Speaking of REAL Beach Boys fans...I was disappointed to hear that Mike Love is suing Al Jardine again this week. A wise man once said "Sliding down the bannister of life, you were always a splinter in my ass"...whenever I see, hear, or think about Mr. Love, I am reminded of that quote.

You're right, "Lay Down Burden" is a beautiful song, but Imagination the album is an MOR mess. I was, for a time, one degree removed from Joe Thomas socially, and heard a few choice stories about him. Not quite on the level of Mike Love, but not too far either. On the subject of Carl, one of my biggest guilty pleasures of the last five years was Like A Brother, his collaborative effort with Gerry Beckley and Robert Lamm. Embarrassing production and some awkward moments, but on the whole, stronger than you'd have any reason to expect. I did some work with one of Carl's close friends toward the end, and from what I was told, he was as beautiful a human being as you'd hope.

I had forgotten about Brian strapping on the bass during that tour. I caught him once in '99 and once in '00, and both nights were surreal in the best sense of the word. I tried not to notice him pounding away on the disconnected keyboard, and his many vocal clams were more endearing than anything else.

The two Dennis Wilson albums are rough-hewn beauties. Dennis' voice, nearly gone, manages to spend the entire time wobbling to and fro without ever completely losing the melody. I wish Epic would remaster 'em and give them the deluxe-reissue treatment.