Brian Wilson Taping Soundstage Special With Special Guests

[Cyncie]

No, not when the disks of his back have deteriorated with age.

So you know the specifics of Brian's back problems?

I seem to recall reading that it's a congenital defect, which Carl shared.

Or, in Brian's own words…

Hi all,

I’ve been reading the posts where some of you are concerned about my health in general.

I want to let you know that before the Beach Boys 50th tour started I was having some lower back issues right around the time we performed on the Grammys in February. This is the same type of problem that Carl used to suffer from, it's hereditary. But being able to tour with the Boys again meant so much to me that I wouldn't have missed it for the world. Luckily, I was able to get this new cutting edge procedure that totally worked. But after this last run in Australia it came back and I had the procedure redone this week.

I feel so much better already and can't wait to get back to my second home, London!!

See you soon

Love & Mercy

Brian Wilson

[halblaineisgood]

.

[Micha]

The good news is that it IS POSSIBLE to love Brian AND the Beach Boys.

That's good, but not news; and I'm always baffled when certain posters on this board pour all their life's anger over either Brian or one of the other BBoys - and over the people who don't hate them.

That's why older people with his type of condition are better served with supportive, height-appropriate chairs with arms they can use to help pull themselves up. It's not so much comfort, even, as safety.

Maybe so, but wouldn't the chair arms be in the way when playing the piano? I know I can't play the guitar sitting in a chair with arms.

[filledeplage]

The good news is that it IS POSSIBLE to love Brian AND the Beach Boys.

That's good, but not news; and I'm always baffled when certain posters on this board pour all their life's anger over either Brian or one of the other BBoys - and over the people who don't hate them.

That's why older people with his type of condition are better served with supportive, height-appropriate chairs with arms they can use to help pull themselves up. It's not so much comfort, even, as safety.

Maybe so, but wouldn't the chair arms be in the way when playing the piano? I know I can't play the guitar sitting in a chair with arms.

That might not be too far off the mark.  I've had a bad back forever, and in school with the low tables for the kids, and the piano, I had one of those weird looking "back chairs" (like some of the computer chairs) never had a sore back, because it takes the pressure off the spine.  And, I was more at eye-level with the kids, and not a giant towering over them. They behave much better. That was in my 20's.  

And use only bar stool height chairs, as regular height chairs give me an immediate backache. The bar stool height usually has a rung to rest your feet on.  

Kitty Kat might be on to something.  And even with some armrests (or something similar) to get some leverage to get up.  And a ramp is a really smart idea.  Those platforms are just an accident waiting to happen, on a dark stage.

Nothing worse than a bad back that is genetic.  Bad back, brilliant brain.  No one gets it all. Even Brian...

[bgas]

That's why older people with his type of condition are better served with supportive, height-appropriate chairs with arms they can use to help pull themselves up. It's not so much comfort, even, as safety.

Maybe so, but wouldn't the chair arms be in the way when playing the piano? I know I can't play the guitar sitting in a chair with arms.

  Why even this discussion? Brian's not an invalid;  why presume he's being forced into a chair he doesn't like?
It seems obvious Brian can have whatever chair he desires and was happy. Had he not been,  I'm certain he would have traded out after the first bit of rehearsal, not waited four days
As far as the raised platform /required steps, again, that's Brian's choice! Evidently he likes being closer to eye level with Darian/Al/Blondie/the other vocalists than having to look up at them; it's BRIAN's SHOW.

[filledeplage]

That's why older people with his type of condition are better served with supportive, height-appropriate chairs with arms they can use to help pull themselves up. It's not so much comfort, even, as safety.

Maybe so, but wouldn't the chair arms be in the way when playing the piano? I know I can't play the guitar sitting in a chair with arms.

  Why even this discussion? Brian's not an invalid;  why presume he's being forced into a chair he doesn't like?
It seems obvious Brian can have whatever chair he desires and was happy. Had he not been,  I'm certain he would have traded out after the first bit of rehearsal, not waited four days
As far as the raised platform /required steps, again, that's Brian's choice! Evidently he likes being closer to eye level with Darian/Al/Blondie/the other vocalists than having to look up at them; it's BRIAN's SHOW.

bgas - I thought so, too, I first saw it, here. But sometimes people come up with a solution that wasn't thought of by some very expensive doc.  Just practical stuff that might help. Poor guy has had a bad time of it. 

Platforms?  I don't know.  Maybe some 20-something stage set designer thought it was a good idea.  I don't know. It might be pretty, but not so safe.  I watched some guys have to help him on and off the stage during C50.  Nearly any mom (or dad) who has lugged a toddler around knows a bad back. 

[bgas]

Hmmm....   
He has back problems, yet wants to play his shows. what to do, what to do... 
He wants to be eye level with his guys...   what to do? 

 Brian AND Melinda aren't going to allow Brian to be forced into situations where he's not comfortable, it's that simple.

But nice to know there are those here that are smarter than that

[filledeplage]

Hmmm....  
He has back problems, yet wants to play his shows. what to do, what to do...  
He wants to be eye level with his guys...   what to do?  

 Brian AND Melinda aren't going to allow Brian to be forced into situations where he's not comfortable, it's that simple.

But nice to know there are those here that are smarter than that

No one is trying to be smarter than anyone else. Despite the very caring attention Brian got, he still suffered with a bad back, notwithstanding his great desire and will to play these shows.  No one ever knows where an idea will come along that will help solve a problem or make it less of a problem.  

Lots of people just "putting their heads together" often  come up with solutions.  

They saw him go though surgery and still the problem returned. People just care about Brian. They can't help it.  His music helped them.  And they want to maybe be of help to Brian.  

[KittyKat]

I'm not sure why Brian would want to have to depend on someone else to get him out of a chair rather than being able to do it himself. The video of "Fun, Fun, Fun" showed him needing some assistance, actually quite a bit if assistance, in order to get out of his chair and gingerly walk down a single step. A few modifications would make it easier for him to do it by himself, and to do it safely. That's all.  Nothing more than that. It's his choice.

The riser wasn't part of the stage show until the C50 tour, probably to make his presence stand out on a stage with multiple keyboard players. Before then, he was in a keyboard downstage, on the floor, facing the audience instead of the band.

[Micha]

Why even this discussion?

Just to annoy you personally.

why presume he's being forced into a chair he doesn't like?

Rhetorical question: Who does presume that?

[SMiLE Brian]

Brian's back (is fine).

[bgas]

why presume he's being forced into a chair he doesn't like?

Rhetorical question: Who does presume that?

Huh, sorry; I thought you were literate

[Micha]

why presume he's being forced into a chair he doesn't like?

Rhetorical question: Who does presume that?

Huh, sorry; I thought you were literate

As I'm illiterate, you need to point me out the quote where someone presumes Brian is forced by someone into an uncomfy chair.

[bgas]

why presume he's being forced into a chair he doesn't like?

Rhetorical question: Who does presume that?

Huh, sorry; I thought you were literate

As I'm illiterate, you need to point me out the quote where someone presumes Brian is forced by someone into an uncomfy chair.

I read the thread, I saw it

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Page 17.

[Micha]

This is so unimportant a topic - but I still can't find anybody insinuating Brian does not get the chair he wants because of the ill will of others, just that there might be better suited chairs for him in general.

[Bedroom Tapes]

And this is what the thread has devolved in to:
http://youtu.be/XnS49c9KZw8?t=1m30s

[Shady]

Page 17.

About 2 and a half of them are worth reading

[Ron]

Hulk Hogan has a really screwed up back from all his years fake wrestling.  He had a 'cutting edge' procedure done four or five years ago that made it feel great for a few weeks, but it always came back.  Eventually other doctors clued him in that he was getting a treatment where they go in and clean up some bone spurs, and cauterize the nerves in the area.  After a couple weeks when the nerves grow back it's as bad as it was, plus your spine is now weaker with less bone in it.  He had full-out fusion surgery two years later, after doing the minimally invasive procedure a dozen times over two years.

So here's hoping that's not the same type of procedure Brian's had done, there's lots of lawsuits flying around about it, Hulk's is just the most famous. 

[The Cincinnati Kid]

This is going to air April 9th, per the ESQ facebook page.

[elnombre]

Excellent news. I wonder if there'll be any international airings? BBC4 in the UK would seem like a good fit.

[RangeRoverA1]

Somebody should post it on Youtube, for a short time, so anyone can save it to their computers. But before, announce the time limit, just so we know & don't miss it. alright?Then wrap it.

[Gregg]

Somebody should post it on Youtube, for a short time, so anyone can save it to their computers. But before, announce the time limit, just so we know & don't miss it. alright?Then wrap it.

Great idea! After all, all music should be free, right?   

[bgas]

Somebody should post it on Youtube, for a short time, so anyone can save it to their computers. But before, announce the time limit, just so we know & don't miss it. alright?Then wrap it.

I'll have it up for one minute the day after it airs here

[HeyJude]

For those searching your local listings, keep in mind that different PBS stations air these types of things on different dates at different times. An “air date” usually gives a good frame of reference for the week or weekend that it will air in most markets. But some stations will sometimes take several extra weeks to air something like this (or will re-air it again within a few weeks). Folks following the “Doin’ It Again” PBS airing from back in 2012 will probably remember that different areas/stations got different air dates in some cases.

My recollection is that my local stations usually premiere episodes of things like “Soundstage” and “Austin City Limits” on weekends, so I’m not sure April 9th (a Thursday) will be the date here.