Jeffrey Foskett (1956–2023)
A man for all seasons, and a key figure among the musicians who brought Brian Wilson back from, well, the wasteland.
The passionate surfer
Christopher Marlowe meets Brian Wilson.
California fail
As the Mike Love–John McLaughlin–Charles Lloyd version ran through my head yesterday, I realized that I’ve always misunderstood “California Girls.”
Dream chords
I was showing my friend Rob Zseleczky a beautiful set of chord changes: the chorus of “California Girls.” It’s a simple pattern up and down the neck of the guitar. I like the first chord for each vocal line as a major seventh. It’s not that way in the original. I don’t care.
Feel Flows
Having made my way through the 5-CD Beach Boys compilation Feel Flows: The “Sunflower” and “Surf’s Up” Sessions, I ask myself, as I have before: was there ever a group that so veered between the great and the awful?
Los Beach Boys
Los Lobos cover “Sail On, Sailor” — and other songs from Los Angeles.
Ugh, ugh, ugh
The Beach Boys — or “Beach Boys” — on CNN. A godawful embarrassment.
The Beach Boys at the zoo
Long-lost footage of the Beach Boys in 1966 at the San Diego Zoo. That’s where George Jerman shot the cover photograph for Pet Sounds.
Time passing
Murphy Brown: “A baby’s brain doesn’t even recognize time has passed. You’re kind of like the Beach Boys that way.”
“Surf’s Up”
In today’s Atlantic crossword, by Peter Gordon, a nice tip of the hat: 10-D, nine letters, “Surf’s Up singers, with the.”
Thank you, Brian and Al
Brian Wilson and Al Jardine disavow a Donald Trump* benefit put on by Mike Love’s touring version of the Beach Boys.
Some Beach Boys history
From Fortune: “How the Beach Boys became two separate, warring factions.”
Brian and Al in the news
“Beach Boys founding members Brian Wilson and Al Jardine alerted fans Monday that they have no part in an appearance later this week by a version of the group fronted by cofounder Mike Love at a trophy-hunting convention where Donald Trump Jr. will be the keynote speaker.”
Brian Wilson 2018
From a review of a recent performance: “Throughout most of the show, Wilson sat at his piano, staring blankly and sometimes running a hand across his forehead. Occasionally he played and sang a lyric. But often he missed his cues, mumbled or sang off key. It was sometimes hard to watch.”
“Kokomo”
The terrible, horrible, no good, very bad “Kokomo” is thirty years old.
“God Only Knows”
The BBC Radio 4 show Soul Music now has an episode devoted to Brian Wilson and Tony Asher’s “God Only Knows.” There will be tears.
Brian Wilson, A student
Not from The Onion : the grade of F that high-schooler Brian Wilson received for his song “Surfin’” has been changed to an A.
“Sgt. Petsound’s”
“Tributes, covers, deconstructions, mashups, samples, nods, and more in response to two of the most influential albums of all time.”
Dirt Sounds
“A hand-made record containing soil from the house where Brian Wilson grew up in Hawthorne, California.”
Being wrong about beauty
Elaine Scarry: “Those who remember making an error about beauty usually . . . recall the exact second when they first realized they had made an error.” With Pet Sounds as an example.
Quintessential Love
“This meditative gathering included my lawyer Mike Flynn, front left, who won my copyright suit against Brian.” That’s Mike Love.
“Oh, Jesus — God — no —”
The Washington Post reports that the Beach Boys will be headlining an inaugural ball.
Caroline, no!
Billboard reports that the Beach Boys are considering an invitation to perform at an upcoming presidential inauguration.
A short post about Mike Love
Boasts and grudges? From Mike Love? Say it ain’t so!
Fun, fun, fun
The greatest Downfall spoof of all time.
Paul Williams (1948–2013)
He founded Crawdaddy!, the first magazine of rock music criticism, and wrote frequently about the music of Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys.
Paul Tanner (1917–2013)
He played on “Good Vibrations.”
Mike Love gets served
Stay classy, Mike Love.
The Beach Boys in Newsweek
A member of Brian Wilson’s band speaks.
More on “Kokomo”
Arkhonia dislikes it.