How is Brian?

[Shady]

I am concerned we don't hear from him anymore

[Awesoman]

Based on his condition from the last time he toured it would sadly appear that he's pretty much "checked out" from the active life he was living in music.  I wouldn't expect too much else from him at this point and in all honesty that's okay with me.  The guy has more than earned his retirement. 

(On the other hand pictures did surface of him and his band recording something in the studio sometime after his last tour...🤷🏼‍♂️)

[Wirestone]

He appears to still be working on some projects, and a handful of pictures have been posted online. Darian mentioned in a Facebook post that he was still working for Brian, just not in a touring capacity. Both Darian and Mark London are in touch with him. I think until he's ready to say more or step out publicly, it's fine for him to live quietly. I am so proud of what he did, and so happy that we all could be a part of it.

[MyDrKnowsItKeepsMeCalm]

I think until he's ready to say more or step out publicly, it's fine for him to live quietly. I am so proud of what he did, and so happy that we all could be a part of it.

Nicely said!

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

I do notice in the few recent pictures we’ve seen he’s looked much better than he did during that final tour

[Shady]

He appears to still be working on some projects, and a handful of pictures have been posted online. Darian mentioned in a Facebook post that he was still working for Brian, just not in a touring capacity. Both Darian and Mark London are in touch with him. I think until he's ready to say more or step out publicly, it's fine for him to live quietly. I am so proud of what he did, and so happy that we all could be a part of it.

Great Post. I am too. As long as Brian is happy and enjoying his life we are all happy

[Awesoman]

I do notice in the few recent pictures we’ve seen he’s looked much better than he did during that final tour

Yeah hopefully he's doing better.  I really hope he isn't pushed into touring any further if he doesn't want to and isn't in good shape for it.  There's been recent videos going around on Facebook of an 89-year-old Frankie Valli hobbling around on stage and is very clearly lip-syncing to a pre-recorded vocal track and it's not a good look.  We don't need Brian going that route. 

[HeyJude]

I do notice in the few recent pictures we’ve seen he’s looked much better than he did during that final tour

Yeah hopefully he's doing better.  I really hope he isn't pushed into touring any further if he doesn't want to and isn't in good shape for it.  There's been recent videos going around on Facebook of an 89-year-old Frankie Valli hobbling around on stage and is very clearly lip-syncing to a pre-recorded vocal track and it's not a good look.  We don't need Brian going that route. 

Frankie Valli has been lip-syncing for eons. It's truly bizarre that he still gets bookings when for years and years (probably well over a decade?) he's been doing this, and very unconvincingly. I guess people are still buying tickets.

[HeyJude]

I don't think it's clear how Brian's doing, but that's okay. He still seems to be doing stuff. He participated in the new documentary shoot for the Beach Boys.

I suspect his increasingly rough tour performances indicated some mounting issues, and we can only hope those have eased off now that he's been taking it easy for a good year and a half.

Based on what I've heard and also just my own sense of what info we have been given, I think he's hanging in there and doing okay. I feel like a confluence of things over the last few years, probably medical, and aging, and just life, have made it seemingly a non-starter to do live gigs anymore, and probably not easy to do a lot of studio work or other work (e.g. appearances for a documentary), but he still manages to do those things from time to time.

I've said it before, but just from a "PR" standpoint, they dodged a HUGE problem last year concerning Brian's live gigs. He was in really rough shape, and I think it was becoming pretty problematic that they weren't canceling those gigs. Yet, somehow they managed to muddle through the tour and quietly essentially retire from touring, all without the mainstream media really picking up much on how rough those shows were.

I think a lot of things in the Beach Boys world have just continued to very quietly and subtly, yet increasingly, wind down. It's sad and a little depressing, but I think there's tons to be grateful for both from the fan perspective and in terms of the fact that the guys that are still around seem to doing okay overall.

I think ditching the reunion in 2012 will, as time goes by, become more and more of a strong candidate for one of the worst "bad decisions" they made, as we learn how they could have gotten a few more years of excellent touring in together before age/time took its toll on multiple fronts. It's unfortunate that we all now don't even really talk about a reunion anymore, as we kind of all understand it's just not a do-able thing at this stage. It remains to be seen if Brian can (or will ever) even do a single live show let alone something more substantial.

I don't have a lot of optimism about this upcoming Beach Boys documentary (and what I've heard hasn't helped my optimism either), but I hope they can squeeze out something half-way decent on that front, and then they can get back to the achives, which is where there's TONS of lifeblood left and many more discoveries and revelations to be made. 

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

I do notice in the few recent pictures we’ve seen he’s looked much better than he did during that final tour

Yeah hopefully he's doing better.  I really hope he isn't pushed into touring any further if he doesn't want to and isn't in good shape for it.  There's been recent videos going around on Facebook of an 89-year-old Frankie Valli hobbling around on stage and is very clearly lip-syncing to a pre-recorded vocal track and it's not a good look.  We don't need Brian going that route. 

Frankie Valli has been lip-syncing for eons. It's truly bizarre that he still gets bookings when for years and years (probably well over a decade?) he's been doing this, and very unconvincingly. I guess people are still buying tickets.

I’ll never understand lip synched concerts , like, ever

[Tony S]

Totally agree. I would never ever go to a concert that I knew was lip synced. Frankie Valli is a legend no doubt and understand he's 90 years old but it's so obvious he's not singing It's piped in music and whether or not it's his vocal or not to me doesn't even matter he's not singing it live. And that's what it comes down to for me I'd rather hear it live and not as good then hear something pre-recorded with someone making it appear that they're singing when they're obviously not

[Acechaser]

I agree that recent photos show Brian looking better than he has in awhile.  However, I fear that he continues to have trouble walking - is he confined to a wheel chair?  As they say, "father time in undefeated"; while Brian survived mental illness, drug use, Landy, etc., he's probably winding down in all respects as the years pile on. 

[HeyJude]

I agree that recent photos show Brian looking better than he has in awhile.  However, I fear that he continues to have trouble walking - is he confined to a wheel chair?  As they say, "father time in undefeated"; while Brian survived mental illness, drug use, Landy, etc., he's probably winding down in all respects as the years pile on. 

Brian has had back issues (which apparently run in the family) and had a few back surgeries over the last decade or so. He was having trouble moving around back during the reunion tour in 2012 (watch Mike holding Brian’s hand as they walked on stage for one of the late night talk shows, I think it was Fallon?). Aging and back issues kind of usually inevitably fuel each other, but I do think Brian has had some non-age related back issues that have intermittently been an issue on top of whatever else he has going on.

I recall there were conversations here a few years ago when he was using a wheelchair on stage during concerts, and obviously that conversation can involve a lot of broader issues than anything to do specifically with Brian. I was never troubled by his use of a wheelchair (indeed, it was surely for safety reasons, and I can attest to having watched Brian trip on cabling running along the stage floor backstage all the way back in like 2001, concert stages are a hornet’s nest of opportunities to trip and fall); I was eventually troubled with his on-stage demeanor/singing (or lack thereof). I think he had a pretty rough time on the last few years of touring, but that last 2022 tour shouldn’t have happened, and/or should have been called off early on when it was clear he was intermittently either not singing at all or mumbling/whispering the stuff he was singing.

Ideally, probably a few years ago, it might have been a good idea to stop doing live tours, and instead shift to perhaps doing some livestreamed internet shows, or pre-recorded internet shows where the presentation and performance quality could be molded a little better.

Obviously, I’m not trying to dwell on this stuff too much because it’s all in the past now. I think folks have been waiting since that last show in 2022 to see what kind of shape Brian is in as far as any sort of musical performances in the studio or on stage. He sang Al “Happy Birthday”, was it last year or this year?, and he sounded pretty weak, albeit still being a cool thing to see.

I suspect we’re going to get this new Beach Boys documentary soon, and I’m curious what kind of interviews Brian was able to provide to them, and whether they might have tried to look for some Brian interviews from at least a few years prior, perhaps more “Long Promised Road” interview material or something.

[MyDrKnowsItKeepsMeCalm]

I think ditching the reunion in 2012 will, as time goes by, become more and more of a strong candidate for one of the worst "bad decisions" they made, as we learn how they could have gotten a few more years of excellent touring in together before age/time took its toll on multiple fronts. It's unfortunate that we all now don't even really talk about a reunion anymore, as we kind of all understand it's just not a do-able thing at this stage. It remains to be seen if Brian can (or will ever) even do a single live show let alone something more substantial.

The reunion implosion was shocking at the time, but looking back all these years later, there was probably little chance it could have ended any other way. Maybe dates could have been added into (say) spring or summer 2013, but past that?

I wish it could have continued. It was a beautiful thing, and the NYC show I saw was one of the best I've ever seen, and was the reason I joined this board in the first place. But to put it a different way, it was likely baked into the DNA of this group *decades* ago that Mike and Brian would not be able to co-helm the reunited group without a whole hornet's nest of issues.

[HeyJude]

I think ditching the reunion in 2012 will, as time goes by, become more and more of a strong candidate for one of the worst "bad decisions" they made, as we learn how they could have gotten a few more years of excellent touring in together before age/time took its toll on multiple fronts. It's unfortunate that we all now don't even really talk about a reunion anymore, as we kind of all understand it's just not a do-able thing at this stage. It remains to be seen if Brian can (or will ever) even do a single live show let alone something more substantial.

The reunion implosion was shocking at the time, but looking back all these years later, there was probably little chance it could have ended any other way. Maybe dates could have been added into (say) spring or summer 2013, but past that?

I wish it could have continued. It was a beautiful thing, and the NYC show I saw was one of the best I've ever seen, and was the reason I joined this board in the first place. But to put it a different way, it was likely baked into the DNA of this group *decades* ago that Mike and Brian would not be able to co-helm the reunited group without a whole hornet's nest of issues.

For sure, I think in the larger context of the group's history, and knowing what the 2010s-2020s politics are with the group and shareholders, it's not surprising the reunion fell apart. Indeed, one could argue it's amazing it happened at all. I think, despite Mike saying in his book that he was ready to quit multiple times, that the stack of contracts signed for the entire reunion project were what held it together at a certain point, because if anybody had walked in the middle of the scheduled dates, it would have kicked up enough legal/contract/financial problems that they'd probably still be sorting it out a decade later.

That being said, while there are a myriad of things over the band's history that were and are always clear non-starters that could have *never* happened, I think keeping that 2012 reunion going was something that is more frustrating in its failure because it could have been done with not only *minimal* issues vis-a-vis all their back-biting politics, it ultimately would have benefited them (and obviously fans). There are multiple tiers to what could have been. They could have kept the "reunion" lineup as the permanent lineup (with other "solo" bands still in play for side gigs and corporate gigs, etc.) Or, even if it wasn't going to be a "forever" thing at that point, they could have lined up another year or two of worldwide touring, one more studio album (much of which had already been recorded in 2011/2012), and then retired the whole thing. Or, *at the very least*, they could have had their sh*t together enough to end the 2012 year with a better sign-off than the clusterf*ck that actually occurred. Get everybody on the same page, book a final "goodbye" show in LA or NYC for the end of the year or something. And all of that is not even getting into how they could have done more and better with *minimal* actual compromise. Brian's camp could have just acquiesced and let Mike "write with Brian in a room" for a bit, throw Mike a few bones like that, and in turn Mike could agree to not need to immediately have his Stamos Edition out there playing bowling alleys.

But yeah, we'll have the rest of time to hash all the couldas/shouldas.

[HeyJude]

I do notice in the few recent pictures we’ve seen he’s looked much better than he did during that final tour

Yeah hopefully he's doing better.  I really hope he isn't pushed into touring any further if he doesn't want to and isn't in good shape for it.  There's been recent videos going around on Facebook of an 89-year-old Frankie Valli hobbling around on stage and is very clearly lip-syncing to a pre-recorded vocal track and it's not a good look.  We don't need Brian going that route. 

Frankie Valli has been lip-syncing for eons. It's truly bizarre that he still gets bookings when for years and years (probably well over a decade?) he's been doing this, and very unconvincingly. I guess people are still buying tickets.

I’ll never understand lip synched concerts , like, ever

I mean, I guess I can understand it from the performer point of view. People pay, it keeps working and making money, so why not? Clearly they're not embarrassed by it from an artistic point of view.

If you go on YouTube (and apparently TikTok, at least that's what people on YouTube are saying), there are a million concert videos arguing (I'd argue pretty convincingly proving) that Valli is lip-syncing. Not only is he lip-syncing, but he's been using the same *one single* voice recording for over a decade. Like, they can't even mix it up and work from a few different archival recordings. There are also examples of someone forgetting to bring the fader up on the pre-recorded stuff, revealing Valli's real voice (I was actually surprised that at least on occasion he might actually be really singing, even if it's into a dead mic). On top of all that, there are some (admittedly mean-spirited, often from snarky young people who don't know anything about Valli) videos pointing out that Valli kind of looks and acts like a zombie on stage. Barely moving, super stiff, dead-eyed, etc. I mean, the dude is almost 90 so I think he still seems pretty spry. But obviously, this is not something that should be on stage or have tickets sold to.

Yet, some fans in the comments sections on these videos are adamant that Valli is really singing (with an off-shoot group of defenders admitting he's not singing, but making excuses for it), which probably explains how he's still booking venues, in some cases pretty large ones.

Like, there are some videos online breaking Valli's last decade or more of touring down like the Zapruder film, with proof of the same exact recording of his voice being used over and over for over a decade, with the same exact inflections, etc. It's truly bizarre to watch Valli from like ten years ago, more spry and less dead-eyed, and then watch his decline over a decade of shows while the vocal recording stays *exactly* the same.

[guitarfool2002]

I do notice in the few recent pictures we’ve seen he’s looked much better than he did during that final tour

Yeah hopefully he's doing better.  I really hope he isn't pushed into touring any further if he doesn't want to and isn't in good shape for it.  There's been recent videos going around on Facebook of an 89-year-old Frankie Valli hobbling around on stage and is very clearly lip-syncing to a pre-recorded vocal track and it's not a good look.  We don't need Brian going that route.  

It's funny looking back how many people for years were insisting Brian was being "forced" to tour when he was actively touring, a theory that just isn't true and has no merit. On that last run of shows in late 2019 with the Friends/Zombies lineup before covid lockdowns shut everything down, I heard Brian wanted to go out on tour again in 2020. There was no external force involved in that decision or desire to resume touring. When his health made touring impractical or impossible enough to stop, he stopped.

I'm wondering if the same opinions will be flipped to suggest he will be "forced" to stay home...doubtful.

As others have said, Valli has been obviously miming his vocals on stage for years, we even talked about it here years ago, so there's no mystery at this point except among his fans who refuse to see or believe what's plainly obvious. If people want to spend their money to see a spectacle like that, I guess it's their choice. And also years ago there were videos of Mike's band performing different venues where they were playing to backing tracks on Good Vibrations, I even synched up the two clips which lined up perfectly and were exactly the same track (an impossible thing with 100% live performances from two different venues at different times) but never publicly posted the results, yet there were people insisting Mike never performed with backing tracks. So the evidence can be put on full display and some will still refuse to believe it as seems to be happening within Frankie Valli's fan base.

[William Bowe]

I was actually surprised that at least on occasion he might actually be really singing, even if it's into a dead mic

Perhaps nobody's told him.

[MyDrKnowsItKeepsMeCalm]

It's funny looking back how many people for years were insisting Brian was being "forced" to tour when he was actively touring, a theory that just isn't true and has no merit. On that last run of shows in late 2019 with the Friends/Zombies lineup before covid lockdowns shut everything down, I heard Brian wanted to go out on tour again in 2020. There was no external force involved in that decision or desire to resume touring. When his health made touring impractical or impossible enough to stop, he stopped.

Somewhat off-topic, but the Friends/Zombies show I saw in NYC in September 2019 was *fantastic*. Even with Brian visibly struggling a bit in the first half of the show -- not entirely sure if he was fighting a cold, back issues or some milder form of the issues he had on the 2022 Chicago tour -- he had moments of beauty, and the setlist was just one jaw-dropping surprise after another, with *tons* of deep cuts from Friends and Surf's Up and the band sounding absolutely killer on them. I really wish everyone here could have seen it.

[Lonely Summer]

I do notice in the few recent pictures we’ve seen he’s looked much better than he did during that final tour

Yeah hopefully he's doing better.  I really hope he isn't pushed into touring any further if he doesn't want to and isn't in good shape for it.  There's been recent videos going around on Facebook of an 89-year-old Frankie Valli hobbling around on stage and is very clearly lip-syncing to a pre-recorded vocal track and it's not a good look.  We don't need Brian going that route. 

Frankie Valli has been lip-syncing for eons. It's truly bizarre that he still gets bookings when for years and years (probably well over a decade?) he's been doing this, and very unconvincingly. I guess people are still buying tickets.

I've been hearing about this for years, so I decided to check out some You Tube vids. Yep, it's obvious. His voice is too perfect in those performances. And he's barely moving his mouth. Seriously, it gave me the creeps, it was like watching a corpse walk around on stage. I'm glad the Beach Boys aren't doing that. Yes, there might be an occasional tv appearance they lip synch, but when you see them in concert, it's all live.
I will say that Valli's band and backup singers sounded great. Sometimes I forget what a great catalog the 4 Seasons have.

[Magic Transistor Radio]

I was born in 1977, but I am sure that those of you who saw him at that time were thinking it may not be much longer for Brian. His 1976 tour was strange, but hopeful. He trimmed down and started to look better in interviews and on stage. Then he went downhill again into the early 80s. Where I am sure, many were thinking, this could be the last time we see Brian! But he recovered, and it was another Beach Boy we lost!

Fast forward to 2001. The first time I saw Brian live, doing the Pet Sounds tour. I never thought I would ever see him live again, unless he rejoined the Beach Boys touring band. I thought this might be the only time I would see him live!
But I have seen him 5 times! The last was 2016! I missed the Zombie tour unfortunately. I don't think I could afford it at the time.

I know that Brian can look out of it at times. Then other time seem happy and into it. This is nothing new. I remember during a rehearsal for the Smile tour, on the Beautiful Dreamer documentary, Brian was staring off and barely participating. He then drove himself to the emergency room. He later said he was experiencing audio hallucinations. I don't know if the general public knew this had been a problem since the 60s, but it was the first time I heard it! Makes me think of his 70s shows differently.

Finally, we get to the past year. Long Promised Road was probably the saddest documentary I have seen with Brian! Other than some moments in the studio, he just seemed off. Especially, when he was riding in the car, talking about the past, and listening to songs. The moment he hears of Jack Rieley's death is heart breaking! I believe Brian has stated before that death scares him. I can't help but think that he is depressed because he knows he doesn't have much longer. Then I saw a fan video of Brian singing God Only Knows (I think last summer?). He sings the beginning, then stops. I think Matt Jardine sings the rest. Brian looks off stage and seems to be in a lot of emotional (possibly physical) pain. It's heart breaking!

All I can say is that I am thankful for what Brian has given us. In the last 20 years, we have seen moments of greatness from Brian! That Lucky Old Sun and Gershwin were top notch productions and every bit as good as his 60s work! I hope Brian is doing ok today! I don't need anything else from him. He has given us more than we ever thought possible! But I hope he can be at peace for the last (hopefully long) years Brian is with us!

[Awesoman]

I was born in 1977, but I am sure that those of you who saw him at that time were thinking it may not be much longer for Brian. His 1976 tour was strange, but hopeful. He trimmed down and started to look better in interviews and on stage. Then he went downhill again into the early 80s. Where I am sure, many were thinking, this could be the last time we see Brian! But he recovered, and it was another Beach Boy we lost!

Fast forward to 2001. The first time I saw Brian live, doing the Pet Sounds tour. I never thought I would ever see him live again, unless he rejoined the Beach Boys touring band. I thought this might be the only time I would see him live!
But I have seen him 5 times! The last was 2016! I missed the Zombie tour unfortunately. I don't think I could afford it at the time.

I know that Brian can look out of it at times. Then other time seem happy and into it. This is nothing new. I remember during a rehearsal for the Smile tour, on the Beautiful Dreamer documentary, Brian was staring off and barely participating. He then drove himself to the emergency room. He later said he was experiencing audio hallucinations. I don't know if the general public knew this had been a problem since the 60s, but it was the first time I heard it! Makes me think of his 70s shows differently.

Finally, we get to the past year. Long Promised Road was probably the saddest documentary I have seen with Brian! Other than some moments in the studio, he just seemed off. Especially, when he was riding in the car, talking about the past, and listening to songs. The moment he hears of Jack Rieley's death is heart breaking! I believe Brian has stated before that death scares him. I can't help but think that he is depressed because he knows he doesn't have much longer. Then I saw a fan video of Brian singing God Only Knows (I think last summer?). He sings the beginning, then stops. I think Matt Jardine sings the rest. Brian looks off stage and seems to be in a lot of emotional (possibly physical) pain. It's heart breaking!

All I can say is that I am thankful for what Brian has given us. In the last 20 years, we have seen moments of greatness from Brian! That Lucky Old Sun and Gershwin were top notch productions and every bit as good as his 60s work! I hope Brian is doing ok today! I don't need anything else from him. He has given us more than we ever thought possible! But I hope he can be at peace for the last (hopefully long) years Brian is with us!

I dunno about Long Promised Road being "sad"; he actually seemed to be doing pretty well in that movie and seemed to genuinely like hanging with Jason Fine.  The scene where he's calling out to a random pedestrian while in Jason's car asking them a question is pretty amusing and vintage BW quirkiness.  He was a lot more "with it" during that movie than he would be a few years later when he returned to touring.

[Acechaser]

Prior to the new recordings for the LPR soundtrack, was Brian's most recent recording "Run James Run" for the "Playback" release?

[Jim V.]

Prior to the new recordings for the LPR soundtrack, was Brian's most recent recording "Run James Run" for the "Playback" release?

Vocally, I guess you could say so. Though keep in mind only the verse lyrics were recorded in 2017 (?) for Playback, the backing track and the rest of the vocals were recorded years earlier for No Pier Pressure with an Al lead.

But Brian's most recent recordings besides Long Promised Road would actually be his instrumental album, 2021's At My Piano.

[Awesoman]

Prior to the new recordings for the LPR soundtrack, was Brian's most recent recording "Run James Run" for the "Playback" release?

Vocally, I guess you could say so. Though keep in mind only the verse lyrics were recorded in 2017 (?) for Playback, the backing track and the rest of the vocals were recorded years earlier for No Pier Pressure with an Al lead.

But Brian's most recent recordings besides Long Promised Road would actually be his instrumental album, 2021's At My Piano.

As I had mentioned earlier in the thread there were pictures of Brian in the studio recording sometime after his last tour.  Thought I heard something that he might be contributing to a Glenn Campbell tribute album but don't quote me on that.  I believe Al Jardine recently mentioned that Brian was even working on a new album but Al has gotten the facts wrong a time or two in recent years (*ahem* 60th anniversary reunion...?).