By David Beard
When Brian Wilson cut loose in L.A.
“The Roxy Theatre shows where we recorded the live album were a blast. There was so many great songs that we decided to make it a double album. Again I can’t thank you enough for making it so much fun. I hope you like the album as much as I do.”
— Brian Wilson (2000)
Prologue The review that follows was originally written in April 2000 after having the honor of seeing Brian Wilson perform on consecutive days at the ROXY. I went through and edited some of the content but left most of it alone so you could relive the historic shows along with me. If you, like me, have the previous released iterations, I have to almost insist that you buy the various sets available now to either give yourself the opportunity to relive those magical nights or experience them for the first time. And Mark London’s art is out of sight. The review that follows isn’t about the hype; it’s about Brian and his music.
Brian Wilson’s sense of humor and spontaneity made the first night’s performance on Friday, April, 7, so unique and special. Brian was completely on the mark both nights, but on Friday, I was totally enthralled by his performance. If I discovered anything about Brian when reading about The Beach Boys of the 1960s, it was that he had a wonderful sense of humor. Brian walked onstage with a boyish exuberance that set the tone for rest of the show. Swinging into position at center stage and pounding out the notes to “The Little Girl I Once Knew,” Brian, along with the Wondermints, Jeffrey Foskett, Taylor Mills, and Scott Bennett, vocally charged through one song to the next. The ambiance was electric, and the standing-room-only crowd moved with Brian and his band’s vibe.
“This Whole World” was next, and the music was vibrant. Foskett, the Wondermints, Bob Lizik, Paul Mertens and Jim Hines kept the sound of each song close to the original. On a number of occasions, Brian flubbed a line or two, which was usually followed by a reaction like, “I screwed that up!” He was less concerned with mistakes and more focused on having a good time. He went right into the following lyric of the song and kept moving. The look in Brian’s eyes was one of a happy and relaxed individual; it was likely due to the love he was giving and receiving from the audience. It was a true ‘concert of people.’
The next five songs kept the audience in a time capsule of Beach Boys’ memories: “Don’t Worry Baby,” “Kiss Me Baby,” and “Do it Again” were excellent reminders of the beautiful, melancholy melodies that captured the imagination of the American youth over six decades earlier. “California Girls” was wistful and brought the audience right back to that imagery of striped shirts and suntanned girls. “I Get Around” kept us there for just a while longer and “Back Home” from 1976’s 15 Big Ones [but written in 1963 — ed.] was a romping, stomping good time. To see Brian perform these songs again, or for the first time, was an instant testament to his musical legacy and his ability to communicate with people through music.
Here I was in L.A., watching the guy who developed an entire industry, who created the California myth and sound … I was transported into the music. The music that Brian created while with The Beach Boys was ‘L.A. and the West Coast dream’. The beautiful thing about it is that you only have to put on your favorite album, close your eyes and you are there. The following songs were performed ‘unplugged’ with a number of surprises. “In My Room” followed by “Surfer Girl” were the perfect blends of harmony and memory. When Brian’s eyes lit up as he sang “There’s a world where I can go and tell my secrets to …” everyone was transported with him. Brian would actually say things like, “Here’s a song I recorded with the guys.” I was glad to hear Brian acknowledge his past while making it abundantly clear that it was the past. Brian Wilson is now, more than ever, a guy who’s happy going out and playing to a live audience because he can see and feel the love it gives them.
The next two songs were wonderful surprises. “First Time,” [known to collectors by the title “In the Nighttime” — ed.], a track Brian professed to have written around 1983, was a cool way to inspire the crowd. I found the song to have merit and value for another reason. Brian Wilson found his new band. The Tony Asher-penned “This Isn’t Love” originally appeared in instrumental form on the Windham Hill collection Songs Without Words in 1997. In the liner notes from that packaging, Brian says, “This song started back in 1980 when I wrote the first musical phrase, but I never finished the song. Then, last year [1996], I started working with old friend, Tony Asher. I come up with a chord pattern and a tune and sometimes an idea of what I want to say, and he comes up with lyrics that fit the feeling of what I’m trying to get across. As usual, he wrote a great lyric for it, and someday I’ll record it with a vocal. I really enjoyed making this one. I was feeling very good about my life and my music at the time.” That sums it up. Watching Brian and his band execute the vocals was cool and inspiring. A handful of years ago, who would have thought that we would even be talking about Brian Wilson performing a new song live, let alone playing to an audience or touring at all?
Instructing the audience to pay attention to the lyrics to the next song was, in my opinion, a way for Brian to say, “Look, here’s the beauty. Here’s the art. Here’s the love … Listen!” The crowd was attentive as “Add Some Music to Your Day” began. “Please Let Me Wonder” closed out the first set in fine form. Brian then got up, took a brief bow, waved to the crowd, and then walked off stage. What was next? We found out in 15 minutes. As we all anticipated the second set, nothing could have prepared us for … Jeffrey Foskett taking the stage and introducing the musicians one by one until he came to Brian. Brian hopped back up on stage, sat down and went right into “Brian Wilson” by the Barenaked Ladies. Talk about surreal. It was both hysterical and captivating at once. Then, as soon as the last couple of notes started to fade, we were again transfixed on the sound and the man. “’Til I Die” was the perfect counter measure to “Brian Wilson” because of the reflective nature of the lyrics. “Darlin’” was next and completely captured the original song’s appeal. Jeffrey Foskett wailed with the best of them.
“Let’s Go Away for Awhile” and “Pet Sounds” are two songs that I think make the whole Brian Wilson concert experience what it is. I realize that he’s been doing it since he began touring, but there’s something really special that takes place when he performs them. Watching Brian turn around in his chair and close his eyes to listen as he faces the band or watching him gaze at the musicians in an appreciative and approving manner is all you need to see.
Sure, these songs aren’t the standard Beach Boy tunes for concertgoers, but that makes them all the more worthwhile. You won’t find those songs on a Beach Boys greatest hits package, but they are unquestionably Brian Wilson’s greatest hits. Fittingly, “God Only Knows” is next followed by “Lay Down Burden.” As the instrumental songs from Pet Sounds remind us of Brian’s genius in communicating through music, “God Only Knows” cements it with the intense reminder of the loss of Brian’s younger brother, Carl. When Brian dedicated “Lay Down Burden” to his brother, it gave me chills. “Be My Baby” was next, and it was wonderful to watch Brian sing his personal favorite, and do so expressively.
“Good Vibrations” is perhaps the song of songs when it comes to The Beach Boys catalog. I always enjoyed watching this song performed live by Carl, Mike, Al and Bruce. It’s just one of those perfect songs that can’t be beat. It’s hard to imagine that it was developed in 1966 because it still feels fresh. Brian’s ‘pocket symphony’ was a crowd pleaser. The wistful and heartfelt “Caroline, No” was followed by the teen angst themed “All Summer Long.”
With all this great music, Brian’s spontaneity, happiness, and presence, the show could have ended right there, and we would have walked away satisfied, no questions asked. But Brian Wilson sings because he loves to send love through his music. With this in mind, the masterstroke to a wonderful night’s performance was the a cappella performance of “Love and Mercy.” With their instruments placed aside on the stage, each musician closed in – huddled in love, the lyrics came out “Love and mercy is what you need tonight …” Yeah, that’s right. In the words of the late John Lennon, “Love is all you need.”
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