God Only Knows BBC Music ad

[SMiLE Brian]

Professor, what the f*** are you talking about. I have had it with all this trashing of BW's every move these days. It's all about the M&B shitshow.

[ontor pertawst]

We should all take a deep breath and remember we're Pisces Brothers or something. As the Maharishi put it to a guy that kinda looked like George Harrison from certain angles, "Happiness radiates like the fragrance from a flower and draws all good things towards you. That'll be $600."

Hits are about up to 5.4 million, is Bruno Mars returning Mike's calls? Time's a-wasting!

[Nicko1234]

Professor, what the f*** are you talking about. I have had it with all this trashing of BW's every move these days. It's all about the M&B shitshow.

Yeah because anyone thinking that this version of the song doesn`t compare with the Pet Sounds version is really criticizing Brian.  

[ontor pertawst]

It's just fun the big guy got himself a nice audience for one of his greatest songs at this stage of the game, despite the presence of singers that we're not exactly the target demographic for. Judging by the hits they have found a larger audience than ravenous Beach Boys fans, so it's a nice feather in an already decent looking cap. Maybe it'll lead to a sickly child picking up Pet Sounds and after a miraculous recovery, naming his imaginary friend AGD. So it will all be worth it!

Roll on new album! I want some quirky TV appearances... that Canadian guy did a decent job. Was he still going to turn up on Howard Stern?

(Ok, Grohl's bit really made me giggle fiendishly but I'm not a well man, really.)

[The Shift]

Way I see I this is a production that serves two specific purposes - flogging BbC Music and raising some cash for kids. It hits both nails on the head perfectly. As a byproduct it introduces Brian Wilson to. Gigantic worldwide audience, mostly for the very first time, and does it with a ladelling of sauce distiller from their own favourite stars. In effect, it's probably the widest such exposure he's had since 1966 and Good Vibes (or possibly 15BOs and Brian is Back).

Of course it's not Pet Sounds, of course some of these fresh faces are alien to the eyes of us old farts, and their talents can never match what was around "when I were a lad…"

It's put BW at the top of the charts as well, which is something his own fans haven't been able to do in a loooong time.

The syrupy video and the modern performances and the curtailed version of the song won't appear to us old bastards but appreciate it for what it is, celebrate the moment and relish Brian's big new out-of-the-blue success.

If BW produced a song that made us happy, then let's face it, we'd find a reason to be pissed.

[Jim V.]

Professor, what the f*** are you talking about. I have had it with all this trashing of BW's every move these days. It's all about the M&B shitshow.

Come on SMiLE Brian! You need to come 'round to the professor's way of thinking!

I agree with the professor. What a disgrace this thing is. Obviously, if it had to be re-recorded, it should have been Bruce Johnston and Mike Love invited by Brian to reform the C50 magic. He just needs to escape the grip of Me-Landy and re-join the touring band. The Boys should have been able to enjoy the fruits of this resurgence. It's obviously all Melinda's fault. It was her idea to end C50, wasn't it?

And while we're at it, who needs Brian May? Should've been David Marks on the guitar solo! The public woulda flipped for that! The guy's one of the greatest guitar heroes in the past 50 years! Who doesn't remember the classic Marksmen hits (besides everybody)?

[The Shift]

Aye the Honeys could have done a better job than them operatic types.

[Awesoman]

This is a British thing, featuring a bunch of British artists, made for the BBC.

I doubt that it would chart over here. Thusly, I doubt that anyone in the U.S. would push it as a single.

I didn't realize Stevie Wonder, Pharrell Williams, and Dave Grohl were really Brits.

[ontor pertawst]

Stevie Wonder had to endure hours of voice lessons to get rid of his Manchester accent.

[MugginsXO]

Stevie Wonder had to endure hours of voice lessons to get rid of his Manchester accent.

Aha!

These kind of group things are never going to please everyone but boy almost everyone did a good job here. Pharrell coming down the stairs and starting is a good choice. He has completely revived his career as a producer and hit maker.  Chris Martin actually did a lovely job. Stevie Wonder is still amazing. Sam Smith is good but I think he could have done way more here as his voice is incredible. Listen to Stay With are and realise he performed every part. Dude has mad chops and mad sauce to go on those chops. I don't love everyone here but there are a bunch of folks who are credible and who inspire a lot of younger, less cynical folks.

I would love to hear The Weeknd on here singing "You never need to doubt it, I'll make you so sure about it".

[CenturyDeprived]

While I'm not necessarily a fan of a good deal of the artists featured in the video, I still feel the video was very classy, and the vocal/musical contributions were very strong overall. It works very, very well for what it is.

Basically, if one were given the job to pick a good deal of "contemporary" artists that would cross over into the mass listening audience, and help get Brian's music into the awareness of a more modern audience, I don't think a video could be done much better than what they achieved. I think that some of the people criticizing the video fail to realize that. Congrats to Brian for the success this seems to be having.

[guitarfool2002]

I had to do this before someone else took a crack at it. 

I changed/added one thing, if this change were retroactive perhaps some who aren't digging this project would have different opinions...

[ontor pertawst]

Ha! Needs Al Jardine as the sun.

[the professor]

Dude, I have missed you!  Thank you for that artful satiric response. The success of the video both for charity and as a way of breaking down historical barriers that had separated the BB music from contemporary awareness quite pleases me. It's unfortunate that the TWGMTR video, which tried to reach a "whole new generation" was not nearly as successful.  That is, I wish the new BB music instead of a canonical classic was doing the reaching...

If this success has the result of getting out beloved BB back together--and even if it simply makes Brian, whom I adore, happy, then I am with you all in celebrating its success.  But to do so will not stop me from making critical and aesthetic critique. Those of you who in an imperious way seek to forbid critique by dictate are wrong. Critique and debate are fruitful. 

I maintain my critique of course; the video is more annoying than "we are the world," its cloying, mawkish, low-tech ancestor.

Professor, what the f*** are you talking about. I have had it with all this trashing of BW's every move these days. It's all about the M&B shitshow.

Come on SMiLe Brian! You need to come 'round to the professor's way of thinking!

I agree with the professor. What a disgrace this thing is. Obviously, if it had to be re-recorded, it should have been Bruce Johnston and Mike Love invited by Brian to reform the C50 magic. He just needs to escape the grip of Me-Landy and re-join the touring band. The Boys should have been able to enjoy the fruits of this resurgence. It's obviously all Melinda's fault. It was her idea to end C50, wasn't it?

And while we're at it, who needs Brian May? Should've been David Marks on the guitar solo! The public woulda flipped for that! The guy's one of the greatest guitar heroes in the past 50 years! Who doesn't remember the classic Marksmen hits (besides everybody)?

[ontor pertawst]

Somebody needs to ask Mike Love what he thinks about it to really get this thread going.

[Niko]

Critique and debate are fruitful.  

I always look forward to your fruit.

[guitarfool2002]

Ha! Needs Al Jardine as the sun.

I wonder if anyone even noticed the addition to the collage, it felt a bit like seeing the Sgt. Pepper cover before Leo Gorcey got airbrushed out...

[Cyncie]

Somebody needs to ask Mike Love what he thinks about it to really get this thread going.

LOL!

Interviewer: Mike, isn't it awesome that a classic Beach Boys song is at the top of the charts again? You must be proud of your contribution to the original.

Oh, wait...

[ontor pertawst]

FANTASY MIKE LOVE: "It's really great that Cousin Brian is doing so well with a song like that and I wish him all the luck in the world. It's interesting it did so well in the UK because when first released it only reached 39 on the US charts. Kokomo of course went to number one and Brian wasn't even involved in that.  Did you know Melody Maker did a poll and The Beach Boys were voted the top music group over The Beatles and The Rolling Stones? I came up with the title Pet Sounds."

[SMiLE Brian]

Make videos of fantasy Mike Love.

[the professor]

Actually the video looks a lot like a version of the "blossom world" that Mike did invent in another song.  So his influence, un-credited is clear here.  I would sue if I were he.

But all those fake smiles and hipster posturings hurt my eyes. I cannot believe that anyone likes this video aesthetically. It is in such bad taste, so over the top and artless, while so full of self-congratulatory false splendor.

Please take it away....my lunch is in peril.

Somebody needs to ask Mike Love what he thinks about it to really get this thread going.

LOL!

Interviewer: Mike, isn't it awesome that a classic Beach Boys song is at the top of the charts again? You must be proud of your contribution to the original.

Oh, wait...

[ontor pertawst]

Oooo that's a good idea, prof. Someone should post it on Mike's facebook page. BLOSSOM WORLD INFRINGEMENT! He could sue to stop a charity single for Children in Need being sold and really do justice to the legacy... of misguided legal battles.

[Niko]

Actually the video looks a lot like a version of the "blossom world" that Mike did invent in another song.  So his influence, un-credited is clear here.  I would sue if I were he.

You're crediting Mike Love for influencing the art direction in the video because of his lyric "blossom world" and HE SHOULD SUE?

ARE YOU SERIOUS???

[SMiLE Brian]

Okay, I guess you like half dead old people with meat and potatoes crowds at M&B's boring nostalgia fest. David Marks can't even save it from sucking.

[CenturyDeprived]

Somebody needs to ask Mike Love what he thinks about it to really get this thread going.

LOL!

Interviewer: Mike, isn't it awesome that a classic Beach Boys song is at the top of the charts again? You must be proud of your contribution to the original.

Oh, wait...

The real question is, how much would Mike overhype his contributions regarding this tribute if the song had been "Wouldn't it Be Nice"?

I feel pretty certain of two things: If Mike legitimately is asked about the GOK video, he'll say it's cool but give a backhanded compliment belittling it in some fashion (for lack of his involvement), but if it were the EXACT same video with Mike singing a line, he'd have nothing bad to say about it at all.