Ear Say - Segment on The Beach Boys 1985 album

[@ApartmentKing66]

My favorite cut off that '85 album is "Getcha Back." It always gets me goose-bump nostalgic for the mid-80s and that summer in particular.

[@jmua8450]

Landy had a music background. He had a turntable.

[@christopherspitaleri5625]

😄

[@dingdangdata]

I really wish the weight hadn't brought so much stigma for Brian. It seems like the media often focused on his weight gain and loss (maybe because it's observable?), but really substance use and untreated mental illness were the more acute health issues. Also, I get the feeling that fat-shaming was part of Landy's emotional abuse. With everything Brian had been through, it's ridiculous to me that weight is a talking point in so many interviews from the Landy era.

[@dmer-zy3rb]

well, the weight is the only decent thing Landy did to him and even that wasnt so great because he failed to teach him a sustainable diet that he could keep long term. so i guess it makes sense that they mostly talked about the (then) positive aspect of weight loss. they sure as hell wouldnt talk on how Brian was actually less coherent than in the 70s.

[@bls8959]

He needed to lose weight

[@dmer-zy3rb]

@@bls8959 but its not like his weight was life threatening. Long term effects sure, but he coul have lived to 70 or something with the weight alone...the drugs and booze were the bigger problem short term.

[@bls8959]

@@dmer-zy3rb definitely was life threatening aswell...he definitely wouldn't be alive today had he stayed that big

[@jdd3786]

Drug use and mental illness are serious health issues.. but being overweight is just as bad. It can cause heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and depression. Losing weight can open the door to the willingness to stop using drugs, and a better mindset.

[@StatusQuonald]

He should've stayed like this and set free by Eugene. He seems healthy here and very lucid and articulate. He destroyed Brian shortly after this...

[@mrsmacca126]

MrCreepyKitty good points.

[@kiryu3795]

He really did

[@samt7756]

I noticed his facial expressions and speaking voice changed quite a bit after this interview when he became much deeper into “therapy” by that quack doctor. He had a very soft articulate cadence to his speaking voice in the 60s that kind of came and went over the years and after this brief return here it seemed to be lost forever to a raspier mumbly voice along with that wide eyed gaze and poker face he would get a few years later. Must be the drugs/meds/“therapy” , thanks Landy 😡

[@christopherspitaleri5625]

Excellent comment! It's very unfortunate that this happened, but I fully agree with your post. I feel that Landy and his staff really helped Brian in the mid 70's and then again in early 80's, but then started to try to control him and take over his life. Maybe for $$$$ reasons?

[@Shikta-poobah67]

@@christopherspitaleri5625It was because Landy wanted to be a rock star himself. He basically got full control over Brian and then started trying to inch in on his musical career, giving himself credit as producer and even going so far as to claim that he co-wrote the songs. This was obviously a load of delusional nonsense, and later on it was legally proven to be so. Sure, Landy’s approach was a lifesaver for Brian in the early stages, both in ‘75 as well as in ‘82, but after a year or so (in the 80’s) he should have backed away and let Brian stand up on his own two feet, if he had actually cared about Brian’s well being at all.

[@thomastimlin1724]

@@christopherspitaleri5625 Thank God for Brian's second wife Melinda who rescued him from all of the sh*t, she just passed away January 30, 2024 at age 77. Brian is now in bad shape with Alzheimer's or something.

[@friendly76]

Interesting early lyrics for "I'm so lonely"!

[@Wolfsky9]

The ;85 album ; THE best cut is " Where I Belong " .------------As for recording technology, LET'S GET THIS STRAIGHT ; BW knew all about THE latest technology, & he had it in his Bel-Air home, & in all the studios The Boys worked in all through the 60's & 70's ! -----------BW stopped working with 4 track mixers in 1963. ---------The digital method was 1st used by them on this album, but using tape with a 48 track mixer was common all through the 70's !!!! --------------------WolfSky9, 74 y/o

[@MIKELIN8]

The only thing anybody could ever say npositively about Dr. Landy is that he probably saved Brian's life. Other than that, no.

[@ChromeDestiny]

I think it's good that some of Landy's staff got the idea of the importance of fitness through to Brian, it brought him back from the brink, just what a shame about all the other BS Landy put him through.

[@Michael_Sangworth]

Landy saved him physically but almost killed him mentally

[@jaggass]

The Beach Boys album was the first Beach Boys album to be digitally recorded.

[@timothyflyte9443]

Landy at least got Brian back to wanting to live again. The album had a few good songs and at the time , it had been 5 years since the last lp. " maybe I don't know " , " getcha back " " she believes in love again " " california calling " " crack at your love " its getting late " , I like all those. There was , at the time , a magazine with interviews w Bruce ,& the producer, Steve Levine , who totally trashed them , and a few others. I can't remember the magazine but I have it in my archives. Its not their worse album or my favorite , but it was nice having something new from them after 5 years.

[@RankielGuitar]

0:40 : earlier this year .. ?? dennis died on dec. 28 1983

[@bernardbaker6803]

Someone messed up who can only feel security from their source of insecurity Brian's Dad i.e substitute Dad . Happens alot..............

[@KennethFord-y7c]

Agreed .

[@ms8596]

From '76's 15 Big Ones onward, no album came close to recapturing their magic. Everything after the '85 album here was so bad.

[@thomastimlin1724]

What your not hearing hearing on this is the Beach Boys background harmonies on this song. At the time it was the best album they ha d done in almost 2 decades. My only problem with the album was it sounded so "techno 80's" rather than sticking to a more pure tone, what sounded to me like artificial everything, especially the drums, [being a former music teacher, I absolutely HATE electronic computer generated drums and instruments, and it put thousands of studio musicians out of work] but even the types of microphones being used to filter the voices. Except here Brian's "real" voice is being heard.

[@Wolfsky9]

WRONG ! From '69 & 70 , The Boys recorded on a state of the art 16 track custom built mixer--------------By '78 /79, they were using a custom 48 track mixer, again,k state of the art at both Criteria & at Caribou ranch.

[@whiteandright1958]

I have that album. It's average at best. Basically it's Carl's album. And no one but Brian Wilson should be producing music for Brian Wilson.

[@edwardmeradith2419]

I disagree with a lot of you about “I’m so lonely” - for me it’s the only listenable song on the album (the finished version with almost competent lyrics) - because this song had the simplest production; the rest of the album, their first digital recording, sounds awful. The 80s samples and analogue - digital converters were primitive by today’s standards.

[@Shikta-poobah67]

Agreed. It took roughly 15-20 years for digital recording technology to finally get its shit together enough to sound somewhat organic. The early days were terrible (as far as audio quality goes).

[@Jacobongcam]

:(

[@scottcyoung]

This is NOT Brian Wilson. He abused his voice and now lost that beautiful falsetto. Very sad and I'm a huge fan. Met him personally twice. Steve Levine was wrong man.

[@oldiesgeek454]

Would you mind sharing a bit of your meetings with Brian? Location? Years?

[@scottcyoung]

@@oldiesgeek454 yes met Brian in 1988 at Beach Boys convention near London when I was 21. There were about 300 fans there. Curtains closed then reopened and Brian was sat at his keyboard. Jaws dropped in disbelief then whole hall went crazy. Everybody stood up clapping for at least 10 min. I shook his hand, nearly pulled him off the stage then had photo taken with him, signed my poster of him. Met him back stage in 2002 at Bristol Colston Hall. Of course went to 3 of his Pet sounds concerts 😁

[@oldiesgeek454]

@@scottcyoung Interesting, I didn't expect you to be from the UK. 😊 I grew up just minutes from where he did, so I've always been interested in the Beach Boys. I've never met him unfortunately.

[@2Hearts3]

Seems a plain case of a conniving criminal, not a "doctor." Despicable.

[@anonymoushuman8344]

"They became the epitome of West Coast hip in the sixties." ?! Ha.

[@musicmatty67]

One could argue Landy had an overreach in to the music business of Brian Wilson. However, his work with Brian was nothing short of amazing. How can you not watch this and see Brian Wilson looking good and able to hold a conversation and an interview and that something he struggled with after Landys removal. Even today Brian can’t conduct an interview ..it’s very very difficult. Brian didn’t go back to drugs after Landys removal but he certainly declined physically and mentally. Landy had him sharp and competent at the piano not reading a monitor. For the last 20+ years he just sits there reading a monitor struggling to get through a performance.

[@sheatiller2465]

Look again at performances during the Landy years, and compare them to the late 1990s/2000s.

[@dmer-zy3rb]

Brian never had problems holding a conversation in the first place if he wanted to. at some points in landys therapy he was so messed up on meds that he wasnt able to act in any sort of normal way though.

[@profanius66]

I agree totally with musicmatty67, and I saw it first-hand. Brian didn't take issue with Gene's methods, he trusted him and he saved his life. But there was definitely a line crossed with regard to the creative side.

[@demi2931]

Brian had always been articulate and able to hold a conversation--Landy didn't do that for him. If anything, it was Landy's aggressive drugging of Brian (giving him downers to subdue him when he would protest) are what really set him on the course to esrly senility. I think a sober Brian would have been perfectly intelligent with or without Landy.

[@Shikta-poobah67]

@@demi2931You’re the sole voice of reason in this thread.

[@Wolfsky9]

By 1985, Landy had become totally seduced by the Rock lifestyle. Note, BW is the only member being talked about. That HAD to grate on nerves. -----------This particular song is THE worst song on that album. It's BW's pity-party. -------------------------Wolfsky9, 74 y/o

[@knockedoutloaded279]

Everyone needs love....

[@profanius66]

Gene often wanted Brian to be focused on alone, without the others around, setting the stage for an eventual solo album in '88.

[@Wolfsky9]

It just so insults me--------& that album-------& the group-------that, of all the songs shown, it's THIS ONE ----------THE worst song on that album, by far. ----------and, if you watched this, you'd have thought it was BW's solo album, which it was NOT ! ------------Carl, was the star of that album, hands-down. As for Landy ?? By this time, he'd been seduced by the $ ---------the fame------the women------the life, & had become BW's unwanted, Svengali . ---------It took years, to get rid of him. -------------------------------WolfSky9, 74 y/o

[@lonesomelooch5661]

Yep, pretty boneheaded feature. Likely orchestrated by Landy. Small wonder the BB’s reputation tanked in the 80s.

[@chrisrainbow2393]

I have to say that this album is awful and sounds totally wrong in my opinion.

[@drummer083]

As much of a creep as Landy was, at least Brian was articulate and gave sensible answers. He's like a vegetable now that he's controlled by his wife.

[@masterman7166]

Landy should have let him go but instead he overmedicate him and make him the "vegetable" that he is now, just check that 1976 interview, he was so lucid there

[@daviddonnelly3871]

I agree with you about his wife! Poor guy has been taken advantage of his whole life!!

[@MIKELIN8]

He was also 35 years younger then.

[@Zezezeze69]

He's a vegetable because of all the prescription drugs Landy had Brian on.

[@raoulandthedukes]

@@Zezezeze69 right, can’t believe anyone would dare believe Melinda did anything but save him.

[@kumadude1]

The worst goddam beach Boys album ever. Ever.

[@Providence..]

I don't think you've listened to their entire discography. Really? Beach Boys '85 is worse than Summer in Paradise or Stars and Stripes Vol. 2? Give me a break.

[@Shikta-poobah67]

@@Providence..You beat me to it. The ‘85 album was awful, no doubt about that… but they still had _much_ further to fall after this one. I’m of the opinion that they really haven’t made a truly decent album since Holland, way back in ‘73. I love the “Love You” album from ‘77, but it’s basically a Brian Wilson solo album released under the Beach Boys moniker.

[@tuomas_aho]

​@@Shikta-poobah67 Yes, Love You is 90 % Brian, but so is everything in The Beach Boys catalog until about 1967. Brian Wilson is The Beach Boys.

[@Shikta-poobah67]

@@tuomas_aho So then, I take it you’re one of those folks who thinks that the Wild Honey through Holland ‘67-‘74 period doesn’t count? And yes, everyone knows that Brian was the primary creative force in the band throughout most of their early existence. That’s common knowledge. Beach Boys 101. Rookie point. However, no… he wasn’t the _only_ band member writing songs or functioning as band leader. Carl assumed that role for a while, from ‘69 through ‘74, and did a pretty damn good job of it, considering how the odds were stacked against them at that time. He got them through that rough period when Brian had essentially checked out and they’d fallen out of favor with the American public. He also wrote one of my favorite BB’s songs, “Long Promised Road”. It should also be mentioned that, even though he’s far from my favorite band member, Bruce made some truly great contributions during the Sunflower/Surf’s Up period (‘70-‘71). “Tears in the Morning”, “Disney Girls”, and “Deirdre” are all great songs. Dennis and Al both stepped up as well during that same period as songwriters. The albums from that era were truly a democratic group effort. Perhaps not as sophisticated and complex as the Brian-dominated material of Pet Sounds or SMiLE, or as sweet as Today! or Summer Days, but that late ‘67 through ‘74 period where the Boys were functioning as a democracy and every band member was putting something on the table (including Blondie and Ricky) produced some of their best, if not necessarily their most commercially successful songs. So, without getting any further carried off, no… the Beach Boys aren’t _just_ Brian Wilson. Brian himself would probably be the first to agree with me on that point.

[@ian1575]

How can you hate it's gettin late, getcha back, i do love you, she believes in love? You have no taste