Mike and Bruce Tour 2015

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Why are you offering a challenge, Swedish Frog? This isn't a duel at dawn. 

Brian had a story, apart from the band, that needed to be told.  It is one of survival and determination.  I hope I can see the film soon.

Who is calling this out as a joke? I don't hear anyone doing this. There is no fight here. 

Do you have a favorite football team or a favorite basketball team? Teams have fans. When the team performs well their fans are happy and satisfied. When the team underperforms the fans get upset and dissatisfied. It is very natural and happens all the time. The Beach Boys is a team, these days with a lineup that differs a lot from the original lineup. This may upset some of the fans - not all - but when this new lineup is far worse than the original lineup and on top of that underperforms some of the fans will find that unacceptable.

Just like the fans of a football team would.

Swedish Frog - what you might not grasp is that many of those 50 year plus fans do not "divide the team" in Solomon-like fashion.  We still see the members and take them "as a whole" regardless of their respective function, right now.  We listen to MIC, for example and don't think of Brian's band or the Touring Band.  Most of us never even saw Brian because he didn't tour for decades, so we took it "on faith" that he was still creating, even if we didn't see him perform, live.  It was twenty years that I waited to see a "cameo" of Brian with Landy in the wings.

And if the Touring Band "underperformed" as you allege, they' would not be booking shows a year out.  They would be out of business.  A lot of people run their mouths and rely on YouTube to judge that the Touring Band is no good.  And yet, won't even give them a chance to see them perform.

Brian and Bruce are a week apart in terms of age.  They both have 70 year old vocal cords.  But, they get up in front of big audiences and do their best.  Neither of them has to sound twenty, and I'd just as soon they not sound contrived.  They've lived their lives, just like everyone else their ages and owe us nothing.  Why do they perform? People love to hear the music live.  I've heard Brian do the lead on YSGTM and his voice was a little "tired," too.  But it was awesome because Brian was a Beach Boy singing a Beach Boy song!

Someone in their fifties or sixties or even seventies gets to let that music wash over them and they get to be in their teens again, at the prom (that high school cotillion) or even that football game.  And appreciate that we had some the greatest music of all time, thanks to the composition AND the lyrics.

But a double standard is so inequitable.  And, in my opinion so unbecoming for any of their fans. And David Marks is on the record saying as much.

I am completely in agreement

[drbeachboy]

YSGTM was clearly not handled well. If that opinion is disparagement I am proudly guilty of disparagement.

And one more thing. When Bruce's voice sounds like this he should not sing at all. It is embarrassing and it ruins the Beach Boys legacy. The touring band makes the Beach Boys look like a joke when they let a guy with no voice "sing" in concert.

Don't mean maybe, oh yeah.

Brian's voice isn't always great, either. They are all in their seventies for crises-sakes. Al is the exception, thankfully.

[CenturyDeprived]

YSGTM was clearly not handled well. If that opinion is disparagement I am proudly guilty of disparagement.

And one more thing. When Bruce's voice sounds like this he should not sing at all. It is embarrassing and it ruins the Beach Boys legacy. The touring band makes the Beach Boys look like a joke when they let a guy with no voice "sing" in concert.

Don't mean maybe, oh yeah.

Brian's voice isn't always great, either. They are all in their seventies for crises-sakes. Al is the exception, thankfully.

Yes. And the ironic fact that despite his top-form voice, Al's nevertheless been so underused, and quite literally pushed out of his own band for over a decade, is either at the very least a big waste (or at the very most, essentially a travesty). Mike getting his way is far more important. If one cares about the music, how can one think that *isn't* incredibly sh*tty of Mike? It baffles me.

[The Cincinnati Kid]

YSGTM was clearly not handled well. If that opinion is disparagement I am proudly guilty of disparagement.

And one more thing. When Bruce's voice sounds like this he should not sing at all. It is embarrassing and it ruins the Beach Boys legacy. The touring band makes the Beach Boys look like a joke when they let a guy with no voice "sing" in concert.

Don't mean maybe, oh yeah.

Brian's voice isn't always great, either. They are all in their seventies for crises-sakes. Al is the exception, thankfully.

Yes. And the ironic fact that despite his top-form voice, Al's nevertheless been so underused, and quite literally pushed out of his own band for over a decade, is either at the very least a big waste (or at the very most, essentially a travesty). Mike getting his way is far more important. If one cares about the music, how can one think that *isn't* incredibly sh*tty of Mike? It baffles me.

Aside from a few rare appearances, why didn't Brian use Al until 2013?

[Nicko1234]

Playing all these small venues IS underperforming. Look at the Rolling Stones for example, a band that emerged at the same time as the Beach Boys. Look at their tours, look at the number of people attending their shows. The Rolling Stones aim a lot higher than the Beach Boys. They are not underperforming.

When did The Rolling Stones have albums that sank without trace like Friends, Sunflower or MIU? (Not to mention Summer in Paradise)

Obviously The Beach Boys could have toured less over the years but they still wouldn`t compare with The Rolling Stones (or The Beatles who some people ridiculously mention) in terms of popularity.

[Autotune]

The touring band makes the Beach Boys look like a joke when they let a guy with no voice "sing" in concert.

Don't mean maybe, oh yeah.

http://youtu.be/2TRnAdSJoA4


I know, I know. I forgive him too.

You don't have to. People don't see Brian as a joke. I don't think you can find 50 people who think Brian is a joke. Up for the challenge?

Brian is consolidating his reputation: a great album is coming up (with no autotune, how about that), a critically acclaimed biopic has been hailed in North America and Europe, his Venetian show with an ace ensemble makes people drop their jaws and he just announced a 2015 tour that we all (?) look forward to. Would a joke be able to pull all of these things off?

Brian is on the rise. You better get used to it.

Instead of using a BW video as a red herring, do you think Bruce's YSGTM performance makes the Beach Boys look good or bad?

A crappy performance is a crappy performance, no matter who the singer is. You choose to forgive Brian for it, like I do. We know who he is and thus can take a crap-vocal with a smile on our faces. It's as simple as that. It transcends quality. We choose to forgive Brian while we choose (not me, but some people) to give hell to other people for their shortcomings. In the end, it's all about vaildating our prejudices. There's not much love and mercy from the Brian Bunch left for Mike and his band.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

There's not much love and mercy from the Brian Bunch left for Mike and his band.

Careful not to overgeneralize. SOME of us give Mike his fair due. I personally happen to quite like his band, as well.

[RubberSoul13]

To augment my previous comment...that performance of "You're So Good To Me" sounds AWFUL. It's also not something they play often, but that's no excuse. It should not be a Bruce Johnston lead vocal. That should be a John Cowsill song and it would be knocked out of the park.

Similarly, that clip of "God Only Knows" was a horrible vocal as well. I don't know that I've ever seen or heard a clip of Brian singing a quality performance of "God Only Knows" on a solo tour. I've only seen him solo once (the Jeff Beck tour) and that was undoubtedly his worst vocal performance of the night.

[CenturyDeprived]

YSGTM was clearly not handled well. If that opinion is disparagement I am proudly guilty of disparagement.

And one more thing. When Bruce's voice sounds like this he should not sing at all. It is embarrassing and it ruins the Beach Boys legacy. The touring band makes the Beach Boys look like a joke when they let a guy with no voice "sing" in concert.

Don't mean maybe, oh yeah.

Brian's voice isn't always great, either. They are all in their seventies for crises-sakes. Al is the exception, thankfully.

Yes. And the ironic fact that despite his top-form voice, Al's nevertheless been so underused, and quite literally pushed out of his own band for over a decade, is either at the very least a big waste (or at the very most, essentially a travesty). Mike getting his way is far more important. If one cares about the music, how can one think that *isn't* incredibly sh*tty of Mike? It baffles me.

Aside from a few rare appearances, why didn't Brian use Al until 2013?

This is a fair point to be raised. But the fact is that Brian is and has been billed all along as a solo artist.

One could make the case that Brian was trying to write and promote solo material from 1999-present, despite his admittedly BB hits-heavy sets. Al was actively kicked out of a band that he not only wanted to be in, but had every right to be in, for the simple reason that Mike fenagled a way to do it, so as to have his way.

[tpesky]

Don't think Bruce is the right choice to handle YSGTM.  Not saying Brian always nails GOK ( he does not), but having him sing that has some emotionality to it because he wrote it and arguable one of his top 3. The song has a deep meaning.
Best of my knowledge Bruce has no such connection to YSGTM other than singing harmonies on it. He never sang the lead at all and is not a good a choice in 2015.  Looks like an attempt to get him a lead since they turned his other 2 over to videos. Not the best comparison.

[Rocky Raccoon]

The touring band makes the Beach Boys look like a joke when they let a guy with no voice "sing" in concert.

Don't mean maybe, oh yeah.

http://youtu.be/2TRnAdSJoA4


I know, I know. I forgive him too.

Aside from one bad note towards the end, I thought that was a very good rendition of God Only Knows.

[The LEGENDARY OSD]

YSGTM was clearly not handled well. If that opinion is disparagement I am proudly guilty of disparagement.

And one more thing. When Bruce's voice sounds like this he should not sing at all. It is embarrassing and it ruins the Beach Boys legacy. The touring band makes the Beach Boys look like a joke when they let a guy with no voice "sing" in concert.

Don't mean maybe, oh yeah.

Brian's voice isn't always great, either. They are all in their seventies for crises-sakes. Al is the exception, thankfully.

Yes. And the ironic fact that despite his top-form voice, Al's nevertheless been so underused, and quite literally pushed out of his own band for over a decade, is either at the very least a big waste (or at the very most, essentially a travesty). Mike getting his way is far more important. If one cares about the music, how can one think that *isn't* incredibly sh*tty of Mike? It baffles me.

Aside from a few rare appearances, why didn't Brian use Al until 2013?

This is a fait point to be raised. But the fact is that Brian is and has been billed all along as a solo artist.

One could make the case that Brian was trying to write and promote solo material from 1999-present, despite his admittedly BB hits-heavy sets. Al was actively kicked out of a band that he not only wanted to be in, but had every right to be in, for the simple reason that Mike fenagled a way to do it, so as to have his way.

And in having his own way, the greedster not only cut payroll, he cut loose the best vocalist he had thus another myKe luhv adventure in watering down the legacy but eliminating the only other "Beach Boy" in his wacko combo.

[Mendota Heights]

There's not much love and mercy from the Brian Bunch left for Mike and his band.

I am in the Beach Boys bunch, I am a Beach Boys fan. Did you read my post where I compared the Beach Boys to a football team?

[stack-o-tracks]

There's not much love and mercy from the Brian Bunch left for Mike and his band.

I am in the Beach Boys bunch, I am a Beach Boys fan. Did you read my post where I compared the Beach Boys to a football team?

It doesn't matter. If we're gonna, let's be all simile metaphorical.


The Beach Boys are the football team that made it to the Super Bowl most of the years 1962 through 1966, and won the big game at least 4 of the 6 of those years.


The rest of the years they were mediocre but showed flashes of brilliance, 1967 through 2011.


Then a lot of the years they seemed good enough to make and win the Super Bowl, but weren't because the great blocker (Cowsill) and kicker (Totten) weren't enough to cause the "team" to be greater than the sum of its parts and allow unfortunate quarterback (Mike Love)  to allow the greatness exist that the team is known for.










The f*** am I even talking about?

Oh right, that "You're So Good To Me" cover sung by Bruce Johnston is entirely no worse than the "William Hung" or "Sanjaya" (use Google to see how entirely terrible those people are) versions of those songs.








AND SO in conclusion, as long as somebody who ISNT Mike Love or Bruce Johnston are allowed to make a living off songs Brian Wilson wrote 50 or so years ago, I should quit my complaining.,

It could be so much worse..... But hardly. This present we live in where the "Beach Boys" already act like fuckin' Brian Douglas Wilson isn't entirely responsible for the success they're experiencing. And yeah.


Yeawn. Boring. Without the Beach Boys, Brian Wilson, Bruce Johnston, Scott Totten and John Cowsill would all be working at the same service (gas/petrol) station that my dad works at in Hawthorne.

[Mike's Beard]

I thought Bruce did an OK lead on You're So Good to Me. People seem to be confusing a weak performance with a really shitty sound quality recording.

[stack-o-tracks]

I thought Bruce did an OK lead on You're So Good to Me. People seem to be confusing a weak performance with a really shitty sound quality recording.

I hear the opposite....


A really shitty performance, coupled with a weak quality recording, that makes these fakers sound word than they wish they were..


Let's just face the music.... These 7 people or whatever  can't use their shitty keyboards to synthesize the timeless music Brian Wilson created back in the 1960s with REAL, ACTUAL instruments.

[Cam Mott]

I hope none of us has our whole career judged by a YouTube video.

[Mendota Heights]

I hope none of us has our whole career judged by a YouTube video.

Stop strawmanning. This discussion did not start with this particular Youtube video. The touring band has been on the decline for many years now. It affects the public's view on real Beach Boys.

[Cam Mott]

I hope none of us has our whole career judged by a YouTube video.

Stop strawmanning. This discussion did not start with this particular Youtube video. The touring band has been on the decline for many years now. It affects the public's view on real Beach Boys.

After you. Some of us just don't agree with your evidence or opinion.

[Nicko1234]

I hope none of us has our whole career judged by a YouTube video.

Stop strawmanning. This discussion did not start with this particular Youtube video. The touring band has been on the decline for many years now. It affects the public's view on real Beach Boys.

Really? It seems to me that the general consensus is that Mike and Bruce`s touring has got better and better over the years. Adrian Baker leaving was a big plus, John Cowsill taking over the drumming was another massive improvement and Jeff Foskett seems more popular than Christian Love was.

[Lee Marshall]

Regardless...Michael and Bruce are REAL Beach Boys.  Mike...from day 1.  Bruce for 50 years.  They do what they do based on the decisions made by BRI do they not?  That would involve another real Beach Boy and the family of still another [late] REAL Beach Boy...right?

These guys are gettin' very, VERY old.  The [singing] voice may well be one of the "last things to 'go' " but it does GO.  [Unless you're unusual like...say...Tony Bennett.]  The whole 'shot' at hearing any REAL Beach Boys sing or see them perform LIVE on stage is running out.  It's just a matter of 'time' now in terms of deciding when that actually final day will be.

Al may well end up being the last REAL Beach Boy standing...with family and friends...if he so chooses.  [even his clock is ticking]

I'd imagine that Mike and Bruce will continue to deliver the goods as long as there's a big enough CROWD of people willing to pay decent dollars to hear those fabulous songs performed live and as long as there's a big enough CROWD of us 'old white hairs' who want to remember OUR 'glory days'.  [Pretty sure that BRI agrees] 

With the exception of Al [maybe with David?]  I don't see this continuing much past 2017.  [if then]

[Autotune]

I thought Bruce did an OK lead on You're So Good to Me. People seem to be confusing a weak performance with a really shitty sound quality recording.

I hear the opposite....


A really shitty performance, coupled with a weak quality recording, that makes these fakers sound word than they wish they were..


Let's just face the music.... These 7 people or whatever  can't use their shitty keyboards to synthesize the timeless music Brian Wilson created back in the 1960s with REAL, ACTUAL instruments.

That's extremelly harsh, my friend. Even by your standards.

As previously pointed, the touring BBs has become better over the years, with Totten becoming music director. I guess to some people it won't matter how they do, because they can do no good anyway. Unlike one BDW, whose occasional shitty deliveries are applauded and lauded for their uniqueness and originality. It sounds schematic, but it is so: ML can do no right, period. BW can do no wrong.

[filledeplage]

Regardless...Michael and Bruce are REAL Beach Boys.  Mike...from day 1.  Bruce for 50 years.  They do what they do based on the decisions made by BRI do they not?  That would involve another real Beach Boy and the family of still another [late] REAL Beach Boy...right?

These guys are gettin' very, VERY old.  The [singing] voice may well be one of the "last things to 'go' " but it does GO.  [Unless you're unusual like...say...Tony Bennett.]  The whole 'shot' at hearing any REAL Beach Boys sing or see them perform LIVE on stage is running out.  It's just a matter of 'time' now in terms of deciding when that actually final day will be.

Al may well end up being the last REAL Beach Boy standing...with family and friends...if he so chooses.  [even his clock is ticking]

I'd imagine that Mike and Bruce will continue to deliver the goods as long as there's a big enough CROWD of people willing to pay decent dollars to hear those fabulous songs performed live and as long as there's a big enough CROWD of us 'old white hairs' who want to remember OUR 'glory days'.  [Pretty sure that BRI agrees] 

With the exception of Al [maybe with David?]  I don't see this continuing much past 2017.  [if then]

Great post, Add Some.  And the crowds don't seem to be falling off...

Rock and roll keeps them young!  

[Lowbacca]

So... Mike & Bruce are a community band now?

[filledeplage]

So... Mike & Bruce are a community band now?

Maybe starting with the college and university communities in the late 60's and early 70's...those former students now sit on the boards of directors of many community theaters, the same ones that Brian plays. 

The "hippies" now inhabit the boardroom!