Brian comments on possibilities of a BB reunion

[lance]

They would not have been better with mike love whining them.

[TdHabib]

The only way an album could work would be if Brian came up with a bunch of songs with his band (similar to what he was doing prior to TLOS), cut the tracks and brought the guys in to sing.  That's the only way...Mike may be right that Brian had the most success while collaberating with him, but it should also be noted that the Beach Boys were the most successful when Brian was calling the shots. 

The only two band members with songwriting skill even remotely approaching Brian's are sadly dead.  Brian's band seems to bring out the best in Brian creatively, so any project would have to involve them.  Bring the boys in to sing Brian's songs, with Brian's band doing the backing tracks, and you may have something.  Otherwise, I just can't see it working. 

Some of your post I completely agree with, other parts....

First, yes, have Brian's band do the backing tracks and have the guys come in to do the vocals. Sure. Absolutely. That's how Brian always worked best. From the Wrecking Crew to his band now. That's been Brian's best formula for success. And I think Mike, Al, and Bruce could do the tracks justice - vocally. As I mentioned above, they would know what's at stake; they would "buckle down". Don't judge their studio voices by their "coasting" live voices. And with technology....

Where I don't agree is that Mike, Al, Bruce, and maybe David wouldn't be able to contribute some quality material. Yes, Dennis and Carl were good songwriters, and can't be replaced. But all you're asking is for one song from each. Just one. Those guys HAVE TO HAVE ONE SONG with merit! I have at least that much faith in them.

It hurts me to say this but the stumbling block would be Mike Love. Mike would demand too much, and he would end up alienating a lot of people, or, the worst case scenario would be Brian/Melinda taking their ball and going home. Mike would wanna be the Executive Producer, the chief or sole lyricist, and he might want veto power over the final track selection for the album. Mike hasn't been plugging away for the last 47 years as this undying Beach Boy to surrender the power he has acquired. I can see "creative differences", yes....

I pretty much agree with you Sherriff, that's a pretty good representation of what it would be like...and I agree that Mike, Al, David and Bruce could, if pushed hard enough, contribute at least one quality tune. It's not like they haven't done it before...If I may digress a little bit and state my opinion on the reunion thing...I will...and I know the Sherriff and I as well as others will disagree, but I have to say it...I think Brian's best off as a solo artist now. As much as I love the harmonies that Mike, Al, Bruce, David and Brian could create, as well as the corporate term

I'm pretty certain that Brian contributed a good, quality, and sufficient amount to every song on TLOS with Scott Bennett. I honestly don't think there collaboration was one of those where the collaborator has most of the great ideas and Brian just goes along with it an contributes 10%. And look at the results, lots of quality songs.As far as the sessions went...there is, sigh, a chance that Brian didn't contribute as much as the session footage would've indicated. If Andrew said that the TLOS footage was staged, I know he's telling the truth...but the thing is there's a small part of me that still believes that Brian WAS in control and WAS doing a damn good job in the production role, even if it wasn't on par with his older work...But the vocals on the record are what convince me that Brian was into the sessions. Listen to them, there's not many gritty moments, not much straining, and they all have a fairly clean quality to them. Brian must've been enthused on certain songs, that's for sure. As much as I hate bringing up this anecdote, I will: A friend of mine heard TLOS and hasn't followed Brian's solo career at all, and you know what she said? "He sounds a little bit like he used to, good singing..." I must say it's been a long, LONG time sicne I've been positive on an album of new Brian material. LONG TIME. But I must say it, I love TLOS and, even if the studio footage is faked I like the product...

And I don't think a BB reunion would produce a good work, it would just produce friction...and that's probably not best for Brian...

But heck, that's just my two cents...

[Pretty Funky]

I'm sure if Brian decides to write a song about high school girls, hot rods and surfing, Mike will get the call!

Do you mean like "Desert Drive" and "Forever She'll Be My Surfer Girl"?

No...I mean high school girls, hot rods and surfing, in that context. Mikes the one who bought up 'most successful' and I am implying that Brian has moved on from that, and so has just about everyone else.

[Chris Brown]

The only way an album could work would be if Brian came up with a bunch of songs with his band (similar to what he was doing prior to TLOS), cut the tracks and brought the guys in to sing.  That's the only way...Mike may be right that Brian had the most success while collaberating with him, but it should also be noted that the Beach Boys were the most successful when Brian was calling the shots. 

The only two band members with songwriting skill even remotely approaching Brian's are sadly dead.  Brian's band seems to bring out the best in Brian creatively, so any project would have to involve them.  Bring the boys in to sing Brian's songs, with Brian's band doing the backing tracks, and you may have something.  Otherwise, I just can't see it working. 

Some of your post I completely agree with, other parts....

First, yes, have Brian's band do the backing tracks and have the guys come in to do the vocals. Sure. Absolutely. That's how Brian always worked best. From the Wrecking Crew to his band now. That's been Brian's best formula for success. And I think Mike, Al, and Bruce could do the tracks justice - vocally. As I mentioned above, they would know what's at stake; they would "buckle down". Don't judge their studio voices by their "coasting" live voices. And with technology....

Where I don't agree is that Mike, Al, Bruce, and maybe David wouldn't be able to contribute some quality material. Yes, Dennis and Carl were good songwriters, and can't be replaced. But all you're asking is for one song from each. Just one. Those guys HAVE TO HAVE ONE SONG with merit! I have at least that much faith in them.

It hurts me to say this but the stumbling block would be Mike Love. Mike would demand too much, and he would end up alienating a lot of people, or, the worst case scenario would be Brian/Melinda taking their ball and going home. Mike would wanna be the Executive Producer, the chief or sole lyricist, and he might want veto power over the final track selection for the album. Mike hasn't been plugging away for the last 47 years as this undying Beach Boy to surrender the power he has acquired. I can see "creative differences", yes....

I agree that Mike's need for power would be a problem...as for the writing, I guess I just don't have as much faith in the other guys' songwriting abilities as you do.  Bruce wrote a few decent tunes back in the day, but that was almost 40 years ago.  Mike may be able to come up with something if he co-wrote with Brian, but that may raise difficulties in itself, as you pointed out.  And Al can't even seem to get a solo record together (not like he hasn't had the time).  I don't know much about David's recent creative output, so maybe he could be of some help. 

Like Habib said though, at the end of the day, I think Brian is better off solo.  He has a supportive band who have been a big part of his creative re-birth.  They can replicate the harmonies that Brian is known for almost as well as the Beach Boys.  Brian doesn't have any incentive to get back with the Beach Boys.

[buddhahat]

Sorry, I don't have the magazine to hand, so this is probably a pointless post but in response to the other topic about BW's comments on a BB reunion I wanted to add that in the new Mojo interview, BW comments that he misses the Beach Boys and sighs that although his new band are great, they're not the Beach Boys. Of course this doesn't make the prospect of a BB reunion any more likely but it's interesting to read that Wilson misses his old band.

In the same interview Bennett also goes into more details about the writing behind MAD: That the opening piano riff to the song was something he (Bennett) had kicking around, that Brian suggested they do in a different key and rhythm that totally transformed the riff and surprised bennett. He also describes the point where they were trying to find the right chord for the fade to grey bit and Brian plucked this weird chord change out of the air that totally amazed Bennett "the money chord" (although I think this bit has already been mentioned).

Anyway it's a nice piece by Sylvie Simmons. When I get my hands on it again later I'll see if there are any other details from it that are worth paraphrasing.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Sorry, I don't have the magazine to hand, so this is probably a pointless post but in response to the other topic about BW's comments on a BB reunion I wanted to add that in the new Mojo interview, BW comments that he misses the Beach Boys and sighs that although his new band are great, they're not the Beach Boys. Of course this doesn't make the prospect of a BB reunion any more likely but it's interesting to read that Wilson misses his old band.

Really?! Very interesting...

[absinthe_boy]

Sounds like a good interview, Sylvie is a Brian enthusiast of course so she might know how to make sure he's talkative.

Brian missing the BB's. I wonder if he means missing them personally and not musically? It must have, at times, been great making records with your brothers, cousin and best friend.

As for MAD, doesn't surprise me...Brian has always had a knack of picking a chord that nobody else would have thought of...and when you hear it you realise it works. But it's good to know that he still has that talent and used it on TLOS.

[Sheriff John Stone]

I'm sure if Brian decides to write a song about high school girls, hot rods and surfing, Mike will get the call!

Do you mean like "Desert Drive" and "Forever She'll Be My Surfer Girl"?

....I am implying that Brian has moved on from that, and so has just about everyone else.

Like Al, with his recordings of "Honkin' Down The Highway", "Help Me Rhonda", "PT Cruiser", and that "Sloop John B"/"Rhinestone Cowboy" sound-a-like. Yeah, he's moved on....

[Sheriff John Stone]

I know I'm never going to win the debate, not that there is a debate. It's just good discussion on a Beach Boys' message board. But....

We all agree that you can't put much faith in Brian's interviews. And I know if you're keeping score, he probably said that he doesn't want to work with the Beach Boys again more than the other way around. But, there's something about Brian, in my opinion, that makes me believe that he would enjoy working with the Mike, Al, Bruce, and David, being a Beach Boy again, hanging out with the guys, guys his own age, shooting the sh--, really healing, with Brian producing a few tracks...

[tpesky]

[/quote]
Like Al, with his recordings of "Honkin' Down The Highway", "Help Me Rhonda", "PT Cruiser", and that "Sloop John B"/"Rhinestone Cowboy" sound-a-like. Yeah, he's moved on....
[/quote]

Ouch..are you Mike Love's hat salesman??    Your projecting your anger onto Al here, I know he's short and all but wasn't the discussion about Mike and Brian and whether they have moved on or not from early 60s music in writing.  Brian's music now I think is reflective of his whole career, sometimes you get remants of the early 60's stuff, sometimes later 60's remants, and sometimes 70's and 80's. Nothing wrong with that.   However, Mike seems to want only the early 60s image of himself portrayed as some sort of Dr. Love of Surfing, Cars, and girls fame. From what I have heard of Mike's new album, he has blended some of his 70s stuff easy style in there too besides his "Chuck Berry"mode. Although one can certainly judge Summer of Love as a progressive piece of music no doubt. (Sorry had to get that in there, I watched the Baywatch video on youtube the other day and my body still hurts from cringing and laughing-the look on Brian's face is priceless).  Every time you move on again in life, you always take pieces of where you have been, its just natural. No reason to lash out at Al here who has done the same thing.   
As for Mike and Brian writing together, please ,the last time they had a co write hit was 76? (It's Ok) and before that (Do It Again)  Just not likely now, even some sort of flash in the pan retro piece.  Neither one of them could sing a hit because their voices are not appealing (ok shot) to a main stream audience. Al would have to sing it.

[the captain]

Like Al, with his recordings of "Honkin' Down The Highway", "Help Me Rhonda", "PT Cruiser", and that "Sloop John B"/"Rhinestone Cowboy" sound-a-like. Yeah, he's moved on....

Pointing out that Al is desperately hanging on to the good ol' days doesn't make Mike any less pathetic. It just makes Al more pathetic. Al's album tracks that I've heard, including all the samples and several complete songs, are really, really lame. Basically his Imagination, outdated "modern" production of decades-old sounding songs. And no, Brian isn't really all that different in that, either; he's just a more interesting songwriter and has more recently avoided the production cheese.

[the captain]

That whole "money chord" bit is in the DVD, I believe. (I think it's an Fmaj7 or F#maj7.) But Scott notes that it isn't the "stock" chord you'd place. Certainly Brian has had a gift for little unexpected things like that.

[Sheriff John Stone]

Your projecting your anger onto Al here, I know he's short and all but wasn't the discussion about Mike and Brian and whether they have moved on or not from early 60s music in writing.

No, I was responding to The Other Anonymous's incorrect statement that "just about everyone else" has moved on. I just pointed out that Al has not.

And neither has Brian. TLOS is just another Beach Boys' album, without the Beach Boys' vocals. Actually, all of Brian's "solo" albums have been Beach Boys' albums. Brian has broken no new ground with TLOS. If you take away Scott Bennett's songwriting, Scott Bennett's production, Scott Bennett's lyrics, the title track which is a cover, Van Dyke Parks's narrative, Paul Merten's orchestration, and Darian & Jeff's contributions, you have a Brian Wilson "solo" album of Beach Boys' songs! Check out the thread a few pages back, the "TLOS nods to other songs". The "nods" are to songs that Brian has previously written. That thread is very revealing.   

[c-man]

I'm sure that if Brian could have at least Carl back (and Dennis, too, would be all the better), with Mike and Al and Bruce, and they all GAVE HIM COMPLETE AND FULL CONTROL, he'd readily record another album with them.  Unfortunately, THAT can't happen.  I'm sure he misses the Glory Days like mad.

[SG7]

Just to inscribe my 2 cents as long as Brian's wife and management are around, a reunion is never going to happen.

[SG7]

I just find it funny that Mike thinks it can be the good old days all over again if he works with Brian. That Brian he use to work with has been gone for a long time. Those days are gone and there is enough people to make it stop from ever happening.

[Sheriff John Stone]

Just to inscribe my 2 cents as long as Brian's wife and management are around, a reunion is never going to happen.

I agree, that is a major stumbling block. No, that is THE major stumbling block.

There are two things that might intice Melinda, however. First, a Beach Boys' reunion would probably include the new album, a reunion concert, and the obligatory "making of the album/getting back together/reunion concert" DVD. That translates into $$$$$$$$$

Second, not that she cares, but Melinda might like to go down in the history books as the one who was responsible for reuniting Brian with the group. At this point, I don't think it is a priority. But, she hasn't spoken for awhile, so I don't know what she's thinking. We all know that in Brian Wilson's world, anything is possible. So it wouldn't surprise me to read an interview with Brian where he announces that his next project will be a Beach Boys' album, about a group of guys who travel to this amusement park and meet these girls....    

[Sheriff John Stone]

I'm sure he misses the Glory Days like mad.

Yes, I agree. And that can be great incentive.

Anyway, what I really wanted to post is that there are now three threads going on which are discussing the same thing. It's hard to separate them. Can they be combined? Mr. Moderator?

[Awesoman]

Just to inscribe my 2 cents as long as Brian's wife and management are around, a reunion is never going to happen.

I'm not so sure Melinda has had that much say in the whole thing.  After all, they married back in the mid-90's; shortly after he was collaborating with Mike again and there was talk of a new Beach Boys album.  Unfortunately that fell apart but Melinda didn't appear to have any qualms with Brian joining the group for a country album. 

And honestly, without Carl's voice it won't sound the same; it's like trying to form a puzzle with notable pieces missing.  I'm content with just letting things be.

[absinthe_boy]

I was going to say the same, Brian worked with the Boys in the studio and in concert for a couple of years *after* he married Melinda.

I am fully aware that in interviews, Brian isn't reliable. But I don't recall a single interview in the last 10 years where Brian said he might consider a BB reunion. He's bumped into Mike a few times since then, and consistently says he can talk to Mike for a few minutes but after that Mike's ego ruins things.

In a way its a shame they can't get together for one last concert. As for an album, I suppose if they took a few tracks from Mike's still unreleased recent attempt (which by most accounts was pretty good) they could cobble together some Brian and Al tracks with help from Bruce and make a decent collection of songs...but it wouldn't be great.

[Sheriff John Stone]

But I don't recall a single interview in the last 10 years where Brian said he might consider a BB reunion. He's bumped into Mike a few times since then, and consistently says he can talk to Mike for a few minutes but after that Mike's ego ruins things.

My memory is a little shaky on this, so if anyone can refresh it....Was it at the "reunion" on the Capitol Records rooftop where Brian mentioned to Mike that he (Brian) wrote some songs that he wanted Mike to hear. Or something like that. When I read things like that, or when Brian says things like that (out of range from his handlers), it makes me wonder...

[tpesky]

Thats a good point Surfer Girl, I like it alot! This idea of Brian in Mike's mind is different from the real Brian now. Are their glimpses of the old Brian, of course but things have certainly changed.

[Amy B.]

TLOS is just another Beach Boys' album, without the Beach Boys' vocals. Actually, all of Brian's "solo" albums have been Beach Boys' albums. Brian has broken no new ground with TLOS. If you take away Scott Bennett's songwriting, Scott Bennett's production, Scott Bennett's lyrics, the title track which is a cover, Van Dyke Parks's narrative, Paul Merten's orchestration, and Darian & Jeff's contributions, you have a Brian Wilson "solo" album of Beach Boys' songs! Check out the thread a few pages back, the "TLOS nods to other songs". The "nods" are to songs that Brian has previously written. That thread is very revealing.   

I think when people bring up pathetic nostalgia, they're talking about songs with lyrics about cars, young girls, and surfing. TLOS has none of that. Even Forever She'll Be My Surfer Girl is really an ode to a song. It's not about 66-year-old Brian getting on a surf board so he can impress a "honey." It's about "I remember when I was young and I wrote this song, and it led to all these other songs."
And none of the TLOS songs are about cruising around trying to pick up girls or hanging out at a teenage gathering place or oogling an 18-year-old. Those are Mike Love's specialties. Those are the subjects he continued to choose in the 80s and 90s. Those are the subjects of the 60s commercial hits Love is referring to. TLOS is about California, yes. But it's about a California that might well be observed by a 66-year-old looking back with rose-colored glasses, or with regret that he didn't accomplish more. It's much more introspective than Mike's stuff. The old BBs did do introspective songs, but Mike wasn't usually the lyricist (yes, there are exceptions).
When Brian says "I miss my band," I think he means he misses HIS band. He misses being in charge of those young guys who listened to him and sang and played what he wanted them to play. He misses being able to produce a whole album. He misses those old days.  I don't think he necessarily means that he wants to get together and write with Mike Love in 2008.

[Sheriff John Stone]

When Brian says "I miss my band," I think he means he misses HIS band. He misses being in charge of those young guys who listened to him and sang and played what he wanted them to play. He misses being able to produce a whole album.

Misses HIS band. Misses being in charge. Misses guys who sang and played what he wanted them to play. Misses being able to produce a whole album.

Very interesting, Amy. I find them to be very revealing and relevant comments.

[Dancing Bear]

Ok. Fantasy land, here we go.

First, a whole new album with Brian at the helm? There are some real clunkers in TLOS that could EASILY be replaced by Mike and Al's compositions fom MLNW and PFC. Unfair competition because Mike and Al have beemn stockpiling those for years or decades while Brian apparently wrote the TLOS bunch in the last two, but that's how it is.

Now, something that passed through my mind. A project like this would be a real fine nest for tracks like "Wouldn't It Be Nice to Live Again" and "I've Got a Friend" (what about David's lead with some nice Beach Boys block harmonies?).

Ok, I'm done. Bye, fantasy land.