More studio news

[leggo of my ego]

It's Pleasure Island, it has to be.

Back to the subject topic, for anyone who remembers....  I can't find it now, but wasn't there once found a partial list of songs believed to be for Pleasure Island, and they were all covers?

Not sure about that, maybe you're talking about the picture of Brian at the piano where you can see "Pleasure Island" on the sheet music. If we could just zoom in a little further.

"At the Hop" on the bottom of page. Hard to make the rest out, need higher res pic.

[Andrew G. Doe]

never mind that Brian Wilson wants to continue as a full-fledged member of the band he helped found and create.

And pray tell, exactly how many times has Brian repeated in public his wish to continue with the band since that isolated example ?  I don't doubt he meant it, and believed it at that moment. Equally, I don't doubt he'd forgotten all about it a week later.  Come Grammy time, he was saying almost exactly the opposite. Brian may be many wonderful things, but Mr. Consistency he is not.

[SMiLE Brian]

You take Brian for a fool, which is not. Before you say he is damaged, I will say he wrote FTTBA in 2011.

[Phoenix]

I have a serious question:  I know Mike has the exclusive license to the band's name for touring purposes but is there anything to prevent Brian from using the Beach Boys name for an album without Mike, provided Carl's estate sided with Brian and Al to outvote Mike three to one?  If that's the case, maybe we COULD get a new Beach Boys album.

I've tried to stay quiet but my take on the whole current situation with Mike hasn't changed since just after the release of the last album.  Yes, he was great on the last album and tour, and I still love the things I DO love about him but their respective roles are crystal clear: Mike is the man in charge onstage (in more ways than one), while Brian is in control in the studio.  At least, that's the way it should be.  For everyone asking why we now don't want Mike involved in a new album "all of the sudden", remember the fantastic last album we got was only accomplished by Brian going behind Mike's back and putting the album (and deal) together without him and presenting it to Mike, knowing he held the cards.  Mike's non-singing involvement on it was pretty much a charitable gesture on Brian's part and keep in mind that while fans and critics praised the album, Mike wasn't as enthusiastic (praising the harmonies but being way less supportive of the "artistic downer tracks" that we all loved) and was looking much more forward to their NEXT effort which he surmised would be more of an "actual group thing".  It was when I heard those comments that I gave up hope for a good follow up and took Andrew's stance that I'd rather the group go out on a high note (in the studio) than ruin their "final chapter" with a terrible follow up, made terrible by having too many cooks.  

Mike's wish for a follow up would be the equivalent of Brian wanting to doing a solo set on the last tour, similar to what Landy had him do on Beach Boys tours in the 80's.  Again, they each have their place where they're the man in change but Mike wants it all...or at least more control and input into Brian's area of expertise than Brian feels he deserves or is comfortable with.  I strongly believe that Mike finding out that wouldn't happen on any future recordings is what led Mike to make the final decision of going back to the pre-C50 touring plan.

Whatever.  Business as usual for the Boys.

[Andrew G. Doe]

ML hasn't written good lyrics since the pre-Endless Summer days.

This is, of course, purely my opinion, but...

"Pacific Ocean Blues"
"It's OK"

Granted, just the two.

[Andrew G. Doe]

You take Brian for a fool, which is not. Before you say he is damaged, I will say he wrote FTTBA in 2011.

You've patently not read very much - if anything - that I've written over the years for you to make such a laughable statement. Thanks - I've had a bit of a shitty day and needed a good chuckle. 

[SMiLE Brian]

Exactly, you don't get much pleasure out of the BBs at this point. You use the members who don't agree with you as your personal punching bag to deal with problems in your personal life.

[Jason]

Take it to PMs, both of you.

[SMiLE Brian]

Okay, I will drop it.

[Nicko1234]

Mike's wish for a follow up would be the equivalent of Brian wanting to doing a solo set on the last tour, similar to what Landy had him do on Beach Boys tours in the 80's.  Again, they each have their place where they're the man in change but Mike wants it all...or at least more control and input into Brian's area of expertise than Brian feels he deserves or is comfortable with.  I strongly believe that Mike finding out that wouldn't happen on any future recordings is what led Mike to make the final decision of going back to the pre-C50 touring plan.

Whatever.  Business as usual for the Boys.

I don't think it's the equivalent at all. It's not like Mike is suggesting that a bunch of songs that he wrote alone should make up a chunk of any album. He would just like collaboration. I can completely understand those that say that would be a bad idea (and if Brian suggested titles like Spring Vacation and Beaches in Mind again then it certainly would be) but Mike is entitled to his opinion.

Looking back now, TWGMTR was a weird production. Not many bands would make an album where one member (Brian) works on all of the songs with a hired hand (Jeff) and then replaces his vocals using the band members later. Even when Daybreak was chosen for inclusion there was no collaboration and they just used an old recording. I can understand why Mike would not want to feel like a guest vocalist on the stuff that they work on.

[AndrewHickey]

ML hasn't written good lyrics since the pre-Endless Summer days.

This is, of course, purely my opinion, but...

"Pacific Ocean Blues"
"It's OK"

Granted, just the two.

Wasn't It's OK written before Endless Summer came out though?
That said, Goin' On, Getcha Back and Isn't It Time are all perfectly serviceable lyrics, as are some of his unreleased solo bits.

[AndrewHickey]

I don't think it's the equivalent at all. It's not like Mike is suggesting that a bunch of songs that he wrote alone should make up a chunk of any album. He would just like collaboration. I can completely understand those that say that would be a bad idea (and if Brian suggested titles like Spring Vacation and Beaches in Mind again then it certainly would be) but Mike is entitled to his opinion.

Absolutely agreed. I thought the songs Mike co-wrote on the last album were (with the exception of Isn't It Time) pretty dire, but I don't think it's at all unreasonable for him to want to have some creative input into albums he works on.

[Nicko1234]

You take Brian for a fool, which is not.

Brian isn't a fool at all. He (generally) knows what he is doing when he talks to the media and often says things that are completely untrue when it suits him. Stuff that he has said about the end of the tour has been completely contradictory (I felt like I'd been fired/I didn't mind when Mike went back to touring with Bruce) and that has been the pattern for a long time. Just weeks before the C50 tour was announced he was claiming that he didn't want to work with Mike or The Beach Boys again.

I would have loved it if the C50 could have carried on forever but it was never going to be sustainable. Brian wouldn't have signed up for the 75 shows every year and if he had there wouldn't be any recording going on now anyway. It's great that Al is working with Brian in the studio and hopefully he can sing lead vocals on several songs.

[Phoenix]

OK.  The solo set example was an exaggeration but the point remains:  Mike = live show.  Brian = Studio.  So Mike "let" Brian include "Marcella" or whatever in the last tour's setlist.  So what.  Brian threw Mike the same sized bone by having him write song lyrics and include an old song of his on TWGMTR.  It doesn't change the fact that Brian respects Mike's position as the on stage "leader" while Mike isn't willing to let Brian have the same level of control inside HIS domain.


Now as far as that important question I asked: Does anyone know the answer???

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

If another BB album would entail more "spring vacation/good vibration", then I'd rather we put the BB behind us and look forward to Brian's offerings.

Did you like 'easy money/ain't life funny/hey what's it to ya/hallelujah' better? How about the verses of 'Bill and Sue'?  Cause those were Brian's

[Nicko1234]

OK.  The solo set example was an exaggeration but the point remains:  Mike = live show.  Brian = Studio.  So Mike "let" Brian include "Marcella" or whatever in the last tour's setlist.  So what.  Brian threw Mike the same sized bone by having him write song lyrics and include an old song of his on TWGMTR.  It doesn't change the fact that Brian respects Mike's position as the on stage "leader" while Mike isn't willing to let Brian have the same level of control inside HIS domain.

His domain?  

Again I would say those are bad examples. Mike was in charge of the setlist but he actually was okay with Brian and Al singing plenty of rarities in the show and took on board many suggestions from them. I won't list them all. Brian and Al therefore both played a creative role in the live show.

I haven't seen Mike claiming that he would like to take over production duties but just that he would like to be a part of the creative process in the studio in terms of writing lyrics. Some may say that's a terrible idea but as he has taken on that role on the vast, vast majority of Beach Boys albums (yes, including some dire ones) then I think he is entitled to have an opinion.

[the professor]

All this studio activity, Mike commenting publicly about working with Brian, Al in the studio: what in the heck is this leading to? What is happening?

[Phoenix]

OK.  The solo set example was an exaggeration but the point remains:  Mike = live show.  Brian = Studio.  So Mike "let" Brian include "Marcella" or whatever in the last tour's setlist.  So what.  Brian threw Mike the same sized bone by having him write song lyrics and include an old song of his on TWGMTR.  It doesn't change the fact that Brian respects Mike's position as the on stage "leader" while Mike isn't willing to let Brian have the same level of control inside HIS domain.

His domain? 

Again I would say those are bad examples. Mike was in charge of the setlist but he actually was okay with Brian and Al singing plenty of rarities in the show and took on board many suggestions from them. I won't list them all. Brian and Al therefore both played a creative role in the live show.

I haven't seen Mike claiming that he would like to take over production duties but just that he would like to be a part of the creative process in the studio in terms of writing lyrics. Some may say that's a terrible idea but as he has taken on that role on the vast, vast majority of Beach Boys albums (yes, including some dire ones) then I think he is entitled to have an opinion.

I totally agree.  He's entitled to his opinion but I and apparently Brian, don't agree with it.

As for him wanting to be part of the creative process in the studio, he was (certainly much more than Al, Bruce, and David, and more than just about anyone else not named Brian Wilson or Joe Thomas) but it wasn't enough, as evidenced by his words regarding that album and any possible future albums.

[bossaroo]

A: Well, it debuted at No. 3. That’s not bad. But it didn’t stay up there very long. To have sustained success, like we’ve been known to do, you need a single that will chart and stay in the Top 20 or the Top 10 for three months. And that didn’t happen with this album.

my god the man just cannot be satisfied or appreciative, can he? nothing will ever compare to the success of Kokomo, and Mike is going to keep reminding us of that. never mind that the music industry is a completely different beast these days.

Mike should have been let go 45 years ago, but better late than never. Brian can do so much better.

[Wah Wah Wah Ooooo]

I think an album made with 3 original Beach Boys (BW, AJ, DM) would be just a legitimate as a tour with only one original Beach Boy (ML)...why can't Brian, Al and Dave make a Beach Boys album?  I'd miss Mike's part of the vocal blend (Bruce I don't care about so much), but it's not like Brian, Al and Dave aren't capable of carrying a band in the studio as much as Mike is on stage.

[Wirestone]

All this studio activity, Mike commenting publicly about working with Brian, Al in the studio: what in the heck is this leading to? What is happening?

Mike's comment sounds pretty hypothetical. And he's clearly not working alone in a room with Brian on anything, so it's safe to say he's not interested or involved in whatever else is going on.

As for Brian and Al (and everyone) in the studio, it seems pretty clear.

-- We've had pics of Brian at Ocean Way in February and March too, so this isn't a short term project.

-- Given that it's at a full-blown studio (and not Your Place or Mine, or Scott's bedroom) one can surmise he already has a record deal.

-- Recall: Brian and Scott had several excellent songs that were left over from TLOS and writing sessions immediately afterward -- and that there was unreleased material from TWGMTR. BW clearly has available tunage.

-- All signs point to a new BW solo disc, possibly released this summer or fall.

[Nicko1234]

I think an album made with 3 original Beach Boys (BW, AJ, DM) would be just a legitimate as a tour with only one original Beach Boy (ML)...why can't Brian, Al and Dave make a Beach Boys album?  I'd miss Mike's part of the vocal blend (Bruce I don't care about so much), but it's not like Brian, Al and Dave aren't capable of carrying a band in the studio as much as Mike is on stage.

Is that what anyone would really want? A Beach Boys album featuring two members of the group vocally (I can't imagine David would contribute much to the harmonies) and more bad blood and bad headlines. What would be the point?

[leggo of my ego]

I think an album made with 3 original Beach Boys (BW, AJ, DM) would be just a legitimate as a tour with only one original Beach Boy (ML)...why can't Brian, Al and Dave make a Beach Boys album?  I'd miss Mike's part of the vocal blend (Bruce I don't care about so much), but it's not like Brian, Al and Dave aren't capable of carrying a band in the studio as much as Mike is on stage.

They could also call it "The Beach Boys with Brian Wilson".

Peter Noone has a similar arrangement with Barry Whitwam the Hermit's original drummer.

[bossaroo]

never mind that Brian Wilson wants to continue as a full-fledged member of the band he helped found and create.

And pray tell, exactly how many times has Brian repeated in public his wish to continue with the band since that isolated example ?  I don't doubt he meant it, and believed it at that moment. Equally, I don't doubt he'd forgotten all about it a week later.  Come Grammy time, he was saying almost exactly the opposite. Brian may be many wonderful things, but Mr. Consistency he is not.

What does it matter how many times he repeated his wishes in public. His public statements all expressed feeling "blindsided" disappointment and "kinda like being fired." nothing to the contrary. for you to say that he no doubt forgot all about it a week later is simply putting words in his mouth or thoughts in his brain, and comes off rather presumptuous and disrespectful.

the man founded the band with his family and friends and poured his heart and soul into the music. the Beach Boys is pretty much his life. why would you pretend to know what his true feelings are concerning the present and future of the band? oh because you pretend to know everything about this band and its principal members.

come Grammy time, Brian was not saying the opposite of what he originally stated. he never said he didn't want a reunion. he simply said that he doubted it would happen again. hmm...I wonder who gave him that notion?  

[oldsurferdude]

But we all know there would have been 3 million seller hits IF I HAD BEEN CONSULTED-is what he meant to say. I just vomited black bile over those comments. I guess he just can't hang on to that ego. Did he have his hat on during the interview??