Mike Love - Unleash the Love - Due November 17 - w/ 2nd Disc of BB Remakes

[HeyJude]

I bought a physical copy.

And I've been meaning to say, when looking through the liner notes there is a quite a bit of guitar playing credit for one Laurence Juber, former guitarist of Wings, most notably for their hit single "Goodnight Tonight" and the album Back to the Egg.

I'm surprised Mike hasn't been harping upon how awesome it is that he and Sir Paul have used the same guitarist.

My guess, and it's a total guess, is that the session musicians were chosen by the producer (presumably Michael Lloyd), and I wouldn't even be surprised, considering Mike's extensive touring schedule, that some of the backing track work was done without Mike present.

But yeah, Laurence Juber is an excellent guitarist (I've caught him several times at local record shops doing solo shows, usually promoting his Beatles/Wings solo acoustic albums; his solo version of "Strawberry Fields Forever" is still one of the best "Beatles covers" ever, and that's saying something), and Mike might well indeed have picked up a few extra guitar nerds by mentioning at some point that Juber was on the album.

It may or may not be a coincidence that Laurence Juber's brother-in-law is Ross Schwartz (son of Sherwood), who was up until recently one of the "Business Affairs" guys at BRI (you can see his name on a number of BB releases representing BRI).

[The LEGENDARY OSD]

I bought a physical copy.

And I've been meaning to say, when looking through the liner notes there is a quite a bit of guitar playing credit for one Laurence Juber, former guitarist of Wings, most notably for their hit single "Goodnight Tonight" and the album Back to the Egg.

I'm surprised Mike hasn't been harping upon how awesome it is that he and Sir Paul have used the same guitarist.

Give the King of All Namedroppers time. And don't be surprised if he slides into the I helped write "Back In The USSR" fable. 

[CenturyDeprived]

I bought a physical copy.

And I've been meaning to say, when looking through the liner notes there is a quite a bit of guitar playing credit for one Laurence Juber, former guitarist of Wings, most notably for their hit single "Goodnight Tonight" and the album Back to the Egg.

I'm surprised Mike hasn't been harping upon how awesome it is that he and Sir Paul have used the same guitarist.

My guess, and it's a total guess, is that the session musicians were chosen by the producer (presumably Michael Lloyd), and I wouldn't even be surprised, considering Mike's extensive touring schedule, that some of the backing track work was done without Mike present.

But yeah, Laurence Juber is an excellent guitarist (I've caught him several times at local record shops doing solo shows, usually promoting his Beatles/Wings solo acoustic albums; his solo version of "Strawberry Fields Forever" is still one of the best "Beatles covers" ever, and that's saying something), and Mike might well indeed have picked up a few extra guitar nerds by mentioning at some point that Juber was on the album.

It may or may not be a coincidence that Laurence Juber's brother-in-law is Ross Schwartz (son of Sherwood), who was up until recently one of the "Business Affairs" guys at BRI (you can see his name on a number of BB releases representing BRI).

Laurence Juber is also married to Hope (Schwartz) Juber, Sherwood’s daughter who played Greg Brady’s girlfriend on some Brady Bunch episodes. Plus, I just read that the aforementioned Ross Schwartz co-wrote the film Bottle Shock with Jody Savin and Randall Miller, the filmmakers who almost made the aborted Dennis Wilson biopic. Small world.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

I bought a physical copy.

And I've been meaning to say, when looking through the liner notes there is a quite a bit of guitar playing credit for one Laurence Juber, former guitarist of Wings, most notably for their hit single "Goodnight Tonight" and the album Back to the Egg.

I'm surprised Mike hasn't been harping upon how awesome it is that he and Sir Paul have used the same guitarist.

My guess, and it's a total guess, is that the session musicians were chosen by the producer (presumably Michael Lloyd), and I wouldn't even be surprised, considering Mike's extensive touring schedule, that some of the backing track work was done without Mike present.

But yeah, Laurence Juber is an excellent guitarist (I've caught him several times at local record shops doing solo shows, usually promoting his Beatles/Wings solo acoustic albums; his solo version of "Strawberry Fields Forever" is still one of the best "Beatles covers" ever, and that's saying something), and Mike might well indeed have picked up a few extra guitar nerds by mentioning at some point that Juber was on the album.

It may or may not be a coincidence that Laurence Juber's brother-in-law is Ross Schwartz (son of Sherwood), who was up until recently one of the "Business Affairs" guys at BRI (you can see his name on a number of BB releases representing BRI).

Laurence Juber is also married to Hope (Schwartz) Juber, Sherwood’s daughter who played Greg Brady’s girlfriend on some Brady Bunch episodes. Plus, I just read that the aforementioned Ross Schwartz co-wrote the film Bottle Shock with Jody Savin and Randall Miller, the filmmakers who almost made the aborted Dennis Wilson biopic. Small world.

Oh wow

[HeyJude]

Based on various BB liner notes, Ross Schwartz was kind of the de facto guy running BRI in between Elliott Lott and the current President, Jerry Schilling.

[CenturyDeprived]

I bought a physical copy.

And I've been meaning to say, when looking through the liner notes there is a quite a bit of guitar playing credit for one Laurence Juber, former guitarist of Wings, most notably for their hit single "Goodnight Tonight" and the album Back to the Egg.

I'm surprised Mike hasn't been harping upon how awesome it is that he and Sir Paul have used the same guitarist.

My guess, and it's a total guess, is that the session musicians were chosen by the producer (presumably Michael Lloyd), and I wouldn't even be surprised, considering Mike's extensive touring schedule, that some of the backing track work was done without Mike present.

But yeah, Laurence Juber is an excellent guitarist (I've caught him several times at local record shops doing solo shows, usually promoting his Beatles/Wings solo acoustic albums; his solo version of "Strawberry Fields Forever" is still one of the best "Beatles covers" ever, and that's saying something), and Mike might well indeed have picked up a few extra guitar nerds by mentioning at some point that Juber was on the album.

It may or may not be a coincidence that Laurence Juber's brother-in-law is Ross Schwartz (son of Sherwood), who was up until recently one of the "Business Affairs" guys at BRI (you can see his name on a number of BB releases representing BRI).

Laurence Juber is also married to Hope (Schwartz) Juber, Sherwood’s daughter who played Greg Brady’s girlfriend on some Brady Bunch episodes. Plus, I just read that the aforementioned Ross Schwartz co-wrote the film Bottle Shock with Jody Savin and Randall Miller, the filmmakers who almost made the aborted Dennis Wilson biopic. Small world.

Oh wow

It's fascinating how The Brady Bunch, Gilligan's Island, and I Love Lucy (via Desi Jr./Billy Hinsche) are all just a couple of degrees connected from The BBs. And then of course, separately, there's also Maureen "Marcia Brady" McCormick being a client of Dr. Landy.

[guitarfool2002]

It's pretty miraculous that Mike Love got a record deal in the first place to release an album of new material. Old-timers from the Sixties are usually told by the industry these days, "either rerecord the old hits as duets or make an album where you cover famous songs from other artists". It's obvious the second disc had to be included in order for the company to agree to release the new material, but we can just disregard it and at least we got a whole LP of new material!

It's ok of course to not like the CD but I do wonder: will those who wish the CD didn't even exist be happy when ML and all of the other BBs are dead -- which will be the case in just a few years -- and there can never be ANY new material from any of them, including Mike? I think it's great that there even IS new solo BB material being released; even if it's not grade-A music, it's better than what awaits all of us as fans, which is no new material, ever, when they finally pass away.

I am glad Mike is trying to release new music, I just wish he would avoid Autotune and not be a gigantic hypocrite about the issue. And the curry line is beyond embarrassing.

Any response to my comparison of the curry line and a watermelon/chitlin comment? That type of reference done in a stereotypical black butler 1930s type voice would be perfectly fine in your eyes too at the end of a song by Mike?

Tumbleweeds from kreen...

He/she also never answered why he would constantly slag off Brian and his newer music while saying, "we should be happy the guys are still around making music!"

Sure is odd.

It may be odd but isn't surprising at all. It's been happening for years. It's called hypocrisy.

Spot on comment by the way.

Whenever confronted with fact, truth, or common sense, some posters have a habit of either playing the card of taking personal shots at others, or simply disappearing and never responding. Oh, and filibustering by spewing inane circular logic that goes nowhere instead of addressing the issues. Just like politicians. Who I also have no time for.

At least politicians don't use the "It's all about the music!...We love all the guys!" talking point.

[Lonely Summer]

I bought a physical copy.

And I've been meaning to say, when looking through the liner notes there is a quite a bit of guitar playing credit for one Laurence Juber, former guitarist of Wings, most notably for their hit single "Goodnight Tonight" and the album Back to the Egg.

I'm surprised Mike hasn't been harping upon how awesome it is that he and Sir Paul have used the same guitarist.

Give the King of All Namedroppers time. And don't be surprised if he slides into the I helped write "Back In The USSR" fable. 

Mike gave McCartney the idea that Wings should do a disco single. Paul said "you gotta be kidding me!" and Mike responded "not at all, in fact, we just cut one ourselves, it's called Here Comes the Night".
Well, that did it! Paul immediately rung up Denny, Laurence and Steve, and said "we're cutting a disco track - tonight!" Denny replied "Tonight? Goodnight!" and hung up the phone.
And there was the song title.
 

[Pablo.]

Congartulations Mike, you've forced the Uncut magazine staff to explore the seldom-visited lower grades of their grading system:

Mike Love
Unleash The Love
BMG
3/10

Pickin’ up bad vibrations

Mike Love has been perhaps unfairly cast as a villain in The Beach Boys’ story, but lately he seems to be embracing that role. First was the preening memoir that gave him too much credit for the band’s accomplishments, and now comes an unctuous solo album mixing flaccid new songs with slick retreads of classics. The harmonies can still be moving, as on “Getcha Back”, but Love’s vocals are so heavily Auto-Tuned that he often sounds like a cyborg rusting in the surf. Worst is “Ram Raj”, a vaguely Eastern number that ends with an offensive stereotype inviting us all out for curry. STEPHEN DEUSNER

[Pablo.]

Some stray notes from myself. I was listening to some Van Morrison when I decided to finally hear the whole 2 discs, starting with the 2nd disc: must be a masochist. I never write a professional review before at least three plays; this will not be the case since I don't see any reason to listen to that 2nd disc again, except in a forensic way.

Haven't listened to the bootleged Unleash The Love / Mike Love not War in 10000 years (pun intended). This version: nothing too embarassing and some really nice moments (Ram Raj, really, in spite of the silly "curry" tag), despite some poor judgement choices during mixing.

But the second record, oh, man...It's not only the ridiculous autotune (more subtle on disc 1), it's also that damn overcompression so pervasive in today's music (and, worringly, on today's remasters of classic records): EVERYTHING IS LOUDER THAN EVERYTHING ELSE.


If you bear in mind that one of the keys of Cal Girls beign a perfect production is Brian making Mike triplicate his voice, it's terribly cheap what Mike and his producer made on this remake. It's not even good old ADT, more like an obnoxious autotune trying to make you not notice the decay on Mike's voice. Even the background vocals at the coda have the autotune shrill. Do they really think that this  is gonna make them sell more records / get more airplay?

The RoboLove/RoboMcGrath/RoboStamos on DIA is a bloody disgrace. More than think he Mike is shooting his own foot, I find this an insult to Brian's work. (something that he's been doing at least since he remade Surfin for SIP)

IGA: Did someone -by someone I mean a professional musician/record maker with a sense of dignity, now I'm reading that Lloyd has a Grammy???- really OK'ed that lead vocal track?

Brian's back: despite the not-so-autentic feelings, this song always had for me some kind of charm. Of course, the best part always was was Carl's. But the lowered Cal Girls quote on the intro, just four tracks after starting the disc with that song? Gee, what a sense of pacing. Over gated/reverbered snare on the Spector-like drum beat, another production crime.

Darlín: K-Tel for the 21st century.

GV: I get embarassed with the popping and hissing in some of my bedroom recordings. But hey, they are not recorded/mixed on a professional enviroment. What's Lloyd's excuse for this excruciating intro?


Oh, by the way: Why no friggin Kokomo? Does he feel that he can improve over Brian's originals but the Melcher production of Kokomo is perfect as it is? (in a certain way he'd be right: Carl was by a mile the saving grace of that song)

Let's face it: The Beach Boys may be the band where the lead singer (ie: the one who doens't play any instrument) is the least atractive voice of the bunch (exception made of his baritone/bass parts on the harmony stack). Really, for the last 40 he has done very, very, few lead singing of value (All I wanna do might be his all-time peak) but he has a bunch of fine leads on disc one (Pisces brothers - but what about all that digital reverb on the backgrounds?). Sometimes he still pulls off a powerful bass (Daybreak over the ocean, but of course that wasn't a recent performance).  But one thing is  having to deal with than unpleasent, nasal voice, and other thing is the rest of production crimes perpetrated on this record. Add to this  the moral questions raised (that sticker, the malpractise he acussed Brimel of doing with the Mail on  Sunday cd, the atrocious autotune since badmouthing Brian for using it on NPP), and I can't help but remember Dennis' opinion of the MIU Album.

[Jim V.]

You know, after a few weeks of listening to the album, I must admit...

It's just not that good. I really did want to like it. And don't get me wrong. There are a few songs I kinda liked. "Cool Head, Warm Heart", "I Don't Wanna Know", "Too Cruel", "Daybreak Over The Ocean", maybe even "Getcha Back." There's even a tune or two on the second disc that I really like, but I ain't gonna say the title, cuz I'll lose what little credibility I have left in this community if I do.

But besides that stuff, the rest is mostly fuckin' dire. And I realized it after listening to some really classic material by great artists. Most of the stuff on Mike's album is just not good music and sometimes you need a refresher to remember what good music really is. Indeed the same thing happens to me when I get a little too deep into listening to an artist's outtakes collections. Usually there are good reasons why artists choose to release something and leave other things unfinished or on the cutting room floor. Now obviously, SMiLE and a heck of a lot of Bob Dylan prove that thesis wrong, but a lot of the time, it's true.

[NateRuvin]

I'll say it---- I don't mind disc one. After living with it, I like it. (except for Only One Earth). Once I got past the autotune, I started to really enjoy it. It's a nice batch of songs.

I like a couple of the songs of disc two (Brian's Back, Kiss Me Baby, Wild Honey, WIBN) but the rest of them are sh*t.


If the production was better, (let's say Paul Fauerso, hell, even Joe Thomas) this would have been a great album.

I wonder how the album would have sounded if Bruce produced it? We all know he's one hell of a producer (listen to Bruce & Terry if you need proof). I bet if Bruce really put his all into producing Mike's record, he could have done a great job.

But we all know that Bruce is happy just singing and playing keys in Mike's band, and doesn't have much other ambition, so that would never happen.

[Lonely Summer]

I'll say it---- I don't mind disc one. After living with it, I like it. (except for Only One Earth). Once I got past the autotune, I started to really enjoy it. It's a nice batch of songs.

I like a couple of the songs of disc two (Brian's Back, Kiss Me Baby, Wild Honey, WIBN) but the rest of them are sh*t.


If the production was better, (let's say Paul Fauerso, hell, even Joe Thomas) this would have been a great album.

I wonder how the album would have sounded if Bruce produced it? We all know he's one hell of a producer (listen to Bruce & Terry if you need proof). I bet if Bruce really put his all into producing Mike's record, he could have done a great job.

But we all know that Bruce is happy just singing and playing keys in Mike's band, and doesn't have much other ambition, so that would never happen.

Bruce is a great producer? Have you heard Keepin'  the Summer Alive? 

[HeyJude]

I'll say it---- I don't mind disc one. After living with it, I like it. (except for Only One Earth). Once I got past the autotune, I started to really enjoy it. It's a nice batch of songs.

I like a couple of the songs of disc two (Brian's Back, Kiss Me Baby, Wild Honey, WIBN) but the rest of them are sh*t.


If the production was better, (let's say Paul Fauerso, hell, even Joe Thomas) this would have been a great album.

I wonder how the album would have sounded if Bruce produced it? We all know he's one hell of a producer (listen to Bruce & Terry if you need proof). I bet if Bruce really put his all into producing Mike's record, he could have done a great job.

But we all know that Bruce is happy just singing and playing keys in Mike's band, and doesn't have much other ambition, so that would never happen.

I suspect one of the reasons Michael Lloyd's production work on "Unleash" is kind of "meh" at best is that he's not exactly an A-list, super-active producer in tune with what would work in a "modern" setting for a legacy artist. All of that applies even more to Bruce, who hasn't been an active, industry producer in probably 40 years, and whose latter-day production work on BB albums is questionable at best.

Compare his limp, zero-balls production and mix of the title track "Keepin' the Summer Alive" to how it sounded on the 1980 tour. The band still could have used more of a hard edge on the true rock numbers like that during their tours, but the song sounded a million times better live.

I dig some of Bruce's work in that era; love his backing vocals on "Full Sail." But by that point in time he wasn't a great producer, and certainly wasn't in tune with what fans wanted *or* what could be a hit. His sensibilities in later years don't display any improvement in any of these regards. He didn't like the 90s Brian/Andy Paley material.

I'm not even 100% sure Bruce would know his way around a studio anymore. Has he done any significant production work in the modern, digital, Pro-Tools era? Yes, I know an engineer can handle most of that stuff while the producer does his thing, but it's another thing worth thinking about.

[B.E.]

I'm not even 100% sure Bruce would know his way around a studio anymore. Has he done any significant production work in the modern, digital, Pro-Tools era? Yes, I know an engineer can handle most of that stuff while the producer does his thing, but it's another thing worth thinking about.

This might also contribute to Brian’s use of co-producers at times during his solo career. I don’t think it’s a significant factor, though.

[NateRuvin]

I don't think Brian knows how to work Pro Tools or which mic to use in a certain situation, but that's what he has engineers for. He was given sole producer's credit on TLOS, Gershwin, Disney, and TWGMTR even though we all know he wasn't sitting at the computer futzing with plugins. But, that's not what a producer is. A producer is like a coach or director of a film. I'm a producer, and the way I describe it, I try to get my artist to be the best they can be.

I know Bruce has had many questionable production moments (LA, KTSA, for example), but I think for every bad moment he's had as a producer, he's had a good one too (Bruce & Terry, Surfin' Round The World, his contributions to Sunflower). I'm not saying Bruce would have been my number one choice to produce Unleash The Love, but it was just an idea that floated into my head. I think if Brian and Joe Thomas gave this album the Imagination/TWGMTR/NPP treatment, the album would be much better.

[HeyJude]

I don't think Brian knows how to work Pro Tools or which mic to use in a certain situation, but that's what he has engineers for.

While I wouldn't doubt that Brian doesn't get hands-on with Pro-Tools down to the editing, etc., I'm pretty sure he would still have knowledge and opinions about which mics to use. In many cases, they're using the same Neumann and other mics (and their various derivatives) that they were using in the 60s.

Producer roles vary from project to project and artist to artist. Sometimes a producer is very nuts-and-bolts and is used/needed more for the functional side of recording, almost a "Head Engineer." On the complete other side, some producers veer into A&R territory and help the artist in vetting material, etc. A guy like George Martin with the Beatles morphed. He started out telling them what to do, helping in vetting material, and within a few years was being used to facilitate what McCartney and the other Beatles wanted to do. He wasn't telling Lennon not to put "Revolution 9" on the White Album, etc.

Nigel Godrich and George Martin told McCartney which tracks stunk and which were good. Jeff Lynne probably not so much.

Some producers become a near adjunct member of the band. See Jeff Lynne on Tom Petty's "Full Moon Fever", and then how the other Heartbreakers felt when Petty attempted to integrate Lynne into the full band. Other producers can't or don't even play or sing anything and just oversee. And so on. 

[guitarfool2002]

The way Brian recorded a lot of Smiley Smile and Wild Honey was the way ProTools and any number of DAW digital recording programs are designed and used today. I won't say he invented it, the working method of recording and editing that way, that would be wrong, but the way he recorded in sections, reused tracks across multiple verses and choruses, and edited all of that into a song is how most users of DAW programs make music on those programs.

I think the guy also knows the difference between a U47, a C12, and an RCA 44 or 78 mic.

[BeachBoysCovers]

Amazon has pushed the UK CD release back to February. 

[The LEGENDARY OSD]

Just checked the Billboard charts. That pile of dove dung is nowhere to be found. 

[B.E.]

...and the board can now rejoice - a verified purchaser has left a 1 star review!

[guitarfool2002]

Those "reviews"...one of the 5-star posts sounds as if it came direct from Mike's PR offices, but I'll leave it at that. Easy to see which one.

Just a tip: Anyone can comment on the reviews. Look for the blue "comment" icon at the bottom left of each review that gets posted, and you'll be able to reply to the reviews and also read the unfiltered replies. People have been replying.

At least until Amazon also removes that feature if it gets too negative for Mike.

[HeyJude]

I love the Five-Star review that's written to sound like Butthead from "Beavis and Butthead":

"Unfortunately some people who know very very little about the Beach Boys have a vague notion that Mike Love is a demonic figure who, like sued Brian Wilson or something like that....."

[CenturyDeprived]

I love the Five-Star review that's written to sound like Butthead from "Beavis and Butthead":

"Unfortunately some people who know very very little about the Beach Boys have a vague notion that Mike Love is a demonic figure who, like sued Brian Wilson or something like that....."

The reviewer forgot to mention the part where Mike omitted the lawsuit's existence from his autobio.

Cool Butthead, Warm Fart

[rab2591]

“Many people who are committed to loving Brian Wilson in particular and considering him to be the sole inspirational source of the Beach Boys will willingly but recklessly disparage Mike Love.”

Man this reviewer covers all the bases.

He also thinks, from his review of Mike’s book, that Mike “is one of the most demonized figures in music history for very weak reasons.” and thinks that Mike only sued Brian once (probably because Mike never mentions the 2005 lawsuit in his book).

He gives Brian’s Gershwin album 2 stars but Unleash the Love 5. Definitely listen to this man for an honest review