Addendum: Some of us, including me, have occasionally lamented the fact that Carl pulled the plug on the '95 Don Was sessions and potentially deprived us of a BB album of new material in that era That '95 clip goes a long way in explaining why Carl did what he did.
I don't understand this statement. What about that video clip explains Carl's decision?
People say Brian looks terrible there; I disagree. He's very REAL there. He's not hiding anything; maybe he's had a rough day, but he is fully engaged with the interviewer; unlike the recent stuff I have seen where just gives robotic, disinterested answers.
Look, pretty like everyone else on this board, I am a huge fan of Brian and his music. I truly believe the many comments from people who know him who say that he doesn't have a mean bone in his body. And I saw the man in person twice just last year, and his sweet disposition is obvious to anyone paying attention. So I'm not trying to knock the guy... especially based on a 25-year-old video clip. With that said, Brian displays uncontrolled Tardive dyskinesia (TD) in that clip. It was the side effect of multiple anti-psychotic meds that we was still being dosed with post-Landy. It disturbs me to see his tics and gestures, and I'm not related to him. And I honestly don't know if that's a joint or a thin tobacco cigarette (Brian had a history of holding both in the same manner). Neither is exactly a great choice, but if it's the former, THC is an especially not a great choice for someone who suffers from auditory hallucinations. I'm not trying to have a debate on cannabis in general, but for someone already suffering from various psychoses, it can aggravate the situation, much like alcohol can aggravate a situation.
I don't know what to say beyond that. I look at the clip, and I think, you know, if Carl pulled the plug on the Don Was sessions because he didn't like what he was seeing from Brian at time, if he thought his brother wasn't in a good place in terms of medication and dosage, if he thought that the stress of recording was causing Brian to return to some not-so-great habits... if he thought any combination of those things, well, I'd certainly get it.