Are The Band going to countine after this tour ends?

[SMiLE Brian]

The Mike Love BBs have every legal right to tour as they do and they put on a great show, I just can't really consider them the real BBs with two members (one really with Bruce doing very little these days) in my opinion. Brian Wilson and Al Jardine are missed at shows and this year really proved it.

Don't forget the other bloke…

Mr. Marks is the wild-card in all of this.

[Jonathan Blum]

I don't expect them to do much on the recording side, simply because older acts like them don't sell anymore - except the GH comps like SOS. TWGMTR debuted high, and now, only a couple months later, is almost off 200.

"Only a couple months later" means it's their longest and highest chart run in 35 years.  They've just had seven weeks in the Top 100 -- friggin' Smile didn't manage that.

I'd wager that the Beach Boys and Capitol are very, very happy indeed with the sales of "Radio", and would be glad to have another go...

Cheers,
Jon Blum

[acedecade75]

If TWGMTR had bombed, I don't think we'd even be discussing this right now.  The Beach Boys and Capitol Records have made a lot of money and have had a lot of success this year.  I think it's more than likely that the powers that be will want to try for more.

[Wirestone]

I don't expect them to do much on the recording side, simply because older acts like them don't sell anymore - except the GH comps like SOS. TWGMTR debuted high, and now, only a couple months later, is almost off 200.

"Only a couple months later" means it's their longest and highest chart run in 35 years.  They've just had seven weeks in the Top 100 -- friggin' Smile didn't manage that.

I'd wager that the Beach Boys and Capitol are very, very happy indeed with the sales of "Radio", and would be glad to have another go...

Cheers,
Jon Blum

Exactly. The album did miraculously well.

[Lonely Summer]

How long was "Still Cruisin" on the album chart? I know it didn't peak very high, but it did go gold, so I would think it must've hung around the 200 for more than a couple months. One thing I don't like about the Soundscan era is how veteran acts will chart really high the first week out...and then quickly drop off the chart. It sounds impressive to say, for example "Bob Dylan had a #1 album in 2009", but then it drops off within just a couple months, unlike the 70's when he would be on the chart for half a year or more.

[Justin]

I'm hoping they reform again periodically after this tour.  There's no reason why Brian can't do whatever he wants to do as a solo artist and switch off to Beach Boys work whenever he wants.  Now that the "bridge" between Brian and Mike Love has been completely restored, he should have the freedom to work with them as often as he wants.  Let's hope Brian sees it that way too. 

[acedecade75]

Has TWGMTR gone gold yet?

[HeyJude]

I'm hoping they reform again periodically after this tour.  There's no reason why Brian can't do whatever he wants to do as a solo artist and switch off to Beach Boys work whenever he wants.  Now that the "bridge" between Brian and Mike Love has been completely restored, he should have the freedom to work with them as often as he wants.  Let's hope Brian sees it that way too.  

The "reform every so often" concept sounds like a good compromise, but unfortunately, while these guys have defied all sorts of odds and still put on a great show at age 70+, they don't have a ton of years left to "reform periodically." I'm not saying they can't perhaps pull of a 60th Anniversary Tour, but age may take it's toll at an even more rapid pace at some point here.

If they have any interest in doing more stuff together, sooner rather than later might be a good idea, meaning a new album and tour in 2013 perhaps.

[Justin]

Yeah sooner than later would be preferred.  I would like to see them get together once a year at this point, maybe letting a year and half at the most pass until they work together again.  If things are truly as great as it seems between Mike and Brian--there's no need to approach any future work so gingerly.  The door should be wide open on both ends to feel free to call on the other for more collaborations.  My impression is that Brian likes his freedom and if he wants to write a solo album--he likes the option to do so.  I just hope that he can now permanently add "The Beach Boys" to his "to do" lists among his other projects.

[Autotune]

Personally I hope mike and Bruce tour wih David and Al in tow while Brian stays home, makes albums and waits for the boys to drop by to add vocal overdubs. That worked fine back in the peak era and, if we believe everything we're hearing now, has just produced another good album.

That worked for about a year and a half. That is nothing if you compare it to the 50 years of history this band has. Ideally, it's a great idea; it reads nicely. But it was hard to keep it when these guys were at their peak... don't see why would it be easier now.

[Jonathan Blum]

That worked for about a year and a half. That is nothing if you compare it to the 50 years of history this band has. Ideally, it's a great idea; it reads nicely. But it was hard to keep it when these guys were at their peak... don't see why would it be easier now.

Obvious reasons to start with -- they've grown up, no one's got poorly diagnosed mental illness, they're all on the same page for what they want out of those tours, and none of them is on ludicrous amounts of drugs...

Cheers,
Jon Blum

[Shady]

How depressing would it be if they never toured or released another album. I can't imagine a world without The Beach Boys doing something

[Jukka]

At first, I though this whole celebration and Summer's Gone would be the perfect ending for their career. I got to see them live, Smile is out, one last great album... The perfect ending.

...but who am I kidding! I don't want them to stop! I want more! More songs, maybe see them live for the second time, Billboard number one! Bring it on! Granted, they aren't getting any younger, but they are not that old!

[Lonely Summer]

I always thought it was silly that we had three different groups going out on tour, performing essentially the same show. I mean, sure Al and Brian initially picked more album cuts and lesser known hits, but eventually Mike and Bruce started doing that, too. So what would I rather have, Help Me Rhonda being performed by three different groups? or the group members TOGETHER singing it? I prefer together.

[mabewa]

I don't expect them to do much on the recording side, simply because older acts like them don't sell anymore - except the GH comps like SOS. TWGMTR debuted high, and now, only a couple months later, is almost off 200.

"Only a couple months later" means it's their longest and highest chart run in 35 years.  They've just had seven weeks in the Top 100 -- friggin' Smile didn't manage that.

I'd wager that the Beach Boys and Capitol are very, very happy indeed with the sales of "Radio", and would be glad to have another go...

Cheers,
Jon Blum

I don't know about overall charts, but Tower Records in Japan has a "Western Music" chart, and the album was in the top ten of that chart for quite a long time.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Call it quits after the 9/28 London show, go back to doing what they've been doing since 1998. What's happened this year has been amazingly fulfilling and has, indeed, defied all reasonable odds. Don't push it. Leave with a golden memory, untarnished, unsullied. Don't f*** with it.

[Ron]

I think Brian's going to want to write another album.

I also think it could easily be better than "radio" was, although I thought the album was spectacular, all things considered.

When they did this album, there was still a lot of doubt about how they would work together, A lot of the songs were pre-existing, etc.  Most of the stuff Brian wrote to complete the album was high quality material.

If they write another album, they'll have more time to record it, and also Brian will be a little more comfortable from the get go.  Also if he continues the strength he left off with, we're in for some great music. 

I don't see any reason not to only expect another album, but to even expect a BETTER album. 

[Jonathan Blum]

I don't see any reason not to only expect another album, but to even expect a BETTER album. 

I don't necessarily want another masterpiece.  I'd love another album if it's fun -- for them, as well as for us.  There shouldn't be any pressure to top "Summer's Gone" -- they've done their against-the-odds triumphant grand finale, anything else we get is a bonus, or one more encore.

If Brian wants to unleash the rest of his suite, that's fine, but I'd be happy with another album with stuff of the standard of "Isn't It Time".  One more piece of candy left at the bottom of the bag...

Cheers,
Jon Blum

[Ron]

I agree, with the caveat that in my opinion, that album in itself could be a masterpiece. 

[Jim V.]

I don't see any reason not to only expect another album, but to even expect a BETTER album. 

I don't necessarily want another masterpiece.  I'd love another album if it's fun -- for them, as well as for us.  There shouldn't be any pressure to top "Summer's Gone" -- they've done their against-the-odds triumphant grand finale, anything else we get is a bonus, or one more encore.

If Brian wants to unleash the rest of his suite, that's fine, but I'd be happy with another album with stuff of the standard of "Isn't It Time".  One more piece of candy left at the bottom of the bag...

Cheers,
Jon Blum

I hate to burst everyone's bubble, but I highly doubt that any suite will be finished regardless of whether they do another album. In fact, is there any proof that any of it got beyond the demo stage? And how do we know that the random snippet from the upcoming DVD is from "I'd Go Anywhere"?

But anyways regardless, I hope they do more studio work. Live concerts are cool too, but the studio recordings are what is gonna be sticking around longer. And if Brian's writing good material and he likes being around the guys, why not have his projects be Beach Boys projects. It would take off some of the load of being the producer, singer, and songwriter, and let the other guys pick up some slack. Plus he could still have the security blanket of his band with Darian and company as he has this year. I think it only makes sense. I don't understand why people think they should end on a high note. If they are still functioning on a high level, why not keep working together. I think the possibility of more great work more than weighs out the chance that what they do might not be that great.

[Cabinessenceking]

How long was "Still Cruisin" on the album chart? I know it didn't peak very high, but it did go gold, so I would think it must've hung around the 200 for more than a couple months. One thing I don't like about the Soundscan era is how veteran acts will chart really high the first week out...and then quickly drop off the chart. It sounds impressive to say, for example "Bob Dylan had a #1 album in 2009", but then it drops off within just a couple months, unlike the 70's when he would be on the chart for half a year or more.

I think it is like that due to a limited number of people buying today compared to then. Bakc then many bought the album, casual fans would aslo quite often buy the album. Nowadays you have fans buying the album, but the people who used to buy the album after a few months would rather download illegaly today. at least i would think so.

[Andrew G. Doe]

How long was "Still Cruisin" on the album chart? I know it didn't peak very high, but it did go gold, so I would think it must've hung around the 200 for more than a couple months.

22 weeks, peaked at #46.

US charts

I do this so you don't have to.  

[Mike's Beard]

Did you ever consider going on Mastermind back in the day? 

[Andrew G. Doe]

Applied five or six times: apparently "The Life and Music of Brian Douglas Wilson" wasn't considered a serious enough subject back when Magnus was in the chair.

[Sam_BFC]

That's funny you should mention that, because I wonder what sort of questions they would have come up with.

Seems a serious enough topic for me anyway, especially in the context of more recent years.