19 years ago today

[Jay]

We lost Carl Wilson on this day in 1998. I can't believe it's been almost twenty years! It feels like it was only yesterday. It hurts just as much. I remember the cold, empty feeling, seeing Carl's picture with "In Memorium" below it every time VH1 would cut to a commercial. The world seemed a little colder that day.

[Hickory Violet Part IV]

Goodness me, I feel old.

[Emdeeh]

 

[Jay]

I can't help but to think how badly Carl is needed, given certain events of the past five years or so.

[SMiLE Brian]

Agreed Jay...

[Jay]

Although, I feel a bit guilty saying or thinking that. After all, Carl gave pretty much his whole life to the group. I really think he was the glue that kept everything together. He even performed when he was very sick, and desperately needed to rest. The guy earned his right to rest in peace, you know?

[JK]

Carl gave pretty much his whole life to the group. I really think he was the glue that kept everything together. He even performed when he was very sick, and desperately needed to rest. The guy earned his right to rest in peace, you know?

He certainly did. I have three birthdays to celebrate today. But I'm celebrating them elsewhere. It means I can mourn Carl here.

[NOLA BB Fan]

Rest In Peace, dear Carl. 

[Jay]

A few years ago somebody made an epic post about Carl that ended with "God save Carl Wilson". I'd love to see it again but I wouldn't know how to start in finding it.

[Lonely Summer]

Carl was the glue that held the group together. As soon as he was gone, it fell apart. My wish for him is that he could have spent a little more time just doing what he wanted to do, but that was Carl, always thinking of others first.

[HeyJude]

I always wished that Carl could have been around to experience audiences finally willing to embrace non-"hits" and well known numbers. I get the sense he first fought (circa 1981) and then became resigned (by the 90s) to doing the same setlist. Not because he didn't want to do the deeper cuts (as evidenced by Carl and Al being into the late '93 "boxed set" setlist), but because he sensed audiences would reject a bunch of deep cuts.

It's ironic that in 2012 the band was able to do a 61-song setlist at Royal Albert Hall with songs representing so many albums and eras, whereas in the 90s even when they played Wembley it was 30-35 songs with all the meat and potatoes numbers.

[bb4ever]

Here is the "God save Carl Wilson" post:  (If you go to search button and type "God save Carl Wilson" you will find it

From my first memories of reading about him, the first thing I thought about Carl Wilson was this - what you see is what you get. Of all of the Beach Boys, Carl was the least prone to bullshitting. He was certainly the warmest and most inviting of any of them. A perennial albatross, always up in the air, doing his own thing while still being democratic with the group.

Brian essentially had Carl as his right-hand man. And Carl was always around for his brother. And we all know that Carl was in genuine awe of his brother's talents. For someone as sensitive (in a good way) as Carl, watching his brother slowly burn out personally (forget creatively, that's a THREAD), especially when his brother was the reason he managed to become famous and successful could only have been among the most crushing blows ever dealt to him.

When Brian retreated, a whole lot of responsibility went onto Carl's (as well as Dennis') shoulders. Early on, forced to scramble and improvise around Brian's inconsistent bursts of creativity, Carl was able to develop into a much more talented artist at a rate almost as amazing as Brian had a few years before. And Carl's hard work was certainly of great artistic merit, and led the way for the band's evolution from America's preeminent pop group to a great recording and touring rock band. The world caught on too late to Carl's efforts, and by the time they were recognized, the band was starting to slow their progression to a crawl, finally sidestepping, and taking a huge step back. While I am quite sure Carl was not one to piss on or try to lessen the value the band's initial success, all of his work from when Brian stepped back to when the oldies show came running back in full force must have been disheartening for him.

There is, of course, this one conflicting story, which came from Jim Guercio, who had mentioned to the band back in late 1973 that while the shows were good, they were too loose and the audience was inconsistently entertained depending on how well-versed they were in the Beach Boys' music. He recommended that they add more of the oldies to the setlist. And the response from all of the touring band was a unanimous "yes". Where this fits in is anyone's guess.

The Beach Boys were certainly easily convinced by the almighty dollar to jump on the relentless touring bandwagon once Endless Summer became successful. There was money to be made, and they jumped at the opportunity. Sure, it's one thing to be artistic but quite another to be artistic and working from gig to gig just to survive. Carl, as the leader during their period in the desert in the early 1970s, was quite aware of that kind of burden. Their finances dropped fast, and by 1971 they were financing their tours with Brian's royalties. And this is where the conflict comes in.

Carl did want to be an artist. But once confronted with a rapidly declining Brian and Dennis on and off stage, his own troubles with Michael and Al, his marriage falling apart, and his drug and alcohol problems, he was forced to choose what was more important to him. And this was where the Beach Boys, while they were his bread and butter, became secondary to family.

Carl was able to exorcise his demons, and he wanted to have his brothers cleaned up and brought back to prominence within the group. He was a man of great patience when it came to Brian's often embarrassing live performances and rapidly lackluster studio work, and the issue of Dennis and Michael being at each other's throats would have driven most sane people over the edge. Carl was diplomatic and let Dennis off for a time to get his act together. And Dennis was able to get back in decent shape for a bit before spiraling out of control again.

But once it became obvious that it was a situation of life or death for both Brian and Dennis, Carl decided enough was enough. Family had to come first. His brothers and cousin took priority. He was instrumental in getting Brian back under Landy's care, which, while it was a bad move in the long run, was at least enough to allow Brian to return to a healthy frame of mind. And he certainly tried what he could to help Dennis. Dennis was guided by his own whims and not even the patience of Carl was enough to convince Dennis beyond a few couple-day stints in rehab. Carl even let Dennis stay with him at one point in 1983 when Dennis was homeless.

The loss of Dennis was the first blow. You can see it all over Carl's face in the press conference video the day after Dennis died. Something inside of him was gone. He had lost one of his brothers, and Brian was slowly going back to being himself. Carl's responsibility as the leader of the Beach Boys was still of importance to him; he wanted to be sure the fans were treated to a good time every day they performed. Everyone knows the stories of Carl's charity and kindness with the fans. Family still came first. I will never say that Carl gave up. He was too good to just give up on the Beach Boys and the fans. But they did become a lesser priority. And that's why as time went on, his input in the songwriting department slowed to a crawl.

When it came to the reunion in 1995, I'm sure Carl had modest expectations as to how Brian would deliver. But it soon became obvious, no matter how great the material was, that Brian was essentially being controlled again. Not by the drugs, but by his handlers. And this was something of which Carl wanted no part. He wanted to work with Brian, not with Brian's handlers. And Carl being the lucky person to put a half-hearted vocal down on Dancing The Night Away? I would have thrown up my arms and walked out too. It was a circus. This wasn't his brother he was working with. He was working with his brother's handlers. He preferred to do the right thing and walk away. And honestly, considering what Brian's subjected us to in the last fifteen years, Carl did us a favor. The show would go on, but if Brian wasn't going to be himself, then Carl wanted nothing to do with it.

It amazes me that people have the gall, the fucking nerve, to say Carl "gave up". Need I remind anyone what Carl did when he was diagnosed with his cancer? He went right back out on tour. He was the consummate professional, performing every night. He was certainly not without difficulties while doing so; he was confined to a stool for most of the shows, standing up occasionally when he took a lead vocal, and always for God Only Knows. He needed oxygen after every single song. A lesser man would have taken a cancer diagnosis as a death sentence. Carl Wilson kept putting himself out there until he couldn't anymore. People then say that Michael was a motherfucker for saying that he couldn't bear to see Carl onstage and wanted him gone. He couldn't bear to see Carl onstage in the condition he was in. I don't know how that makes Michael a motherfucker. And it's not like Michael wanted Carl "gone". He wanted Carl to try with every part of himself to beat his illness and get back out there. And I'm quite sure Carl wanted that too. Anyone who doubts that is a truly sick individual.

Carl Wilson was a trooper right until he breathed his last. He was, by far, the most levelheaded man in the group. And he was one of the lucky ones who was around to receive all of this adoration from his fans, rather than receiving it posthumously.

He didn't give up. Nature stepped in. Carl Wilson was not a quitter.

God Save Carl Wilson.

[Jay]

goshdarn, that's a great post. Gives me chills. 

[surf patrol]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUiWjUYUhOg

God Bless Carl & Meros !

[SMiLE Brian]

Great post except for one thing, who are the handlers?

[Jay]

There was another thread where somebody once talked about seeing a video of Carl with the group in 1997, and Carl was sitting in a chair. I'd love to find that thread, and ask the poster about that video.

[SurfRapGrungeFiend]

R.I.P

[surf patrol]

Jay - Yes Carl did sit in a chair often that final summer. Also he & his wife Gina did the 1997  summer tour by tour bus & didn't fly between  concerts with the others.  He made most of the summer shows but did miss some.
Even thou Carl hadn't smoked for 10 years it  along with second hand smoke from playing smokey venues in earlier days  were the cause .

[Ian]

That long post says some nice things about carl but have you read the whole thing? It's ridiculously disrespectful towards Brian. What the hell does it mean "what Brian has subjected us to these last 15 years" A few clinkers sure but a lot of great music and some great concert experiences. The post illustrates the dysfunctionality of bb fans. Why does a post praising carl have to trash Brian? Carl and Brian's musical tastes may have diverged but if he'd lived I'm sure he'd find some kind words for some of his brother's work since 1998.

[SMiLE Brian]

Exactly, who are the handlers?

[barsone]

For many of us, this was the day "the music died".....

[phirnis]

Brilliant singer and underrated producer.

[Tony S]

Great post about Carl! Brought both a tear and a smile for his greatness as a performer, moreso as a man.

[HeyJude]

Especially with no context, that post about Carl is just weird. We all love Carl and his work with the band, and I think we could all highlight many of his virtues, and that's saying something considering how private the guy was.

But that post is just weird; why the need to bash Brian and defend Mike against imaginary attacks?

It's certainly warranted to point how all of the politics and other dysfunctional BS Carl put up with. But that post also makes a lot of assumptions about Carl's motives, especially surrounding Brian in their final years together.

And setting aside the loaded, charged "handlers" term, does anybody here actually have any first hand information or insight into how Carl felt about those "around" Brian post-Landy, in particular once Brian got married? Didn't Brian stay in a conservatorship for some time after Landy? Brian essentially, one could argue, was forced into having a court-appointed "handler" at that stage. Considering everything that had gone down, does anybody really think Carl would have advocated for Brian to just be out on his own with *nobody* to help him the second Landy was gone from the scene? Was not Carl made aware of Landy's overmedication during the 80s and early 90s? Wasn't that a main crux of getting Carl more strongly involved in extracting Landy? Carl had to know Brian needed help once Landy was gone.

I'm not sure how much "handlers" impacted those '95 sessions. Is that post implying that Carl felt Don Was or Andy Paley were "handlers" or some sort of interlopers? Also, why would the post single out the unfinished, fragmented "Dancing the Night Away" and ignore "Soul Searchin'" and "You're Still a Mystery?" Kind of convenient I think.

Remember, this was the era where Carl was dressing up with the rest of the band in goofy costumes doing music videos for "Problem Child" and "Crocodile Rock."

Carl and Brian continued to have a strained relationship, but I think this post kind of implies it was all due to Carl feeling Brian was being "controlled." Maybe that was a factor, but I think the decades of ill-will, Landy stoking the flames of discontent regarding Carl and the rest of the band, and the pseudo-autobiography all contributed to straining their relationship.

Make no mistake, I wouldn't have blamed Carl for quitting the group in the 70s or early 80s (and frankly I wouldn't have blamed anyone in the band for doing so). He had plenty of beefs, and had his head screwed on in way not much of anyone else in the band outside of maybe Al did (and I think it took Al being exiled from the band in 1998 for Al to really become more of a calm, wise sage regarding the band).

[Robbie Mac]

That long post says some nice things about carl but have you read the whole thing? It's ridiculously disrespectful towards Brian. What the hell does it mean "what Brian has subjected us to these last 15 years" A few clinkers sure but a lot of great music and some great concert experiences. The post illustrates the dysfunctionality of bb fans. Why does a post praising carl have to trash Brian? Carl and Brian's musical tastes may have diverged but if he'd lived I'm sure he'd find some kind words for some of his brother's work since 1998.

It was a Jason post. It is worth noting that in that late 80's interview that Carl did (where he admitted that Mike was the leader) , Carl enthusiastically praised BW 88.