First Pics of Beach Boys Capitol Get Together

[Cam Mott]

This is good news because it confirms what I've believed for sometime: these guys love each other and we are the only ones who don't understand and have our undies in a bunch.  If nothing else happens, I hope they continue to get together even if just for a "pop".

[NHC]

Brian:  Is this where the hatchet goes then, Mike?

Mike:  Cut the nonsense, Bri, and just scratch my back.  I already told you my lawyer isn't here.

[XY]

[andy]

Great pics and stories. Was anyone else from here at the event? I'd love to hear more accounts.

[Rocker]

Great pics and stories. Was anyone else from here at the event? I'd love to hear more accounts.

I bet Jon Stebbins has some more cool things to say. Gotta wait....

[Don't Back Down]

Bruce: 'I write the songs'
Brian: No, I write the songs

[Rocker]

Who's that hot chick over there? Number 8 ?

[JRauch]

Great pics, Jasper. But do you have them in a bigger size?

[Jon Stebbins]

Great pics and stories. Was anyone else from here at the event? I'd love to hear more accounts.

I bet Jon Stebbins has some more cool things to say. Gotta wait....

I'll have a link to all my photos from the event and some commentary up soon. The feeling that overwhelmed me was that I was seeing "The Beach Boys" yesterday...it was the first time it felt that way to me since about '79.

[Dan Lega]

This is good news because it confirms what I've believed for sometime: these guys love each other and we are the only ones who don't understand and have our undies in a bunch.  If nothing else happens, I hope they continue to get together even if just for a "pop".

I'm so glad you knew it all along -- even though you and us ("we", as you said above) are the only ones who don't understand their true feelings.(?)

However, I'm not really sure Brian understands why Mike is suing him over SMiLE.  And I'm not sure Al understands why Brian voted against him touring under the Beach Boys name which while making Al happy and generating income also happened to be giving purpose, pleasure, and income to Brian's daughters, Carnie and Wendy, too.

But I'm glad you're congratulating yourself on your brilliant insight even though you had your undies in a bunch because you thought they didn't get along and didn't love each other.

Love and merci,   Dan Lega


PS -- I'm really glad to see all of them hang out together, too.  I'd pay to see them in a reunion concert in such a thing happened.  I also think that if they are going to get together to do Pet Sounds in concert then they might as well do SMiLE in concert, too!

[Cam Mott]

I'm so glad you knew it all along -- even though you and us ("we", as you said above) are the only ones who don't understand their true feelings.(?)

However, I'm not really sure Brian understands why Mike is suing him over SMiLE.  And I'm not sure Al understands why Brian voted against him touring under the Beach Boys name which while making Al happy and generating income also happened to be giving purpose, pleasure, and income to Brian's daughters, Carnie and Wendy, too.

But I'm glad you're congratulating yourself on your brilliant insight even though you had your undies in a bunch because you thought they didn't get along and didn't love each other.

Love and merci,   Dan Lega

Uuuhhhhh.......O....K.....?........

"They" understand they love each other, "we" don't understand they love each other.  Suing, touring, income...what?

[Ron]

I got what you meant, Cam.  You've had the hunch for a while that they get along fine, but to the outside world it appears that they must hate each other with all the lawsuits, etc. going on.

[Jeff Mason]

Guys, it's a floor wax AND a dessert topping...

Seriously -- Cam is right to say that the lawsuits would make it hard to see that there was true love there.  Dan is right to say that blood is thicker than water and in most cases family ties will rise above pettiness.  Why is there another either/or here?  Do you really think that Brian hates Mike because of the suits?  Or vice versa?  There are hard feelings, but I think that there is room for love as well.  I have seen anger and bitterness, but never outright hatred there.  Closest I saw to hatred was Mike/Denny in 1978/9 or so, and even then I am not sure.

[HeyJude]

When they are together, in private and certainly in public, as I said in another thread, they rarely have many contentious moments. But I think it's a stretch to assume they all actually get along fine, as if the contention has just been misperception from fans. They may get along fine when they are face to face, but there are still issues between them that they usually air via lawsuits, or interviews, etc.

I don't mean they hate each other, but through the years and to this day there is still some strain. Not so much on a personal level. I think today they are all a bit like John Lennon and Paul McCartney were in John's last years. As long as they didn't talk about the bad times, or the Apple business mess, and just talked about raising kids, baking bread, etc., they got along fine.

But there is surely still some resentment, jealousy, hurt feelings in regards to previous lawsuits and the sordid history of the group, etc.  Some of the guys feel it more than others. Again, I'm not saying their warm meeting yesterday was "fake". We can wait and hear what Jon Stebbins and any others who were there say about what was discussed, but I would imagine the guys got along because they didn't dredge up old painful stuff.

I think this is as warm and conciliatory as they will likely ever get, and the fans are not in the wrong by being warmed a bit by seeing such a meeting. I don't pretend the meeting means a reunion, or even that they don't still have some major issues with each other. But it is warming to see them put that stuff aside and not only do an obligatory photo op, but actually get along on a basic level and maybe even elicit some of the old spark that got them together in the first place.

[Sheriff John Stone]

Excellent post, HeyJude. I share many of your feelings, and you expressed them well.

At least they didn't pose for the obligatory picture with the five of them holding a surfboard!

[shelter]

Wow, great to see and read all of this...

Now please someone get them in a studio or on a stage a.s.a.p.

[Cam Mott]

Some or all of these side issues may or may not be true, I'm not speaking to that; to me the reunion shows they love each other.

[Bicyclerider]

It may be that they love each other, but I don't see how this Capitol arranged reunion "shows" they love each other.  They were courteous and friendly, but I don't think any of us has the knowledge of what's going on in their heads and hearts to make the leap that this event either validates or proves anyone's feelings towards each other.  I would agree that it shows they don't hate each other to the point of being unable to interact with one another in a normal, cordial manner.

[HeyJude]

It may be that they love each other, but I don't see how this Capitol arranged reunion "shows" they love each other.  They were courteous and friendly, but I don't think any of us has the knowledge of what's going on in their heads and hearts to make the leap that this event either validates or proves anyone's feelings towards each other.  I would agree that it shows they don't hate each other to the point of being unable to interact with one another in a normal, cordial manner.

Bicyclerider, you've done a good job of summing up what I was trying to say. I would actually be so bold as to say that I have no problem assuming that these guys actually do love each other in some way. However, I agree that this reunion doesn't show this one way or the other. Certainly, the pics alone don't show this one way or the other. I've seen people who actually hate each other get along this well in public before. Again, I'm not saying they hate each other. I'm not saying the pics aren't warming. As I said, my own gut feeling is that they love each other. But this is based more on a basic assumption based on their history and family ties, not the reunion pics. I certainly don't take this reunion assemblage as some sort of "a ha!" moment which finally and conclusively proves their real feelings about each other.

[Aegir]

http://www.mikelovefanclub.com/reunionfamily.jpg

With the wives (except Mrs. Johnston)