Bomb Bomb Iran Song

Considering yesterday's news, this seems appropriate for a celebration.

 

Classic Rock Music Monday

The stuff that now passes as "music", particularly rock 'n roll, leaves me cold. So, to start off the week, here's a video of a classic rock artist.

I would be remiss in not posting Brian Wilson's most complex song composition for Classic Rock Music Monday after he passed away last week at age 82 even though I spotlighted the Beach Boys previously. Therefore, here is "Good Vibrations" that was released in Pet Sounds in 1966.

From Wikipedia:

The Beach Boys are an American rock band formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and their friend Al Jardine. Distinguished by their vocal harmonies, adolescent-oriented lyrics, and musical ingenuity, they are one of the most influential acts of the rock era. The group drew on the music of older pop vocal groups, 1950s rock and roll, and black R&B to create their unique sound. Under Brian's direction, they often incorporated classical or jazz elements and unconventional recording techniques in innovative ways.

The Beach Boys formed as a garage band centered on Brian's songwriting and managed by the Wilsons' father, Murry. Jardine was briefly replaced by David Marks during 1962–1963. In 1963, they enjoyed their first national hit with "Surfin' U.S.A.", beginning a string of top-ten singles that reflected a southern California youth culture of surfing, cars, and romance, dubbed the "California sound". They were one of the few American rock bands to sustain their commercial standing during the British Invasion. At the end of 1964, Brian stopped touring with the group to focus more on his songwriting and production duties. Bruce Johnston replaced Brian on tours and eventually became a full member. Starting with 1965's The Beach Boys Today!, they abandoned beachgoing themes for more personal lyrics and ambitious orchestrations. In 1966, the Pet Sounds album and "Good Vibrations" single raised the group's prestige as rock innovators; both are now widely considered to be among the greatest and most influential works in popular music history.

Brian Wilson, R.I.P.

Updated 6/12/25

The world of popular music is in mourning today.

Brian Wilson, the co-founder of the Beach Boys passed away today. He was 82. The cause of death has not been disclosed.

For those of us who attended Hawthorne High School, the Beach Boys were a major part of our lives and were considered part of the school's extended family. Brian graduated in 1960 (I graduated in 1972). In 1969, the Beach Boys performed at the Senior Prom. Brian was our school's most famous alumnus. A few years ago, the school changed his "F" grade in music to an "A" with an apology.

I attended the Beach Boys New Year's Eve concert in 1980 at the Forum. Brian was there playing piano. Interestingly, the Beach Boys were introduced by none other than Priscilla Presley.

About 13 years ago, while in-between insurance claims jobs, I worked as a security patrol officer at the gated community where Brian and his family lived. I never saw him but I did meet Christina Aguilera and Shakira's husband (she was sound asleep next to him in their car). 

Later, I sent him a copy of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan as a thank-you for all of the years of great music he provided. I inscribed the book thanking him.

Brian Wilson had a tortured life due to mental issues. But once he was correctly diagnosed, he was able to reach new heights in music. The 2014 movie, Love & Mercy details how he was taken advantage of by Eugene Landy, a quack psychologist and how he met his wife Melinda Ledbetter. She passed away last year. Brian considered her to be his savior.

Brian Wilson left a music legacy that will live through the ages. He is now reunited with his brothers Dennis and Carl and his wife Melinda.

R.I.P. Brian. 

Brian Wilson's Family Files For Conservatorship

Above, Brian Wilson paid a visit to Hawthorne High School a few years ago.

When Brian Wilson's wife Melinda passed away recently, my immediate thoughts were who is going to fill the void she left for his and their children's care.

The answer has now been announced. 

According to Fox News:

Brian Wilson's family filed to place the musician under a conservatorship after The Beach Boys co-founder was diagnosed with dementia, Fox News Digital can confirm.

The diagnosis, coupled with the recent passing of Brian's wife, Melinda Wilson, led his family and doctors to make the decision.

"Following the passing of Brian’s beloved wife Melinda, after careful consideration and consultation among Brian, his seven children, Gloria Ramos and Brian’s doctors (and consistent with family processes put in place by Brian and Melinda), we are confirming that longtime Wilson family representatives LeeAnn Hard and Jean Sievers will serve as Brian’s co-conservators of the person," the family said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

"This decision was made to ensure that there will be no extreme changes to the household and Brian and the children living at home will be taken care of and remain in the home where they are cared for by Gloria Ramos and the wonderful team at the house who have been in place for many years helping take care of the family," the statement continued. "Brian will be able to enjoy all of his family and friends and continue to work on current projects as well as participate in any activities he chooses."

I used to work at the gated community where the Wilson Family resides and would see either Brian or Melinda every so often either entering or leaving the community. 

For an interesting look at how Melinda saved Brian Wilson, see the movie, Love & Mercy.

To read more, go here.

Jimmy Buffett, R.I.P.

Another great musician has passed.

Singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett died at age 76 last Friday. I wasn't a hardcore fan (or "Parrothead"), but I did like some of his music. 

When I was in Key West, Florida four years ago, I noticed several references to Buffett and his music. He was big there. He was to Florida as the Beach Boys are to California 

I was holding back on mentioning his passing until friend Gary Julian at The Federalist blog posted about it. He did so this morning. He is a true Parrothead. As expected, his post said it all better than I ever could. 

To read his post on Jimmy Buffett's passing, go here.

"I Wish We All Could Leave California" (Beach Boys Parody)

Babylon Bee, the conservative parody humor site, has come up with a great video. They confess that they had a lot of fun making this one.

It is, "I Wish We All Could Leave California" (a Beach Boys Parody).

Classic Rock Music Monday

The stuff that now passes as "music", particularly rock 'n roll, leaves me cold. So, to start off the week, here's a video of a classic rock artist. 

Today, is a video of the Beach Boys, a band originating out of what I consider to be my hometown, Hawthorne, California. It is of their song, "Don't Worry Baby". The Wilson brothers attended the same high school as I did, Hawthorne High.

The Last Concert of Rush

Above, The Forum sign as we approched. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It was the last concert of the rock band Rush.

The death of Rush's drummer, Neil Peart on January 7, 2020, made the August 1, 2015 concert at The Forum in Inglewood, California the last ever for Rush. Usually, my focus is usually on the lead guitarist. But in the case of Rush, my focus of attention was on drummer Peart. He was voted the greatest drummer of all time in a 2021 musicradar GOAT Hunt poll.

It was the final concert of their R40 tour.  

My daughter Amber treated me to the concert, which was the first time I stepped foot inside The Forum since a New Year's Eve concert by the Beach Boys on December 31, 1979. The place really hadn't changed much. It was also the first concert I've attended since the Beach Boys one.

If I remember correctly, cameras were not allowed, but most everyone there, including me, used their cell phone cameras. A bit redundant if that was the case.

Last night, I made two screen captures from a video of their last concert:

Here's some photos I made during the concert with my crappy old cell phone:

Next to an Alice Cooper 1973 "Billion Dollar Babies" concert, this was the best concert I've ever attended. It's a toss-up which was better.

UPDATE (3/11/22):

The following video is an excellent documentary on Rush's R40 tour that includes their last show at The Forum.

Beatles Trivia: Olivia Harrison

Above, George and Olivia Harrison circa 1978.

Since today is Sunday, which the KLOS-FM show, "Breakfast With The Beatles" is broadcast in L.A., a little Beatles trivia.

Above, Olivia Trinidad Arias
during her Hawthorne High days.

From the Beatles By Day blog:

George Harrison married Olivia Trinidad Arias on September 2nd 1978. 

Olivia was born on May 18, 1948 in Mexico City, Mexico. At the age of 3 her parents moved to California, where she attended Hawthorne High School in Southern California.

I also attended Hawthorne High School and graduated in 1972. I didn't get there until 1968, three years after Olivia Harrison graduated in 1965.

Olivia was Harrison's second wife. He married Pattie Boyd in 1966 and they divorced in 1977. There is an article on Pattie Boyd on her life with Harrison and Eric Clapton. To read it go here.

Above, Hawthorne High School today. Photo by Aramnd Vaquer.

"Love & Mercy" Available On DVD and Blu-ray September 15

The movie that I called the best movie I've seen all year, Love & Mercy, a biopic on The Beach Boys singer and songwriter Brian Wilson, will be available on DVD and Blu-ray on Tuesday (September 15).

This is one non-science-fiction or special effects movie I am looking forward to being added to my movie library.

UPDATE (September 17): I picked up the Blu-ray and was not disappointed. Great transfer and very good extras. 

The Best Movie I've Seen This Year, So Far

It is a rarity these days to view a movie that inspires and is moving, but that certainly was the case with the new biopic on Beach Boy Brian Wilson, Love & Mercy. I viewed the movie last evening and returned home a couple of hours ago.

Although I generally dislike movies that flip back and forth in time periods, but Love & Mercy uses the technique to great effect. It goes from the latter day Brian Wilson (played very effectively by John Cusack) to the earlier (1960s) Brian Wilson (with a great performance by Paul Dano as the younger Wilson as he slides into mental illness) and back again.

At present, Love & Mercy scores an 88% at Rotten Tomatoes (with an audience score of 96%).

The movie does gloss over some things and, according to some critics, gets some facts wrong. My date wanted to see how the greedy manipulative doctor and guardian Eugene Landy got into Wilson's life to almost destroy him through his greed and incompetence. She also would have liked to have seen the court hearing removing him from Wilson's care and life. I agree. Landy may well have succeeded in destroying Wilson had it not for the intervention of Melinda Ledbetter, who later became Mrs. Brian Wilson. It would be interesting if such a court hearing scene were filmed and is included in the DVD/Blu-ray release.

Love & Mercy is still a well-made, although unconventional, dramatization of Brian Wilson's life that leaves the viewer very satisfied and moved.

The finishing touch, that brought tears to the audience, was the appearance of the real Brian Wilson singing "Love & Mercy" during the end credits.

Thus far, Love & Mercy is the best movie I've seen all year.

My grade: A+.

Brian Wilson Biopic "Love & Mercy"

Above, the Beach Boys monument in Hawthorne, California. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Back on December 31, 1980, I attended a New Year's Eve concert of the Beach Boys (fellow alumni of mine at Hawthorne High School) at the Forum in Inglewood, California. It was an excellent concert that left fans musically satisfied, although the show ended before the stroke of midnight (and the new year) and most spent the changeover in the Forum's parking lot.

One thing was striking during the concert, I noticed Brian Wilson wandering the stage zombie-like or sitting at a grand piano, robotically banging on the keys.

At the time, one had to wonder if Wilson had much time left on his world. His brothers, Carl and Dennis, were healthy and joyously played and sang that night.

However, years later, Dennis drowned and Carl died of cancer. And now, Brian is the only Wilson brother left and has made a huge comeback musically and personally.

A new biopic on Wilson's trials and tribulations is about to be released and it is one movie I am looking forward to seeing. It is called Love & Mercy.

Here's what Ultimate Classic Rock has to say about the movie:

If you’re a Brian Wilson fan, it’s tough to be objective about Bill Pohlad’s Love & Mercy, a biopic that reverently jockeys between the Beach Boys mastermind’s unraveling and redemption, but shows little in between. 

Deftly alternating between the mid-’60s and mid-’80s, with brilliant portrayals by Paul Dano and John Cusack as Wilson, the duality allows each actor to play to his strengths: Dano masters a youthful exuberance and silent pain; Cusack shows the reserve, mannerisms and whisper of longtime suffering.

Read More: Brian Wilson's Brilliance and Pain Explored in 'Love & Mercy': Movie Review | http://ultimateclassicrock.com/love-and-mercy-review/?trackback=tsmclip

Brian Wilson Biopic: "Love and Mercy"

Above, the plaque on the Beach Boys monument in Hawthorne, California. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A biopic on Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys met with high praise, even from Brian himself, at the Toronto International Film Festival.

According to Japan Today:

TORONTO —The two actors who portray Beach Boy Brian Wilson in a film about his troubled life say getting a deeper knowledge of the revered Californian songwriter’s music helped their performances nearly as much spending time with the man himself. 

“Love and Mercy,” which had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sunday, stars Paul Dano and John Cusack as younger and older versions of Wilson, cutting between his creative peak in the 1960s and painful recovery from mental illness, addiction and abuse two decades later. 

Wilson’s turbulent life is already the stuff of music industry legend. He shot to fame in the early 1960s as the lead songwriter for the Beach Boys, producing hits like “Surfer Girl” that became the soundtrack for an era. 

Yet Wilson’s ambitions ran deeper. Enthralled by the complexity of the Beatles’ “Rubber Soul,” he set out to top them. “Love and Mercy” depicts the production of his landmark “Pet Sounds,” one of the most highly regarded albums in rock history.

Above, the Beach Boys monument. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Most of the members of the Beach Boys came from my alma mater, Hawthorne High School in Hawthorne, California. The band played at the Senior Prom in 1969 during my tenure at the school (I was in my freshman year

at the time).

I attended a Beach Boys concert on New Year's Eve in 1980 at the Forum in Inglewood, California. At the time Brian was still in his troubled period and essentially wandered around the stage or just sat at a grand piano. It is amazing that he outlived his brothers Carl and Dennis. Carl died of cancer and Dennis died by drowning.

Above, a little closer view of the Beach Boys monument sculpture. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A monument has been erected near where Wilson's Hawthorne home once stood (it was removed for the construction of the Glenn Anderson Freeway (commonly known as the Century Freeway).

Wilson was an honoree at the 2008 Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, D.C.

To read more, go here.

Beach Boys' Mike Love "Up To His Old Tricks"

Above, Brian Wilson.

Fans of the Beach Boys were pleased that the surviving members of the original group joined forces for a 50th anniversary tour.

Unfortunately, all things eventually come to an end.  Mike Love, who has legal control of the Beach Boys name, decided that the "good vibrations" of this past year should end.  There is disagreement over that.

Somethingelsereviews.com reports:

Through the news release issued by the Beach Boys tried to portray their latest split as a planned event following a celebrated 50th anniversary album and tour, new comments from ousted leader Brian Wilson tell a different story. 

Mike Love, it’s now clear, has decided to retake a central role in the Beach Boys, having led an offshoot group that only includes second-generation member Bruce Johnston for the last 14 years. Wilson, in new comments to CNN, says Love told him in no uncertain terms that Wilson, Al Jardine and David Marks — the only other surviving original members of the Beach Boys — were not welcome. Seems Love thinks too many shows with them will dilute the reunion concept’s impact.

Over the years, Love has garnered the reputation of being an egotist.  I attended Hawthorne High School about ten years after the Wilson brothers (Brian, Carl and Dennis) and the old timers with the school's alumni group constantly complain about Love and his ego.  The general reaction concerning this story is, "Mike Love is up to his old tricks!"

Al Jardine has set up an online petition to keep Brian, Al and David on the tour.

To read the full article, go here.

Beach Boys Play Before 12K In Chiba, Japan

Above, the Beach Boys monument in Hawthorne, California.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The most famous band from my hometown of Hawthorne, California played to a big crowd in Chiba, Japan.

Japan Today reported:

CHIBA —The Beach Boys, one of the world’s most legendary bands, kicked off their three-concert tour of Japan with a trip down memory lane for 12,000 fans at QVC Marine Field in Chiba Prefecture on Thursday night. 

Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston and David Marks (supported by a backing band composed of members from the group’s various touring entities) performed 33 songs, including old favorites such as “Surfin’ USA” and “California Girls.” 

They will be playing in Osaka Friday night and Nagoya on Sunday.

To read the full article, go here.

The Beach Boys Release First New Single In 20 Years

I was reading Japan Today tonight and found this item about some fellow Hawthorne High School alumni:

Above, The Beach Boys monument in Hawthorne, California.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

LOS ANGELES —
Reunited 1960s pop band The Beach Boys have released a teaser track of their first new single in two decades - a dreamy, five part-harmony throwback to their southern California surf sound called “That’s Why God Made the Radio.” 

The song will be the first single off an album of new material on which the band has been working ahead of their 50th anniversary tour, which kicked off on Tuesday. 

Above, another view of the monument.

“It’s like an accolade to the radio and what it’s meant to so many people,” vocalist and songwriter Mike Love said in a promotional trailer released on YouTube. 

“It’s our new single from our new album ... if you like harmony it’s going to knock your socks off,” added Al Jardine. 

Original Beach Boys Jardine, Love and frontman Brian Wilson have teamed up with Bruce Johnston and David Marks for album and concert tour. Wilson’s brothers Carl and Dennis, who were part of the original 1960s California line-up died in 1983 and 1998 respectively.

The article states that the yet-untitled album will be released June 5.

I had the pleasure to see The Beach Boys in concert on New Year's Eve in 1980 at the Forum in Inglewood, California.

To read the full article, go here.

School District Idiocy: Cougar Mascot Vetoed

Talk about politically correct stupidity! The latest is from the Canyon High School District in Utah.

Left, the mascot of Hawthorne (California) High School.

From the Huffington Post:

Students across the Canyons school district voted to select the "Cougars" as the new mascot for Corner Canyon High School -- slated to open in fall 2013. But the Board of Education decided that victorious mascot -- selected by 23 percent of voting students -- is too offensive toward women, KSTU-TV reports. The term "cougar" is often informally used to reference an older woman seeking a sexual or romantic relationship with a significantly younger man.

A cougar is a name for a mountain lion (puma is another). Other schools have "Cougars" as their mascot. In fact, the high school I attended, Hawthorne High School (the high school of the Beach Boys), has "Cougars" as their mascot. There's even an alumni website called "Cougartown."

Now, suddenly school administrators are injecting PC into mascot selection. It has been my opinion, based on personal experience, that many school administrations are run by idiots. This just re-confirms my opinion.

To read the full article, go here.

A Fine Week!

Above, Yuu Asakura. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Tomorrow, I'll be starting my new "parachute" job that will help make ends meet whenever the insurance claims work slows again. The swing shift hours will make it more convenient for me to do insurance work during the day. I don't have to be there until 5:00 PM.

I'll be patrolling around in an exclusive gated community near the beach in Malibu. How's that for nice scenery? I hope the patrol car has a CD player so I can play my Beach Boys CDs in it.

This has turned out to be a good week. The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan is selling (no word yet on my shipment); insurance claims work is coming in; money is flowing in; I scored a victory over a knuckleheaded CHP cop in traffic court; and now a new job. Plus, had an enjoyable evening last night at the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society meeting.

I spent most of today in an orientation class at the new company. I was the only one who showed up on-time (actually early by about 20 min.) while everyone else in the class showed up 15-20 min. late. Nothing like making a good first impression to a new employer!

I wouldn't mind having more weeks like this. A fine week it was!

Beach Boys: "I Can Hear Music"

Some more from some guys from my high school (they played at the school prom in 1969)...

Beach Boys

Just some guys from my high school...