Billboard ariticle on Mike and song writing w/ Brian issues from last album

[Moon Dawg]

 Sure Cam. Mike had no problem signing onto the deal. And no apparent issues with TWGMTR when it debuted at #3. I realize there are many complexities and nuances - some of which we know nothing about - but regardless Mike Love's place as one of Rock music's biggest jerks is set in stone.

[Cam Mott]

Sure Cam. Mike had no problem signing onto the deal. And no apparent issues with TWGMTR when it debuted at #3. I realize there are many complexities and nuances - some of which we know nothing about - but regardless Mike Love's place as one of Rock music's biggest jerks is set in stone.

That's why you fellas need to get it right about Mike. Mike is a team player and puts up with broken promises for the team. He finally has enough but we aren't calling the people responsible jerks, we think he's the jerk for not putting up with it some more.

[lostbeachboy]

The whole 50th anniversary was a huge letdown. Except the 70+ dates they played. That's amazing.

[Moon Dawg]

  I'm calling Mike a "jerk" because at the moment he is ticking me off. (I have praised him on occasion.) Why the need to air his side of the story so strenuously? Why can't Mike and Bruce simply continue their merry way on the Endless Summer as they play great gigs at Sea World???

[Moon Dawg]

The whole 50th anniversary was a huge letdown. Except the 70+ dates they played. That's amazing.

 Great avatar! Slightly different pose than the usual pic used from that photo session.  It would be very easy to airbrush Bruce out of the photo.

[Moon Dawg]

 Damn, Lost Beach Boy. You just changed your avatar! Sorry for derailing. I'm out tonight.

[lostbeachboy]

Damn, Lost Beach Boy. You just changed your avatar! Sorry for derailing. I'm out tonight.

If by avatar you mean my profile pic. Yes I did. That's me and Blondie Chaplin.

[Moon Dawg]

 Another nice pic. I like Blondie.

 That 1971 shot is probably my favorite all-time Beach Boys pic, and I had never seen your alternate shot before.  And yes, that is indeed what I meant by the term "avatar."

[lostbeachboy]

Another nice pic. I like Blondie.

 That 1971 shot is probably my favorite all-time Beach Boys pic, and I had never seen your alternate shot before.

The 1971 pic is one of my favs too. I wish there was more group photos with Blondie and Ricky!

[ontor pertawst]

A real shame he couldn't have popped in for one show to do "Sail On, Sailor" that night he was in the same town. It would have been one sweet youtube moment. Dean, Billy, Taylor, the kids... Blondie deserved one song too!

Say, what's he up to this fall? If Brian doesn't want to growl it out in concert any more, well... AHEM.
 

[Cam Mott]

  I'm calling Mike a "jerk" because at the moment he is ticking me off. (I have praised him on occasion.) Why the need to air his side of the story so strenuously? Why can't Mike and Bruce simply continue their merry way on the Endless Summer as they play great gigs at Sea World???

Maybe it is because Mike is plugged in now and read all the mountains of misunderstanding and misdirected blame for himself?

[Sheriff John Stone]

I'm in agreement that this airing of dirty laundry in public by various band members is not a good thing and I wish it would stop. And I know that's an understatement. I realize that in some cases they are addressing an interviewer's question, but can't they devise some response to answer the question and say nothing at the same time. They pull that off pretty well with most of the other things they say, or don't say. It just goes to show that these guys have learned NOTHING through the years. Sometimes I think that if the Beach Boys were given a second chance to do it again (pun intended), they'd make the same stupid mistakes.

It was hinted above, and as expected, ignored, but... Nobody seems to be questioning or disagreeing with Mike when he says that the plans regarding his songwriting with Brian were changed after the reunion started. But what isn't being pointed out enough is that Mike did suck it up, kept his mouth shut publicly, was a team player, and let it go. Mike could've said, "Wait a minute; this isn't what I or we agreed to. And I'm putting an end to this bullsh--" And the reunion would've been in serious jeopardy, maybe even killed.

Of course Mike would've been hammered unmercifully. And I'll say again that I wish Mike would stop talking about it in public. But, I'm curious. Was Dennis hammered for pulling his songs from Surf's Up - over sequencing? Or Carl when he walked out of the 1995 sessions? I won't even begin to list the numerous times Brian bowed out...

[Moon Dawg]

 I was mad as hell when I found out Carl walked out of the '95 sessions (he did sing on SIP after all)  but later realized it could have been due to illness.

 The details of Dennis pulling his cuts off SURF'S UP have always been a tad vague. The general story is an argument with Carl over sequencing.

[SurfRiderHawaii]

 I'm calling Mike a "jerk" because at the moment he is ticking me off. (I have praised him on occasion.) Why the need to air his side of the story so strenuously? Why can't Mike and Bruce simply continue their merry way on the Endless Summer as they play great gigs at Sea World???

Maybe it is because Mike is plugged in now and read all the mountains of misunderstanding and misdirected blame for himself?

Yeah, if you google "Mike Love" you get a whole lot of nasty. Maybe Mike  now has a Macbook and Bruce has shown him the ropes. I remember some months back Mike gave an interview about hateful comments about him on Al's website. Turned out that was wrong (it was Facebook) annd Mike had to release a statement correcting himself.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

I'm going to assume Melinda Wilson, Joe Thomas, and Jeffrey Foskett are at least a few of the people Mike has a problem with.

I always had a feeling Mike doesn't like Al very much

 They seemed like friends and allies throughout the seventies though. Maybe simply because neither man shared some of the same habits as the brothers Wilson?

they had a falling out a long time ago... I don't think they really patched things up so much as put things aside last year.

[lostbeachboy]

I was mad as hell when I found out Carl walked out of the '95 sessions (he did sing on SIP after all)  but later realized it could have been due to illness.

 The details of Dennis pulling his cuts off SURF'S UP have always been a tad vague. The general story is an argument with Carl over sequencing.

The sequencing of Surf's Up is spot on. Except I would have taken out A day in the life of a tree and put it 4th of July or wouldn't it be nice to live again.

[ontor pertawst]

Yeah, if you google "Mike Love" you get a whole lot of nasty. Maybe Mike  now has a Macbook and Bruce has shown him the ropes.

Still, it sold better than Bruce Johnston Teaches Typing.

[Cyncie]

So, here's my question: What has Mike on the defensive all of a sudden?  I know he was getting the same annoying "what happened to the reunion tour" questions for months, but he handled it better at the beginning. Now, he's starting to make it sound like the whole thing was a death march that he was forced to participate in.

When the reunion tour ended, Mike was the one saying that it was over and things were going back to the way they were, see ya later. Then Brian and Al were all, "We felt like we were fired. Nyeh!" Then Mike responded with, "Yeah, but you weren't. It was always meant to end and I'm just going back to the plan. No hard feelings. Summer's Gone. Pffft!"

Brian goes back to the studio and says he ain't planning on any more reunions.  Mike goes to SeaWorld with Bruce and says all is right with the world, Brian's in the studio, he's on the road. Big pause.  Brian picks up a Grammy. Mike plays various fairs. Next thing we know, Brian's announcing an album, a tour with Al and Dave. He's got a movie bio, a book deal and a fall tour with Jeff Beck. Seemingly simultaneously, Mike adds C50 elements (the things he claimed to hate about the reunion tour) to his Beach Boys show, and starts complaining that the reunion and the last album weren't all that. All the while lamenting that he never gets to write with "Cousin Brian" anymore because Joe Thomas, or Homeland Security or someone won't let him.

Is there a competition going on? Is Brian making play for control of the Beach Boys name? Is someone else making a play for the Beach Boys name?  Is Mike worried that the C50 success and SMiLE Grammy have given Brian some increased cache and Mike might have played the C50 ending the wrong way? Is Al the one behind all of this? What about Dave? Maybe he's the master manipulator! What's going on? Curious minds want to know!

In reality, they'd do themselves a favor by zipping their lips, but I don't see that happening.

I do think it's interesting to watch Mike try to up his game to C50 levels while at the same time disparaging those who produced it. All the while talking nice-nice about "Cousin Brian."

Methinks there's been a power shift.

[rab2591]

If they zipped their lips we'd have very little to talk about here

I think Mike needs to let it go. I think it's a shame that he wasn't able to write anything with Brian....but that's the way it went. If they're still fighting like this (through media outlets and not over the phone with each other) then there's not much of a band left anymore....and there's no use for them to pretend to be a band anymore.

[Sheriff John Stone]

So, here's my question: What has Mike on the defensive all of a sudden?  I know he was getting the same annoying "what happened to the reunion tour" questions for months, but he handled it better at the beginning. Now, he's starting to make it sound like the whole thing was a death march that he was forced to participate in.

When the reunion tour ended, Mike was the one saying that it was over and things were going back to the way they were, see ya later. Then Brian and Al were all, "We felt like we were fired. Nyeh!" Then Mike responded with, "Yeah, but you weren't. It was always meant to end and I'm just going back to the plan. No hard feelings. Summer's Gone. Pffft!"

Brian goes back to the studio and says he ain't planning on any more reunions.  Mike goes to SeaWorld with Bruce and says all is right with the world, Brian's in the studio, he's on the road. Big pause.  Brian picks up a Grammy. Mike plays various fairs. Next thing we know, Brian's announcing a tour with Al and Dave, he's got a movie bio, a book deal and a fall tour with Jeff Beck. Seemingly simultaneously, Mike adds C50 elements (the things he claimed to hate about the reunion tour) to his Beach Boys show, and starts complaining that the reunion and the last album weren't all that. All the while lamenting that he never gets to write with "Cousin Brian" anymore because Joe Thomas, or Homeland Security or someone won't let him.

Is there a competition going on? Is Brian making play for control of the Beach Boys name? Is someone else making a play for the Beach Boys name?  Is Mike worried that the C50 success and SMiLE Grammy have given Brian some increased cache and Mike might have played the C50 ending the wrong way? Is Al the one behind all of this? What about Dave? Maybe he's the master manipulator! What's going on? Curious minds want to know!

In reality, they'd do themselves a favor by zipping their lips, but I don't see that happening.

I do think it's interesting to watch Mike try to up his game to C50 levels while at the same time disparaging those who produced it. All the while talking nice-nice about "Cousin Brian."

Methinks there's been a power shift.

I'm assuming your questions are rhetorical, but, because I'm bored and spending way too much time on the computer tonight, I'll answer them...

Mike isn't all of a sudden being defensive. He continues to be asked about "the end" of the reunion in interviews, and continues to answer the questions, sometimes too honestly. But, we agree (and I just posted the same thing above), I wish Mike and the rest would just stop talking about it in public.

Second, no, I don't think there is a competition going on or Brian making a play for control of The Beach Boys' name. I believe that Brian is perfectly content to sit at home and collect a check for every concert that Mike performs. He has been doing it for most of his adult life.

[Cyncie]

So, here's my question: What has Mike on the defensive all of a sudden?  I know he was getting the same annoying "what happened to the reunion tour" questions for months, but he handled it better at the beginning. Now, he's starting to make it sound like the whole thing was a death march that he was forced to participate in.

When the reunion tour ended, Mike was the one saying that it was over and things were going back to the way they were, see ya later. Then Brian and Al were all, "We felt like we were fired. Nyeh!" Then Mike responded with, "Yeah, but you weren't. It was always meant to end and I'm just going back to the plan. No hard feelings. Summer's Gone. Pffft!"

Brian goes back to the studio and says he ain't planning on any more reunions.  Mike goes to SeaWorld with Bruce and says all is right with the world, Brian's in the studio, he's on the road. Big pause.  Brian picks up a Grammy. Mike plays various fairs. Next thing we know, Brian's announcing a tour with Al and Dave, he's got a movie bio, a book deal and a fall tour with Jeff Beck. Seemingly simultaneously, Mike adds C50 elements (the things he claimed to hate about the reunion tour) to his Beach Boys show, and starts complaining that the reunion and the last album weren't all that. All the while lamenting that he never gets to write with "Cousin Brian" anymore because Joe Thomas, or Homeland Security or someone won't let him.

Is there a competition going on? Is Brian making play for control of the Beach Boys name? Is someone else making a play for the Beach Boys name?  Is Mike worried that the C50 success and SMiLE Grammy have given Brian some increased cache and Mike might have played the C50 ending the wrong way? Is Al the one behind all of this? What about Dave? Maybe he's the master manipulator! What's going on? Curious minds want to know!

In reality, they'd do themselves a favor by zipping their lips, but I don't see that happening.

I do think it's interesting to watch Mike try to up his game to C50 levels while at the same time disparaging those who produced it. All the while talking nice-nice about "Cousin Brian."

Methinks there's been a power shift.

I'm assuming your questions are rhetorical, but, because I'm bored and spending way too much time on the computer tonight, I'll answer them...

Mike isn't all of a sudden being defensive. He continues to be asked about "the end" of the reunion in interviews, and continues to answer the questions, sometimes too honestly. But, we agree (and I just posted the same thing above), I wish Mike and the rest would just stop talking about it in public.

Second, no, I don't think there is a competition going on or Brian making a play for control of The Beach Boys' name. I believe that Brian is perfectly content to sit at home and collect a check for every concert that Mike performs. He has been doing it for most of his adult life.

Well yeah. But, since you bothered to answer them, I'll respond.

I would argue that Mike's line has become more defensive. Maybe it is because he's tired of answering the same idiotic question time and again. Can't say I blame him. But the "It was meant to end, so it did" answer is much more diplomatic than "It sucked. The tour was too big and the album tanked." The tour and album were critical and popular successes, and for Mr Positivity to give it that kind of Negativity sounds like a defensive reaction, to me. No matter how he felt about the process, the product was pretty good. Besides, what else had they done recently?

My comments about competition were just media type hyperbole. However, I will stand up for Brian a bit here. It's perfectly fitting that he has collected those checks from Beach Boys concerts all these years. Without his music, Mike's set list would be pretty damn short.

 

[Sheriff John Stone]

So, here's my question: What has Mike on the defensive all of a sudden?  I know he was getting the same annoying "what happened to the reunion tour" questions for months, but he handled it better at the beginning. Now, he's starting to make it sound like the whole thing was a death march that he was forced to participate in.

When the reunion tour ended, Mike was the one saying that it was over and things were going back to the way they were, see ya later. Then Brian and Al were all, "We felt like we were fired. Nyeh!" Then Mike responded with, "Yeah, but you weren't. It was always meant to end and I'm just going back to the plan. No hard feelings. Summer's Gone. Pffft!"

Brian goes back to the studio and says he ain't planning on any more reunions.  Mike goes to SeaWorld with Bruce and says all is right with the world, Brian's in the studio, he's on the road. Big pause.  Brian picks up a Grammy. Mike plays various fairs. Next thing we know, Brian's announcing a tour with Al and Dave, he's got a movie bio, a book deal and a fall tour with Jeff Beck. Seemingly simultaneously, Mike adds C50 elements (the things he claimed to hate about the reunion tour) to his Beach Boys show, and starts complaining that the reunion and the last album weren't all that. All the while lamenting that he never gets to write with "Cousin Brian" anymore because Joe Thomas, or Homeland Security or someone won't let him.

Is there a competition going on? Is Brian making play for control of the Beach Boys name? Is someone else making a play for the Beach Boys name?  Is Mike worried that the C50 success and SMiLE Grammy have given Brian some increased cache and Mike might have played the C50 ending the wrong way? Is Al the one behind all of this? What about Dave? Maybe he's the master manipulator! What's going on? Curious minds want to know!

In reality, they'd do themselves a favor by zipping their lips, but I don't see that happening.

I do think it's interesting to watch Mike try to up his game to C50 levels while at the same time disparaging those who produced it. All the while talking nice-nice about "Cousin Brian."

Methinks there's been a power shift.

I'm assuming your questions are rhetorical, but, because I'm bored and spending way too much time on the computer tonight, I'll answer them...

Mike isn't all of a sudden being defensive. He continues to be asked about "the end" of the reunion in interviews, and continues to answer the questions, sometimes too honestly. But, we agree (and I just posted the same thing above), I wish Mike and the rest would just stop talking about it in public.

Second, no, I don't think there is a competition going on or Brian making a play for control of The Beach Boys' name. I believe that Brian is perfectly content to sit at home and collect a check for every concert that Mike performs. He has been doing it for most of his adult life.

My comments about competition were just media type hyperbole. However, I will stand up for Brian a bit here. It's perfectly fitting that he has collected those checks from Beach Boys concerts all these years. Without his music, Mike's set list would be pretty damn short.

A couple of years ago, I attended the most amazing Mike & Bruce concert. This was the setlist:

1. Still Cruisin'
2. Come Go With Me
3. Rock And Roll To The Rescue
4. I Can Hear Music
5. Do You Wanna Dance
6. Then I Kissed Her
7. Graduation Day
8. Summertime Blues
9. The Little Old Lady From Pasadena
10. Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow
11. Why Do Fools Fall In Love
12. Everyone's In Love With You
13. All This Is That
14. California Dreamin'
15. Sloop John B
16. California Saga
17. Disney Girls
18. Getcha Back
19. Summer In Paradise
20. Rock And Roll Music
21. Back In The USSR

Encores:
22. Their Hearts Were Full Of Spring
23. Kokomo
24. Barbara Ann
25. Johnny B. Goode

Naw, I was just kidding...    
 

[clack]

Giving Mike the benefit of the doubt, I believe his desire to write with Brian is an honorable one. He wants to return to the beginning -- to the days of Surfin' Safari, All Summer Long, and Today! -- and complete the circle with a final batch of Wilson/Love songs that would equal the early/mid-sixties classics. That's an admirable (if unlikely to be realized) ambition.

Speculating here, but from Mike's perspective he and Brian had a great thing going. But starting really with Tony Asher and continuing with Van Dyke Parks -- and now with Joe Thomas -- some outsider is always getting in the way. All you need for more records as good as  'California Girls' and 'Fun, Fun, Fun' is to put Mike and Brian in a room with a piano ( or so I speculate that Mike believes). They did it once, why not again?

In Mike's mind, the creative wellspring of the Beach Boys has always been him and Brian. I think he's wrong, it's always been just Brian, but it's hard for me to blame Mike for thinking otherwise. Everyone has an ego, no?

So, the final upshot is : TWGMTR will be the final Beach Boys album. Mike will continue to play his gigs for a few more years, until he gets too old, and Brian will release solo lps that might have been Beach Boys ones.

[Cyncie]

So, here's my question: What has Mike on the defensive all of a sudden?  I know he was getting the same annoying "what happened to the reunion tour" questions for months, but he handled it better at the beginning. Now, he's starting to make it sound like the whole thing was a death march that he was forced to participate in.

When the reunion tour ended, Mike was the one saying that it was over and things were going back to the way they were, see ya later. Then Brian and Al were all, "We felt like we were fired. Nyeh!" Then Mike responded with, "Yeah, but you weren't. It was always meant to end and I'm just going back to the plan. No hard feelings. Summer's Gone. Pffft!"

Brian goes back to the studio and says he ain't planning on any more reunions.  Mike goes to SeaWorld with Bruce and says all is right with the world, Brian's in the studio, he's on the road. Big pause.  Brian picks up a Grammy. Mike plays various fairs. Next thing we know, Brian's announcing a tour with Al and Dave, he's got a movie bio, a book deal and a fall tour with Jeff Beck. Seemingly simultaneously, Mike adds C50 elements (the things he claimed to hate about the reunion tour) to his Beach Boys show, and starts complaining that the reunion and the last album weren't all that. All the while lamenting that he never gets to write with "Cousin Brian" anymore because Joe Thomas, or Homeland Security or someone won't let him.

Is there a competition going on? Is Brian making play for control of the Beach Boys name? Is someone else making a play for the Beach Boys name?  Is Mike worried that the C50 success and SMiLE Grammy have given Brian some increased cache and Mike might have played the C50 ending the wrong way? Is Al the one behind all of this? What about Dave? Maybe he's the master manipulator! What's going on? Curious minds want to know!

In reality, they'd do themselves a favor by zipping their lips, but I don't see that happening.

I do think it's interesting to watch Mike try to up his game to C50 levels while at the same time disparaging those who produced it. All the while talking nice-nice about "Cousin Brian."

Methinks there's been a power shift.

I'm assuming your questions are rhetorical, but, because I'm bored and spending way too much time on the computer tonight, I'll answer them...

Mike isn't all of a sudden being defensive. He continues to be asked about "the end" of the reunion in interviews, and continues to answer the questions, sometimes too honestly. But, we agree (and I just posted the same thing above), I wish Mike and the rest would just stop talking about it in public.

Second, no, I don't think there is a competition going on or Brian making a play for control of The Beach Boys' name. I believe that Brian is perfectly content to sit at home and collect a check for every concert that Mike performs. He has been doing it for most of his adult life.

My comments about competition were just media type hyperbole. However, I will stand up for Brian a bit here. It's perfectly fitting that he has collected those checks from Beach Boys concerts all these years. Without his music, Mike's set list would be pretty damn short.

A couple of years ago, I attended the most amazing Mike & Bruce concert. This was the setlist:

1. Still Cruisin'
2. Come Go With Me
3. Rock And Roll To The Rescue
4. I Can Hear Music
5. Do You Wanna Dance
6. Then I Kissed Her
7. Graduation Day
8. Summertime Blues
9. The Little Old Lady From Pasadena
10. Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow
11. Why Do Fools Fall In Love
12. Everyone's In Love With You
13. All This Is That
14. California Dreamin'
15. Sloop John B
16. California Saga
17. Disney Girls
18. Getcha Back
19. Summer In Paradise
20. Rock And Roll Music
21. Back In The USSR

Encores:
22. Their Hearts Were Full Of Spring
23. Kokomo
24. Barbara Ann
25. Johnny B. Goode

Naw, I was just kidding...    
 

That would be awesome for a Mike and Bruce concert. Sux if you're The Beach Boys, tho.

[Kurosawa]

So, here's my question: What has Mike on the defensive all of a sudden?  I know he was getting the same annoying "what happened to the reunion tour" questions for months, but he handled it better at the beginning. Now, he's starting to make it sound like the whole thing was a death march that he was forced to participate in.

When the reunion tour ended, Mike was the one saying that it was over and things were going back to the way they were, see ya later. Then Brian and Al were all, "We felt like we were fired. Nyeh!" Then Mike responded with, "Yeah, but you weren't. It was always meant to end and I'm just going back to the plan. No hard feelings. Summer's Gone. Pffft!"

Brian goes back to the studio and says he ain't planning on any more reunions.  Mike goes to SeaWorld with Bruce and says all is right with the world, Brian's in the studio, he's on the road. Big pause.  Brian picks up a Grammy. Mike plays various fairs. Next thing we know, Brian's announcing an album, a tour with Al and Dave. He's got a movie bio, a book deal and a fall tour with Jeff Beck. Seemingly simultaneously, Mike adds C50 elements (the things he claimed to hate about the reunion tour) to his Beach Boys show, and starts complaining that the reunion and the last album weren't all that. All the while lamenting that he never gets to write with "Cousin Brian" anymore because Joe Thomas, or Homeland Security or someone won't let him.

Is there a competition going on? Is Brian making play for control of the Beach Boys name? Is someone else making a play for the Beach Boys name?  Is Mike worried that the C50 success and SMiLE Grammy have given Brian some increased cache and Mike might have played the C50 ending the wrong way? Is Al the one behind all of this? What about Dave? Maybe he's the master manipulator! What's going on? Curious minds want to know!

In reality, they'd do themselves a favor by zipping their lips, but I don't see that happening.

I do think it's interesting to watch Mike try to up his game to C50 levels while at the same time disparaging those who produced it. All the while talking nice-nice about "Cousin Brian."

Methinks there's been a power shift.

From now on I think it should be required to refer to the forces that keep Mike away from "Cousin Brian" as Homeland Security.

And yeah, all these guys have major cases of diarrhea of the mouth. They just cannot shut up. I kinda hate seeing all the bickering, but it's so rock and roll that I find it funny as well.