Features
Brian Wilson – Take 3
I recently sat down to speak with legendary musician and composer Brian Wilson about a wide-ranging list of topics.
The interview was conducted in the midst of his “Pet Sounds 50th Anniversary World Tour”, a grueling sojourn around the world that began in 2016, was extended through October of this year, and is slated to continue on in 2018 due to popular demand. To add to Wilson’s already hectic schedule, he released his first ever solo anthology Playback, a retrospective that covers more than thirty years of solo efforts, and includes both live and studio tracks, and two brand new tracks.
One of the songs, “Run James Run” was written specifically for this album, and according to Brian “It was written in about two hours”.
It’s almost shocking to hear him casually state that he can still conjure up a song like this in such a short time, but there is of course his history in performing such astounding musical feats. The song has a definite “Cars, Sun and Fun” sound that’s immediately familiar, as is a photo on the inside cover of the album of Brian standing next to a muscle car, which spurred me to ask him if he himself had a favorite ride. After all, he’s written so many car songs, I have often wondered what his ultimate choice of cars would be. “My Corvette, I still had it until around 1988”, he told me, but declined to elaborate further.
The other previously unheard track, “Some Sweet Day” is a collaboration with Andy Paley that was written back in the early 1990s and has sat in the can ever since. There’s quite a bit of history behind the legendary Wilson-Paley sessions, and the sessions are not without their share of interest and irony. The project started the day after Brian severed all his ties with Dr. Eugene Landy. Wilson phoned Paley and told him “we’re free to work on whatever we want now”, and the result was purportedly over forty finished tracks, a dozen of which have been officially released since then on various Brian Wilson projects. As to why all of these previously unreleased tracks were never made into an album, Brian simply stated, “I don’t know, I really don’t know”. Fans had been passing bootleg recordings of these sessions around for years and I wondered, if the circulation of these recordings prompted Wilson to include any of the songs on Playback, much like Bob Dylan had done with The Basement Tapes. “Not really”, explains Brian. “Andy and I wrote a song called “Chain Reaction Of Love”, which we haven’t released yet. It’s a great song”. I asked if we’d be hearing it soon, to which Brian responded, “I don’t know, I haven’t talked to Andy about it yet”.
The track Some Sweet Day saw its official debut on Playback and sounds like it could have been written in the 60’s by The Supremes and has a real Phil Spector sound to it.
When I asked if it was supposed to be a tribute to someone or something in particular, he advised that he “didn’t write the lyrics to that song, Andy Paley wrote them, so I can’t really answer about the lyrics”. As to the remainder of unreleased songs, Brian stated, “I think there are still about 35 of them.” As to when we will hear them, “I’m not sure when, but you will hear them.” Officially, the word is that most of these songs were never made into an album because his brother Carl disliked the material, particularly the track “Soul Searchin”, a song that he sang lead on, and the record labels weren’t all that interested. Wilson’s soon-to-be wife and manager Melinda had been quoted as saying “Carl didn’t think the material was commercial enough”. All of this negativity surround the sessions prompted me to ask how he reacts when he gets a negative reaction to a piece of music he’s worked on; “Well, it doesn’t hurt my feelings, that’s for sure. Capitol Records didn’t like Pet Sounds, and then about two weeks later, they released it.”
On his current tour and the rigors of touring, and why he decided to release a solo anthology after more than thirty years, Brian stated that he “wanted people to hear our rhythm and blues kind of music that we did. The tour saw Wilson visiting over 150 cities in some 40 countries, a schedule that could easily wear out a man 20 years his junior. I asked him how he is able to maintain such a rigorous touring schedule and still maintain his enthusiasm. He responded with “Well, it’s certainly interesting because I get to do all these concerts. I don’t do too much sightseeing, we just hang out at the hotels and do a lot of TV watching”. The rush that he gets from performing live is a very strong motivating factor as he exclaims, “for each show, the highlight for me is doing God Only Knows. The song is like a big experience for me, the audiences give me about a two minute standing ovation. It happens at every single concert!”
I was in attendance at The Hollywood Bowl in 2016 to witness the show first-hand.
I asked if the venue or that particular show had any special relevance to him, and he responded with “I remember that show, and yes, the Bowl is one of my favorites, it’s a good place. I love that place!” At 75, there are no indications that Brian will be slowing down his touring and recording schedules. Still, I insisted, the rigors of touring at 75 have to be quite taxing, but he insisted, “It’s just a number to me, I’m young at heart and I have a young brain. I’ve been doing concerts for years; I’ve had a lot of practice. My voice stays young! I actually prefer performing live to recording in the studio, I get to get the reaction of the audiences. Prior to the actual show I have about half an hour of the jitters, then I get over it, and then it’s one fantastic rock concert.” When asked what his secret to living life on the road was, he only had this bit of advice to offer; “Well, I always say in all of my interviews, don’t take heavy drugs. Don’t take things like LSD or morphine. Don’t take heavy drugs!”
There aren’t too many of his contemporaries out there still performing into their 70’s, but there are a few. One that comes immediately to mind is The Rolling Stones, a band that has been out on tour essentially for over fifty-five years. When I asked him how he compares himself to The Rolling Stones, he didn’t compare himself to them, but simply replied, “You know, I’ve never seen The Rolling Stones, I’ve never been to one of their concerts.” As for other plans outside of touring, Brian confirmed that there would be a new album coming out some time in the near future. “I haven’t started recording the new album yet, but I’m going to doing an album of rock and roll songs, some of them covers and some of them originals. I’m going to cover Paul McCartney and Chuck Berry’s music. I still have many things left that I want to accomplish; I want to record a really great Rock and Roll album. I’ve released a lot of good pop songs, but not real rock songs.”
Brian’s extensive career has been heavily documented, and his list of accolades is pretty lengthy.
This is the man who has been credited with being the writer and producer of songs that influenced everyone from The Beatles to his own brothers in The Beach Boys, and too many other acts to name. As to his favorite collaborator during all this time, he stated without hesitation, “Van Dyke Parks was my favorite collaborator.” I asked, “How do all the constant accolades make you feel? Do you think you have a good bullshit detector in place?” and he responded as frankly with “I think all the accolades are correct. I’ve been told that our harmonies are our best attribute.” Wondering if perhaps he had a person or two around him that would just tell him everything was great, he told me “I don’t have that problem. Most people tell me how it is.”
In the past few years, there have been a slew of revealing insights into Brian Wilson’s creative genius in the public consciousness, from his recent autobiography “i Am Brian Wilson” to the biopic “Love And Mercy”, a made-for-TV movie that so closely portrayed Dr. Eugene Landy so accurately it “scared the shit out of him.” The book and the movie also documented what can only be described as a meticulous and tenacious recording process. Nonetheless, I wanted to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth, so I asked how he translates all the musical ideas he has in his head and manages to communicate his vision to other musicians he’s in the room with. “I still do it the same way I did in the 1960s, I write music charts out for everyone in my band, and they just read the music and play it. Beautifully! I still use the same process I used when I recorded Pet Sounds; I haven’t changed my process at all. I have a very clear picture in my mind of how the harmonies, the melodies, the lyrics, and the orchestration should sound, and how it’s all put together for one big sound.” When asked how he keeps all of these thoughts together, he replied, “Well, it’s not that hard. I write a lot of it down. A lot of it is written on the piano.”
I’ve spoken with a number of musicians and recording engineers over the years, and one thing I’m always interested in is whether they prefer the old analogue methods of recording, or if they’ve completely adopted digital.
According to Brian, “I prefer to record digitally, it makes it sound clearer and more exact. It’s also made the process easier to record, now I do the scratch first, and then I do the vocals. Before we do the vocals we have to do the orchestration, the background tracks, and then we do the vocals.”
With our time running short, I wanted to ask him about one of his most ethereal and cryptic songs, “I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times”. According to Brian, ” It was a social statement. It was meant to say that I was out of sync with life in the time that it was written in. I wasn’t right for the time in which it was written, but now, I’m just right for these times!”
Visit online at brianwilson.com
Readers have been fans of the composer, bass player, and Bass Musician contributor Alberto Rigoni for some time now.
In this interview, we had the opportunity to hear directly from Alberto about his love of music and a project near and dear to his heart, “Unexpected Lullabies”…
Could you tell our readers what makes your band different from other artists?
In 2005, I felt the urge to write original music. My first track was “Trying to Forget,” an instrumental piece with multiple bass layers (rhythm, solo, and arrangement), similar to the Twin Peaks soundtrack. When I played it for a few people, they really liked it, and I decided to continue composing based on my instinct and ear without adhering to any specific genre. In 2007, I released “Something Different” with Lion Music. The title says it all! Since then, I’ve released many solo albums, each different from the others, ranging from ambient to prog, fusion, jazz, and new age. I am very eclectic!
How did you get involved in this crazy world of music?
As a child, I listened to the music my parents enjoyed: my dad loved classical music, while my mom was into Pink Floyd, Genesis, Duran Duran, etc. These influences left a significant mark on my life. However, the turning point came at 15 when a drummer friend played me “A Change of Seasons” by Dream Theater, which was a shock! From that moment, I decided to play bass and cover Dream Theater songs, which I did for many years with my cover band, Ascra, until it disbanded in 2004. After that, I joined TwinSpirits (prog rock) led by multi-instrumentalist Daniele Liverani. Since then, I haven’t played any more covers!
Who are your musical inspirations, and what inspired the album and the songs?
My roots are in progressive rock metal, with influences from bands like Dream Theater, Symphony X, and many others. However, I listen to all genres and try to keep an open mind, which helps me compose original music. On bass, I was significantly inspired by Michael Manring and Randy Coven (bassist of Ark, Steve Vai, etc.). But I don’t have a real idol; I just follow my own path without compromise.
What are your interests outside of music?
Living in Italy, I love good food and wine! Beyond that, I have a deep interest in art in general and history, not just of my country. I enjoy spending time with friends, skiing, biking, and walking in nature. This is how I spend my free time. The rest of my time is devoted to music and my family!
Tell us about the new album.
It is definitely an out-of-the-box album. When I found out last year that I was going to have a baby girl, I decided to compose a sort of lullaby album, but I didn’t want to cover already famous lullabies. So, I started composing new tunes with the goal of creating an album that was half-sweet and half-hard rock. I did include some covers like “Strangers in the Night” by Frank Sinatra, sung by Goran Edman, former lead singer of Malmsteen. It’s not exactly a lullaby, but I felt the lyrics fit the album, as does the instrumental version of “Fly Me to The Moon.” There are also tracks with just bass and piano (Nenia) or two basses (Vicky). It was definitely an interesting creative process!
What is the difference between the new album and your previous releases, and will there be any new material from your other outfit called BAD AS?
BAD AS is essentially a metal band with several influences including prog. My solo genre is quite different, although there are some metal songs on a few albums. It’s always difficult for me to categorize my music… let’s say it’s a mix of prog, ambient, fusion, and new age.
Where was the album recorded, who produced it, and how long did the process take?
I produced my last album entirely by myself, including mixing and mastering. Unlike other albums I’ve produced within a few months, this one took much longer, perhaps because I was very busy or maybe because I wanted it to be perfect for my daughter, who is now three months old. In any case, I am satisfied. Once again, I did something different from my previous albums.
What is the highlight of the album for you and why?
My favorite song is the first track titled “Vittoria,” named after my daughter. It’s the intro to the record and isn’t very long, but the melody stuck in my head. Another standout track is the instrumental version of “Fly Me to The Moon” by Frank Sinatra, where I used fretless bass. The first part is sweet, the second part definitely rocks!
How are the live shows going, and what are you and the band hoping to achieve?
With BAD AS, this year we shared the stage with David Ellefson’s (former Megadeth bassist) band and talented young singer Dino Jelusik (White Snake). We plan to continue performing all over Europe!
What’s in store for the future?
I am working on an instrumental project called Nemesis Call, a progressive shred prog metal album with various influences. It will feature guest appearances from famous musicians like drummers Mike Terrana and Thomas Lang, as well as young talents like Japanese guitarist Keiji from Zero (19), 14-year-old Indian drummer Sajan Young, and guitarists Alexandra Zerner and Alexandra Lioness, Hellena Pandora. It’s scheduled for release at the end of the year or early 2025. As an independent artist, I have launched a fundraising campaign with exclusive pledges at www.albertorigoni.net/nemesiscall. And no, I am not begging; the album will be released anyway!
What formats is the release available in?
Unexpected Lullabies is available both as a Digipack CD and on streaming platforms.
What is the official album release date?
June 4th, 2024.
Thanks for this interview Bass Musician Magazine and for the continued support to my career!
Visit Online:
www.albertorigoni.net
www.youtube.com/albertorigoni
albertorigoni.bandcamp.com
www.instagram.com/albertorigonibassplayer
www.facebook.com/albertorigonimusic
www.tiktok.com/@albertorigonibassist
CD Track Listing:
1. Vittoria
2. Fly Me to the Moon
3. Azzurra
4. Dancing with Tears in My Eyes (feat. John Jeff Touch)
5. Out of Fear
6. Veni Laeatitia (feat. Alexandra Zerner)
7. Nenia
8. Slap Lullaby (feat. Karl Clews)
9. Saga
10. Vicky (feat. Michael Manring)
11. Ocean Travelers (feat. Vitalij Kuprij)
12. Strangers in the Night (feat. Göran Edman)
13. Peaceful
14. Un uomo che voga (feat. Eleonora Damiano)
Band Line-Up:
- Tommaso Ermolli arrangements on “Vittoria”
- Sefi Carmel on “Fly Me to the Moon” (Cover) (except for the keyboard solo by Alessandro Bertoni)
- Piano and keyboards by Alessandro Bertoni on “Azzurra”
- Leonardo Caverzan, guitars, and John Jeff Touch, vocals on “Dancing with Tears in my Eyes” (Cover)
- T. Ermolli keys on “Out of Fear”
- Alexandra Zerner everything on “Veni Laetitia”
- Daniele Bof piano on “Nenia”
- Karl Clews, piccolo bass on “Slap Lullaby”
- Jonas Erixon vocals and guitars on “Saga”
- Michael Manring bass on “Vicky”
- Vitalij Kuprij, keyboards and piano, and Josh Sapna, guitars, on “Ocean Traveler”
- Göran Edman, vocals, Emiliano Tessitore, guitars, Emiliano Bonini, drums, on “Strangers in the Night” (Cover) everything by Alberto Rigoni and vocals by Federica “Faith”
- Sciamanna on “Peaceful”
- T. Ermolli, guitars, and Eleonora Damiano, vocals, on “Un uomo che voga All drums programmed by Alberto Rigoni
If you are an electric bass player, this is an exciting time to be alive as this relatively new instrument evolves around us. Some creative individuals have taken an active role in this evolution and made giant leaps in their own direction. Lee Barker is one of these inventive people having created the Barker Bass.
Fortunately, Lee is also an excellent writer (among so many talents) and has recently released his book “Plausible Gumption, The Road Between a Christmas Toolbox and The Barker Bass”. This book is a very fun read for everyone and shares a ton of details about Lee’s life in general, his experiences as a musician, a radio host, and a luthier. Now I am fortunate to have the great opportunity to gain even more insights into this renaissance man with this video interview.
Plausible Gumption, The Road Between a Christmas Toolbox and The Barker Bass is available online at Amazon.com
Interview and photo courtesy of Holly Bergantino of Bergantino Audio Systems
With an expansive live show and touring, Mt. Joy bassist Michael Byrnes shares his experiences with the joyful, high-energy band!
Michael Byrnes has kept quite a busy touring schedule for the past few years with his band, Mt. Joy. With a philosophy of trial and error, he’s developed quite the routines for touring, learning musical instruments, and finding the right sound. While on the road, we were fortunate to have him share his thoughts on his music, history, and path as a musician/composer.
Let’s start from the very beginning, like all good stories. What first drew
you to music as well as the bass?
My parents required my sister and I to play an instrument. I started on piano and really didn’t like it so when I wanted to quit my parents made me switch to another instrument and I chose drums. Then as I got older and started forming bands there were never any bass players. When I turned 17 I bought a bass and started getting lessons. I think with drums I loved music and I loved the idea of playing music but when I started playing bass I really got lost in it. I was completely hooked.
Can you tell us where you learned about music, singing, and composing?
A bit from teachers and school but honestly I learned the most from just going out and trying it. I still feel like most of the time I don’t know what I am doing but I do know that if I try things I will learn.
What other instruments do you play?
A bit of drums but that’s it. For composing I play a lot of things but I fake it till I make and what I can’t fake I will ask a friend!
I know you are also a composer for film and video. Can you share more
about this with us?
Pretty new to it at the moment. It is weirdly similar to the role of a bass player in the band. You are using music to emphasize and lift up the storyline. Which I feel I do with the bass in a band setting. Kind of putting my efforts into lifting the song and the other musicians on it.
Everybody loves talking about gear. How do you achieve your “fat” sound?
I just tinker till it’s fat lol. Right now solid-state amps have been helping me get there a little quicker than tube amps. That’s why I have been using the Bergantino Forté HP2 – Otherwise I have to say the cliche because it is true…. It’s in the hands.
Describe your playing style(s), tone, strengths and/or areas that you’d like
to explore on the bass.
I like to think of myself as a pretty catchy bass player. I need to ask my bandmates to confirm! But I think when improvising and writing bass parts I always am trying to sneak little earworms into the music. I want to explore 5-string more!
Who are your influences?
I can’t not mention James Jamerson. Where would any of us be if it wasn’t for him? A lesser-known bassist who had a huge effect on me is Ben Kenney. He is the second bassist in the band Incubus and his playing on the Crow Left the Murder album completely opened me up to the type of bass playing I aspire towards. When I first started playing I was really just listening to a lot of virtuosic bassists. I was loving that but I couldn’t see myself realistically playing like that. It wasn’t from a place of self-doubt I just deep down knew that wasn’t me. Ben has no problem shredding but I was struck by how much he would influence the song through smaller movements and reharmonizing underneath the band. His playing isn’t really in your face but from within the music, he could move mountains. That’s how I want to play.
What was the first bass you had? Do you still have it?
A MIM Fender Jazz and I do still have it. It’s in my studio as we speak. I rarely use it these days but I would never get rid of it.
(Every bass player’s favorite part of an interview and a read!) Tell us about
your favorite bass or basses. 🙂
I guess I would need to say that MIM Jazz bass even though I don’t play it much. I feel connected to that one. Otherwise, I have been playing lots of great amazing basses through the years. I have a Serek that I always have with me on the road (shout out Jake). Also have a 70’s Mustang that 8 times out of 10 times is what I use on recordings. Otherwise, I am always switching it up. I find that after a while the road I just cycle basses in and out. Even if I cycle out a P bass for another P bass.
What led you to Bergantino Audio Systems?
My friend and former roommate Edison is a monster bassist and he would gig with a cab of yours all the time years ago. Then when I was shopping for a solid state amp the Bergantino Forté HP2 kept popping up. Then I saw Justin Meldal Johnsen using it on tour with St. Vincent and I thought alright I’ll give it a try!
Can you share a little bit with us about your experience with the Bergantino
forte HP amplifier? I know you had this out on tour in 2023 and I am pretty
certain the forte HP has been to more countries than I have.
It has been great! I had been touring with a 70’s SVT which was great but from room to room, it was a little inconsistent. I really was picky with the type of power that we had on stage. After a while, I thought maybe it is time to just retire this to the studio. So I got that Forte because I had heard that it isn’t too far of a leap from a tube amp tone-wise. Plus I knew our crew would be much happier loading a small solid state amp over against the 60 lbs of SVT. It has sounded great and has really remained pretty much the same from night to night. Sometimes I catch myself hitting the bright switch depending on the room and occasionally I will use the drive on it.
You have recently added the new Berg NXT410-C speaker cabinet to your
arsenal. Thoughts so far?
It has sounded great in the studio. I haven’t gotten a chance to take it on the road with us but I am excited to put it through the paces!
You have been touring like a madman all over the world for the past few
years. Any touring advice for other musicians/bass players? And can I go to Dublin, Ireland with you all??
Exercise! That’s probably the number one thing I can say. Exercise is what keeps me sane on the road and helps me regulate the ups and downs of it. Please come to Dublin! I can put you on the guest list!
It’s a cool story on how the Mt. Joy band has grown so quickly! Tell us
more about Mt. Joy, how it started, where the name comes from, who the
members are and a little bit about this great group?
Our singer and guitarist knew each other in high school and have made music together off and on since. Once they both found themselves living in LA they decided to record a couple songs and put out a Craigslist ad looking for a bassist. At the time I had just moved to LA and was looking for anyone to play with. We linked up and we recorded what would become the first Mt. Joy songs in my house with my friend Caleb producing. Caleb has since produced our third album and is working on our fourth with us now. Once those songs came out we needed to form a full band to be able to do live shows. I knew our drummer from gigging around LA and a mutual friend of all of us recommended Jackie. From then on we’ve been on the road and in the studio. Even through Covid.
Describe the music style of Mt. Joy for me.
Folk Rock with Jam influences
What are your favorite songs to perform?
Always changing but right now it is ‘Let Loose’
What else do you love to do besides bass?
Exercise!
I always throw in a question about food. What is your favorite food?
I love a good chocolate croissant.
Follow Michael Byrnes:
Instagram: @mikeyblaster
Follow Mt. Joy Band:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mtjoyband
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mtjoyband
I am sure many of you are very familiar with Mark Egan as we have been following him and his music for many years now. The last time we chatted was in 2020.
Mark teamed up with drummer Shawn Pelton and guitarist Shane Theriot to produce a new album, “Cross Currents” released on March 8th, 2024. I have been listening to this album in its entirety and it is simply superb (See my review).
Now, I am excited to hear about this project from Mark himself and share this conversation with our bass community in Bass Musician Magazine.
Photo courtesy of Mark Egan
Visit Online:
markegan.com
markegan.bandcamp.com
Apple Music
Amazon Music
Bassist Adam Sullivan…
Hailing from Minnesota since 2012, By the Thousands has produced some serious Technical Metal/Deathcore music. Following their recent EP “The Decent”s release, I have the great opportunity to chat with bassist Adam Sullivan.
Join me as we hear about Adam’s musical Journey, his Influences, how he gets his sound, and the band’s plans for the future
Photo, Laura Baker
Featured Videos:
Follow On Social
IG &FB @bythethousands
YTB @BytheThousands