Brian's face does NOT represent how he feels. When we look at a person's face, we can see a connection to the person's feelings: sad, happy, angry, nervous etc. I'm talking about social interaction and social rules. To put it bluntly: Brian isn't like your or me or anyone you've met.

He isn't being dragged around nor is he 'depressed' about being on this tour. He's said how he wants to have the tour continue on till next summer, it was revealed that the new album was all his idea and this reunion was all something that he initiated over the course of several years. With that said, Brian is having a great time on this tour. No different than ten years ago on the SMILE dvd. He's been taped on this current tour on stage and he does the exact same thing.if a camera is on him: he perks up and smiles and waves his arms around, the whole bit. His support group makes it a point to tell him to smile and be animated since they're taping him. No doubt this caused some very real physiological damage over time.Ĭlick to expand.It's easy to judge an 'engaged' Brian on DVDs because he is reminded to act it up on those things. Landy used on Brian in the 1980s was way, way over the normal limits that psychiatrists have today. Other people have observed that the amount of anti-depressive drugs that Dr. Usher didn't feel it was an act, but that Brian had a way of using his problems to his own advantage.

He was functional and fairly rational except when he ran into conflict - like when Usher tried to bring up the problem of studio session bills - and then he'd start babbling, cry, or just become almost catatonic. Gary Usher's early-1990s book on Brian Wilson and the unfinished 'Sweet Insanity' sessions said that Usher felt that Brian used his mental problems as a defense against the outside world. and yet he seemed happy and completely functional during the footage for the recent sessions. He looked to me like he'd rather be anywhere but there. The reporter knew better than to ask Brian any questions. He was sitting in a chair, looking dazed, and staring off into space.

It was very sad to me to see the group on Entertainment Tonight a few months ago to promote the new album and tour, and see them all standing except for Brian. and other days where he's distant, unresponsive, and very unfocused.

What's frustrating is that there are times when he's quite engaging, funny, and can remember things that happened 40, 50 years ago with uncanny accuracy. Click to expand.I have been told by several insiders that Brian has good days and bad days.

Catch a wave peter ames carlin