Looking Back With Love - The 1st solo album of a Beach Boys' member

[Yorick]

How come they could make such a mistake? Anyone know?

[The Heartical Don]

How come they could make such a mistake? Anyone know?

I don't know, honest. But for my own good and well-being I decided long ago that I would never have it in the house, nor listen to it. Up until now I successfully evaded it, never heard one note of it.

[Andrew G. Doe]

1st solo album ?

In my universe, 1977 comes before 1981.

[Yorick]

Yeah that's why I was wondering how come the album cover says it's the first solo album by a Beach Boys member, since it is so well known Dennis beat him to it (not that it were a match).

[chris.metcalfe]

I've always rather liked this album. Especially the Abba song - somehow it seems appropriate that ML would have empathy for writers whose relationship with the English language is somewhat... distant. Sounds good too. I admire POB a lot (more so since 2008) but always found it a rather depressing listen back then. This always cheers me up. But it's probably my guiltiest pleasure (musically).

[8o8o]

It should say "The 1st solo album of a Beach Boys member you should avoid at all costs", then it would make sense.

[smile-holland]

I don't know, honest. But for my own good and well-being I decided long ago that I would never have it in the house, nor listen to it. Up until now I successfully evaded it, never heard one note of it.

You should try. Really! Your life will never be the same after that.

[John Manning]

I've always rather liked this album. Especially the Abba song ...

Is this still the only track off LBWL to have been given a digital release? (on an ABBA tribute album)

[The Heartical Don]

I don't know, honest. But for my own good and well-being I decided long ago that I would never have it in the house, nor listen to it. Up until now I successfully evaded it, never heard one note of it.

You should try. Really! Your life will never be the same after that.

That's what the sex change surgeon said to me too... 

[the captain]

Go ahead and give it a try as long as you don't fool yourself. For me, it was one of the last listens of BB-related stuff, and knowing there wasn't a lot else (officially) to hear, I was trying to fool myself. "There's sure to be a hidden gem or two. It's probably actually pretty good." Yeah, uh ... no. It is what you'd think it would be.

[smile-holland]

I don't know, honest. But for my own good and well-being I decided long ago that I would never have it in the house, nor listen to it. Up until now I successfully evaded it, never heard one note of it.

You should try. Really! Your life will never be the same after that.

That's what the sex change surgeon said to me too... 

And? was he/she right? 

[the captain]

Well I'll say this: this thread hasn't convinced me to go find another copy of Looking Back With Love, but perhaps I'll check out the yellow pages to find a talented surgeon.

[The Heartical Don]

I don't know, honest. But for my own good and well-being I decided long ago that I would never have it in the house, nor listen to it. Up until now I successfully evaded it, never heard one note of it.

You should try. Really! Your life will never be the same after that.

That's what the sex change surgeon said to me too... 

And? was he/she right? 

I wouldn't know... she was so gorgeous that she convinced me for once and all that I should continue being of the male persuasion.

...but various attempts to persuade her to put her body where here mouth was failed miserably...

[The Heartical Don]

Well I'll say this: this thread hasn't convinced me to go find another copy of Looking Back With Love, but perhaps I'll check out the yellow pages to find a talented surgeon.

Luther! How can we ever become a gay couple if you take that route, sweetie? 

[Sheriff John Stone]

Looking Back With Love obviously wasn't a great album. One could argue if it's a good album. But, I think it's an OK album. I don't think it's a bad album.

With the two Celebration albums, and one Beach Boys' album per year from 1976-1980, Mike was really trying to cash in; he must've sensed that the Endless Summer/Spirit Of America bump wasn't going to last much longer. And it didn't.

There's some decent songs on the album - the title song (there was a video with it, I believe), "Be My Baby", "Running Around The World", "and "Calendar Girl". There were some nice touches in "Teach Me Tonight" and "Paradise Found". The album sounded good, and Mike sounded like, well, Mike Love. If you were a Beach Boys' nut back then, you could find some enjoyment in this album. The biggest drawback was that the album didn't rock, it was a post-disco, early 80's synthesizer driven "pop" album. When the Beach Boys' members diid solo albums (with POB being the exception), something got lost. In this case, it was rock and roll....     

[punkinhead]

Mike Love is the only guy I'd know who'd sing goodvibrations/assassinations.....sigh...what a rhyme

[c-man]

1st solo album ?

In my universe, 1977 comes before 1981.

...and March '81 comes before October '81...

[Loaf]

It is awful awful awful. The music is the aural equivalent of the album cover.

Poorly under-produced, criminal lyrics, horrendous nasal singing. I paid £2 for it on vinyl.

The ABBA song is enjoyable, though.

[smile-holland]

I don't mind listening to "Paradise Found"... but then again, I even bought a South African pressing recently, so you can give up on me anyway... 

[Jon Stebbins]

Nice how it is immediately promoted with an outright lie. To me LBWL has always ranked among the handful of worst BB's related releases along with Bruce's Going Public. However, its standing might have improved with the subsequent releases of Summer in Paradise and Gettin' In Over My Head. Someone said the cover says it all, and I agree, if the cover doesn't turn your stomach then you might actually like to hear it. To me its a symbol of all that was squandered between Holland and the moment LBWL was released. Pretty much everything that was cool about the BB's was history at this point.

[Aegir]

My copy doesn't say "First solo album of a Beach Boys member" on it. That must be a sticker put on by someone way down the line.

And if we wanna get technical, the first solo album released by a member of the Beach Boys was Surfin' 'Round the World by Bruce Johnston, but that was before he joined, so I guess that doesn't count.

[the captain]

Nice how it is immediately promoted with an outright lie. To me LBWL has always ranked among the handful of worst BB's related releases along with Bruce's Going Public. However, its standing might have improved with the subsequent releases of Summer in Paradise and Gettin' In Over My Head. Someone said the cover says it all, and I agree, if the cover doesn't turn your stomach then you might actually like to hear it. To me its a symbol of all that was squandered between Holland and the moment LBWL was released. Pretty much everything that was cool about the BB's was history at this point.

I pretty rarely agree with you, Jon, but we're two peas in a pod on this one.

[phirnis]

I have the 7" of Be My Baby/Teach Me Tonight but never bothered to play it though I've heard that Brian's helped a bit on the Ronettes cover.

Heard the title track and On And On And On on another occasion and while the Abba song struck me as rather inoffensive, the title tune sure is to these ears one of the most laughable pieces ever recorded by one of the Beach Boys.
Always struck me as kind of weird that Mike would make a solo record with only one writing credit attributed to himself, by the way. Seems like he didn't have that much to say at that point.

[Aegir]

Well, he had recorded two albums full of material he wrote all by himself in years previous, but they never got released, probably because no label wanted to put it out. While I personally enjoy those two (and his 2004 solo album, too) better than this one, I don't think it's a surprise that the only one of his solo albums to see official release is the only one where the majority of the songs were written by someone else.

[phirnis]

First Love and Country Love certainly both have their moments, most notably in terms of melodies, which I find to be rather pleasant from time to time. That said, I can totally see why not one single record company would want to release Rock'n'Roll Country Bride.

Haven't heard too many songs off Unleash The Love but Pisces Brothers seemed quite enjoyable (while overly sentimental) to me and in my book Cool Head Warm Heart would even cut a fine figure as a Beach Boys song.