*Merged* Brian Wilson current album thread

[rab2591]

I’ve noticed something concerning the “recycling” of old song ideas. Why is that bad? I’m not talking about remakes of BB songs and whatnot. But when someone condescendingly points out “Brian was just recycling a demo from 1983” or something,

If it is revealed the songs were written 15 or 20 years ago the magic would be gone for me. It will seem like product, pieced together from rubble left behind when Brian was still an active composer, not art. I want to be wowed. That sadly wont happen -- Joe Thomas is involved.

I do agree that some of the magic will be taken away if a lot of the songs are just ones that weren't good enough in the past.  I still believe I can be wowed by the album even if Joe Thomas is involved, though.

I was floored by 'Pacific Coast Highway' - absolutely floored....that was recycled material AND Joe was involved. But I guess it's not everyone's thing.

[Mikie]

Ray, I still have one pair of JBL L-100 studio monitors and one pair of 4311's that I bought around 1973. They've been sitting in a closet for years, but back in the 70's I had a Marantz receiver/amp (w/ the gyro wheel) driving them and they sounded great. I can imagine what a Mac (or Carver) amp sounded like hooked up to them. I need to find new brown or orange foam grill covers for them because they just evaporated over time.....

Mikie; how is the sound on the 4311 's ? Are they bookshelves ?  The 4320's were mammoth ; three feet by three feet. I bet the Marantz receiver/amp could drive them ; before I got the McIntosh stuff as there were economic limitations on my wallet at that time, I was powering the 4320's with a Marantz and it wasn't bad. I changed the grill covers on the 4320's twice before the ocean got them !

Ray, the 4311 was a bookshelf studio monitor, very close to the sound of the made-for-consumer L-100's which were very popular for a long time in the 70's. Both were made in Glendale Cali. The 4311 had the same crossover and drivers (mounted closer together) except the woofer was tied directly to the amp, which gave it a little brighter and punchier sound and better imaging.

[Ray Lawlor]

Ray, I still have one pair of JBL L-100 studio monitors and one pair of 4311's that I bought around 1973. They've been sitting in a closet for years, but back in the 70's I had a Marantz receiver/amp (w/ the gyro wheel) driving them and they sounded great. I can imagine what a Mac (or Carver) amp sounded like hooked up to them. I need to find new brown or orange foam grill covers for them because they just evaporated over time.....

Mikie; how is the sound on the 4311 's ? Are they bookshelves ?  The 4320's were mammoth ; three feet by three feet. I bet the Marantz receiver/amp could drive them ; before I got the McIntosh stuff as there were economic limitations on my wallet at that time, I was powering the 4320's with a Marantz and it wasn't bad. I changed the grill covers on the 4320's twice before the ocean got them !

Ray, the 4311 was a bookshelf studio monitor, very close to the sound of the made-for-consumer L-100's which were very popular for a long time in the 70's. Both were made in Glendale Cali. The 4311 had the same crossover and drivers (mounted closer together) except the woofer was tied directly to the amp, which gave it a little brighter and punchier sound and better imaging.

Mikie; I remember the L-100's ; nice speakers.....some guy on EBay about a year ago tried to jack me for $10K for a pair of 4320's .....I declined !

[The Cincinnati Kid]

I’ve noticed something concerning the “recycling” of old song ideas. Why is that bad? I’m not talking about remakes of BB songs and whatnot. But when someone condescendingly points out “Brian was just recycling a demo from 1983” or something,

If it is revealed the songs were written 15 or 20 years ago the magic would be gone for me. It will seem like product, pieced together from rubble left behind when Brian was still an active composer, not art. I want to be wowed. That sadly wont happen -- Joe Thomas is involved.

I do agree that some of the magic will be taken away if a lot of the songs are just ones that weren't good enough in the past.  I still believe I can be wowed by the album even if Joe Thomas is involved, though.

I was floored by 'Pacific Coast Highway' - absolutely floored....that was recycled material AND Joe was involved. But I guess it's not everyone's thing.

I wasn't thinking about that (or Summer's Gone), so I'll retract my statement that they simply weren't good enough in the past.  So it can be good music even if it's recycled.  It's just exciting for me to think that 72 year old Brian Wilson is still making new music.  Using older music just takes away some of the "awe" even if the songs are still good.  I hope you understand what I'm trying to say.

[Wirestone]

I don't think that just because a song hasn't been released -- from the late 90s material forward (and backward) -- that means it was somehow rejected for not being good enough. This is Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys we're talking about. We're still uncovering amazing unbooted stuff they did in the '70s. The whole point about this band and this artist is that they don't release even a majority of their best stuff.

That being said, of course I'd like for Brian to still be writing amazing new material. He certainly turned out some good stuff for TWGMTR. I think a decent chunk of the new album is indeed freshly composed, but we shall see.

[SMiLE Brian]

Exactly , Cin kid. Even though I am a Cubs fan.

[The Cincinnati Kid]

Exactly , Cin kid. Even though I am a Cubs fan.

It's ok.  I'd make fun of the Cubs for being in last, but the Reds are on a 6 game losing streak.   

[SMiLE Brian]

I saw Pete Rose in person when I went to a Vegas two weeks ago.

[MarcellaHasDirtyFeet]

Mr. Lawlor goes over to Brian Wilson's house on Bellagio, where he is played "Marcella"-- a brand new track at the time, right, Ray?-- and "Be My Baby" on some fantastic equipment by The Man. At high volume.

Later, while discussing high end audio, BW recommends  "Country Air" to kick some Big Bass Ass. Like, one of my favorite songs ever, and that's largely due to that BASS (a trademark of both BW and DW).

My life sucks...

[The Cincinnati Kid]

I saw Pete Rose in person when I went to a Vegas two weeks ago.

Yeah I saw him in Las Vegas as well a few years ago.  Too bad you have to buy something to get his autograph.  I still got a picture with him!

[Custom Machine]

Ray, I still have one pair of JBL L-100 studio monitors and one pair of 4311's that I bought around 1973. They've been sitting in a closet for years, but back in the 70's I had a Marantz receiver/amp (w/ the gyro wheel) driving them and they sounded great. I can imagine what a Mac (or Carver) amp sounded like hooked up to them. I need to find new brown or orange foam grill covers for them because they just evaporated over time.....

Mikie; how is the sound on the 4311 's ? Are they bookshelves ?  The 4320's were mammoth ; three feet by three feet. I bet the Marantz receiver/amp could drive them ; before I got the McIntosh stuff as there were economic limitations on my wallet at that time, I was powering the 4320's with a Marantz and it wasn't bad. I changed the grill covers on the 4320's twice before the ocean got them !

Ray, the 4311 was a bookshelf studio monitor, very close to the sound of the made-for-consumer L-100's which were very popular for a long time in the 70's. Both were made in Glendale Cali. The 4311 had the same crossover and drivers (mounted closer together) except the woofer was tied directly to the amp, which gave it a little brighter and punchier sound and better imaging.

Mikie, you can get great original looking L100 Quadrex foam grill inserts from Sculpted Foam Innovations on eBay http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-JBL-L100-CENTURY-QUADREX-FOAM-GRILLE-INSERTS-L-100-/271556575346?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item3f3a088072.  They are available in the original factory colors of Russet Brown, Burnt Orange, and Ultra Blue for $150 + shipping.  A few months ago I brought my L-100's back to life with a new pair of Ultra Blue inserts, replacing the original and more sedate brown grilles, figuring the ultra blue would give me a cool retro 70's look, although I must admit that the reaction to the ultra blue from my wife and other females has been rather tepid, my saving grace being that those speakers are in the family room and not the living room.

Ray, yeah, those 4320's put out thunderous bass from two 15 inch woofers per pair, and four in Brian's set up!  I'm sort of disappointed but not surprised to hear that Brian has gone for a more sedate in-wall set up, but that's what all the designers are pushing today.  Maybe another pair of 4320's at home would inspire him to make that rock n roll album he's been talking about for years!  For sure a nice pair of 4320's would be hard to find today.  The last time I saw a pair was about 20 years ago at the home of a guy who had personally known Jim Lansing and was restoring and reselling classic JBL's, which filled his house and garage, with many of them being shipped to Japan.  Another JBL two way speaker with 15 inch woofers and horn loaded tweeters from the era is the L200 Studio Master.  Not sure if they use the exact same drivers, and I've not heard them so as to offer an opinion on their sound compared to the 4320's.  The L200's were sold by the JBL consumer division and are somewhat similar in size to the 4320's.  If you're interested, here's some spec sheet comparison info for the L200's and 4320's - http://www.lansingheritage.org/html/jbl/specs/home-speakers/1973-l200.htm  and  http://www.jblpro.com/pub/obsolete/4320.pdf.

[Ray Lawlor]

Mr. Lawlor goes over to Brian Wilson's house on Bellagio, where he is played "Marcella"-- a brand new track at the time, right, Ray?-- and "Be My Baby" on some fantastic equipment by The Man. At high volume.

Later, while discussing high end audio, BW recommends  "Country Air" to kick some Big Bass Ass. Like, one of my favorite songs ever, and that's largely due to that BASS (a trademark of both BW and DW).

My life sucks...

He was calling it " One Arm Over My Shoulder" ; it was fairly recently released at the time; Be My Baby ; the drums sounded like cannons he had the monitors cranked so loud....surreal experience....When I left he started playing Be My Baby again ; you could hear it in the street it was so loud. I so wish I lived next door to him in those days , it must have been a hoot !!

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

Ray, I still have one pair of JBL L-100 studio monitors and one pair of 4311's that I bought around 1973. They've been sitting in a closet for years, but back in the 70's I had a Marantz receiver/amp (w/ the gyro wheel) driving them and they sounded great. I can imagine what a Mac (or Carver) amp sounded like hooked up to them. I need to find new brown or orange foam grill covers for them because they just evaporated over time.....

Mikie; how is the sound on the 4311 's ? Are they bookshelves ?  The 4320's were mammoth ; three feet by three feet. I bet the Marantz receiver/amp could drive them ; before I got the McIntosh stuff as there were economic limitations on my wallet at that time, I was powering the 4320's with a Marantz and it wasn't bad. I changed the grill covers on the 4320's twice before the ocean got them !

Ray, the 4311 was a bookshelf studio monitor, very close to the sound of the made-for-consumer L-100's which were very popular for a long time in the 70's. Both were made in Glendale Cali. The 4311 had the same crossover and drivers (mounted closer together) except the woofer was tied directly to the amp, which gave it a little brighter and punchier sound and better imaging.

Mikie, you can get great original looking L100 Quadrex foam grill inserts from Sculpted Foam Innovations on eBay http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-JBL-L100-CENTURY-QUADREX-FOAM-GRILLE-INSERTS-L-100-/271556575346?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item3f3a088072.  They are available in the original factory colors of Russet Brown, Burnt Orange, and Ultra Blue for $150 + shipping.  A few months ago I brought my L-100's back to life with a new pair of Ultra Blue inserts. replacing the original and more sedate brown grilles, figuring the ultra blue would give me a cool retro 70's look, although I must admit that the reaction to the ultra blue from my wife and other females has been feather tepid, my saving grace being that those speakers are in the family room and not the living room.

Ray, yeah, those 4320's put out thunderous bass from two 15 inch woofers per pair, and four in Brian's set up!  I'm sort of disappointed but not surprised to hear that Brian has gone for a more sedate in-wall set up, but that's what all the designers are pushing today.  Maybe another pair of 4320's at home would inspire him to make that rock n roll album he's been talking about for years!  For sure a nice pair of 4320's would be hard to find today.  The last time I saw a pair was about 20 years ago at the home of a guy who had personally known Jim Lansing and was restoring and reselling classic JBL's, which filled his house and garage, with many of them being shipped to Japan.  Another JBL two way speaker with 15 inch woofers and horn loaded tweeters from the era is the L200 Studio Master.  Not sure if they use the exact same drivers, and I've not heard them so as to offer an opinion on their sound compared to the 4320's.  The L200's were sold by the JBL consumer division and are somewhat similar in size to the 4320's.  If you're interested, here's some spec sheet comparison info for the L200's and 4320's - http://www.lansingheritage.org/html/jbl/specs/home-speakers/1973-l200.htm  and  http://www.jblpro.com/pub/obsolete/4320.pdf.

So we've all stumbled into the Hoffman board?

Not a problem for me, but OSD is lurking

[Ray Lawlor]

Ray, I still have one pair of JBL L-100 studio monitors and one pair of 4311's that I bought around 1973. They've been sitting in a closet for years, but back in the 70's I had a Marantz receiver/amp (w/ the gyro wheel) driving them and they sounded great. I can imagine what a Mac (or Carver) amp sounded like hooked up to them. I need to find new brown or orange foam grill covers for them because they just evaporated over time.....

Mikie; how is the sound on the 4311 's ? Are they bookshelves ?  The 4320's were mammoth ; three feet by three feet. I bet the Marantz receiver/amp could drive them ; before I got the McIntosh stuff as there were economic limitations on my wallet at that time, I was powering the 4320's with a Marantz and it wasn't bad. I changed the grill covers on the 4320's twice before the ocean got them !

Ray, the 4311 was a bookshelf studio monitor, very close to the sound of the made-for-consumer L-100's which were very popular for a long time in the 70's. Both were made in Glendale Cali. The 4311 had the same crossover and drivers (mounted closer together) except the woofer was tied directly to the amp, which gave it a little brighter and punchier sound and better imaging.

Mikie, you can get great original looking L100 Quadrex foam grill inserts from Sculpted Foam Innovations on eBay http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-JBL-L100-CENTURY-QUADREX-FOAM-GRILLE-INSERTS-L-100-/271556575346?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item3f3a088072.  They are available in the original factory colors of Russet Brown, Burnt Orange, and Ultra Blue for $150 + shipping.  A few months ago I brought my L-100's back to life with a new pair of Ultra Blue inserts. replacing the original and more sedate brown grilles, figuring the ultra blue would give me a cool retro 70's look, although I must admit that the reaction to the ultra blue from my wife and other females has been feather tepid, my saving grace being that those speakers are in the family room and not the living room.

Ray, yeah, those 4320's put out thunderous bass from two 15 inch woofers per pair, and four in Brian's set up!  I'm sort of disappointed but not surprised to hear that Brian has gone for a more sedate in-wall set up, but that's what all the designers are pushing today.  Maybe another pair of 4320's at home would inspire him to make that rock n roll album he's been talking about for years!  For sure a nice pair of 4320's would be hard to find today.  The last time I saw a pair was about 20 years ago at the home of a guy who had personally known Jim Lansing and was restoring and reselling classic JBL's, which filled his house and garage, with many of them being shipped to Japan.  Another JBL two way speaker with 15 inch woofers and horn loaded tweeters from the era is the L200 Studio Master.  Not sure if they use the exact same drivers, and I've not heard them so as to offer an opinion on their sound compared to the 4320's.  The L200's were sold by the JBL consumer division and are somewhat similar in size to the 4320's.  If you're interested, here's some spec sheet comparison info for the L200's and 4320's - http://www.lansingheritage.org/html/jbl/specs/home-speakers/1973-l200.htm  and  http://www.jblpro.com/pub/obsolete/4320.pdf.

Thanks ; this is great info. I thought the L-200's were the consumer version of the 4320's ; I have seen several offered on EBay, but I am extremely particular about the 4320's...really crisp, clean with that thunderous bass .....I should start looking again !

[SMiLE Brian]

Ray, I still have one pair of JBL L-100 studio monitors and one pair of 4311's that I bought around 1973. They've been sitting in a closet for years, but back in the 70's I had a Marantz receiver/amp (w/ the gyro wheel) driving them and they sounded great. I can imagine what a Mac (or Carver) amp sounded like hooked up to them. I need to find new brown or orange foam grill covers for them because they just evaporated over time.....

Mikie; how is the sound on the 4311 's ? Are they bookshelves ?  The 4320's were mammoth ; three feet by three feet. I bet the Marantz receiver/amp could drive them ; before I got the McIntosh stuff as there were economic limitations on my wallet at that time, I was powering the 4320's with a Marantz and it wasn't bad. I changed the grill covers on the 4320's twice before the ocean got them !

Ray, the 4311 was a bookshelf studio monitor, very close to the sound of the made-for-consumer L-100's which were very popular for a long time in the 70's. Both were made in Glendale Cali. The 4311 had the same crossover and drivers (mounted closer together) except the woofer was tied directly to the amp, which gave it a little brighter and punchier sound and better imaging.

Mikie, you can get great original looking L100 Quadrex foam grill inserts from Sculpted Foam Innovations on eBay http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-JBL-L100-CENTURY-QUADREX-FOAM-GRILLE-INSERTS-L-100-/271556575346?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item3f3a088072.  They are available in the original factory colors of Russet Brown, Burnt Orange, and Ultra Blue for $150 + shipping.  A few months ago I brought my L-100's back to life with a new pair of Ultra Blue inserts. replacing the original and more sedate brown grilles, figuring the ultra blue would give me a cool retro 70's look, although I must admit that the reaction to the ultra blue from my wife and other females has been feather tepid, my saving grace being that those speakers are in the family room and not the living room.

Ray, yeah, those 4320's put out thunderous bass from two 15 inch woofers per pair, and four in Brian's set up!  I'm sort of disappointed but not surprised to hear that Brian has gone for a more sedate in-wall set up, but that's what all the designers are pushing today.  Maybe another pair of 4320's at home would inspire him to make that rock n roll album he's been talking about for years!  For sure a nice pair of 4320's would be hard to find today.  The last time I saw a pair was about 20 years ago at the home of a guy who had personally known Jim Lansing and was restoring and reselling classic JBL's, which filled his house and garage, with many of them being shipped to Japan.  Another JBL two way speaker with 15 inch woofers and horn loaded tweeters from the era is the L200 Studio Master.  Not sure if they use the exact same drivers, and I've not heard them so as to offer an opinion on their sound compared to the 4320's.  The L200's were sold by the JBL consumer division and are somewhat similar in size to the 4320's.  If you're interested, here's some spec sheet comparison info for the L200's and 4320's - http://www.lansingheritage.org/html/jbl/specs/home-speakers/1973-l200.htm  and  http://www.jblpro.com/pub/obsolete/4320.pdf.

So we've all stumbled into the Hoffman board?

Not a problem for me, but OSD is lurking

You miss OSD at heart...

[HeyJude]

I’ve noticed something concerning the “recycling” of old song ideas. Why is that bad? I’m not talking about remakes of BB songs and whatnot. But when someone condescendingly points out “Brian was just recycling a demo from 1983” or something,

If it is revealed the songs were written 15 or 20 years ago the magic would be gone for me. It will seem like product, pieced together from rubble left behind when Brian was still an active composer, not art. I want to be wowed. That sadly wont happen -- Joe Thomas is involved.

Yeah, I guess that's just where some folks will differ. I think a good song is a good song. Add to that the fact that we don't always truly know which bit was written when. I don't get it. So if we unearthed a 1965 demo of "'Til I Die", the 1971 version would then be branded as "pieced together from rubble" and devoid of any magic?

Seriously, I highly suspect at least a few things that we *don't* know about sprinkled through the BB's catalog were germs of ideas from many years previously. For every few tracks for which we know an older demo exists, there are others that may have been rolling around in their heads but not committed to tape.

If Brian using a few late 90's tracks co-written by Joe Thomas on a new 2014 album is a sign he isn't an "active composer", then you can always just give up on it and listen to the old stuff.

I know there are fans that think Brian is kind of over; that he can't perform well live and doesn't write much or at all. What I don't understand is continuing to follow his career simply to make those assertions (especially if they actually aren't entirely accurate). Criticism is fine, but if there's not an underlying continued appreciation of what he's doing now, even if it is tempered with plenty of criticism, then the whole idea of following his current career seems rather pointless.

I look at this Brian album like McCartney's post-Beatles career. I think the point is to keep creating. New stuff, unearthed old stuff, cover versions, themed albums, live shows, self-produced, produced with Joe Thomas, solo stuff, Beach Boys stuff, sing on Al's album, have Al sing on your album, have Matt Jardine and Blondie sing on it, try out Jeff Beck, and yeah, let's hear Lana Del Rey sing his song too, authorize licensed action figures, whatever. The more that is created, the more we can mine that for some great stuff.

[Shady]

For those of you that don't think Brian is really of fan of his guest artists, check out this bit from an interview that just the stands in England:

Turns out the septuagenarian pop auteur is still tuned into the latest sounds.

"Oh my gosh, 'Summertime Sadness'," Wilson puts his hand to his forehead. "I wish I'd written that song. It encapsulates everything I think about summer. It's warm. There's lots of sun. But then I think about everything that's happened to me and I get sad. I get sad, very sad, yeah."

I asked Wilson what his feelings were when he first head the song.

"I was in the car going to get some more wheat grass juice with Joe Thomas, my collaborator. See, we were on a real health kick that day, and I thought, 'Let's go get some wheat grass juice.' So anyway, we're driving and this beautiful song comes on the radio."

Wilson sings the chorus in his inimitable falsetto, the same voice that turned songs like "Don't Worry Baby" into generation-spanning hits.

"I had to pull over the car to the side of the road. I really did. And I started laughing. Laughing out loud! And Joe asks me, 'What?' I told him she beat me. Lana Del Ray beat me to 'Last Song'. This is the song I wanted to be my last song."

"Last Song" is currently slated to close up Wilson's latest album.

You write in Brian's voice very well

Fooled me

[KittyKat]

"Brian" forgot his chocolate donuts.

[mtaber]

This album will suck because of the wheat juice...

[bgas]

This album will suck because of the wheat juice...

Finally!  A voice of reason in the wilderness

[guitarfool2002]

Thinking out loud, how funny would it be if we have people posting here convincing themselves and trying to convince others how bad this album will be, using Frank Ocean's involvement as a "rapper" as one of the reasons why...

...and since we don't know for sure and probably won't know for some time, what if Frank Ocean isn't even on the album when it's finally released? What if he doesn't rap, doesn't sing, or doesn't even play a synth pad on an old Oberheim someone had lying around the studio?

So having Frank Ocean's "rap" is a reason to be skeptical, and it's not even been confirmed that Ocean will be on the album!

That is funny. To me, at least. But we'll see in the fall.

[guitarfool2002]

So we've all stumbled into the Hoffman board?

Was Wednesday night "5 Dollar Bud Light Lime-A-Rita Night" over at Club Kokomo? Man, be careful at that joint. 

[Niko]

That, or just the regular - Light Bud Light with Kokomunchies (Nacho crumbs with slice of half melted cheese and one piece of diced tomato).

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

So we've all stumbled into the Hoffman board?

Was Wednesday night "5 Dollar Bud Light Lime-A-Rita Night" over at Club Kokomo? Man, be careful at that joint.  

What, a fan who loves Kokomo just as much as SMILE?? This will not stand!!!!!


Even if I was at Club Kokomo (c'mon, you'd go there too for a laugh) I wouldn't be ordering Bud Light! ....

I just had a Grimbergen Blonde earlier! Great stuff! ..... Mike likely wouldn't let CK go near it, but I'll bet he'd allow them to stock Hoeggaarden, if even reluctantly. That's a good, safe, starter-Belgian ale.... The house beer there's probably Pacifico in order to placate Bruce.

[guitarfool2002]

Not regular Bud Light, but the "Lime A Rita" and "Strawberry-Rita" or whatever they're called...the novelty of a premixed faux-tropical mixed drink as served in a can and labeled Bud Light! Sounds like a perfect specialty night drink for Club Kokomo. I won't detail the reasons why. 

Grimbergen Dubbel was a favorite a few years ago. That and Duvel, Brooklyn IPA, Saranac Black Forest ale, and a few other pretty "heavy" brews when I was into them. I cut back on beer and got more into mixed drinks and white wine. Been into the microbrews recently, though, like Troegs, Stoudt, and whatever looks interesting at the store or whatever is in the growler at the party. For imports I go for Belgian white ales, like Hoegaarden...but I don't have that cool glass to really enjoy them at home. Still like Stella too.