The Official BB You Tube Thread

[Aegir]

I bet not a lot of people here have heard this.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8g4Q5L6x04

Or this....

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=e1tl4BkvVnA&feature=related

Both of those songs are on the Doo Wop Box, which I'm sure at least a handful of people here own.

If not, buy/steal it, there's some great stuff on there. And get Back to Mono, the Phil Spector box, too.

[Jay]

Wasn't With Me Tonight also an old R&B song?

[Wrightfan]

Wasn't With Me Tonight also an old R&B song?

I think Brian wrote that.

[Wrightfan]

Some awesome SMiLE fanmixes here.
http://www.youtube.com/user/runnersdialzero33

Check out how he did "I'm in Great Shape" and "Surf's Up" especially.

[TdHabib]

This was posted a long while back, but I thought I'd bring it to attention:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=suQ2cDxsxFE&feature=related

Beach Boys on Solid Gold lip-syncing to "The BB Medley" and "R+R to the Resque." Ummmmm, this does not serve the single well at all, but I'm convinced they filmed at least two takes of this; during some shots of it Brian's decidely out of sorts (playing no keyboard, standing stiff as a board) and in others he's a little bit more with it, and it doesn't match at all. What do you think? In any even, Brian looks very physically fit but scared to death.

[runnersdialzero]

Some awesome SMiLE fanmixes here.
http://www.youtube.com/user/runnersdialzero33

Check out how he did "I'm in Great Shape" and "Surf's Up" especially.

Thank you I'm glad you liked them.

[Jay]

Oh, what could have been.....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNaByvxO-Fg

[Jay]

Ummmmm....I don't know what to say to this. I'm speechless.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Mua8lBsDo4&feature=related

[Rocker]

Ummmmm....I don't know what to say to this. I'm speechless.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Mua8lBsDo4&feature=related

What about : "Fucking great !" ? 

[phirnis]

Probably the best cover version of GOK I've ever heard.

[variable2]

this is very hard to watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYiuUhPckWs

  - brian

[the captain]

Not a good day for Brian, obviously (love when he checks his watch in GOK), but it's nowhere near his worst performance, sad to say.

[Sheriff John Stone]

I don't ever want to see that again.

[runnersdialzero]

this is very hard to watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYiuUhPckWs

  - brian

Meh - everyone has bad days, thus resulting in bad performances.

I can't say I've ever heard a performance by Brian that I cringed endlessly at. This certainly isn't his best hour at all, but like I said...

[Shady]

Gosh Darn it, when will Brian's people realise that Brian does NOT want to be doing stuff like that.

Makes me sick

[Shady]

haha, I did not write gosh darn it by the way, just came up like that.

[Jay]

I hate to say this, but maybe there is a point where Brian's people should just let him retire from performing? The man obviously doesn't want to anymore.

[MBE]

Let's get one thing clear Brian never wanted to tour. Never. That he did good shows in the sixties and early seventies was down to his sheer talent at the time. The last ten years I think he far more professional then 76-98 but he still doesn't seem to love it. He should have done about half of what he has, because that's about the same percentage he seems into the show. If it weren't for his great band this film is what it would look like.

[Mahalo]

Brian Wilson has become a novelty to many... but I don't think he is a novelty to us here, though....perhaps.

[Jay]

Let's get one thing clear Brian never wanted to tour. Never. That he did good shows in the sixties and early seventies was down to his sheer talent at the time.

I would have to respectfully disagree with you. Watch the group on the older tv shows like Ed Sullivan, or Shindig, or even the lost concert. Brian is dancing around and interacting with the group almost as much as Mike and Dennis. Now he just sits there, looking at his watch. Hell, in that clip there were points where Brian didn't even sing at all. Watch the performance of California Girls on that clip. Near the end of the song, he lets the rest of the group do most of the work.

[MBE]

Let's get one thing clear Brian never wanted to tour. Never. That he did good shows in the sixties and early seventies was down to his sheer talent at the time.

I would have to respectfully disagree with you. Watch the group on the older TV shows like Ed Sullivan, or Shindig, or even the lost concert. Brian is dancing around and interacting with the group almost as much as Mike and Dennis. Now he just sits there, looking at his watch. Hell, in that clip there were points where Brian didn't even sing at all. Watch the performance of California Girls on that clip. Near the end of the song, he lets the rest of the group do most of the work.

I am not saying he wasn't good then he was great, nor am I saying he didn't like the shows themselves. What I am saying is that he disliked the traveling, the tight schedules, the lack of downtime, and the pain in his ear. Even in 1963 he wanted to be at home writing and recording, again that doesn't mean the threw away the shows. Not until 1976 did you see an uninvolved Brian on stage, and even then he did have nights where he was trying. The vocals may have been mostly poor from 76-83 but he could still really get into it. The same goes for now, and if his live singing has been mainly good since 99, he only tries about half the time.

[the captain]

Any explanation of what Brian wanted, didn't want, enjoyed, didn't enjoy and all of those in present tense is oversimplifying things. All of the above are pretty clearly true, both based on watching him, listening to what he has said and listening to what others around him have said. It isn't one or the other. I can relate wholly to what I imagine Brian's feelings to be.

(Before you say anything, I am NOT a) comparing myself to Brian Fucking Wilson, b) pretending to know the whole story, c) saying this is exactly analogous to him ... just saying I can IMAGINE...) I've done it on and off since I was a teenager. Typically, I get excited about the idea. Then in the few days before-hand, I lose interest. Then in the hours beforehand I really don't want to do it anymore: not the lugging sh*t around, the being to x by y o'clock, the hurry-wait-hurry-wait B.S. that goes into it, etc. While performing, I enjoy it. After the shows I am anxious, hate it again and just want to leave without anyone talking to me.

This is just me, a guy with a history of depression in the family but entirely undiagnosed, unmedicated and fully functional in all aspects of life: just moody. And it's a complicated thing for me (with a lot of mixed feelings) to play live. Now imagining someone with really serious mental illness and a history of drug abuse and brain damage from the combination of those things ... I'd bet you anything I own that it's not as simple as 'he loves it, he loves it not.' I have no doubt that he wanted, and wants, to tour. I have no doubt that he didn't want, and doesn't want, to tour.

[MBE]

Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to say I know what Brian's ever thought. I just think we are an observent lot and most of us can tell how much Brian is putting into any given performance. Why it varies who knows, but it is a fact that he did not want to tour back when he was a Beach Boy. I can't just suspend reality enough to believe that a man at 56 years old all of a sudden loved it more then anything. Brian's camp says otherwise but it doesn't sound right.

[the captain]

I didn't mean to single you out by any means; just trying to say it may be a lot more complicated.

But I agree with your main point whole-heartedly: left alone, he wouldn't tour. Not to say he doesn't get some enjoyment out of it, but I don't believe it is something he's driven to do.

[Rocky]

this seems to have been a very rough tour/promo tour for him especially. It's broken my heart to watch him over the past few months.