Brian Wilson - still getting better with age

[Trauma-san]

One of the incredible things about Brian Wilson's 'comeback', is that somehow, he keeps getting better than he was a year ago, even though he's in his mid 60's already.  He's on tour... again.... and people at the shows are claiming he sounds better than he did last tour, and better than he has in about 35 years (His voice went downhill about 1972).  Here's a review from last weeks concert. 

http://hollywoodreporter.com/hr/film/reviews/article_display.jsp?&rid=6759&imw=Y

Bottom Line: The Master Regains His Confidence, and His Assured Voice Carries a Joyous Concert

By Erik Pedersen
Nov 3, 2006

Royce Hall, UCLA, Westwood
Wednesday, Nov. 1

Let's not dally: There simply aren't enough superlatives to describe Brian Wilson's performance Wednesday night at Royce Hall.

Sure, his ace band and singular repertoire -- including a beautiful run-through of "Pet Sounds," being celebrated with a 40th anniversary reissue by Capitol -- were a major part of the show's success. But they played supporting roles; it was Wilson's singing that made this night unforgettable: confident, unhesitant and, most notably, solo.

Gone were the tentative, almost meek vocals he offered just a half-decade ago. Instead, Wilson boldly supplied the bulk of the lead singing, never needing to fall back on his cohorts. He read lyrics from a video screen, and there was the occasional vocal fumble, but nothing egregious. And any missteps were quickly forgotten -- and forgiven.
It all started with the collective huddled together as if around a beach campfire on a summer night. Accompanied only by bongos and an acoustic guitar, they offered a handful of Beach Boys songs both classic ("Surfer Girl") and obscure ("You're Welcome"). As the party broke up and the players manned their stations, a figure strolled onstage unintroduced but recognized with a loud cheer.

"Al Jardine of the Beach Boys!" Wilson eventually shouted, twice. And the two shared the stage for the first time in ages.

But Jardine's appearance wasn't the biggest news of this two-hour, 38-song show, which visited at least 15 Beach Boys albums dating back to 1963. It was Wilson's stunning renaissance as a frontman. Sporting an untucked purple Western shirt, he sang with a clarity and purpose most thought were decades behind him. And amid oddly endearing gestures and movements, his stage patter was unforced, funny, even charming.

The band juxtaposed some of pop music's all-timers ("California Girls," "In My Room," "Good Vibrations") with nearly forgotten Beach Boys gems ("Break Away" and the fiercely rocking highlight "Marcella"). After playing an hour of the Fab Five's songs (Wilson eschewed his spotty solo career, save for neo-traditional show closer "Love and Mercy"), the group took a short break and returned to perform "Pet Sounds."

One of rock's landmarks, the 1966 album nodded to Wilson's earliest inspirations (Phil Spector, folky '50s vocal groups, with dollops of doo-wop) while pushing mid-'60s rock boundaries with magical songwriting, clever changes and a slew of nonrock instruments.

But this was more than a mere recital; master of melody Wilson and his stellar 11-piece band somehow improved on the record, adding a flourish here and a little extension there. He provided jaw-dropping solo vocal moments, carrying almost the entire album. After fairly drilling "God Only Knows," which Wilson called "my most prized achievement in songwriting," he was visibly moved by the spontaneous standing ovation. And there was no shortage of broad smiles in the audience all night.

Here's hoping that one of the stops on this six-city tour, which began Wednesday, is recorded for posterity. It's legacy time for Brian Wilson -- again.