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Author Topic: Is it fair to call for an artist to quit?  (Read 10532 times)
rab2591
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« on: December 01, 2021, 09:26:51 AM »

I ask this question because more and more I see people saying that Brian should quit recording music and touring. Some of these opinions come from people who I respect and like as posters - so I'm not trying to call anyone out. But I'm really curious about this mindset.

As a creative myself, there's a line from 'Love and Mercy' that I think about quite often: Brian is having an argument with his father and says "I got different stuff inside me, I gotta get it out."

I write and record music. I do so partially as part of my job, but also partially as a hobby. The music I make as a hobby I sometimes post it on the internet. I will admit that my hobby music isn't great music, but I LOVE making it. I love how it sounds to me. But it would break my heart if someone told me I was embarrassing myself by posting that music. It would really hurt if someone told me to quit.

I guess that's why I pose this question. Because it seems like a really hurtful thing to request/wish upon an artist...even an artist like Brian Wilson who reached this upper echelon of musical brilliance who now isn't making music on that level. So because he's not making music on a Pet Sounds level (or even maybe on a Friends level) do we as fans have a right to wish him to quit making his art? Imagine if when Brian was destroying his voice in the 70s, and people told him to quit because of a few bad songs, and he never made music again? That would be a travesty considering the beautiful music he has made since then.

Creatives do have things inside of them they want to share - I don't think that ever goes away. So if Brian wants to make music, no matter how imperfect the vocal line, he should be able to do that. And if we don't like the music he sells, the beauty of the free market is that we don't need to buy products that we don't like. In fact, with a streaming service you don't even have to buy the product...you can listen to 30 seconds of it and see if it's something you want to devote any more time to.

As fans are we meant to be the judges of when someone should quit? We can absolutely be the judges of whether or not we want to listen to an artist or not. But I don't see the fairness in trying to be some kind of gatekeeper of Brian's dignity.

I'm not trying to stifle opinions - on the contrary, the more music Brian puts out, the more we have to critique. But if we make calls for him to quit, and he one day possibly reads those calls and quits making music, then we have nothing to hear, nothing to share an opinion about.

Anyways, I'd love to hear opinions from everyone about this. I don't want to argue about it, but to try and understand the mindset. You've heard my opinion above and I'd like to hear anyone else's take on the matter.
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« Reply #1 on: December 01, 2021, 09:44:46 AM »

With all due respect, I'm curious what prompted this question? The only truly new music Brian has put out in the past five years is the newly written "Right Where I Belong," a song that seems to have been generally well received by fans, while the rest of the documentary soundtrack is re-recordings of old songs and previously unreleased demos. Otherwise, it's not as though Brian has been exactly churning out music for the past decade or so.
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« Reply #2 on: December 01, 2021, 09:47:07 AM »

As a professional artist, as long as there are people that support your art financially by paying to hear your music or see your concerts, then I don't see why any artist should quit their chosen vocation and means of income unless they want to. As an amateur or hobbyist, as long as making your art gives you joy, then anything else should be irrelevant. To answer the original question, no, it's not fair or even anyone's business to call for an artist to quit making their art, but people can make their opinion heard with their wallets.
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« Reply #3 on: December 01, 2021, 09:49:07 AM »

What krabklaw said above.

In answer to the original question, my answer is no, for members of the public.
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« Reply #4 on: December 01, 2021, 09:58:40 AM »

Quoting myself on this board, back in 2018:
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...retirement is not a thing for someone like Brian.  Brian has never worked a 9-to-5 job.  He goes out on tour for a few weeks at a time, then is back home.  Not saying that touring is always easy, but it sure ain't breaking bricks in the hot sun.  Brian has a lot of time to be at home and do what he wants to do.  There's no daily grind that he needs to hang up and retire from.   A man needs a reason to get up in the morning, and not everyone just wants to lie around all day - that's how you end up dead.

The idea that someone has to "retire" after a certain age is outdated and frankly, offensive.  If a person is willing and able to do what they want to do, they should be allowed and encouraged to keep doing so.  Also, making music is not work for Brian.  It's as essential to him and air and food. 
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« Reply #5 on: December 01, 2021, 10:11:03 AM »

With all due respect, I'm curious what prompted this question? The only truly new music Brian has put out in the past five years is the newly written "Right Where I Belong," a song that seems to have been generally well received by fans, while the rest of the documentary soundtrack is re-recordings of old songs and previously unreleased demos. Otherwise, it's not as though Brian has been exactly churning out music for the past decade or so.

It was a post on another forum regarding the latest album/song from Brian. It wasn’t just regarding the music he puts out, but also his concerts. And yeah, I totally agree that most of the response to the latest offering has been positive. But I have heard more and more calls for Brian to quit in recent years, and most recently today.
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rab2591
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« Reply #6 on: December 01, 2021, 11:37:59 AM »

As a professional artist, as long as there are people that support your art financially by paying to hear your music or see your concerts, then I don't see why any artist should quit their chosen vocation and means of income unless they want to. As an amateur or hobbyist, as long as making your art gives you joy, then anything else should be irrelevant. To answer the original question, no, it's not fair or even anyone's business to call for an artist to quit making their art, but people can make their opinion heard with their wallets.

Agreed. I think voting with one's wallet is completely fair - as well as telling your opinion about the work in reviews or on message boards.

Quoting myself on this board, back in 2018:
Quote
...retirement is not a thing for someone like Brian.  Brian has never worked a 9-to-5 job.  He goes out on tour for a few weeks at a time, then is back home.  Not saying that touring is always easy, but it sure ain't breaking bricks in the hot sun.  Brian has a lot of time to be at home and do what he wants to do.  There's no daily grind that he needs to hang up and retire from.   A man needs a reason to get up in the morning, and not everyone just wants to lie around all day - that's how you end up dead.

The idea that someone has to "retire" after a certain age is outdated and frankly, offensive.  If a person is willing and able to do what they want to do, they should be allowed and encouraged to keep doing so.  Also, making music is not work for Brian.  It's as essential to him and air and food. 

I think that's what makes me sad about the calls for Brian to quit. What would people rather Brian be doing with his time? Brian should be doing whatever Brian wants to do (within the bounds of reason of course - I doubt his doctor would approve of him smoking weed all day watching Jeopardy haha). But if Brian makes music and wants to release it, why should anyone force him not to?
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« Reply #7 on: December 01, 2021, 11:55:12 AM »

What krabklaw said above.

In answer to the original question, my answer is no, for members of the public.

Damn right. It's even moreso when being active like this is the most beneficial option to someone like Brian...or me, for that matter.

Anybody calling for Brian to quit is not a real fan. Sorry, but it has to be said.
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« Reply #8 on: December 01, 2021, 12:07:06 PM »

the short answer is no, of course not.

and yet I have often wished Mike Love would hang it up, and I don't mind if he knows it. I guess I'm mostly bothered with him only performing as The Beach Boys which should also include Brian and Al in my opinion. if Mike wanted to keep performing under his own name I'm ok with that because I certainly don't have to go see it.

likewise, I think a lot of fans are more concerned for Brian's happiness without being critical of his actual output. for many years, fans have seemed unsure just how much Brian wanted to be out on tour and worried that he's been forced into it somehow. many of us have seen him seeming disinterested at times in concert, and his recent back problems also raised flags.

but I think time has shown that Brian does indeed enjoy performing his music to appreciative audiences, he enjoys being active, and he enjoys the camaraderie his band provides. when the pandemic hit and tours were cancelled indefinitely, I did feel some relief for Brian and I thought he was probably enjoying some time off. but at this point, I think he's chomping at the bit to get back out there.

more power to him.
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« Reply #9 on: December 01, 2021, 12:27:31 PM »

Anybody calling for Brian to quit is not a real fan. Sorry, but it has to be said.

While I understand your sentiments, I think some people who make this wish/request (for Brian to quit) do so out of love for Brian. The post that sparked this topic talked about Brian possibly embarrassing himself by releasing any more underwhelming tunes (I am paraphrasing here, not the OPs actual words). And like Bossaroo said above, "for many years, fans have seemed unsure just how much Brian wanted to be out on tour and worried that he's been forced into it somehow"...and given the amount of disinformation plastered on these forums (and PMs) it doesn't surprise me that people would want Brian to quit for his own mental well being. So in that regard I can see why people would want Brian to take a break and bow out, as he has a lifetime of achievement under his belt and doesn't need to prove anything else - But I think that this outlook completely overlooks how the creative mind works.

Bossaroo is on point with this: "I think time has shown that Brian does indeed enjoy performing his music to appreciative audiences, he enjoys being active, and he enjoys the camaraderie his band provides."

And I really wish people would take that to heart. And, like Bossaroo, I have called for Mike himself to hang it up before...which wasn't fair of me to do so. In the last few years I have openly stated that I am happy that Mike likes to record, and I'm also happy that he and his band share some good tunes with people when he does concerts. I do wish that he did it under his own name, but that's my minuscule opinion that doesn't need to be elaborated on.

Basically, I think sometimes us fans can have weird opinions, but in the end, if Mike and Brian are happy and recording/performing wholesome tunes to spread some joy in the world, then nothing should stop them from doing that. Especially if most people are happy with the offerings at the end of the day, and since both Brian Wilson and the touring Beach Boys are still touring, obviously the coffers say that people still want to see these guys perform.
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« Reply #10 on: December 01, 2021, 02:05:32 PM »

Anybody calling for Brian to quit is not a real fan. Sorry, but it has to be said.

While I understand your sentiments, I think some people who make this wish/request (for Brian to quit) do so out of love for Brian. The post that sparked this topic talked about Brian possibly embarrassing himself by releasing any more underwhelming tunes (I am paraphrasing here, not the OPs actual words). And like Bossaroo said above, "for many years, fans have seemed unsure just how much Brian wanted to be out on tour and worried that he's been forced into it somehow"...and given the amount of disinformation plastered on these forums (and PMs) it doesn't surprise me that people would want Brian to quit for his own mental well being. So in that regard I can see why people would want Brian to take a break and bow out, as he has a lifetime of achievement under his belt and doesn't need to prove anything else - But I think that this outlook completely overlooks how the creative mind works.

Bossaroo is on point with this: "I think time has shown that Brian does indeed enjoy performing his music to appreciative audiences, he enjoys being active, and he enjoys the camaraderie his band provides."

And I really wish people would take that to heart. And, like Bossaroo, I have called for Mike himself to hang it up before...which wasn't fair of me to do so. In the last few years I have openly stated that I am happy that Mike likes to record, and I'm also happy that he and his band share some good tunes with people when he does concerts. I do wish that he did it under his own name, but that's my minuscule opinion that doesn't need to be elaborated on.

Basically, I think sometimes us fans can have weird opinions, but in the end, if Mike and Brian are happy and recording/performing wholesome tunes to spread some joy in the world, then nothing should stop them from doing that. Especially if most people are happy with the offerings at the end of the day, and since both Brian Wilson and the touring Beach Boys are still touring, obviously the coffers say that people still want to see these guys perform.

My main issue is a certain segment of the alleged fandom that acts like Brian can do no right and literally criticize everything he does just to piss off the others, and send falsehoods and slander via PMs just cause their kingpin is still pissed cause his facade is slipping. That shitwit fuckweasel (or whatever term that gambling addicted asshole likes to use) is directly responsible for incidents like Brian apparently being rather hurt back in 2005 or so by calls for him to retire. I have a major issue with "fans" like that.
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« Reply #11 on: December 01, 2021, 02:21:03 PM »

Yeah I hear ya. It's one reason that I will never join that forum....wayyyyyy too much history of bullshit from a cadre of people there. So yeah, I agree that "fans" like that are...unique...to put it kindly.

I do think that others (there and here) don't mean harm by their calls for Brian to retire. But I wish those people would put themselves in Brian's shoes - imagine someone forcing (or even just calling for) you to retire from something you love doing - that is a cruel thing to do, especially when you're not harming anyone by trying to record some songs.
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« Reply #12 on: December 01, 2021, 04:04:46 PM »

Isn't Brian already retired, basically? The endless touring thing looks to me like what Brian is doing during his retirement (what some people call the"golden years").  Some people go fishing, some stay home and stare at cable news, Brian Wilson goes out on tour and does whatever it is he and his band do. 

If Brian Wilson had been touring all his life - had touring been his main thing and/or his claim to fame, or if he had been known for great, entertaining, live showmanship, then the question, 'should he come off the road' be more salient.  But he's never been that person.  Brian is on stage being what he is - an old man - and at least in my experience, I have never seen him attempt to be anything other than what he is.  It's not for everyone, that's for sure.  I rarely go to concerts, but I have seen old guys doing legacy shows - Rolling Stones, Randy Newman, Tom Petty (I was at his last concert in Hollywood Bowl and he was not in good physical shape at all) - and it's all sort of the same. To me, a Brian show is no different than these people; it's all nostalgia, and in varying degrees, a show of respect and gratitude from the audience.  I saw the Stones sometime in the 2000s. I have to say, Mick Jagger was incredibly fit and spry, and he sang "Wild Horses" very well.  But for me, that performance is no less silly than going to a Brian Wilson show. I have no idea if Townshend and Daltrey still tour, but if they do, and if Pete is out there windmilling, then that's more ridiculous than anything at a Brian Wilson show.

What Brian is known for, on the other hand, is studio-recorded music. That's the reason why he's known; why people talk about him.  So the better question is should he stop recording? First of all, he records only intermittently (or at least new recorded music from Brian surfaces only intermittently); can you say that he is basically retired from recording? It's a matter of personal opinion, but for me, the Gershwin album was the last recording project of any consequence; he had a good run starting from Smile in 2004, the Christmas album, Lucky Old Sun and Gershwin. Disney had some good tracks (as did Getting In Over My Head).  "One Kind of Love" was a good song; the kind of thing you want to hear from Brian Wilson, rather than those awful Brian Wilson-Joe Thomas songs.  In fact, if news of a new Brian Wilson album came out and it was expected to be filled with Wilson-Thomas songs, I'd be the first  to say, "please, no more."

So, to recap: he's already retired.  Or, maybe I'm giving him too much of a break.
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« Reply #13 on: December 01, 2021, 06:17:59 PM »

I completely disagree with you on the quality of NPP , but am in complete agreement otherwise
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« Reply #14 on: December 02, 2021, 06:31:55 AM »

I think its fair as long as it doesn't turn to bullying. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but there are appropriate ways to handle expressing that opinion.

That being said, I think a lot of these calls come out of honest concern for Brian. I don't post my opinions on his concerts much, as I'm not really a live recordings kind of guy. I like live albums as documents of the times, but VERY rarely listen to them more than a handful of times.

But, I will say that, from the videos that I've seen and heard over the past couple of years, Brian looks and sounds absolutely disinterested. I get that his talk-singing might just be him trying out something new and that no one has to express emotions the same, but if I went to one of these shows and had this experience, I would walk away feeling sad and worried for him.

For a comparison, I attended the 25th Anniversary Warped Tour Concert in New Jersey in 2019. I saw a ton of "older" Bands: Bad Religion, Good Charlotte, blink-182, etc. Taking Back Sunday's set left me feeling completely underwhelmed. The band itself was pretty on, but lead singer Adam Lazzara just did not care about his performance, preferring to let the audience sing and swinging his mic.

I bring this up because there is a major difference. Adam at least looked to be enjoying himself (still no excuse for a crappy performance), while Brian looks, at least to me, like he would rather be doing anything else.

That's just my takeaway, no one has to feel the same and I'm legitimately glad for those who enjoy Brian's shows. Same as Mike, the guy has destroyed his voice through over-touring and its pretty sad to hear him so hoarse on all of these new videos. I know Brian SAYS that he loves touring, but he has a habit of saying things that don't match up, like they burned the "Fire" tapes, never knowing that Dennis recorded a solo album, etc.

Don't get me wrong, I worship the ground Brian walks on. I am most definitely a super fan. My wife often says that I should've married him instead. Haha. But, I can also be objective in looking at situations and forming my own opinions based on what I see.
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« Reply #15 on: December 02, 2021, 09:09:45 AM »

Thanks for your well thought out post, positivemusic.

I will say that of the concerts I've been to in the last five years, only at one have I seen Brian disinterested (Pet Sounds tour). The rest of the concerts he has been engaged with the audience, and seemingly happy to be there (especially the most recent one I went to right before the Covid shutdown). And those positive concerts sounded amazing - people all around us having an awesome time. I was fortunate enough to meet Brian backstage at one concert and he had the biggest smile on his face when he greeted me...He didn't at all seem disinterested to be there. I've seen Brian perform soundchecks where he is totally into directing the band through certain songs - he is in control, and it looks like he loves every minute of it.

I'm not saying he has only good days. As with any job, we all have good and bad days, we go through slumps, we can get depressed, or really happy. Brian is as human as the rest of us. If he goes through a slump I don't think it's fair to say that he should quit his "job". He's just having a slump. If Brian truly didn't want to be there, he wouldn't participate (like the Beck sessions). No one forced Brian to finish the Beck project, it fizzled out on it's own because Brian truly was disinterested in it. I feel like the same thing would happen with Brian on tour. Especially since the man could literally be doing anything else with his time, why would he waste it doing something he didn't want to do?

If people want him to quit because they think he is forced to tour, then I would totally understand that. But then I have to ask the question: what is the motive of those supposedly forcing Brian to tour? Is it money? Because I'm pretty sure the Wilson estate doesn't depend on Brian to tour 40 shows a year to put food on the table. Or does Melinda just want Brian out of the house more often??

Anywho, I'm just rambling. I do appreciate the responses though. I think most fans do generally want what is best for Brian, and we all greatly care about him.
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« Reply #16 on: December 02, 2021, 10:40:23 AM »

Thanks for your well thought out post, positivemusic.

I will say that of the concerts I've been to in the last five years, only at one have I seen Brian disinterested (Pet Sounds tour). The rest of the concerts he has been engaged with the audience, and seemingly happy to be there (especially the most recent one I went to right before the Covid shutdown). And those positive concerts sounded amazing - people all around us having an awesome time. I was fortunate enough to meet Brian backstage at one concert and he had the biggest smile on his face when he greeted me...He didn't at all seem disinterested to be there. I've seen Brian perform soundchecks where he is totally into directing the band through certain songs - he is in control, and it looks like he loves every minute of it.


That’s surprising to hear. The last two times I saw him, on the Christmas album tour in 2018 and The Zombies tour in 2019, he wasn’t engaged at all and it just made me sad. I’ve seen him many times and I decided then that I wouldn’t see him again. I don’t think it’s necessarily that he doesn’t want to be there, I’m not worried about him being exploited or anything like that, I trust that he’s in good hands. I think he’s just too old and tired at this point to give an engaging performance. I love the band too but if Brian is just going to sit motionless at the keyboard when he doesn’t have a lead vocal, it’s honestly just uncomfortable to watch.
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« Reply #17 on: December 02, 2021, 10:57:10 AM »

I saw Brian three times in 2016 and again twice in 2017 and each time his mood and performance has been completely based on the particular song at a given time within the concert. Overall he's been mostly excited and happy on stage.

I remember him shouting things like "The drums on the next track are so hard they will make you sh*t!" and bouncing to Wild Honey.

Then again during some songs he looks at his watch kinda bored. He is very intuitive and can't really fake his feelings and he's never been that way. He has never been a Mick Jagger or even Bruce Springsteen on stage. To expect something like that from him, is silly.

I didn't have a chance to see him perform after 2017, and from what I've seen on Youtube, especially the Christmas tour in 2018? and the performances before his public announcement that he has to postpone some shows because of recent mental issues, seemed tough. I bet the back issues were also a big issue during 2018-2019 and propably still are.

The last time I saw Brian was at Pori Jazz Festival in 2017. He was great, even though it was an outdoors event and it was very cold. The showtime was just before midnight and it was very clear and "sunny" as it is in Finland during summertime at nights. Brian was looking up at the sky for propably half of the show, doing his hand gestures with each song and super enthusiastic, even though there wasn't even a lot of crowd because of the poor weather. At some point it started to rain and Brian shouted during a song (Love and Mercy maybe) very excited "It's raining! It's raining!"

And after the show ended he rushed to say something seemingly happily to Al as they were doing the final bows. That's not a man who is "forced" to tour.
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« Reply #18 on: December 02, 2021, 12:06:44 PM »

I’ve seen Brian many, many times. It’s clear that on the last couple of tours he had some physical challenges that limited his mobility and likely caused him pain onstage. That being said, with the exception of his shockingly good 2009 fall tour — when he sang and played like a man reborn — there has been far more similarity between the shows than differences. The band is always good. Brian nails a few obvious ones (Love and Mercy) and sometimes less obvious ones (Soul Searchin’), then zones out for some others. It’s all a continuum, and he clearly sees it as a fairly undemanding way to keep busy and feel fans’ love.

You watch see this in the new documentary. BW has a very simple life in LA, for his own mental health, but it does seem a bit boring. He tells Jason Fine at one point: “I like concerts.” It’s that simple. They’re a place where everyone on stage supports him and looks out for him, and where he knows precisely what’s going to happen for a couple of hours.
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« Reply #19 on: December 02, 2021, 03:14:00 PM »

I'll add my two cents, even though I'm in agreement with most of you. I think it is not fair of us fans to say that Brian should quit. Frankly, it's none of our business, and it's not our call. Nothing is being forced on us. If we don't want to see one of Brian's shows we can choose not to buy a ticket. If we don't want to hear new music from him we can choose not to listen. Touring in the 21st century has probably been a good outlet for him. From the things he has said and the videos I have seen, I think he genuinely likes everyone in his current touring group, and they genuinely like him and each other. That is something that couldn't be said for the Beach Boys from the 1960s throught the 1990s. At any given time during those years there was tension in the ranks.
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« Reply #20 on: December 02, 2021, 03:23:45 PM »

Years ago, I had an opportunity to see Frank Sinatra perform in his later years but did not go. I’ve regretted it ever since. I should have gone, not because he was at peak form, but because Frank Sinatra is - FRANK SINATRA!!!  If Sinatra wanted to perform in public, who the hell am I to tell him to quit?

I saw Brian Wilson in concert in Rochester New York in October. Did I expect “the best performance I’ve ever witnessed in my life”?  No, I did not.  I expected to see BRIAN FUCKING WILSON!!!  The most integral part of my musical life, and I consider it a great honor that he allowed me to see him and hear him, though he is 79 years old.  

If you don’t like his concerts, don’t go. If you can’t garner enjoyment from him doing something like “Honeycomb” on a release, don’t buy it.

To me, I just want him to be happy as often as possible.
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« Reply #21 on: December 02, 2021, 07:35:19 PM »

Some of the stuff going around on Instagram is really bizarre.

Me personally, having Brian tour during covid and with the hectic schedule he does is really unfair.

He should never stop recording but he should record what he wants
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Lonely Summer
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« Reply #22 on: December 02, 2021, 08:19:04 PM »

Brian's career at this point is the touring. Recording is more like a hobby. Occasionally he returns to the studio to record something; or it is suggested he do something like a piano album, new versions of Beach Boys songs; but that really has nothing to do with the touring machine. The touring career is all about playing the old hits; maybe a few deep tracks; what the touring is not about is pushing a new album, or having Brian perform the best songs of his solo career.
So i guess it boils down to, do you believe Brian enjoys touring? Do the fans enjoy it? The recording side really doesn't enter it into it, because the new stuff doesn't sell in big numbers anyway; they're more like gifts to a cult following.
And then there is the question of what you expect from the live performer. Chuck Berry was playing up till just a few years before his death; I heard the recording of his final show. He just couldn't get his guitar to do what he wanted it to do. He couldn't remember the lyrics of his own songs. He decided it was time to hang it up. And yet, the fans would have continued to come see him, just for the honor of seeing a legend, just to be in the same room as him.
It's hard for me to accept that Brian is at that stage of his career, because I remember vividly all the hype about Brian in the late 80's, as a current artist, coming back to blow our minds again. He seemed so youthful, so energized in 1988. But 1988 was a freaking long time ago, and I must accept that Brian is not that same guy anymore.
So then the question comes back to, is this what Brian wants to do now? Is he enjoying live performance?
Myself, I can't imagine doing that at 80. My father passed away earlier this year, age 87, and I saw his energy level go way down the last 10 years. Fortunately for Brian, others do all the heavy lifting for him onstage. He's not like Chuck Berry, or Little Richard, or Bob Dylan, having to be  a strong front man, play dazzling stuff on his instrument; he just has to sing there and sing his parts and let his group do the rest.
Interesting discussion.
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« Reply #23 on: December 02, 2021, 10:36:52 PM »

People should certainly be allowed to express such an opinion; someone could be brazen enough to take a poll on the subject. (I'll leave it to others to speculate as to what the results of a such a poll might be.)

But for an artist--as opposed to an auto worker, for example--they are the ones that control any such decision. Our opinions are irrelevant.

Given that we can't really how much longer we will have Brian (or Mike or Al or Bruce or David or Blondie) with us, we should respect their desires and choose whom to cherish and whom to tolerate. They've earned the right to keep touring and recording for as long as they feel up to it. Remember: once it's gone, it's gone for good.
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« Reply #24 on: December 03, 2021, 12:11:46 AM »

Some of the stuff going around on Instagram is really bizarre.

Me personally, having Brian tour during covid and with the hectic schedule he does is really unfair.

He should never stop recording but he should record what he wants

Is it unfair if that’s what he wants to do?

The following is not directed at you but now is as good of a time as any.
I was trying to avoid putting it this way but I realize this is the only way to get my point across. It’s very easy for people to play armchair quarterback when they have no idea what they’re talking about. I don’t know what it’s like having auditory hallucinations, voices telling you bad sh*t constantly. That said, I suffer from PTSD (don’t care to go into why) severe anxiety and treatment resistant depression (in addition to a myriad of health issues stemming from several strokes). I don’t have voices telling me bad things….unless you count my own. Every day is a struggle not to “opt out”. The only time in my life I feel truly content is when I’m creating music. Otherwise I’m a prisoner in my own body and indeed in my own head. When I get positive feedback from people in regards to my own music , I actually feel worthy of existing. I’m actually making very good progress with my career and it seems to be happening a lot quicker than I ever expected. Honestly it’s helping me feel validated for the first time in my life. Considering everything that Brian had been through , I imagine hearing the love from his fans is extremely therapeutic. And certain ghouls (not referring to anyone here) want to take that away from him. Trust me, sitting at home busy doing nothing but let negative thoughts wreak havoc is no way to live. Brian quitting touring isn’t going to make him drop kick his walker  and start running laps around the block with a huge sh*t eating grin on his face singing Oh Happy Day. Submission may be a gift but empathy is a blessing
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