Murry Wilson / Brian Wilson / The Beach Boys -- I Am Speechless

Regardless of what he did, he was still their dad and there's a notable downturn in creativity and ambition (Dennis aside) - and possibly a notable downturn in their consumption of drink and drugs - when he died. Your mileage may vary regarding other factors that came into play during this period.

 

This is a good one with Brian that while he doesn't completely open up, says some nice things.

 

I never noticed the similarities between Murry and The Monkees' Mr. Schnider!

 

Maybe I'm different but I just don't understand how grown men put up with that crap. I don't know anything about Brian as a young man, obviously he was not in shape mentally or physically to give his Dad a punch or two.
I had a step father that bullied and abused me mentally and when I turned 20 I looked him up and kicked his a$$. Funny thing is, we ended up not too bad as we aged, but I still wouldn't give him a kidney.

 

That's what happened with Bud Cowsill. He took a swing at his son Bill ... a truly great musician, the heart and soul of that very underrated band and enormously talented family ... and Bill grabbed his fist in mid-air and in the documentary said something along the lines of, "It dawned on me that I was a man, and I had man hands, and I was as strong as he was," and then it was on like Donkey Kong. And his satanically evil dad of course fired him from the band and the whole thing disintegrated at that point.

 

I was def influenced by the two infamous letters Murry wrote to Dennis and Brian (they are on the web if you look). Murry is definitely manipulative and uses guilt to try to be persuasive, but his advice is spot on if you can read past his methods. He cared. They were young and reckless. He thought they were close to blowing up the whole thing, and he was right. He saw the future and they didn't listen. It took them all down. Just my two cents.

 

Murry did a pretty good job of blowing up his whole life and career too.

 

"We would like to record in an atmosphere of calmness and you're not presenting that."

 

Some people seem to think that they have a "responsibility" to enforce their will on others. As a son and a parent, it became pretty obvious what not to do. I had a few throw-downs with my Dad. And it hurt our relationship. We did repair it eventually. He did tell me that I was a great parent to my kids, better than him is many respects. I got that before he died which was cathartic. One thing I know for sure: Murry was an a-hole, and you don't need to be one in order for your kids to turn out great. You set a good example, give good advice, be there to help with the little things, and above all, provide emotional, physical and spiritual currency for them to spend. I do all that because my kids did not ask to be brought into the world.

 

That's an unfortunate factor behind a lot of family based groups. The conniving/controlling stage parent. The Cowsills, The Jacksons, hell, even The Shaggs all had that issue.

 

Grand Funk Railroad and Terry Knight. Black Sabbath and Don Arden. Badfinger and Stan Polly, The Runaways and Kim Foley. . .

 

The posts that end with a hats-off-to-Murry sentiment just astound me.

Yeah, he pushed hard to get them started. But any low-level manager-agent with gumption and vision could do the same. Murry was just another belligerent salesman, and I've seen a bunch in my day. They serve only themselves, and the Suit At The Top who notices the positive revenue flow.

Commerce stifles art, while 'allowing' it to exist. Threats, psychological abuse, physical assault, insistence on a 'formula' are hardly any kind of credible tools to develop an artist. The BBs were wayward young men for sure, but there must have been an intelligent, intuitive way to corral all of that. Murry was a crude hack.

California Girls was composed while on acid. I wouldn't really recommend that as part of a professional plan (speaking as a former 'traveler' ). Nonetheless, a timeless work came to be on the heels of curiosity and willingness to explore.

One Step Two Step? Gimme a freakin' break. It's exactly that kind of 1950s Sweetie-Pie fluff that led to the overdue mini-renaissance in the 60s.

 

Murry nor anyone else in the band ever suggested following a formula.