Mike's Best

[Wirestone]

Is Leon still the mod of PSML? Is there still a PSML?

Yes and yes, I believe.

[William Bowe]

I can buy the idea that Mike's commercial sense helped sell Brian's muse to the world, but as a songwriter on his own, he had nothing. If Big Sur is your masterpiece, clearly you're no Irving Berlin. I prefer Sumahama personally, but the pleasure is all guilty. As for Let The Wind Blow, surely the middle section - where at least 80% of its greatness lies - is Brian's. I can certainly believe Anna Lee, The Healer is his.

[Ron]

[I. Spaceman]

I can buy the idea that Mike's commercial sense helped sell Brian's muse to the world, but as a songwriter on his own, he had nothing.

Mike's artistic sense, which combined commerciality and "relatability" with inspiration, helped make The Beach Boys what they were. Why is the word "commercial" used as a backhanded compliment anyway? I swear, some folks here think Brian is Charles Ives or something. He wanted to sell more records and have more hits than anyone else, the same as any other rock musician. That was, in fact part of his muse itself, a fierce commercial competitive streak. And once he felt the competition was lost, bam, way less great work, trickling down to nothing. We are here because of The Beach Boys' megapopular status.

[William Bowe]

I don't disagree that there was artistry in Mike's commercial sense, but I'm not persuaded that he had any particular talent as a composer.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

Check out Mike's lead vocal parts on Kiss Me Baby. Astounding.

Word. And if those lyrics are his... whoa !

Bruce has described Kiss Me Baby as "Mike Love at his lyric writing best"!

I'll take his word for it.

They are amazing lyrics.

[Jim V.]

Oh, let's see...hmmm, I like the lyrics and lead vocal to the RRHF speech, DFWTF quote, and Who's gonna hear this sh*t diatribe among others-maybe there's a box set of this stuff in the works. Stay tuned all you Myke fans.

I don't get this. Mike Love is a major member and creative contributor to the greatest American rock and roll band of all time. He has brought joy to many, many people with beautiful vocal and lyrical contributions to some of the finest pieces of music ever recorded. Compare that accomplishment to being an old, ranting, bitter person on an Internet messageboard, spreading nastiness against someone who really doesn't deserve it, someone without whom this board would not even exist. Then ask yourself how you can live with yourself, mate, why you bother continuing, how you sleep at night. Just a suggestion.

As for post-67 Mike, another great one, I think, is his ragin' rock vocal on Denny's sex-rock romp All I Want To Do. Love his lead on Airplane too.

Good thing there's nobody like that on this board. Making fun of Mike, out of bounds. Mocking others, totally kewl doodz.

[Mikie]

Point taken Mikie. I guess I was thinking of the PSMLy-type fans [not that there is anything wrong with that]. Is Leon still the mod of PSML? Is there still a PSML?

No, I agree with ya, Cam. Just adding to what you said.

I haven't read the PSML since about 2002. Leon Lively. Last I heard, he was a producer or program director at a radio station in Columbus. Always played rare Beach Boys stuff. I remember Green Mansions, which I read but never posted on (thank God). Actually, I first started posting on the White back in '96 or '97 when Wheeler ran it.

[Mikie]

Sumahama.

I use to lift the needle off the record when it came to that song.  I was embarrassed for the band when I first heard it. Some people think the disco version of "Here Comes the Night" is disgraceful? I give Sumahama that distinction.

[Magic Transistor Radio]

Sumahama.

I use to lift the needle off the record when it came to that song.  I was embarrassed for the band when I first heard it. Some people think the disco version of "Here Comes the Night" is disgraceful? I give Sumahama that distinction.

Come to think of it, maybe they should have redone the entire Wild Honey album as a disco album. Call it Wild Honey Disco! Weeeee!

[Alan Smith]

Sumahama.

I use to lift the needle off the record when it came to that song.  I was embarrassed for the band when I first heard it. Some people think the disco version of "Here Comes the Night" is disgraceful? I give Sumahama that distinction.

Come to think of it, maybe they should have redone the entire Wild Honey album as a disco album. Call it Wild Honey Disco! Weeeee!

  Aren't you glad-glad-glad-gla-glad-glad-gla-glad-glad in the nude

Used to go to a night-club called the Buzz bar

[Alan Smith]

A lot of cool stuff mentioned above, but there's scant mention of Looking Back with Love (happy to be corrected if I glossed over it), which has some great Mike moments:

Paradise Found is great and Mike was involved in the composition - and from a front man point of view, he lays it down On and ON and ON, and a pretty good job of Calendar Girl (although the actual song itself is on my sht list)

[Disney Boy (1985)]

Prior to 15 Big Ones, i can honestly say their isn't a single Beach Boys song that i hate. Tears In The Morning, Student Demo Time, etc - they may not be entirely my cup of tea, but i can still at least see some merit in them. HOWEVER... Everyone's In Love With You - i can see absolutely no worth whatsoever in this song! It is absolutely ghastly - trite lyrics, vomit-inducingly twee singing, dreadful melody. Until the '80's, Mike's worst. 

[Cam Mott]

Prior to 15 Big Ones, i can honestly say their isn't a single Beach Boys song that i hate. Tears In The Morning, Student Demo Time, etc - they may not be entirely my cup of tea, but i can still at least see some merit in them. HOWEVER... Everyone's In Love With You - i can see absolutely no worth whatsoever in this song! It is absolutely ghastly - trite lyrics, vomit-inducingly twee singing, dreadful melody. Until the '80's, Mike's worst. 

I more or less agree. Maybe agree less on 15BO and after but for some reason I hate I Was Made to Love Her. I love Carl's voice and maybe that makes it worse for me. It is a place Carl's voice shouldn't have gone imo. But I digress, this is about Mike.

[I. Spaceman]

Oh, let's see...hmmm, I like the lyrics and lead vocal to the RRHF speech, DFWTF quote, and Who's gonna hear this sh*t diatribe among others-maybe there's a box set of this stuff in the works. Stay tuned all you Myke fans.

I don't get this. Mike Love is a major member and creative contributor to the greatest American rock and roll band of all time. He has brought joy to many, many people with beautiful vocal and lyrical contributions to some of the finest pieces of music ever recorded. Compare that accomplishment to being an old, ranting, bitter person on an Internet messageboard, spreading nastiness against someone who really doesn't deserve it, someone without whom this board would not even exist. Then ask yourself how you can live with yourself, mate, why you bother continuing, how you sleep at night. Just a suggestion.

As for post-67 Mike, another great one, I think, is his ragin' rock vocal on Denny's sex-rock romp All I Want To Do. Love his lead on Airplane too.

Good thing there's nobody like that on this board. Making fun of Mike, out of bounds. Mocking others, totally kewl doodz.

You ain't Mike Love. No one else is here, either, including me. There is no comparison to be made. I don't know what the deal is with you saying words such as "kewl" and "doods" in posts responding to me. I am fairly old as well, and much smarter than you, so the terms don't apply.

[Cam Mott]

Point taken Mikie. I guess I was thinking of the PSMLy-type fans [not that there is anything wrong with that]. Is Leon still the mod of PSML? Is there still a PSML?

No, I agree with ya, Cam. Just adding to what you said.

I haven't read the PSML since about 2002. Leon Lively. Last I heard, he was a producer or program director at a radio station in Columbus. Always played rare Beach Boys stuff. I remember Green Mansions, which I read but never posted on (thank God). Actually, I first started posting on the White back in '96 or '97 when Wheeler ran it.

Gotcha Mikie. That's probably about when I dropped out of PSML too.

I'm on a roll, I also didn't mean to imply that you were a PSMLy fan. Not that there is anything wrong with it....I meant...aw, I'm gonna shut up.

[Exapno Mapcase]

I'd love to hear a clear version of Sumahama off First Love.  The spoken Japanese bit kills the one on LA for me.

[oldsurferdude]

I can buy the idea that Mike's commercial sense helped sell Brian's muse to the world, but as a songwriter on his own, he had nothing.

Mike's artistic sense, which combined commerciality and "relatability" with inspiration, helped make The Beach Boys what they were. Why is the word "commercial" used as a backhanded compliment anyway? I swear, some folks here think Brian is Charles Ives or something. He wanted to sell more records and have more hits than anyone else, the same as any other rock musician. That was, in fact part of his muse itself, a fierce commercial competitive streak. And once he felt the competition was lost, bam, way less great work, trickling down to nothing. We are here because of The Beach Boys' megapopular status.

Relatability? Really? A brand new word from Space Cadet! (must be a Myke fan) 

[Disney Boy (1985)]

Prior to 15 Big Ones, i can honestly say their isn't a single Beach Boys song that i hate. Tears In The Morning, Student Demo Time, etc - they may not be entirely my cup of tea, but i can still at least see some merit in them. HOWEVER... Everyone's In Love With You - i can see absolutely no worth whatsoever in this song! It is absolutely ghastly - trite lyrics, vomit-inducingly twee singing, dreadful melody. Until the '80's, Mike's worst. 

I more or less agree. Maybe agree less on 15BO and after but for some reason I hate I Was Made to Love Her. I love Carl's voice and maybe that makes it worse for me. It is a place Carl's voice shouldn't have gone imo. But I digress, this is about Mike.

Seriously? I LOVE that song, and Carl's voice on it. Listen to the 'coz i love my baby, love my baby' vocal on the extended version and the WH sessions - stunning!

[bcdam]

Prior to 15 Big Ones, i can honestly say their isn't a single Beach Boys song that i hate. Tears In The Morning, Student Demo Time, etc - they may not be entirely my cup of tea, but i can still at least see some merit in them. HOWEVER... Everyone's In Love With You - i can see absolutely no worth whatsoever in this song! It is absolutely ghastly - trite lyrics, vomit-inducingly twee singing, dreadful melody. Until the '80's, Mike's worst. 

I more or less agree. Maybe agree less on 15BO and after but for some reason I hate I Was Made to Love Her. I love Carl's voice and maybe that makes it worse for me. It is a place Carl's voice shouldn't have gone imo. But I digress, this is about Mike.

Seriously? I LOVE that song, and Carl's voice on it. Listen to the 'coz i love my baby, love my baby' vocal on the extended version and the WH sessions - stunning!

I agree that it's a great track, but as much as I love Carl's voice - I would say it's only the 5th or 6th best track on WH, and it can't best Stevie's original.

[Mikie]

Check this out:

I Was Made To Love Her.  Beach Boys version.  With the "All through thick and thin, our love just won't end,
 'cause I love my baby, love my baby. Ah!" section copied and inserted from the Beach Boys Rarities album.  In stereo.

If you can't find it, make your own from bootlegs.  It sounds fantastic!!

Hey, hey, hey.......you son of a bitch!  

[runnersdialzero]

I was thinking the other day, wondering what it'll be like when Mike dies. I wonder if the d00d will ever get his due instead of the piles and piles of flaming bullshit folks have made up for him. The guy who prevented Smile from being finished (despite being one of the people who worked to finish it), the guy who made Brian mentally ill, the guy who could "only" sing - because being a working, touring, and recording singer doesn't take a a lot of talent and isn't extremely taxing on the body or anything - typical rawk 'n' roller bullshit thinking, etc. etc. etc. etc.

Not the guy who wrote lyrics for the majority of their most well-known songs (another extremely under-appreciated talent - writing lyrics! Not easy), not the guy who wrote the entirety of the "Good Vibrations" lyrics (how's that for being anti-Smile?), not the guy who expressed concern but ultimately trusted Brian's judgement and sang his ass off on the Pet Sounds and Smile material, not the guy who had a handful of brilliant songs all his own (see thread), not the guy who, while not being a Brian or Carl in the voice department (who the f*ck is?), still delivered a number of great and sometimes stunning lead vocals in his time, leads that probably would not have been as good if handled by anyone else in the band. Nop. d00d could do nothing but leech off Brian's talents.

I'm not gonna say the guy was a saint at all, but the amount of sh*t thrown his way is really baffling. People need a scapegoat no matter the situation, it seems. Sadly, I don't see many people coming around even after he has passed.

[oldsurferdude]

I was thinking the other day, wondering what it'll be like when Mike dies. I wonder if the d00d will ever get his due instead of the piles and piles of flaming bullshit folks have made up for him. The guy who prevented Smile from being finished (despite being one of the people who worked to finish it), the guy who made Brian mentally ill, the guy who could "only" sing - because being a working, touring, and recording singer doesn't take a a lot of talent and isn't extremely taxing on the body or anything - typical rawk 'n' roller bullshit thinking, etc. etc. etc. etc.

Not the guy who wrote lyrics for the majority of their most well-known songs (another extremely under-appreciated talent - writing lyrics! Not easy), not the guy who wrote the entirety of the "Good Vibrations" lyrics (how's that for being anti-Smile?), not the guy who expressed concern but ultimately trusted Brian's judgement and sang his ass off on the Pet Sounds and Smile material, not the guy who had a handful of brilliant songs all his own (see thread), not the guy who, while not being a Brian or Carl in the voice department (who the f*ck is?), still delivered a number of great and sometimes stunning lead vocals in his time, leads that probably would not have been as good if handled by anyone else in the band. Nop. d00d could do nothing but leech off Brian's talents.

I'm not gonna say the guy was a saint at all, but the amount of sh*t thrown his way is really baffling. People need a scapegoat no matter the situation, it seems. Sadly, I don't see many people coming around even after he has passed.

[runnersdialzero]

^_^

[Zach95]

I'd imagine that when Mike dies, there will be a sentimental piece on CNN.com, a blurb in your local newspaper, a mention on Good Morning America.  The man will be remembered.  Of course, he will in no way be remembered by the media/general public in the same way that Brian will be, but he WILL be remembered and revered and respected.  Sure, a bunch of YouTube idiots will cuss him out as the worst thing that every happened to the Beach Boys.  But I can't imagine the average fan will bash him after his death. 

He deserves his due.  He has changed, in my eyes, his attitude greatly these last few years.  I never really did like Mike Love.  I sort of have this real sentimental feeling towards him now.  Like, "Yeah, I forgive you Mike for acting like such a jerk all those years".  I don't know.  I'm sure Mike could care less if *I* or anyone else forgives him.  But it makes me feel better.  I think he genuinely cares for his cousin, the fans, and his legacy. He's doing it right this time around with this tour, and if this is the last thing people remember of Mike Love and his involvement with the Beach Boys, then that will leave them feeling with a fond feeling toward Mike.

God bless the man, he's been doing this for so long.