Brian Wilson - Long Promised Road

[Revolutions]

Finally watched the documentary. I missed it at the cinema & it’s been on my list for years.

It’s excellent. Regret putting it off for so long. Despite being a massive fan, I think I wasn’t too bothered after all the books and other documentaries about Pet Sounds & Smile. A decent budget film about the man is long overdue.

Extra heartbreaking as his wife died in Jan. Apparently, he’s deteriorated badly & his family have applied for Conservatorship again 😢

I had VIP meet & greet tickets for his last UK tour, which was cancelled due to COVID. Had a feeling that would be my last chance to see him, and seems it may be true.

Got super lucky seeing him loads of times against the odds, so I can’t complain: Smile tour, Pet Sounds 40th Anniversary, and then seeing him 3 times on the 50th anniversary tour (Primavera, box at royal Albert hall, 3rd row at Hammersmith).

 

[plastic penguin]

Not a fan of Brian. How he's still alive is nothing more than miraculous. The remaining Beach Boys are a festering mass of egoes.

The real credit should go to Wondermint. They spent years with Brian, dealing with his mood swings, to re-produce Smile for the live stage.

 

[Revolutions]

Not a fan of Brian. How he's still alive is nothing more than miraculous. The remaining Beach Boys are a festering mass of egoes.

The real credit should go to Wondermint. They spent years with Brian, dealing with his mood swings, to re-produce Smile for the live stage.

What is it that turns you off his music?

70s music stars being a festering mass of egos is nothing new 😁 although as far as I can tell, Al Jardine doesn’t come under that header.

 

[plastic penguin]

What is it that turns you off his music?

70s music stars being a festering mass of egos is nothing new 😁 although as far as I can tell, Al Jardine doesn’t come under that header.

Apart from he's the biggest smack head, ironically being kept alive by drugs. Too American for my taste: most of their early stuff is written about surfing. My nearest coastline is 50 miles away, hate big American cars. Rubbish build quality and way too big for British roads; Dennis was off his brain, living with Charles Manson; permanently intoxicated blah blah blah....

Brian went totally off his head during the original Smile sessions.

The only half decent Wilson was Carl.

Can't stand what they represent.

 

[Revolutions]

Apart from he's the biggest smack head, ironically being kept alive by drugs. Too American for my taste: most of their early stuff is written about surfing. My nearest coastline is 50 miles away, hate big American cars. Rubbish build quality and way too big for British roads; Dennis was off his brain, living with Charles Manson; permanently intoxicated blah blah blah....

Brian went totally off his head during the original Smile sessions.

The only half decent Wilson was Carl.

Can't stand what they represent.

I can get the early music could put anyone off. The music shifted direction as early as 1965 (2nd half of Today! is gentle love songs), although Brian Wilson’s music has a broadway/musical type quality to it even then.

Not sure drugs & morality should be a reason to judge bands. The Beatles, The Who & Led Zepplin, to name a few, famously did awful hugely illegal things on repeated occasions, often high on class A drugs.

As an aside, Dennis Wilson beat Charles Manson within an inch of his life after he started stalking him.

 

[plastic penguin]

I can get the early music could put anyone off. The music shifted direction as early as 1965 (2nd half of Today! is gentle love songs), although Brian Wilson’s music has a broadway/musical type quality to it even then.

Not sure drugs & morality should be a reason to judge bands. The Beatles, The Who & Led Zepplin, to name a few, famously did awful hugely illegal things on repeated occasions, often high on class A drugs.

As an aside, Dennis Wilson beat Charles Manson within an inch of his life after he started stalking him.

Most bands from the 60s were out of their brains on illegal stuff but the Beach Boys took it to a whole new level. Just can't tolerate this bunch. Never have done, never will.

The very fact Dennis let one of biggest serial killers stay at his isolated gaffe, says an awful lot.