Saturday, August 9, 2008

The Beach Boys Network

The Beach Boys Network

Re: Some items of historical interest [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 09 Aug 2008 06:32 AM CDT

That's really cool.  You should have gotten a button that said "I Know Dennis' Mom".

Re: Landy Questions [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 09 Aug 2008 05:51 AM CDT

carl, I couldn't see it more differently.  I believe Landy picked a vulnerable patient's pocket for millions of dollars, isolated him personally, exploited him to a profound degree in numerous ways, and- based on some evidence- was deeply involved in- or at best complicit in- the drugging of Brian at a worse level than is generally known. I believe Brian is still paying a tragic price for those "services".  I believe that it was a very, very lucky man who left for Hawaii with everything but his California license and his reputation.

Just personal opinions, and I certainly respect the other view.

Help - MIDI sequencers [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 09 Aug 2008 03:57 AM CDT

I know pretty much nothing about digital recording. That being said, my owns a Yamaha DGX203 keyboard, with a USB port. The company website claims that "the USB port acts as a MIDI interface, freeing you from having to purchase other MIDI peripherals like cables and adapters to play music. Simply connect to your computer, open your favorite music software program and hit PLAY. That's it."

Well, that's clearly not it, but I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I have Audacity and a bunch of free MIDI sequencing programs (which all recognize the keyboard), but I just don't know how to get any sort of music to appear. Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong or is this too vague?

Re: Some items of historical interest [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 09 Aug 2008 03:47 AM CDT

nope, i was 2 years old when he died. i did meet audree very briefly during a session for "The Wilsons" record at A&M.

Beach Boys [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 09 Aug 2008 03:10 AM CDT

Third entry from top (by Søren Hattesen Balle from Aalborg University):
http://www.hum.aau.dk/~i12bent/Future_Lectures/Karlstad06.html

Re: Landy Questions [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 09 Aug 2008 03:06 AM CDT

According Brian's ever-reliable biography, the drug treatment was not the single most important part of the therapy. The aim was to push Brian out of his comfort zone by relocating him into situations where he would have to engage himself and make decisions related to his own well-being. Landy's partial aim was to end the dependency of Brian upon other people which enabled him to disengage so much from reality. And also draw attention away from the persona Brian had created for himself which was comfortable for him its the lack of expectations. This I think is distinct from Brian's ongoing depression and schizoid-type illness (which we know as not being schizophrenia as such, but which traditional medicine has often failed to differentiate effectively)

I don't want to totally defend Landy, who was a problematic character, but I'm not sure that the over-medication was actually Landy's doing, and whether other patients with similar conditions to Brian would also have been over-medicated at this point in time. Psychiatry has sometimes been a less than exact medical science. It's possible Landy simply reflected the (faulty) consensus at the time.

It strikes me how badly it all worked out for Landy professionally, even if his fall from grace did involve retirement to Hawaii, which can never be too bad I guess...


I asked this question on another thread, and it was addressed to some extent. But since you started this thread, maybe it could be explored further.

Two obvious givens: I  am not a doctor, and I don't know the extent of Brian's problems in 1982. But this is my question, or problem with Landy's treatment. I always thought the two major problems with Brian in 1982 was his continued abuse of non-prescription drugs, and his morbid obesity/unhealthy habits. I wasn't sure if his mental illness (whatever the diagnosis) was that serious. By that I mean, was he acting so strangely that he needed to be institutionalized? I am now aware that Landy probably misdiagnosed Brian's condition, but I can't understand why it was necessary to put Brian on such heavy medication. I don't think those medications were necessary to wean Brian off of cocaine, cigarettes, and food. So, were they absolutely necessary to treat whatever mental illness Landy thought Brian had. What were the symptoms that Landy was trying to treat?

Re: Forever She'll Be My Surfer Girl video on Amazon [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 09 Aug 2008 02:44 AM CDT

Jimmy Hester's Idol? I remember you. That porcelin guy, right?

Oh, and this is Jimmy. That was really funny, by the way. LOL

TLOS will soon rule the planet and my "idol" will be forced to
move out of my garage. Might be a good thing, but then who
will I get to mow my yard?

All hail Jimmy Hester's idol!

LOL

I was waiting for someone to comment.

Quote
Hmmm .... experts say that auditory memory can be fleeting, and it appears they are correct!  Just went back and did a comparison of the demo version and the Amazon venison of Forever My Surfer Girl, and contrary to my comments above, they sounded virtually identical.

Now I don't feel so bad for not noticing a difference. LOL  I thought something was wrong with me!

Re: Forever She'll Be My Surfer Girl video on Amazon [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 09 Aug 2008 12:49 AM CDT

It's lip-synched... that's the album version that's playing.  So consider it like an MTV video, only without the pretension.
Is that really the version that's going to be on the CD? Brian's voice is very prominent in this version. No offence, but Brian has a very, very weak "falsetto" as of recent years. I would have thought that the rest of the band would have "blended in" more with Brian. Using this as a "final" version might not be that good of an idea.

Come on.  They always mix Brian's voice that way, you expect them to do it different on this c.d. for some reason when they didn't on any of the last 9 albums? 

Brian Wilson Autographed 8x10 Picture Reprint Super ["brian wilson"]

Posted: 09 Aug 2008 12:15 AM CDT

US $0.85 (0 Bid)
End Date: Monday Aug-11-2008 22:15:29 PDT
Bid now | Add to watch list

Re: Brian's mental history [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 08 Aug 2008 11:48 PM CDT

"As for the audiologist who's never heard of somebody that's unilaterally deaf speaking out of the side of their mouth, how does he explain Brian's case then?  Doesn't seem that hard to understand to me.  If I was 5 or whatever or born deaf on one side I can see where I'd develop that quirk, even if it doesn't make you hear better, you might TRY to speak that way to make it more audible and perhaps it's just a habit that stuck, even if the audiologist says it's useless to speak that way."

Well, that's a post hoc argument.  That doesn't make it wrong, just suspect.

Do you know of other cases of people with unilateral hearing loss who speak out of the sides of their mouth? If not, it would make sense to look for another explanation in Brian's case. You MAY be right, but I wouldn't bet on it.


My father was totally deaf in one ear (unlike Brian, who has residual hearing (maybe 5%) in one) from a very early age, and he never spoke out of one side of his mouth. Ever.

Was your father mentally ill?  Brian's certainly does many things most people don't.  Thanks for the link about Dyskinesia, that's interesting info.

Nope, all the lights were on and everyone was home.  Grin

Re: Forever She'll Be My Surfer Girl video on Amazon [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 08 Aug 2008 11:22 PM CDT

Jimmy Hester's Idol? I remember you. That porcelin guy, right?

Oh, and this is Jimmy. That was really funny, by the way. LOL

TLOS will soon rule the planet and my "idol" will be forced to
move out of my garage. Might be a good thing, but then who
will I get to mow my yard?

All hail Jimmy Hester's idol!

Re: Landy Questions [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 08 Aug 2008 10:28 PM CDT

George Benson confirmed Landy helped get him started.

Re: Forever She'll Be My Surfer Girl video on Amazon [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 08 Aug 2008 10:21 PM CDT

I demand more quotation marks.

Re: Forever She'll Be My Surfer Girl video on Amazon [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 08 Aug 2008 10:20 PM CDT

It's lip-synched... that's the album version that's playing.  So consider it like an MTV video, only without the pretension.
Is that really the version that's going to be on the CD? Brian's voice is very prominent in this version. No offence, but Brian has a very, very weak "falsetto" as of recent years. I would have thought that the rest of the band would have "blended in" more with Brian. Using this as a "final" version might not be that good of an idea.

Re: Horrible Songs By Great Artists [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 08 Aug 2008 10:04 PM CDT

"Hey Negrita" by the Rolling Stones
I like that one, try Pretty Beat Up for a bad Stones song.

Re: Landy Questions [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 08 Aug 2008 09:28 PM CDT

I asked this question on another thread, and it was addressed to some extent. But since you started this thread, maybe it could be explored further.

Two obvious givens: I  am not a doctor, and I don't know the extent of Brian's problems in 1982. But this is my question, or problem with Landy's treatment. I always thought the two major problems with Brian in 1982 was his continued abuse of non-prescription drugs, and his morbid obesity/unhealthy habits. I wasn't sure if his mental illness (whatever the diagnosis) was that serious. By that I mean, was he acting so strangely that he needed to be institutionalized? I am now aware that Landy probably misdiagnosed Brian's condition, but I can't understand why it was necessary to put Brian on such heavy medication. I don't think those medications were necessary to wean Brian off of cocaine, cigarettes, and food. So, were they absolutely necessary to treat whatever mental illness Landy thought Brian had. What were the symptoms that Landy was trying to treat?

Re: Some items of historical interest [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 08 Aug 2008 08:01 PM CDT

Am I remembering correctly that you've actually met Murry?  If so, hope you experienced the better of his many moods.

Re: Original SMiLE Cover? [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 08 Aug 2008 07:54 PM CDT

I've testified on this before, but I'll throw my three-fifths of a cent worth in again. 

In the late 1990s, Rockaway Records in Silverlake, California (Los Angeles) had a framed SMiLE cover on the wall selling for $5000.  Yes, I called it a cover, but what was I really looking at?  I'm not sure I would have made a mental distinction between "cover" and "slick" at the time because I wasn't aware then of the full extent of the questions on this issue.  I can tell you that I thought I was staring at an album cover from 1966/67- but of course it was in a frame, way above eye level,  and I didn't know how closely and carefully I should have studied it. I just made an assumption and stared in awe. What I don't recall is the cut-off markings or extra space around the 12 x 12 space that I'd have expected (rightly or wrongly) to see on something that hadn't been pasted on cardboard yet. Perhaps they were matted out.

When I first saw the question arise at the old version of this board in about 2003, I called the owner of Rockaway, and of course he didn't remember a thing about it and also wasn't aware of the distinction between surviving slicks and possibly mocked-up covers. If that seems strange, I understand that this guy owns (or owned)  the original "That's All Right, Mama" acetate, so this wasn't a big deal for him.  He's a pretty substantial dealer.

I'll assume for the record that I saw a slick.  Maybe the asking price is some kind of a clue.

Re: Forever She'll Be My Surfer Girl video on Amazon [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 08 Aug 2008 07:52 PM CDT

Quote
Quote from: Custom Machine on August 07, 2008, 04:03:21 PM
Just went back and did a comparison of the demo version and the Amazon venison of Forever My Surfer Girl,

Venison? It's very deer to me. 

Yes, it took me quite a while to hunt down the Amazon venison.  A friend of mine on dial-up advised me that when he listens he gets Amazon venison jerky.   Smiley

Re: Landy Questions [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 08 Aug 2008 07:34 PM CDT

Thanks, Aegir- any information on this is very interesting to me- I've wondered for years.

Re: The M.I.U. Album [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 08 Aug 2008 07:00 PM CDT

I'm changing my vote to two. A lot of the songs wear thin quickly.

It does not plunge to the depths of 15BO, but neither does it reach the heights of 15BO, either. (Not that those are very high.) Seven BOs and seven MIUs make a decent light pop album.

Re: New song: \ [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 08 Aug 2008 06:58 PM CDT

I have now posted this song at my myspace page, myspace.com/thebeaumondes. So if you want to listen without downloading the file from the sendspace link, this is your big break!

Re: Horrible Songs By Great Artists [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 08 Aug 2008 06:55 PM CDT

I loved it and I would not call it "terrible." I fully understand why many critics put it on their top ten list.
 But there's something that worked for me personally in the beginning that doesn't anymore. It is great sounding, the songs are great. The singing is cool, but I just don't get into it anymore.
Nowadays when I hear it, I tend to just zero in on the guitars and drums (the band is GREAT on that record)and ignore the voice. I think my favorite period for ole Bob is actually the late sixties. I think that's when he perfectly balanced craft and inspiration, and I think that country-ish stuff suits his voice well. Also, I think he'd hit an age where he could shake off his pretension--I t hink Blonde on Blonde is pretensious. I mean, that's an element that actually makes it great, I suppose--it's so arrogant, yet he does pull it off. But I just can't relate to 66 Bob Dylan. His heartache doesn't seem real, it doesn't move me--it can only impress me and I don't know if I need to be impressed.

 Bringing It All Back Home, by contrast never gets old for me. Maybe it's just a matter of not having the time to listen to double albums like I did when I was younger.

I

Re: Horrible Songs By Great Artists [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 08 Aug 2008 06:48 PM CDT


And in fact, though it has mostly great songs on it, I haven't really liked Blonde on Blonde for for a long, long time.
Reasonable minds must disagree here. I love pretty much the whole album: i just start on track 2 almost every time.

BRIAN WILSON- BEACH BOYS- SIRE- LETS GO TO HEAVEN...-45 ["brian wilson"]

Posted: 08 Aug 2008 06:48 PM CDT

US $4.99 (0 Bid)
End Date: Wednesday Aug-13-2008 16:48:54 PDT
Bid now | Add to watch list

Re: Horrible Songs By Great Artists [Smiley Smile Message Board]

Posted: 08 Aug 2008 06:48 PM CDT

Fortunately I've only heard the good Dylan. There are whole decades missing from my collection.

 Actually, come to think of it, I don't like Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands either. Too long, too pretentious.

And in fact, though it has mostly great songs on it, I haven't really liked Blonde on Blonde for for a long, long time.

4 NEW CD'S MODERN ROCK (BEACH BOYS, BRIAN WILSON, DA) ["brian wilson"]

Posted: 08 Aug 2008 05:20 PM CDT

US $6.99 (0 Bid)
End Date: Wednesday Aug-13-2008 15:20:17 PDT
Bid now | Add to watch list

Brian Wilson (Beach Boys) - Double-Disc (Japan) ["brian wilson"]

Posted: 08 Aug 2008 02:46 PM CDT

US $19.99 (0 Bid)
End Date: Monday Aug-11-2008 6:46:15 PDT
Bid now | Add to watch list

BRIAN WILSON, Your Imagination RARE CD single ["brian wilson"]

Posted: 08 Aug 2008 01:13 PM CDT

US $0.01 (0 Bid)
End Date: Monday Aug-11-2008 11:13:57 PDT
Bid now | Add to watch list

No comments: