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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Mar 18, 2021 17:28:57 GMT
I have posted before about ideas for 60th Anniversary concerts which would lessen the physical load on the Beach Boys. Those ideas included Brian Wilson maybe coming out later in the show. They could "change things up" during the show to keep the guys moving and interested, maybe by having the five members seated in chairs or standing at mics in front of the stage for an unplugged segment. But the most practical idea would be to have an EXTENDED SEGMENT where the individual Beach Boys are featured. While four or five of the guys are off-stage...resting, you could have Blondie perform "Sail On Sailor" and "Wild Honey". David Marks could perform an instrumental surf music/song medley on guitar. Bruce could do his old reliable "Disney Girls" and even "I Write The Songs". Even Al and Mike could take a few minutes with some of their solo material. That extended "solo segment" could last fairly song, giving the guys enough time to relax, get a massage , get something to eat or drink, and re-charge their old batteries. Just a thought.
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Post by Kapitan on Mar 18, 2021 17:32:51 GMT
The thing I don't like about each guy performing without the others is that one of the absolute defining aspects of the group is their group singing, their harmonies. To just feature the lead singer without the others feels wrong.
That said, the group are better singers and almost certainly more valuable to the overall sound live than the principals anyway. It would be a lot more an image thing than a sonic thing.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Mar 18, 2021 17:48:10 GMT
The thing I don't like about each guy performing without the others is that one of the absolute defining aspects of the group is their group singing, their harmonies. To just feature the lead singer without the others feels wrong.
That said, the group are better singers and almost certainly more valuable to the overall sound live than the principals anyway. It would be a lot more an image thing than a sonic thing.
I think with the songs that they chose - or the songs I listed - they could get away with it. Blondie's two songs, obviously David's instrumental(s), and even "Disney Girls" aren't super-dependent on background vocals - and no one Beach Boy is really prominent on the harmonies on the originals. Heck, most of the Beach Boys weren't even on some of those songs. If Mike and/or Al would perform a solo song (hopefully just one ), it wouldn't mean much to NOT have Brian, Bruce, or David out there. The bottom line - I'd be willing to sacrifice some 80-year old's harmonies if it helps to pull off a 60th Anniversary show.
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Post by Kapitan on Mar 18, 2021 17:53:11 GMT
I don't quite disagree. Like I said (and have been UNPOPULARLY! [also I don't think that's a word] saying for years), their own contributions are decreasingly important to the sound in live situations. The band matters much more than they do.
Anyway, we'll see what they do. There is bound to be something. Then once it happens, we can all bitch about it.
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Post by kds on Mar 18, 2021 17:56:18 GMT
I have posted before about ideas for 60th Anniversary concerts which would lessen the physical load on the Beach Boys. Those ideas included Brian Wilson maybe coming out later in the show. They could "change things up" during the show to keep the guys moving and interested, maybe by having the five members seated in chairs or standing at mics in front of the stage for an unplugged segment. But the most practical idea would be to have an EXTENDED SEGMENT where the individual Beach Boys are featured. While four or five of the guys are off-stage...resting, you could have Blondie perform "Sail On Sailor" and "Wild Honey". David Marks could perform an instrumental surf music/song medley on guitar. Bruce could do his old reliable "Disney Girls" and even "I Write The Songs". Even Al and Mike could take a few minutes with some of their solo material. That extended "solo segment" could last fairly song, giving the guys enough time to relax, get a massage , get something to eat or drink, and re-charge their old batteries. Just a thought. I think you could pretty easily bring Brian Wilson out solely for the second half of the shows. When I saw the C50 tour, he really didn't sing a whole lot of leads in the first set anyway. I really think Brian is the only one who really needs this treatment, due to his back. Mike and Bruce seem to have no issues on stage for two plus hours, same likely for Al.
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Post by Kapitan on Mar 18, 2021 17:58:23 GMT
I really meant to say just that it will only become more an issue, not necessarily that it has been (it hasn't) or will be this year (though who knows?).
I will say, though, things can go south quickly with people's health, especially around 80. Thankfully Mike especially seems to be in fantastic health for his age, and Al seems to have been generally quite healthy as well. I know Bruce and David both have had issues, but as far as I know they're healthy now.
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Post by kds on Mar 18, 2021 18:00:34 GMT
I don't quite disagree. Like I said (and have been UNPOPULARLY! [also I don't think that's a word] saying for years), their own contributions are decreasingly important to the sound in live situations. The band matters much more than they do.
Anyway, we'll see what they do. There is bound to be something. Then once it happens, we can all bitch about it.
That's the funny thing about the BB fanbase. Most casual music fans, critics, fellow musicians will look at a BB reunion and see the wonderful it is. Not us. It'll be too many shows, too few shows, why are they not doing an album, why are they bothering to do an album, this better have a good live release (from yours truly), Blondie's show boating has no place at a BB show, why do they refuse to play anything from Love You, ugh it's fuckin' Stamos again......
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Post by kds on Mar 18, 2021 18:01:48 GMT
I really meant to say just that it will only become more an issue, not necessarily that it has been (it hasn't) or will be this year (though who knows?).
I will say, though, things can go south quickly with people's health, especially around 80. Thankfully Mike especially seems to be in fantastic health for his age, and Al seems to have been generally quite healthy as well. I know Bruce and David both have had issues, but as far as I know they're healthy now.
That's likely, but I also don't see them doing a full on 75 date tour over a five month period again either like they did in 2012 either.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 18, 2021 18:32:31 GMT
Well you don't want a tribute where The Beach Boys are sitting there in tuxedos like the Kennedy center and you don't want a tribute where different star performers are singing the lead and The Beach Boys are just sort of lined up without instruments singing a couple of odd harmony parts. I enjoy things like Billy Joel singing don't worry baby and I think those shows are just fantastic but if they were "in stead of"as opposed to in addition to seeing the 5 surviving beach boys and their fantastic orchestra playing beach boys songs, then I would find that really a frustrating waste of time.
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Post by kds on Mar 18, 2021 18:43:03 GMT
Well you don't want a tribute where The Beach Boys are sitting there in tuxedos like the Kennedy center and you don't want a tribute where different star performers are singing the lead and The Beach Boys are just sort of lined up without instruments singing a couple of odd harmony parts. I enjoy things like Billy Joel singing don't worry baby and I think those shows are just fantastic but if they were "in stead of"as opposed to in addition to seeing the 5 surviving beach boys and their fantastic orchestra playing beach boys songs, then I would find that really a frustrating waste of time. I'd imagine a tribute show would probably be a big TV event, probably something along the lines of that Grammy Tribute to The Beatles a few years back when Paul and Ringo performed at the end. I would hope if if the Boys performed at something like that, it wouldn't be the only reason they're getting together.
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Post by Kapitan on Mar 18, 2021 18:50:38 GMT
Yep. Wasn't the pre-C50 tribute to the Beach Boys also the Grammys? The one where Al joined the band and played after a couple of other bands did a number? My guess is that it would be like that, or as I said, like the Wilson one, but really extravagant. Probably multiple shows, as Al said, maybe with different artists contributing different nights but the Beach Boys every night? Hard to say, and I'm sure they don't know either.
My money is on it being a one-time thing, though. I'd bet almost anything that they're not going to reunite more fully for a large tour or to record an album's worth (or more) of new music. I just don't see it. I'd predict a limited number of shows with heavy guest and backing band involvement--to be mined repeatedly for new content in the form of a TV special, a documentary, different versions to buy online, etc.--and maybe a few new tunes to help get attention on rerelease packages and such, purely as promo.
That's my guess.
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Post by kds on Mar 18, 2021 19:22:16 GMT
Yep. Wasn't the pre-C50 tribute to the Beach Boys also the Grammys? The one where Al joined the band and played after a couple of other bands did a number? My guess is that it would be like that, or as I said, like the Wilson one, but really extravagant. Probably multiple shows, as Al said, maybe with different artists contributing different nights but the Beach Boys every night? Hard to say, and I'm sure they don't know either.
My money is on it being a one-time thing, though. I'd bet almost anything that they're not going to reunite more fully for a large tour or to record an album's worth (or more) of new music. I just don't see it. I'd predict a limited number of shows with heavy guest and backing band involvement--to be mined repeatedly for new content in the form of a TV special, a documentary, different versions to buy online, etc.--and maybe a few new tunes to help get attention on rerelease packages and such, purely as promo.
That's my guess.
I think the BB C50 tribute happened at the Grammy Awards, and I think Adam Levine of Maroon 5 was involved, but I was thinking about that two hour Beatles tribute show that The Grammys produced two or three years ago. Your guess is pretty close to what I would guess. Although, I think a US Tour could happen.
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Post by Kapitan on Mar 18, 2021 19:35:33 GMT
You're right that it was the full band for that Grammys show. Adam Levine of Maroon 5 did part of a song and Foster the People did, too, but it was the full C50 group.
So now I'm trying to remember, what was the (barely) pre-reunion show that included Al but not Brian? (Maybe David, too. I forget. But I recall Christian L. did a lead, maybe GV or something. I thought he sounded great.) I just recall admitting to myself, a longtime insistent antisentimentalist and proponent of the BW band's vocals, that having Al in with the Beach Boys guys did have a certain undeniable appeal...
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Post by kds on Mar 18, 2021 19:43:37 GMT
You're right that it was the full band for that Grammys show. Adam Levine of Maroon 5 did part of a song and Foster the People did, too, but it was the full C50 group.
So now I'm trying to remember, what was the (barely) pre-reunion show that included Al but not Brian? (Maybe David, too. I forget. But I recall Christian L. did a lead, maybe GV or something. I thought he sounded great.) I just recall admitting to myself, a longtime insistent antisentimentalist and proponent of the BW band's vocals, that having Al in with the Beach Boys guys did have a certain undeniable appeal...
Now, that I don't really recall, as it preceded my BB geekdom.
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Post by Kapitan on Mar 18, 2021 20:16:56 GMT
Figured it out and found it: the Ronald Reagan Centennial special/celebration thing. Early 2011.
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