The Christmas Creation of M.I.U.

[ThyRavenAscend]

Re-cap: the BBs record a Christmas album; said Xmas album gets rejected by their label; the BB's overdubbed non-holiday vocals; M.I.U. releases.

M.I.U. stands out in the BBs catalogue; it is unique (though it does remind me a bit of Sunflower).  When I first listened to it, I did not know that it was originally recorded as a Xmas album.  I had previously heard the "Melekalikimaka" version of "Kona Coast", so "Kona Coast" was ruined for me; I'll never really be able to listen to that song as "objectively" as I'd like to.  Thankfully, I was able to listen to the rest of the album without realizing that it was originally a Xmas record.

In my mind, when bands write original Xmas songs, there's a certain "Xmas feel" that carries a certain amount of inescapable cheeze. And Xmas albums are not really in the same category as other LPs because of that (and because of the usual Xmas cover songs).  When I found out later that M.I.U. was indeed recorded as a Xmas record, its pervasive sleigh bells made sense.

But here's what I'm trying to get at: M.I.U. only sounds as great & unique as it does because it was recorded as a Xmas album.  If, instead of recording a Xmas album, the BBs set out to record just another LP, I'm not sure it would have sounded at all like M.I.U. does.  In my opinion, it's the last great BBs album--but maybe it would've sucked if they approached it like they ended up approaching their subsequent albums!

And that's why I'm glad it all happened this way, in a way that I wouldn't have expected it to happen: because M.I.U. is frickin' fantastic.

Anyone else know what I'm sayin' here?  You pickin' up what I'm throwin' down? 

[Summer_Days]

How does M.I.U. remind you of Sunflower?!?

I wonder if I would've liked the Christmas album better...I do like some of the tracks from those sessions on the Ultimate Christmas CD. And I can't stand M.I.U., so...

[ThyRavenAscend]

How does M.I.U. remind you of Sunflower?!?

It's not a close comparison by any means lol.  Firstly, there's just a feel I can't explain that connects the two albums in my mind; secondly, they're these tidbits of comparison:

-Boisterous openers ("Slip on Through", "She's Got Rhythm")
-Carl-led songs about sweet love ("Our Sweet Love", "Sweet Sunday Kinda Love")
-"Pitter Patter's" group vocals sound like group vocals on "Sunflower"
-Each album has a sappy-but-good song ("Tears in the Morning", "Winds of Change")
-Dennis-led ballads near the close ("Forever", "My Diane")

[Please delete my account]

"Belles of Paris" makes no sense as a Parisian song: where's the sophistication, the accordions?

But as "Bells of Christmas" it suddenly makes sense and is great.

[bringahorseinhere?]

i know MIU cops a lot of flack with SIP & KTSA albums......... but I dig the album......

I think the vocals are exceptional from everyone here..... Brians' vocal on She's got Rhythm is spine tingling........ that 70's falsetto....
shows he could still hit the notes with that 'whine' only Brian has...
Actually Brian sounds so good on the whole album...... better performances than his previous 'love you' period..
Carl sounds 'sweet' on 'sweet sunday'......
Al sounds as good as ever on 'winds of change'....... his voice continues to sparkle....... glad he stayed on in the group and not Dave Marks..... Sorry Dave...

My Diane is so 'Pet Sounds' ..... kinda has that 'caroline no' vibe goin on there.......

the weakest song to me, even thou I still will listen to, is Peggy Sue........... just not a fan of what they did with this...... but I cant help but sing with
'come go with me'.......

Yeah! Good Record!   

RickB

[Tony S]

MIU and Sunflower in the same comparison? Wow. Not to my ears. Sunflower, to me, has always been the group's "best" release....a truly group effort where everyone shined. The fact that it didn't do well commercially means nothing to me.....had to do with the times and their image more than anything else. But to me, Sunflower was the high water mark of their careers as a Group! MIU.......yes, the singing was mostly good, but the songs........oh boy!

[Micha]

MIU reminds me of Sunflower in a way that LA reminds me of Surf's Up, so I can get where the comparison is coming from. Of course Sunflower is by far the best album of the four, even if i do like MIU, I skip several tracks when listening to MIU.

[SonicVolcano]

Pitter Patter and My Diane are two gems.

[punkinhead]

I've always had a little something for MIU, Ever since I got twofer for Christmas around 10 years ago, And a week later I was sick in bed, I had that twofer on nonstop. I think vocals wise, it is the last great beach boys album.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Re-cap: the BBs record a Christmas album; said Xmas album gets rejected by their label; the BB's overdubbed non-holiday vocals; M.I.U. releases.

Accurate recap - didn't happen that way at all. Seasonal and non-seasonal tracks recorded simultaneously. Don't believe me ?

Gigs & sessions 1977

[Bicyclerider]

The genesis of MIU is far more complicated than you suggest.  They didn't record Xmas songs and then after rejection of the album rerecord MIU vocals.  Check out AGD's session chronology - they were recording Xmas and non Xmas songs simultaneously.  They owed Reprise one more album, and we're eager to start work on the first Caribou album.  I suspect they were planning the Xmas album for Reprise and the new stuff for Caribou.  Bells of Christmas was changed fairly late in the sessions to Bells of Paris, this may have come after a rejection of the Xmas concept, but Kona and Melika were done around the same time early on.  Maybe they were undecided which version to use, were hedging their bets, or thought they could use the Xmas version for Reprise and the same track non Christmas for Caribou?  They didn't have a lot of material so that would be a quick fix and efficient use of the studio - an idea Mike would love and maybe came up with!

[Bicyclerider]

Andrew - beat me to it.  Welcome back!!!

[phirnis]

I love 15 Big Ones and L.A. Light, neither of which has ever been a huge favorite among most fans. But M.I.U. I consider an album that actually deserves its bad reputation to a certain extent. This record has some of the most unimaginative backing tracks of the group's entire career. The instrumentation is just so very basic and not in a way that's actually charming.

[RangeRoverA1]

With all respect to the original poster, M.I.U. doesn't remind me of any BBs record, including Sunflower. Despite having iconic harmonies & other BBs-related features, it differs by a long mile & I say it in a good way. I can understand that people might not dig L.A. (LA), KTSA, self-titled, SIP but M.I.U.? No. That's why it's maybe the most underrated album in the band's catalog.

"Christmas" songs are good (Winter Symphony's my special fave), yet it is known that holiday music is usually one-sided & traditionally structured. So I prefer M.I.U., of course. Alone for Pitter Patter & Wontcha Come Out Tonight.

[ThyRavenAscend]

Re-cap: the BBs record a Christmas album; said Xmas album gets rejected by their label; the BB's overdubbed non-holiday vocals; M.I.U. releases.

Accurate recap - didn't happen that way at all. Seasonal and non-seasonal tracks recorded simultaneously. Don't believe me ?

Gigs & sessions 1977

I believe you, friend.    I s'pose I've only read the abridged history concerning this album--thanks for the heads up!

[Andrew G. Doe]

Not a problem - until I got the info from the MIU AFM sheets, that's what I thought too. 

[Nicko1234]

The genesis of MIU is far more complicated than you suggest.  They didn't record Xmas songs and then after rejection of the album rerecord MIU vocals.  Check out AGD's session chronology - they were recording Xmas and non Xmas songs simultaneously.  They owed Reprise one more album, and we're eager to start work on the first Caribou album.  I suspect they were planning the Xmas album for Reprise and the new stuff for Caribou.  Bells of Christmas was changed fairly late in the sessions to Bells of Paris, this may have come after a rejection of the Xmas concept, but Kona and Melika were done around the same time early on.  Maybe they were undecided which version to use, were hedging their bets, or thought they could use the Xmas version for Reprise and the same track non Christmas for Caribou?  They didn't have a lot of material so that would be a quick fix and efficient use of the studio - an idea Mike would love and maybe came up with!

I find it hard to believe that they were thinking about releasing BOTH Melekalikimaka (spelling?) and Kona Coast...

[Don Malcolm]

The genesis of MIU is far more complicated than you suggest.  They didn't record Xmas songs and then after rejection of the album rerecord MIU vocals.  Check out AGD's session chronology - they were recording Xmas and non Xmas songs simultaneously.  They owed Reprise one more album, and we're eager to start work on the first Caribou album.  I suspect they were planning the Xmas album for Reprise and the new stuff for Caribou.  Bells of Christmas was changed fairly late in the sessions to Bells of Paris, this may have come after a rejection of the Xmas concept, but Kona and Melika were done around the same time early on.  Maybe they were undecided which version to use, were hedging their bets, or thought they could use the Xmas version for Reprise and the same track non Christmas for Caribou?  They didn't have a lot of material so that would be a quick fix and efficient use of the studio - an idea Mike would love and maybe came up with!

I find it hard to believe that they were thinking about releasing BOTH Melekalikimaka (spelling?) and Kona Coast...

Hey...what two different record companies don't know won't hurt them.... 

Though one can only imagine what Walter Yetnikoff would've said about it once he found out.... 

[Will C.]

"Gentlemen, I think we've been Hana ma'i'd"

http://nawcom.com/swearing/hawaiian.htm

(closest I could find)

[Gabo]

ive never heard MIU... i don't think I ever will

[ThyRavenAscend]

MIU reminds me of Sunflower in a way that LA reminds me of Surf's Up, so I can get where the comparison is coming from. Of course Sunflower is by far the best album of the four, even if i do like MIU, I skip several tracks when listening to MIU.

Now that you mention it, L.A. reminds me of Surf's Up, too: both albums feel like a hodge-podge collection of songs with little fluidity.  Though, as you said, Sunflower is way better than MIU, and Surf's Up is way better than L.A.  I do wonder if the comparisons seem stronger to me than they actually are simply because I was introduced to all of these albums in their respective twofer releases...

[phirnis]

ive never heard MIU... i don't think I ever will

It's worth hearing for "My Diane" and, to a lesser extent, "Pitter Patter" and "Hey Little Tomboy".

[Lonely Summer]

Not nearly enough Carl - or Dennis, for that matter - on MIU to satisfy me. And Brian's falsetto lead on "She's Got Rhythm" makes me cringe! Awful vocal, awful song! No comparison with Sunflower which is a nearly perfect album, probably the most balanced in terms of sharing lead vocals, writing credits, etc. In fact, I listen to Sunflower more often than Pet Sounds and SMiLE. I think the closest they came to a Sunflower, Part 2, was LA.

[Rocky Raccoon]

ive never heard MIU... i don't think I ever will

It's not nearly as bad as its reputation would suggest.

The first half of the album is pretty bad though it has its moments but the second half is actually pretty decent.  "Sweet Sunday Kinda Love" is pretty good with a lovely Carl vocal (his only lead on the entire album) and "Belles of Paris" is pleasant and mellow, reminiscent of "Busy Doin' Nothin."  I think "Winds of Change" is very pretty with a beautiful Al Jardine lead vocal.  And clunky lyrics aside, "Match Point of Our Love" and "My Diane" are also very good, the latter with one of Dennis Wilson's most passionate vocal performances.  The first side doesn't have as much to offer, "She's Got Rhythm" is okay but I think Brian sounds terrible on it, "Kona Coast" is a listenable if unnecessary rewrite of "Hawaii" and "Come Go With Me" is one of the better covers the band attempted in the latter part of their career (I personally love it but I know a lot of people on this board think otherwise).  The rest kind of sucks, with "Hey Little Tomboy" being one of the worst songs Brian Wilson ever wrote in my opinion.  Overall, it's far from the band's best work but there's enough that it deserves at least one listen.  It's just very awkward because the band was in a transitional period (new record company, despondent Wilsons, in need of a producer).  It's definitely listenable unlike Summer in Paradise and it's at least better than Keepin' the Summer Alive.  It's probably the best the band could have delivered at the time, which is not saying much, but it's something.

[Gabo]

hey little tomboy... uuuuuuuuuuughhhhhhhhhhhhhhh noooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Ive heard several tracks from it but never the whole thing at once.