The Smiley Smile Message Board

Discuss, review and rate Looking Back With Love, released October 1981.

(http://www.smileysmile.net/images/albums/lbwl.gif)

It's not great, it's not bad, but it's a lot of fun. Sometimes Mike at his nasal worst is fun to listen to. The lyrics are mostly horrible (and Mike only contributes to one track, Paradise Found). First Love is technically a better effort, and destined to remain unreleased.

Death to Be My Baby, however.

A great record to break over your knee. I've done it twice, and I hope to again in the near future.

This record does not excist. This record does not excist. This record does not excist. This record does not excist....

I own a signed copy.  I do not listen to it.

The ML solo material makes me doubt that he actually cowrote those songs with Brian.

If he were that talented a lyricist he could hire Bacarach to come up with some tunes.

I think I'm allergic to Looking Back With Love.
Everytime I've played it I get sick!

Pete

Terrible album.  From the smarmy grinning face on the cover to the disgusting, obscene cover of "Teach Me Tonight," this album fails to do anything but produce bile and vomit.  Pleh.

Well, I've got a book right here in my hot little hand that says, and I quote, "a largely enjoyable clutch of songs", and I agree entirely with the sentiments of that author, who is obviously a jolly good egg and perceptive to boot. Bought it the first day it was released (in Sacremento, but that's another story) and liked it ever since. This is one CD reissue who's day is long overdue.

Man, don't listen to that cat. He's insane, the Lester Bangs of the Isles. Perverse and a bad influence on minds everywhere.  ;D

I'm with you Andrew.

That word does not exist.  That word does not exist.  That word does not exist.  That word does exist...

BURN!

 :-[ Sorry, but I was so confused by the album-cover.

Haha, don't be sorry mate...

Just a little fun ;)

The author is obviously as mad as cats.  A nutter.  Off his tree.  Around the bend.  And a whack job, to boot. 

The album is pure, unmitigated dreck.  The day it sees an official release on CD is the day i...i....i don't know what i'll do.  But it won't be pretty.

Did I mention breaking over the knee?

Suze, Suze, Suze... as a teacher (and a damn fine one too), you should know there's nothing so sad as a closed mind.  ;)

No, there's nothing so sad as this album.

We agree again!

Andrew, Andrew, Andrew...and you should know that flattery of the most obvious sort will get you nowhere.  At least, not in this instance. 

The album is crap.  And i know, the more i say so, the more you will defend it.  That's the little game that we play, no?  But i also know that deep in your heart of hearts, you know that it's crap.  You know that it's indefensible.  And, tho you'll never admit it, you know that i'm right.

"We agree again!"

That´s about the only good thing about this album: ALL people can agree on hating it!  ;D (Sorry, Andrew)

Probably the orst thing I've ever heard in my life. Makes M.I.U. sound like a great album....

I don't hate this album.....I don't care what anyone thinks of me either for liking it.

I don't see why you shouldn't like it. If it sounds good to your ears, than it's allright, but from a musical point of view it kinda....erm...sucks. Nothing against personal taste btw

That was a comment directed at JRauch, whose head of steam pretty much exploded because more than one person posting here likes Looking Back With Love.

It's better than REM!

Isn't everyone?

It´s definately better at being worse.

It's your own book! Of course you're going to agree with yourself!!!!!

Susan is right. Bad lead singing, crap songs (except for the ABBA, Spector, Sedaka cover songs and even those are poorly done). Paradise Found is, by far the worst offender of them all.  When the female singer starts singing "let's go away for awhile"...", I actually blew chunks. It was not pretty.  If you are going to reference Pet Sounds, at least reference it in something good!

It makes SIP sounds like Pet Sounds! And that's saying something!!!

This seems to be a rather unpopular opinion, but I get a big kick out of the album.  I think most of the tracks are very well done - I don't mind the kind of cheesy arrangements, because I do happen to enjoy cheesy synth arrangements when the overall track works. I love Mike's vocals, and I think he's pretty much at his signature best on this album. On that note, I think it's safe to say that Mike's presence is what pushes the album over the top for me, but considering the fact that most of the songs themselves would be rather middle-of-the-road without Mike's vocal touches, I can understand why it's a rather unpopular album. Take the same songs and arrangements and put another vocalist at the helm, and I probably would lost interest after a while - but with Mike, it's a winner, for me. The ABBA cover is definitely the best track on the album. Another particuarly noteworthy cover is Calendar Girl; it's probably the best version of the song that I've heard, IMHO. On the other hand, One Good Reason is - by far - the album's biggest low point.

sh*t. Rumbled.  :-\

Allow me to rationalise.

Carl announces a solo album. Anticipation is high for more in the line of "Trader", "Angel Come Home" and "Feel Flows". The album is released... and it's boring beyond belief. All the songs on the first side sound the same. The only highspot is "Heaven".

Mike announces a solo album. Anticipation is high for two sides of TM related dreck in the mould of "Everyone's In Love With You", or maybe [shudder] more country stuff. The album is released... and it's an inoffensive slice of fluffy pop - not high art, or even low art, but acceptable within its own limitations. The high point is the three-song sweep that closes the album out*. If Alan had released it, I think the reaction would have been a lot different.

[* that noise you can hear is Suze tearing her hair out by the roots]

DAMN it, Andrew - - - it is a terrible album, and you owe me for a major hair transplant!

The thin, nasal voice and the arrangements (vocal and instrumental) are dreadful.  His new album at least has a better sound with more lush vocals - although it's lyrically duff all over the place.  The Celebration albums are considerably better than LBWL.

I just got this and dig most of it. My personal favorite is "On And On And On", and "Rockin' The Man In The Boat". The album's downfall starts with "Be My Baby" (not a terrible cover, but nothing special), the ballads I could do without. It's a rocking album I think. To each his own.....I give this a 3.

Here's a controversial opinion-- this album is mediocre!  It's pretty much a draw between tolerable, some might even say catchy songs ("On and On and On", "Runnin' Around the World", "One Good Reason", "Paradise Found") and dreck (most of the rest).  I give it two stars.  Curt Becher was the man.

hmmmm..i think i read that same book andrew..page 144 i believe... author knows his stuff alright!!   ;D
i kinda like the lp. don't think it is that bad. i like the abba song a lot. plus what guy couldn't like rockin the man in the boat?  :o
i got backstage at rupp arena in nov 81 after a beach boys show. got to talk to mike and yes, the song is about female masturbation. never will forget the smile the lovester had saying that. interupted jardines dinner that night also but that's another story.

I'm watching her day by day
Blow by blow, and play by play
Telescope love, how long can I go on this way
You know I'd love to lend a helping hand


hahahhahahahahahaa

Worse than Dennis' album, worse than most of Brian's albums, but far superior to Imagination or either of Carl's efforts.

Actually, this is a pretty enjoyable album. There. I said it. I actually like this album. Be My Baby is pretty decent (you can still hear Brian's piano buried in the mix, BTW), On and On and On is pretty good (I actually like it better than the original), the songs are pretty catchy, and Mike's vocals are mostly good.

Highly underrated.

But yeah...if there was another vocalist, it'd be worse.

Rockin' the Man in the Boat makes me want to barf, but this is a pretty good album besides that.

If you're gonna say that its better than Carl's efforts, than I will have to force myself to listen to it. I really enjoyed CW's solo effort and Youngblood was pretty good too!

The problem I think people have with this album is that it's hollow. It's just a collection of harmless cheesey pop tunes. But that does not necessarily mean the music is bad. Listen with an open mind.

The album is just plain fun. A guilty pleasure, sure, but a pleasure nonethless. It's funny...Mike had a crap voice, but with the right song, he can sound quite good (Big Sur being a key example). This album is further proof, at least on the up-tempo songs. Curt Becher's production was excellent...how I wish he had gotten a chance to produce the BB for an entire album!

I like First Love and the Celebration stuff (not counting the disco celebration drek) far better. Funny the one track AGD dislikes in his book (the title song) is the one track I like.

(http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/2804/lookingbackwithlovedj7.jpg)

That picture rules

Gas-pumping garbage...

I'm tempted to give this a 1 or a 0 even though I've never heard it.

Why do you would give this a bad rating, you didn't hear it yet.

I like the album, it's a 3.5 for me. The first 7 tracks are okay, I love the title track and "Calendar Girl" is an awesome cover. "Rockin' The Man In The Boat" is a good rocker, the demo version from 1980 of "Be My Baby" is better. I enjoy "Runnin' Around The World" and "Over And Over". The last 3 tracks aren't special but bearable.
After POB this is the best solo album imo. This album makes fun. The last time Mike has a decent voice.

WHAT?!?  :o

I never heard this album either, but I just gave it a zero. I needed something to laugh about. The thought of a world with a Mike Love solo album both cracks me up and scares the hell out of me. I don't know why, but I harbor a lot of anger towards Mike Love...

If they re-issue this on Cd, I might buy it, but only if it comes with a complimentary gold vest and turbin.

I don't get it why people are rating albums bad which they don't even hear it yet. That's Mike-bashing for me.  :-[

ok, I'll take away my vote... ;D

It's not letting me take back my  vote. I should've never f#@ked with the formula...

I think that it is possible for Mike to make a good album. In the last 30 years:

Sumahama, Getche Back, Kokamo, Cool Head Warm Heart, umm.....Well, I came up with 4 decent songs.

You should be banned for voting without listening to it. Thats probably the lamest thing ever.

...it won't let me take back my vote....

Then the only decent thing to do is hunt down a copy of the album and listen to it.

Aargh! While you're out, don't forget to buy some cotton balls to swab up the blood from your ears. ;)

Oh I think they should DEFINATELY re-issue this album on CD. And maybe they can rerelease Pacific Ocean Blue on CD at the same time. Would make a nice contrast don't you think..? A nice comparison between Mike and Dennis' respective talents. Yeh, what do you say Mr Love? A good idea no?

Looking Back with Love is terrible. Country Love should be released on CD.

But not however COURTNEY Love!!

Never heard it before, never want to hear it, but like a couple of other posters here, went ahead and gave it a 0. I took my advice from Domenic Priore's SMiLE book. In the footnotes he mentions a friend of the Wondermints who bought a copy of LBWL for 25 cents and said it was a waste of money, that the money he paid for that record would've been better spent on a pack of gum.

That's not a good reason, just because others are rating it that low. There's worse items in the BB catlogue, namely Still Crusin' and Stars & tripe.

Those two are way better. It's just a matter of taste I guess!  :)

That said, I agree with the fact that rating an album without having heard it is kind of stupid. Think for yourself!

I gave it  a 2 1/2. No half stars allowed, but I really like the last couple of songs, so I'll round up to 3. My wife likes it better than me. She said she'd give it a 4 if she was a member here.

I kind of like "Paradise Found", and Mike's covers of "On & On & On", "Be My Baby" and "Calendar Girl" are guilty pleasures. So I gave this one a 2. Not as crappy as some said, but still the worst solo album of any BB in my opinion!

What about Summer In Paradise, that is atleast worst than Still Cruisin' in my opinion

I listened to this album again today. The lyrics are terrible, the melodies are boring, and the Beach Boys-esque backing vocals are terrible. Overall, the album gives me a headache. But it's weird... Mike's voice makes any piece of crap sound better than it is. It gives it that connection to the music that I love. I probably like this album more than most people, but that's not saying much.

1. The (rather nice) cover of Teach Me Tonight saves this one from being a total zero.

Eh...it has Strange Things Happen, which is better than anything on SC. And, at least it's a real album, as opposed to a hodgepodge.
I actually prefer it to either of Carl's, which to me are bland and boring. I can listen to most of Mike's album, apart from the opening cut and Rockin the Man in the Boat-I'm sorry, but Mike's the last person (apart from Bruce, and quite possibly George W Bush) that I want to hear singing about a masturbating woman.

Zero. Makes me glad this album didn't go on and on and on  :lol :lol

I like it. So there.  :P

Katie's got great taste.

Thank you Rob  ;D

If you look through this thread, I change my opinion on the album about once a year. This year I like it. I like it a lot. I'd give it a 4 if I hadn't already rated it a 2.

Friend and interviewer of Curt Boettcher, Ray McCarthy gave Curt the idea for On & On & On (Ray used to sing Do It Again over the chorus of the ABBA tune). I feel Curt didn't have any clear ideas about that production and its direction. He was trying to get other projects off the ground (mostly disco/dance), and mostly "on spec" and he seemed to be generally in need of money ( he was bartending to make ends meet).

So I finally heard this album and was pleasantly surprised that I didn't want to kill myself afterwards! This album, whilst admittedly very poor, is nowhere near the trainwreck it's been made out to be by some and is clearly better than real dross like Summer In Paradise and probably on the same level with Carls first album (sorry Carl). A lot of the songs just sounded like early to mid 80's Beach Boys songs but without the boys voices of course.

Oh and the album artwork is quite stunning in it's awfulness, what was he thinking?? ' Hey, if I sit on a boat showing off my hairy chest with a constipated look on my face people are sure to buy my album! Right?'.

Wow, I didn't know that about Boettcher.  That's sad.

Terrible lyrics and arrangements.
Its a fucking fantastic album.

Was considering listening to this just for shits and giggles. Then I read the lyrics to Rocking The Man In the Boat.

There is no way I ever want to be near anything that has Mike Love singing those words.

While it does not reach the heights of say, Youngblood or Carl Wilson(self-titled), there's something about it that I sort of like.

Despite what one may think, I like this album a little bit but kinda alot....not the album as a whole, because half of the songs bug me but the songs I do like, they're really good and kinda wished Mike woulda just forgot the whole solo thing and submitted a couple to what could have been an album in between Keepin the SUmmer Alive & BB85. I like the tune to the title song but the lyrics make one vomit in the mouth. I really don't like any of the covers at all except One Good Reason, Teach Me Tonight, and Calendar Girl (the BB version is a little better). Paradise Found is alright, coulda been better with BB harmonies and being that it's the only song Mike wrote for his own and only damn solo, it would have been alright on a BB album.   

I would put this up there is MIU...I like MIU better but this puts me in the same kinda mood that MIU has on me....nothing I'd listen to with others around!

Now on my IPOD, my album of LBWL has It's OK, Almost Summer, Sad Sad Summer, and Cruisin'....I can't remember if I just added those to the album or it was released that way or maybe that's how someone formated it when they uploaded it.

I like this album - it really reminds me of the early 80s! Much nicer record than MIU, an album where the total is significantly less than the sum of its parts.
I know this site is a Brian Wilson shrine to a large extent, ergo ML Is the antichrist, ergo LBWL his Satanic Verses, but it's not really that bad. Any record that can make Abba sound as if they understand English has got to be worth it. I also like the fact that he's 'looking back' from the plateau of the early 80s (!) - now 30 years ago!!!!

The only place this can be found is the original vinyl, right? Interested in hearing it - heard the title track on Youtube and didn't hate it! I think I've seen it for a buck or two in a used shop, never bought it though.

I refuse to believe that human beings are capable of hating Be My Baby, and I'm not just speaking as a BW fan.

As it was only released on vinyl, yes. Copies usually pop up on eBay...I got mine mint and unopened for $7.

Could someone help me out in finding this album? I would really, really appeciate it.

THANKS!

I recently listed it on eBay and got no bids.

Not when you hear it you wont!

I checked eBay and only found the record version ... don't know what the heck I could do with that.

I found it online, though. Yep ... pretty lousy so far.  :lol

It seems the majority of this enjoyable covers album has now been posted on Youtube. I like quite a few of these numbers. One Good Reason, Teach Me Tonight and Paradise Found are all nice slow songs, it is easy to see why some considered Running Around the World to be a potential hit at the time and Calendar Girl has some energy to it.

Running Around the World, Be My Baby and Teach Me Tonight

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O11LaFQmhgs&list=UU4AE29-WEVtrMkRKw0sPltg&index=14

One Good Reason

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2i3U1FCoHLU

Paradise Found

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzy-DgihFy8

Calendar Girl

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srpB2s2c29U

On and On and On

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4xvFVYqJGo

Looking Back with Love

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEzVbm1uAqw

This album is music to my ears. 5 stars *****

Music it is indeed. Finally free of the burden known as "The Beach Boys," Mike was finally able to fully express himself on record, and, might I say, what a record it is. Starting off with probably the greatest song this side of "Do It Again," Mike sweetly sings about vibrations and assassinations in what has left me agape and wondering what this mans career could have been.

Make no mistake, what you're getting is solely Mike, and not the pesky Carl or Dennis, who have always brought Mike's artistic vision down with their slip-shod work. When listening, you're realize who the real "genius" is and that Mike is here for you and he always will be.

Seven stars: *******

Admittedly, i'm a little scared to try listening to the whole album, having been convinced by virtually everyone that LBWL is just as bad as SIP, if not worse.
I've only really listened to the title track. The music, while isin't the best, i greatly enjoy. But like Match Point Of Our Love, the song is virtually destroyed by embarrasingly horrible lyrics. Ultimately, the song is cringeworthy. Seriously, "Good Vibrations, Assasinations" WHAT THE f*** WAS HE THINKING!!!"
I just watched the video of Mike Love performing that song on TV. As usual his dress style was ugly and the worst kind of lame. But what surprised me was at the end of the song, the audience cheered wildly, when in fact it is a pathetically horrible excuse of a song.
I might be a bit biased, but still...
0 out of 5.

P.S. Despite how awful the record is, if I do find it at a record fair, and it is fairly cheap, I wouldn't hesitate to buy it!

WELL..  If you take the best cuts from the 1st 2 Celebration LP'S  you have a nice record..  If you take the best cuts from 1st Love + Lookin back with Love you have a nice record.. And throw away the POOP of Country Love + disco Celebration..  That's how I feel about Mike"s solo outtake. .. But since you can"t do that I honestly will give this LP 3/5..  His best solo record is unreleased.. Unleash the Love ..Now that"s a fine record for Mike.

One thing is safe to say which I realized recently: This album is better than "Wrinkles"

Here would seem a reasonable place to point out that Mike wrote the lyrics for precisely one track on the album, and it wasn't this one.  :lol

But Mike decided to release it with those lyrics .. So he is still responsible . :ahh

Yeah, that's what I meant too!

I finally gave in to my masochism and listened. After the first track I honestly felt ashamed and wondered what my life had come to. I skipped around here and there after that. Same basic feeling. I suppose I'll be ridiculed for voting when I didn't honestly listen to the entire thing start to finish, but I think I heard enough to know it's...not very good.

I give it a zero. Not because it's Mike love. Because the music is truly awful. The lyrics are something I or anyone could have penned in an afternoon. The production is pure 80s cheese. It's not even fit to laugh at, like SIP. I felt unclean listening to it, and that's not hyperbole. The cover art is bland and off-putting. Need I go on? Well, the fact that he had the gall to bill this as the first solo album from a Beach Boy really rubs me the wrong way.

I guess you could say it's a product of its times, for better or worse. To me, it's just further proof that the 80s really was the worst decade not only for pop music, but pop culture in general. And I'm not saying that as a close-mindedly youngin' who thinks anything pre--nineties is too old.

Now I'm rambling and wasting more time thinking about this than it deserves.

With you all the way! I'm sure you're not worried about the "closed mind" classification-it's his most used tool when people have their own contrary, unsavory, opinions concerning anything mike love. ;)

It's a sure sign of desperation when a troll has to search for and use a nine-year-old post to spew his puerile bile over. Truly, truly pathetic.

TWO missions accomplished in one tidy post. Efficiency plus.  8)

This is an outstandingly funny comment...I mean BIG TIME funny...this and those folks who gave the album 5 and then 7 stars respectively...out of 1,000 I'm guessing?

Being the gruesome twosome rules!

You know, we should start to work on expanding. Just think of it- The Terrible Threesome, or the Phuckin' Foursome, or the Filthy Five, etc, etc. I'm sure we'll get some unwanted help with the names from you know who.

Time for Oldsurferdude's eleven. ;)

I just wanted to review an album I'd just heard. Didn't expect to attract such renewed interest in this old thread. But c'mon man...this album *is* pretty damn bad. I think it'd be rereleased by now if that weren't the case. And y'know what? Again, I'm no blind Mike basher but hé réally is a jerk for being so unsupportive of Dennis' contributions in the Seventies, making him choose between a solo gig and the band, and THEN being so hypocritical as to release his *own* solo album, and even having the audacity to promote it as the first solo work by a Beach Boy. If there's a better real life example of rubbing salt in the wound I don't want to know...

AGD's referring to OSD's fatuous comments.

I know, but *I'm* the one who bumped this old thread.

The reviews threads should be regularly added to. Being neatly arranged and classified, they're among the first threads a newcomer to the site will read. At least, such was the case with me. Its good therefore to have everyone's opinions on the albums in one place, rather than scattered around random threads.

The real issue is people helplessly rising to the bait.

As we're constantly getting complaints from the both of you on the other(s)... may I ask the both "The Gruesome Twosome" and "The Anointed One" to please just stop hitting on each other. I can understand (to a certain degree) where you're coming from, why you don't like each other, and that you'll never be friends. But by now it doesn't matter who started, who's going too far, who's right and why you're right. It's plain irritating for the rest of us, and it's not solving anything. Unless both parties involved are aiming in getting the other out of this board. In that case I can say that if it comes to the point that someone really going too far a banning goes both ways (for insulting and provoking).


Yes, we might just need that "ignore"-button... but I don't have a clue either how to (re-)install this.

Glad to see that idea gain some support. While my experience on this board has vastly improved, I still think it would improve the general atmosphere here. I do take back what I said about this place being badly moderated, though.

"Looking Back With Love" 3/5
"On and On and On" 3/5
"Runnin' Around the World" 2/5
"Over and Over" 2/5
"Rockin' the Man in the Boat" 1/5
"Calendar Girl" 1/5
"Be My Baby" 2/5
"One Good Reason" 3/5
"Teach Me Tonight" 2/5
"Paradise Found" 4/5

Was this album pressed on vinyl back in the day or Stilton? Despite the cheesyness, some worthwhile stuff here. The last track is very good. However the oldies covers are rather mediocre and I could have lived without the song about the woman rubbing one off.
Overall 2/5.

The photo of Mike on the cover is your first hint that what awaits you inside is horrifying. I have been rounding up copies of this album for years and disposing of them.

Good Man! ;D

Prepare for a shock...I actually *like* this album except for the title track, esp "on and on and on" and the last 3 tracks.

I really like this album. Mike's version of Be My Baby is a fantastic cover.