More About Brian/ Beck and New Album.

[bluesno1fann]

Brian's voice is damaged/not what it use to be. Paul's voice sounds pretty much the same as he did in Wings/Beatle days - can even still hit the high notes.

Beg to differ, but Paul's voice is pretty much shot, unless the last few years of video footage have all been somehow sabotaged. His Queen's Jubilee appearance in 2012 was utterly dire.

Going to a Paul McCartney concert next month in Japan, so will be looking forward to that!
But sadly, I have to agree. He simply can't hit the high notes as well as he used to, not even close. On some songs he sounds downright awful. Still, he sounds quite good on songs where he doesn't have to sing quite as high.

[Niko]

Paul leads a 3+ hour show with VERY high energy, doing everything from Yesterday to Helter Skelter to 1985. You might have some complaints now, but I guarantee you won't after you see him.

[bluesno1fann]

Paul leads a 3+ hour show with VERY high energy, doing everything from Yesterday to Helter Skelter to 1985. You might have some complaints now, but I guarantee you won't after you see him.

I take it you've seen him recently. Been watching some of his recent shows on YouTube, and I agree that there's still a lot of energy left, plus it's great that he's playing some of the back catalogue (Beatles and Solo). Whatever flaws he may have (Which is very few, and mainly age-related), I'm still looking forward to seeing him!

[Mikie]

Brian's voice is damaged/not what it use to be. Paul's voice sounds pretty much the same as he did in Wings/Beatle days - can even still hit the high notes.

Beg to differ, but Paul's voice is pretty much shot, unless the last few years of video footage have all been somehow sabotaged. His Queen's Jubilee appearance in 2012 was utterly dire.

Going to a Paul McCartney concert next month in Japan, so will be looking forward to that!
But sadly, I have to agree. He simply can't hit the high notes as well as he used to, not even close. On some songs he sounds downright awful. Still, he sounds quite good on songs where he doesn't have to sing quite as high.

What in the Hell have you been watching?  Go watch some Youtube clips!  Bounce around from 2011 to 2012 and 2013 concerts and actually WATCH them. Macca hits the high notes all the time. He ain't "downright awful" at all. He sings on key and he's still got a helluva vocal range! Again, go watch some concert footage for awhile before making ridiculous statements!

Here. Here's one from last year. Tell me he can't hit the high notes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxhgTEjh2bo

[Jim V.]

I totally agree with you guys about how great Paul is. His shows are amazing. I've seen him twice, and each time was absolutely breathtaking. I left those shows feeling so happy. Sure he's not what he was when he was 25, but who is? Sure, he's sounded very weathered on his albums since at least Flaming Pie and especially New.

But with Brian, it really is sad. He's not one tenth of the performer Paul is. And whereas, I went home from my last McCartney show so happy, I think when I went home from my last Brian show I felt kinda depressed seeing Brian looking so darn feeble and fragile. Maybe he wasn't but he reminded me of a guy I know, who's only 63 or so, but you'd think he's 90. The limping. The pained look on his face. The general "old man" vibe. I do NOT get the old man vibe from McCartney or Dylan or Townshend. Or Al or Mike. It's sad. Because this is one of my favorite musicians and he just seems to be having a rougher time than a lot of his peers. But then again, hasn't he always.

Anyways, I think it's a shame he can't lead his band like he used to with The Beach Boys. I think it's a shame that he can't seem to play piano and sing at the same time. It's a shame that if he went to a karaoke and sang "Wouldn't It Be Nice" people would laugh him off the stage because he is nowhere near capable of doing that song anymore. But at the same time, his vocal on "Summer's Gone" is absolutely gorgeous. A better vocal than McCartney or Dylan or Daltrey or whoever in the last 20 years. So it's weird. Brian still has the songwriting chops (and the bag of unreleased ideas to work with), and when he wants to, he still has the vocal chops. Unfortunately, the will to do things at a high level hasn't always been there, and his capabilities have decreased in certain ways. It just really bums me out with Landy did to Brian. I have to imagine that if Landy would have left Brian alone after, say, 1985, we would have a Brian that would be a better performer. But regardless, the past is the past, and I'm glad he's still alive and doing great work, and some really great singing lately.

Lastly, I don't want it taken as me dissing Brian. It's just me finally coming to some sad realizations, and it sucks.

[Sound of Free]

I saw McCartney in Yankee Stadium in July 2011. It was about 90 degrees and he played for 2 1/2 hours. He played something (bass, electric guitar, acoustic guitar or ukulele) on every song and while his voice wasn't perfect, it was still good.

It would have been a great performance by anyone, but for a 69-year-old man on a hot night, it was amazing.

[bluesno1fann]

Brian's voice is damaged/not what it use to be. Paul's voice sounds pretty much the same as he did in Wings/Beatle days - can even still hit the high notes.

Beg to differ, but Paul's voice is pretty much shot, unless the last few years of video footage have all been somehow sabotaged. His Queen's Jubilee appearance in 2012 was utterly dire.

Going to a Paul McCartney concert next month in Japan, so will be looking forward to that!
But sadly, I have to agree. He simply can't hit the high notes as well as he used to, not even close. On some songs he sounds downright awful. Still, he sounds quite good on songs where he doesn't have to sing quite as high.

What in the Hell have you been watching?  Go watch some Youtube clips!  Bounce around from 2011 to 2012 and 2013 concerts and actually WATCH them. Macca hits the high notes all the time. He ain't "downright awful" at all. He sings on key and he's still got a helluva vocal range! Again, go watch some concert footage for awhile before making ridiculous statements!

Here. Here's one from last year. Tell me he can't hit the high notes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxhgTEjh2bo

He still doesn't sound great, pitch-wise. I suppose he sounds good for his age, but he's nothing compared to what he used to be like, which is understandable.

Here's two examples:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--i9i7xlw1Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12OO9cxu0_w

That being said, he sounds great on songs from the NEW album. I think it's due to him adapting his current voice on his new songs quite well. His voice has still aged better than Brian Wilson's sadly.

[Gabo]

Like I have said, at least Paul still sounds like Beatle Paul. Brian's voice no longer suits the songs that made him famous. Brian's the worst part of his own shows.

[Mikie]

I saw Paul in San Francisco four years ago and he put on a great show and sounded great. He will perform this August where the last Beatles concert was, one of the last events to be held in this venue. I'm looking forward to it.

[Niko]

I saw him in Seattle last summer and it was amazing. The setlist itself is one of the best parts; he covers so much ground and balances Beatles, Wings and solo Macca songs perfectly. There were some deep cuts in there that I couldn't believe he was playing. When he started 'Your Mother Should Know' I lost it! It was loud as all hell too, but I guess that's necessary for a stadium of 45,000.

He still doesn't sound great, pitch-wise. I suppose he sounds good for his age, but he's nothing compared to what he used to be like, which is understandable.

Here's two examples:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--i9i7xlw1Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12OO9cxu0_w

That being said, he sounds great on songs from the NEW album. I think it's due to him adapting his current voice on his new songs quite well. His voice has still aged better than Brian Wilson's sadly.

You're choosing audience videos as the basis for saying he doesn't sound good? Ridiculous. And why is it sad his voice has 'aged better than Brian Wilson's'? Is it not a good thing his voice is in good shape?

[bluesno1fann]

I saw him in Seattle last summer and it was amazing. The setlist itself is one of the best parts; he covers so much ground and balances Beatles, Wings and solo Macca songs perfectly. There were some deep cuts in there that I couldn't believe he was playing. When he started 'Your Mother Should Know' I lost it! It was loud as all hell too, but I guess that's necessary for a stadium of 45,000.

He still doesn't sound great, pitch-wise. I suppose he sounds good for his age, but he's nothing compared to what he used to be like, which is understandable.

Here's two examples:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--i9i7xlw1Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12OO9cxu0_w

That being said, he sounds great on songs from the NEW album. I think it's due to him adapting his current voice on his new songs quite well. His voice has still aged better than Brian Wilson's sadly.

You're choosing audience videos as the basis for saying he doesn't sound good? Ridiculous. And why is it sad his voice has 'aged better than Brian Wilson's'? Is it not a good thing his voice is in good shape?

I suppose I'll judge what Paul's voice will be like when I go to the concert in May. Until then, I'll leave it at that.
And I meant it's a good thing that Paul's voice is in better shape than Brian's, but it's sad that Brian's voice isn't in great shape.

[Niko]

Well then be careful how you word things. The way you wrote that meant something else entirely.

[The Shift]

Is this thread about the next Brian Wilson album being derailed a tad? Surely there's a thread for discussing pensionable-aged Scousers?

[RiC]

Like I have said, at least Paul still sounds like Beatle Paul. Brian's voice no longer suits the songs that made him famous. Brian's the worst part of his own shows.

That's pretty weird statement. I've seen Brian live only one time, in 2012. He was the opposite to what I was expecting after comments like yours. Singing and playing all the time, lookin like at least ten years younger. Smiling all the time, looking at the audience and sounding fantastic. Sure he doesn't sound like he did when he was 20 years old. That's the whole point of aging. In pretty much all the clips I saw from last year he continued that high standard. In my opinion Brian even topped Carl with God Only Knows last year. So he's certainly not the worst part of his own shows...

[Andrew G. Doe]

May I point out that in 2012, Brian wasn't carrying the weight of the show ?

[Nicko1234]

That's pretty weird statement. I've seen Brian live only one time, in 2012. He was the opposite to what I was expecting after comments like yours. Singing and playing all the time, lookin like at least ten years younger. Smiling all the time, looking at the audience and sounding fantastic. Sure he doesn't sound like he did when he was 20 years old. That's the whole point of aging. In pretty much all the clips I saw from last year he continued that high standard. In my opinion Brian even topped Carl with God Only Knows last year. So he's certainly not the worst part of his own shows...

Seriously not.

Brian can still sing some songs well when they are within his range but there is obviously a problem with him slurring many words and giving up on some lines to songs (if that makes sense). The way he sounds isn`t simply a matter of aging which is only to be expected after all he has gone through.

[RiC]

May I point out that in 2012, Brian wasn't carrying the weight of the show ?

Yep, but I don't think he pretty much ever does. And if he's in the right mood he can do anything. If he's not, he just sits there and sings when he has to. When he is in that right mood he definetely could pull out a great show even if he was sitting there just alone with a piano. He's definetely not that kind of solid performers as McCaurtney is, but that's exactly why I like him and would go to see every concert if I had the chance. He's always honest. I don't care that much for the big stars who pull out that exactly same show with exactly same smile every night and have done that for 40 years or so. Even though they do it great, something's missing.

[RiC]

That's pretty weird statement. I've seen Brian live only one time, in 2012. He was the opposite to what I was expecting after comments like yours. Singing and playing all the time, lookin like at least ten years younger. Smiling all the time, looking at the audience and sounding fantastic. Sure he doesn't sound like he did when he was 20 years old. That's the whole point of aging. In pretty much all the clips I saw from last year he continued that high standard. In my opinion Brian even topped Carl with God Only Knows last year. So he's certainly not the worst part of his own shows...

Seriously not.

Brian can still sing some songs well when they are within his range but there is obviously a problem with him slurring many words and giving up on some lines to songs (if that makes sense). The way he sounds isn`t simply a matter of aging which is only to be expected after all he has gone through.

Well, that's only about opinions and I stand with mine.

[Nicko1234]

Well, that's only about opinions and I stand with mine.

Sure.

But the slurring is very evident. And Brian has the odd habit of turning away from the microphone to look at the keyboard while singing a line.

[RiC]

Well, that's only about opinions and I stand with mine.

Sure.

But the slurring is very evident. And Brian has the odd habit of turning away from the microphone to look at the keyboard while singing a line.

I'm sure slurring and turning away from the mic in wrong place happens in every concert, I wanna see a performer who doesn't do those things. But you make it sound like that's all Brian does the whole time, always. I watched at least 6 different GOK performances from last year and couldn't spot any slurring or anything else weird or bad.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3B-T7mxjBU

And in the topic, I understand that Brian can't and doesn't want to sing the high notes live on tour, he has to save his voice. But I hope the new album would have those Brians falsettos. He can still sing high, as you can see from many recent youtube live clips. God I've started to hate Fosketts voice. I can barely stand the autotune on the Beach Boys 50th anniversary concert live CD, even though I'd want it gone. It almost makes it listenable. But what really bugs me is Fosketts falsettos. Man they suck.

[Nicko1234]

I'm sure slurring and turning away from the mic in wrong place happens in every concert, I wanna see a performer who doesn't do those things. But you make it sound like that's all Brian does the whole time, always. I watched at least 6 different GOK performances from last year and couldn't spot any slurring or anything else weird or bad.

Honestly, other singers do not do this in the way that Brian does. And, as I say, Brian can still sing some songs well so I don`t want to come across as entirely negative.

But the slurring problem is genuine and certainly isn`t a typical problem for a singer. Neither is the issue of not really singing lines through to their conclusion. Or moving his mouth away from the microphone.

[Yorick]

The setlist itself is one of the best parts; he covers so much ground and balances Beatles, Wings and solo Macca songs perfectly.

Completely disagree! The setlist is very unbalanced. 23 Beatles songs out of 37. 62% of the show from 15% of his career. Only 6 songs from the last 40 years of his career, of which 4 are from his last album.

[Nicko1234]

Could we all stop talking about Paul McCartney in this thread now.

I prefer my Oasis to be more hermaphroditic. 

[runnersdialzero]

Oasis were better than the Beatles.

[Andrew G. Doe]

And in the topic, I understand that Brian can't and doesn't want to sing the high notes live on tour, he has to save his voice.

He can still hit those highs, but (mostly) chooses not to. The falsetto is still there: it's thinner than it used to be, and pitch can be a problem, but he can still hit the high C of "Surf's Up" at will.