He’s still with us, folks. But as you may have heard he has postponed a tour because of mental health issues. I saw him last Nov and it was indeed a sad spectacle.
Let’s use this thread to send out some love to the great one. Hope he gets through it.
dai says
Not too many realise this, but his first solo single came out in 1966. Here is his wonderful vocal:
fitterstoke says
I love this song….but the juxtaposition of the pain behind the lyrics and the screaming girls in this live clip….the plight of the tortured artist….
dai says
I like the German version too – “Ganz Allein” (completely alone)
Neela says
Poor Brian. He most likely should have given up touring quite a while ago. His body language speaks for itself when he´s on stage. I saw him a couple of years ago and my main impression was how sorry I felt for him, looking sad and lonely up there.
I wish him nothing but peace of mind, love and mercy. He´s created so much beautiful music. It´s been a companion since I was in my early teens.
dai says
Possibly his best. Wonderfully, he used to open concerts with it.
Neela says
It’s between this and Surf’s Up for me. He really opened with Til I Die? That’s brave. All the Barbara Ann people must have thought they were at the wrong location.
dai says
Correction, he preceded it with “Brian Wilson”
https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/brian-wilson/2000/hollywood-bowl-los-angeles-ca-3bdb983c.html
Moose the Mooche says
The sound of heaven. God bless Brian.
dai says
Glorious!
noisecandy says
Brian Wilson composed and produced this track for Glen Campbell, which I think is up there with his best…..
dai says
Was going to put that one up.
Feedback_File says
I saw Brian on the Pet Sounds tour in the early 2000s with the Wonderrmints as his backing band. It was fabulous – one of the most emotional gigs Ive ever seen. I do think he should have hung up his live work after that though as he was already teetering and from what I’ve seen of him on the TV since has been a bit cringeworthy.
This remains marginally my favourite BBs moment – surely one of the most effortlessly sophisticated songs of all time
Neela says
And there’s this version.
The Good Doctor says
Saw him on the first UK comeback tour in Glasgow nearly 20 years ago and I’ve never witnessed such an outpouring of love for a musician – standing ovation before he’d sat down and sung a note. All the between-song patter and lyrics were on an autocue, he sat in front of keyboard which he didn’t touch, and did odd little hand gestures in time to the music – but he seemed to be enjoying himself and the Wondermints were spot on as the Wrecking Crew. The voice, although barely recognisable, was better than the nicotine growl you hear on those fucked up late 70s Beach Boys albums, and every so often he’d absolutely nail the soaring high notes – brilliant. Saw one of the early SMiLE performances as well which was equally stunning – I recall a heartstopping moment where he stopped the band half way into, I think, ‘Surf’s Up’ and had them start from the top because he felt he’d fudged the vocal and wanted to do it justice.
Those early 00s comeback gigs felt like ‘First and Last Chance To See…’. I didn’t expect him to then go on to tour quite so extensively, reunite with Mike Love and boys, make Disney albums and all that. I haven’t seen him since the Smile tour – and watching the clips of the Beach Boys reunion with the autotune and him looking tired and uncomfortable made me wince. In the ongoing soap opera there was always a nagging concern about just how happy Brian was schlepping around doing yet another ‘Final’ Pet Sounds tour and all that. Who knows – having avoided the stage since the mid 60s maybe the addictive part of his personality got hooked on the wave of adulation that he could just by sitting down in front of piano and gamely struggling through Surfer Girl yet again.
At least we know the Brian Wilson Corporation has some sort of duty of care to it’s “asset” – and there is a threshold where it admits, yep, the old boy isn’t fit for Fun Fun Fun right now.
dai says
The first time I saw him do Pet Sounds (in California naturally 2000), I was worried during the opening set about how Pet Sounds would come across as he would need to do much more solo singing. Actually, he was spectacular, the contrast between those shows and last year was indeed painful.
mikethep says
I saw him at the Eden Project in 2004. On a damp, slightly Big Sur-ish evening he was absolutely magical, as were the Wondermints. He made a lot of old men (and women) very happy that night.
retropath2 says
Not, maybe, the subtlest place to park this, but I thought it might be of interest. And yes, that is Marky on drums.
I am as anti-Mike Love as any BB purist, but I have to appreciate his self-recognition: “For those who believe that Brian [Wilson] walks on water, I will always be the Antichrist.”
NigelT says
I mentioned on the 3 Best Gigs thread that the Beach Boys 50th Anniversary concert at Wembley in 2012 was magical, which it truly was. The sad bit was at the end when they got him up on his feet and hung a bass guitar round his neck and the poor chap looked petrified. At last year’s Cropredy he was a husk…being helped on stage with a walking frame because of, presumably, his ongoing back problems, he could barely sing a note let alone a correct one. The show was saved by the brilliant Al Jardine and Blondie Chaplin, but he really, really, shouldn’t be doing this any more. I love and worship the man and I probably play the Beach Boys more than anyone else, but this isn’t the way it should be ending. Love and Mercy to Brian.