The Latest from Jon (Stebbins, that is)

[the captain]

I agree that he has moments that sound decent. TLOS does largely sound good, though I have no doubt the studio and surrounding team are assisting in that regard. There's a world of difference between that opinion, though--sounds good sometimes--and the alleged overwhelming sentiment that he sounds like he did in the '60s, though, which I still hold to have NEVER heard anyone here say. Ever.

[grillo]

Brian had a LOVELY supernatural voice for many years!!! I mean, he was never Carl, but who the hell is??

I must strongly object! You can't really prefer Carl's voice to Brian's 60's voice, can you?! For my money only Al's singing is less pleasing than Carl's. Except for God Only Knows and GV I can't think of a single song Carl sings that I Really want to hear, and I don't even Really want to hear GV. Maybe Fell Flows, but other than that he always sounds like he can just barely hit his notes, then he gets all slurry...Of course I know this isn't a popular notion, but I'd rather hear I'd Love Just Once to See You than Wild Honey any day.

[The infamous Baldwin Organ]

I'm not trying to start anything, but has anyone confirmed or denied if Brian's vocals on TLOS were autotuned? A lot of things new albums released use it, even if the ears can't detect it through the instrumentation.

[bgas]

 I think in Brian's most recent recordings and concerts, he sounds like he did in the 60's. 

What I don't get is how a thread about Jon's next project devolves into talking about Bob Dylan.

[the captain]

What I don't get is how a thread about Jon's next project devolves into talking about Bob Dylan.

I see you haven't been around here long. It's par for the course.

[Andrew G. Doe]

What I don't get is how a thread about Jon's next project devolves into talking about Bob Dylan.

I see you haven't been around here long. It's par for the course.

I'm surprised it took as long as it did. 

[urbanite]

Carl Wilson's vocal on Darlin' is great as it is on many songs.

[Sam_BFC]

I'm not trying to start anything, but has anyone confirmed or denied if Brian's vocals on TLOS were autotuned? A lot of things new albums released use it, even if the ears can't detect it through the instrumentation.

I don't know about the final product, but I think I remember reading a quote from perhaps Scott that no autotune was used on the original demos and some of the vocals of the final product were lifted straight from the demos I believe.

[Andrew G. Doe]

I'm not trying to start anything, but has anyone confirmed or denied if Brian's vocals on TLOS were autotuned? A lot of things new albums released use it, even if the ears can't detect it through the instrumentation.

I don't know about the final product, but I think I remember reading a quote from perhaps Scott that no autotune was used on the original demos and some of the vocals of the final product were lifted straight from the demos I believe.

Not some - most. From an interview I conducted with Scott in the US, January this year:

Andrew: You've stated in interviews that the album version of "Midnight" makes extensive use of the demo, notably Brian's vocals - were any other parts of other demos flown in like this ?

Scott: A lot of them were. Some were done at Mark Linnett's, but there was something true about his initial enthusiasm, so we went back to the demos.

[the captain]

What I don't get is how a thread about Jon's next project devolves into talking about Bob Dylan.

I see you haven't been around here long. It's par for the course.

I'm surprised it took as long as it did. 

Best of all, it is also migrating into the inevitable autotune debate. With any luck, we'll get a big Brian v Mike fight, what killed Smile, and some reunion talk in this thread, too.

[SurfRiderHawaii]

I think in Brian's most recent recordings and concerts, he sounds like he did in the 60's.  

Bingo - another person who's never 'heard' Pet Sounds

Luther - how in the world can you be on this board and make statements like this "But when in the life of this board has anyone ever said he sounds like the 1966 Brian? I think you're reaching with that."  People like bgas say these ridiculous things all the time.

[the captain]

Maybe I've become oblivious to the obviously wrong. Anyway, my main gripe with that was that it's definitely not the pervasive sentiment that whoever (you? I don't know. speaking of oblivious...I don't really pay attention to who's who anymore other than a few obvious characters.) made it out to be.

[Wilsonista]

I think in Brian's most recent recordings and concerts, he sounds like he did in the 60's.  

Bingo - another person who's never 'heard' Pet Sounds

Luther - how in the world can you be on this board and make statements like this "But when in the life of this board has anyone ever said he sounds like the 1966 Brian? I think you're reaching with that."  People like bgas say these ridiculous things all the time.

Uh, Bgas was making a smart assed joke. That obviously went over your head.

[TdHabib]

You know, it's not easy being a Brianista.

[SurfRiderHawaii]

I think in Brian's most recent recordings and concerts, he sounds like he did in the 60's.  

Bingo - another person who's never 'heard' Pet Sounds

Luther - how in the world can you be on this board and make statements like this "But when in the life of this board has anyone ever said he sounds like the 1966 Brian? I think you're reaching with that."  People like bgas say these ridiculous things all the time.

Uh, Bgas was making a smart assed joke. That obviously went over your head.

Maybe Rob but that's the 2nd "Brian still sounds the same/great" post in this thread.  Lot's of Blueobarders here who are "oblivious to the obviously wrong".  For more "Brian is as good as 1966", just have a read of some of the "See This Tour"  thread posts.

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,8092.0.html

Let's face facts - many on here have no idea what a brilliant singer Brian used to be.  For the unenlightened, have a listen to the Smile boot of "Surf's Up".

[Wirestone]

I started that thread, and I wrote many of the posts on it. I simply shared what I saw and what I felt.

I never wrote or implied that "Brian is as good as 1966" there. And I have never done so.

I love Brian Wilson, but I am not deaf or stupid.

[SurfRiderHawaii]

I started that thread, and I wrote many of the posts on it. I simply shared what I saw and what I felt.

I never wrote or implied that "Brian is as good as 1966" there. And I have never done so.

I love Brian Wilson, but I am not deaf or stupid.

Thanks Clay.  If you start a thread you are not held responsible for the posts that go in it.  Please reread my post.  I did not say "you said that";  I said the posts within.  I think that was pretty clear!

[MBE]

I remember Jon (I think it was him) mentioning that Al Jardine once said that the worst ting that ever happened to the Beach Boys was when Brian lost his voice. That is very true.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Lot's of Blueobarders here who are "oblivious to the obviously wrong".

No Blooies here - the waters are much too deep.

[mikeyj]

I remember Jon (I think it was him) mentioning that Al Jardine once said that the worst ting that ever happened to the Beach Boys was when Brian lost his voice. That is very true.

Yeah I would go along with that. Brian's voice was really the thing that first attracted me to the band.

[mikeyj]

Lot's of Blueobarders here who are "oblivious to the obviously wrong".

No Blooies here - the waters are much too deep.

So true. Some of the people there amaze me. I remember talking to a member once and I was talking about Busy Doin' Nothin' and they said "Oh I think I know that song, isn't it off the album Here Today"

Also, I almost never check the place anymore (and when I do, I just go to see if there is any announcements etc.) but I remember you started a topic there a while back saying "how many of the Beach Boys albums do you actually own" and it was amazing how many people only owned a handful of albums!

[Jason]

Wading through the nonsense on the blueboard is a real "dog's dinner" case. Like the members themselves, the posts consist of a select few winners and a WHOLE LOT of losers. Such is the fate of the ignoramuses (ignoramii?) who frequent that lovely corner of the interweb.

Besides, you'd better be careful what you post on here about the blueboard - some of their unicelled members post on this very forum.

[Wirestone]

Back to the TLOS autotune for a sec -- it may not have been used on the demo vocals. But once those demo vocals were moved over to the album proper, they could have been (and from the sound of it, were) nipped and tucked. This was sometimes good, sometimes not. Thus the weird transformation of MAD from a stunning demo to a good, but not overwhelming, album track.

Re: the "Brian can't sing" debate. One of the biggest obstacles to his current voice is not pitch or timbre -- as pointed out, lots pf artists don't have great pipes to begin with, or lose them. It's phrasing. For most of the 80s and 90s, Brian simply did not sound like a "professional" singer. (I like that voice, but it's an extremely acquired taste). Ditto for many of his present-day concerts.

(I got into the music through the IJWMFTT album, so my entire perspective on BW's voice is skewed. That weird yelp-y ness of the 90s is part of what brought me into fandom. I liked that other people found it hard to listen to.)

[Andrew G. Doe]

Wading through the nonsense on the blueboard is a real "dog's dinner" case. Like the members themselves, the posts consist of a select few winners and a WHOLE LOT of losers. Such is the fate of the ignoramuses (ignoramii?) who frequent that lovely corner of the interweb.

Besides, you'd better be careful what you post on here about the blueboard - some of their unicelled members post on this very forum.

I post under the principle that anything on this, or any other, board gets back to the powers-that-be one way or another. Mainly 'cause I know it does. 

[Wirestone]

I had always assumed that was true until I was allowed to interview Brian. Hell, I started a thread comparing and contrasting Melinda with the Antichrist.