What's the Earliest Recorded Evidence of Brian's Vocal Deterioration?

[harrisonjon]

At what point could Brian no longer do what he does on Pet Sounds, for example?

[Jukka]

15 big ones. Even on The Caribou Sessions (1974) he has his head voice intact (Rolling up to Heaven).

[Sheriff John Stone]

I would say on the Spring album which would be, what, early-mid 1972?

[Andrew G. Doe]

At what point could Brian no longer do what he does on Pet Sounds, for example?

His vocal on "Don't You Just Know It" is showing definite signs of strain, and that was recorded 1970.

[I. Spaceman]

Even on Sunflower, his vocals sound nowhere near what they had on Pet Sounds.

[Jukka]

I always thought his early 70's vocal sound is simply Brian growing up. It's not like his voice is deteroriated, in fact I like his Sunflower -voice more. Mellower and softer.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

At what point could Brian no longer do what he does on Pet Sounds, for example?

His vocal on "Don't You Just Know It" is showing definite signs of strain, and that was recorded 1970.

he had his good days and  bad days. That definitely was a bad day. thing is he didn't have good days and bad days before. so yeah ...good call

[Mikie]

I remember talking about this on another board many years ago. I remember Brad Elliott saying that Brian's voice started deteriorating around 1969. I diagree with that kinda. I'd agree with "Don't You Just Know It" - it's a little obvious there, but his contributions to Sunflower showed that his high voice was still intact. To me, he sounds fine on the Spring album. His high voice was intact in 1973 (Pete Fornatale interview) and 1974 (Jim Pewter interview) but I think it really went to the point of no return in 1975 when he was heavy into the hash and smokes and coke.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

this thing is sunflower was recorded the year before that song. There was definitely a change around that time as his voice started to become rather reedy.

[SMiLE Brian]

Even the breakaway demo shows Brian's voice slowly going downhill.

[Amy B.]

His voice had definitely begun to lose some of its luster by 1970. Whereas Carl's voice got fuller and richer as he matured, Brian's voice thinned out.

[I. Spaceman]

I always thought his early 70's vocal sound is simply Brian growing up. It's not like his voice is deteroriated, in fact I like his Sunflower -voice more. Mellower and softer.

I hear the opposite in that stage of his voice, very shrill.

[SMiLE Brian]

I think the height of Brian's voice was side two of Today!. The shrillness began to creep in on summer days.

[Sheriff John Stone]

I think the height of Brian's voice was "Surf's Up", specifically the second part.

I guess we all have different interpretations of "deteriorate". It's hard to tell if his post-Pet Sounds' vocals in the years 1967-70 were deteriorating, or if he simply didn't record them with the care of his previous (pre-1967) work.

If you want to be technical, the songs on Sunflower were recorded in 1969 were they not?

And, if you want to be really picky, like I do, Brian was straining and thinning a bit on some of those Friends' high parts.

[seltaeb1012002]

I think SMiLE was the peak of his super solid almost god-like professional sounding lead vocals. It's still there in '67, but you can hear a pretty big difference in quality between, say, the TV performance of "Surf's Up" compared to "Surf's Up '67". His breathing control was slipping.

It's funny, as a new fan it sounded like it changed over night on 15BO. But as you get into it, you can document the gradual changes leading to "the big change".

[I. Spaceman]

I think the height of Brian's voice was "Surf's Up", specifically the second part.
 

I agree.

[seltaeb1012002]

I think the height of Brian's voice was "Surf's Up", specifically the second part.

And I just realized you already pointed this out. 100%. It was a slow decline afterwards, with 67 + 68 still being high quality, but not quite as special as the previous years.

[MBE]

I always thought his early 70's vocal sound is simply Brian growing up. It's not like his voice is deteroriated, in fact I like his Sunflower -voice more. Mellower and softer.

I agree 200 percent. Nothing until Back Home jarrs me at all.

[bgas]

I always thought his early 70's vocal sound is simply Brian growing up. It's not like his voice is deteroriated, in fact I like his Sunflower -voice more. Mellower and softer.

I agree 200 percent. Nothing until Back Home jarrs me at all.

ahh the Eleanor Rigby aproach

[Dave Modny]

Personally speaking, I would probably hesitate to use the phrase 'start of deterioration' in terms of the '69-'70 sound vs. more of the noted timbral and stylistic change (less of the wondrous and sonorous "whine").

That is, when I hear the purest, most unfutzed examples of Brian in the mid-60s -- the Humble Harve recording, the Bernstein SU, the '67 Hawaii H&V  -- I really don't hear *that* much of a difference in the overall shape of his voice using Brian's best studio work in '69 and '70 (obviously the only concert examples we have from '70 are the lo-fi audience tapes where Brian sat in).

The range/purity of his falsetto on "Forever" from early '69 is still pretty impressive. The b**ted version even has that hair-raising scream by him at the end. And, his backings on "Our Sweet Love" from late '69 or early '70 still have that certain something to them (including the unreleased, mixed-out bit at the end).


YMMV of course:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rH4NH6MW98

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvzp3rfPL4k




Also, His "Soulful Old Man Sunshine" backings (and the demo for that matter) and "Games Two Can Play" from '69 are two others that come to mind. Even something like his opening line on "Feet," ('70) or something like the double-tracked "Awake" demo from '71 can still chill me.

That's not to say that there may not have had some lifestyle-induced, rougher moments on tape during that era (the aforementioned DYJKI), but...

[MBE]

I still have trouble witht he 1970 date for Don't You Just Know It. Jan just wasn't recording much yet 1973 is far more likely. Won't You Tell Him from fall of 1971 is a great Brian vocal too.

[Amy B.]

Well, when did Brian start using cocaine?
And when did he become a heavy smoker, because I think I remember reading that he wasn't a heavy smoker in the 60s.

[Dave Modny]

I still have trouble witht he 1970 date for Don't You Just Know It. Jan just wasn't recording much yet 1973 is far more likely. Won't You Tell Him from fall of 1971 is a great Brian vocal too.

IIRC, the first recollection I have of the '70 date was in Surf's Up (the book). And, even though it seems hard to fathom, wasn't the story that Jan's vocal was indeed laid down in '73? I guess it's just something that's stuck for all these years in light of any newer info.

*Is* there any newer info than that, Andrew?

[Mikie]

I still have trouble witht he 1970 date for Don't You Just Know It. Jan just wasn't recording much yet 1973 is far more likely. Won't You Tell Him from fall of 1971 is a great Brian vocal too.

Me too. Same here. Seems more like '73 to me. I've always thought that.

'Course if you listen to the intro to California Saga, his voice isn't the strongest either, and that was 1972.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

I still have trouble witht he 1970 date for Don't You Just Know It. Jan just wasn't recording much yet 1973 is far more likely. Won't You Tell Him from fall of 1971 is a great Brian vocal too.

'Course if you listen to the intro to California Saga, his voice isn't the strongest either, and that was 1972.

he's using that same shouty voice he'd use later on.