things you like about Mike Love

[punkinhead]

-Big Sur (version 1 & holland)
-All I want to Do (live in Londone where he yells: "are you ready?!?!?" I can just see him struting like mcjagger)
-All I wanna Do vocals
-Sumahama, yeah, i actually kinda like this song.
-getcha back- I like better than Kokomo
-Male Ego vocals
-Monster Mash
-that's not me vocals
-here today
-his blend with Brian on Kiss Me baby
-nice vocals on Meant for you
-California Girls lead vocals, he nails it!

[I. Spaceman]

The lyrics of Fun Fun Fun, The Shift, Warmth Of The Sun, All I Wanna Do, I'm Waiting For The Day, Meant For You.

[LaurieBiagini]

His vocals and lyrical contributions.  His voice was essential to the Beach Boys sound.

[Ron]

I think Mike's bass vocals are just great on most of the BB's songs.  Definately his vocals were a highlight of their stuff early, and even much of the later stuff.  For instance the "beeeeen soooo lonnnngggg" during the turnaround part of "do it again". 

Although Mike obviously comes off as a jackass a lot, and he probably is much of the time, many times in interviews and things I've read over the years, he's one of the people who's not afraid to tell it like it is and just say whatever he thinks whether he's right or wrong.  I think that's admirable.

His commitment to the band cannot be questioned.  Above any other member, Mike has missed only a handful of shows and has successfully fronted the band for 40! years now. 

Although he often uses it to launch tirades or lawsuits at other associates, Mike has a certain 'tradionalist' attitude about the BB's music that I admire, too.

He helped write or solely wrote some of the greatest music of the 20th century.  I think that says a lot.  His songwriting skills will probably remain underestimated for a long time.  I know there's not much to many of their songs, but they are popular for a reason and part of that is the lyrical content of the songs.  He also has a few songs that he cowrote that are breathtakingly good, like Warmth of the Sun, Big Sur... even something like "When I Grow Up To Be A Man" has a simplistic beauty to it.  You can say "Will I dig the same things that turned me on as a kid? Will I look back and say that I wish I hadn't done what I did?" is insignificant, but I disagree... I think that's said about as well as you can say it.

[Daniel S.]

His voice was essential to the Beach Boys sound.

Exactly. Also, I love his lead vocals on That's Not Me and Here Today.

And the bass line to Good Vibrations is pretty bitchin'.

[Reverend Joshua Sloane]

His lyrics to Let The Wind Blow and all the other ones that knock us off our feet.

His experiments with facial hair were possibly more experimental than SMiLE 

So yes, his beard.

[Matinee Idyll]

His lyrics to Let The Wind Blow and all the other ones that knock us off our feet.

His experiments with facial hair were possibly more experimental than SMiLE 

So yes, his beard.

You haven't the heard the lyrics for the extended, alternate version of the song?

"...Let the beard grow..."

* Shuffles out quietly, disgusted with himself *

[Reverend Joshua Sloane]

haha!

To slightly break topic here, did anyone else think that the performance of Let The Wind Blow on the American Family movie seem very close to what a Brian solo version would sound like?

I watched it very late at night the other month and was convinced that they had used unheard dubs of these songs for the movie. Maybe I was too tired.

[Susan]

... did anyone else think that the performance of Let The Wind Blow on the American Family movie seem very close to what a Brian solo version would sound like?

I watched it very late at night the other month and was convinced that they had used unheard dubs of these songs for the movie. Maybe I was too tired.

Ask this in the Alan Boyd thread.  I think he had a role in putting together the music for this one.

[monkee knutz]

I like Mike Love's hat collection!  Until he started wearing baseball caps, that is.

[the captain]

His humility.

[sugarandspice]

does it have to be things you like?

[the captain]

does it have to be things you like?

Do "things you like about Mike Love" have to be things you like? I would think so, by definition.

[punkinhead]

forgot about him sportin the beard in Pet Sounds, made him look a lot more mature. then in the mid 70s when all the Beach Boys were hairy, Mike says, I told you it'd catch on

[king of anglia]

His penis.

[Aegir]

-How he acts out the song physically while he's singing it, it's so hillarious!
-The lyrics to Good Vibrations (even though Brian used the Tony Asher version for SMiLE, he still used the "I love the colorful clothes she wears" line, and the entire Mike Love chorus, much better than "I hope it's good, good, good, good vibrations, yeah!")
-The fact that he thinks he can play the saxophone
-This picture:

[JDShadow]

..his name gave birth to one of greatest bootleg titles ever--Mike Love Not War

[punkinhead]

Cheers to JDShadow, I highly agree with you, that's a great name

[Sir Rob]

The aching, poignant lyrics to Warmth of The Sun which perfectly match the melancholy of the melody.   

His distinctive voice in the mix of Beach Boys vocals.

 

 

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

What I don't like about Mike Love would be a much shorter list.  I love the man and everything he stands for.

[Sir Rob]

What I don't like about Mike Love would be a much shorter list.  I love the man and everything he stands for.

And what, in your opinion, does he stand for? 

[dennyfan]

The lyrics to Kiss Me Baby

[Mitchell]

-The pure joy he and Brian seemed to share in the early/mid-60s
-Devoted To You

[Jason]

What I don't like about Mike Love would be a much shorter list.  I love the man and everything he stands for.

And what, in your opinion, does he stand for? 

Man I knew you were gonna stink up this thread.

[Howdy Doody]

 I like him.  He is Mike Love.  He was the happy,upbeat guy.  Brian was always so damn depressed and all.  I think Mike Love was a fine promoter of meditation and very strict right-wing nutso philosophy.  His vocals as a whole were fairly redundant yet classic due to BW's gift touching them.  I do feel that when BW controlled ML's output it was put to better purpose and his vocals did add a low-end richness.  I like ML but in the context in which he is appropiately placed as far as his over-all value to the band.  I do feel he is very talented in his own way and deserves mine as well as your respect.  His R and R hall of fame speech is a hilarious classic.