Howdy-
Longtime lurker -back to the Smile Shop days- first time poster. A recent illness found me trolling through my bookshelf for things to re-read and I picked up the Nick Kent book "The Dark Stuff" again. I am still slightly surprised at Tony Asher's tone in the Brian Wilson chapters. He was really letting his slip show during that interview. The capper for me is the "A professional musician, but an amature human being" quote. Anybody know the context or background or even time period of the Kent/Asher interview for the book? I am assuming it was from the 70's- the book mentions dates, but doesn't seem to pin point which specific interviews were which dates, unless I'm missing something, which could entirely be the case.
By '96 Tony seems to be much more gracious and tactful for the Pet Sounds box set book, and his opinion perhaps mellowed when he once again collaborated with Brian in the 90's. Although I'm guessing it was more of a goodwill gesture rather than hoping to once again recapture the Pet Sounds magic.
As one who has gone through all the cycles of Brian Wilson fandom, I can appreciate that Asher's observations of Brian at that time were probably pretty apt, but the way he relayed them, at least in print seemed pretty judgemental and cruel.
I'm just curious about other folks impressions of both the book and the contrast of it versus other public Asher admissions about the period. I wonder if years later he's made any retractions or apologies for being so harsh?
I'll take my answer off the air.
Dean