Brian Wilson Taping Soundstage Special With Special Guests

[SMiLE Brian]

 

[drbeachboy]

Are some of you people serious!?  This show is done elegantly, as is appropriate to PBS.  But then, I'm a little more interested in the music than a Barbara Ann rah-rah routine.  Christ, and people call me a cheerleader.

Absolutely serious. That show has no excitement whatsoever.

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

I like it.

A lot.

[Bud Shaver]

I purchased the 103 minute show and it's great. Where else will you get a deep serving of the Blondie/Ricky years plus new music from Brian Wilson?

[JohnMill]

Are some of you people serious!?  This show is done elegantly, as is appropriate to PBS.  But then, I'm a little more interested in the music than a Barbara Ann rah-rah routine.  Christ, and people call me a cheerleader.

Absolutely serious. That show has no excitement whatsoever.

So not an essential piece for the collection?  I was on the fence about this one given the fact that I can't order it through the usual online outlets.

[drbeachboy]

Are some of you people serious!?  This show is done elegantly, as is appropriate to PBS.  But then, I'm a little more interested in the music than a Barbara Ann rah-rah routine.  Christ, and people call me a cheerleader.

Absolutely serious. That show has no excitement whatsoever.

So not an essential piece for the collection?  I was on the fence about this one given the fact that I can't order it through the usual online outlets.

Don't base buying it solely on me. Lots here like it just fine.

[Justin]

Correction:  the only moment where things really take off is "Wild Honey"...even Blondie's blazing solo couldn't be tamed through the very conservative mix.

[Pretty Funky]

Not sure if these are elsewhere but the 3 Nate Reuss songs plus a interview from the show are here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9Lii7Lo_kc&list=PLMjpqNVslrrjS6dH4TAw33Thm2Px7Mzgi

Between these and the other clips already on YT there is a enough to make your own judgement.

[HeyJude]

You can read my thoughts on the blu-ray at my Facebook and blog links in my signature line. I'd say it's the best solo Brian video presentation that has been released. Excellent video and audio, and it has four freaking Beach Boys on it. If you are even a moderate Brian fan, it's a must own in my opinion. Both the DVD and especially blu-ray are also superior in every way to any broadcast TV version to boot.

The Smile or PS live DVDs aren't any more lively, and the video quality and direction are inferior. Amazing material/content of course.

[Justin]

Are some of you people serious!?  This show is done elegantly, as is appropriate to PBS.  But then, I'm a little more interested in the music than a Barbara Ann rah-rah routine.  Christ, and people call me a cheerleader.

Absolutely serious. That show has no excitement whatsoever.

So not an essential piece for the collection?  I was on the fence about this one given the fact that I can't order it through the usual online outlets.

I'd say very much part of the collection.  The music is performed very well obviously but it's just presented in a very tame way; I'd put most of the blame on the mix.  I'd say the C50 DVD was slightly more livlier even though the audio went through a lot of processing/overdubbin in post.  

All I know is that the new DVD didn't make me feel the way I usually feel when I'm seeing BW and the band in person.  

[Justin]

For me, that concert either had no passion or Joe Thomas did another sh*t mixing job like the C50 Live CD. My wife and I sat there bored watching. No life to this show whatsoever. I was very disappointed with the show.

I feel the same way.  Great selection of songs but the whole thing does come off a bit clinical and lifeless.  Granted, neither Brian or Al are the world' greatest front men but there was a stuffiness to the proceedings that never eased up.

I can't disagree a great deal. But Brian's shows have always been a bit on the clinical, serious side.

Yes they are but even so I usually walk away from Brian's shows with excitement and energy---can't say the new DVD captured it very well. Was the band perhaps not warmed up to the new set?  How many shows had they performed by this point? 

[wantsomecorn]

I don't know how you can watch Nate Ruess' set and still complain about a lack of energy - he and Blondie KILL Hold On, Dear Brother.

[startBBtoday]

I don't know how you can watch Nate Ruess' set and still complain about a lack of energy - he and Blondie KILL Hold On, Dear Brother.

Yes. Worth owning for this alone: https://youtu.be/yMuGzYgSIUg

[The Shift]

I don't know how you can watch Nate Ruess' set and still complain about a lack of energy - he and Blondie KILL Hold On, Dear Brother.

Yes. Worth owning for this alone: https://youtu.be/yMuGzYgSIUg

Stunning. Can't wait for the DVD/Blu-ray to arrive.

Did Brian forget Nate's name at the end?

And Nate and Probyn looked more animated than the rest of the band and the audience combined! That said, Ricky looked cool as anything. Utterly unfazed. Wished thus slipped in Here She Comes as the drumming on that (which I've always assumed to be Ricky's) is simply outstanding. Then we'd've seen him shift!

[Mike's Beard]

I can't stand Nate usually but he does a wonderful job on Hold On Dear Brother and how bad ass does Ricky look?

[Stegibo]

I compared Wouldn't It Be Nice from this show with the live version from "Songs from Here And Back" that is from 1974 and Al sounds almost exactly the same. Incredible, how much his voice has stood the test of time.

[guitarfool2002]

Are some of you people serious!?  This show is done elegantly, as is appropriate to PBS.  But then, I'm a little more interested in the music than a Barbara Ann rah-rah routine.  Christ, and people call me a cheerleader.

Agreed.

The one notion that keeps me from thinking the whole thing is a lost cause is that some of them are not serious with some of these comments, and it's more of a bandwagon thing. It's a shame some of the legitimate, thoughtful commentary and genuine reactions/opinions get swept up in the seemingly joyful exercise among some of trying to zero in on some aspect of these projects and repeatedly say how bad this or that element is. That's a general and not specific comment.  I'm surprised no one has tried to suggest they didn't like it because they heard autotune on some vocals.

If liking and supporting Brian Wilson's new music and projects gets that reaction in return, I'm thinking of getting some T-shirts made up for the upcoming tour, and one of them will say "Cheerleader" in bold letters, and I'll wear it with pride. That will perhaps be the nicest wording on any of the shirts. 

[HeyJude]

For me, that concert either had no passion or Joe Thomas did another sh*t mixing job like the C50 Live CD. My wife and I sat there bored watching. No life to this show whatsoever. I was very disappointed with the show.

I feel the same way.  Great selection of songs but the whole thing does come off a bit clinical and lifeless.  Granted, neither Brian or Al are the world' greatest front men but there was a stuffiness to the proceedings that never eased up.

I can't disagree a great deal. But Brian's shows have always been a bit on the clinical, serious side.

Yes they are but even so I usually walk away from Brian's shows with excitement and energy---can't say the new DVD captured it very well. Was the band perhaps not warmed up to the new set?  How many shows had they performed by this point? 

I’m sure the band had done some rehearsals (rehearsals are briefly shown in the YouTube making-of video for the album). But they only did a hand full of shows in 2014, and the Vegas show was a stand-alone show rather than part of a long tour. So they may not have been quite as smooth as they usually are.

But seriously, I’ve seen Brian ten or however many times it is, I’ve seen numerous videos (official and audience-shot) of his tours, and this show doesn’t seem markedly different in any way, other than it *looks* better having been shot in HD, and sounds better too since we get a good mix of the show. It comes across as much more “live” than most of Brian’s other live videos. Brian’s older now I guess, a bit less animated, but not terribly different.

As I’ve said before, I’ll grant that it’s maybe slightly more measured and reserved than some other shows, but they were performing MANY songs for the first time ever. All the new album stuff had never been done live. They were doing “Pacific Coast Highway” for the first time, as well as “Hold on Dear Brother.” A few others in the setlist had not been done often (“Wild Honey’). They were integrating several guest stars.

The whole thing comes across to me as a more concentrated exercise in doing a good musical performance. I can’t fault that. I didn’t come away from watching this show any less pumped or excited or impressed than any other live video presentation. To the contrary, it’s the best I’ve seen and heard in terms of Brian videos. Does it match the experience of being there in person? No. But it’s as close as possible, and it lasts longer and can be re-experienced as opposed to simply memories of past in-person live concert experiences.

[HeyJude]

Are some of you people serious!?  This show is done elegantly, as is appropriate to PBS.  But then, I'm a little more interested in the music than a Barbara Ann rah-rah routine.  Christ, and people call me a cheerleader.

Agreed.

The one notion that keeps me from thinking the whole thing is a lost cause is that some of them are not serious with some of these comments, and it's more of a bandwagon thing. It's a shame some of the legitimate, thoughtful commentary and genuine reactions/opinions get swept up in the seemingly joyful exercise among some of trying to zero in on some aspect of these projects and repeatedly say how bad this or that element is. That's a general and not specific comment.  I'm surprised no one has tried to suggest they didn't like it because they heard autotune on some vocals.

If liking and supporting Brian Wilson's new music and projects gets that reaction in return, I'm thinking of getting some T-shirts made up for the upcoming tour, and one of them will say "Cheerleader" in bold letters, and I'll wear it with pride. That will perhaps be the nicest wording on any of the shirts. 

I disagree with those who find this show sub-par, and as I’ve mentioned, such a conclusion doesn’t make sense to me when the show is compared to any other particular Brian show or tour.

But, I don’t think the few posters here who have said they don’t like the show have been inflammatory or objectionable in any way. They’re simply saying they watched the show and it was kind of “meh” to them. No big deal. We shouldn’t minimize or deride people who say this. I didn’t see any agenda or lack of thoughtfulness in these posts. Just opinions that I don’t agree with. They’re not trolling, and they don’t strike me as ardently anti-Brian or anything.

The tone of this board seems to be skewing more and more towards discouraging anything remotely negative about Brian, and I’m not sure why that is. Again, this is coming from me, someone who LOVES this new PBS show, who STARTED the thread about its DVD release, and who nearly stalked his mailman waiting for the thing to arrive.

I think the show’s awesome. Someone else doesn’t. I offer a little back-and-forth about how I disagree, try to offer some reasons and comparisons. But I don’t think the people I disagree with have an agenda or are trying to be negative about everything in this case. Sheesh.

[drbeachboy]

I guess for me the show comes off too slick. Everything is played nicely, maybe too nicely. I just didn't feel it while watching it. Again, an overall impression of the whole show/video. There were a few songs where things picked up a bit. The Blondie, Ricky, Billy & Al stuff was quite good, but even Marcella lacked some energy. I also understand that staying too faithful to the original songs can do that, it gives that measured feel. I'll re-watch it again soon and see if I change my mind. I know I had to listen to NPP a couple times before coming around and enjoying the overall CD.

EDIT: Thanks HeyJude. You explained it perfectly.

[Mikie]

I disagree with those who find this show sub-par, and as I’ve mentioned, such a conclusion doesn’t make sense to me when the show is compared to any other particular Brian show or tour.

But, I don’t think the few posters here who have said they don’t like the show have been inflammatory or objectionable in any way. They’re simply saying they watched the show and it was kind of “meh” to them. No big deal. We shouldn’t minimize or deride people who say this. I didn’t see any agenda or lack of thoughtfulness in these posts. Just opinions that I don’t agree with. They’re not trolling, and they don’t strike me as ardently anti-Brian or anything.

The tone of this board seems to be skewing more and more towards discouraging anything remotely negative about Brian, and I’m not sure why that is. Again, this is coming from me, someone who LOVES this new PBS show, who STARTED the thread about its DVD release, and who nearly stalked his mailman waiting for the thing to arrive.

I think the show’s awesome. Someone else doesn’t. I offer a little back-and-forth about how I disagree, try to offer some reasons and comparisons. But I don’t think the people I disagree with have an agenda or are trying to be negative about everything in this case. Sheesh.

Very well said, Jude.  Covering all the bases as usual.

[bgas]

Rehearsals started on Wednesday before the show. So that gave them two days/evenings to sort it out, plus the soundcheck TV shot rehearsals on Friday immediately preceding the show/concert.
 I didn't attend any of these, except for Friday's soundcheck/rehearsal, so I can't attest to whether all of the band/singers were at each rehearsal. It certainly seemed that everyone was at Thursday evenings' rehearsal which ended about 10PM

[guitarfool2002]

Are some of you people serious!?  This show is done elegantly, as is appropriate to PBS.  But then, I'm a little more interested in the music than a Barbara Ann rah-rah routine.  Christ, and people call me a cheerleader.

Agreed.

The one notion that keeps me from thinking the whole thing is a lost cause is that some of them are not serious with some of these comments, and it's more of a bandwagon thing. It's a shame some of the legitimate, thoughtful commentary and genuine reactions/opinions get swept up in the seemingly joyful exercise among some of trying to zero in on some aspect of these projects and repeatedly say how bad this or that element is. That's a general and not specific comment.  I'm surprised no one has tried to suggest they didn't like it because they heard autotune on some vocals.

If liking and supporting Brian Wilson's new music and projects gets that reaction in return, I'm thinking of getting some T-shirts made up for the upcoming tour, and one of them will say "Cheerleader" in bold letters, and I'll wear it with pride. That will perhaps be the nicest wording on any of the shirts. 

I disagree with those who find this show sub-par, and as I’ve mentioned, such a conclusion doesn’t make sense to me when the show is compared to any other particular Brian show or tour.

But, I don’t think the few posters here who have said they don’t like the show have been inflammatory or objectionable in any way. They’re simply saying they watched the show and it was kind of “meh” to them. No big deal. We shouldn’t minimize or deride people who say this. I didn’t see any agenda or lack of thoughtfulness in these posts. Just opinions that I don’t agree with. They’re not trolling, and they don’t strike me as ardently anti-Brian or anything.

The tone of this board seems to be skewing more and more towards discouraging anything remotely negative about Brian, and I’m not sure why that is. Again, this is coming from me, someone who LOVES this new PBS show, who STARTED the thread about its DVD release, and who nearly stalked his mailman waiting for the thing to arrive.

I think the show’s awesome. Someone else doesn’t. I offer a little back-and-forth about how I disagree, try to offer some reasons and comparisons. But I don’t think the people I disagree with have an agenda or are trying to be negative about everything in this case. Sheesh.

I'm actually tired of seeing these attempts to take what I said specifically, recast it or misrepresent it, and use that to turn into a screed about how you think the board is trending or how you think it should be run or whatever else is the case.

In this case I said crystal clear how my comment was a general and not specific one, and how it's a shame the genuine reactions and opinions are getting swept up in the other stuff that is going on. And it is. But if I have an issue or a challenge for anyone specific on a comment, I'll quote that comment. In this case I agreed with Debbie's post, said as much, and did not address anyone directly or their posts and comments here. It was a *GENERAL* comment about things here in general.

And I am surprised no one has mentioned autotune in this case since there was someone who had posted elsewhere that this Soundstage project would be an "Autotuned disaster" or similar words when the details of the taping were released. Like clockwork.

And HeyJude, you took my post personally somehow enough to again be the defender of all opinions on the board and challenge me in the process? Why and how? Anyone can post opinions, right? But I guess you and a few others need to come on and challenge what I say at this point for your own reasons, maybe it's best I don't get into that too much publicly because I'd be playing into whatever this whole "we must defend opinions" thing has turned into.

The sad part is how transparent it can be without some knowing it's that transparent.

And again, I'm getting called out for saying things others insist I said in order to launch into a dissertation about the "tone" or "mood" of the board. The tone or mood of the board has been f***ed up since Fall 2012, for what it's worth, and there are specific reasons why that is, but maybe that's just me again deliberately trying to generate a "sheesh" response from those who know best.

[Justin]

As I’ve said before, I’ll grant that it’s maybe slightly more measured and reserved than some other shows, but they were performing MANY songs for the first time ever. All the new album stuff had never been done live. They were doing “Pacific Coast Highway” for the first time, as well as “Hold on Dear Brother.” A few others in the setlist had not been done often (“Wild Honey’). They were integrating several guest stars.

I feel that is a bit part of the issue plus I would argue that the staging of the band may have also played a role...the stage appears much larger than the one in the Smile DVD and it looked like the band members were more spread out at this gig which can throw performers off especially if they're used to playing with each other in much closer settings.  They're professionals and can play in any setting obviously but I think couple that with the fact that 1) they haven't really played together all that much during that period, 2) they were focused on delivering the new songs as best they could and 3) that they were being filmed for a TV show may have all had an impact on the overall performance.  Nevertheless, there are many nice moments throughout the show and Probyn really comes through nicely on this one.  His solo during "Marcella" was great.  Anyway, I'm sure I'll warm up to it more with additional viewings.

[drbeachboy]

Are some of you people serious!?  This show is done elegantly, as is appropriate to PBS.  But then, I'm a little more interested in the music than a Barbara Ann rah-rah routine.  Christ, and people call me a cheerleader.

Agreed.

The one notion that keeps me from thinking the whole thing is a lost cause is that some of them are not serious with some of these comments, and it's more of a bandwagon thing. It's a shame some of the legitimate, thoughtful commentary and genuine reactions/opinions get swept up in the seemingly joyful exercise among some of trying to zero in on some aspect of these projects and repeatedly say how bad this or that element is. That's a general and not specific comment.  I'm surprised no one has tried to suggest they didn't like it because they heard autotune on some vocals.

If liking and supporting Brian Wilson's new music and projects gets that reaction in return, I'm thinking of getting some T-shirts made up for the upcoming tour, and one of them will say "Cheerleader" in bold letters, and I'll wear it with pride. That will perhaps be the nicest wording on any of the shirts. 

I disagree with those who find this show sub-par, and as I’ve mentioned, such a conclusion doesn’t make sense to me when the show is compared to any other particular Brian show or tour.

But, I don’t think the few posters here who have said they don’t like the show have been inflammatory or objectionable in any way. They’re simply saying they watched the show and it was kind of “meh” to them. No big deal. We shouldn’t minimize or deride people who say this. I didn’t see any agenda or lack of thoughtfulness in these posts. Just opinions that I don’t agree with. They’re not trolling, and they don’t strike me as ardently anti-Brian or anything.

The tone of this board seems to be skewing more and more towards discouraging anything remotely negative about Brian, and I’m not sure why that is. Again, this is coming from me, someone who LOVES this new PBS show, who STARTED the thread about its DVD release, and who nearly stalked his mailman waiting for the thing to arrive.

I think the show’s awesome. Someone else doesn’t. I offer a little back-and-forth about how I disagree, try to offer some reasons and comparisons. But I don’t think the people I disagree with have an agenda or are trying to be negative about everything in this case. Sheesh.

I'm actually tired of seeing these attempts to take what I said specifically, recast it or misrepresent it, and use that to turn into a screed about how you think the board is trending or how you think it should be run or whatever else is the case.

In this case I said crystal clear how my comment was a general and not specific one, and how it's a shame the genuine reactions and opinions are getting swept up in the other stuff that is going on. And it is. But if I have an issue or a challenge for anyone specific on a comment, I'll quote that comment. In this case I agreed with Debbie's post, said as much, and did not address anyone directly or their posts and comments here. It was a *GENERAL* comment about things here in general.

And I am surprised no one has mentioned autotune in this case since there was someone who had posted elsewhere that this Soundstage project would be an "Autotuned disaster" or similar words when the details of the taping were released. Like clockwork.

And HeyJude, you took my post personally somehow enough to again be the defender of all opinions on the board and challenge me in the process? Why and how? Anyone can post opinions, right? But I guess you and a few others need to come on and challenge what I say at this point for your own reasons, maybe it's best I don't get into that too much publicly because I'd be playing into whatever this whole "we must defend opinions" thing has turned into.

The sad part is how transparent it can be without some knowing it's that transparent.

And again, I'm getting called out for saying things others insist I said in order to launch into a dissertation about the "tone" or "mood" of the board. The tone or mood of the board has been f***ed up since Fall 2012, for what it's worth, and there are specific reasons why that is, but maybe that's just me again deliberately trying to generate a "sheesh" response from those who know best.

I don't think he was calling you out on anything. I took your post the same way he did and I think a few others did, as well. We only know what we read. That's the problem with reading the written word. We only know what you write and we're left to our own devices in interpreting it.