The Beach Boys: IT'S NOT O.K.

Summary

Podcast Summary: Jokermen Episode – The Beach Boys: IT'S NOT O.K.

Introduction and Context In the The Beach Boys: IT'S NOT O.K. episode of the Jokermen Podcast, hosts Evan and Ian delve deep into a tumultuous period in the Beach Boys' history, focusing primarily on the struggles of Brian Wilson during the mid-1970s. Building upon previous discussions from episodes like Bad Vibrations, this installment examines the darker aspects of the band's dynamics and Brian's personal battles.

Brian Wilson's Struggles (1974-1976) The episode opens with Evan and Ian highlighting Brian Wilson's severe depression and worsening weight issues that began intensifying post the infamous 1966 "Smile" project collapse. By 1974, Brian's mental health had deteriorated significantly:

Evan [05:27]: "Like a disabled fat child in the woodwork. They ignored him as his weight ballooned and he just cooped up in his room like J. Thaddeus Toad."

Brian's reluctance to engage with the public or the studio, combined with his dependence on drugs like cocaine and heroin, isolated him further:

Ian [07:04]: "But that's right. Somehow creeping back into the lives of these men is another like, domineering, emotionally stunted, dark-haired man."

Family's Attempt to Help Despite recognizing Brian's descent, the Beach Boys' family members were hesitant to seek professional help. Evan and Ian emphasize the family's neglect and the resulting vacuum in support for Brian:

Evan [06:05]: "I'm gonna say right there. I don't care who you are in this situation. The guy is sitting around the house like a disabled child in the woodwork."

Attempts by friends like Tandon Ulmer to get Brian to see a psychiatrist were met with resistance, leaving Brian confined within his Bel Air mansion and detached from his musical passions.

Introduction of Dr. Eugene Landy The narrative takes a pivotal turn with the introduction of Dr. Eugene Landy, a controversial psychologist brought in to help Brian. Landy's unorthodox and domineering methods are scrutinized throughout the episode:

Ian [30:22]: "Brian doesn't get to be insane. And I'm also going to, you know, I guess I wouldn't necessarily call throwing a bucket of water on him like very firm physical abuse, but it's, you know, it's in that."

Evan and Ian express skepticism and disapproval of Landy's approach, highlighting his manipulative tactics and increasing control over Brian's life.

The "Brian is Back" Campaign In an effort to rejuvenate the Beach Boys' waning popularity, the band embarked on the "Brian is Back" campaign. This initiative aimed to showcase Brian's recovery and reintegration into the band's creative process. The campaign included extensive media coverage and the recording of the album 15 Big Ones. However, tensions within the band, particularly between Mike Love and Brian, cast a shadow over the proceedings:

Ian [36:15]: "If playing big hit concerts and making big records and being successful and called a genius led Brian Wilson to being catatonic and shut up in bed, addicted to hamburgers and heroin in 1975. Why does anyone think doing those things again is gonna be the solution?"

The episode critiques the band's focus on profitability and publicity over genuine support for Brian's well-being.

The "It's Okay" Television Special A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to analyzing the 1976 television special titled The Beach Boys: It's Okay. Evan and Ian describe the special as a bizarre blend of concert footage, scripted segments, and promotional content designed under Landy's supervision. They critique its superficial portrayal of Brian and the band, noting the dissonance between the show's happy facade and the underlying issues:

Ian [53:32]: "Where they're driving around."

Evan [54:20]: "It's like the Dead. Like the Grateful Dead movie."

The hosts discuss the unsettling juxtaposition of vibrant performances with Brian's troubled state, emphasizing the special's lack of authenticity.

The Fallout with Dr. Landy As Landy's methods became increasingly invasive and financially burdensome, dissatisfaction grew within the band. By late 1976, Steven Love spearheaded efforts to oust Landy, leading to a confrontational showdown:

Ian [78:54]: "He said, 'I can't let Brian blackmail me. He's manipulated everybody for a long time, and I have to confront him at every turn.'"

The episode recounts the dramatic confrontation where Brian, under Landy's influence, physically attacks him—an act that underscores the toxic dynamics at play.

Conclusion and Teasers for Future Episodes Wrapping up, Evan and Ian reflect on the enduring yet fractious legacy of the Beach Boys. They tease upcoming episodes that will explore subsequent albums like 15 Big Ones, Pacific Ocean Blue, and the band's navigation through the 1980s. The hosts underscore the complexity of the Beach Boys' story, marked by resilience amidst adversity.

Evan [75:31]: "This is one of the most confusing and unlikely stories or tales, I think, in the history of American music. But that's why we love them."

Notable Quotes:

• Evan [05:27]: "Like a disabled fat child in the woodwork. They ignored him as his weight ballooned and he just cooped up in his room like J. Thaddeus Toad."
• Ian [30:22]: "Brian doesn't get to be insane."
• Ian [36:15]: "Why does anyone think doing those things again is gonna be the solution?"

Key Insights:

• The band's internal struggles significantly impacted Brian Wilson's mental health.
• Eugene Landy's intervention, while initially seeming beneficial, ultimately exacerbated the situation.
• The "Brian is Back" campaign prioritized commercial success over genuine healing.
• The Beach Boys: It's Okay special serves as a microcosm of the band's misguided efforts to mask deeper issues.

This episode provides a comprehensive and critical examination of a challenging era for the Beach Boys, offering listeners an in-depth understanding of the intricate interplay between personal struggles and group dynamics.

Transcript

[Evan]

This could be considered a track. Not really, though.

[Ian]

We don't want to do that.

[Evan]

This is a little intro, you know.

[Ian]

All right, here we go.

[Evan]

Countdown time.

[Ian]

One, two, three, go. Okay, boys, do it.

[Evan]

Well, hello and welcome back, everyone. Back to Jokerman. Back to the Jokerman Beach Boys podcast. I'm Evan.

[Ian]

I'm Ian.

[Evan]

And today we are going to be doing something good for you all. You know, who've been clamoring for us to get back on track and onto topic when it comes to the Beach Boys. And when I say something good, I mean largely something bad for the Beast Boys.

[Ian]

That's typically how it seems to go with them.

[Evan]

What exactly are we going to be chronicling today? Because it's going to be several things in.

[Ian]

That's right. Well, you know, we've reached another one of those inflection points in the California Saga. Those of you who were with us last summer during the big dramatic moments in their career initially might recall the Bad Vibrations episode we did recounting the. The saga of the Smile record and its implosion in 1966. We're at kind of another one of those points here where we don't have a record to talk about quite yet. We have a new record to be talking about in the episode right after this, so stay tuned on that. But before we get there, there's just a lot going on in beach boys universe, circa 1974, 75 into 1976. And so figured we'd take a moment here to catch our breath, tell the tale a little bit, and then also talk about this. Well, I guess we'll see what we have to say.

[Evan]

Yeah, we'll talk about that.

[Ian]

The movie.

[Evan]

The movie. The special.

[Ian]

Television special. It's okay. It sure is okay.

[Evan]

It's okay. Don't worry. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay.

[Ian]

Yeah. But, yeah, before we get there. We will get there in due time. We just. There's, you know, there's a lot going on at this moment in the story, and a certain character who has been sort of haunting the proceedings all along is ready to make his. Ready to make his debut one way or another, I guess. And so that's what we're here to talk about, because this is really gonna set the stage, set the scene for the whole rest of the 1970s with the Beach Boys and then on into the 1980s. Are you ready for. Are you ready for a good time? Another really good time?

[Evan]

What are we calling this? Just Bad Vibrations continued?

[Ian]

I think it's not okay.

[Evan]

It's not.

[Ian]

It's like in parentheses. It's not. Okay.

[Evan]

Yeah.

[Ian]

Maybe the best way to approach it. All right, well, let's. We've got a lot here. I'm going to be quoting from David Leaf and Stephen Gaines as always here, heroes and villains as well as God only knows the story of Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys and the California myth. We're going to just kind of set or return to where we were when last we saw the Boys of the beach in Holland. Brian's depression deepened and his weight, which had been an occasional problem, began to rise out of control. To Brian's always fragile ego, this heaviness made him publicly unacceptable. So once he had returned home, he tended to remain behind closed doors of his Bel Air mansion. Because of his weight problem, Brian didn't like to travel to a studio in Hollywood, so his recording ambitions were effectively stymied. Marilyn at this time also had taken. She took the studio out of the house. She didn't want this happening. She didn't want all Brian's freaky friends coming through and running a record recording business out of her home. It's gone. And so Brian, basically, because he won't leave the house, can't make music anymore. Tandon Ulmer, one of Brian's closest friends at this point, sincerely felt that Brian needed help. One friend of both Tandon's and Brian's remembered that Tandon, quote, encouraged Brian to, hmm, see a psychiatrist, but the family wouldn't hear of it. Tandon eventually got Brian to meet a well known Los Angeles psychiatrist. Not the one you're thinking of, as this friend recalls. And he refused to treat Brian as an outpatient because he said that it was his environment that is his problem. The family, another friend of Brian notes, wouldn't even admit that there was a problem. It was like an alcoholic that people ignore. The whole Beach Boys trip revolved around their closing their eyes to Brian's problems. Brian was part of the woodwork, like a disabled child that everyone just ignored. So that's where we're gonna kind of begin. This is a subject we've talked about at certain points in the past, but, you know, I think by 1974, when the Holland trip is over, it's clear Brian's having some trouble. He's not in the best state of mind, but those around him are, for whatever reason, just reticent, hesitant, unable, unwilling to, like, do the decent thing and even try to just help this guy out a little bit.

[Evan]

Like a disabled fat child in the woodwork. They ignored him as his weight ballooned and he just cooped up in his room like J. Thaddeus Toad. Like, this is. It's not sounding so okay, in my opinion.

[Ian]

It's not okay. That's what I was saying. It's not okay. Brian Wilson, suffering from mental health, sitting around the house.

[Evan]

He's sitting. He's sitting around the house.

[Ian]

That's right.

[Evan]

And then they can't even give him. He doesn't even have his sweet music. That is. That's a mistake.

[Ian]

That is a mistake.

[Evan]

I'm gonna say right there. I don't care who you are in this situation. The guy is sitting around the house like a disabled child in the woodwork. Least you can do is allow him to play his piano.

[Ian]

He's told us himself music is in his soul. And, you know, I guess milkshakes are in his body at this moment in time. But to take the music out of his soul, like, that's just, you know, we can sort of laugh and have a fun time about this, fortunately, because this turned into a relatively happy ending, but, you know, shitty, shitty stuff. I think it's fair to say.

[Evan]

Dark. Dark. And I think that this is. I mean, we haven't gotten there yet with the character. The Phantom of the Opera.

[Ian]

He's coming. The Phantom Menace. Yeah.

[Evan]

But before we get there, I mean, it is wild to me. Like they don't have Murray anymore. Like Murray is gone from this plane of reality at this point.

[Ian]

But that's right.

[Evan]

Somehow creeping back into the lives of these men is another like, domineering, emotionally stunted, dark haired man.

[Ian]

Abusive. Yeah. Like surrogate father figure. Absolutely. No, I mean, I think that in many ways that, and that might be sort of, you know, hindsight is 2020 and like making sense of the facts after the fact. But you can't help but, you know, draw some similarities between the, you know, domineering man who controlled Brian's life throughout the first however many years of his life, and then the domineering man who's going, the next domineering man who's gonna come in and control, you know, the following X number of years in his life. There's, you know, no two ways about that.

[Evan]

On the other hand, it's like, what do you, what we're looking at here at the outset is what happens when that doesn't exist at all. It's like there's a vacuum, a power vacuum, which is not better. You know, it's like the absence of war is not peace, or peace is not the absence of war. You know, What I mean, there needs to be a positive thing. This is just the lack of a certain negative thing. And that becomes a negative unto itself with the way that they kind of just refuse to acknowledge the situation. There's. There seems to be no in between that can be reached.

[Ian]

Yes. Yeah, for a while here, it's just. It is kind of bury your head in the sand and act like this isn't a problem type of stuff. Turning once again to David Leaf, he says Brian's musical interest in 1974 was still strong, but he had virtually no desire to share it with anyone but a select few friends. You know, it's notable. This is like really the biggest gap in recording that Brian has had up until this point in his life. You know, since he's become a musician. There's not going to be any new Brian Wilson music from really like there's very little in 1973, there's none in 74, there's none in 75. You know, it's a several year gap here. Brian recalled people kept asking, what's your next song going to be, Brian? I didn't know. And it got so that I did not want to know. I got to a point where I couldn't even go to a piano. I was too afraid. Music is in his soul. But not, not at the moment. The very serious, intense depression that Brian was caught up in by the Latter half of 1975 was the absolute low. He did try to make some sort of halting attempts at recording, you know, throughout 1974 and 75. He got hooked up with Bruce Johnston again and Terry Melcher at this time who like, kind of set up sort of a side project for him in, you know, at a label that they were working just to kind of give him an outlet for stuff. And it kind of did some stuff, but didn't really end up going anywhere. Not really even worth recounting all of those details. You know, making halting attempts at doing something here, but he just can't even put that together. So Dennis Wilson, after Brian came out of his depression, said, this is Dennis reflecting back on this period. He was really sick. Brian was really sick. It was terrible. I could sit here and tell you atrocity stories of things that have happened to Brian. I thought it was permanent brain damage. That's how I was living for a while. That was frightening to think that somebody you love very much will be permanently damaged. If you'd have seen him just a year ago, I guess this would have been in 1976. He's offering this quote, you would have been convinced he was permanently ruined.

[Evan]

Not good.

[Ian]

Not so good. No. If Dennis Wilson is saying he was really fucked up, you know, he was really fucked up.

[Evan]

Well, there's that part later in the. In the film, in the movie where he's. I mean, we'll get there. But he's like saying, like, well, it's fine, you know, Brian just. It's his money. He can do whatever he wants.

[Ian]

Yeah. You know, Then he says he's crazy. So that was all from David Leaf. We'll jump over to Heroes and Villains now. Stephen Gaines, a little more tawdry here. He's gonna set the scene for us. Brian was a very sick man by the beginning of 1975, and he had long passed the. Even his most loyal supporters could dismiss his behavior as either eccentricity or the effects of simple drug addiction. Brian now weighed 240 pounds. Honestly. Doesn't sound like that much in today's end notch. Fat, but not today. But yeah, in 1975, that's, you know, that's numbers. Brian did not shower or shave. He seldom went out and would appear in public in his pajamas and a bathrobe. Once he even climbed onto the stage of the Whiskey a Go Go, uninvited by the group who was playing. His preferred drug was cocaine, and his access to it seemed uncontrollable, even though all his money had been cut off and he had no checkbook. More than occasionally, Brian also found a way to purchase and snort heroin, after which he would, quote, be nearly catatonic for days. Reportedly, his children found his drug stash. But Brian was not concerned. Marilyn, already pushed past the breaking point, was desperate for help. One morning in the spring of 1975, she called Steven Love, new character, at his office and told him that she was going to put Brian in a psychiatric hospital and divorce him if he didn't voluntarily get medical treatment. Steven suggested that instead of taking any drastic action, this, of course, is Mike's brother Stephen. He suggested that they hire his younger brother, Stanley Love.

[Evan]

How many new characters are we going to get?

[Ian]

Just a couple. There is going to be one more new character in addition to the big one, but we'll get there when we get there. Stanley Love is being brought in to assist Marilyn and try to straighten out Brian at home. Stanlove, 26, professional basketball player. We've mentioned this at certain points. Also father of Kevin Love, who. That name probably doesn't mean anything to you, but NBA fans out there will know him as LeBron James, former teammate on The Cleveland Cavaliers. Former, you know, all star player. Not like an all time great player, but certainly a strong player who I think is still in the league. I think he might be on the Heat these days, but strange, you know, family history here. Mike Love being the uncle to an NBA player.

[Evan]

When did Mike Love become an uncle? What year?

[Ian]

That's a question I wanted. Kevin Love is probably, I don't know, 35, 36 these days. So I guess Mike would have become an uncle in the 80s. But I mean, remember, Mike was a father as of like 1970.

[Evan]

Yeah, but a father, an uncle it is not.

[Ian]

You know, those are different things.

[Evan]

Different.

[Ian]

Well, let's hear a little bit more about Mike's brother Stanley, who's again been brought on to basically be Brian's handler. At this moment in time, Stan's priority, aside from keeping Brian away from Truggers, was to get him to work wash. Stan speaking now, he was gross. He wouldn't take showers because he would. He was afraid of what would come out of the showerhead. He didn't know what would happen, and that scared him. And now this is my. This is Stan impersonating Brian. Could be too cold, could be too hot, could be gas. Is what he thought?

[Evan]

Was that supposed to rhyme?

[Ian]

I don't think so. Then he said, maybe nothing will come out. Oh, no. What does that mean? Nothing. After convincing Brian it would be safe to bathe and coaxing him into the shower, Stanley next tried to get him to lose some weight, which he did by installing a padlock on the refrigerator.

[Evan]

Tried to get him to lose some weight by installing a padlock.

[Ian]

A padlock. That's the most efficient. It's not like, let's set you up on a diet plan, Brian. Let's bring in a nutritionist. Let's just kind of have some conversations about this. It's like, it feels like the way you keep Yogi Bear out of, like, the picnic basket is with a padlock.

[Evan]

Yeah. Or, you know, a chastity belt.

[Ian]

Yeah. This is. I mean, you might as well put a muzzle on Brian at a certain point. You know, just, you know, put a muzzle on him. Put a collar on him and leash him up and just walk him around the neighborhood like a dog.

[Evan]

That book where it's like, the guy has, like, his. His wife is mad and, like, chained up in the. In the top of the house and.

[Ian]

Like, oh, is that the yellow wallpaper?

[Evan]

No. Well, that's also about that Jane Eyre.

[Ian]

Oh, no.

[Evan]

Maybe it's, you know, one of them.

[Ian]

Finally, eventually, Stanley found a psychiatrist and Brian embarked on a three day a week appointment schedule. Treatment turned out to be a total farce since Brian frequently refused to go to appointments. And when he did attend SESs, he was less than cooperative. According to Stan, this first psychiatrist soon refused to treat Brian and recommended him to a meditating therapist in San Diego. Again, Brian refused to be driven to sessions and therapy soon ended. At the end of the summer, Stanley got an offer to play basketball for the Atlanta Hawks and left his job in the Wilson household. Brian quickly retreated to his room where he lay in bed, stuffing himself with food and drugs, beating his toes against the headboard of carved angels and humming his own songs. California Dreaming. So we're making attempts at fixing Brian Wilson's life, but they're sort of, I don't know, I mean, bringing the whole Love, like family of brothers.

[Evan]

Basketball brothers.

[Ian]

Yeah, it's sort of like a Three Stooges type thing. At a certain point, like, I have to feel like there were more qualified people to be assisting Brian Wilson in becoming a human being. Again, thank Mike Love's brother and Mike Love's other brother.

[Evan]

Well, I think that they would soon give up on this and they would try to find someone who was qualified and important to know that. I guess the people picking the qualified person would also be Mike Love and his brothers. Is that right?

[Ian]

Yeah, basically, yeah. I mean, it does kind of just reflect the whole thing. That is maybe one of the Beach Boys ultimate. Kind of like one of the things that makes the Beach Boys the Beach Boys for better and for worse, is like the kind of like cheap. Cheapness of the whole, like the family business. Small business.

[Evan]

Like small business tyranny.

[Ian]

Yeah, exactly. And almost like Cosa Nostra type thing. Like, you gotta keep it in the family as fucked up and as bad as any of this ever gets. Like, we keep it within ourselves. We don't bring in outsiders. We keep all the money for ourselves.

[Evan]

Kokomo Nostra.

[Ian]

Yeah, exact.

[Evan]

Come to me on the day of my cousin taking a shower.

[Ian]

Yay. It's part of what we love about them, you know, is the fact that it is a family band and, you know, whatever, but, like, it also really starts to, like, have some negative consequences at this point when, like, you could just hire like, I don't know, like a PR agent or like a manager or any sort of just like standard professional person to come in and just put this guy's life pack together and instead it's. No, it's literally Mike Love's brother in between contracts in The NBA is the guy in charge of this whole thing. So that's where we're at in 1975. But wait, here we go. Within a month of Stan Love's leaving, Marilyn began to search around again for a therapist who could deal with Brian through the cousin of a friend. Here we go again. More cousins and more friends. She was told about one Dr. Eugene Landy, a psychologist who had experience working with drug problems.

[Evan]

That's where the best stuff comes from. The best wrecks, like cousins, a cousin.

[Ian]

Of a friend, a friend of a cousin, cousin's friends. I guess you couldn't just, like, go to Google and be like, you know, psychologist, therapist, who isn't insane and going to try to abuse my husband and, like, type that in back in the day.

[Evan]

But I don't know. I mean, I don't think that. That you can do that today either. I. And it does seem to still happen. Like, wasn't it, like, partly the. The crazy, like, evil dentist who got Kanye addicted to nitrous oxide? And remember that whole thing, like, that these. These people are. There's a kind of person who's just always existed, like, sinister Iago type figures who just sort of, like, lurk in the shadows waiting to make a dime off of someone who's afraid of leaving the.

[Ian]

The bed, afraid of taking a shower, afraid of taking.

[Evan]

Yeah, yeah.

[Ian]

I mean, that's honestly a decent. Like, not that you were necessarily trying to draw that analogy, but, like, I do feel like Kanye kind of suffers from the same sort of thing, especially coming from the whole, like, Kardashian orbit. Like, another very insular, keep it in the family, like, obviously very fucked up family business that is ultimately very successful at the same time. But, like, you know, I almost feel like Connie's an example of, like, the type of person you can become, like, Brian Wilson could have become if he really had never gotten help. Right. Or was, like, unable to really put the pieces back together. Anybody imagine Brian walking around in a triple xl T shirt with a swastika on it?

[Evan]

I mean, it's like, what if they were just all like, yeah, Brian, like, everything you're doing is awesome. And by the way, just do more cocaine, but keep making the songs. I mean, at least it wasn't that, like, clearly that they weren't, like, jazzed about him, like, just doing what he was. Like, there was. It was clearly weird enough and uncomfortable enough that, like, I think there was probably some tension about his drug use, even if they didn't, like, know how to address it, whereas it Seems like with. With certain other people, it's just like there's an impenetrable wall of yes men who are also, like, keeping a bad situation going the direction it's going, like actively facilitating which that's the worst case scenario, and this is not so much better, is just kind of throwing one's hands up and calling in, like the first person who says that they know what to do here.

[Ian]

That's. Yeah, I mean, that. That is all true. I do. And we'll get into this in a little bit. But I mean, part of what the whole, like, Beach Boys family business, like, motivation is at this point with Brian is to, like, get him to make music again, to like, make records for the Beach Boys, to keep making money and like paying bills for these guys, you know. And so, you know, that isn't to say that that's exclusively the motivation behind trying to get him up and out of bed and, you know, and showered. But there is very much like a self motivated aspect to a lot of this, I would say, which is why the type of person that they end up finding, even if he doesn't treat Brian with the dignity and respect that Brian might deserve when he starts to get results, people are a little more willing to go along with it, But I get ahead of myself. Eugene Landy was a short, smiling man with dark, unkempt hair. Warm and likable. He spoke with a heavy cadence akin to that of comedian Jackie Mason. As soon as Marilyn laid eyes on Landy, she liked him. Quoting Marilyn now. I got semi dressed up and when I walked into his office, there was this guy in jeans and boots, and I loved it. I said, this guy's great. He's as eccentric in his world as Brian is in his own. I knew that it would click that I was talking with somebody who was well known for working with people who had taken drugs. So a little bit of a meet cute there between Marilyn Wilson and Eugene Landing.

[Evan]

This sounds like a 30 Rock episode. Like, I walked in, he was wearing boots. It was great boots. Yeah, I knew this guy was the right guy.

[Ian]

As soon as I saw him in denim pants, I knew my problems were over. Let's learn a little bit about our friend Eugene Landy. He was born November 26, 1934 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A self described 6th grade dropout. Great. He attended night school and earned a high school diploma after the fact. Landy told Rolling Stone magazine, as well as this author, this author being Stephen Gaines, that he had worked for a circus, of course, produced a radio show and Worked as a promotional man for rca, Coral, Decca and Mercury Records, and also at Republic Pictures for a time. Landy also told Rolling Stone he'd worked for the Peace Corps, the Job Corps, and something called vista. Like that's an acronym, vista before becoming a psychologist. So a man of many pursuits. You know, you could say that psychology wasn't necessarily his chosen passion, but he just ended up falling. Falling into it nonetheless.

[Evan]

He probably was just so good at all of those other things that he mastered them and then decided, I have to find a new challenge.

[Ian]

On to the next. Yeah, exactly. Certain. You just gotta move along to the next thing to master. You get bored.

[Evan]

I need to help other people. That's probably why he wanted to do this.

[Ian]

At age 30, according to Landy, he returned to school. He attended Los Angeles State College, where he majored in psychology and received a Bachelor of arts degree in 1964. Afterward, he attended the University of Oklahoma, where he received a Master of science degree on June 4, 1967, and the following year, a PhD. In 1970, he received a California license for private practice. Landy became a director of the Young People's Adolescent Program at Gateways Psychiatric Hospital and Community Health center and a senior lecturer in psychology at the University of Southern California, USC. In 1971, Simon and Schuster published his book the Underground Dictionary, which contained phrases of drug abuse and street language such as roach position, kick ass, and knock up. You know what all those mean?

[Evan]

He did Urban Dictionary?

[Ian]

Yes. He was writing a book to explain what kick ass and knock up mean.

[Evan]

Wow. I'm looking at the author photo in that publication. It says Dr. Eugene Landy is a practicing clinical psychologist. He is the director of the Young People's Adolescent Program at Gateway Psychiatric Hospital and Community Health center and a senior lecturer in psychology at the University of Southern California. As you've all said, Dr. Landy has written numerous articles for scientific journals. So that's kind of interesting that he's like. He's making his presentation of himself quite conservative seeming there. He's like, just like the proper channels. Even though the book is kind of like what we might call silly, he's taking it seriously. He's like, this is the truth about young people in the way they speak.

[Ian]

Yes. Yeah. I mean, yeah.

[Evan]

It's like if your child is texting lmao, that means let's meet and access orifices. Orifices. That's right.

[Ian]

According to Landy. Quoting Landy. Now, my background is basically that of a hyperkinetic, perceptually disoriented brain Damaged person. I'm also very bright, very intuitive, very sensitive, and I'm quite capable of reading what most people are thinking or doing. At various points in his career, Landy treated Alice Cooper, Rod Steiger and Gig Young. I don't know who Rod Steiger or Gig Young are, but there's a little asterisk next to Gig Young in this sentence from Stephen Gaines. And there's just a little note that corresponds to that asterisk at the bottom of this page. The note reads in one sentence, gig Young later shot himself to death in his New York apartment. So clearly thumbs up for the type of treatment that Eugene Landy provides.

[Evan]

That's kind of a crazy way to put it. Shot himself to death. Like what? He like set up a bunch of rifles and pull a string.

[Ian]

It got exactly like did a self firing squad.

[Evan]

Shot himself to death. He was an actor, by the way.

[Ian]

Gig Young.

[Evan]

Gig Young was an actor. He was in the, the movie. They shoot horses, don't they?

[Ian]

Oh, that's a classic book. That's. Who wrote that? Did Bud Schulberg write that or. No, I'm thinking what makes Sammy run? I don't know. That's another classic kind of Hollywood mid century story directed by Sidney Pollack. Yeah, there you go. Anyways, Landy's brought in for whatever reason, better or worse, she's brought over to Bellagio Road to meet Brian. He's brought over to meet Brian. Basically he and Marilyn conspire to trick Brian into paying attention to him because they don't think that Brian will talk to him. So Landy's coming over and having these secretive conversations with Marilyn and making it clear that he's there and Brian's not allowed to talk to him. And then eventually they kind of like spring it on him. You could say a little deceptive, but I guess this is what they did. Landy swiftly took control, you know, after, after. Once, once their. Their relationship has begun, swiftly took almost total control of Brian's life. I had to be crazier than Brian Landy. There's only room enough for one crazy person in Brian Wilson's head. And that's got to be me. I have to be the ultimate power in this situation. That's how I got into this dance. Brian said, make me. I said he had to get out of bed and start living a normal life. And he said, make me. So how do you make a guy get out of bed after so long? Do you explain it to him first? No, you throw water on him first. And that's just What I did, I warned him and then I threw water on him and he got up. This was just the beginning of Brian's rude awakening. He had met his match. This is editorializing on the part of Stephen Gaines. Landy was not about to sit back idly and allow him to be, quote, eccentric as his friends and family had done for years. Look, Landy said, I can't let Brian blackmail me. He's manipulated everybody for a long time, and I have to confront him at every turn.

[Evan]

That's a good strategy. I have to be more insane than he is.

[Ian]

Yeah, that's.

[Evan]

It's certainly one insane person here. And I'm gonna.

[Ian]

I'm gonna be that one. Brian doesn't get to be insane. And I'm also going to, you know, I guess I wouldn't necessarily call throwing a bucket of water on him like very firm physical abuse, but it's, you know, it's in that. It's in that world.

[Evan]

Well, I don't like this. I mean, the thing that is sort of of the red flag already is that he wrote that book, like, and that it seems so self serious because that just should creep anyone out. That, like, the vibe of this guy seems to be that he's like, actually thinks of himself as like the. The hipster whisperer. Like he's. He's treating those people who are addicted to drugs like they're animals, like in cool clothes.

[Ian]

Right.

[Evan]

And because he understands the culture to anyone with, I think, a good radar for these things, that should all seem sinister and second rate.

[Ian]

Yes. I mean, he's an operator, you know, Eugene Landy, among other things. But, you know, the Beach Boys had a habit of falling for these operators. See, Jack Riley, for instance, who had been ejected by this point, but he was another kind of Murray Wilson replacement surrogate who they fell in with for a while. They were susceptible to this type of thing because they are the Beach Boys. They're cornf Hawthorne church people.

[Evan]

As Van Dyke Parks says.

[Ian]

Oh, God, I can't wait to talk about Van Dyke Parks.

[Evan]

He's in the middle of a fun run.

[Ian]

Good lord. Looking like he's in the middle of, you know, about to rip off his tank top and his sun hat and just like start sucking. And human beings of every conceivable gender. He looks incredible.

[Evan]

We'll get to that. We'll talk.

[Ian]

Yeah, we'll get there. So Eugene Landy says, it doesn't matter who he is. I don't give a fuck. I don't give a fuck. Eugene Landing. Whether he's a beach boy or a beach bum. Good one. I'll make him go to work as a welder if he has to. We'll see how many crazy people there are in Brian's head. The rest of the Beach Boys, plus members of the Warner Bros. Publicity department, got a chance to see firsthand what the NME journalist Nick Kent would call Landy's quote, bullying tactics. The beach boys attended a $5,000 steak dinner. I don't know how you spend $5,000 on dinner in 1975.

[Evan]

That's like, how much is $5,000 adjusted for today? Money.

[Ian]

1975, $5,000. In 2025, $30,000.

[Evan]

The only way that you do that.

[Ian]

Is bottles of wine.

[Evan]

It's bottles of wine. It's certain bottles of wine.

[Ian]

This was at Ernie's restaurant in San Francisco. I don't know if Ernie's is still around. If it is, I'm not aware of it. To celebrate the Joffrey Ballets, having choreographed Brian's music of Little Duskoop at the War Memorial Opera House.

[Evan]

Wait, there's a ballet of Little Deuce Coup?

[Ian]

Apparently there was. Maybe we'll need to look that up at some point. Add it to the list. At first, Brian didn't want to go to the performance at all, telling Landy he was afraid the audience would boo his music. Later at the party with a hundred people in attendance, Brian had only been in the restaurant for five minutes when he told I guess that's how you spend $5,000 is if there's 100 people at dinner. Brian had only been there for five minutes when he told Landy he wanted to leave. We were all sitting around a long, elegantly set table, and Brian said he was sick and had to go to bed, that he would throw up right there if I didn't let him go. Landy stood up and pointed to the table in front of Brian. Throw up. He screamed. Throw up. Brian sat at his place and sheepishly went on with dinner. But I had to be ready to get the table the hell out of there if he actually threw up on it. Landy said, laughing.

[Evan]

Funny, funny stuff.

[Ian]

Thank you. Thank you, Gene.

[Evan]

He said I was gonna throw up. And I said, throw up. Throw up. And it was very funny.

[Ian]

Yeah. Shared a hearty laugh around the table. So when return to David Leaf at this point, to provide just a little more color as to what exactly is going on here. And I think this is, you know, some of what we've already said here, but he makes it explicit and, you know, he was writing at this time. You know, this book that he wrote has been expanded over the years. But, you know, the portion that I'm quoting from was written, I think in 1975 or 76. He says it's important at this point to make a distinction between what is good for Brian Wilson and what is good for the Beach Boys. The group needed Brian to rejuvenate their recording career. They also knew that his presence would get the band a lot of publicity. And publicity sells records. Brian, on the other hand, was an unhappy man who needed love and attention. As one friend of his insisted. Brian didn't need the attention of an adoring public who loved him for his music. He knows that he's a great musician and he didn't need to have hits. Even though some members of his family loved him better when he was having hits. The family felt that what Brian needed was to have a couple of hits, perform in concert, and then he'd be alright. What they were ignoring was the fact that a slew of hit records and claims of genius hadn't prevented Brian from having a series of nervous breakdowns in the 1960s in the first place. To Brian, the shallowness of success was something he was well aware of and something he didn't want to be engulfed by again. He already knew that hit records wouldn't make him happy. Pretty clear, pretty basic, pretty straightforward, but like, absolutely correct to me, as far as I'm concerned. You know, what's that quote from no country for All Men? If.

[Evan]

If the rule you followed led you.

[Ian]

To what use was the rule of? What use was the rule? Exactly. If playing big hit concerts and making big records and being successful and called a genius led Brian Wilson to being catatonic and shut up in bed, addicted to hamburgers and heroin in 1975. Why does anyone think doing those things again is gonna be the solution?

[Evan]

Exactly. Well, that's an important point at this juncture to really acknowledge and look at carefully. Because that is so much of what goes wrong can be fixed by adjusting one's relationship to this kind of dynamic. Like in the same way that making hit records doesn't make someone happy. It's like doing acid doesn't make you enlightened. Like there's. There's things that if it worked, we wouldn't have the world we have, but that's just not the case. Like there isn't a number of dollars that actually makes somebody fulfilled, as silly as that can seem to point out. But people are ruined by not admitting to this. A certain Number of dollars fully does make your life feel better. But it seems like with the problems that Brian Wilson is having here, which, you know, many others have had and will continue to have, the money has not fixed it. The money can't fix it. Because the money would be there to fix a superficial issue. It exists there in that situation. And it's sad that there isn't the sensitivity to get in there and help him with just simple attention and care, and that this becomes one more thing to throw money at. And that is the essential tragedy of this scenario to me, is that the answer is right beneath your nose. And. And yet somebody comes in there and takes advantage of the difficulty and the strain and the uncomfortable act of, like, having to acknowledge this and says, I'll acknowledge it for you. Just give me the money. And everyone suffers for it. Yeah, everyone around Brian also suffers for what's about to happen because they're not given a chance to actually become more sensitive. They're given an out to throw money at a problem. They don't have to become more sensitive to Brian.

[Ian]

Yeah, I mean, I think that the pro. Because I think that the problem to them at least, is not that. Oh, God, Brian Wilson, Beautiful Brian, is, like, just haunted and, you know, barely. Barely functional because of all this shit that has fucked him up in his life. The problem is Beautiful Brian is not in the studio making hit records. Beautiful Brian is not in the band touring, you know, and helping us drum up publicity and stuff. Beautiful Brian is, you know, having a negative effect on my bottom line. And so the problem that they're throwing money at here is not how do we build this man's sense of self back up, how do we bring him back to reality with love and mercy. But how do we just shoot this guy up with whatever. Stimulants and abusive therapy.

[Evan]

Tough love.

[Ian]

Exactly. To get him operating again.

[Evan]

I think a responsible person in Eugene Landy's position would recognize that this is a. An op. This needs to be like a family therapy thing. Like, this needs to be like a group therapy situation, possibly because, like, the. The active, like, the actual things at play, the dynamics are so ingrained in, like, this activity of making these records as a unit. It's. Even though they're not all related, like, there is a necessity to address people here as a group. And instead it's like, further cementing this ostracized Brian as being, like, the odd one out, like, the one who. That he's the one who has a problem and everyone else is just, like, doing fine, which Is not the case. Like the problem is also that there, there is not enough attention being given here. And I don't know that Eugene Landy is the type of person who's able to recognize that. I think like the generous read of him is kind of just that he's ignorant of what to do. But the non generous read is just that he's, he doesn't care. He's a.

[Ian]

He's a charlatan. He's, you know, he's, he's looking out for himself and himself alone, you know, and even like he, if he would have been capable of, you know, actually comporting himself in a responsible, you know, positive way, like he wouldn't have been the guy that was hired to do this in the first place. Cause like, that's not what the family wanted out of all of this, you know. Right. Like, I think a lot of the. I mean the whole band was barely functional at this point. You know, Mike and Al would drive to concerts in one car. Karl and Dennis would drive to concerts in another car. They would not even speak. They couldn't even speak to one another. They would just get up on stage and like, that would be the only environment in which they even see each other. And then, you know, like could, could not even bear to be in the same room otherwise. Like, obviously there's just so many fucking. Just problems all across this thing. But it's all because Brian is, you know, is the big missing piece at the center of it. And obviously is the one who's so clearly, you know, non functional on a daily basis. Like everyone, everyone else's shit is kind of displaced onto him. And if we can only get Brian back up and running, then all of our other problems will be solved. Yeah, very unhealthy. From an objective point of view. The emotional help that Landy offered seemed very strange. David Leaf speaking again. Landy consistently had br encounter all the things that make him uncomfortable. The recording studio with the Beach Boys, Concert tours, interviews, television. But apparently Landy didn't first equip Brian to deal with the emotional responses to those scary situations. So Brian coped. He chain smoked cigarettes when he could get his hands on them. And he talked and sang out of the side of his mouth like comedian Buddy Hackett on Speed. In effect, Brian went into these hostile environments, went through the motions and did his best not to allow them to affect himself emotionally. Eventually people do start to see what's happening here to some extent. At first the treatment was perfectly alright. The treatment from Eugene Landy was perfectly alright. With Marilyn. Although the rest of the group formally introduced to Landy at a meeting at Brian's house, had reservations, this is what Stephen Gaines has to tell us. Brian was indeed up and around. He was losing weight. Brian was composing daily during 90 minute work sessions that Landy insisted he adhere to. Although Landy's fees for his, quote, 24 hour therapy began to increase every month. Hmm. Everyone involved thought he was worth it, considering Brian's progress. I thought it was cheap, Marilyn said. But then something strange began to happen.

[Evan]

I don't know.

[Ian]

And we'll hear. Yeah, then something strange. This is a fucking what's his name? Adam Curtis movie. All of a sudden. The problem became obvious to the other group members when they agreed to deliver to Warners their first album of new material in nearly four years, a comeback album.

[Evan]

Fifteen Ones. Is that.

[Ian]

That's right. Thus began the ill fated Brian is Back campaign. The Brian is Back campaign with Stephen Loves Brainchilds. He felt that a publicity campaign highlighting Brian's recovery and ability to contribute to the group, especially as a writer and a producer, would increase their financial value and facilitate negotiating a new recording contract when their existing one expires. Stephen designed the entire Brian is Back campaign and hired publicists Rogers and Cowan at $3,500 a month to implement it. The media coverage was enormous, resulting in a People magazine cover as well as major features in Newsweek, New West, Rolling Stone, and Crawdaddy. Under Brian's fragile, distracted guidance, the Beach Boys returned to Brothers Studios in Santa Monica and began recording a new album. Dennis suggested calling the lp. I don't know if you were aware of this when you said this phrase a moment ago, but if you weren't, it's perfect. Dennis suggested calling it Group Therapy.

[Evan]

No way.

[Ian]

Fantastic fucking title for this.

[Evan]

That's when that was like, still like a new. That didn't have like.

[Ian]

Yeah, like a new. Exactly. It was kind of a new wave. Like, interesting.

[Evan]

Like today. That. That would be the. Would be like showing up, right.

[Ian]

Holding space.

[Evan]

Holding space, yeah. One of those already. Those feel dusty and Trump's 2.0America already. But five minutes ago, those were still something you could call stuff.

[Ian]

I wish 15 big ones had been called Group Therapy, Especially that record being, you know, whatever. We'll get to that in the next episode. Eventually, the title 15 Big Ones was agreed upon. The album would contain 15 songs and would come out during the Beach Boys 15th year of existence. Wow. Brilliant. At first, Mike Love deeply resented Brian's control over the album. Hmm. Shocker. Newsweek reported Jardine and Love were all for letting Brian take full charge, even though Love makes no secret of resenting him. For Love, who jumped rope to get in shape for the tour, recently declared, I'm not going out on the road like some broken down rock star. In the end, only half the songs on fifteen Big Ones were new material. We'll come back to that in our next episode. At the same time, Dennis Wilson had been harping on the idea that the Beach Boys should be featured in a national television special. Steven Love asked the ICM Agency to find a sponsor and help them locate a producer and director. Dr. Pepper, the soft drink company. There we go. We should have Dr. Peppers for this episode.

[Evan]

You know what I tried the other day? I couldn't find the Liquid Death root Beer.

[Ian]

You gotta find that eventually.

[Evan]

But what I did find was the Liquid Death Cola.

[Ian]

Yeah, so that. Yeah, exactly. Did you get that one?

[Evan]

The Liquid Death doctor Death, I think it's called.

[Ian]

Oh, wow, they have a fake Dr. Pepper.

[Evan]

Yeah, and I've tried both. Now I actually have the Kill the Cola here. Not very good, but I still.

[Ian]

Yeah, the root beer is also not very good.

[Evan]

Don't hate it. But like, I gotta say, I kind of like, despite myself, I do like the Liquid Death products kinda.

[Ian]

I mean, it's good stuff. Yeah, it's amazing.

[Evan]

Most of it tastes pretty good. Like, honestly compare, like, they're not bad.

[Ian]

It's nice to drink a tall boy that's just like big, you know, fizzy water. It's very corny branding, obviously, but.

[Evan]

Well, it's corny, but it's also like. I gotta say that it's like adjacent to me actually thinking it sucks. Like I don't care as much. But that said, yeah, the Dr. Pepper one is actually kind of good. It just tastes like Dr. Pepper with too much ice that's melted a bit.

[Ian]

That's kind of what the root beer one was like too. It's like, just watered down slightly. Diet root beer.

[Evan]

The cola one is weird. Have you had this yet?

[Ian]

No, I haven't. It doesn't seem like I would like that. Have you had the Lacroix cola before?

[Evan]

Yeah. That tastes like dust.

[Ian]

I like that one because there's no sweetness to it. It's just like. And that's what I wish. The Liquid Death stuff was that it? Like, it was zero sugar, zero, whatever Coke Zero is. Actually, I've had it good. It's better. It's better than Diet Coke. But I mean, listen, if I'm gonna drink a soda, I'm Gonna drink the real thing, the hard stuff.

[Evan]

I don't know. I think Coca Cola, the diet version. The 0 version rather is. I really like it.

[Ian]

Gotta say, huh? You know, there's something out there for everyone. Dr. Pepper, the sock drink company agreed to fund the production and Lorne Michaels.

[Evan]

Of Stanford Dr. Pepper x Lorne Michaels.

[Ian]

For 15 big ones. What a collab agreed to produce the special for NBC. The special, to be called the Beach Boys it's okay, co starring Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi, was scheduled to air on NBC on August 5th of that year. When Michaels first heard that in order to get Brian's cooperation on the special, he had to give Eugene Landy control over Brian's segments, he was affronted and he refused. Eventually, Michaels agreed to sign a quasi censorship agreement giving Landy approval on segments that either he was involved in or might be detrimental to Brian Brian's psychological welfare. In return, Brian would be available for filming with Landy at his side. And that's maybe where we can begin whatever conversation we want to have about the Beach Boys. It's okay. Which will be available linked in the episode description here. For anyone who wants to watch it with us. It's like 45 minutes, quick, easy watch what you think of this television spectacular.

[Evan]

I thought that this was one of the most essential things. Like the essential text of. Essential, yeah. Of like why we would talk about this. Because it's so loaded with just like stuff that feels slightly weird or wrong or like what is going on.

[Ian]

There's an eerie, you know, there's an eeriness to the proceedings that's for sure.

[Evan]

And it feels like. Like you know, you see stuff from the 60s, the 70s, the 80s. There is stuff that exists through all of these periods like that actually feels like shockingly normal, like refreshing. Like it has like a solid sort of clear headed vision of what it is and its relationship to reality. That's rare. But it does exist. Like you know, you watch any episode of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood and it's kind of like, you know, basically this is. This is wholesome. This is about just expressing things that are true to developing mind and earn a Roamer film. You know, they're like kind of just like everyday, like thoughtful, sort of not too flashy just sort of moments of everyday drama and love gained and lost or whatever. And then you watch something like this which is like what you think of when you think of the kind of uncanny. Like a gulf between reality and what you're seeing in media and art from the Past and not. Not ancient past, but in this case the 1970s. Like, it strikes a weird chord. It feels both kind of self aware of how ridiculous it is, but not enough, like definitive, like distinctly not enough to convince you that it's not like kind of tainted by some fundamentally odd relationship to its subject. That's what I think about this.

[Ian]

It is, I mean, sort of a bat. Just like kind of baffling on its face. Like it makes sense, I think, to us knowing the whole story of what's going on here. And like, you know what the. I'm watching it right now. We just got to the credits when it's a slow zoom. It's introducing all of Beach Boys. The last one that's introduced is Brian Wilson. A slow zoom of him smoking a joint, laying in bed, just staring at the camera. I mean, that's. I guess maybe where we need to begin with is like all of the Brian segments. He's just in bed. Landy is just out of frame. He's like sitting in a chair next to him. You don't see him in this movie at all. Or movie, film, whatever, special. But he was there keeping a short leash on Brian the whole time. But Brian is just in bed, just shirtless, smoking, answering all these questions like, I can't believe anyone would have thought like, oh, this is what we want to put out into the world in this Brian's back campaign. This is the image of Brian Wilson I want to announce is back.

[Evan]

And then. Well, it begins. The first thing you see is that's Big Sur, right? I thought it was Mal Buchanan at first, but no, it's not. Because then you see the, the.

[Ian]

Where they're driving around.

[Evan]

Yeah, they're like, it's really high up on like a windy road. And then.

[Ian]

Yeah, I think it might be the one. Because they go see Al up and you know, it's gotta be big, sir.

[Evan]

But you hear the, the Beach Boys playing live. They're playing fun, fun, fun. And then it. It cuts from this driving shot like a. From a helicopter. Cause they didn't have drones back then. To Mike in like the Mikey, like the most.

[Ian]

How would you characterize this outfit he's in?

[Evan]

Well, the whole thing is like the Dead. Like the Grateful Dead. Like their whole, like the Grateful Dead movie. Have you seen that? Like where there's like.

[Ian]

I don't think so. No.

[Evan]

It's like the Uncle Sam skeleton stuff. Like. I don't know. Was this like Fourth of July?

[Ian]

Like. Well, I mean, this was 1976. This was the bicentennial year.

[Evan]

Right, right.

[Ian]

Okay.

[Evan]

So Fourth of July.

[Ian]

That's why Al is in his, you know, Uncle Sam. Get up here. And some of this footage, actually we saw in the Beach Boys documentary, that Disney documentary from last, you know, whenever that was last year, I guess. And remember, I think it ends in 1976. It ends at this point. That is the concert they gave at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on July 3rd. And so they just repurposed a lot of this footage, you know, and up resident or whatever it looks. It's good looking footage in the new documentary. But like this is. This is the end of the Beach Boys story in that documentary. I just want to remind everyone of that.

[Evan]

I love wearing like a fully like tinsel jacket, like golden tinsel jacket. Nothing under it like your grandmother would.

[Ian]

Wear to like a knitting club meeting.

[Evan]

I don't think anyone could ever wear this anywhere, like, without people, like covering their eyes because of how bright it is. But he's doing, he's fully doing like Mick Jagger moves.

[Ian]

He's. Or Mike Jagger. Mike Jagger.

[Evan]

He's got the moves, like cool Mike Jagger. He's like doing that as much as possible for Mike. And he's wearing like a little, like.

[Ian]

Little vest and a little hat, like, like a lay maybe, but also shirtless.

[Evan]

Then we do have shots interspersed of Dennis on Harmony. Was that the name of his.

[Ian]

The boat?

[Evan]

Boat?

[Ian]

Yeah, I think that was one of them. I don't know if this is it, but yes.

[Evan]

Yeah, I'm not sure, but yes.

[Ian]

He's in his. He's in his overalls, you know, very swagged out. I think this is like peak Dennis, at least in terms of like an appearance.

[Evan]

And then Carl driving around in Santa Monica. Cool Carl in a huge car, a.

[Ian]

Joe Biden style car.

[Evan]

What is that, like a Rolls or.

[Ian]

It's probably just like a Lincoln or like a Cadillac or something. But, you know, it's like. It's as long as like three cars.

[Evan]

Are today and it's white. It looks really expensive and.

[Ian]

Cool Carl.

[Evan]

Cool Carl. I mean, how do they sound? How does the band sound?

[Ian]

What? Like the performances here.

[Evan]

I mean, it's got this Chuck E. Cheese sheen on top, you know. Let's hear everybody sing. All right.

[Ian]

Yeah.

[Evan]

Brian. Also like, just like the thing where at the beginning, during Fun, Fun, Fun, it's going from member to member, like sort of like a freeze frame on them in their. Their own little mode of being cool. And then the Brian one is him, like straight up, like not even sitting up, just fully flat.

[Ian]

Just supine on his back.

[Evan]

Fat like a beached whale in this dark, ornate, heavy wooden bed with like this carved bed frame. Like this really densely patterned floral, also dark. Everything is like. This is like an aesthetic nightmare moment. Like the 70s really coming into its own with this just like heavy wood and floral thing and just like tinsel and little white hats. Like a horrific moment, visually. And. Yeah, just a baffling choice to like introduce Brian Wilson just smoking in bed.

[Ian]

I just. Yeah, I mean, I guess if this is the only way you could get Brian to do anything, then. And I mean, the whole campaign is Brian's back. I guess this is what you gotta. I just to present to the world, like, this is what Brian Wilson is today, you know.

[Evan]

Well, then you see him at the keyboard with his like, tight little grimace.

[Ian]

Doing his little side, side mouth speak, singing thing. Yeah, the I'm Bugged at My Old man thing that he does with.

[Evan]

With Carl and Dennis, that's a whole other story. I mean, that comes up shortly after. Yeah. It feels like it's meant to be making fun of them, but it's not.

[Ian]

Yeah, I just, you know, and I mean, everyone else kind of looks normal ish, you know, like there's some interview clips with Al and he's just like. He's being Al. There's some interview clips of Dennis and Carl together and they're just like hanging out and being pretty normal and kind of funny with each other. But Brian just looks completely dislocated, just completely out of place. I'm watching right now the Bugged at My Own man thing with Dennis and Carl, and it's like kind of a sweet moment, the three of them playing together. But Brian's like, you know, like a. Like sort of a track jacket and you can see his giant heaving breasts.

[Evan]

Yeah. And well, just the fact also that they're singing, you know, they. Before they even sing Bugged at Mild man, there's like a little bit of sort of generally ominous discussion of like, their father and like, his influence and his affect and basically explaining that he.

[Ian]

Was abusive, you know, to the extent that they could get away with explaining he was abusive on network television in 1976.

[Evan]

He scared away his friends by being too. Oh, hey, how's it going? And then the bug that My Old man. It's just Brian with Carl and Dennis flanking him doing the backups while he sings Bugged at My Old man, which is, as listeners, longtime listeners will know is from.

[Ian]

I think it's from today.

[Evan]

I want to say it's from summer days and summer nights.

[Ian]

Summer days and summer nights. That's right. Yeah. No, the one at the end of today is even worse than that. I forget what that is.

[Evan]

It's just like a boogie woogie, like, but like very stilted. And it's just a feels in the context of what they've presented. And of course, with what we know to be like a very thinly veiled allegory for just like this toxic and horrid relationship with Murray Wilson about like feeling, actually. I mean, the line where he says, I think we've talked about this before, but you can't avoid it is when he says, like, I mean, it's a song about his father forcing him to stay in his room and boarding up his windows.

[Ian]

Yes.

[Evan]

And it's like, if there was any way to make that sort of cheeky and cute and funny. It's not really. It's impossible to think of it in a light hearted way when you've seen him literally stuck in his room, like. Like trapped there by. Because of circumstances and forces beyond his own control and his own fear. And then they're just singing this song about it.

[Ian]

Yep. And so that's what you get in one part of the. Of this. This fucking movie or TV special or whatever. And then like, we can't narrate this whole thing, but like 10 minutes later, five minutes later, there's like a. Do you know what's going on with the guy that they strapped on top of the airplane? Just like baffled.

[Evan]

No idea what that is. Like an Evel Knievel guy. Like a guy.

[Ian]

A cheap. An Evel Knievel knockoff. Exactly. Who was bolted onto the top of an airplane on the outside of an airplane. Like a jetliner on top of a jet plane.

[Evan]

And.

[Ian]

And they fly the plane into the air and there's just a Beach Boys song playing on top of it. This is what popular culture was in 1976.

[Evan]

And then there's a shot of a plane, like, sort of like spiraling around in the air. Different small plane doing like.

[Ian]

Yeah, Mike is in the plane, I think. And they're doing loop de loops with Mike in this little like old sort of 1940s, like fighter pilot type thing.

[Evan]

Yeah. And then. And then we get a shot of Van Dyke Parks in front of Tower.

[Ian]

Records on Sunset Boulevard. That's right.

[Evan]

Looking crazy. Like, I can't. He looks like. Like he looks like. Damn Cheech and Chong. Like, he looks.

[Ian]

He looks spectacular. I hope you don't think he looks bad here.

[Evan]

I mean, he Looks great, but he. He's unrecognizable as far as like what we think of as Van Dyke in his first record on song cycle or how he appears today.

[Ian]

God, look at him. He's wearing a necklace with an ankh on it. And like a.

[Evan]

He's wearing two necklaces. One of them has an ankh on it. He's wearing a very small tank top that's blue and supposed to be.

[Ian]

Supposed to be hanging almost spaghetti straps.

[Evan]

Yeah. And says sandman and has like a picture of like an island with clouds and silhouetted palm trees. And then he's wearing a big old floppy hat and glasses and a handlebar mustache.

[Ian]

Beautiful mustache.

[Evan]

Dark, dark hair. And. Yeah, he's important to note. He's been calypso pilled.

[Ian]

That's right. This is Van Dyke Parks in Discover America. Cling of the Yankee reaper era, which we're gonna get to that. Cling of the Yankee Reaper. We just, we were gonna do it. We had some mix ups on our schedule coming soon. But yeah, this is a very strong, you know, the concept of aura farming. Have you, have you come across that? This is, to me, this is Van. If I understand it, this is Van Dyke Park's aura farming here.

[Evan]

This is something about the aura farming thing, which I really think is misguided, is that the only way to really increase one's aura is to really get into something that you're passionate about. Otherwise you're just faking it. You can't just.

[Ian]

It's a natural. It's got to be a natural kind of process.

[Evan]

It has to happen through some genuine pursuit and interest. You can't approach aura as your goal. Like you're going to fail. You have to become. The goal is to be like someone like Van Dyke Parks. And you know that that's basically impossible. But what you can do is you can get into.

[Ian]

You can get into calypso and start wearing necklaces with anks on them.

[Evan]

And you can study calypso music in Trinidad and Tobago. And he sounds kind of sick. Like he's a little bit under the weather.

[Ian]

He's probably got a snoop full of cocaine. Maybe everyone did back this time.

[Evan]

I guess so. I love what he says here. I mean, he's as eloquent as ever and he gives a lot of sort of like the. The best kind of qualified praise. It's not even qualified praise. He like goes out of his way to give thoughtful praise, unique praise to the Beach Boys.

[Ian]

Absolutely. Yeah. I mean, you know, people who don't necessarily Deserve it. Particularly from Van Dyke Parks at this moment in time. Just judging by the way that he's been treated by them.

[Evan]

Yeah. Like, what does he say about them?

[Ian]

He says they're like an American institution or something like that. And that, like, you know, they have.

[Evan]

A modesty that's like unusual in the world.

[Ian]

Sure. Which, you know, makes sense coming from Van Dyke Parks because obviously he's a very different type of person than these people. And I think he can see them a little bit better than they can see themselves in many ways.

[Evan]

Yeah. I think he kind of goes out of his way to point out the difference between them and the Beatles. He's like, I met the Beatles, they're handsome. He's like basically saying like that they're. There's a sort of.

[Ian]

He's so queeny. I love it.

[Evan]

There's a clout chasing thing. Basically he's saying that, like the Beatles and their ilk, you know, those who want to be the Beatles, like, that's a sort of clout chasing thing. And I think his message is basically just that, like the Beach Boys, whatever you want to say about them, that's not really them. Like, they are. They're different from that.

[Ian]

There's a purity to the Beach Boys, a naivete, a lack of self consciousness.

[Evan]

I think in many ways he says church people. They're like church people.

[Ian]

That's right. And then it cuts very shortly thereafter to all of the Beach Boys literally in a church with a fully black gospel choir singing behind them. Beautiful choir, choir vocals. And then just most of the song is sung by Brian Wilson just with eyes wide in pure terror.

[Evan]

Yeah, he's having a great time, though. He's dancing. I don't, I think he's just like, watch it again. Brian's having.

[Ian]

I'm watching it right now. I don't think Brian's having a good time. I hope he is. Maybe I guess I'm wrong. He's boogieing.

[Evan]

I think he's really feeling it. This is probably one of the few good times he was having because he's.

[Ian]

Actually the same song. This song is ridiculous.

[Evan]

He's out there, he's playing the music. This is a pure and sweet moment, I think in this documentary.

[Ian]

Well, I, I, I, I, you know, I hope that is correct. I want you to be right there.

[Evan]

I like the parts where they talk about. There's a part where they talk about Dennis where it's like, we all had to at some point just sort of take it where it hurts the, that, that Dennis Is the sex.

[Ian]

Everyone wanted to Dennis.

[Evan]

We just want to see Dennis.

[Ian]

Brian. Brian says, like, you know, the girls would come up after the show, and they'd be like, get out of the way. We want to get to Dennis.

[Evan]

Yeah, it's just. It's like how Joan Baez talks about Bob Dylan just like. Yeah, well, at a certain point, we just had to just realize that that's. Everyone's shouting for Dennis.

[Ian]

Oh, well, understood. You know, can't disagree with them. Plenty of other concert footage from this 1976 thing or, you know, this July 3rd thing. Mike picks up a Beach Boy's kite at one point and tries to fly it, and it just falls. There's a lot of concert footage. I don't know. It's like. It's good stuff, I guess, but, you know, I guess I just. I'm kind of baffled by this whole package. And then at a certain, like, towards the end, we get to the Miss California beauty pageant that Dennis is just singing the crowd for.

[Evan]

Dennis is, I guess, judging a beauty pageant which is, I guess, like, the height of privilege for being the sex symbol in the Beach Boys is that you get to do that. And so.

[Ian]

That's right.

[Evan]

This is exactly the type thing that such a TV special exists to make clear is that, you know, know, Dennis Wilson is, like, here doing, like, that makes sense. Whereas, like, the stuff with. With the plane, with the airplane and the air show, like, that's, like, so.

[Ian]

Angry with that fucking guy on top of the plane.

[Evan]

That is somebody's idea of what can we do about Mike? Like, what. Mike's not, like, gonna get to, like, sort of, like, be the dude who ostensibly is, like, picking who he's gonna fuck later. Yeah.

[Ian]

Mike does not judging the teenage beauties of California.

[Evan]

California. So what can we get Mike to do? It's like, well, we can show a guy doing a crazy stunt, and then we can be like, Mike can also go inside of a plane. And that's pretty cool.

[Ian]

Yeah, Everyone does get to do their thing. You know, Carl's in the studio doing Carl's stuff.

[Evan]

Carl looks great.

[Ian]

Al's got his animals, his little billy goats and stuff. Stuff.

[Evan]

Al is, like, up in the. In. In Big Sur.

[Ian]

That's right.

[Evan]

Talking about he. He gets to have this great moment where he's like, not everyone can do it. Not everyone can hack it. You know, being out here in. In the wilds of. Of the wilderness. But for me, it's. It's where I really belong. It's how I feel, you know, right here.

[Ian]

Basically, Al. Al did it. Right. I think Al is still doing it. Right. He still lives in Big Sur and, you know, hangs out in the carme.

[Evan]

I've heard that he crashes weddings.

[Ian]

Yeah, he's just around. Exactly.

[Evan]

Free food.

[Ian]

Cool. I would love to have Al Jardine crash my wedding to eat free food. And then it just sort of ends on a perfunctory note with more footage. There's a lot of music here. It ends on rock and roll music. It ends on. It's okay. And then rock and roll music. And then. Wouldn't it be nice, you know, the Beach Boys, it's okay. They're back, folks. Problems are solved.

[Evan]

They never left. I. I like the thing that Van Dyke park says at the end where he's like, maybe they're half cocked, but, you know, I'd like to be half cocked, if that's what this is.

[Ian]

Sure.

[Evan]

Something like that. He's basically saying, like, look, this is it. Like, they're doing a good job at being the Beach Boys. And you can't really, really deny that. And the fact is, you can't really deny that, because what being the Beach Boys is, it's like a changing. It's a moving target from year to year. Like, they are doing the best that they can at being the Beach Boys just because it's a completely un. It's not a solid thing. Like, it's. It's a vaporous goal. And the fact that they're just out there attempting to be the Beach Boys and pulling it off in any way, means by default, they're still the Beach Boys and they're still doing it as well as anybody can.

[Ian]

And, yeah, I mean, that is the amazing thing of all the groups that we've talked about on this show, you know, groups, not individual artists, but like, you know, the Velvet Underground or Steely Dan Dan or others that are escaping me at this point. Everyone kind of ends at a certain point. The band, for instance. Things stop. They just kind of cannot continue to happen. And people go about solo careers and some of them kind of do great things, others don't, but things tend to fall apart. Sense of entropy and fucking. By hook or by crook, somehow the Beach Boys just have kept on chuggin and are still, you know, as we've made clear on this show, you can still go see something called the Beach Boys, you know, this very year. One of the most confusing and unlikely stories or tales, I think, in the history of American music. But that's why we love them.

[Evan]

Yeah, I don't know If I feel convinced after watching it that it's okay, like, what is this thing trying to convince me of? That's what I'm not so sure about. The lingering sense of weirdness. And the question in the air is, like, what exactly am I trying to be convinced of? And I think if this didn't have Van Dyke Parks in it, I would be completely confused. But because he's in there and he. He's who he is and I think carries a certain sense of authority and perspective and has trust. Our trust. Anyway, I think he makes this thing something like successful.

[Ian]

Yeah. I think he makes it more valuable in retrospect or in hindsight.

[Evan]

He says the most interesting stuff. He says the most thoughtful and careful, pointed stuff. Like, he. He says things about the Beach Boys that actually give them a fighting chance at dignity without having to change what they are. Like, he really is able, like almost no one else to. To know them and to say something about them that puts their value forward. They did right by the. By all of the Beach Boys and by Brian, by having Van Dyke Parks in there instead of Eugene Landy.

[Ian]

Yes.

[Evan]

Who I'm sure was chomping at the bit to be that presence in this.

[Ian]

Yeah, well, I mean, he's there. He's haunting this whole thing, whether or not you see him. I do think that's why there's a lot of, you know, they kind of lean on concert footage for a lot of this is because they were kind of trying to recreate an image and sell this product of the Beach Boys at this point, who were going out on tours across the country. And you could go see them during this bicentennial year. Especially on the heels of Endless Summer and Spirit of America. Here they are. They're back. They're just as good as they ever wore. Don't you remember when all these great songs, Good Vibrations and Sloop, John B. And California Girls, were the soundtrack of your teenage years? And now you're 25 or whatever and you got a little more money and let's go, you know, see this shitty concert at a baseball stadium. I think there's sort of a cheap quality to this thing and a disposability and sort of a. I don't know, like an element of falsity, you know, of untruth to it. But there are also moments of accidental almost, you know, kind of insight and revealing footage. Whether it's Brian in bed or Dennis, you know, shooting the shit in the studio. Or like you were saying, you know, Van Dyke Park's Sage of Sunset. Boulevard at this moment in time, which.

[Evan]

Is as good as we can hope to be doing with our little project here.

[Ian]

Sure. It's great. It's great stuff for us.

[Evan]

It's okay.

[Ian]

It's okay. It is okay. Just to close out our saga with our friend Eugene landy for now. Well, don't you worry. This is not the last we'll see of this character. But by December, the beach boys were. This is december 76. They were quickly growing disenchanted with Gene landy. Reportedly, the most disenchanted of all was Steven love. Some who were closely involved say that Steven disliked Landy right from the start when Landy proposed that he receive a percentage of Brian's income. According to sources, Landy felt that the further Brian's recovery progressed, the more songs he would be able to produce and write. And because landy would, in effect, be responsible for Brian's increased productivity, he felt he should participate in the increased earnings. Hmm. Also, Landy would reportedly charge his hourly fee while on tour with Brian, which meant a 24 hour a day charge, plus billing for expenses for himself and his lady friend and gross Alexandra. But the deciding factor occurred when Landy's monthly fee, including charges for the 24 hour staff, which began at a reported $10,000, then escalated to $12,000, then $15,000, then $18,000, finally escalated all the way to $20,000 a month. Steven tried to persuade Marilyn to let him fire Landy, which by then wasn't too difficult. Marilyn was disgusted with the control Eugene Landy was exerting over her personal life as well as Brian' career. What psychologist or therapist writes songs? Marilyn asked. Great question, Marilyn. So when it came to the point where it was costing around $20,000 a month, I said, Brian, Jesus Christ, it's costing $20,000 a month. And Brian said, what? So we went to landy's office, and Brian confronted Landy. And Brian said, you son of a bitch, you have to understand. I've never seen Brian get physical ever, ever. I saw him take his fist and start to punch this man that day. And I started screaming. Landy said, no, no, no, let him do it, let him do it. Landy thought it was the greatest thing. He was saying, come on, you motherfucker, hit me, hit me. And then finally, Brian just did it. He made Brian do it. Landy was pushing me away, saying, no, he needs to hit me. He needs to do it. He needs to take his anger out on me. That was a therapeutic session, if you can believe it. What year was that 1976.

[Evan]

And that's not the end of the.

[Ian]

Road for it certainly is not. As quick as he arrives, he's gone. Eugene Landy. But don't, don't you worry, folks. We've got much further to go with this man a couple years down the line here. So I think that's maybe where we'll call it for today. We're going to do our 15 big ones episode next after this. And then we've got some good stuff coming up. I was looking at the schedule. I cannot wait. Wait. I mean, this is what we were made for here. 15 big ones. Love you. Adult child. Pacific Ocean blue this is. We're eating here with the late 70s. We're going to hit some choppy waters when we get to the 80s. But until then, I think we've got a lot of fun stuff in store.

[Evan]

Jokerman I'm bugged at my old man.

[C]

Cause he's making me stay in my room Darn my dad I came in a little late moment he just blew his mind blew his bed oh why did he sell my sur? He cut off my hair last night in my sleep I wish I could see outside but he tacked up the boards on my window Gosh, it's dark I can't hit the surf can't drag can't do a doggone thing Wish I could I tried to call it my chair but he jerked the phone right out of the wall they gave me some breadcrumbs and a little glass of water and they're out there smell so good I ripped up my wardrobe and I thrown the appearance when will they let me come out? I listened to my radio but he took it he's using it in his own room now it's gone.

[Evan]

I wish.

[C]

I could do some homework but I got suspended from school My cool. I'm bugged in my old man and he doesn't even know where it's at. I was never scared of my brothers. I was scared of my dad though, I'll tell you that.