Brian Wilson/Jeff Beck in NYC...

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Brian Wilson/Jeff Beck in NYC...

Postby TonyNYC » Sun Oct 20, 2013 11:38 am

Well, I cut my California trip short to get back to see Brian Wilson and his Band at The Beacon on Tuesday and I’m more than glad I did.

He’s playing, co-headlining with Jeff Beck and yes it seems like a weird mix and I’m not happy about it. Not at all. No matter how good Beck is all I want is Brian and his Band all night long.

Brian and his guys hit the stage at 8:00 sharp and after settling behind their instruments, they do a note perfect acapella version of Their Hearts Were Full Of Spring. Then the majestic orchestral opening chords of California Girls raises the roof and when that part near the end where the instruments fade away and the vocals soar my skin gets a-tingling. They then introduce Blondie Chaplain-a Beach Boy in the early 70’s-who bounds on stage and his lead vocal on Sail On Sailor is clearer, slower than recent performances. Happily, he’s not there for that one song. They dive into one of my favorite Beach Boy cuts, maybe Brian’s hardest driving and rocking, most soulful song, Wild Honey, with the insistent beat and theramin sounding keyboard and Blondie searing his high pitched vocal into your soul.

Then, it’s that wonderful guitar/keyboard blend and the booming drum bouncing into Wouldn’t It be Nice. All joyous, all wishful with Jeff Foskett nailing the lead vocal and Brian singing Mike’s (I kept hoping the crowd would start a NYC Mike Love Sucks chant) part at the bridge. After the applause dies down, Al says, hey Brian, how about we do all of Pet Sounds and yes, we get Pet Sounds from beginning to end and it’s marvelous, tremendous, wonderful, awe inspiring. The rhythm changes, the intricate layering harmonies, the tastefulness of all the percussion in every one of those pocket symphonies to god.

The rising closing harmonies of You Still Believe In Me, The booming dynamics of Waiting For The Day, The fat thick bass of Here Today, the rolling Sloop John harmonies when the instruments virtually disappear, the symphonic Pet Sounds instrumental, Brian’s pleading, anthem-like I Guess I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times, the totally beautiful God Only Knows (though yes Carl is seriously missed here) with the French horn and those closing harmonies, the super sad and plaintive Caroline No all sound so perfect, and as the dogs barked and the music faded we all got on our feet and laid our hosannas on him and his band.

And one of the things I notice with Brian’s band is even though it seems like there’s an army up there, you can make out all the instruments distinctly, clearly. Every cymbal slash, triangle tinkle, bass pluck, the layered harmonies, though every once in awhile the lead vocal-jeff or Brian-is sometimes a tiny bit too low.

We then get a perfunctory Good Vibrations, a truly good time rocking Help Me Rhonda with Al singing strong and clear and everyone joining in and has anyone ever heard a better closing guitar lick (NO) and the always fun sing along Fun Fun Fun.

Beck was really good, but I wasn’t very interested until Brain and his guys joined him and did an acapella Our Prayer that was completely holy that led into a Child Is Father To The Man and then Surf’s Up with Beck’s guitar playing the lead vocal perfectly and Brian and the guys providing background vocals. Great version. Still, I’d rather hear Brian do Surf’s Up. I know Jeff Beck’s set deserves more praise and is worth seeing on its own. But not right now. I was there for Brian. Brian is the one that matters to me.

The show ended with an all hands on deck Barbara Ann, Surfin USA and Danny Boy. I left the theater beaming, but still hungry for 45 more minutes of Brian’s songs…
TonyNYC
 
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