Very sad to hear his voice failing. Best wishes for hopefully a recovery.

I remember Eva and David Leaf getting scarves for him to wrap around his neck in cold weather to protect his spectacular voice around the "Pet Sounds" and "Smile" London concerts. We've been so lucky to hear him sing. I hope he knows how much joy he has given us.  I did have the funny moment when I was raving about his talent in the lobby of the Marriott County Hall, London, with my friends looking at me strangely. I said, "He's right behind me, I'm guessing?" He was. I guess that wasn't so bad.

Bruce: “There’s no way it can be bad...”

It’s the Beach Boys....Hold my beer!  

That's hilarious, thanks! What could go wrong? 

If Rocky ever wrote a rough draft of his book back when he was in the original state of mind that he was in (at the time of his original posts), I suppose that draft might be as much of a holy grail to some as some lost SMiLE tapes or the Inside Pop reels

I just don't know how anyone can take a word Rocky says seriously after changing his tone like that, or how his co-author can promote the book with a straight face, being that those many original posts are a thing that exists.  Those posts didn't not happen. Yet Rocky and Ron just have to keep pretending that those posts don't exist, continuing a charade, to what end I'm not sure of.

It's interesting to think of what the reception to the book would have been, had Rocky not done those original posts. I suppose it would just be dismissed as relatively boring and devoid of as much insider info as it might have been assumed he might have otherwise had to share - but now we *know* that Rocky had more to say... much more it would seem... and was muted for reasons we can only speculate.  

This is the kind of thing that fans hate me for, but here I go. I received a very early draft by mail of the book that I simply wasn't emotionally able to read it after several attempts, I finally got rid of it. So, I honestly don't know what he was saying at that point.  I'm definitely not a curator or collector. I was more interested in my husband's health at that point. My personal experience many years ago was that Stan and Rocky were very strong and athletic and could get Brian to do whatever he did by physically overpowering him. I wasn't sad when they moved on, but clearly Landy wasn't a great answer. Jesus...

I think many are hopeful that somewhere in the next few copyright releases, someone will turn up a demo of "Mess of Help" with the original lyrics. My recollection is that they won't be found in the session; even if the original lyrics were used in December, they were (according to those who would know...) wiped off in favor of Jack's lyrics when in the home stretch.

Debbie, do you have any other sense of just who it was who "inspired" our wandering boys? Some bopper at a club on the strip? And at the risk of extreme political incorrectness, can anyone describe how to do "the Chicano rumble"? (probably involves a lot of ducking, which I am doing right now)

And speaking of "(according to) those who would know", AGD is already in denial mode about Ron Hamady's performance on the Michael Shelley interview over at you-know-where, tut-tut-tutting about prerecording and attempting to explain away the abruptness of the truncated interview when anyone listening with any sense of tone or pace will clearly note how Shelley sounds extremely uncomfortable at what he's hearing from Hamady. In response to AGD's featherbedding, we'll just trot out the word that our ever-charmingly arrogant Briton would use if he could only join us here--bollocks!   

Rab, the type of response that I think most of us would like to see from Brian concerning Stan and Rocky would something analogous to the great story about his "correction" on the autographed album he signed for Don Henley. But instead of him changing "great" to "good," it would be something like if he were handed an LP signed by Stan and Rocky, and if he simply crossed out their names and returned it to the person who'd given it to him without saying a word...

Those were the lyrics that I remember fairly clearly. I would bet that Brian wouldn't say a thing about Stan and Rocky. It's not what he does.

Apparently I'm still being shamed by other people on this board for noting that people made money off of Brian. Why is that such an issue for them? I'd enjoy an explanation.

[[Ron Hamady]]

Here's a rough but accurate transcription of the part in question (I didn't transcribe all of the "um"s and repeated words):

[Ron Hamady] "There were people that took exception to the credit that we gave Mike Love in the book. There's a Mike Love camp and a Brian Wilson camp, and sometimes those two camps are at odds with each other and when I listen to Rocky talk about all of his experiences when the book was being edited, I said "That should be in the book, Rocky. That should be in the book, Rocky. That should be in the book." - he just told me story after story after story..."

[Rocky interjects] "And Ron put them all in the book."

[Ron continues] "Well, I put a bunch of them in the book and it really fleshed things out considerably. But the one thing that Rocky did not realize was his tremendous respect for Mike Love. When Rocky would talk about how that band survived...Mike Love was the glue that held that band together."

[source: https://wfmu.org/archiveplayer/?show=93892&archive=187375&starttime=]

So Rocky has "tremendous respect" for Mike Love? Let's hear it from Rocky himself (read the parts in yellow to get the meat of the quote):

Mike is the only person on the PLANET entitled to use the name "BEACH BOY-S in any fashion shape or form... EVEN Brian can't use it... Brian gladly gave it to Mike JUST TO GET AWAY FROM HIM... as far as he could GET!  That's when Brian PUT TOGETHER his own GROUP of GENIUS MUSICIANS... who can actually PLAY an INSTRUMENT!

Because I took it even one GIANT step further... and took a meeting with Brian's Lawyers at the Brentwood Mezzaluna restaurant... and PLAYED it for them!  They, then, got me...    MY OWN ATTORNEY ... Charles English... who secured IMMUNITY for me!  And then the SH*T really hit the fan for MIKE... (to the tune of millions)...TO LEARN THE REST... you'll just have to read the book when it comes out!  And it will COME OUT!   And Beach Boy fans will "BOO"... Mike off the stage!  And Brian and Stephen will both HAVE THE LAST LAUGH!!!

Mike-y threw a POOL DECK CHAIR at Brian  Transcendental Meditation and SCREAMED, "I'm NOT SINGING THOSE FU*KING WORDS OF Van Dyke Parks... Mike-y REALLY JUST DID NOT WANT Brian WRITING WITH ANYONE ELSE... (Now why would that be?...) Maybe because then...Mike-y WOULD NOT get 50% of Brian's PUBLISHING? Shocked Shocked  That would be when Brian said..."OK...YOU WRITE THE SONGS, MIKE!...I'm CHECKING OUT!"  And Brian did! HE WENT TO BED FOR 10 YEARS! LOL LOL  All you Beach Boy FANS CAN THANK MIKE-Y FOR THAT!!!

God... you are unbelievably slow... YES, THE SMOKING GUN TAPE IS of Stan AND me Air Quotes  (It's called "PROOF") Stan doesn't really love Mike-y... or he would NEVER HAVE TAPED THIS CONVERSATION... AND THEN GIVEN IT TO STEPHEN! : Unless, OF COURSE, he was STUPID!

IN THE MIKE LOVE-LESS dictionary!  While Mike-y was pretending to practice "meditation"... he was really just napping and SCHEMING!   I have coined the word "SCHEMATATION"  to describe this.

DO NOT LET MIKE'S PHONY MEDITATION SH*T FOOL YA ... THERE IS NOTHING SPIRITUAL ABOUT MIKE...  MIKE'S GOD IS "MONEY!'

I REPEAT... MIKE IS CONDESCENDING TOWARDS BRIAN...  THINKS HE'S BETTER THAN BRIAN...  LOL LOL  IF YOU ONLY KNEW THE HALF OF IT! Smiley Smiley DON'T LET MIKE'S FAKE MEDITATION FOOL YA!

Page 2... SNEAKY STAN TAPED IT... and that's not all STAN TAPED... Wait till Mike-y gets an earful of the "SMOKING GUN TAPE"... where Stan tapes he and I talking about...          WHO LIED BEST IN COURT FOR... MIKE

[For those curious about where all of Rocky's words can be found: http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php?action=profile;u=9448;sa=showPosts;start=0]

Mike's god is money. People lied in court for Mike. Smoking gun tapes. Mike is condescending towards Brian. Mike is a schemer. Mike threw a pool deck chair at Brian.

And all of a sudden Rocky had an epiphany that Mike is deserving of tremendous respect? Something just doesn't add up here.

I guess it's about the "mu-u-ny" and not being sued, as always. I didn't know Rocky well. I just remember him sitting for hours when he was "working for" Brian in his living room lifting dumb-bells in front of a mirror he had propped up on the floor. He seemed thrilled with himself. Both Brian and I just had an incredulous look at this show. Oh, and by the way. I'll be selling my book for $1000 each any day now (yes, I'm being sarcastic). I'm thinking that it was the LA Times that once considered the $$$ that hangers on of celebrities made each year. It was pretty impressive. I guess it's a business.

Question for c-man: do we have a handle on just how much actual involvement Tandyn Almer had with the various songs he's either credited on or has been rumored to be involved with during his interlude with Brian?

The only things I know are that Tandyn wrote the original set of lyrics for "Marcella", which apparently allude more directly to Brian visiting a "masseuse". These were re-written by Jack to make it less obvious what Brian was up to - but apparently some of Tandyn's lyrics remain - which is why on later re-issues of the song, his credit was restored. He also apparently wrote the lyrics to "Beatrice From Baltimore", but those were replaced in whole by Jack's lyrics, turning the song into "Mess Of Help To Stand Alone", hence the removal of Tandyn's credit there, with no later restoration of same. Tandyn's name DOES appear on the AFM contract for both sessions - I haven't heard those session tapes, though, so I can't say if he contributed musically to the tracks, or was present in some other capacity (perhaps he played bass, since I believe he studied that instrument formally?). The official by-line for "Sail On Sailor" credits him with co-writing the music - as Debbie says above, by his own admission, every twelfth note.

I actually do remember the first lines of "Beatrice from Baltimore" - "She got a hole in her stocking, she does a whole lot of rockin,...little Beatrice from Bsltimore." Most of us know how Brian liked women and stockings, so I'm guessing he inspired this.

missing lines where I put the ... - "She do the shake down a Bumbles, she do the chicano rumble."

Oh right, Marcella worked at the Tiger's Den. I never met her. Brian actually had me take him to another massage parlor called "Caesar's" something or other(?). They were really nice to me as I waited in the lobby - lot's of magazines to brouse. Life can be very strange.

Question for c-man: do we have a handle on just how much actual involvement Tandyn Almer had with the various songs he's either credited on or has been rumored to be involved with during his interlude with Brian?

The only things I know are that Tandyn wrote the original set of lyrics for "Marcella", which apparently allude more directly to Brian visiting a "masseuse". These were re-written by Jack to make it less obvious what Brian was up to - but apparently some of Tandyn's lyrics remain - which is why on later re-issues of the song, his credit was restored. He also apparently wrote the lyrics to "Beatrice From Baltimore", but those were replaced in whole by Jack's lyrics, turning the song into "Mess Of Help To Stand Alone", hence the removal of Tandyn's credit there, with no later restoration of same. Tandyn's name DOES appear on the AFM contract for both sessions - I haven't heard those session tapes, though, so I can't say if he contributed musically to the tracks, or was present in some other capacity (perhaps he played bass, since I believe he studied that instrument formally?). The official by-line for "Sail On Sailor" credits him with co-writing the music - as Debbie says above, by his own admission, every twelfth note.

I actually do remember the first lines of "Beatrice from Baltimore" - "She got a hole in her stocking, she does a whole lot of rockin,...little Beatrice from Bsltimore." Most of us know how Brian liked women and stockings, so I'm guessing he inspired this.

missing lines where I put the ... - "She do the shake down a Bumbles, she do the chicano rumble."

Question for c-man: do we have a handle on just how much actual involvement Tandyn Almer had with the various songs he's either credited on or has been rumored to be involved with during his interlude with Brian?

The only things I know are that Tandyn wrote the original set of lyrics for "Marcella", which apparently allude more directly to Brian visiting a "masseuse". These were re-written by Jack to make it less obvious what Brian was up to - but apparently some of Tandyn's lyrics remain - which is why on later re-issues of the song, his credit was restored. He also apparently wrote the lyrics to "Beatrice From Baltimore", but those were replaced in whole by Jack's lyrics, turning the song into "Mess Of Help To Stand Alone", hence the removal of Tandyn's credit there, with no later restoration of same. Tandyn's name DOES appear on the AFM contract for both sessions - I haven't heard those session tapes, though, so I can't say if he contributed musically to the tracks, or was present in some other capacity (perhaps he played bass, since I believe he studied that instrument formally?). The official by-line for "Sail On Sailor" credits him with co-writing the music - as Debbie says above, by his own admission, every twelfth note.

I actually do remember the first lines of "Beatrice from Baltimore" - "She got a hole in her stocking, she does a whole lot of rockin,...little Beatrice from Bsltimore." Most of us know how Brian liked women and stockings, so I'm guessing he inspired this.

Interesting comment by M.  Shelley that Russ Titelman told him that, despite receiving co-author credit, Titelman had actually contributed very little to Guess I'm Dumb.  This is kind of similar to Billy Hinsche's recent comments that his contributions to Lady Love were minimal.   It really does raise questions about how much Mike Love was really entitled to all the credits he obtained in the '90s lawsuit. Everyone pretty much agrees that the original omission on California Girls was unjust, but the fact that several contemporary co-author who WERE credited say that it was pretty much all Brian, it does raise questions about some of Love's litigation-generated credits.

Good question. See my note on Tandyn Almer. There was definitely a money grab in a lot of this. I wasn't there that much when Brian was writing because I would leave out of respect to let him work, and I certainly wasn't there in the earliest days. He actually said, "I want to keep you separate from all this." I was pretty innocent at that time, and I think he loved that. But life happens...to all of us.

Interesting comment by M.  Shelley that Russ Titelman told him that, despite receiving co-author credit, Titelman had actually contributed very little to Guess I'm Dumb.  This is kind of similar to Billy Hinsche's recent comments that his contributions to Lady Love were minimal.   It really does raise questions about how much Mike Love was really entitled to all the credits he obtained in the '90s lawsuit. Everyone pretty much agrees that the original omission on California Girls was unjust, but the fact that several contemporary co-author who WERE credited say that it was pretty much all Brian, it does raise questions about some of Love's litigation-generated credits.

Tandyn Almer told me about his credit on "Sail on Sailor." Apparently he was given 1/12th credit in the end. He told me "I wrote every 12th note." He was entertaining.

We are still waiting on the new documentary but apparently a lot of it was filmed just driving around LA. I’m sure he busted out a few tunes during filming and hopefully we will get to see it.

Love it! So true. And the author is someone who really gets Brian, so I think it will be nothing less than fabulous.

I loved Brian's appearance. Oh well, I'm aware that most BB/BW fans are old and white (like me). I actually find Colbert, Myers and Corden truly funny. It helps me through this nightmare we're living. But I guess my opinions are even less popular here now (if that's possible). Life is an endless lesson.

I'm with you on this one. I too am old and white and regularly watch Colbert and James Corden. I catch Seth Myers online. What a pleasure it was to see what is now a rare appearance of Brian Wilson on network TV.

Thanks! Here's Corden back when we could have nice things - absolutely brilliant:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ln3wAdRAim4

Wow, that was awesome! I have occasionally thought that Brian would be a real coup of a Carpool Karaoke guest, even though he's a tough interview. I can just see James cruising down the highway with Brian singing Beach Boys car songs. Ah well, a girl can dream.

If they could get Brian in the right mood Carpool Karaoke would be fabulous. It's so funny, my memories of being with Brian were almost dominated by my driving him around listening to music (well, and there was the occasional Jack-in-the-Box burger)

I loved Brian's appearance. Oh well, I'm aware that most BB/BW fans are old and white (like me). I actually find Colbert, Myers and Corden truly funny. It helps me through this nightmare we're living. But I guess my opinions are even less popular here now (if that's possible). Life is an endless lesson.

I'm with you on this one. I too am old and white and regularly watch Colbert and James Corden. I catch Seth Myers online. What a pleasure it was to see what is now a rare appearance of Brian Wilson on network TV.

Thanks! Here's Corden back when we could have nice things - absolutely brilliant:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ln3wAdRAim4

I loved Brian's appearance. Oh well, I'm aware that most BB/BW fans are old and white (like me). I actually find Colbert, Myers and Corden truly funny. It helps me through this nightmare we're living. But I guess my opinions are even less popular here now (if that's possible). Life is an endless lesson.

The large majority of people surrounding Brian were really committed to have something to sell to benefit themselves. Maybe do a little research and listen to the people who loved him and didn't cash in. Just a thought.

Here's the poem:


Let America Be America Again
by Langston Hughes (1902-1967)


Let America be America again.
Let it be the dream it used to be.
Let it be the pioneer on the plain
Seeking a home where he himself is free.

(America never was America to me.)

Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed—
Let it be that great strong land of love
Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme
That any man be crushed by one above.

(It never was America to me.)

O, let my land be a land where Liberty
Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath,
But opportunity is real, and life is free,
Equality is in the air we breathe.

(There's never been equality for me,
Nor freedom in this "homeland of the free.")

Say, who are you that mumbles in the dark?
And who are you that draws your veil across the stars?

I am the poor white, fooled and pushed apart,
I am the Negro bearing slavery's scars.
I am the red man driven from the land,
I am the immigrant clutching the hope I seek—
And finding only the same old stupid plan
Of dog eat dog, of mighty crush the weak.

I am the young man, full of strength and hope,
Tangled in that ancient endless chain
Of profit, power, gain, of grab the land!
Of grab the gold! Of grab the ways of satisfying need!
Of work the men! Of take the pay!
Of owning everything for one's own greed!

I am the farmer, bondsman to the soil.
I am the worker sold to the machine.
I am the Negro, servant to you all.
I am the people, humble, hungry, mean—
Hungry yet today despite the dream.
Beaten yet today—O, Pioneers!
I am the man who never got ahead,
The poorest worker bartered through the years.

Yet I'm the one who dreamt our basic dream
In the Old World while still a serf of kings,
Who dreamt a dream so strong, so brave, so true,
That even yet its mighty daring sings
In every brick and stone, in every furrow turned
That's made America the land it has become.
O, I'm the man who sailed those early seas
In search of what I meant to be my home—
For I'm the one who left dark Ireland's shore,
And Poland's plain, and England's grassy lea,
And torn from Black Africa's strand I came
To build a "homeland of the free."

The free?

Who said the free? Not me?
Surely not me? The millions on relief today?
The millions shot down when we strike?
The millions who have nothing for our pay?
For all the dreams we've dreamed
And all the songs we've sung
And all the hopes we've held
And all the flags we've hung,
The millions who have nothing for our pay—
Except the dream that's almost dead today.

O, let America be America again—
The land that never has been yet—
And yet must be—the land where every man is free.
The land that's mine—the poor man's, Indian's, Negro's, ME—
Who made America,
Whose sweat and blood, whose faith and pain,
Whose hand at the foundry, whose plow in the rain,
Must bring back our mighty dream again.

Sure, call me any ugly name you choose—
The steel of freedom does not stain.
From those who live like leeches on the people's lives,
We must take back our land again,
America!

O, yes,
I say it plain,
America never was America to me,
And yet I swear this oath—
America will be!

Out of the rack and ruin of our gangster death,
The rape and rot of graft, and stealth, and lies,
We, the people, must redeem
The land, the mines, the plants, the rivers.
The mountains and the endless plain—
All, all the stretch of these great green states—
And make America again!

Stunning words, and so real today. That's true poetry, timeless and limitless.

The place for sale is not his primary residence.

Yep. He's obviously learned to invest in real estate. Nevada has a better tax rate, so that's the primary residence.

Best in a nutshell:

It was charming and funny when Brian asked me, in 1969, what my favorite BBs album was, followed by a quick (before I could answer), "I mean, except for 'Pet Sounds'." I said "Friends" and he was so happy. He really loved that album. That would be my most underrated - although "Love You," in all it's oddities, was brilliant.

I have no idea how to pick between "Pet Sounds" and "Smile" as a favorite (okay, "Smile" was a BW band recording, not BBs, but it should count, I think).

Worst: The first time I heard SIP (decades later, thank heavens) and through a link on this MB, I was laughing so hard I was crying. Then I realized that they were apparently serious. I've never made my way through "Stars and Stripes," and probably won't. Life is too short. I also really hated that disco monstrosity on "LA Light."

Overrated: I really don't have a good answer, other than the last paragraph. There was something brilliant on nearly all the other albums.

Thanks so much - that is glorious! Oddly, when I moved to Kansas City from LA so that my husband could be closer to his family and I could be closer to mine, I didn't expect any celebrity contacts. But we had a new neighbor who shared a dog with us (long story) - who was abandoned and this sweet woman adopted and fed him, as did I later. We didn't even know that her brother-in-law was Lyle Ritz until they had to leave town for his funeral. As far as their personal stories go, Lyle was a very sweet, spiritual guy, and it shows in his music.

Brian working his magic of so many decades. He can make all of us feel good when we're in a tough place. 

Maybe Brian and co. will be getting a lot of the gigs that Mike and Bruce used to do. That is, if the fallout from the safari gig is as big as it appears to be.

It won't have even registered.

You're right. This bombardment of anti-democratic (democracy, folks, not a party) crap will make this invisible to all but a few.

[“It’s nice money. The U.N. can go screw themselves. They never buy tickets to Beach Boys concerts."]

Well, to be fair, Mike showed a love of love and gratitude back in 1981 when confronted regarding the issue of the band playing Sun City:

“It’s nice money.  The U.N. can go screw themselves.  They never buy tickets to Beach Boys concerts."

I always said that "America's Band" was truly that, in every great and hideous version of that idea (metaphorically and literally) - reflecting the US through 20th and 21st history.

Everything about this is so disgusting.

I've always wanted to be empathetic and kind to David Beard. He's made it impossible for several years.  I know I'll take flack for this, somewhere. I really don't care. M&B have supported this guy. I liked him many years ago. Brian has passively endured what Beard has said in the past, given how he has positioned himself. I wonder if that will continue.

Part of me hopes Brian's oblivious, another part of me hopes he's had enough of the sugar-coated lies.

I guess I was delusional hoping that ML would get so old, tired and rich that he might leave us in peace.

Shame on me.

I have no idea what might ever please him - being as talented and beloved as Brian? I doubt that would even do it.

He's not my problem, but I wish he would stop defiling the foundation of the BB's music that came from love and healing from difficult family circumstances.

With this upcoming election year, I'm sure he'll be even more into power grabs than before.

All we can do is speak up, as best I can tell.

I guess I should go back and watch some of the recent concert clips on youtube.
But first I need to drink some Kool-Aid. 

I decided to check out his most recent videos thanks to your post, and I was not disappointed. I'll even link some for others to check out:

From September, here is Brian doing a really sweet cover of 'God Only Knows': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_wx8EMcIYI
Here is a montage of a September concert where he is completely in control and into the performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxHzXpmk-VU
Last month, toward the end of this video Brian sings an amazing lead on 'Love and Mercy': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDtd9Z2Y8Wo
Brian is hitting all the notes in this September cover of Heroes and Villains: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNexCUgqjc8

I fully admit that in the past Brian has looked miserable at times on stage. But these most recent concerts (after his postponement due to mental health wellness) he is looking and sounding really good. Honestly, after seeing these videos I looked up tour dates for 2020 and see that Brian will be really close to my area for one of the dates, if I'm free I'm gonna go to that concert. So thanks again Lonely Summer! Enjoy your drink!

I agree that he was hitting the notes on Heroes and Villains, but then he forgot to sing the rest of the song and just sat there looking tired and worn out.
He really should retire :/

Watch out! You can't say that around here!

Ya know what’s funny? People bitching about Brian being supposedly controlled but then wishing their own control over Brian (ie if they were in charge they’d recommend Brian to retire right now). This isn’t a dig at TwentyTwenty but people like Lonely Summer who are constantly going on about Brian having zero free will but yet also wishing Brian would retire. But Brian is in control and obviously wants to be touring (again, like the Jeff Beck sessions where he shut down, if he didn’t want to do it he wouldn’t even get on the tour bus). So you want Brian to be in control of his life but you also don’t want him to decide to keep touring? Gotcha.

I’ve said it many many times before: I want Brian to get back in the studio to record an album (instead of being on the road constantly). But that is obviously not what Brian wants to do right now, or else he’d be doing it. Brian should do what Brian wants to do, he’s nearly 80 and has lived one of the most amazingly crazy lives ever...he’s got every right to wake up and decide to perform a concert - he also has every right to quit touring.

You’re right, Brian should have absolute control over his life...so instead of wishing him into retirement perhaps just wish that Brian should do whatever he wants to do. And based on very simple logic and facts, it’s my belief that Brian is doing exactly what he wants to be doing right now.

I just had a moment to get back and read this thread. Thanks OSD for the kind comments. It's strange to see people thinking Brian can be forced to do things at this point in his life. Under Landy's meds (prescribed by a doctor buddy of his who never saw Brian, while Landy wasn't authorized to prescribe), Brian wasn't autonomous. It's been a long time since then, with those around Brian being the ones who got him away from Landy. Yet this seems to be lost on people.

As a side note, when did David Leaf ever put words in Mike Love's mouth? He quoted others describing what Mike said or did who were present at the time, and described those comments and scenarios as such. I think that's called journalism. David knows what's ethical and legal and what isn't at least as much as anyone here. He's been sued by Mike and won. There aren't many who can say that. 

In the end, if you really, really want a vote in whether Brian performs or not, you have it. People buy tickets to shows, or they don't.

If you want Brian in the studio, I understand that. But if there's one thing I've learned, wanting Brian to do something doesn't make it happen. Oh, how I know that...When I was too exhausted to go on, friends stepped up to support Brian when I asked. They continue to do it to this day. Everyone, including Brian's band - well, maybe best reflected by his band - has learned to adapt to that. He could decide he wants to sing something or not. He could decide to record tomorrow, or not. I believe the common quote is, "Brian's going to do whatever he does." We just adapt. So far, it's been worth it.

[Imagine seeing a vocal minority claim that you have zero free will in your life]

Rab: Yes, that happened. They used to post outtakes, unused tracks, and other assorted audio through the site. In that case you referenced, and correct me if I'm wrong about what it was, an unused track from the Christmas album was posted. Then some "fans" started trashing it. Brian himself responded in an unusually angry reply, and the posting of rare tracks stopped.

So thanks to those "fans" for ruining a good thing. But like you also said, Rab, there are cases like those kids who thought it was fun to trash another album of Brian's, an album which one of them didn't even pay for but had received it as a gift and nice gesture from a fellow fan, and unfortunately some must just like to be assholes about certain things even if the reviewers couldn't agree if it was real or a joke review. Wonder how their message board is working out. No, wait, actually I could give two shits about that or them, it's past history.

So yes, indeed, some idiotic comments did scuttle what was a cool thing that was being done for Brian's fans, and I don't blame him a bit for basically telling them to f**k off. It's a sentiment I've shared many times. And if he's now not bothering to look at those comments, good for him! Who needs that bullshit when you've done what Brian Wilson has done in his lifetime.

PS - If I recall too, Brian's fans got that outtake of "What A Wonderful World" through the same online channel that got ruined by the negative comments...and that is a simply amazing track. So it was fun while it lasted, before the idiots got involved. Am I remembering that correctly?

What a damn shame.

I know Debbie said that Brian isolates himself from the critics, but perhaps people still need to ask themselves "What if Brian decided to look at Smiley Smile today?" before they post. Whether or not he would, perhaps there's a possibility that one day he'd be curious to look up The Beach Boys on google and he'd stumble across Smiley Smile.

Imagine reading that some of your "fans" think your music is "f*cking stupid". Imagine seeing your wife being called a bad manager. Imagine seeing a vocal minority claim that you have zero free will in your life. That your band members are using you for financial gain. That your wife is controlling you for financial gain. That you need to give up touring.

Brian receives so much undeserved vitriol about his life...and it's really sad to read.

Someone writes "$$$$$" as a response to why Brian tours. And they say that the band (including someone like Nicky Wonder) is/was using Brian for monetary reasons. It's a shame that people who have this mindset don't think out what their accusations fully imply...because if they did I highly doubt they'd be so quick to post these kinds of comments.

Thanks for pointing this out , Rab and GF. I assumed I was being a bit too flippant in my post. I'm not surprised that if Brian was shown unappreciative comments about his gift of a rough work in the past, he was likely annoyed. I hate that real fans may have lost access to this great, informative stuff because of a few self-important trolls online.

One thing I'm certain of is that Brian knows who he is and what he's contributed. He cares a lot about what other truly gifted artists have to say about his work, along with knowledgeable fans. I don't believe for a minute that he cares about some ridiculous person who spends their time online attacking him from behind a pseudonym thinks. What's their point, anyway? I guess it gives them some sort of thrill to think that they're messing with Brian or the people around him. I think that's a rare occurrence these days and Brian would just walk away from it anyway. The stupidity of it all is an annoyance, at best. Unfortunately, this could be at the loss of real fans Brian enjoys.

You and Rab also pointed out how completely insulting this is to Brian's devoted band members and others who have supported him for decades - like they would allow Brian to be abused. That's what used to send me into orbit. Now, I just see a few sad little people spreading rumors (whomever they are) who need far more attention than they're getting in their real lives. Maybe they should focus on that, rather than thinking they're going to bring down the greatness of Brian Wilson. That ship has sailed. Their opinions don't matter at all.