ping
Of course we all remember that Beach Boy classic album "Surfin' With the Devil."
Sure, Brian Wilson has had emotional problems for over 40 years. That's pretty hard to deny. But I don't think he's capable of any coherent philosophy of any kind. Yes, Mike Love went through his TM stage in the late 60s, but like many from that era recovered and is now a practicing Republican who was a friend of Ronald Reagan. Despite the flashes of weirdness in their personal lives, the music the Beach Boys will always be known for celebrated normalcy and good times. Now I feel a need to run over to the sound system and put on "I Get Around" and "Dance Dance Dance." My four speed dual quad positraction 409.
Brian Wilson is known to have had mental problems (and a drug problem). To anyone living in the 21st century rather than the Middle Ages, the explanations lie in brain chemistry and narcotic self-medication, not "demons" unless you use that term highly metaphorically. Meanwhile, the Manson connection to Dennis, aside from being interesting trivia, doesn't have anything to do with anything.
It is not unreasonable, by the way, to postulate that his mental problems may have influenced his music to some extent, at least the material from perhaps Pet Sounds on. Note that in some cases (Pet Sounds certainly) the result was deeply beautiful, hardly "Satanic" or "demonic". One might indeed say, for example, that much of that material was the result of Brian Wilson "working through his demons".
But I sure hope you'd be speaking metaphorically when you say that :-)
Oh my goodness. Witch! Witch!
This reminds me of a Maranatha video I saw in college about backmasking. Their premise was that supernatural forces were to blame for the messages supposedly present on some music played backwards.
Here was the sum total of their stellar reasoning for eliminating other possibilities:
--- a deliberate act of the artists: "it's too hard. if you don't believe us, try it yourself."
--- total random chance: "if that's the case, then we should be just as likely to hear positive or neutral messages like 'worship Jesus' or 'eat toast' as we are satanic messages."
So you see, it just HAD to be supernatural.
Of course, even when they told you in advance what it was you were going to hear, it just didn't come through when they played the backwards music. Were you aware that one of Cheap Trick's songs played backwards says "Satan Holds The Key to the Lock"? Neither did I. Only despite the video's claims, it really doesn't.
There was, however, one exception: "Another One Rights The Bus" played backwards really DOES sound like "Start to Smoke Marijuana"---at least if the speaker has marbles in his mouth :)
Didn't Wilson once say that 'Smile' was his teenage symphony to God or something like that?
What happens when you play it backwards?
I have to admit, I've wondered if demons have tried to keep Brian Wilson down, because he is so talented and could do so much good. I don't know -- there's a fine line where illness stops and evil influences begin. However, I don't think that Brian Wilson is at all Satanic or anything -- if anything, he's tried to escape the darkness and reach the light. Besides, anyone who recorded such a beautiful version of "The Lord's Prayer" and opened SMiLE with "Our Prayer" is OK in my book...
There was backwards masking in that video....it told me to go to church & pray!
I could care less about who goes to the RR hall of fame.
I could care less about who goes to the RR hall of fame.