Get Well Soon

29 years ago today The Beach Boys released Pet Sounds on Capitol Records.

You just feel the record. The music box-jangle that begins Wouldn't It Be Nice and then - the timpani on the downbeat - the open beat on 2 - the alto "Woooooo-uldn't It Be" on 3 and 4 - "Nice" is bracketed by a sonic backing that would have pleased Phil Spector very much - had he not been looking for 13 year-old girls to strangle.

It's a brilliant piece, and I don't need delve into Rock and Roll Writing 101 and do a review here. The point is that Pet Sounds was a work of singular genius. Besides extracting a good deal from your soul to simply write and record it, you are now, in your weakened state, hailed a genius. What is the first thing you ask a genius?

What's next?

Dave Chapelle is hiding in South Africa. (Can you imagine the strangulation fantasies he must have had for the past year every time he heard a line about a certain Motown recording artist?) The 2nd season of "Chapelle's Show" was comic genius. Up there with Richard Pryor burning his own face off, or talking about his dick's jones for coke. Up there with Eddie Murphy Delirious. With Bring The Pain.

Dave's been working on this new season for a year and half now, and he can't finish it. He's worried that it's not as funny as Season 2. He's not worried about the critics or the fans - he knows what's funny, and his new sh*t must not be as funny.

There are probably other factors involved, too. He's probably using hard drugs, as reported in earlier stories from last week. Chances are that his inner circle is trying to get something put on tape so that they can get paid. Understandable. However, a third season will / would be greeted with as much hype and scrutiny as anything in TV, and probably entertainment, and Dave doesn't want to fall short of Season 2.

I don't have any advice on being any funnier, or getting any episodes made, or not taking drugs. I just offer up Brian Wilson, who made himself crazy trying to top his work of genius, as a cautionary tale.

Happy Birthday, Pet Sounds.

Get Well Soon, bitches.