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Author Topic: in defense of brians management  (Read 3603 times)
theduke
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« on: August 20, 2009, 12:07:26 AM »

Reading various threads, Ive witnessed some scathing criticism of Brians management that I think is unfair.

It seems to me that the first priority for his management is to keep the Ensemble together as an outlet and focus for Brian.

It is not unreasonable to assume that while Brian personally doesnt earn money from touring, it generates enough revenue to keep the musicians employed during hard times without drawing too much from Brians other income sources, and it keeps Brian active.

With the economy as poor as it is, a Greatest Hits tour is a good format between new projects, and more likely to bring in the dollars of casual fans.

In other words, the band pays for itself (or, does so in large part) while offering possibilities for Brians new work. 

From what I understand, having a band ready at a moments notice has been good for Brian, who is introducing and polishing new material on the road while nightly reviewing his own American songbook for appreciative audiences.

So aside from Brian providing for his favorite musicians and their families, "working so hard for his pay" like the big boss he is, he also has a group of musicians he trusts to work out new songs and give birth to his present creativity.

And we all know Brian is (and always has been) most engaged by new productions, which are more likely to emerge in this setup than if he were sitting at home with the TiVo or chilling at the Deli.

Its actually an enviable situation, from the standpoint of the music business, which considers success on different terms than rabid fans who know little to nothing of the actual experience of working musicians.

I am glad Brian is the hardworking guy he is, enduring the more tedious aspects of his job and constraints of an ongoing career, so that this ensemble and Brians music (old and new) lives on during a most unusual time in the music business, and the economic world in general.

Factor in Brians personal triumphs, and overall, the barbs are out-of-line where there should be praise. With fans like these, who needs enemies??!

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« Reply #1 on: August 20, 2009, 12:47:16 AM »

Unless of course Brian would really rather be at home with the tivo or chilling at the deli. If that makes him happy, what's wrong with that? Because his management decides that those things aren't in his best interest?
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Andrew G. Doe
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« Reply #2 on: August 20, 2009, 04:36:17 AM »

Reading various threads, Ive witnessed some scathing criticism of Brians management that I think is unfair.

It seems to me that the first priority for his management is to keep the Ensemble together as an outlet and focus for Brian.

It is not unreasonable to assume that while Brian personally doesnt earn money from touring, it generates enough revenue to keep the musicians employed during hard times without drawing too much from Brians other income sources, and it keeps Brian active.

Only one member is on a retainer - the rest of the band, when not touring, have to find other income. This is not my opinion - this is a fact.

With the economy as poor as it is, a Greatest Hits tour is a good format between new projects, and more likely to bring in the dollars of casual fans.

Helps if these GH gigs are properly promoted.

In other words, the band pays for itself (or, does so in large part) while offering possibilities for Brians new work. 

No, it doesn't. Generally speaking, the tours don't cover costs, in the US at any rate. Abroad is a different kettle of fish.

From what I understand, having a band ready at a moments notice has been good for Brian, who is introducing and polishing new material on the road while nightly reviewing his own American songbook for appreciative audiences.

I like the concept of the band waiting in the messroom, waiting to scramble at the drop of a hat, but that's not true. They have day jobs, and some don't live in LA. There was an incident some years back when they were assured there would be no summer tour, and made other plans. Two weeks later, the call came and there were... shall we say, "confrontations".
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« Reply #3 on: August 20, 2009, 09:05:19 AM »

The call came?  From whom?

And also .....which band member is on retainer?
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Dancing Bear
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« Reply #4 on: August 20, 2009, 09:17:48 AM »

The call came?  From whom?

And also .....which band member is on retainer?
Let me guess... Jeff Foskett?
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« Reply #5 on: August 20, 2009, 09:59:15 AM »

The call came?  From whom?

The wifeandmanagers.
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« Reply #6 on: August 20, 2009, 10:24:43 AM »

Reading various threads, Ive witnessed some scathing criticism of Brians management that I think is unfair.

It seems to me that the first priority for his management is to keep the Ensemble together as an outlet and focus for Brian.

It is not unreasonable to assume that while Brian personally doesnt earn money from touring, it generates enough revenue to keep the musicians employed during hard times without drawing too much from Brians other income sources, and it keeps Brian active.

With the economy as poor as it is, a Greatest Hits tour is a good format between new projects, and more likely to bring in the dollars of casual fans.

In other words, the band pays for itself (or, does so in large part) while offering possibilities for Brians new work. 

From what I understand, having a band ready at a moments notice has been good for Brian, who is introducing and polishing new material on the road while nightly reviewing his own American songbook for appreciative audiences.

So aside from Brian providing for his favorite musicians and their families, "working so hard for his pay" like the big boss he is, he also has a group of musicians he trusts to work out new songs and give birth to his present creativity.

And we all know Brian is (and always has been) most engaged by new productions, which are more likely to emerge in this setup than if he were sitting at home with the TiVo or chilling at the Deli.

Its actually an enviable situation, from the standpoint of the music business, which considers success on different terms than rabid fans who know little to nothing of the actual experience of working musicians.

I am glad Brian is the hardworking guy he is, enduring the more tedious aspects of his job and constraints of an ongoing career, so that this ensemble and Brians music (old and new) lives on during a most unusual time in the music business, and the economic world in general.

Factor in Brians personal triumphs, and overall, the barbs are out-of-line where there should be praise. With fans like these, who needs enemies??!

I agree that people go overboard with the Brian-bashing and management-bashing. To an extent, it is a reaction to the fact that several things once thought impossible have happened, from Brian's touring to his resurrection of SMiLe. Who would have guessed even in 2000 (let alone 1990, 1980, etc.)  that Brian would be doing a world tour of SMiLe in 2004? It is mind-blowing, and we can thank Brian's management/Melinda. To paraphrase someone (Emerson, I think) - censure is the price a man pays for eminence.

However, the vitriol is sometimes warranted; Brian's management seems to be making it up as they go along. In fact, that's exactly what they are doing. Think about how much better Brian's career is today, both for Brian and the fans, than in 1997-98 when Melinda and Brian were working with Azoff. Their management was wrongheaded, trying to stick Brian with a scene and a motif that ran counter to the spirit of his music. Worse, they wrenched him away from collaborators like Andy Paley and Don Was, who could get a great record out of Brian, and stuck him with Joe Thomas, who, in spite of Sheriff John Stone's protestations to the contrary, did not get Brian's music in the way that his best collaborators have.

Now, in the past decade, I would say that they've rectified this. Van Dyke Parks, Darian, Jeff, Scott... all great collaborators for Brian. The Chicago experiment has been atoned for.

So, if Brian's management has been making it up as they go along, they have done a pretty damn good job. They've accomplished two things that no manager - Grillo, Rieley, Love, Landy - was able to accomplish. They've got Brian touring consistently and releasing excellent new music, GIOMH not withstanding.

That said, criticism is to be expected any time a group of like-minded human beings get together.... and listening to criticism instead of dismissing it out of hand can result in better management decisions in the future.
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« Reply #7 on: August 20, 2009, 10:36:16 AM »

Reading various threads, Ive witnessed some scathing criticism of Brians management that I think is unfair.

It seems to me that the first priority for his management is to keep the Ensemble together as an outlet and focus for Brian.

It is not unreasonable to assume that while Brian personally doesnt earn money from touring, it generates enough revenue to keep the musicians employed during hard times without drawing too much from Brians other income sources, and it keeps Brian active.

With the economy as poor as it is, a Greatest Hits tour is a good format between new projects, and more likely to bring in the dollars of casual fans.

In other words, the band pays for itself (or, does so in large part) while offering possibilities for Brians new work. 

From what I understand, having a band ready at a moments notice has been good for Brian, who is introducing and polishing new material on the road while nightly reviewing his own American songbook for appreciative audiences.

So aside from Brian providing for his favorite musicians and their families, "working so hard for his pay" like the big boss he is, he also has a group of musicians he trusts to work out new songs and give birth to his present creativity.

And we all know Brian is (and always has been) most engaged by new productions, which are more likely to emerge in this setup than if he were sitting at home with the TiVo or chilling at the Deli.

Its actually an enviable situation, from the standpoint of the music business, which considers success on different terms than rabid fans who know little to nothing of the actual experience of working musicians.

I am glad Brian is the hardworking guy he is, enduring the more tedious aspects of his job and constraints of an ongoing career, so that this ensemble and Brians music (old and new) lives on during a most unusual time in the music business, and the economic world in general.

Factor in Brians personal triumphs, and overall, the barbs are out-of-line where there should be praise. With fans like these, who needs enemies??!

I agree that people go overboard with the Brian-bashing and management-bashing. To an extent, it is a reaction to the fact that several things once thought impossible have happened, from Brian's touring to his resurrection of SMiLe. Who would have guessed even in 2000 (let alone 1990, 1980, etc.)  that Brian would be doing a world tour of SMiLe in 2004? It is mind-blowing, and we can thank Brian's management/Melinda. To paraphrase someone (Emerson, I think) - censure is the price a man pays for eminence.

However, the vitriol is sometimes warranted; Brian's management seems to be making it up as they go along. In fact, that's exactly what they are doing. Think about how much better Brian's career is today, both for Brian and the fans, than in 1997-98 when Melinda and Brian were working with Azoff. Their management was wrongheaded, trying to stick Brian with a scene and a motif that ran counter to the spirit of his music. Worse, they wrenched him away from collaborators like Andy Paley and Don Was, who could get a great record out of Brian, and stuck him with Joe Thomas, who, in spite of Sheriff John Stone's protestations to the contrary, did not get Brian's music in the way that his best collaborators have.

Now, in the past decade, I would say that they've rectified this. Van Dyke Parks, Darian, Jeff, Scott... all great collaborators for Brian. The Chicago experiment has been atoned for.

So, if Brian's management has been making it up as they go along, they have done a pretty damn good job. They've accomplished two things that no manager - Grillo, Rieley, Love, Landy - was able to accomplish. They've got Brian touring consistently and releasing excellent new music, GIOMH not withstanding.

That said, criticism is to be expected any time a group of like-minded human beings get together.... and listening to criticism instead of dismissing it out of hand can result in better management decisions in the future.
great post-however what is incredibly hard to fthom is why Brian's management hasn't tried to secure the well-tested mangement skills of those Monday morning quarterbacks here. Razz
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Smilin Ed H
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« Reply #8 on: August 20, 2009, 11:17:47 AM »

"Only one member is on a retainer - the rest of the band, when not touring, have to find other income. This is not my opinion - this is a fact."  Like Blondie Chaplin with Keef. God bless him.

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Surfer Joe
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« Reply #9 on: August 20, 2009, 04:22:33 PM »

To paraphrase someone (Emerson, I think) - censure is the price a man pays for eminence.

I always thought it was Carrot Top who said that, after his performance on "The New Hollywood Squares" was panned by the critics.

Seriously, excellent post.
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« Reply #10 on: August 20, 2009, 05:18:08 PM »

Also, let's note how the Brian of today behaves, acts and speaks as opposed of the Brian of the mid-90s. He's stayed mostly stable -- if anything, he's become more (and pages upon pages of debate have been written as to how much more) creative and productive.

Now, compare Brian immediately after he was cleaned up by Landy in 83 to the Brian of 92. In those nine-10 years, the man was shattered -- and if anything , was thought of as more of a has-been than at any point previous.

So in a very basic way -- the care and feeding of the man himself, his body and mind and soul and creativity -- Brian's management has succeeded admirably. As Landy showed, merely thinking you knew how to handle Brian Wilson didn't mean you could actually do it.

Now, in terms of management of the man's career, it's hard to say. On one hand, it is easy to point at missteps. Joe Thomas. The release of GIOMH in the shape that it was in. Some excess touring. But on the other, artists in their 50s and 60s are horribly difficult to manage. I can't think of one who's had really exemplary handling -- the Stones are less a band than a brand, Elton John scarcely records anymore and has lost huge swathes of his voice, Clapton has moved to duet projects full time and McCartney channels his talent correctly about once every 15 years.

The artist who fare the best in this period are folks like Dylan and Van Morrison -- but these are driven road warriors who have always followed their own muse. Brian has never, ever, been as self-sustaining as the folk and rock types, and he doesn't want to be. He has always needed help with lyrics, playing and singing. And after a certain point of success, these become -- like it or not -- management issues with nearly all artists.
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« Reply #11 on: August 20, 2009, 05:32:48 PM »

Reading various threads, Ive witnessed some scathing criticism of Brians management that I think is unfair.

It seems to me that the first priority for his management is to keep the Ensemble together as an outlet and focus for Brian.

It is not unreasonable to assume that while Brian personally doesnt earn money from touring, it generates enough revenue to keep the musicians employed during hard times without drawing too much from Brians other income sources, and it keeps Brian active.

With the economy as poor as it is, a Greatest Hits tour is a good format between new projects, and more likely to bring in the dollars of casual fans.

In other words, the band pays for itself (or, does so in large part) while offering possibilities for Brians new work. 

From what I understand, having a band ready at a moments notice has been good for Brian, who is introducing and polishing new material on the road while nightly reviewing his own American songbook for appreciative audiences.

So aside from Brian providing for his favorite musicians and their families, "working so hard for his pay" like the big boss he is, he also has a group of musicians he trusts to work out new songs and give birth to his present creativity.

And we all know Brian is (and always has been) most engaged by new productions, which are more likely to emerge in this setup than if he were sitting at home with the TiVo or chilling at the Deli.

Its actually an enviable situation, from the standpoint of the music business, which considers success on different terms than rabid fans who know little to nothing of the actual experience of working musicians.

I am glad Brian is the hardworking guy he is, enduring the more tedious aspects of his job and constraints of an ongoing career, so that this ensemble and Brians music (old and new) lives on during a most unusual time in the music business, and the economic world in general.

Factor in Brians personal triumphs, and overall, the barbs are out-of-line where there should be praise. With fans like these, who needs enemies??!


Melinda!
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« Reply #12 on: August 20, 2009, 06:31:40 PM »

Also, let's note how the Brian of today behaves, acts and speaks as opposed of the Brian of the mid-90s. He's stayed mostly stable -- if anything, he's become more (and pages upon pages of debate have been written as to how much more) creative and productive.

Now, compare Brian immediately after he was cleaned up by Landy in 83 to the Brian of 92. In those nine-10 years, the man was shattered -- and if anything , was thought of as more of a has-been than at any point previous.

So in a very basic way -- the care and feeding of the man himself, his body and mind and soul and creativity -- Brian's management has succeeded admirably. As Landy showed, merely thinking you knew how to handle Brian Wilson didn't mean you could actually do it.

Now, in terms of management of the man's career, it's hard to say. On one hand, it is easy to point at missteps. Joe Thomas. The release of GIOMH in the shape that it was in. Some excess touring. But on the other, artists in their 50s and 60s are horribly difficult to manage. I can't think of one who's had really exemplary handling -- the Stones are less a band than a brand, Elton John scarcely records anymore and has lost huge swathes of his voice, Clapton has moved to duet projects full time and McCartney channels his talent correctly about once every 15 years.

The artist who fare the best in this period are folks like Dylan and Van Morrison -- but these are driven road warriors who have always followed their own muse. Brian has never, ever, been as self-sustaining as the folk and rock types, and he doesn't want to be. He has always needed help with lyrics, playing and singing. And after a certain point of success, these become -- like it or not -- management issues with nearly all artists.
I feel like Brian seemed happier and more together in the mid 90's than more recent times. At least the interviews he was giving still showed a glimpse of the old Brian (esp. in IJWMFTT), something I haven't seen even a bare sliver of these past 5 years or so. (well maybe the Zoey interview!). Maybe he was on less pharmaceuticals when he was between Landy and Melinda (ie, not married to either).
    I really feel like Brian hates his working life but feels he must work because so many people 'depend' on him. Given the choice, I bet Brian  would just as soon bum around all day as go on half-assed tours. Wouldn't anyone?
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« Reply #13 on: August 20, 2009, 07:27:58 PM »

I am pretty sure Brian was on far MORE legal drugs during the period between Landy and Melinda than he is now. He is WAY spaced out during that period...but also extremely cool and lucid if that makes any sense at all.
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« Reply #14 on: August 21, 2009, 06:50:45 AM »

I think a good example of bad management is occuring right now.  "What Love Can Do" has been released as a single and pushed by the new distributor, yet there is no official mention of it at Brian's website.  You would think they would have something about it being released, and would help to try and push the single.  I would also think that they would add the song to Brian's live show as a way to push the single as well.
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« Reply #15 on: August 21, 2009, 07:41:17 AM »

I think a good example of bad management is occuring right now.  "What Love Can Do" has been released as a single and pushed by the new distributor, yet there is no official mention of it at Brian's website.  You would think they would have something about it being released, and would help to try and push the single.  I would also think that they would add the song to Brian's live show as a way to push the single as well.
If they did that, then people would be complaining about how Brian's website is calling it a brand-new single when it was released years ago, and how they are forcing him to play it live when "he probably doesn't want to! The poor thing."
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« Reply #16 on: August 21, 2009, 07:51:15 AM »

Why, they don't need to say brand new song.  "New Single" is accurate.

I think a good example of bad management is occuring right now.  "What Love Can Do" has been released as a single and pushed by the new distributor, yet there is no official mention of it at Brian's website.  You would think they would have something about it being released, and would help to try and push the single.  I would also think that they would add the song to Brian's live show as a way to push the single as well.
If they did that, then people would be complaining about how Brian's website is calling it a brand-new single when it was released years ago, and how they are forcing him to play it live when "he probably doesn't want to! The poor thing."
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« Reply #17 on: August 21, 2009, 09:16:27 AM »

"The artist who fare the best in this period are folks like Dylan and Van Morrison -- but these are driven road warriors who have always followed their own muse. Brian has never, ever, been as self-sustaining as the folk and rock types, and he doesn't want to be. He has always needed help with lyrics, playing and singing. And after a certain point of success, these become -- like it or not -- management issues with nearly all artists."


I might add Ray Davies to the list of old guys who are still writing and performing their own material quite well.
His last two solo lps (his only solo lps) are in my opinion the best stuff by far of any of the 60's survivors.   I don't know what sort of management he has.  But like Dylan and Van, he definitely follows a special muse and continues to surprise and entertain.  Saw Ray not too long ago on Craig Ferguson performing Morphine Song with one sideman, both  playing acoustic guitars.   
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« Reply #18 on: August 21, 2009, 11:24:01 AM »

great post-however what is incredibly hard to fthom is why Brian's management hasn't tried to secure the well-tested mangement skills of those Monday morning quarterbacks here. Razz

It's funny that you say that, because it seems that these people learn from their mistakes - something that can't be said for the Beach Boys management in the 1970s.
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