Brian's 'Humor' album

[A Million Units In Jan!]

So Brian wanted to do a humor (and I use the word loosely) album. How would that have sold if it came out? Especially when you look at what Brian called humor. In LLVS! there's a part of a story where he talks about how hilarious it would be to make a movie featuring a chicken wearing tennis shoes running around.  Also, all you have to do is listen to 'Vegetable Arguments' once to see that Brian's sense of humor was elementary (with the exception of a couple of Hal Blaine bits). Toss in the fact that all of Brian's friends at the time couldn't/wouldn't tell him that this humor wasn't really funny, and you have a disaster on vinyl waiting to happen. I mean, would it have really been an entire album devoted to arguing about vegetables? And how in the world could he think that the kids would buy an album like that? I'm just fascinated by the fact that he spent quite a bit of time in the studio doing these 'humor sessions', and no one told him it sucked. Although I guess hash was occasionally involved.

[Jason]

It's one of those classic situations that peppered the Smile period - Brian would have an idea, be crazy about it for a few days, then promptly move on. Keep in mind, he also wanted to record an album of water sounds, an album all about health, and he even wanted to record an album of his entourage using glasses and china as percussion. His brain was going a mile a minute in 1966-67, but Brian Wilson didn't run as fast as Brian Wilson on a dose of speed. Keep in mind that Brian's never been one with a huge attention span, so it's not overly surprising that these were basically in and out of his brain in days or even hours.

[Sheriff John Stone]

So Brian wanted to do a humor (and I use the word loosely) album. How would that have sold if it came out?

It did come out. It's called Smiley Smile. And it did contribute to the downfall of the Beach Boys' career.

Capitol put the singles - "Good Vibrations", Heroes And Villains", Gettin' Hungry" - on there. With the possible exception of "Wind Chimes", every song that Brian recorded/ruined for Smiley Smile has an element of humor in it. Check 'em out:

Vegetables
Woody Woodpecker Symphony
She's Goin' Bald
Little Pad
With Me Tonight (with that low "yeah" left on there)
Wonderful (with the psychedelic bridge)
Whistle In

 

[Dr. Tim]

Brian has a sense of humor and can be quite funny at times but he is no comedian.  Yes some humorous musical elements creep in here and there, especially on "Party" and some little musical touches in Smile, Smiley Smile ("Little Pad" intro) and such (also "Take A Load Off Your Feet"), but on record he is not a har-har guy, and never will be.  It's not his forte.  Good example: the Vegetables argument with Hal Blaine on "Hawthorne".  He can get off a good line here and there but could never be as consistently funny as, say, John Lennon or Franz Zappa or even Leonard Cohen (surprise!) on their good days.  Clearly the results of the "humor" sessions, as they have been described over the years, were underwhelming, hence their suppression.  PDQ Bach he will never be.

[Andrew G. Doe]

With Me Tonight (with that low "yeah" left on there)

Spliced in, not left in.

[Jason]

Except it wasn't a "yeah", it was a "good". One Mr. Arnie Geller said it and the Boys spliced it in right on the beat.

[Zander]

Was the "Vosse Posse" bootleg that I've seen floating around an attempt at a "humour" album or is that just taped conversations such as the Vegetables Argument...?

(edit)

Found a little more info about here for those interested... (http://www.thesmileshop.net/index.php/A_SMiLE_Primer)

Smile Era Party – released on the Vigotone 2 CD set, this 24 minute tape features Jules Siegel, Van Dyke, David Anderle, Michael Vosse, Diane Rovell, Brian and “Dawn” at Columbia studios, possibly on October 18 as part of the Worms backing track is played during the festivities. It starts with Jules trying to get the others to play the “lifeboat game” and soon you’ll be asking along with one of the participants, “Brian, what are we doing in here?” Nothing particularly amusing is committed to tape: “Michael, it’s getting boring.”

Psychedelic Sounds – recorded Nov 4, 1966, with Brian, Van Dyke, Danny Hutton, Michael Vosse, and photographer Bob Gordon, this party reel is minimally more amusing than the Smile Era Party. Brian does an extended comedy bit about his “falling into the piano” and has the other participants try to get him out by hitting certain keys on the piano. Then he falls into the microphone. The group does some chanting, a “rhythmic vegetable thing” with bongos, and the “where’s my beets and carrots” and “I’ve got a big bag of vegetables” used on the Vegetables promo on Hawthorne. They proceed on to an underwater “bottom of the ocean” chant and end with a groaning section (perhaps an “air” chant) not unlike the “Swedish frog” section recorded later for Heroes and Villains. The underwater chant is likely the genesis of the “Water chant” later performed by the Beach Boys. The tape is disrupted upon the arrival of “Humble Harv Miller” (see

[runnersdialzero]

Except it wasn't a "yeah", it was a "good". One Mr. Arnie Geller said it and the Boys spliced it in right on the beat.

Except it wasn't "good", it was "bad". That's how it is on my version, anyway.

"BAAAD."

[peerke]

 He can get off a good line here and there but could never be as consistently funny as, say, John Lennon or Franz Zappa or even Leonard Cohen (surprise!) on their good days.  

Aren't you refering to Franz Kappa?

[Mr. Cohen]

I actually really like Brian's sense of humor.  It's really dry in a way. Sometimes you can't tell if he's joking or if he's serious, a lot like me.

[Sheriff John Stone]

I actually really like Brian's sense of humor.  It's really dry in a way. Sometimes you can't tell if he's joking or if he's serious, a lot like me.

Absolutely. I love Brian's humor in his music. If you stop and analyze his work - song by song - it's amazing how many little humorous (musical) parts are in there. Actually, that's one of the things I miss most about his solo music; the humor is almost non-existent.

[rogerlancelot]

"Good Time" is a funny little song. And couldn't "Market Place" or "Saturday morning In The City" fall into that category?

[Mr. Cohen]

. Actually, that's one of the things I miss most about his solo music; the humor is almost non-existent.

Yeah, he does have a lot of musical jokes. Like on "Johnny Carson", there are those seemingly random cymbal crashes (I mean, they're on the beat, but they don't make a lot of logical sense), and then there's that ridiculous section where the song moves in slow motion that somehow works as a perfect transition. And that piano! Someone described is a 'whorehouse' piano and I couldn't agree more. "Transcendental Meditation" has that goofy vocal delivery from Brian and makes that spiritual practice sound like a game show. Or how about when he imagined Jack Rieley as this crazily austere dying tree on "A Day in the Life of a Tree" (the title of which I feel is playing on the legend of the Beatles mini-epic)? Really think about that always makes me laugh.

There are tons of other examples but I can't think of them right. They'll come to me later throughout the night, I'm sure.

[Sheriff John Stone]

It's funny (no pun intended), but after Brian "came back" in 1976, he was as humorous, if not more humorous than ever.

On 15 Big Ones, there's "TM Song", even the sharp transition with "Talk To Me"/"Talahassee Lassie" is humorous, and some of the "Back Home" lyrics.

Humor is all over Love You, with "Roller Skating Child", "Johnny Carson", "Good Time", "Honkin'", "Solar System", and "I Wanna Pick You Up". Hey, maybe The Beach Boys Love You is Brian's REAL humor album.

Some might find humor in "Lines", "It's Trying To Say", "Life Is For The Living", "Marilyn Rovell", and "Lazy Lizzie"

Then there's "Shortenin' Bread" on L.A., "When Girl's Get Together" on KTSA, and then.....

[Jason]

I think with the Brian's Back thing, Brian was certainly humorous, but after a while I don't think it was so much people laughing WITH him as opposed to AT him - Carl certainly noticed this as, after 1977, he had Brian basically as a glorified sideman until 1981, when he had to come out of the "shadows" to fill Carl's shoes. Of course, as soon as Carl came back in 1982, Brian was a glorified sideman again until he was sent away to dry out.

[Dr. Tim]

Yes I loves me some Franz Kappa.  Especially his song about Gregor Samsa awaking one morning and finding himself a giant poodle dog, called "Any vegetable".

Now for the next six pages, discuss: that spliced-in "yeah" or whatever on "With Me Tonight" is "yeah" or "good"?  It sounds to me like "Bleaah" - which is what made it funny.  As is the 4-20 intro to "Little Pad".  (Yes I agree there is humor in Brian's music, just not much har-har stuff, and what har-har is there usually comes from other people.  The point is that Brian isn't a guy who does comedy routines.  My favorites on "Party" are the group yelling "Right!" after each line as Al sings "The Times They Are A Changin'", and the fractured "I Get Around.") 

[Andrew G. Doe]

Yes I loves me some Franz Kappa.  Especially his song about Gregor Samsa awaking one morning and finding himself a giant poodle dog, called "Any vegetable".

Now for the next six pages, discuss: that spliced-in "yeah" or whatever on "With Me Tonight" is "yeah" or "good"?  It sounds to me like "Bleaah" - which is what made it funny.  As is the 4-20 intro to "Little Pad".  (Yes I agree there is humor in Brian's music, just not much har-har stuff, and what har-har is there usually comes from other people.  The point is that Brian isn't a guy who does comedy routines.  My favorites on "Party" are the group yelling "Right!" after each line as Al sings "The Times They Are A Changin'", and the fractured "I Get Around.") 

It's "Good !" - says so in my book, so it must be true. 

[TheLazenby]

Ah yes, let me quote the ever-perfect Andrew Doe's book....

"except that the last sixty seconds doesn't belong there... the "how I love my girl" chant is a direct lift from the Crows' "Gee"."

The void of logic in this passage always bugged the CRAP out of me. :-P

EDIT - Oh, and I just noticed that the 'Smile Live' section refers to "Father Of The Man" as "Song For The Children"!

[Andrew G. Doe]

Ah yes, let me quote the ever-perfect Andrew Doe's book....

"except that the last sixty seconds doesn't belong there... the "how I love my girl" chant is a direct lift from the Crows' "Gee"."

The void of logic in this passage always bugged the CRAP out of me. :-P

EDIT - Oh, and I just noticed that the 'Smile Live' section refers to "Father Of The Man" as "Song For The Children"!

Humor not your strong suit, is it ? 

[18thofMay]

And there is that interview floating around from 67 where Brian describes over the telephone the creative proccess behind "gooodd"

[Chris Brown]

And there is that interview floating around from 67 where Brian describes over the telephone the creative proccess behind "gooodd"

Yep, it's with the same guy who interviewed Brian about the Christmas album a few years before.  It's on Youtube somewhere.

[A Million Units In Jan!]

This one, maybe?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRFE-24ucxc

[Dr. Tim]

The interviewer is Jack Wagner, who did all the Capitol promo LP interviews with label artists for a series of radio station LPs the label sent around during the 60s.  As noted above, another of his Brian interviews is on the "Christmas With The Beach Boys" compilation.  The LPs are formatted as half-hour shows for radio stations to air when no DJs were available, with banded spaces for commercial drop-ins.

Goooood.

[A Million Units In Jan!]

Too bad we couldn't go back in time and ask Jack to ask Brian some different questions.

'Brian, why did you junk all the other stuff you recorded for the last 6 months?'