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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Nov 18, 2023 17:36:32 GMT
You're probably right. Sadly. Sadly for nuts like me. Whenever I look back at the insanity (literally) that plagued the group in the 60's, 70s, and 80s - gee, I guess forever - I blame so much on drugs, alcohol, mental illness, doctors, hangers-on, unhealthy relationships/affairs, and the quest for the almighty dollar. Then I fast forward to a time, the mid-90s and onward, when most if not all of that was in the past. Well, almost. I would've liked to have seen them take another chance at being a professional band, one which could keep all of the bullshit out of the group. They did/do appear to recognize and understand what caused them to self-destruct so many times in the past. They paid dearly and you would think they learned their lessons. But, I guess you still have the persons, or more specifically the personalities, and I wonder if those really changed. Probably not. Just read or listen to some of the interviews.
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Post by Kapitan on Nov 18, 2023 17:42:34 GMT
Hard to argue any of that.
For me, the mid-90s really do seem like the golden opportunity. 2012 was nice--way better than I ever expected--but it's hard to imagine them becoming a real, current, active band at that point. A touring band, yes. That seems like it could have happened, though obviously it wasn't the most likely, or the actual, result.
But in my mind, and increasingly as the years go by, I look at the mid-90s as the ultimate lost realistic late-era opportunity. They had a newly "freed and healthy" (in Landy and drug-abuse terms) Brian Wilson who was actively writing new music that, while absolutely not at 1963-67 levels, was pretty good. You had very strong voices from the rest of the group, which still included a living Carl Wilson alongside Mike, Al, and Bruce (and of course David). You had the perfect era, as legacy bands were being rediscovered, celebrated, and most importantly for the Beach Boys, paid wild sums of money. (Think of the Eagles Hell Freezes Over reunion.) You had younger, "cooler" acts openly celebrating the Beach Boys' music.
I really think they had all the components. And they couldn't even get it together then. So, yeah, I think the real issue, the insurmountable issue, the tragic issue, is that we're dealing with those specific people and their own specific personal issues, hang-ups, and apparently irreconcilable differences.
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Post by Kapitan on Nov 26, 2023 14:12:20 GMT
Yesterday I'd read that Blondie Chaplin joined Los Lobos on stage at the Whisky a Go Go a few days ago. Well, look what popped up on YouTube.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Dec 24, 2023 14:20:32 GMT
How much is Brian Wilson's lost driver's license worth?
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Post by B.E. on Dec 24, 2023 14:43:10 GMT
That got a little creepy pretty quick. I was surprised how high they valued the other item. I'm also wondering if 185-190lbs is more likely. Anway, certainly interesting considering the moment in time.
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Post by jk on Dec 31, 2023 9:50:28 GMT
Not sure whether this has been posted yet. It's a gorgeous song, to be sure:
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Post by lonelysummer on Jan 9, 2024 3:09:50 GMT
How much is Brian Wilson's lost driver's license worth?
That's a pretty good DL photo. Better than most of mine!
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jan 13, 2024 19:00:45 GMT
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Mar 10, 2024 17:13:04 GMT
"Let Him Run Wild" soundcheck:
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Post by lonelysummer on Mar 10, 2024 20:03:42 GMT
Late response: I wonder if what some of you are implying above is, Al and David join the touring BB's band, while Brian stays at home and makes the records? TLOS as a Beach Boys album? NPP as a Beach Boys album? The latter I could certainly approve of. Those guests stars - other than Zooey - mean nothing to me. Al and David are underutilized. I still don't think BW needed to tour; just make an occasional appearance with the full group.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Mar 16, 2024 21:00:14 GMT
Brian Wilson Presents (The Real) SMiLE
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Post by Kapitan on Mar 16, 2024 22:46:58 GMT
"It wasn't appropriate music for the time," or "it was inappropriate music for us to make," I think those are such bullshit statements for 2000s and 2010s Brian Wilson to have made. When was the earliest date he used that kind of language about Smile? Did he ever say it before the BWPS project?
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Post by B.E. on Mar 16, 2024 22:52:00 GMT
"It wasn't appropriate music for the time," or "it was inappropriate music for us to make," I think those are such bullshit statements for 2000s and 2010s Brian Wilson to have made. When was the earliest date he used that kind of language about Smile? Did he ever say it before the BWPS project? I think that goes all the way back to his abandonment of Smile. I wanna say that he makes a similar statement or implication in that 1968(?) interview, but I’m not certain off the top of my head. Edit: Or I could be thinking of an interview from the ‘70s. Hmm.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Mar 17, 2024 10:55:45 GMT
"It wasn't appropriate music for the time," or "it was inappropriate music for us to make," I think those are such bullshit statements for 2000s and 2010s Brian Wilson to have made. When was the earliest date he used that kind of language about Smile? Did he ever say it before the BWPS project? You're absolutely right, and I continue to find it one of the most frustrating...non-occurrences...in the group's history - that is, Brian's throwing out comments like that instead of sitting down and intelligently discussing SMiLE - and please don't reference the Beautiful Dreamer propaganda piece. Brian had over 55 years, over a half century, to sit down in an interview - just a single interview - and discuss SMiLE, just for historical purposes. And, who doesn't think music like SMiLE or a project of that magnitude didn't deserve it. The interview could've/would've taken a single day, just hours actually. There's only so many SMiLE tracks to begin with (around 20?). How long would've it taken to explain what he set out to do, his original vision/intent, where it went from there, and how/why it ended up where it did. Nobody was asking for a specific song-by-song sequence, but it wouldn't have been difficult to maybe disclose the potential opening and closing tracks. (sighs)
Again, the music IS THAT IMPORTANT. I can't believe they (whoever "they" are) couldn't get one interviewer who Brian respected - on a good day which is essential - and get him to disclose what he knows about the SMiLE music. Now it's too late. Oh, you still have a chance with the next best thing - Van Dyke Parks - but you could never get the perspective that we really want (Brian's), and Parks has so many agendas that I don't know how much we could believe anyway.
So, this is what we and history are left with. These isolated and various proclamations from Brian that make you - no, me - scratch my head, frown, sigh, and make posts like these.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Mar 17, 2024 11:05:42 GMT
"It wasn't appropriate music for the time," or "it was inappropriate music for us to make," I think those are such bullshit statements for 2000s and 2010s Brian Wilson to have made. When was the earliest date he used that kind of language about Smile? Did he ever say it before the BWPS project? I think that goes all the way back to his abandonment of Smile. I wanna say that he makes a similar statement or implication in that 1968(?) interview, but I’m not certain off the top of my head. Edit: Or I could be thinking of an interview from the ‘70s. Hmm. I stand to be corrected, but the only pre- BWPS statement(s) I remember Brian making about the inappropriateness of the SMiLE music had to do with the "Fire" music. I seem to remember Brian saying that particular music/piece (and I'm paraphrasing greatly) shouldn't be released or wasn't appropriate because it was too scary or presented too negative a vibe, and that it was better or more appropriate to release just a candle (Smiley Smile/"Fall Breaks And Back To Winter"). I read that many years before BWPS.
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