Beach Boys: The Manson Years

Has there ever been a band that has collapsed as quickly as the Beach Boys did in the wake of "Good Vibrations?" Probably not, and they never really recovered, which is unfortunate. They produced some good music in the late '60s that moved them past their origins.

For Brian Wilson, the pressure of trying to complete the SMiLE project and his use of psychedelics had brought on or exacerbated an underlying mental illness. Acid casualty #1. In May of 1967, he abandons the project and withdraws from the leadership of the band. The next three albums, Smiley Smile, Wild Honey and Friends were recorded in his home studio. The swimming pool was drained and used for an echo chamber. A detuned piano placed in a sandbox in the living room (so he could twiddle his toes in it as he played). The cat did what cats do in sand. Gone are the songs about sun, fun, surfing and cars. The sound is stripped down and low-fi.

With 1968's Friends, drummer brother Dennis emerges as not only a vocalist but as a songwriter as well. On that album, and 20/20 from 1969, he writes or cowrites 8 songs....or at least his name is on them. One, "Never Learn Not to Love," was written by Charles Manson. It was originally called "Cease to Exist." Manson was never given any credit.

Not that he wasn't paid...he might have been given some cash and a motorcycle. Maybe Dennis gave him and the family about $100,000. On the other hand, that $100,000 may have gone for some of the Manson Family women to work at his house as "servants." Is it one of those women that we hear at the end of "All I Want to Do," ... Big Patty, maybe Sadie Mae Glutz? The sources are unclear.

Not that the song was a big moneymaker. It was originally the b-side to their cover of Ersel Hickey's "Bluebirds Over the Mountains."

Manson may have been angry that his name was not credited on the single. He may have been angry that Dennis rearranged his song and changed the title. The sources are unclear.

They are clear that Dennis beat the hell out of Charlie when Manson threatened his family. Imagine if Manson had gotten the credit he craved. Maybe there would have been no murders...maybe LuLu or Squeaky would just be somebody's wacky grandma today.

The four albums run for less than two hours in total. A lot of the songs are only a minute or two long. Two or three of them scraped their way into the top 40, one of those a cover.
From that output, we get this playlist. It runs for about an hour. What does it say about those four albums that there may be an hour's worth of music worth your attention?

Not half bad.

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Yes, There's Gas in the Car

In 1970 the police raided the house of Owsley Stanley - famed financial backer of Blue Cheer, architect of the dread "Wall of Sound" and LSD producer of renown. It was the third bust of note. The first, in December of 1967 found him with millions of dollars of acid. He was released on bail. Three years later, in Jnnuary, 1970, he was arrested along with the Grateful Dead in New Orleans - as related in " Truckin ". This last arrest resulted in the revocation of his bail and he spent the next two years in prison. On his release, Stanley returns to the Dead - a band that he initially bankrolled - to run sound for them again, but all is not the same. He's no longer the player he was. The road crew has emerged as a power center. He builds the Wall of Sound but the band goes on hiatus in 1974. The Wall is dismantled and Owsley never works with them again. The whole arc of his time with the Dead inspired Steely Dan's " Kid Charlemagne " - working in his...

Sucking Since the '70s

The Rolling Stones released Tattoo You on this day in 1981. It was their last good album. Their last great album was probably Exile , maybe Some Girls . Sandwiched between the two, Emotional Rescue is almost as good. It wasn't even really recorded as an album. Its core is mostly comprised of outtakes stretching back to 1972. The band needed a new album to tour, but the Twins weren't getting along, so associate producer, Chris Kimsey, went through the archives and found the best bits for the band to finish off in 1980-81. "Little T&A" comes from a basic track cut during the Emotional Rescue sessions. "Start Me Up" originated during the Some Girls . The band worked on "Hang Fire" during both. It's a bit like Physical Graffiti, except that most of that album's tracks were new, whereas most of Tattoo consists of outtakes. It's a bit like Odds & Sods except that the tunes were worked on ...

Rust Never Sleeps

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Linda Pop

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NRBQ

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Богатирські ворота (The Great Gate of Kyiv)

On May 9th, we caught a show by Shakey Horse at the Witch's House in Haunchyville, WI. Posted below is a soundboard recording of an excerpt from their arrangement of Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition". Unfortunately, the mellotron part is inaudible (maybe unlistenable). The band's tron player, Tommy, had his amp turned up so high that they cut his volume in the mix.

SMiLE

Fifty five years ago today, Brian Wilson called it quits on the SMiLE project. The story goes that Brian saw himself in competition with the Beatles. Pet Sounds was in response to Rubber Soul - an album without filler. Like Revolver "Good Vibrations" demonstrated a mastery of the studio, and its use as an instrument in and of itself. The intended follow-up, SMiLE , would be the same - writ large - in album form. What happens? Supposedly he hears "Strawberry Fields Forever" on the radio - in January '67- and gasps, claiming that the Beatles "got there first." At another point, he heard that several conflagrations had broken out all over LA during recording sessions of the "Fire (Mrs. O'Leary's Cow)" from the "Elements Suite." He feared that some bad karma linked the tune and the fires. Then there was the cat. Brian had built a sandbox in his living room. He placed his piano in it so that he could twiddle his toes ...

Eagles: Laid Back Rockers...or Bogus Dudes?

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Birthday Greetings, Bottle of Wine

John referred to some of Paul's songs as "granny music", music hall influenced pieces that would fit in on the a vaudeville stage....jaunty, tap dancing, tux-and-top hat stuff. For years this contibuted to the perception that Paul wrote the light stuff while John was the rocker. Maybe so, but "Helter Skelter" is as wild as "Revolution" and some of John's work could be pretty sappy. Looking at his output from the '70's we see that Paul wrote quite a few rockers and power pop gems that cohere together nicely....or nastily, if you prefer. Not that there is anything wrong with "Granny Music". The man turns 80 today after all. Sir Paul, happy birthday to you.

She Was a Winner

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