Brian's lyrical partners?

[the captain]

But those stupid ones are kind of great.

[grillo]

Bob Norberg wrote some of Brian's best early ballads with him. I'd love a compilation of all the demos they must have recorded while living together. Mike's the best, though.

[Jonas]

I'm gonna have to agree with Luther, Funky Pretty has some far out lyrics.

[mikeyj]

I'd say:

1) Mike Love - purely just because of the volume he wrote with Brian and while not all of them are good/great, there is too many good ones to ignore.
2) Tony Asher
3) Van Dyke Parks

In the end I think most of Brian's lyrical partners - excluding the likes of Landy, Joe Thomas etc.. - have been pretty good at writing lyrics that worked with Brian's music.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Brian Wilson & Jack Rieley - So Tough, Bruce

1. Marcella
2. Funky Pretty
3. My Solution
4. You Need A Mess Of Help To Stand Alone
5. A Day In The Life Of A Tree
6. Sail On Sailor
7. Til I Die
8. Sweet Mountain
9. Mt. Vernon & Fairway (A Fairy Tale)

Produced by Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, & David Sandler

#3 - never recall anyone claiming the lyrics for this: they sound pure BW to me.

#7 - Jack didn't write the lyric.

#8 - ditto.

[Mr. Cohen]

I think Mike Love's greatest strengths were his vocals and on stage presence. I don't think Brian needed Mike's lyrics to find commercial success. Sure, Mike wrote most of those early surfing lyrics, but Brian wrote "Surf City" completely without Mike's help, and that's one of the most recognizable songs of the surf music era. "Surfer Girl" was a top ten hit, and Mike had no hand in that. Most of the car songs, like "Little Deuce Coupe", were written without Mike Love, and though Mike wrote the lyrics to "Warmth of the Sun", Brian wrote other songs with similar moods, like "In My Room", without Mike. Don't get me wrong, Love's early lyrics were good in a commercial way, but not necessary.

His cocky, nasally delivery was very important though. Who else within the Beach Boys could've brought that attitude to those songs except Mike Love? "Surfin' USA", for one, wouldn't be the same without Mike's vocals. Brian's and Carl's voice at the time were too 'sweet', Dennis's lead singing wasn't strong enough yet, and Al... well, he's just Al. Nothing he could do about that. Maybe, just maybe, Al could've done it, but he lacked something Mike had in spades - cockiness. And say what you want about how corny Mike was on stage, but at least he brought a lot of personality to their sets. His dance moves, his silly comments, all brought color to their shows. The rest of the band looked as stiff as surf boards in their early performances. Without him, the shows just would've been kind of boring. Sometimes Brian would try to liven things up a bit, but he always seemed a little awkward on stage.

So, in conclusion, I don't really think Mike was that important of a lyrical partner. I'd go with this top three:

1. Tony Asher
2. Van Dyke Parks (I still think Song Cycle had his best lyrics)
3. Mike Love

[MBE]

I'd say:

1) Mike Love - purely just because of the volume he wrote with Brian and while not all of them are good/great, there is too many good ones to ignore.
2) Tony Asher
3) Van Dyke Parks

In the end I think most of Brian's lyrical partners - excluding the likes of Landy, Joe Thomas etc.. - have been pretty good at writing lyrics that worked with Brian's music.

Articulated completely the way I see it.

[MBE]

I"Surfin' USA", for one, wouldn't be the same without Mike's vocals. Brian's and Carl's voice at the time were too 'sweet', Dennis's lead singing wasn't strong enough yet, and Al... well, he's just Al. Nothing he could do about that. Maybe, just maybe, Al could've done it, but he lacked something Mike had in spades - cockiness.

Dave was there not Al.

[Mr. Cohen]

Oh yeah, forgot about that. David rocked, but he was practically a kid when the Beach Boys started. If they made him the lead singer, they could've been an early Menudo, maybe...

[juggler]

1.  Tony Asher
2.  Van Dyke Parks
3.  Reggie Dunbar

[Sheriff John Stone]

Brian Wilson & Jack Rieley - So Tough, Bruce

1. Marcella
2. Funky Pretty
3. My Solution
4. You Need A Mess Of Help To Stand Alone
5. A Day In The Life Of A Tree
6. Sail On Sailor
7. Til I Die
8. Sweet Mountain
9. Mt. Vernon & Fairway (A Fairy Tale)

Produced by Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, & David Sandler

#3 - never recall anyone claiming the lyrics for this: they sound pure BW to me.

#7 - Jack didn't write the lyric.

#8 - ditto.

I was just fooling around. Ha ha....I guess my "album title" could be a little misleading; I just rounded the comp out with other "creative" period pieces. I'd buy it.

[Mr. Cohen]

Yeah, I totally think there needs to be some comp of Brian's songs from 67-74, just to bring all of that amazing material to light. Too many people still think he stopped making music after "Heroes and Villains". If they could find one or two really cool Smile song acetates to put on it and promoted it in indie circles, it could actually sell, I think. I mean, come on, between Brian's personal collection of vintage Smile music he supposedly has, all of those acetates Van Dyke's ex-wife has, and those acetates of "H&V" and other Smile songs Al/Bruce say they have, there must be something out there they could put on it to give the comp that X factor. But, also, the people behind it would have to have some taste, and looking at most other BB comps, that's just not going to happen. I can dream, anyway...

[PrayForSurf]

IMHO, Reggie Dunbar  (aka Murry Wilson) may have given Brian the idea of a break away lyric but I doubt that he and Brian sat together at a piano and co-wrote the song. Maybe it was Brian's way of trying to extend an olive branch to his dad. I also doubt that neither Murry, the Beach Boys, nor Capitol Records read between the lines of the song- Brian was declaring his need to break away from the shackles that kept him from growing as a person, a producer (as opposed to a member of a band), and an artist. Too bad he had to break down rather than be "allowed" to break away.

Phil
PrayForSurfBlog.blogspot.com

[Andrew G. Doe]

Murry wrote pretty much all the lyric and, according to Brian, a little of the music.

[KokoMoses]

Incidentaly, I think the lyrics to Breakaway are the FINEST to have ever graced a Beach Boys track!!!

[Sheriff John Stone]

So, Brian Wilson has some SMiLE acetates of (maybe) music that nobody has or will ever hear. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

[MBE]

IMHO, Reggie Dunbar  (aka Murry Wilson) may have given Brian the idea of a break away lyric but I doubt that he and Brian sat together at a piano and co-wrote the song. Maybe it was Brian's way of trying to extend an olive branch to his dad. I also doubt that neither Murry, the Beach Boys, nor Capitol Records read between the lines of the song- Brian was declaring his need to break away from the shackles that kept him from growing as a person, a producer (as opposed to a member of a band), and an artist. Too bad he had to break down rather than be "allowed" to break away.

Phil
PrayForSurfBlog.blogspot.com

I have it from Brian direct that it was a full colaberation. Murry wrote most of the words, and during the Sunflower sessions Brian was getting along well with the group. He wanted to write them a hit not "Break Away" as it were. I think Leaf is the only one who wrote that about this song before.

[TdHabib]

I didn't really want this to become a "let's praise Mike and no one else" thread, but I thank everyone for their participation and if anyone still wants to list their top three, keep 'em coming.

[KokoMoses]

Hey now! We're praising Murray too!!!

[KokoMoses]

And it's a bit inevitable to overpraise Mike nowadays!

If more people found it possible to praise Van Dyke, Tony Asher, ect. WITHOUT having to blash Mike in the process....
it would be a happier world

[the captain]

If more people found it possible to praise Van Dyke, Tony Asher, ect. WITHOUT having to blash Mike in the process....
it would be a happier world

True, but as anyone (David Leaf, for example) would know, Van Dyke was a more worthy air to Brian's infinite genius, while Mike was a no-talent hack who happened to have been Brian's cousin and thus got lucky...and yes, I am kidding. 

[Andrew G. Doe]

IMHO, Reggie Dunbar  (aka Murry Wilson) may have given Brian the idea of a break away lyric but I doubt that he and Brian sat together at a piano and co-wrote the song. Maybe it was Brian's way of trying to extend an olive branch to his dad. I also doubt that neither Murry, the Beach Boys, nor Capitol Records read between the lines of the song- Brian was declaring his need to break away from the shackles that kept him from growing as a person, a producer (as opposed to a member of a band), and an artist. Too bad he had to break down rather than be "allowed" to break away.

Phil
PrayForSurfBlog.blogspot.com

I have it from Brian direct that it was a full colaberation. Murry wrote most of the words, and during the Sunflower sessions Brian was getting along well with the group. He wanted to write them a hit not "Break Away" as it were. I think Leaf is the only one who wrote that about this song before.

"Break Away" was released before the Add Some Music/Sunflower sessions.

[MBE]

Released before but if you consider "Forever" to be the start of that era (which I do) it's a part of them.