More About Brian/ Beck and New Album.

[Micha]

IIRC, Joe Thomas had the nerve to compare "Happy days" to Smile. So I don't think we should take this "trilogy" concept very seriously, although this could be (as in comic books) "retroactive continuity", just like when Brian, on every BWPS interview, talked about "the three movements" of Smile

"Happy Days" has a spooky part like the BR theme and two movements like Surf's Up. So why shouldn't he compare "Happy days" to Smile?

[Phoenix]

So I wouldn't really expect this album to be the third in a trilogy.

I even fail to see the connection between Pet Sounds and SMiLE as part 1 and 2 of a trilogy. Pet Sounds and TLOS, yeah, maybe.

I agree.  Those are easily my two favorite Beach Boys albums but the only thing they have in common is Brian at the top of his game.  And he only finished one of them in that condition! 

[Jonathan Blum]

Utterly spot on Matt. Everything BW's done for the last umpteen years has been "y'know, it kinda has that Pst Sounds vibe to it" or "it's really reminiscent of Pet Sounds…" yadda yadda.

It's marketing bollocks and JTs potentially setting BW up for a fall if be album sounds nothing like PS or Smile or doesn't meet expectations in that regard. Doing him no favours.

...Except that over those last umpteen (basically, ten) years, Brian's reputation as still-having-it has grown by leaps and bounds.  People have listened to the various works of the Brian Wilson Band and now the Beach Boys, and decided that he isn't just the brain-damaged voice-mangled drug-casualty shell of himself he'd been written off as.  Even if "That Lucky Old Sun" or "Gershwin" or "Radio" isn't actually Pet Sounds II, there's enough Pet-Sounds-ness in them that they've turned his reputation around -- he's not just seen as a shell of himself being propped up by the band who did "Kokomo", now he's a damaged guy still doing creative work with a little help from his friends.

Basically, it's worked.  The comparisons haven't hurt -- instead of a fall, turns out they set him up for a recovery.  So why knock it?  Don't fight the sea.

Cheers,
Jon Blum

[Rocky Raccoon]

IIRC, Joe Thomas had the nerve to compare "Happy days" to Smile. So I don't think we should take this "trilogy" concept very seriously, although this could be (as in comic books) "retroactive continuity", just like when Brian, on every BWPS interview, talked about "the three movements" of Smile

"Happy Days" has a spooky part like the BR theme and two movements like Surf's Up. So why shouldn't he compare "Happy days" to Smile?

I think "Happy Days" is a great song and while Joe Thomas's influence is all over Imagination, I think that track is just so quintessentially Brian Wilson.

[Iron Horse-Apples]

IIRC, Joe Thomas had the nerve to compare "Happy days" to Smile. So I don't think we should take this "trilogy" concept very seriously, although this could be (as in comic books) "retroactive continuity", just like when Brian, on every BWPS interview, talked about "the three movements" of Smile

"Happy Days" has a spooky part like the BR theme and two movements like Surf's Up. So why shouldn't he compare "Happy days" to Smile?

That spooky section is from Smile. It's the link to the Holidays fade.

[Alex]

IIRC, Joe Thomas had the nerve to compare "Happy days" to Smile. So I don't think we should take this "trilogy" concept very seriously, although this could be (as in comic books) "retroactive continuity", just like when Brian, on every BWPS interview, talked about "the three movements" of Smile

"Happy Days" has a spooky part like the BR theme and two movements like Surf's Up. So why shouldn't he compare "Happy days" to Smile?

That spooky section is from Smile. It's the link to the Holidays fade.

Happy Days is My Solution with a chorus lifted from All This Is That.

[Iron Horse-Apples]

IIRC, Joe Thomas had the nerve to compare "Happy days" to Smile. So I don't think we should take this "trilogy" concept very seriously, although this could be (as in comic books) "retroactive continuity", just like when Brian, on every BWPS interview, talked about "the three movements" of Smile

"Happy Days" has a spooky part like the BR theme and two movements like Surf's Up. So why shouldn't he compare "Happy days" to Smile?

That spooky section is from Smile. It's the link to the Holidays fade.

Happy Days is My Solution with a chorus lifted from All This Is That.

Yes, I know, but the "spooky" intro / fade insert that Micha was referring to, is from Holidays.

[Micha]

IIRC, Joe Thomas had the nerve to compare "Happy days" to Smile. So I don't think we should take this "trilogy" concept very seriously, although this could be (as in comic books) "retroactive continuity", just like when Brian, on every BWPS interview, talked about "the three movements" of Smile

"Happy Days" has a spooky part like the BR theme and two movements like Surf's Up. So why shouldn't he compare "Happy days" to Smile?

That spooky section is from Smile. It's the link to the Holidays fade.

Happy Days is My Solution with a chorus lifted from All This Is That.

Yes, I know, but the "spooky" intro / fade insert that Micha was referring to, is from Holidays.

No, I meant the My Solution section. The Holidays part isn't spooky.

[Iron Horse-Apples]

IIRC, Joe Thomas had the nerve to compare "Happy days" to Smile. So I don't think we should take this "trilogy" concept very seriously, although this could be (as in comic books) "retroactive continuity", just like when Brian, on every BWPS interview, talked about "the three movements" of Smile

"Happy Days" has a spooky part like the BR theme and two movements like Surf's Up. So why shouldn't he compare "Happy days" to Smile?

That spooky section is from Smile. It's the link to the Holidays fade.

Happy Days is My Solution with a chorus lifted from All This Is That.

Yes, I know, but the "spooky" intro / fade insert that Micha was referring to, is from Holidays.

No, I meant the My Solution section. The Holidays part isn't spooky.

No you didn't. You meant the bit I meant. Just accept that I know better than you, and we'll all be happy.

[Phoenix]

 

[Micha]

IIRC, Joe Thomas had the nerve to compare "Happy days" to Smile. So I don't think we should take this "trilogy" concept very seriously, although this could be (as in comic books) "retroactive continuity", just like when Brian, on every BWPS interview, talked about "the three movements" of Smile

"Happy Days" has a spooky part like the BR theme and two movements like Surf's Up. So why shouldn't he compare "Happy days" to Smile?

That spooky section is from Smile. It's the link to the Holidays fade.

Happy Days is My Solution with a chorus lifted from All This Is That.

Yes, I know, but the "spooky" intro / fade insert that Micha was referring to, is from Holidays.

No, I meant the My Solution section. The Holidays part isn't spooky.

No you didn't. You meant the bit I meant. Just accept that I know better than you, and we'll all be happy.

Ach, why argue?

[EgoHanger1966]

IIRC, Joe Thomas had the nerve to compare "Happy days" to Smile. So I don't think we should take this "trilogy" concept very seriously, although this could be (as in comic books) "retroactive continuity", just like when Brian, on every BWPS interview, talked about "the three movements" of Smile

"Happy Days" has a spooky part like the BR theme and two movements like Surf's Up. So why shouldn't he compare "Happy days" to Smile?

Because "Happy Days" barely represents a link to the SMiLE music at all, and the fact that it's downright cringy most of the time (to me, anyway)....to compare it to the greatest of the man's work is a joke.

[LostArt]

IIRC, Joe Thomas had the nerve to compare "Happy days" to Smile. So I don't think we should take this "trilogy" concept very seriously, although this could be (as in comic books) "retroactive continuity", just like when Brian, on every BWPS interview, talked about "the three movements" of Smile

"Happy Days" has a spooky part like the BR theme and two movements like Surf's Up. So why shouldn't he compare "Happy days" to Smile?

Because "Happy Days" barely represents a link to the SMiLE music at all, and the fact that it's downright cringy most of the time (to me, anyway)....to compare it to the greatest of the man's work is a joke.

When did Joe Thomas compare Happy Days to Smile, and what were his exact words?

[Pablo.]

It was mentioned on a review (NME, I'm pretty sure) of Imagination, (said review is no longer online, I think)

Yes, it has the Holiday bit, the My solution recycling, the ATIT ripoff, a faux 80's Pink Floyd sound effects, a sax solo more MOR than Trascendental meditation, and -depite I actually enjoy the song- it shouldn't be mentioned with the Smile music on the same sentence.

[Pacific Coast]

It is inevitable that Brian's newest work is always hyped as the latest Pet Sounds or SMiLE, the same as the Beach Boys are always hyped for songs about girls, cars, and summer. Don't f*ck with the formula! 

[DMBeard_13]

When Lee Dempsey and I were listening to "Happy Days" at the board with Thomas back in February of 1998, Lee and I both started singing "My Solution."

Joe's face lit up and his jaw dropped. 

He asked us how we knew it… We both looked at him and said, "It's Brian's Halloween track."   

[Paul J B]

Has there been any news on this recently that I missed? It's coming up on a year and from all the buzz last Summer about it you would think it would have been in the can with a release date by now.

[alf wiedersehen]

Has there been any news on this recently that I missed? It's coming up on a year and from all the buzz last Summer about it you would think it would have been in the can with a release date by now.

They took a break from making the album and said they were going to start up again this January.

[Summertime Blooz]

I'd forgotten all about this album until I saw the thread title. Way to strike when the iron is ice cold, guys!

[urbanite]

With all the people that post on this board that have some connection to people in the band, I was hoping we'd hear a little bit by now about some of the songs on the new album.  Any winners?

[seltaeb1012002]

Anyone else find it strange that they pulled Brian's FB cover photo down regarding the new album, relatively shortly after it was posted?

Part of me wants to think the album could potentially be turning into another BB's album.

[Jon Stebbins]

I think some of you are forgetting that Brian has a feature film/biopic on his life that is in post-production and due out in the fourth quarter of this year. They are obviously lining up the new album release for that same time frame.

[Lonely Summer]

The timing was all off for this project, having Brian and Beck tour long before the album was out. Wouldn't surprise me if the whole thing gets put aside, and all we get this year is another oldies tour from Brian.

[pixletwin]

What Jon said.

I think some of you are forgetting that Brian has a feature film/biopic on his life that is in post-production and due out in the fourth quarter of this year. They are obviously lining up the new album release for that same time frame.

[KittyKat]

I read that Brian is also preparing a soundtrack album for the movie. He has said he has three or four album projects going at the same time, including the soundtrack and a solo album. He may be pushing his solo album to late this year in order to release a soundtrack album at the same time as the movie, if the movie is coming out in spring or summer.