*Merged* Brian Wilson current album thread

[EgoHanger1966]

A lot of people who defend Brian's singing instantly point to the Disney album in his defence

Well if you want to hear brian singing as good as he ever has look no further than "what love can do". Truly One of Brian's most underated songs beach boys or solo. Beautiful vocals, you can tell he was enjoying singing that song

I like the song - the vocals are processed, but not too terribly - I can live with it. But, if this video depicts an actual vocal session, he does not look to be enjoying himself very much. I wouldn't really recommend watching it, but, here....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8A_J4KSvRg

[Jim Rockford]

I like it.

[startBBtoday]

Why concentrate on the negative - Brian's "favorite" artists, Ocean's rapping, Brian's ghost writer penning a fluff piece (did we expect Brian to attack himself in his "autobiography"?) - and largely ignore Nate Ruess' involvement? Brian comparing Ruess' singing to Carl's is pretty damn high praise.

[Ron]

Brian himself really had planned to use all these guest artists all along, all the way back to last year (even though they seem to only have been recording the past few months)? He invited his "favorite artists," including a singer he had just some weeks ago referred to as Lana Something? He might know Zooey, but did he really know all of the rest of the artists, and they're all his "favorites"? Hm.

I also find it a little odd that he and his management are still talking about the reunion. Isn't Mike the only Beach Boys missing from this album(well, and Bruce, but he barely counts for much)? Brian still has Al Jardine, who is the biggest contributor in terms of making a Beach Boys type of sound on both harmonies and any leads he may take, plus Blondie to add the Carl soul vibe, and David on surf guitar and adding his early-record type harmonies. Al  still has a strong voice. Why is Brian talking about missing the Beach Boys, when he can only mean he misses Mike Love? And Mike's nasal leads and lounge singer-y vibe that many Brian Wilson fans detest so much.

This IS the Beach Boy album the Mike Love haters have been waiting for. All the folks who say the Wilsons should have gotten rid of Mike some time in the mid-'60s or '70s and had an all-Wilson line-up have their dream come true. It's the Beach Boys, without Mike.

There is no Beach Boys without Mike.  he's a huge, integral part to the Beach Boys, so yes, if he's not on the album it's not a Beach Boys album. 

[Ron]

May I note that not a single person on this board has heard more than a 10-second iPhone clip from this album?

... Apparently not.

Brian Wilson is not perfect, but he's no idiot. He can still write, arrange, sing and play. He's making a new record, and hopefully it will have some good tunes on it. He's worked with some younger singers, and folks involved feel positively about how the project is evolving (including folks from the outside like Ray Lawlor and Don Was, who have nothing to gain by lying to fans about a record's quality). So what is the problem?

It's going to be a splashy record, with big-name guests, released to coincide with a movie and book. It's a 21st-century multimedia extravaganza. It's why someone like Joe is still involved (making trains run on time), and why Brian still has a major-label deal. So I look forward to rolling with it and seeing what happens.

I think the problem with most of us who's expectations for the album are somewhat tempered, is just a nagging feeling that Joe Thomas is up to tricks that are not exactly in line with presenting the best Brian possible .... Given Brian's history, these are not illogical concerns. Like Savonarola with Botticelli, such situations don't generally end well.

I think we all have different reasons for coming to the same conclusion.... personally, I don't have a problem with Joe Thomas because I dont' think he's the one pulling the strings... to be honest, I have more of a problem with Brian writing something like "The Last Song"... AGAIN.  Yet again we get Sad Brian (cute little trademark symbol my keyboard doesn't have).  Sad Brian (TM) pops up and all the hipsters go crazy. 

I guess I can appreciate it from a "Hey, Brian's screwing Hipsters out of money again because they're so easy" point of view, but He's doen this, at the end, of every album, for the past 10 years, right?  He worked up Smile to put Good Vibrations on the end and made it sound like he was singing from beyond the grave or something, he put "Goin' Home" on the end of TLOS to tell us about how he'll be dead soon... he put "When You Wish Upon A Star" at the end of the Disney album and made it sound like a funeral Dirge.... on the end of That's Why God Made The Radio he put "Summer's Gone" which again, is very beautiful but is another "I'm dying" song.  Now we get "Last Song" which I suppose is again about Brian dying.

I'm with Mike on that one.    I know.  It sucks.


I love that the guy's writing new stuff (I thik he is), but motherfucker, can he give us an "I'm still Alive" song instead of a "I'm Almost Dead" song every once in awhile?

/rant off

[Ron]

I think the BW in the studio stuff was just talked about way too soon. In retrospect, I bet there's some regret from the pr from last year. As for Brian's people taking it easy on Mike -- this is how old bands work. Read the coverage of Page and Plant lately? These guys know how to get under one another's skin -- and they're not going to stop.

I truly believe that neither Mike or Brian is very offended or upset at each other at all.  I know Mike's not, and all this from Brian is just to push his image of being the delicate thoughtful one.  He'd probably like to do another BB's album but I doubt he's staying up at night about it.

[Ron]

As acrimonious as the BB are,  they have nothing on Stone Temple Pilots, who tried to sue former singer Scott Weiland from singing STP songs in his solo shows...which is ludicrous as he cowrote them!

Paul McCartney used to pay Michael Jackson to sing songs he wrote himself in concert. 























Now he pays Paris Jackson, Price Jackson, and Blanket Jackson to sing songs he wrote himself in concert.

[Ron]

Why concentrate on the negative - Brian's "favorite" artists, Ocean's rapping, Brian's ghost writer penning a fluff piece (did we expect Brian to attack himself in his "autobiography"?) - and largely ignore Nate Ruess' involvement? Brian comparing Ruess' singing to Carl's is pretty damn high praise.

A bunch of us (Me) don't know Nate Ruess.  I'm sure he's great and if Brian says he sounds like Carl that's great too... but when a few songs were linked a few pages back by Nate they weren't really my thing.  I'm sure whatever song they do though will grow on me!

[Andrew G. Doe]

Jason wrote about Brian's album last fall, and never mentioned any guest artists besides Al, Blondie, Dave, and Jeff Beck.  If it's such big news now, you would think he would have mentioned it back then, nor did he mention any plans of contemporary recording artists being part of the album...

You're forgetting that the current version of the album is the 4th incarnation. They weren't mentioned because they weren't part of the gameplan back then.

1 - next BB album
2 - straight BW solo set
3 - Wilson/Beck collaboration
4 - Brian's version of Stars & Stripes, albeit with original material

[Wirestone]

4 - Brian's version of Stars & Stripes, albeit with original material

So in other words, nothing at all like Stars and Stripes.

[the captain]

I have more of a problem with Brian writing something like "The Last Song"... AGAIN.  Yet again we get Sad Brian (cute little trademark symbol my keyboard doesn't have).  Sad Brian (TM) pops up and all the hipsters go crazy. 

I guess I can appreciate it from a "Hey, Brian's screwing Hipsters out of money again because they're so easy" point of view, but He's doen this, at the end, of every album, for the past 10 years, right?  He worked up Smile to put Good Vibrations on the end and made it sound like he was singing from beyond the grave or something, he put "Goin' Home" on the end of TLOS to tell us about how he'll be dead soon... he put "When You Wish Upon A Star" at the end of the Disney album and made it sound like a funeral Dirge.... on the end of That's Why God Made The Radio he put "Summer's Gone" which again, is very beautiful but is another "I'm dying" song.  Now we get "Last Song" which I suppose is again about Brian dying.

I'm with Mike on that one.    I know.  It sucks.


I love that the guy's writing new stuff (I thik he is), but motherfucker, can he give us an "I'm still Alive" song instead of a "I'm Almost Dead" song every once in awhile?

/rant off

Easy money, ain't life funny?

[ToneBender631]

May I note that not a single person on this board has heard more than a 10-second iPhone clip from this album?

... Apparently not.

Brian Wilson is not perfect, but he's no idiot. He can still write, arrange, sing and play. He's making a new record, and hopefully it will have some good tunes on it. He's worked with some younger singers, and folks involved feel positively about how the project is evolving (including folks from the outside like Ray Lawlor and Don Was, who have nothing to gain by lying to fans about a record's quality). So what is the problem?

It's going to be a splashy record, with big-name guests, released to coincide with a movie and book. It's a 21st-century multimedia extravaganza. It's why someone like Joe is still involved (making trains run on time), and why Brian still has a major-label deal. So I look forward to rolling with it and seeing what happens.

I think the problem with most of us who's expectations for the album are somewhat tempered, is just a nagging feeling that Joe Thomas is up to tricks that are not exactly in line with presenting the best Brian possible .... Given Brian's history, these are not illogical concerns. Like Savonarola with Botticelli, such situations don't generally end well.

I think we all have different reasons for coming to the same conclusion.... personally, I don't have a problem with Joe Thomas because I dont' think he's the one pulling the strings... to be honest, I have more of a problem with Brian writing something like "The Last Song"... AGAIN.  Yet again we get Sad Brian (cute little trademark symbol my keyboard doesn't have).  Sad Brian (TM) pops up and all the hipsters go crazy. 

I guess I can appreciate it from a "Hey, Brian's screwing Hipsters out of money again because they're so easy" point of view, but He's doen this, at the end, of every album, for the past 10 years, right?  He worked up Smile to put Good Vibrations on the end and made it sound like he was singing from beyond the grave or something, he put "Goin' Home" on the end of TLOS to tell us about how he'll be dead soon... he put "When You Wish Upon A Star" at the end of the Disney album and made it sound like a funeral Dirge.... on the end of That's Why God Made The Radio he put "Summer's Gone" which again, is very beautiful but is another "I'm dying" song.  Now we get "Last Song" which I suppose is again about Brian dying.

I'm with Mike on that one.    I know.  It sucks.


I love that the guy's writing new stuff (I thik he is), but motherfucker, can he give us an "I'm still Alive" song instead of a "I'm Almost Dead" song every once in awhile?

/rant off

I hate to tell people that their opinion is wrong, but I think you're ignoring quite a number of songs from Brian in the past 10 years that feature uplifting lyrics and uplifting vocals. Just off the top of my head Morning Beat, Oxygen to the Brain, Spring Vacation, and plenty more. All of these songs say "I'm still alive" pretty loudly.

It's fairly typical for the last track of an album to be more reflective, whomever the artist. But are you really criticizing a 72-year old artist, who has struggled with some form of depression for much of his adult life, for writing reflective music as his career and life winds down? I think it's fair to say we've had more than our share of uplifting Brian Wilson music over the past 50 years that we can "forgive him" for a few reflective songs at the end of his recent albums.

[JohnMill]

Jason wrote about Brian's album last fall, and never mentioned any guest artists besides Al, Blondie, Dave, and Jeff Beck.  If it's such big news now, you would think he would have mentioned it back then, nor did he mention any plans of contemporary recording artists being part of the album...

You're forgetting that the current version of the album is the 4th incarnation. They weren't mentioned because they weren't part of the gameplan back then.

1 - next BB album
2 - straight BW solo set
3 - Wilson/Beck collaboration
4 - Brian's version of Stars & Stripes, albeit with original material

Very good point AGD.

[Robbie Mac]

May I note that not a single person on this board has heard more than a 10-second iPhone clip from this album?

... Apparently not.

Brian Wilson is not perfect, but he's no idiot. He can still write, arrange, sing and play. He's making a new record, and hopefully it will have some good tunes on it. He's worked with some younger singers, and folks involved feel positively about how the project is evolving (including folks from the outside like Ray Lawlor and Don Was, who have nothing to gain by lying to fans about a record's quality). So what is the problem?

It's going to be a splashy record, with big-name guests, released to coincide with a movie and book. It's a 21st-century multimedia extravaganza. It's why someone like Joe is still involved (making trains run on time), and why Brian still has a major-label deal. So I look forward to rolling with it and seeing what happens.

I think the problem with most of us who's expectations for the album are somewhat tempered, is just a nagging feeling that Joe Thomas is up to tricks that are not exactly in line with presenting the best Brian possible .... Given Brian's history, these are not illogical concerns. Like Savonarola with Botticelli, such situations don't generally end well.

I think we all have different reasons for coming to the same conclusion.... personally, I don't have a problem with Joe Thomas because I dont' think he's the one pulling the strings... to be honest, I have more of a problem with Brian writing something like "The Last Song"... AGAIN.  Yet again we get Sad Brian (cute little trademark symbol my keyboard doesn't have).  Sad Brian (TM) pops up and all the hipsters go crazy. 

I guess I can appreciate it from a "Hey, Brian's screwing Hipsters out of money again because they're so easy" point of view, but He's doen this, at the end, of every album, for the past 10 years, right?  He worked up Smile to put Good Vibrations on the end and made it sound like he was singing from beyond the grave or something, he put "Goin' Home" on the end of TLOS to tell us about how he'll be dead soon... he put "When You Wish Upon A Star" at the end of the Disney album and made it sound like a funeral Dirge.... on the end of That's Why God Made The Radio he put "Summer's Gone" which again, is very beautiful but is another "I'm dying" song.  Now we get "Last Song" which I suppose is again about Brian dying.

I'm with Mike on that one.    I know.  It sucks.


I love that the guy's writing new stuff (I thik he is), but motherfucker, can he give us an "I'm still Alive" song instead of a "I'm Almost Dead" song every once in awhile?

/rant off

I hate to tell people that their opinion is wrong, but I think you're ignoring quite a number of songs from Brian in the past 10 years that feature uplifting lyrics and uplifting vocals. Just off the top of my head Morning Beat, Oxygen to the Brain, Spring Vacation, and plenty more. All of these songs say "I'm still alive" pretty loudly.

It's fairly typical for the last track of an album to be more reflective, whomever the artist. But are you really criticizing a 72-year old artist, who has struggled with some form of depression for much of his adult life, for writing reflective music as his career and life winds down? I think it's fair to say we've had more than our share of uplifting Brian Wilson music over the past 50 years that we can "forgive him" for a few reflective songs at the end of his recent albums.

This. x 1000.

Oh and Goin' Home?  Funeral dirges don't sound like three chord rock and roll, Ron!

[Sheriff John Stone]

Jason wrote about Brian's album last fall, and never mentioned any guest artists besides Al, Blondie, Dave, and Jeff Beck.  If it's such big news now, you would think he would have mentioned it back then, nor did he mention any plans of contemporary recording artists being part of the album...

You're forgetting that the current version of the album is the 4th incarnation. They weren't mentioned because they weren't part of the gameplan back then.

1 - next BB album
2 - straight BW solo set
3 - Wilson/Beck collaboration
4 - Brian's version of Stars & Stripes, albeit with original material

Very good point AGD.

Yes, regarding the Stars & Stripes analogy, I was getting a deja vu feeling with Joe Thomas producing, Matt Jardine brought in for the high parts, and "guest star" lead vocalists. Maybe Jeff Beck will turn out to be the Rodney Crowell of the project.

With Kacey Musgraves, I'm remembering some TV show around the Imagination era that featured Brian Wilson, Deana Carter, and I think even JOE THOMAS! Actually I think the show was pretty good; I videotaped it; I think it was on a Country TV channel or something. Man, Joe and Brian don't forget anything, do they?

[Robbie Mac]

Jason wrote about Brian's album last fall, and never mentioned any guest artists besides Al, Blondie, Dave, and Jeff Beck.  If it's such big news now, you would think he would have mentioned it back then, nor did he mention any plans of contemporary recording artists being part of the album...

You're forgetting that the current version of the album is the 4th incarnation. They weren't mentioned because they weren't part of the gameplan back then.

1 - next BB album
2 - straight BW solo set
3 - Wilson/Beck collaboration
4 - Brian's version of Stars & Stripes, albeit with original material

Very good point AGD.

Yes, regarding the Stars & Stripes analogy, I was getting a deja vu feeling with Joe Thomas producing, Matt Jardine brought in for the high parts, and "guest star" lead vocalists. Maybe Jeff Beck will turn out to be the Rodney Crowell of the project.

With Kacey Musgraves, I'm remembering some TV show around the Imagination era that featured Brian Wilson, Deana Carter, and I think even JOE THOMAS! Actually I think the show was pretty good; I videotaped it; I think it was on a Country TV channel or something. Man, Joe and Brian don't forget anything, do they?

Except these songs aren't thirty year old hit songs that everyone knows.

So, like Wirestone said, absolutely nothing like Stars and Stripes.

[ToneBender631]

Jason wrote about Brian's album last fall, and never mentioned any guest artists besides Al, Blondie, Dave, and Jeff Beck.  If it's such big news now, you would think he would have mentioned it back then, nor did he mention any plans of contemporary recording artists being part of the album...

You're forgetting that the current version of the album is the 4th incarnation. They weren't mentioned because they weren't part of the gameplan back then.

1 - next BB album
2 - straight BW solo set
3 - Wilson/Beck collaboration
4 - Brian's version of Stars & Stripes, albeit with original material

Very good point AGD.

Yes, regarding the Stars & Stripes analogy, I was getting a deja vu feeling with Joe Thomas producing, Matt Jardine brought in for the high parts, and "guest star" lead vocalists. Maybe Jeff Beck will turn out to be the Rodney Crowell of the project.

With Kacey Musgraves, I'm remembering some TV show around the Imagination era that featured Brian Wilson, Deana Carter, and I think even JOE THOMAS! Actually I think the show was pretty good; I videotaped it; I think it was on a Country TV channel or something. Man, Joe and Brian don't forget anything, do they?

Except these songs aren't thirty year old hit songs that everyone knows.

So, like Wirestone said, absolutely nothing like Stars and Stripes.

You people have it ALL wrong. It's Brian's "A Postcard from California" which was AL's "Stars and Stripes" because some of the guest artists involved occasionally sang with a slight twang in their voice throughout their respective careers.

[Wirestone]

I personally hope it will be Brian's "Inna Gadda Da Vida."

[SMiLE Brian]

 

[Robbie Mac]

I am holding out for Karn Evil #9.

[phirnis]

According to Rolling Stone they did a remake of "Summer Means New Love" for this new album project. In my book the original arrangement is pretty much perfect, so I hope that at least they did come up with some nice/original ideas for this.

I don't think the S&S analogy is too far-fetched. In any case I don't expect to hear much of Brian's quirkier side on this album (but I do hope to be proven wrong).

[Wirestone]

The S&S analogy makes no sense whatsoever.

This is an album of (mostly) original songs. It's not a "tribute" to Brian's work. It's new work by Brian.

Brian is not just contributing backgrounds, he's doing leads as well.

It's not country. It doesn't have the Beach Boys on it. I mean, what on earth are people smoking here?

People were slagging the project off earlier by comparing it to GIOMH, but that's at least a semi-relevant comparison -- previously unreleased songs and superstar guests.

[Shady]

I think I'm more excited for the track list for this album than I was for TWGMTR.

It's a fascinating project

[Sound of Free]

there aren`t that many previews for albums that state, `This is bilge and you will all hate it`.

That's what this site is for. 

[Wirestone]

Edit.