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Post by Kapitan on Jun 8, 2019 17:58:46 GMT
I recognize this might seem morbid or in poor taste to some. Apologies. I don't think it is.
Obviously major artists have increasingly had posthumous release projects that seem to dig deeper into the vaults than they were willing to do during their lives. (Some, like Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, and even the Beach Boys, have done a lot of that vault-clearing early.) But David Bowie and Prince are two current examples whose previously unreleased material has been coming out: demos, alternate takes, unreleased studio music, and live material.
One would have to imagine that Brian's team has been planning how to handle the inevitable. What do you think is most likely to happen? What do you hope will happen? Do you think the Beach Boys will be involved, or do their own separate archival release projects around that event, or take some other action/inaction?
We know Joe Thomas has a lot of material, though we don't know how much is worth anything. It would seem there is something leftover from the Bennett pre-TLOS sessions and the pre-NPP sessions (like the Jeff Beck stuff). The vast majority of the Paley stuff is unreleased, though some of it has been rerecorded and released. The "bedroom tapes" probably exist to some degree, but one wonders whose property that would be (Wilson or Beach Boys).
I hope there isn't much in the way of live stuff, because let's be honest: there's already plenty of it and it's not as if he's a dynamic live performer whose gigs are special en masse.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jun 8, 2019 20:02:25 GMT
I would expect two releases. I think there will be a posthumous, last studio album. I can see Joe Thomas being asked to gather the best unreleased material available, and then Brian's band would be brought in to maybe "sweeten" the tracks both instrumentally and with backing vocals.
After almost 40 years as a solo artist (compared to how many as a Beach Boy? ), it would be time, some would say past due, for a career encompassing boxed set. Because a very large percentage of fans purchasing the boxed set already have Brian's solo releases, they would have to load it up pretty good with rarities.
Because Brian's wifeandmanagers were dedicated to releasing a continuous flow of Brian Wilson solo albums of just about any kind, I was surprised that we never got a 2CD release - Pet Sounds and BWPS Live. Disc 1 could open with a half dozen or so hits and then go right into Pet Sounds. Disc 2 could open with BWPS and end with more hits/encores. Maybe they have alternate (better?) live Pet Sounds' songs, and, of course, BWPS has never been released on CD - which is hard to believe.
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Post by kds on Jun 8, 2019 20:59:00 GMT
I'd expect some live releases from various solo tours, maybe even a complete C50 show. Although, they may follow the trend of the copyright releases and do digital only.
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Post by Kapitan on Jun 9, 2019 18:34:58 GMT
You know what I'd love? Some gigantic, non-hagiographic documentary that uses footage from all the times Brian has been on film. I forget which book(s) mention that basically Brian's every fart in the studio was recorded beginning sometime in the '70s because they feared a) he might not get a lot done, and b) he might meet an untimely demise at any point. Obviously there was a ton more footage used in his solo-era advertisement-documentaries, whether the full-length ones like Smile and TLOS or the EPKs like the Xmas album. There just has to be a wealth of footage that would really illuminate the guy's musical instincts and practices. That stuff, combined with good, honest, too-late-to-hurt-feelings interviews, would be just amazing for me.
Plus the unreleased studio stuff. Like, all of it they can find.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jun 9, 2019 21:21:07 GMT
I had to look up hagiographic before responding...
Was it the Keepin' The Summer Alive sessions that were filmed, thinking they might be Brian's last? Anyway, for a documentary to happen like you are proposing - and it has the potential for greatness - I think you would need somebody like a Ken Burns or Martin Scorsese, a documentary maker or a filmmaker who is a fan of the music/artist/subject first, and then has the means to get it done. Passion and money.
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Post by Kapitan on Jun 9, 2019 22:08:12 GMT
Yeah ... and unfortunately from a practical perspective, also either total trust and generosity from the estate, or so much time to pass that those with an emotional interest are no longer around (which of course also hurts the product, or at least the prospects of the product). The key for me is, it can't just be another advertisement. It would have to be a real, legitimate documentary that includes the warts. Brian is too interesting (and obviously important) figure to be relegated to the sorts of docs he's been involved in most of his solo career.
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Post by kds on Jun 10, 2019 17:19:30 GMT
Yeah ... and unfortunately from a practical perspective, also either total trust and generosity from the estate, or so much time to pass that those with an emotional interest are no longer around (which of course also hurts the product, or at least the prospects of the product). The key for me is, it can't just be another advertisement. It would have to be a real, legitimate documentary that includes the warts. Brian is too interesting (and obviously important) figure to be relegated to the sorts of docs he's been involved in most of his solo career. I agree, and like Sheriff said, I think it would have to see from an outside director. Back to posthumous plan, another big hope / request: for the love of Pete, no goddamn holograms.
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Post by Kapitan on Jun 10, 2019 17:34:03 GMT
Agreed!
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jun 10, 2019 20:37:59 GMT
Holograms might be too creepy for The Beach Boys' family, but if the next generation is like the previous one, they'll do anything for a buck.
Tribute bands are becoming big, and some are really well done. If The Beach Boys do it right, and if Brian Wilson's band does it right, there is potential for a very entertaining program of BB/BW music. While it's not entirely necessary that the band have "name" members, it wouldn't hurt, and there's certainly enough recognizable names in both bands to put something worthwhile together.
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Post by kds on Jun 11, 2019 12:49:08 GMT
Holograms might be too creepy for The Beach Boys' family, but if the next generation is like the previous one, they'll do anything for a buck.
Tribute bands are becoming big, and some are really well done. If The Beach Boys do it right, and if Brian Wilson's band does it right, there is potential for a very entertaining program of BB/BW music. While it's not entirely necessary that the band have "name" members, it wouldn't hurt, and there's certainly enough recognizable names in both bands to put something worthwhile together.
There are some very successful Beatles and Pink Floyd tribute bands out there with no recognizable musicians, so I think there's a market for a BB tribute act once we get to a point where there are no longer three different BB entities touring at any given time. I wouldn't even mind if they did what Mike and Bruce do with playing to videos of Carl and Dennis. But, to me, playing to a video feels less icky than a hologram. I feel like a hologram is trying to create the illusion that the deceased musician is there. Its.......weird.
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Post by Kapitan on Jun 11, 2019 13:13:13 GMT
I’ve said for years and truly believe that a BW-band based touring group could do really well on a theater circuit doing the kind of meticulous arrangements that got Brian such acclaim as a touring act these past 20 years (and I assume sparked the improvement of Mike’s version).
If they could become officially sanctioned, so much the better for marketing purposes.
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Post by kds on Jun 11, 2019 14:13:56 GMT
I’ve said for years and truly believe that a BW-band based touring group could do really well on a theater circuit doing the kind of meticulous arrangements that got Brian such acclaim as a touring act these past 20 years (and I assume sparked the improvement of Mike’s version). If they could become officially sanctioned, so much the better for marketing purposes. I could definitely see that happening. I'm sure Paul, Darian, and company could possibly get a little more daring with the setlists as well.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jun 11, 2019 15:56:32 GMT
I’ve said for years and truly believe that a BW-band based touring group could do really well on a theater circuit doing the kind of meticulous arrangements that got Brian such acclaim as a touring act these past 20 years (and I assume sparked the improvement of Mike’s version). If they could become officially sanctioned, so much the better for marketing purposes. I could definitely see that happening. I'm sure Paul, Darian, and company could possibly get a little more daring with the setlists as well. I think it would be a helluva band and an entertaining program of music. My only concern would be ticket sales and if the touring could generate enough income for a band that size. Can they draw enough fans? As a big BB/BW diehard, sure I would attend one of these shows and probably enjoy it very much. But would I go a second time?
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Post by kds on Jun 11, 2019 16:07:06 GMT
I could definitely see that happening. I'm sure Paul, Darian, and company could possibly get a little more daring with the setlists as well. I think it would be a helluva band and an entertaining program of music. My only concern would be ticket sales and if the touring could generate enough income for a band that size. Can they draw enough fans? As a big BB/BW diehard, sure I would attend one of these shows and probably enjoy it very much. But would I go a second time? I think ticket sales might improve if that were the only way to hear BB music on a big stage. Right now, the ticket dollar for Beach Boys fans is spread pretty thin. How would the Wondermints Beach Boys experience keep one coming back? Take a page from Several Species, a well known Floyd tribute band, and do tours focused on certain albums or eras.
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Post by Kapitan on Jun 11, 2019 16:27:18 GMT
That’s what I was thinking: every show has a hits set and then at least many theater shows have an album, era or person focused set. I’d be shocked if they couldn’t make a reasonable living doing summer festivals/fairs and off-season theaters...worldwide. And the sanction of the brand could only help (especially if you incorporate a Matt or Christian).
People pay for Beatles tributes, Floyd tributes...I’m sure there’s money in a serious BBs act.
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