Great Brian article/interview in new Rolling Stone magazine.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

nterestingly, I believe c-man had a precise date for the 1999 lead vocal overdub session for “You’re Still a Mystery”, and I believe it took place in October, 1999 during or right before the west coast tour dates, which would have been after Joe Thomas was out of the band. I believe he also mentioned that it was not done with Mark Linett present either (Linett didn’t know about the vocal ovenurdub apparently until prepping the track for the MIC set).

Ahhh....I might have remembered wrong. I was thinking May for some reason.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Gohi, you're missing 1 point - Brian isn't a child that's not given his favorite toy. He's not vegetable, he's adult who's always been choosing collaborators that were right fit for this'n'that studio chore. If Brian wanted to work with Paley & Melinda was against, couldn't he, like, say "No"? We don't know what thoughts were rolling in his mind. He might've agreed with decision later as a result of thinking it over, going thru many doubts & whatnot. It is a hunch but it's possible.

Exactly.

If he really wanted to continue working with Paley, he would have.

These 'Brian is a helpless victim and does what ever her is told to do' thing may have played well in the 80s, but we know better now.

[phirnis]

It's not about being a 'helpless victim'. The Paley sessions are very good as far as I'm concerned and maybe the guy could've used some encouragement, plain and simple.

[Gohi]

It's not about being a 'helpless victim'. The Paley sessions are very good as far as I'm concerned and maybe the guy could've used some encouragement, plain and simple.

Exactly.

[RangeRoverA1]

It's not about being a 'helpless victim'. The Paley sessions are very good as far as I'm concerned and maybe the guy could've used some encouragement, plain and simple.

You don't get - what is 'plain and simple' is that the poster(s) make it mean like Melinda has final say in all things Brian, incl. music. That is false & you know it. No encouragement can help if Brian already agreed to stop working with Paley. His wife only gives a nod or objects to Brian's decisions & ideas. Later, Brian still does what *he* wants. He is musician, after all, not Melinda.

[Wirestone]

My point, though, is that Brian actually made his decision. He fired Joe and don't make an immediate follow up record with him -- shortly after the events of this piece. It didn't matter what Melinda thought, BW did what he wanted. His next solo studio record had four Paley collaborations on it.

His actions speak for themselves. Context matters.

[phirnis]

It's not about being a 'helpless victim'. The Paley sessions are very good as far as I'm concerned and maybe the guy could've used some encouragement, plain and simple.

You don't get - what is 'plain and simple' is that the poster(s) make it mean like Melinda has final say in all things Brian, incl. music. That is false & you know it. No encouragement can help if Brian already agreed to stop working with Paley. His wife only gives a nod or objects to Brian's decisions & ideas. Later, Brian still does what *he* wants. He is musician, after all, not Melinda.

This is not about Brian Wilson's wife. I don't wish to discuss these people's private lives at all. All I'm saying is the RS article from 1999 makes it look like maybe the guy could've used some encouragement at the time with regards to the Paley sessions, a body of work I personally really like and think is superior to some of the stuff he did put out (like Imagination, for example).

[RangeRoverA1]

I was referring to Gohi and other posters of Smiley Smile who think too high of Melinda like she's some kind of a boss to Brian. She may have given some ideas etc., but she's not music-savvy as Brian, he could utilize her ideas here & there but it's up to Brian overall.

[phirnis]

I see. Ultimately it's up to him, I agree. But keep in mind that some people prefer to take the line of least resistance, maybe because they've learned that it will help them avoid trouble or rejection. Not sure if that's the case with BW, I don't know the guy in person.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

My point, though, is that Brian actually made his decision. He fired Joe and don't make an immediate follow up record with him -- shortly after the events of this piece. It didn't matter what Melinda thought, BW did what he wanted. His next solo studio record had four Paley collaborations on it.

His actions speak for themselves. Context matters.

Amen. Of course, some people can't (or won't...) accept that.

Makes me wonder if those certain people are intentionally trying to provoke, though.

[Gohi]

I was referring to Gohi and other posters of Smiley Smile who think too high of Melinda like she's some kind of a boss to Brian. She may have given some ideas etc., but she's not music-savvy as Brian, he could utilize her ideas here & there but it's up to Brian overall.

Hey, thanks for putting words in my mouth.
I'm only commenting on how Jason Fine presented this story. I think he knows a lot more about Brian than you or I.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

I was referring to Gohi and other posters of Smiley Smile who think too high of Melinda like she's some kind of a boss to Brian. She may have given some ideas etc., but she's not music-savvy as Brian, he could utilize her ideas here & there but it's up to Brian overall.

Hey, thanks for putting words in my mouth.
I'm only commenting on how Jason Fine presented this story. I think he knows a lot more about Brian than you or I.

That's honestly how it came across.