The Beach Boys' Crazy Summer (Fantastic article)

[AndrewRomano]

I wonder why Brian all of a sudden wanted to make a Beach Boys album

I asked Brian about that and I STILL wonder. I spoke to him before I spoke to Joe Thomas and he gave absolutely no indication that he was the one who set the wheels in motion:

How did you first hear about this reunion? How did it come together?
Mike Love called my wife and said, 'Ask Brian if he wants to do a 50th-anniversary tour' last year, and we said yeah.

Two interesting things to note here (which I'm only noting in retrospect). 1. Brian specifically refers to the "tour" and not the album, so he's not denying that he triggered the recording project. He's just not telling me that part.  2. Mike spoke to Melinda, then Melinda spoke to Brian. "We"--meaning Melinda and Brian--then said yes. A pretty tidy summary of that whole dynamic.

As sphinx-like as Brian can be--interviewing him was like pulling teeth--he always knows exactly what he's revealing (or not revealing). It took transcribing the interview to see that, however. In the moment it felt like a disaster.

Also, there's this:

When Q magazine asked you last year, you said “there's been talk that I was going to join the Mike Love group, but it's not true." You also said that you didn't like working with "the guys." What changed your mind?
I just wanted to give it another try.

How has it been working out so far?
It's been wonderful. It's been working out great.

So you've been surprised?
Yeah.

Says it all, pretty much.

[southbay]

Andrew,

thanks for joining the board and adding your insights.  Much appreciated.

[Rocker]

I wonder why Brian all of a sudden wanted to make a Beach Boys album

I asked Brian about that and I STILL wonder. I spoke to him before I spoke to Joe Thomas and he gave absolutely no indication that he was the one who set the wheels in motion:

How did you first hear about this reunion? How did it come together?
Mike Love called my wife and said, 'Ask Brian if he wants to do a 50th-anniversary tour' last year, and we said yeah.

Two interesting things to note here (which I'm only noting in retrospect). 1. Brian specifically refers to the "tour" and not the album, so he's not denying that he triggered the recording project. He's just not telling me that part.  2. Mike spoke to Melinda, then Melinda spoke to Brian. "We"--meaning Melinda and Brian--then said yes. A pretty tidy summary of that whole dynamic.

As sphinx-like as Brian can be--interviewing him was like pulling teeth--he always knows exactly what he's revealing (or not revealing). It took transcribing the interview to see that, however. In the moment it felt like a disaster.

Also, there's this:

When Q magazine asked you last year, you said “there's been talk that I was going to join the Mike Love group, but it's not true." You also said that you didn't like working with "the guys." What changed your mind?
I just wanted to give it another try.

How has it been working out so far?
It's been wonderful. It's been working out great.

So you've been surprised?
Yeah.

Says it all, pretty much.

  That Brian again.....

[Doo Dah]

Greatly enjoyed the Joe Thomas interview Andrew!

To me, I was fascinated by the writing process with the endless hours of rolling tape et al. It sheds light into what the TLOS writing sessions might have been like with Scottie. We can only conjecture obviously, but I could see it playing out the same way.

The details provided by Joe tend to lay credence to Brian being fully involved and running things. Regardless of whether or not TWGMTR is autotuned, hot mastered, slick or whatnot it just makes me smile to know that Brian's having a gas in the studio chair. He deserves it. They all do.

[Wirestone]

I think Scott approached things somewhat differently, at least in terms of writing. It sounds like Joe really works hard to coax songs out of Brian. With Scott, Brian generally brought more-or-less completed material (with a couple of exceptions). Scott then wrote lyrics, and very occasionally contributed to the music. Scott never said, for example, that he wrote the chorus to any of those tunes, the way Joe takes credit for the Bill and Sue chorus.

Where the two seem to be similar was in working out demos with Brian. Basically they both recorded everything they did because Brian works so fast and is so mercurial. And then they would sort through things after he left -- Scott would sort out arrangements and work out Brian's ideas in much the same way it sounds like Joe did.

[Shady]

Andrew, you asked pretty much every question that was on our minds..

Absolutely brilliant interview and thanks for stopping by

[filledeplage]

Hi everyone,

This is Andrew Romano, the author of the article in question. Just wanted to say thank you for the lively discussion and point out that I've posted the entire transcript of my interview with Joe Thomas over on my personal blog:

http://andrewromano.tumblr.com/joethomasbeachboys

It's one of the most in-depth accounts of the writing and recording of the new LP to date, so I thought my fellow Beach Boy fanatics would want to read it.

Apologies in advance for any typos.

Thanks again,
Andrew

Andrew - I did like that very much.  I liked that the interview showed the real relationship between Brian and
Mike.  It is the rapport that one can see at the shows, the interviews, and mini concerts, such as the little QVC. I did struggle with some sections of the article. 

Now I wonder, whether it was edited and the essence, which is so cool, here, was lost? 

Thanks again for jumping in here, for the readers and contributors.   

[ontor pertawst]

Um, if there are longer interview transcripts with the band members... COUGH COUGH SUBTLE HINT COUGH COUGH.

[brother john]

Hi everyone,

This is Andrew Romano

http://andrewromano.tumblr.com/joethomasbeachboys

It's one of the most in-depth accounts of the writing and recording of the new LP to date

Thank you so much for this. A great read, and one I didn't want to end.

[MarcellaHasDirtyFeet]

I am a few pages too late, it seems, and haven't yet read the Joe Thomas interview transcript, but I've got to say: This is easily the best article I've read about the reunion. Thank you, Andrew. Clearly, you're a true fan, and provide a perspective that was sorely needed, especially to those of us on this board.

To those of you who think some of the material was "too candid' or what have you... What the foda is wrong with you? Would you prefer some lame, boilerplate article about how great the reunion is with zero context or honesty? Journalism isn't about being a cheerleader during Be True to your School, it's about the pain and triumph and honesty of 'Til I Die. This is the first article that actually provided insight into the process, the clearly knowledgeable writer glosses over the standard biography we've already heard 1,000 times, to good effect, and you wish the timeline had been more detailed? How narrow-minded. Oh, and many of you clearly suffer from a lack of reading comprehension.

A great article, clearly written by a fan FOR fans, and you dismiss it because you haven't yet received your rose-colored glasses, personally signed by Mr. Positivity.

It's not even negative, it's honest. If you have a problem with that, go back to your fantasy world where the Beach Boys are virgins in striped shirts.

[Doo Dah]

If you have a problem with that, go back to your fantasy world where the Beach Boys are virgins in striped shirts.

Wait. Are you sayin'...NO WAY. 

I agree. I loved hearing about the tenuous nature of the early rehearsals. Everyone just standing there, checkin' each other out. To me, that breathes honesty into the narrative and makes the story more compelling. It's the journey, not the destination.

[runnersdialzero]

"At 24, Wilson shelved what would have been his most avant-garde album, Smile, and retreated for decades into a dusky haze of drug abuse and mental illness; now, 45 years later, he has reemerged, stable but still somewhat screwy, to give the whole sun-and-surf thing a final go."

I don't understand why this myth persists. Brian has been varying degrees of active every year since 1961 when the band started. The only time there was said to be a real lull was 71 to 74, but even then he was contributing songs and writing even more. He contributed to all Beach Boys album except one (because he was busy working on his own album), he's been recording a fair amount of material almost every year since the mid-70s, has released a solo album at an average of every two and a half years since his first (and a few which were never released), has toured regularly for well over a decade now, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc.

Not trying to be a dick, apologies if it seems as such, but the myth just kind of discredits all the great work he's done since '67.

[Zach95]

"At 24, Wilson shelved what would have been his most avant-garde album, Smile, and retreated for decades into a dusky haze of drug abuse and mental illness; now, 45 years later, he has reemerged, stable but still somewhat screwy, to give the whole sun-and-surf thing a final go."

I don't understand why this myth persists. Brian has been varying degrees of active every year since 1961 when the band started. The only time there was said to be a real lull was 71 to 74, but even then he was contributing songs and writing even more. He contributed to all Beach Boys album except one (because he was busy working on his own album), he's been recording a fair amount of material almost every year since the mid-70s, has released a solo album at an average of every two and a half years since his first (and a few which were never released), has toured regularly for well over a decade now, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc.

Not trying to be a dick, apologies if it seems as such, but the myth just kind of discredits all the great work he's done since '67.

I think part of it has to do with the fact that a Newsweek article simply cannot delve into detail to that degree.  It would take pages, and that wasn't really the point of the article.

[runnersdialzero]

"At 24, Wilson shelved what would have been his most avant-garde album, Smile, and retreated for decades into a dusky haze of drug abuse and mental illness; now, 45 years later, he has reemerged, stable but still somewhat screwy, to give the whole sun-and-surf thing a final go."

I don't understand why this myth persists. Brian has been varying degrees of active every year since 1961 when the band started. The only time there was said to be a real lull was 71 to 74, but even then he was contributing songs and writing even more. He contributed to all Beach Boys album except one (because he was busy working on his own album), he's been recording a fair amount of material almost every year since the mid-70s, has released a solo album at an average of every two and a half years since his first (and a few which were never released), has toured regularly for well over a decade now, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc.

Not trying to be a dick, apologies if it seems as such, but the myth just kind of discredits all the great work he's done since '67.

I think part of it has to do with the fact that a Newsweek article simply cannot delve into detail to that degree.  It would take pages, and that wasn't really the point of the article.

I don't expect them to at all, it's just that the idea that he "retreated for decades into a dusky haze of drug abuse and mental illness; now, 45 years later, he has reemerged" isn't even an exaggeration - it's just not true.

[JohnMill]

"At 24, Wilson shelved what would have been his most avant-garde album, Smile, and retreated for decades into a dusky haze of drug abuse and mental illness; now, 45 years later, he has reemerged, stable but still somewhat screwy, to give the whole sun-and-surf thing a final go."

I don't understand why this myth persists. Brian has been varying degrees of active every year since 1961 when the band started. The only time there was said to be a real lull was 71 to 74, but even then he was contributing songs and writing even more. He contributed to all Beach Boys album except one (because he was busy working on his own album), he's been recording a fair amount of material almost every year since the mid-70s, has released a solo album at an average of every two and a half years since his first (and a few which were never released), has toured regularly for well over a decade now, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc.

Not trying to be a dick, apologies if it seems as such, but the myth just kind of discredits all the great work he's done since '67.

I think part of it has to do with the fact that a Newsweek article simply cannot delve into detail to that degree.  It would take pages, and that wasn't really the point of the article.

I don't expect them to at all, it's just that the idea that he "retreated for decades into a dusky haze of drug abuse and mental illness; now, 45 years later, he has reemerged" isn't even an exaggeration - it's just not true.

The reason is it probably makes for a better story.  It's no excuse but there is something to the leader of the Beach Boys reuniting with his band to help recapture his legacy sort of thing.  It makes a far less impactful article aimed by the way at the general public to write something like "Wilson who has been successfully touring as a solo artist since the beginning of the last decade, now embarks on his first tour with The Beach Boys since the death of his brother Carl in 1998".

[runnersdialzero]

The reason is it probably makes for a better story.  It's no excuse but there is something to the leader of the Beach Boys reuniting with his band to help recapture his legacy sort of thing.  It makes a far less impactful article aimed by the way at the general public to write something like "Wilson who has been successfully touring as a solo artist since the beginning of the last decade, now embarks on his first tour with The Beach Boys since the death of his brother Carl in 1998".

The way you've spun it slights the whole thing, though - it doesn't have to be slighting or underselling it versus "Brian retreated for 45 years and has only now come back." Telling the honest truth that Brian Wilson, the guy who wrote and produced the majority of their hits and their best material, as well as original members Al Jardine and David Marks are back for a proper reunion tour and album, is a pretty big deal. First tour with original members in nearly a decade and a half, first tour with Brian Wilson as a regular member since the 70s, first album of original material with Brian Wilson in about 25 years, etc. etc. etc.

Again, I wouldn't take so much issue with it if the notion wasn't so dismissive of the work he and the band did after 1967, while furthering an untrue myth that Joe Public believes and enforcing it as true when it isn't. I'm not expecting fanboy-like depths of esoteric information, just the truth.

I'll drop it now, as I didn't even want it to go this far. Certainly a fine and interesting article overall, honestly, I just took issue with this part of it.

[Zach95]

The reason is it probably makes for a better story.  It's no excuse but there is something to the leader of the Beach Boys reuniting with his band to help recapture his legacy sort of thing.  It makes a far less impactful article aimed by the way at the general public to write something like "Wilson who has been successfully touring as a solo artist since the beginning of the last decade, now embarks on his first tour with The Beach Boys since the death of his brother Carl in 1998".

The way you've spun it slights the whole thing, though - it doesn't have to be slighting or underselling it versus "Brian retreated for 45 years and has only now come back." Telling the honest truth that Brian Wilson, the guy who wrote and produced the majority of their hits and their best material, as well as original members Al Jardine and David Marks are back for a proper reunion tour and album, is a pretty big deal. First tour with original members in nearly a decade and a half, first tour with Brian Wilson as a regular member since the 70s, first album of original material with Brian Wilson in about 25 years, etc. etc. etc.

Again, I wouldn't take so much issue with it if the notion wasn't so dismissive of the work he and the band did after 1967, while furthering an untrue myth that Joe Public believes and enforcing it as true when it isn't. I'm not expecting fanboy-like depths of esoteric information, just the truth.

I'll drop it now, as I didn't even want it to go this far. Certainly a fine and interesting article overall, honestly, I just took issue with this part of it.

Okay, I see what you mean, and I agree. Brian's work post '67 ought to be mentioned more, I guess I'm just so used to the "myth" being the usual story, that I've sort let it go.

[AndrewRomano]

Just to offer my perspective (and leave it at that):

The line at the start of the story was intended to give a general reader with no sense of/interest in the Beach Boys a very quick, very broad outline of the arc of Brian's career before diving in. I consider it accurate: Brian did retreat, for many reasons; he was less productive and creative, especially after Sunflower, than he was prior to Smile; he did indulge in drugs; he did suffer from mental illness; and he has reentered the Beach Boys orbit more fully now than at any time since the late 1960s, with the possible exception of Love You.

Later in the article, I provided as much detail about the post-Smile years as I could afford to provide, considering my space restrictions and my general-interest audience. The one line I do regret writing was the one about Brian "usually" offering "only two or three songs per album"; that was meant to refer to 1971-1976 but sounds, due to some subsequent editing, as if it encompasses 1967-1970 as well. I will ask my editor if I can add a sentence or two to the web version about the Smiley Smile to Sunflower period. I love all of those records and they deserve to be included in the story.

NB: I do mention Love You and even Adult Child a few paragraphs later.

[runnersdialzero]

Just to offer my perspective (and leave it at that):

The line at the start of the story was intended to give a general reader with no sense of/interest in the Beach Boys a very quick, very broad outline of the arc of Brian's career before diving in. I consider it accurate: Brian did retreat, for many reasons; he was less productive and creative, especially after Sunflower, than he was prior to Smile; he did indulge in drugs; he did suffer from mental illness; and he has reentered the Beach Boys orbit more fully now than at any time since the late 1960s, with the possible exception of Love You.

Later in the article, I provided as much detail about the post-Smile years as I could afford to provide, considering my space restrictions and my general-interest audience. The one line I do regret writing was the one about Brian "usually" offering "only two or three songs per album"; that was meant to refer to 1971-1976 but sounds, due to some subsequent editing, as if it encompasses 1967-1970 as well. I will ask my editor if I can add a sentence or two to the web version about the Smiley Smile to Sunflower period. I love all of those records and they deserve to be included in the story.

NB: I do mention Love You and even Adult Child a few paragraphs later.

No worries. Like I said, that was the only part of it I really took issue with, and it was right there in the beginning, thus it was kind of out of the way right from the start. As I said, a fine article otherwise, and definitely well-informed. I don't expect lots and lots of esoteric fanboy info in articles like this, as it's generally not appropriate for most folks, but the later material was indeed well acknowledged later on.

Like I said, sans the part mentioned (which you just did a good job of explaining and backing up, anyway), it was indeed a really good read.

[JohnMill]

The reason is it probably makes for a better story.  It's no excuse but there is something to the leader of the Beach Boys reuniting with his band to help recapture his legacy sort of thing.  It makes a far less impactful article aimed by the way at the general public to write something like "Wilson who has been successfully touring as a solo artist since the beginning of the last decade, now embarks on his first tour with The Beach Boys since the death of his brother Carl in 1998".

The way you've spun it slights the whole thing, though - it doesn't have to be slighting or underselling it versus "Brian retreated for 45 years and has only now come back." Telling the honest truth that Brian Wilson, the guy who wrote and produced the majority of their hits and their best material, as well as original members Al Jardine and David Marks are back for a proper reunion tour and album, is a pretty big deal. First tour with original members in nearly a decade and a half, first tour with Brian Wilson as a regular member since the 70s, first album of original material with Brian Wilson in about 25 years, etc. etc. etc.

I'm not sure how big of a deal that would be with the general public though.  I could be wrong though and actually in this case, hope I am.  Remember though, the article was likely written even with non-music fans in mind.

[Runaways]

great interview Andrew, thanks a lot

[Zach95]

Just to offer my perspective (and leave it at that):

The line at the start of the story was intended to give a general reader with no sense of/interest in the Beach Boys a very quick, very broad outline of the arc of Brian's career before diving in. I consider it accurate: Brian did retreat, for many reasons; he was less productive and creative, especially after Sunflower, than he was prior to Smile; he did indulge in drugs; he did suffer from mental illness; and he has reentered the Beach Boys orbit more fully now than at any time since the late 1960s, with the possible exception of Love You.

Later in the article, I provided as much detail about the post-Smile years as I could afford to provide, considering my space restrictions and my general-interest audience. The one line I do regret writing was the one about Brian "usually" offering "only two or three songs per album"; that was meant to refer to 1971-1976 but sounds, due to some subsequent editing, as if it encompasses 1967-1970 as well. I will ask my editor if I can add a sentence or two to the web version about the Smiley Smile to Sunflower period. I love all of those records and they deserve to be included in the story.

NB: I do mention Love You and even Adult Child a few paragraphs later.

Ha! Who said you hadn't listened to their entire catalog? Great read! 

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

Hi everyone,

This is Andrew Romano, the author of the article in question. Just wanted to say thank you for the lively discussion and point out that I've posted the entire transcript of my interview with Joe Thomas over on my personal blog:

http://andrewromano.tumblr.com/joethomasbeachboys

It's one of the most in-depth accounts of the writing and recording of the new LP to date, so I thought my fellow Beach Boy fanatics would want to read it.

Apologies in advance for any typos.

Thanks again,
Andrew

That was a terrific read. Very informative. Thank you for sharing this with us.

[Chris Brown]

Wow, that was some of the most enjoyable Beach Boys reading I've done in awhile - a job very well done Andrew, glad to have you here!

The insights and background information on the new album and tour were fascinating.  I really didn't think we would learn a lot of these things for several years after the fact, if ever.  It makes me happy to know that Brian had a lot more to do with putting it together than we otherwise thought.  The idea of him earmarking tunes exclusively for the Beach Boys is a touching thought.

Am I the only one who got a little choked up reading about Brian and Mike listening to 50's music in the back of the tour bus?  The "full circle" nature of this whole thing really hit me when I read that.

[Custom Machine]

Andrew, thanks so much for posting your Joe Thomas interview.  It makes for fascinating reading and answered a whole bunch of questions I had regarding the genesis of the new album and the 50 Big Ones Reunion.