M & B Tour 2013

[startBBtoday]

No, the In Concert version sounds infinitely better. Better vocals, fatter sound.

Yeah, comparing the fatter sound of something professionally recorded live to a video shot in the crowd seems fair.

[ontor pertawst]

Good thing they can't professionally record it and release it, then.

[drbeachboy]

Good thing they can't professionally record it and release it, then.

And we wonder why people associated with the bands rarely post in here. Incredible!

[ontor pertawst]

You can't exactly take the high ground going by your posting history...

Look, sorry. I don't like it. He doesn't like it. Other people here don't like it. It lost me when the words were mangled on the chorus. I can't pretend it's just like the 73 version. More power to you if you can!

Wild Honey on the other hand, is a different story! Exuberant and fun. It works. The internet giveth, the internet taketh. You can't expect unanimous praise in this den of surf vipers. Sure, my face was a little red when I read the previous page and noticed who was posting. But I'm not going to lie about loving it!

[drbeachboy]

You can't exactly take the high ground going by your posting history...

Wild Honey on the other hand, is a different story! Exuberant and fun. It works.

I doubt I ever come in here and start ripping band members or producers. At worst was my dislike for the lifeless sound of last year's Live album. Now, when it comes to some members and how they act in here? Yea, I speak up.

[ontor pertawst]

Great. I'll try to cope with the harsh reality of your opinion and take it one day at a time... and hope they pull off "Heroes and Villains" better next time. I think we'll all be ok... and the next take on it will be better!

[relx]

The In Concert version also has, you know, the actual Beach Boys on it, unlike this version. That kinda makes it better too.

[KittyKat]

If the current  official Beach Boys are going to do "Heroes and Villains," then Mike Love should try singing it.  It's in his range, since he really is a natural tenor and it doesn't go that high (and they can lower it a key if needed). The lyrics aren't that odd. If he could sing "Long Tall Texan" in the past, then relating to the guy in H & V should be no problem.

[ontor pertawst]

Oh man, now THAT -- I would pay to see. Unleash the Love! Uncover those frickin' cornfields while we're at it.

[SurfRiderHawaii]

If the current  official Beach Boys are going to do "Heroes and Villains," then Mike Love should try singing it.  It's in his range, since he really is a natural tenor and it doesn't go that high (and they can lower it a key if needed). The lyrics aren't that odd. If he could sing "Long Tall Texan" in the past, then relating to the guy in H & V should be no problem.

I agree, good idea. Mike still sounds like Mike and his singing it would give it  a real BB feel.

[Rocker]

Has anyone seen Mike and Bruce over the past week?

According to fb they're doing Heroes and Villains, Sail on Sailor, and Forever...not too crazy for them, but I don't think they've been played since the reunion.

Anyone have a full setlist or knowledge of other setlist goodies from them? Maybe competing with Mr. Pet Sounds...

They're doing "forever" because John Stamos is with them.

I don't know. There was talk of doing the Dennis video tribute of the Beach Boys tour. They already used the video of Carl doing GOK.





Thanks for the Mike&Bruce "Heroes&Villains". Been wanting to hear one of their performances for years!
Nice job. Christian sounds cool. He doesn't nail it though as someone mentioned here. It's pretty good but not Carl Wilson level.
This video gave the answer to Mike's question why there had to be so many musicians on the Beach Boys tour; they need to be there.

BTW Cowsill, I like your singing on this better than "Wild honey" fwiw. IMO it fits your voice better.

[drbeachboy]

The In Concert version also has, you know, the actual Beach Boys on it, unlike this version. That kinda makes it better too.

Well, the two that sang it on In Concert are no longer there. Do you rip Darian for doing Darlin'? Show people some respect when they take the time to come in here and post.

[filledeplage]

Christian always, without fail, looks bored out of his mind on stage. Does he dislike performing or something?

Yeah, but that's better than having two Alpha Mike Love personalities, and old one and a younger one, competing with each other on stage. 

That is not my impression of Christian at all.  Not everyone is an emcee, as Mike does so very well. 

For years, Carl hung back, very soft spoken, and reserved, as Christian presents, and let the other guys do the song intros, etc.  He did more leads as time went on, and really took a more active stage role as years and decades, passed, and Brian was not on the road, out of necessity, and later, doing more of the intro work with Mike. 

Christian has a very fine voice, and I've enjoyed his getting better all the time.  Not everyone is an extrovert.  And he is just wonderful with the fans, particularly the young ones. 

[relx]

Excuse me, show respect to who? Cowsill? Did I say anything bad about him, did I criticize him at all? From what I have seen and heard, he is a very good drummer, and has a good voice. You know, even bar bands can have good musicians/singers in them. I just don't like this version of the song--it sounds like a bar--or, to be more accurate cover--band, which is exactly what it is. I would feel the same if Mike was singing lead. And no, I don't think that John's voice fits this song that well. I also don't love Darian's version of Darlin. I think that all songs that cannot be sung by BBs any longer--Don't Worry Baby, Darlin, etc.--should be retired. Pretending that Christian sounds like Carl, or the Darian does, or that Cowsill does, is nonsense. There was just one Carl--and Brian and Dennis and Mike and Al.  I am not going to be critcized for expressing an "opinion" about something. It's not like I'm criticzing you for liking the song.

[drbeachboy]

You were replying to my In Concert arrangement post and went off on a different tangent about vocalists and thin bar band sound. Personally, I don't give a sh*t what you like. Could care less. John is a professional musician and deserves respect when he posts in here. And you did disrespect him in your posts. Go back and reread them.

[filledeplage]

Has anyone seen Mike and Bruce over the past week?

According to fb they're doing Heroes and Villains, Sail on Sailor, and Forever...not too crazy for them, but I don't think they've been played since the reunion.

Anyone have a full setlist or knowledge of other setlist goodies from them? Maybe competing with Mr. Pet Sounds...

The Touring Band has done SOS and Heroes, and even Bluebirds in Europe for a while.  We didn't get that in the setlist until more recently in the States.  I doubt it is a competition. Mike and Scott have been moving songs around for a long time.  I think the difference with and as between this Wilson/Beck tour, is that time is limited and the time has to be reasonably apportioned. 

[Michael Edwards Love]

Has anyone seen Mike and Bruce over the past week?

According to fb they're doing Heroes and Villains, Sail on Sailor, and Forever...not too crazy for them, but I don't think they've been played since the reunion.

Anyone have a full setlist or knowledge of other setlist goodies from them? Maybe competing with Mr. Pet Sounds...

They're doing "forever" because John Stamos is with them.

I don't know. There was talk of doing the Dennis video tribute of the Beach Boys tour. They already used the video of Carl doing GOK.





Thanks for the Mike&Bruce "Heroes&Villains". Been wanting to hear one of their performances for years!
Nice job. Christian sounds cool. He doesn't nail it though as someone mentioned here. It's pretty good but not Carl Wilson level.
This video gave the answer to Mike's question why there had to be so many musicians on the Beach Boys tour; they need to be there.

BTW Cowsill, I like your singing on this better than "Wild honey" fwiw. IMO it fits your voice better.

Ok, let me put this another way since this is the second time that my choice of words has been mentioned.  Christian nails it like a great, professional singer, not like Carl Wilson.  No shock there.

As to Cowsill on Wild Honey, I just saw him do it on 9/27 and he nailed it.  Haha!  Seriously, though, it was one of the strongest moments in that particular show, enough so that my 11-year old daughter was talking about it on the way out.  It's pretty high praise when it comes from an 11-year old, I think.   

I am mostly a lurker around here and will likely continue to be but where some folks here are commenting based on youtube videos, I had the opportunity to see Mike & Bruce on 9/27 and then Brian on 10/6.  Both shows were outstanding and, of course, different from each other.  I am a highly critical person (probably too much so) when it comes to music.  But, in my opinion, both bands are doing stellar work right now and it saddens me to see criticisms leveled at M&B on musical merits.  We hard-core fans are going to know band history and have opinions about individuals, but these are real people pouring themselves into this magical music and spreading "the word."  Good on all of them, I say.

(And, Rocker, I quoted you for context, but none of this is directed in any way towards you.  Good on you too, I say.    )

[TonyW]

That was really good! I was especially impressed with Christian's take on Carl's part.

Agreed.  Christian nailed it.

Nailed what? Proficient but really sounds nothing like the Beach Boys. Christian sounds nothing like Carl.

Agreed 110%. Christian Love sounds nothing like Carl Wilson.

[jamsvet]

I've seen TBB in all their interations for over 50 years and each has it's strengths and weaknesses. I watched John Cowsill  on the current tour and loved his singing and the energy he brings to the group. He may not sound exactly like others who may have sung a song but if you've had the good fortune to watch him in person, you realize he gives 110% and sounds fantastic.

[relx]

You were replying to my In Concert arrangement post and went off on a different tangent about vocalists and thin bar band sound. Personally, I don't give a sh*t what you like. Could care less. John is a professional musician and deserves respect when he posts in here. And you did disrespect him in your posts. Go back and reread them.

I think my entire original post that set you off was, "sounds like a bar band" as in the sound is thin. This has been a criticism of Mike's BB's for years, especially in comparison to Brian's bigger band sound. And for that, I blame Mike Love, who is ultimately responsible for what his Beach Boys band sounds like. I don't blame John Cowsill for this--I even said he is a good vocalist and drummer. The vocalists comment was in reference to your comment about Darian--maybe you should re-read your own posts. And sorry, I never joined the John Cowsill Sycophant Society.

This will be my last post on this topic. You may respond with more venom if you wish, but I have nothing more to say to you. I have been a lurker here for years, but rarely post, and this is why. I don't need to get into pointless battles with people I don't know over minor things like how good Mike Love's fake Beach Boys sound. Being on message boards is supposed to be a fun diversion, but this isn't fun, fun, fun.

[SMiLE Brian]

I think relx is right, M&B does have a thin sound with cheap keyboards that can easily do the simpler early material, but struggles with Brian's more complex songs.

[filledeplage]

I think relx is right, M&B does have a thin sound with cheap keyboards that can easily do the simpler early material, but struggles with Brian's more complex songs.

SMiLE Brian - that is just ridiculous. The fact of the matter is that Brian was not touring for about 25 years.  I'd read where he would do a California gig, but not on any major scale. That said, I have no idea what you are talking about with "cheap keyboards?"

For the most part we are relying on YouTube video taken with a cell phone.  Some is pretty good, but come on.  It isn't done by a professional sound board.  They were singing "Brian's" material as well as Holland era, where Mike/Al/Dennis/Carl were more involved. 

Please don't rely on YouTube (although amateurs did do a better job with C50 that awful CD, in my opinion) to judge the Touring Band.  It did not do C50 justice.

Brian's work is largely " indivisible" from BB's corpus, in my opinion because it was a common hedonistic youth vision, which matured and expanded because they grew into full adulthood with adult interests and general exposure to different influential styles. 

[Niko]

We're not relying on youtube videos. A lot of us have seen M&B live (they play like a 100 shows a year??). Any part of the music that is played with something other than a guitar, bass or piano is done by a keyboard imitating the original sounds. In Brian's band, the original part is played by it's instrument.

But that's to be expected with a 6 piece band vs. a 12 piece.

[filledeplage]

We're not relying on youtube videos. A lot of us have seen M&B live (they play like a 100 shows a year??). Any part of the music that is played with something other than a guitar, bass or piano is done by a keyboard imitating the original sounds. In Brian's band, the original part is played by it's instrument.

But that's to be expected with a 6 piece band vs. a 12 piece.

Brian does travel with a larger orchestra. That is a given.  And the Touring Band's business model might be different, and apparently in conformity with BRI.  That said, they do a lot of shows. I've probably seen about a dozen so far this year.  That doesn't make me a sound expert, but my opinion is informed, from seeing both (or all three, if you count Al's band.)  And, I saw Brian and Beck, a couple of weeks ago.  

6 piece is the Touring Band model.  And, I have zero issue with it.  I'd say they play more than 100 since they do private shows as well as posted, public shows.  And, the general public seems quite happy with the way the Touring Band operates and I have not heard complaints about sound quality or any "simulation" of instrumentation.  Most people don't enjoy the level of sophistication that others' credentials might be able to discern.  It doesn't make them fake.  The original lineup was 5 or 6 guys onstage.  And, Mike did play the electro-theremin or tannerin or whatever.  I've seen him.  Just because he doesn't...doesn't mean he can't.  

[Niko]

You're defending Mike, but no one is attacking him