margins of rock". 

The bottom line is that a lot of people write these things and they don't actually know what they're talking about.   They're trying to write something earth-shattering and they just end up writing a lot of nonsense. 

While many (many) people would argue that you can't separate the art from the artist, I really believe that music is about music.  If I listen to a piece of music not knowing anything about who made it, and the music itself speaks to me, that is what matters. 

But yeah, it is annoying that the BBs are commonly viewed as this super white-bread band when in fact they were very much influenced by a number of black musicians, and also had an ethnically diverse group of musicians in the band itself.  But it's pretty much the same with everything BB-related:  the general public's perception of them is, by and large, wrong. 

It is truly one of my favourite BB songs.  I remember reading somewhere - no idea where, sorry - that it is heavily influenced by Herbie Hancock's Watermelon Man, which was covered by Mongo Santamaria and became a major hit.  So perhaps the record company chose not to release a single for fear of a repeat of the Surfin Safari/Chuck Berry thing?  I have no idea.  

Man, before 5 minutes ago I was only aware of the Herbie's Headhunters version of 'Watermelon Man', which was released in '73, so I had to look it up. For anyone interested in the '62 version that Marcella27 is referring to:

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

My pleasure!  I actually prefer the 1962 version.  Freddie Hubbard!
Very well worth the listen if you like jazz, thanks for bringing it up Marcella! And I can definitely see some similarity.

Circa 1977, some of the guys wore those matching jackets:



Carl isn't signing on for the jackets in this photo, though his jumpsuit isn't his most flattering look either.

Dennis is the only one in this picture that doesn't look like a dork.

Some of those jackets resurfaced years later at auction apparently:

That shot of Al is amazing, with him embracing the typically "hidden" apple crate boost that actors like Don Adams on Get Smart would have hidden to make themselves look taller onscreen.

Definitely not a good look for Carl. I have to think at a certain point (maybe early on in the band's career?) some of the members, like Carl for instance, must have just checked their vanity at the door and said "screw it", because there were probably way too many photo shoots they had to do for them to get too worried about how bad that an unflattering outfit might make them look in a given shot.

What I'd like to know is why is Carl wearing one glove in that picture?  Was he working on someone's car right before this photo was taken? 

I'd also love to know how much that jacket of Brian's went for at auction.  Could you imagine owning that?!

Oh, I forgot.  I might get attacked for this, but I really don't feel like Sloop John B fits on Pet Sounds.  It's obviously a great track in its own right but it really stands out to me as being very different from all the rest. 

The only one that I could truly say sabotages an otherwise seamless album is Student Demonstration Time.  It never fails; I'm listening to that album thinking how amazing it is...song after great song...and then the siren starts blaring and Mike's voice comes through a megaphone.  Just awful. 

It is truly one of my favourite BB songs.  I remember reading somewhere - no idea where, sorry - that it is heavily influenced by Herbie Hancock's Watermelon Man, which was covered by Mongo Santamaria and became a major hit.  So perhaps the record company chose not to release a single for fear of a repeat of the Surfin Safari/Chuck Berry thing?  I have no idea.  

Regardless, it's amazing.  On Youtube there's a video of David Marks and Jeffrey Foskett playing this at a private gig.  David Marks says that they only ever played this in concert one time.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89Ysw6fyhlw

Definitely keeping the legacy of one of the world's best bands alive and well. 

I just got an email from the Burlington VE jazz festival.  Brian is playing June 9, 2019.

Brian Wilson

Pet Sounds: The Final Performances

Sunday, June 9

Flynn MainStage

 

EXCLUSIVE PRE-SALE for Friends of Discover Jazz starts TODAY at 10am. Tickets go on sale to the public Friday, March 22 AT 10AM.
 
To become a Friend and instantly receive the Friends-only pre-sale promo, visit discoverjazz.com/friends.  Support over 100 hours of free live music and the festival’s music education programs, become a Friend of Discover Jazz today.

This comes from Al who just posted this on his Facebook account:


Hal Blaine was the sound of The Beach Boys and now a big part of that has left us. He was a great man and a great teacher who really knew his stuff. He was the leader of the Wrecking Crew who organized all the musicians, paperwork and charts. We were the idea guys and he was the professional who put it all together and harnessed so many of Brian Wilson's musical ideas and helped put them down on tape. In the studio, he was the conductor in charge of all the musicians and made sure everyone showed up! When we were recording Loop de Loop, Hal helped me immensely by organizing all the players and giving the song that big drum sound. I admired his stoic professionalism and nervous energy and he gave me confidence in his presence. He also said I was his favorite rhythm guitarist but I'm sure he was misquoted…lol. We couldn't have done it without you, Hal ❤️ RIP

That is such a great and heartfelt comment from Al. 

I found this so interesting.  First of all, Brian's singing sounds great.  So much stronger than the shows I saw in November.  This leads me to think that Brian's behaviour at those fall shows had a lot to do with him being tired and worn out and possibly being in pain.  Either that or they've really cleaned up his vocals in this video.  Any thoughts?  His singing at the beginning of California Girls was just beautiful. 

Blondie and Nicky are great too.  Nicky seems almost protective of Brian...very sweet.