Mike as a composer

[shelter]

I assume that for a large majority of all the BB song that Mike co-wrote he only wrote lyrics... For which songs did he write music as well? Obviously for the songs he wrote on his own (Big Sur, Sumahama, Brian's Back, Everyone's In Love With You) and I believe also for Anna Lee The Healer and Let The Wind Blow? Any others?

[hypehat]

Apparently the dude can play a bit of guitar and piano, so something like Big Sur (at least the Holland version) isn't that difficult for the rudimentary musician. It's possible he gave a few chords to Brian or whoever and they fleshed it out, as sounds most likely on something like Let The Wind Blow - the verses are two chord things, but the bridges are more 'Wilson'. Where did you hear he wrote the music  for that?

[shelter]

It's possible he gave a few chords to Brian or whoever and they fleshed it out

Probably. I guess it must've been a bit like with Octopus's Garden: Ringo wrote the basic song and got the writing credit, but anyone can hear that it's got George's fingerprints all over it.

Where did you hear he wrote the music  for that?

From AGD's book: "Written mostly by Love, and rearranged by Brian Wilson"

[Andrew G. Doe]

Where did you hear he wrote the music  for that?

From AGD's book: "Written mostly by Love, and rearranged by Brian Wilson"

Well sh*t, must be true then.   

[oldsurferdude]

Clip clip here, clip clip there-oh my! This thread used to have a longer tail didn't it?

[Wirestone]

Just Chuck resetting the board so hopefully more people had access to it.

Allow me to fill in:

Sumahama is great!

No it's not!

Sure it is!

[oldsurferdude]

No, its not.

[Jason]

Michael as a composer....what a potential flame war catalyst.

Say what you want about the man's lyrics after 1973 and especially after 1978, but considering he wrote Let The Wind Blow mostly on his own and wrote Big Sur and Everyone's In Love With You on his own, I'll have a soft spot for Michael as a creative entity outside of the Wilson/Love partnership.

The group setting isn't really the best outlet for Michael Love, songwriter. That's to be found on First Love, Country Love, and the Celebration LPs. First Love consists mainly of solo Michael compositions, and it works very well. It's a lot more ambitious than MIU, which DID happen to come out the same year First Love was finished and left in a legal limbo. You can't go wrong with Too Cruel, You're Looking Better, I Don't Wanna Know, Brian's Back, Viggie, The Right Kind of Love, and Daybreak on First Love. Sumahama is more effective on First Love with the simpler arrangement. First Love is, overall, a 4 out of 5 in my book. It's Michael's best solo record by far.

Country Love...hmmmmm. It's hard to defend this one. I generally agree with the haters. It's about as "country" as Fox is "news". The lyrics are generally bad. Michael's very, very nasal on this one. The one bright spot for me is Everything I Touch Turns Into Tears. On a good day I can tolerate Rock 'n Roll Country Bride. Some Sweet Day is decent. Everyone's In Love With You, sure, it's hard to mess up that one, even with a faux-country arrangement.

The Celebration LPs are, after First Love, the best example of Michael working on his own. The Almost Summer soundtrack is a bit fluffy but the title track, Sad Sad Summer, and Cruisin' are all fun. The second LP has the same problem, a bit of fluff. Starbaby is one of Michael's BEST songs, helped by Paul Fauerso's vocal. She's Just Out To Get You is great. How's About A Little Bit is pleasant. Country Pie is a riot.

I know I'm coming off as a fangeek, but even knowing all the bad press about Michael as a "solo artist" I struggle to figure out what's so offensive about much of his solo stuff. Different strokes for different folks.

[Smilin Ed H]

LBWL is pretty awful.  Mike Love MOR/AOR.  First Lov e, however, is really rather good.  Take odd two or three tracks and replace them with the best of MIU and you have a far better album than MIU.  First Love's version of Sumahama would improve the Light Album. I prefer Country Love to LBWL and I enjoy the 'second' Celebration album, but the Almost Summer album does nothing for me.

[Matt H]

Anyone know why First Love didn't come out?  I know it is in "Legal Limbo," but why?  I agree it is much better than LBWL.

[tpesky]

I know no one else is credited on Everyone's In Love With You, but I have heard a few concerts recordings where Mile introduces the song and says he wrote it, but that he did have some help on it. I'm the same, some of Mike's solo stuff works, the less production and less nasal ones in particular sound good. When he gets too nasally and the lyrics get too stupid with overproduction, it fails.

[Don_Zabu]

"First Love" is pretty stupid and forgettable ("Too Cruel" sounds like it could be the theme song to a TGIF sitcom  ), but it's a lot better than I figured it would be.

[adamghost]

I think Mike is fine as a composer/lyricist when he writes about the things he really feels and cares about, instead of what he thinks people want to hear/will sell.  The latter of which is sadly, seems to be about 95% of what he writes, from my perspective.

[Paulos]

Posted this on another thread but got no reply so will try here: Whilst skimming through the latest ESQ I saw that Cool Head, Warm Heart and Love Like In Fairytales are noted as being 'from the forthcoming album: Mike Love, Not War'. So, is Mike actually planning to release MLNW at last? Will he do an Al and offer it via i-tunes?