The Smiley Smile Message Board

I was just thinking tonight, about what Mike Love must be thinking.  He's "Mr. Positivity", remember, so for years he's been acting like nothing's wrong, everything's great, blah blah blah, but you just know this thing with Brian, and Al, and David has just been eating him up.

Can you imagine how he must be feeling right now?  I'll bet he's happier than he's been since his 3rd marriage. 

Think about it.  All the lawsuits are done.  Even though he started most of them, he doesn't want to be suing his family perpetually.  All that's tied up now.

The whole legal arrangement with the band, and the name, etc. isn't a worry right now because regardless of the money and how everything's working out legally, the band is as legit as possible, with all the major members who are alive all on the same page and getting along.  Although Mike would never admit it, that probably gives him peace of mind too.

In my opinion, he deeply loves Brian and deeply respects his musical talent, so having Brian participate in the band is probably a huge thrill for him. 

Finally, Brian and his people, are now just as invested in this band as Mike is, so instead of Mike and his people booking everything, deciding everything, promoting everything... now Brian's people are helping too. 

I'll betMike feels younger and happier than he has in years.  He'll never admit it, but for one, I'm happy for the guy.  I'm a big fan of his as well as Brian's, so this is like a gift to the Lovester.  I hope he doesn' screw it up, in spite of himself. 

Oh, and also, to speak to his greed side, that some might focus on:

His job has always been to front the Beach Boys.  It's been a long, long time since he had a 'big' gig.  Tonight, he had a 'big' gig.  A REALLY big gig.  In his mind at least, it was up to him to go out there and perform, to be the front man, to kick ass.... and he did!  He pulled it off!  The kids loved it, the other bands loved it, millions and millions of people watched him do his thing, and they did a pretty damn fine job.

Mike's got to be exstatic right now, probably more than anybody else in the group.   He's probably trying to think up the next big thing, the sky's the limit baby! They're back on top!  lol. 

I wish him well, I hope he enjoys this tour and I hope it helps him get some peace with this whole agressive thing he's suffered from his entire life!

An impressive set of assumptions. Who knows, some of them might even be correct.  ;)

Regarding management... Who are the people behind the organization of this jubilee?

Excellent posts. I like this outlook on Mike, it puts into words what I felt from watching him on the Grammys.

I think you are right on the money. As we all know, Mike is hated by many ignorant fans and even some well-versed fans. They forget that in spite of the qualities they see in him (some of which are his natural qualities and many of which are projected onto him, misinterpreted, or exaggerated) that he is a human being with feelings and an inner life that none of us are truly aware of.

Still, your post is the closest I can come to understanding Mike Love in this moment of his life, and it is well considered, thoughtful and insightful.

If you'd told me 10-15 years ago that Mike would have been willing to be backed by Brian's band (which is essentially what happened yesterday), I would have gone "WTF?"

Also, Mike did not try to hog center stage, as he might have done a few years ago.

So I think Mike, not just Brian, has traveled a long way since the 90's.

I'm very proud of him right now, he's probably trying as hard as Brian is to do the right thing. 

This is REDEMPTION, folks!

I'm not sure if this has anything to do with this but:
If I "co-wrote" much of Brian Wilsons best material, if I co-wrote a no.1 hit in the 80s and was the front man of Americas favorite band, I'm sure I would be pretty full of myself too. I mean Brian Wilson is the greatest songwriter of all time but if there's one person who has the right to have a cocky attitude about it, it's Mike Love!

Never fear-  there's still plenty of chicken dances to be done-corny jokes with lots of hamming it up as well. :tm

Depends on how Mike's voice holds up during the tour. I wasn't too impressed with him last night. Same with the "Do It Again" video. Before I thought his voice underwent some processing during the recording, but not anymore. I think something's wrong.

That and his excessive finger wiggling last night in the face of the guy next to him during the woo woo sound in Good Vibrations.....

He did that last night too -  in fact, in the post-gig Grammys interview they all took their cues from one another, making very positive statements about an album that not a lot of work has probably been done on yet. Even Brian made sweeping statements about it's mood and its harmonies.

It's what professionals do.

If they'd all stood there and said "well a couple'a songs are so-so, borderline-okay, but we ain't got the chops to reach the high notes these days… we've got a second rate producer working with guy who forgot how to use a board himself in the early 70s.  We reckon it's going to turn out okay if we can get the auto-tuning right…" – well sales disaster would ensue.

Instead, Al says it has a Pet Sounds vibe and everyone picks up on, accentuating the positive.  Possibly the most important example of harmony to come out of last night's events.

I'm reasonably sure that a good deal of work has been done on the record. Brian was recording backing tracks at various points last year with Joe.

Outstanding post. Absolutely. Everyone has compromised to make this happen.

Hey Wirestone, whatia think of Mike's voice these days?  Think he'll hold up for the long run?

Good post, Ron.  It's apparent that that everyone in the group is supportive of each other.  You watch the after-Grammy interviews...everyone seems really, really happy.  I think they're all just pleased that this reunion is still moving forward without any hiccups (as far as we know).  Let's hope the good vibes continue on to the final gig of the tour!

I hope you're right, for once in your wicked, horrible life.

I've got a feeling it will, I don't think any of them want to screw it up.  Brian might pull the plug at anytime, but outside of that I think it's going to go off well. 

Great post. I feel like Mike get's too much sh*t from many ignorant fans. He's wrote some great lyrics and sang some amazing songs, big deal if he wiggles his fingers or dances like a fool. (Real fans like myself, dig it!) It's all about the Beach Boy's as a unit so denying Mike Love's presence is like denying the whole band! I could feel the positivity in the place from just watching at home. It felt like a weight was being lifted and I'm sure those five guys are the happiest they've been in years. 2012 is going to be a huge year for the BB's.

I'm a 'real fan' and I don't dig it.  ::)

Yeah, great post.  Personally I felt his moves last night were well suited for the occasion  ;D

Good question. He seems to be hoarse a lot, doesn't he?

The thing about Mike, though, is that he's a smart enough singer and frontman that he can compensate on the fly in a way that BW isn't able to, really. Somehow I think he'll manage.

I had noticed Mike's voice (or lack thereof) way back during Episode 1 or 2 of the SMiLE videos they were putting up some month ago.  When his voice came on, I was shocked that it was Mike's. 

The indications are that vocals are being recorded, which tells me that the album is very well advanced.

You'll be won over by the inevitable return of the chicken dance.

Maybe he should bring back the "Little Old Lady" schtick.  That was funnier.