Midnight's Another Day

[pixletwin]

I, for one, believe he did just that regardless of whether Darian proposed the initial sequencing or not.

Bravo

[SG7]

Gosh its been close to three years (can you believe it and I can't either) since BWPS and you all are STILL in a fuss who sequenced it or not??   Thats like the same people that complain about the fake tack piano and harpischord. What's happened, happened people.

I just don't get the animosity towards Darian here.  

[the captain]

Gosh its been close to three years (can you believe it and I can't either) since BWPS and you all are STILL in a fuss who sequenced it or not??   Thats like the same people that complain about the fake tack piano and harpischord. What's happened, happened people.

I just don't get the animosity towards Darian here.  

[Round of applause.]

And as for me, if Darian did 99% of it, he doesn't deserve animosity, but heaps of praise. Because it's done. And now I'm going to sit down in front of an Alesis keyboard and play some fake tack piano or harpsichord!

[pixletwin]

IMO the Wondermints are the best thing that ever happened to Brian since sandwiches.

[the captain]

I love sandwiches.

[buddhahat]

Gosh its been close to three years (can you believe it and I can't either) since BWPS and you all are STILL in a fuss who sequenced it or not??   Thats like the same people that complain about the fake tack piano and harpischord. What's happened, happened people.

I just don't get the animosity towards Darian here.  

Your damn right!! I was just qurious to hear AGD's opinion on the sequencing but I guess I should stop dissecting and just go with my own hunch which is: Brian and VDP with the help of Darian completed Smile. I have no animosity towards Darian - I think the guy's a genius for enabling the project and whatever parts he played in putting it together. Actually there's a great quote from Carl where he talks about Smile and hopes in the future that somebody assists Brian in completing it - that kind of puts the whole thing in perspective for me. I wish I had that quote - can anyone post it please?

P.S. I don't care about the fake tack piano. I've never actually noticed that it's fake tack piano - Ignorance is bliss, right?!

[Andrew G. Doe]

Gosh its been close to three years (can you believe it and I can't either) since BWPS and you all are STILL in a fuss who sequenced it or not??  Thats like the same people that complain about the fake tack piano and harpischord. What's happened, happened people.

I just don't get the animosity towards Darian here. 

Care to show me my animosity towards Darian ?  He's a great guy, and one who deserves a better shake of the stick than he's been getting.

[SG7]

Hey AGD, no way am I blaming you for anything. I am just speaking in general in tones of the conversations similar to this one from others in the past (and the ones who still do... you know who you are). I always felt Darian was and has been blamed almost for the way BWPS has been. Rather then being happy that the product came out period, people just found flaws with it and just constantly blamed him.

I have wanted to say that since BWPS came out. My 2 cents 


PS: The Wondermints are the shiznit indeed. Funny enough, I am currently wearing my Wondermints shirt I got from a certain somebody 

[Andrew G. Doe]

The equation is very simple:

no Darian = no BWPS.

Anyone who thinks Brian did it (largely or entirely) on his own in 2003 is patently forgetting that he couldn't do it some 37 years earlier when at the height of his powers. Plus, and this is also germane, it wasn't his idea in the first place.

[adamghost]

Nobody but Darian could possibly have had the combination of musical skills, arranging skills, political skills, temperament, perfectionism and selflessness to have gotten SMiLE done and have it come out as well as it has.  I've known the guy for 13 years and I can tell you this for a fact.

[buddhahat]

Hey AGD, no way am I blaming you for anything. I am just speaking in general in tones of the conversations similar to this one from others in the past (and the ones who still do... you know who you are). I always felt Darian was and has been blamed almost for the way BWPS has been. Rather then being happy that the product came out period, people just found flaws with it and just constantly blamed him.

I have wanted to say that since BWPS came out. My 2 cents 


PS: The Wondermints are the shiznit indeed. Funny enough, I am currently wearing my Wondermints shirt I got from a certain somebody 

I don't think there was any animosity towards Darian in any of the recent posts in this thread. In the context of the 'how much of MAD has Brian written' queries I was making a comparison to BWPS and the similar questions that raises, i.e. those that suggest it's largely Darian's work. AGD was just responding to my questions.

Thanks for the info AGD, but I must admit I instantly regretted asking you! I think scratching under the surface of any artwork to reveal the process behind it's creation can be disillusioning to say the least. If that's your job as a historian then it's essential but as a fan I think you can end up destroying the thing you love. Do you ever experience this conflict of interests yourself?

That they managed to organise the Smile material into such a cohesive piece and that the new additions blend so seamlessly is a miracle as far as I'm concerned and one that well and truly blew my mind at the RFH. I agree that a seemingly calm, modest and unthreatening character like Darian was essential in order for Brian to lower his defenses and engage with the problematic music.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

And also this...us saying that Darian did a majority of it in know way shape or form means that BWPS wasn't a great album. Far from it. In fact, to me, it is more proof that Darian (and Scott Bennett) is who Brian *should* be working with.

[Jim McShane]

And also this...us saying that Darian did a majority of it in know way shape or form means that BWPS wasn't a great album. Far from it. In fact, to me, it is more proof that Darian (and Scott Bennett) is who Brian *should* be working with.

So true...

I have felt for years that Brian's current band is the best thing that could have ever happened to him. I agree with AGD, no Darian = no BWPS. Darian got a LOT of help from Paul Mertens and the Tasty Brothers too, from what I gather. And it's clear that there is some serious chemistry between Brian and Scott Bennett.

But a few years ago there were a sizable number of people who attacked the BW Band and its members relentlessly, and did everything they could to paint them in a bad light. The reasons given were everything from "we don't like the way Darian sings 'doo-you' ", to seemingly endless bashing of Nick Walusko for the way he said "you're under arrest", to "Bob Lizik is a terrible bass player who uses crummy bass guitars"! There was even a rumor started at one time that a couple band members had been fired for (what was hinted at) sinister reasons! It seems the band was guilty of an unforgiveable sin - they weren't the Beach Boys. There are some who still can't let that go.

In this phase of Brian's career, his (can you still call them "new" - they've played together for 7 years) new band is clearly fueling a creative renaissance that is way beyond anything I ever dreamed of. "Midnight's Another Day" is spectacular, and there is the promise of more coming. Do the "reunionists" really think that Al, Mike, or Bruce could or would produce a collaborative effort with Brian that could compare with MAD?

Returning to the original topic of the thread... I stopped listening to MAD for about a week just so I didn't get tired of it. I went back yesterday for a listen again. Man, it's magnificent, it's so powerful! Scott's great lyrics applied to Brian's emotionally charged music have created something special IMHO.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Thanks for the info AGD, but I must admit I instantly regretted asking you! I think scratching under the surface of any artwork to reveal the process behind it's creation can be disillusioning to say the least. If that's your job as a historian then it's essential but as a fan I think you can end up destroying the thing you love. Do you ever experience this conflict of interests yourself?

Sometimes it's a case of way TMI - there's some stuff I truly, truly wish I didn't know - but for balance sometimes knowing the real backstory enhances the music. Swings and roundabouts - in the final analyisis, the important thing is to present the story as accurately as possible, and frankly, in the various BB closets, skeletons abound. The thing is to be honest yet responsible, but sometimes being honest casts a very bad light on the subject.  Hopefully, the events of the past decade or so will one day be accurately chronicled by an objective outsider.

[Amy B.]

Hopefully, the events of the past decade or so will one day be accurately chronicled by an objective outsider.

Maybe Peter Ames Carlin will write part 2.

She's not objective by any means, but I feel like Carnie Wilson will some day write some kind of tell-all-- maybe after Brian is gone. She does like to write the books!