Brian's daily routine

[Gerry]

Was just reading a story of an encounter of some of the Flaming Lips with Brian in the 1970's. It got me to thinking, as I have over the years, what was Brian's daily routine like in the first half of the '70's, you know, before Landy," Brian is Back " and touring again. I think we know he didn't spend two years in bed. Stuff like that has always fascinated me.

[c-man]

I'm sure it involved getting up late, doing a lot of coke, partying with friends like Danny Hutton, maybe hitting some night clubs, and going to bed late.

[WillJC]

In 1970, Bruce said Brian usually went to bed at 6am and got up late in the afternoon. Night time is delight time

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

Birthday cake was consumed daily.

[juggler]

Is it really possible to pin down with real accuracy Brian's routine for any given period?  In a recent interview, Al Jardine compared Brian to Churchill's famous line about "a mystery wrapped in an enigma."  There's a lot of truth in that, IMO.  For any given year or period that someone points to as Brian's low point, in bed all year, etc., someone will pull out an in-studio radio interview or something from that exact period and Brian sounds just fine.  Go figure.

[pixletwin]

Was just reading a story of an encounter of some of the Flaming Lips with Brian in the 1970's. It got me to thinking, as I have over the years, what was Brian's daily routine like in the first half of the '70's, you know, before Landy," Brian is Back " and touring again. I think we know he didn't spend two years in bed. Stuff like that has always fascinated me.

Is there a link to what you were reading?

[onkster]

Flaming Lips visiting Brian in the 70s?

Did they even exist yet?

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

Flaming Lips visiting Brian in the 70s?

Did they even exist yet?

The members of the band did, but I think this is actually the Flamin' Groovies.

[Lonely Summer]

Is it really possible to pin down with real accuracy Brian's routine for any given period?  In a recent interview, Al Jardine compared Brian to Churchill's famous line about "a mystery wrapped in an enigma."  There's a lot of truth in that, IMO.  For any given year or period that someone points to as Brian's low point, in bed all year, etc., someone will pull out an in-studio radio interview or something from that exact period and Brian sounds just fine.  Go figure.

I agree with that. Someone sent me a recording - back in the days of cassettes - of Brian talking with some fans (Les Chan might be one of them) in 1981 (I can pinpoint the time because they talk about Carl not being with the group) and Brian sounds fine to me. He's not in shut down mute form; the only question that gets that kind of response is about a different version of Till I Die, and a bootleg called Hawthorne Hot Shots. This is during a time when Brian is reported to be all drugged out, but you would never know it listening to the tape. At one point in the chat, Brian calls Dennis' room, but Dennis is sleeping.

[Sam_BFC]

I guess there is no reason to assume that someone would be somehow less coherent when mentally unwell or going through a low period.

[Gerry]

Yep, you're correct it is the Groovies, my mistake. It's from a thread on the other board. Coincidently  I was the other guy in the room with Les and John Pickens when we gave Brian the third degree. He was completely there mentally but somewhat coked up. It was December, 1981 at the Dunfy Hotel in San Jose.

[Jay]

Yep, you're correct it is the Groovies, my mistake. It's from a thread on the other board. Coincidently  I was the other guy in the room with Les and John Pickens when we gave Brian the third degree. He was completely there mentally but somewhat coked up. It was December, 1981 at the Dunfy Hotel in San Jose.

I always thought it was quite funny how on the tape when the topic of bootlegs comes up, suddenly there is complete silence to the point you could hear a pin drop. 

[juggler]

I guess there is no reason to assume that someone would be somehow less coherent when mentally unwell or going through a low period.

That's certainly true.   Someone could sound just fine in an interview and be suffering tremendous inner turmoil even to the point of being suicidal. It's certainly happened before.  I don't think anyone would dispute that, but I do think that many if not most periods of Brian Wilson's life are especially difficult to pigeonhole.  I remember seeing Don Was plugging his BW documentary on Conan O'Brien's show back in the day, and Don said, "Everything I could say about Brian Wilson, I could also say the opposite about him."  And I think there's a lot of truth in that.   Suppose that someone claims that, say, 1974 was a terrible, horrible year for Brian, an absolute nadir.  Then invariably someone else will come along and produce some sort of evidence of a lucid Brian having a ball in 1974.  Or vice-versa.  Someone could say, "Oh, man, after Brian was liberated Landy, he was just fantastic!"  And then someone else will dig up a disturbing-as-hell-interview with Brian from 1995, and you think, "Whoa, I hate to say it he seemed better in that hotel tape from Landy era."  And, honestly, I think that same game could probably be played for much of the man's entire life.  It was the best of the times, it was the worst of times, etc.

[quichenight]

Yep, you're correct it is the Groovies, my mistake. It's from a thread on the other board. Coincidently  I was the other guy in the room with Les and John Pickens when we gave Brian the third degree. He was completely there mentally but somewhat coked up. It was December, 1981 at the Dunfy Hotel in San Jose.

one of my favorite beach boys recordings.