History of Mike's reputation

[Wilsonista]

Brian chose to take drugs...... by the boatload

Guess what? Drug use doesn't cause mental illness.

[Dancing Bear]

I think we have a problem with the notion of 'Brian knowing what he's doing' after '67. Because very often this notion changes according to who we want him to be and our agenda about the band's saga.

[oldsurferdude]

Brian chose to take drugs...... by the boatload

Mentally ill folks do take all kinds of drugs for "self-medication". Very common.

[TonyW]

17 days and 15 pages later I’m going to throw my two bobs worth into the mix:

Firstly, for many years, I’ve had little respect for Mike but about a year ago I started to reassess my opinion, primarily because of a number of posts on this board. I dug deep, acknowledged within myself that Mike did make some worthwhile contributions to the Beach Boy’s artistic legacy, but, no matter how I tried, I could no rationalise many of Mike’s actions over the years.

Mike is the sum of his parts and his catalogue of ill advised comments and actions (if he ever took any independent advice) backed with a canon of some truly awful recordings, while championing his own credentials makes it very difficult to have any empathy or sympathy for the man. Without that empathy or sympathy it’s very difficult to cut him any slack when he steps over the line that aggravates many fans of the band. For every All This Is That, Let The Wind Blow or Big Sur there is a catalogue of misdemeanours and truly atrocious songs and recordings.

I’ve sat down, weighed the good and the bad of Mike and Brian and I reason that Mike is at best, at the very best, 5% the talent of Brian and frankly that’s just not enough to sing his attributes from the roof top.

What worries me about this thread and many of the previous Mike threads is that they cross the line and try to rewrite the band’s history and credit Mike with more than he deserves, it almost feels like I’m in some sort of zealous, extreme right, conservative Christian, flat earth, creationist, revival meeting that counters ever value and iota of knowledge I posses.  (My apologies to 99% of the global Christian faith who I do not count in that assessment).

Simple: Brian’s a screw up, Mike’s a screw up and in my own way I am the same. I can live with it.

[Wilsonista]

I’ve sat down, weighed the good and the bad of Mike and Brian and I reason that Mike is at best, at the very best, 5% the talent of Brian and frankly that’s just not enough to sing his attributes from the roof top.

What worries me about this thread and many of the previous Mike threads is that they cross the line and try to rewrite the band’s history and credit Mike with more than he deserves, it almost feels like I’m in some sort of zealous, extreme right, conservative Christian, flat earth, creationist, revival meeting that counters ever value and iota of knowledge I posses.  (My apologies to 99% of the global Christian faith who I do not count in that assessment).

Thank you, Tony.  Honestly, I feel and have felt exactly the way you do.  I always felt it odd that a site that was originally devoted to the lore of SMiLE that Mike would generate more sympathy than Brian.  Totally baffling to me, but then again George W. Bush got to serve 2 terms as US president.

[Dancing Bear]

Brian Wilson is the cause of Brian Wilson's problems.

Thank you very much for telling the truth once in a while. I'm extremely glad that we have someone like you as a moderator. I love this Message Board.

[Wilsonista]

Brian Wilson is the cause of Brian Wilson's problems.

Thank you very much for telling the truth once in a while. I'm extremely glad that we have someone like you as a moderator. I love this Message Board.

Funny how people who say the Brianista POV is "simplistic" offer up simplistic bullshit like "Brian Wilson is the cause of Brian Wilson's problems". 

[Surfer Joe]

I'm assuming he's joking.

[TdHabib]

I’ve sat down, weighed the good and the bad of Mike and Brian and I reason that Mike is at best, at the very best, 5% the talent of Brian and frankly that’s just not enough to sing his attributes from the roof top.

What worries me about this thread and many of the previous Mike threads is that they cross the line and try to rewrite the band’s history and credit Mike with more than he deserves, it almost feels like I’m in some sort of zealous, extreme right, conservative Christian, flat earth, creationist, revival meeting that counters ever value and iota of knowledge I posses.  (My apologies to 99% of the global Christian faith who I do not count in that assessment).

Nailed it Tony, Rob as well.

[KokoMoses]

Brian chose to take drugs...... by the boatload

Guess what? Drug use doesn't cause mental illness.

Tell that to my friend Keith's family. He rode home on a bike from a Grateful Dead concert in 90 degree weather, saw some cops and decided to hide his sheets of acid between his sock and his bare leg...... He's been in a mental ward ever since.

[Wilsonista]

I'm assuming he's joking.

I don't think he is.

[Surfer Joe]

Well, then, all I can say is no one is responsible for his problems but him!

[KokoMoses]

This "Mike Love-rs" rewriting The Beach Boys history" argument makes me laugh considering how "unbiased" the "official" Beach Boys history has been for the past 40+ years!

[KokoMoses]

Ok, so, being one of the guilty myself, can we please come up with an official term for us Love Lovers, Lovers Of Love, Lovesters, Make Mike-Not-Love-ers, Mike Love-Not-Brian-ers?

[Surfer Joe]

erik, do you subscribe to this entertaining new theory that Brian caused his own mental illness? Also, what is the official Beach Boys history?  Where can I find it?

[Surfer Joe]

Ok, so, being one of the guilty myself, can we please come up with an official term for us Love Lovers, Lovers Of Love, Lovesters, Make Mike-Not-Love-ers, Mike Love-Not-Brian-ers?

Victims of Love?

[Wilsonista]

Baseball Cap Martyrs.

[Surfer Joe]

I've got it:

Kokomites.

[KokoMoses]

Victims Of Love is great, but Don Henley might sue!

I don't subscribe to any theory other than what I can discern by examining The Beach Boys recorded and live work. David Leaf, Dominic Priore, and others have ammased lovely tomes that worship (correctly) at the feet of Brian but at the expense of the others who have greatly contributed to the wonder that is The Beach Boys. Now, I'm an odd case perhaps because I love EVERTYTHING The Beach Boys have ever done (or everything not entitled "Problem Child") ... Puts me in a weird camp, I know. But I almost innocently can't understand and the bile spewed in Mike's direction. I love the guy and his talent, his voice, his lyrics, him as a frontman. Even his awful fashion. He's about 40% of why The Beach Boys are my favorite band. Brian is the other 40%. Carl, Dennis, Al and (yes) Bruce share the remaining 20%. Carl gets more love as simply being my favorite singer of all time.

This is all just one fan's perspective! But this board is for all of us!  

[KokoMoses]

Ok, Kokomites is grand!!!!!!!!!!! Done deal! 

[Pretty Funky]

You know this has been one of the most often discussed topics on these message boards and it may be simplistic but to me Brians situation is a unfortunate childhood, immense pressure as a young musician, drug use, more pressure to create, come backs etc. Throw into the mix a probable mental condition (about the only thing he or others couldn't predict or control within reason) and he was bound to crack.

Blaming Mike, Landy, drugs or whatever individually is too easy IMO when a combination of all of the above is the cause.    

[Dancing Bear]

I'm assuming he's joking.

yea I am, but not exactly at the expense of our beloved Global Moderator.  

[Pretty Funky]

Ok, Kokomites is grand!!!!!!!!!!! Done deal! 

Cool!

I have them for breakfast most days myself.

[Dancing Bear]

I suggest 'Love Campers'.

[KokoMoses]

Koko-mo-fos?