Brian's Wild Solo-Artist Ride

[MBE]

I guess I just never thought Brian could return to who he was before the voice loss. I saw too many weird interviews, heard too many bad songs on the 1985 LP etc. My expectations were low.

The fact that we have had Smile I guess makes it better then I hoped, and as much as I think he should not tour except doing a special show ala Lucky Old Sun, I got to admit I never thought he would be able to put on the high quality shows I saw in 1999, and 2004. His voice is even better then I hoped the last decade, though it never stunned me. I guess I wrote Brian off in one way, and I am glad he's done some decent work.

Yet I know I will never like anything as much as I like the first 12-13 years of his or any of the Beach Boys careers. I heard a 1974 concert recently and was again amazed how tight they were compared to a short three years later. Only Dennis to me was on the same level by 1976, and even then the voice wasn't the same, though made it work because his performances stayed intense, and his productions and songwriting remained fresh and innovative.
I hope you understand a little better how I feel now.

[Sheriff John Stone]

I guess I just never thought Brian could return to who he was before the voice loss.

That is something that should've been considered when contemplating a solo career. There are many reasons for the success of Beach Boys' albums, but one of the reasons for me would be the use of several lead vocalists on their albums, sometimes four or five different ones. With the exception of the weak material, I've never been able to get past Brian's "solo" voice in carrying an entire album.

[MBE]

I can understand that, yet I still think he's a pleasent singer if I let myself forget how he used to sound. I tend to like group albums better then solo albums as a rule period. Even when people who got bigger solo  like Tina Turner, Michael Jackson, or Kenny Rogers, I really like the group albums much more. Of course in those three cases it may have to do with the fact that I like music from the sixties and seventies much more in general. But still something is missing without the group atmosphere. Witness the Beatles.

[Bean Bag]

What about the touring?  The big push to put on a show and smile for the camera.  And what the hell was completing Smile all about?  This all has to mean something and can't be left out of the equation.

At the very least, it's telling.  I'm not saying 'follow the money,' that's not my point (but you could certainly add speculation there if you like.)  If he (or they) are doing it for the fans, well then....fine, but I don't think that's the point.  I suspect it's to build his confidence and tackle all the old fears.   And BWPS seems to be very driven and focused towards "a resolution."

I suspect this is his latest "therapy."  Resolve old fears.  It's hard to fault...

But how would that translate to art?  What does it mean for the studio or at the piano in the living room?  I think it all translates to be a full 180 degress out of phase with the "creative process" if you axe me.

....at least for now.

[Amy B.]

What about the touring?  The big push to put on a show and smile for the camera.  And what the hell was completing Smile all about?  This all has to mean something and can't be left out of the equation.

At the very least, it's telling.  I'm not saying 'follow the money,' that's not my point (but you could certainly add speculation there if you like.)  If he (or they) are doing it for the fans, well then....fine, but I don't think that's the point.  I suspect it's to build his confidence and tackle all the old fears.   And BWPS seems to be very driven and focused towards "a resolution."

I suspect this is his latest "therapy."  Resolve old fears.  It's hard to fault...

But how would that translate to art?  What's it's mean in the studio or at the piano in the living room?  I think it all translates to be a full 180 degress out of phase with the "creative process" if you axe me.

....at least for now.

Hasn't Brian's music always been about therapy, to some extent? Not for the label or even for the rest of the BBs, but for Brian. He had personal reasons for _needing_ to do Pet Sounds, for example. It also happened to be the most amazing thing he or anyone ever did, but it was therapeutic for him. So when released BWPS not for commercial glory but to resolve a personal issue, it was similar. I don't think that's changed. That undercurrent has always been there, and I suspect that TLOS has been therapeutic for him too. I'm not saying that he never had commercial ambitions (and in fact, sometimes he still shows a desire for commercial success), but I suspect that's also because of a need for acceptance, rather than a need for money or fame or anything like that.
The creative process has been unrealiable because Brian's psyche has not been realiable, but I don't think the creative process and the need for therapy are mutually exclusive.

[brianc]

Great post, Jason Global Moderator.

I'd only disagree that the Paley sessions sound much more inspired and autonymous than some give them credit for. Even if it's a full-on collaboration, and Andy was involved in writing.... it sounds like Brian wants to be there, and it sounds fresh.

[Jim McShane]

Imagination? Forget it...two BW solo compositions, two remakes, and 7 questionable ones to say the least. GIOMH, yeah ok, we have something original, but who really LIKES the album?

I do like Imagination! There are some real nuggets to be mined there. Sometimes you have to look past the production a bit to find them, but there is a real potpourri of interesting BW work to be found on it.

In any kind of a decent market "South American" should have been a big radio hit, the same goes for "Your Imagination" (which performed live is terrific!). Brian at his "make something that'll sell" best.

"Lay Down Burden" and "Cry" seem to both be from deep inside - especially "Lay Down Burden". It's just gut-wrenching to listen to, there's not a hint of commercialism in his writing, it's a beautifully sung and very sad song.

I find "Happy Days" to be very interesting - it is an emotional tour of Brian's recent life. From the depths of despair and pain to the joy he felt writing the song. I don't think you could fake that song, I think it too had to come from the gut.

I just like "Dream Angel". I don't know exactly why, I do REALLY like the vocals on it too.

Facts need to be faced. When Landy went, the songwriting quantity and quality pretty much went. We should be glad he even writes for himself, let alone for public consumption.

I don't think those are facts, those are your take. I think Brian has written (or co-written) a number of great songs since then. In fact, in addition to the songs on Imagination I think all of these post-BW88 songs are terrific:

Desert Drive
DLHKSAA
HCWSBD
Soul Searchin'
Gettin' In Over My Head (again, performed live it was goosebumps time)
WIRWFC
Christmasey
What Love Can Do

And most of TLOS...

I do agree that he doesn't seem to want to do it all like he used to. I love Darian's example (re: BWPS) of looking at the musical tasks like they were a giant stack of dirty dishes! He wants to do so much, then no more. So maybe now more than ever his choice of collaborators/producers is the key to success and how his songs are viewed/received.

And, of all the unlikely transformations to take place... when he's "on", his live performances of the later material with the band blow away the recorded stuff! The songs they do from GIOMH are FAR better live than on that CD. I heard them play GIOMH (the song obviously) live and it was really magical, it had a delicacy and wistfulness the CD couldn't begin to approach. Brian sang it like he was really asking himself that exact question.  A real WOW moment for sure!

I agree with claymcc:

We are walking perilously close to the "because I don't like the music, that means Brian didn't do it" territory. It's a land where conspiracy theories take root and Melinda sprouts little devil horns.

I think he does pretty well for a mid-60s aged guy!

[TdHabib]

BW88 has good songwriting and I like the vocals, the former are the best he was capable of (with the exception of "Black Widow" or "Let's Do it Again," which should've been on the record, and the B-side to "Melt Away"). Sweet Insanity has even worse production, and a few duffer songs, but I still like some of the songs a lot. I'm a minor fan of OCA, but a good number of Imagination songs fall flat. The only GIOMH songs (in the 2004 form) I can get really excited about are "Fairy Tale" and the title track, as well as "Desert Drive." The Paley Sessions were not only the best material he ever wrote after Love You, but are among his best vocals since then too. Really breaks me heart the majority of them were never released in their proper form. Thankfully, "This Song Wants to Sleep With You Tonight," (one of my top 5 BW solo songs) did see release.

[brianc]

So did "Saturday Morning in the City" and "In My Moondreams."

[Bean Bag]

So I see I'm in the minority with regard to Imagination.     I think it's Brian's best solo work; fun, meaningful, inspired, well-produced (not over!), awesome vocals, and awesome songs.  Oh well, it's my modern-day Pet Sounds!!  I'll take it!

Good point Amy about Brian's therapy and music often being one in the same.  I really have no come back for that--other than to say--that being on the road to "prove" he can do it, means nothing to me and nothing to the creative process.  I want Bri back on the living room piano, banging out feels...and yelling "Hey...I got one!!  Let's book sometime with so-and-so and work on this!"

That's what I want.  Not, "Brian...Brian...do you want to prove xyz today?"  No....that's not him.  It ain't me.


But, as I said (I think I did anyway) if this is what it takes to get Brian back to a creative genius, than I'll take it.  If he needs to "clean out the cobwebs" via killing old demons...then by all means...rock on.

[Bean Bag]

And, lastly, Bean Bag, you hit the nail right on the head. You have this enthusiastic band doing these vocal gymnastics, "fronted by a damaged man trying to carry a tune".

Thanks Sheriff!  It's still my unresolved issue here.  Whether this is all part of boosting Brian's ego and/or confidence, that's fine...we all love the guy...but what does this all mean for the ART?  In the end, creative geniuses are creative geniuses if they continue to work un-frickin'-compromised.

It reminds me of a tale from my art school daze.  Picasso, late in his life, never had to pay for art supplies -- since every check he signed became worth more than the money on the check because of his stupid signature.  It got so ridiculous that he could essentially crumble up a piece of paper, throw it on the floor and call it "snow."  And it would be worth thousands.  Just completely sad.

So that's kind of where we're at here.  We all love it when he does something new...but we know.  We know what's going on.  Don't misunderstand, I don't think he's tossing this stuff off...not at all. 

Is it experimentation?  I don't know.  He shouldn't have to invent some new movement everytime.  Honestly...I can't wait to hear TLOS.  When listening to it, if I can detect that this is how his world truly is...and this is truly who he is...than fine.  I'm totally fine with it.  And if the elements all fit in that depiction.  PERFECT.

I just hear a lot of "supporting" or really OVER-supporting when I totally don't think he needs it.  He's got all this stuff in his heart and head.  I guarantee it.  Besides, it's not like it's going to outsell Coldplay or Madonna or what the charts want these days--and it doesn't need to.  He's playing this for us nut-job fans anyway...right?

Does that make sense?

[Bicyclerider]

That is something that should've been considered when contemplating a solo career. There are many reasons for the success of Beach Boys' albums, but one of the reasons for me would be the use of several lead vocalists on their albums, sometimes four or five different ones. With the exception of the weak material, I've never been able to get past Brian's "solo" voice in carrying an entire album.

Yeah, right on.  When Brian wanted to leave the Beach Boys in 67, 69, 72 and later, he didn't want to leave to pursue a "solo" career - he wanted to leave to produce Redwood, or Spring, or some other act.  He wanted to write, arrange, produce, but stay in the background.  With BW 88 he's singing ALL the parts, lead and backing, and he loses the magical blend of voices that he created in the Beach boys and in other artists.

[Andrew G. Doe]

I just hear a lot of "supporting" or really OVER-supporting when I totally don't think he needs it. 

I'd really like to think this was the case, but the conversations I've had with assorted individuals, 'concerned' individuals, lead me to an opposite conclusion.

[brianc]

I might be in the minority here in feeling truly let down by Brian's collaboration with Darian Sahanaja and the Wondermints.

The thought that one of the best acts from the '90s psychedelic pop scene getting to work with Brian Wilson was, on the surface, a dream come true. Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips expressed admiration, and it altered his band's music in the late '90s significantly. When he met Brian, he was let down, to say the least. Sean O'Hagan of the High Llamas was brought in, but was kicked around verbally for a few weeks before being dropped like a hot potato. Lots of other bands from that period, like Olivia Tremor Control, the Pearlfishers, Heavy Blinkers and Apples in Stereo, would have killed to have been involved with Brian Wilson creatively. How close any of them ever got, I don't know. Maybe they never tried.

The Wondermints GOT the opportunity, but to be honest, the approach has always been so hands-off... to honor Brian's vision... this whole "musical secretary" business... it actually made things worse. Was Darian less talented than Van Dyke Parks, Tony Asher, Tandyn Almer or Andy Paley? I don't think so. But the Wondermints were used as a cover-up for Brian's lacking desire and/or ability to proceed over the ENTIRE volume of work to be done on his most recent projects. The thing about Andy Paley was that there was no denying that he was a full-on collaborator. But in an effort to make it as though Brian now is still the same Brian of 1966... the artistic tour de force we all want him to be... there's all these cloudy notions about how much the Wondermints and Brian's young band members are involved. But it's not cloudy at all. If they are not creatively involved, they are carrying far more weight in polishing material that has no collaborator. And no one is buying that it's all Brian, and they are just his Wrecking Crew. The whole operation is working overtime to polish.

It's a shame, because Brian probably just didn't want to create much at all. And if he really did, the workload wasn't honestly expressed, and that's a bigger shame, because the Wondermints, at the very least, are really cool and talented. I wish it was just a Brian/Darian/Nick collaboration from the start, same as Brian's older collaborators. See who comes up with what, no one man overcompensating for another. But it wasn't like that. Which is why I say that the last real autonymous effort from Brian was his work with Andy Paley.

[Sheriff John Stone]

I might be in the minority here in feeling truly let down by Brian's collaboration with Darian Sahanaja and the Wondermints.

The thought that one of the best acts from the '90s psychedelic pop scene getting to work with Brian Wilson was, on the surface, a dream come true. Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips expressed admiration, and it altered his band's music in the late '90s significantly. When he met Brian, he was let down, to say the least. Sean O'Hagan of the High Llamas was brought in, but was kicked around verbally for a few weeks before being dropped like a hot potato. Lots of other bands from that period, like Olivia Tremor Control, the Pearlfishers, Heavy Blinkers and Apples in Stereo, would have killed to have been involved with Brian Wilson creatively. How close any of them ever got, I don't know. Maybe they never tried.

The Wondermints GOT the opportunity, but to be honest, the approach has always been so hands-off... to honor Brian's vision... this whole "musical secretary" business... it actually made things worse. Was Darian less talented than Van Dyke Parks, Tony Asher, Tandyn Almer or Andy Paley? I don't think so. But the Wondermints were used as a cover-up for Brian's lacking desire and/or ability to proceed over the ENTIRE volume of work to be done on his most recent projects. The thing about Andy Paley was that there was no denying that he was a full-on collaborator. But in an effort to make it as though Brian now is still the same Brian of 1966... the artistic tour de force we all want him to be... there's all these cloudy notions about how much the Wondermints and Brian's young band members are involved. But it's not cloudy at all. If they are not creatively involved, they are carrying far more weight in polishing material that has no collaborator. And no one is buying that it's all Brian, and they are just his Wrecking Crew. The whole operation is working overtime to polish.

It's a shame, because Brian probably just didn't want to create much at all. And if he really did, the workload wasn't honestly expressed, and that's a bigger shame, because the Wondermints, at the very least, are really cool and talented. I wish it was just a Brian/Darian/Nick collaboration from the start, same as Brian's older collaborators. See who comes up with what, no one man overcompensating for another. But it wasn't like that. Which is why I say that the last real autonymous effort from Brian was his work with Andy Paley.

I totally, 100% agree with your post, brianc. The opportunity with The Wondermints was there and continues to be there. Maybe Brian just doesn't have anything to say.

[Dancing Bear]

Brian hasn't really wanted to do anything since 1967, IMO.

[brianc]

Some would disagree. Certainly, his independent drive to oversee all the elements with an eye for perfection... that's been gone since 1967.

But there have been quite a few Brian Wilson songs, projects and albums that featured more focus than someone disinterested.

My only point was, after the 1990s, Brian Wilson was a bonified cult hero. Many people yearned for him to have the freedom to do what he never did under the duress of either the Beach Boys moniker or the Beach Boys business. No one took into consdieration that Brian was so completely different from that time. It was sort of assumed that artistic freedom would equal countless masterpieces.

So... removing the live shows... and letting "Smile" be, because it was healthy to do SOMETHING with the material, and try to bring it some cohesion and closure...

I think it's fair to say that, if Brian's solo material has been largely of Brian's volition, that it's needed a collaborator more than one can imagine. That said, there have been collaborators, like Burt Bacharach, Steve Kalinich, Van Dyke Parks, etc. But what stands out more than anything is the notion that the backing band and Mark Linnett (as engineer) are the ones working the hardest, and getting little to no credit as actual collaborators. They are trying to keep the music so tight that the weakest elements have little room to slip through. But the material is so weak, no matter how finely-tuned the tracks are, it can't save them. Very, very little sounds inspired.

This is just my opinion. Should Brian vegg-out? Should he release nothing? Is something better than nothing? Is any of it good? These are tough questions to answer. I wouldn't want to be in his shoes, or anyone involved with his career decisions. I think they are all earnestly doing their best, and they want to see Brian get the accolades he deserves. In some respects, he's out there recieving awards and that's nice. I DO think everyone has the best of intentions. But the new material that keeps coming out makes it all too obvious that his best work is far behind him.

That said, I've always loved Brian Wilson's song-suite work, and even if it's largely a tremendous band overcompensating for the fact that brian's not cracking the whip like he did on the "Pet Sounds" sessions... I still think it's going to be a good album. And maybe that's his best collaboration of all. it's the full Brian Wilson Band working together to create a really good piece of Californiana. Nothing wrong with that.

[brianc]

So, to the topic of Brian's solo years... if you had a 20-song compilation of Brian's best solo work, what would it look like? You can use unreleased songs, songs on compilations, b-sides, album tracks, anything. Well, let's keep it from the '80s onward. I'd love to have a compilation fo '60s and '70s demo tapes, but that's not what I'm asking here.

[Wilsonista]

Love and Mercy
Melt Away
Meet me In My Dreams Tonight
Rio Grande
Being With The One You Love
Someone To Love
Don''t Let Her Know She's An Angel (Sweet Insanity)
Rainbow Eyes (Sweet Insanity)
Bells of Madness
Gettin In Over My Head (Paley)
Soul Searchin'
Slightly American Music
This Song Wants To Sleep With You
It's Not Easy being Me
Orange Crate Art
Wings Of A Dove
Your Imagination
Lay Down Burden
Desert Drive (GIOMH)
Midnight's Another Day (demo)

[Wirestone]

Easy. This isn't sequenced -- just roughly chronological. I've left out OCA and stuff rescued from the 60s (Smile, She says that She Needs Me, etc.)

Black Widow (demo)
Love and Mercy
Melt Away
Rio Grande
Still a Mystery
Some Sweet Day
Everything I Need (original mix)
This Isn't Love
Your Imagination
Cry
Lay Down Burden
Gettin' in Over My Head
DLHKSAA
Saturday Morning in the City
What I Really Want for Christmas
Walking Down the Path of Life
What Love Can Do
Oxygen to the Brain
Midnight's Another Day
Southern California

[Roger Ryan]

Thanks brianc for trying to put a positive spin on this increasingly depressing thread! Only on a board like this would a performer who has just received two four-star reviews from relatively objective music magazines be called uninspired and washed-up! Hey, I know that comes with the territory, "familiarity breeds contempt" and all... (and I'd rather have it this way than mindless fawning).

1) Love & Mercy
2) Melt Away
3) There's So Many
4) Meet Me In My Dreams Tonight
5) Rio Grande
6) Someone To Love
7) Getting In Over My Head
Chain Reaction of Love
9) This Song Wants To Sleep With You
10) Orange Crate Art
11) San Francisco
12) Your Imagination
13) Cry
14) Lay Down Burden
15) This Isn't Love
16) Desert Drive
17) Don't Let Her Know She's An Angel (yep, the remake!)
18) Christmassy
19) Good Kind of Love
20) Midnight's Another Day


There's an easy twenty I didn't even have to think about much...and no IJWMFTT or BWPS! There's quite a few other things I'd want on there as well such as his remakes of "Sweets For My Sweet" and "This Could Be The Night" and I'm sure TLOS will provide even more favorites once I hear the studio version. Compared to some of his contemporaries, Brian has turned out a lot of material over the past twenty years and I think a lot of it is pretty good whether or not someone held a gun or a hamburger to his head.


NOTE: I didn't see the earlier list entries before posting mine. Interesting how all three of us left out the Beach Boys remakes, but still came up with a solid twenty.

[the captain]

Speed Turtle.

[the captain]

While I'm not kidding about Speed Turtle--I like it--here are some others I'd include: the WDtPoF single of Love & Mercy, IJWMFTT's Melt Away, What Love Can Do, Midnight's Another Day, Oxygen to the Brain, Desert Drive, Your Imagination, Lay Down Burden, Believe In Yourself, Good Kind of Love, Stevie (if it counts), My Maryanne, Soul Searchin, How Can We Still Be Dancin (without Elton John in my imaginary version), and BW and VDP's IJWMFTT video live rehearsal run-through of OCA.

[BJL]

"1970-75 had all the "living room #1s", some of which we've heard, some we haven't."

I've never heard that phrase, what songs are those?  sounds intriguing...although i imagine it would be a little to much to hope for that i'd somehow missed a whole bunch of great brian wilson songs... 

[the captain]

It's a reference to various people's statements that while Brian didn't have many songs on Beach Boys records in those years, he was often coming up with and playing for people around the house songs or song fragments he was working on. A lot of them apparently never got past that stage: off the cuff live performances of whatever he was doing.