More studio news

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

Rendezvous (In Kokomo)
Kokomo Survivor
Won't Someone Go To Kokomo With Me

[SMiLE Brian]

Ballad Of OldSurferDude

He was born in 1932....

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

[Rob Dean]

Rendezvous (In Kokomo)
Kokomo Survivor
Won't Someone Go To Kokomo With Me

'LOVE will keep us together'

Sadly Carl told Mike after the MIU Sessions that a certain Neil had already written a song called that (and a Captain and some good looking bird had a big hit with it) already   

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

More like "LOVE Will Tear Us Apart"

[Shady]

Leaked track from Brian's new album:

I'd Do Anything for (Mike) Love (But I Won't Do That)

[The Heartical Don]

I'm frankly amazed Mike and Bruce don't write together. Isn't Bruce supposed to be a songwriter or something?

A lean and mean "Beach Boys" album from Mike/Bruce and their band could be a very cool thing....... or horrible.

B

[Nicko1234]

Still surprises me that Mike didn't release "Unleash the Love." It's at least on par with Jardine's record, and generally has stronger songwriting. For someone so confident onstage, Mike is oddly reticent when it comes to releasing those 50 or so solo albums he's secretly recorded over the last 30 years.

I would guess that again comes down to an older guy not understanding the record business anymore. It seemed like after that album had been recorded Mike was doing plenty of interviews in order to try to drum up some interest but realistically major record labels were never likely to release an album like that. A shame that he didn't issue it on a small label though as M&B play to so many fans every year that they would have been certain to sell a moderate amount at concerts (as well as selling on the internet).

[petzounds29]

 retro disco hit love to love you baby

[modestmaus]

I keep getting excited and disappointing myself when I see words like "Brian's in the studio with Beck" as opposed to "Brian's in the studio with Jeff Beck". Not that Brian working with a virtuoso like Jeff Beck is a disappointment. Just that Brian working with Beck (as in "the Odelay guy") would be real swell too.

Really though, much like Lindsey Buckingham, Beck is a guy who certainly has pop sensibilities but has a panache for the 'weird' and I rather like it when people like that work with Brian.

[buddhahat]

The latest issue of Mojo has a 3/4 page on the new Brian album focusing on the collaboration with Jeff Beck.

Some choice quotes:

Earlier this year Wilson and Beck spent a week in the studio. "They got along famously and came up with some new things" says Brian's collaborator Joe Thomas. The LP's one non original, he added, is a traditional song familiar to them both from their youths.: " It's actually the first song Brian ever learned to sing from his grandmother," says Thomas. "Jeff Beck blasted off this one version and it knocked Brian out of the ballpark and then Brian came up with an arrangement and within a few hours there was this magical version" The song, whose title they're keeping secret for now " will blow everyone's minds".

[buddhahat]

And ...

Thomas reminded him of their 80 hours of unreleased material from those (1998) sessions. He put them in digital files and Brian referred to some when writing songs for last year's TWGMTR. Others he wanted to save for a solo record. "He was very specific about which were which," says Thomas, " and in a lot of cases, the ones for his own album are a lot edgier." He also wanted to write new songs. "I've known him for 20 years and I've never seen him so prolific." So many, Brian says, he can't remember the titles. There's "no concept" this time, "just music. I love the music."

[EgoHanger1966]

...says Brian's collaborator Joe Thomas.

             

You know what, this could be good.
"Summer's Gone" has good production values, and he worked on that.

The LP's one non original, he added, is a traditional song familiar to them both from their youths.: " It's actually the first song Brian ever learned to sing from his grandmother," says Thomas. "Jeff Beck blasted off this one version and it knocked Brian out of the ballpark and then Brian came up with an arrangement and within a few hours there was this magical version" The song, whose title they're keeping secret for now " will blow everyone's minds".

"Come Down From Your Ivory Tower" perhaps?

[joshferrell]

is the song "Love is a woman" about Mike Love?

[rab2591]

Thanks for the update Buddhahat!

...says Brian's collaborator Joe Thomas.

             

You know what, this could be good.
"Summer's Gone" has good production values, and he worked on that.

Indeed - every one of Brian's heartfelt songs on there were actually pretty well produced. I'm still really psyched for this!

[SMiLE Brian]

I guess BW has to work with JT to use his 1998 material.

[buddhahat]

I can't help thinking that some, if not all, of the 'life suite' songs Thomas described previously must be earmarked for this album if it is almost entirely original material.

[Shady]

Joe Thomas didn't hurt TWGMTR, He ruined the live album.

I guess it's a toss up for Brian's solo album.

[Mikie]

The latest issue of Mojo has a 3/4 page on the new Brian album focusing on the collaboration with Jeff Beck.

Some choice quotes:

Earlier this year Wilson and Beck spent a week in the studio. "They got along famously and came up with some new things" says Brian's collaborator Joe Thomas. The LP's one non original, he added, is a traditional song familiar to them both from their youths.: " It's actually the first song Brian ever learned to sing from his grandmother," says Thomas. "Jeff Beck blasted off this one version and it knocked Brian out of the ballpark and then Brian came up with an arrangement and within a few hours there was this magical version" The song, whose title they're keeping secret for now " will blow everyone's minds".

Thanks, Buddahat. Do you think that song they collaborated on might be "Danny Boy" by chance?

[AndrewHickey]

Joe Thomas didn't hurt TWGMTR, He ruined the live album.

I guess it's a toss up for Brian's solo album.

I think he did far more harm to That's Why God Made The Radio than to the live album, myself.

[hypehat]

Joe Thomas didn't hurt TWGMTR, He ruined the live album.

I guess it's a toss up for Brian's solo album.

I think he did far more harm to That's Why God Made The Radio than to the live album myself.

I think he did far more harm to That's Why God Made The Radio than to the live album myself.

[Shady]

Joe Thomas didn't hurt TWGMTR, He ruined the live album.

I guess it's a toss up for Brian's solo album.

I think he did far more harm to That's Why God Made The Radio than to the live album, myself.

Really?

I quite like TWGMTR. Wasn't he heavily involved in the suite at the end

[EgoHanger1966]

Joe Thomas didn't hurt TWGMTR, He ruined the live album.

I guess it's a toss up for Brian's solo album.

I think he did far more harm to That's Why God Made The Radio than to the live album, myself.

Really?

I quite like TWGMTR. Wasn't he heavily involved in the suite at the end

As Brian's collaborator, he did a fantastic job!

As a producer, mixed bag IMO. Think About The Days, Pacific Ocean Highway, and Summer's Gone feature some really nice production choices. On the other side of the spectrum, much of the album (title track, Isn't It Time, Spring Vacation for example, there are more) sounds terribly over processed. Then there's the things that bring down otherwise good choices - such as the out of place, 80s sounding drum roll that starts of "Shelter" (and the burying of the harpsichord so it's almost inaudible) and the pitch correction/autotune/whatever software that is used on Al Jardine's voice on From There To Back Again.

The mix of "Summer's Gone" is really great, I would have loved to seen the whole album mixed in that style. Without looking it up, I'd assume he was at least involved in the mix....

[rab2591]

I'm always straining to hear that harpsichord in Shelter - it's so low in the mix I don't even know why they left it in!

[hypehat]

..... there's a harpsichord in Shelter?!