Happy Birthday, Brian.

30 odd years' ago you wouldn't have thought it.

Brian is a fully functioning musician again. To think he's reached 70 is fantastic.

Happy birthday, and thanks for all the music!





Produced by Jeff Lynne - who didn't add all those surf effects...

God bless you, Brian Douglas Wilson!

Brian performing "Good Vibrations" solo in 1976:

Nice piece...

[www.classichitsandoldies.com]

The one the only....

That he is recording decent to good music AND touring (with the Beach Boys!) at this age is a beautiful miracle.

Hello,

We do throw the term 'genius' around a fair bit but in the field of pop music this guy deserves it as much as anyone. He has given us some beautiful moments for sure...happy birthday Brian!

Cheers,

Simon.

...now this made my day...not so much for Mr. Wilson perhaps...he's got a heck of a handshake still, hah-hah!

Just saw him last night with the Beach Boys and he looked fine and sounded great. Since they forgot {the band} to wish you a happy b'day, this is from the fifteen thousand fans.
Happy b'day Brian and you are made for these times.

It's a bit ironic that of the 3 Wilson brothers, he's the one still alive and doing well! I wonder if he hung out with the Stones at the TAMI show?

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DGA35
It's a bit ironic that of the 3 Wilson brothers, he's the one still alive and doing well! I wonder if he hung out with the Stones at the TAMI show?

Brian and the Beach Boys' Hawthorne CA cruising Foster Freeze on Saturday night sensibility (along with his general social discomfort)would seem like a poor match with the Stones dark, hip cool, even at that stage. Only Dennis maybe would be on any equal footing, and there would be more of a competitive edge. Musically they'd have Chuck Berry as a reference point, and that's about it.

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DGA35
It's a bit ironic that of the 3 Wilson brothers, he's the one still alive and doing well! I wonder if he hung out with the Stones at the TAMI show?

Yeah, it's in bad taste to say so, but someone could have made a lot of money betting in Vegas on Brian to be the last surviving Wilson brother. 35 years ago, Carl would have been the hands-down favorite to be the last Wilson standing.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-06-21 08:49 by ab.

I don't know: there's a recording of Carl singing God Only Knows from 1978 in Australia, and he sounds totally blitzed.

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tomcasagranda
I don't know: there's a recording of Carl singing God Only Knows from 1978 in Australia, and he sounds totally blitzed.

Maybe so, but remember, the other horses in the race are/were Brian and Dennis, each with their own seemingly more serious issues.

Hearing Carl in a stupor slaughtering God Only Knows might be mildly amusing, if only in an "oh the humanity" kind of way. Part of the fun of collecting boots is having around some of those train wrecks.

The amazing thing is that no matter how extreme the Wilson brothers' behaviour was, they made the best solo albums of all the Beach Boys.

When you consider Dennis as chief hedonist, and how he created such gems as Forever, Cuddle Up, Pacific Ocean Blue, it is amazing that he was able to create such work. Also, one of the best ever Brian Wilson songs was written when he was incapacitated by excess, i.e. Still I Dream Of It. Carl's solo album Youngblood was also created during an excessive period.

That recording of Carl is reputedly of him on heroin; but of the three Wilsons I think he went the shortest distance down that particular road. There is little question that along with Brian's genius and talent, the remaining majority of brilliance and creativity came from Carl and Dennis. Though everybody in the band sure can sing!

Heard The Beach Boys version of "Crocodile Rock" couple of weeks ago for the first time in forever, and for the life of me can't figure out why Carl didn't sing the lead on that!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-06-22 05:14 by JohnnyBGoode.

Nice week for melody in 1942: Paul McCartney born June 18 in England, Brian Wilson born June 20 in California.

Let's hear it for Jeff Foskett ! Thank you Jeff for signing Brian's name on Beach Boys items that's for sale at the shows.