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...here's to another 35 years!   :-D


I'm glad I splurged $35 for the out-of-print twofer CD.  (The 35 years and 35 dollars are merely a coincidence.  Huh.)

I got the twofer CD for £2 a couple of months ago.

But yeah, I saw the title of this thread and laughed at such a strange 'celebration'. But I suppose it has it's place. Somehow...

Remember buying it on release. After Love You and POB the previous year, my expectations were high. Man, what a disappointment.  >:(

I actually like it better than both Love You and POB, but I think that's largely because my expectations were low--so I ended up being blown away by it.  :)

Congratulations on some high-class trolling. However, I shall not rise to the bait.  ;D

I wouldn't go that far, but I had a similar experience recently with MIU. Finally gave it a proper listen and was pleasantly surprised at just how many songs I liked. Side 2 is a good run of songs for me, apart from winds of change which is dire.

2 words. My Diane. Wow.

Love this album, for the most part, even some of the most "meh" Beach Boys music can have it's place in my heart :p

I bought it the day it came out (seemed like an eternity after Love You), took it home, dropped the needle, and out comes Brian Wilson - singing in falsetto - "Last night I went out disco dancing..." It was one of the most emotional experiences of my BB/BW fandom.

I have read a lot of criticism of Brian's vocal on that song, being forced, shrill, loud, etc. But...I became a Beach Boys diehard/nut in 1975-76. My first two NEW BB releases were 15 Big Ones and Love You. There were a lot of WTF moments, especially regarding Brian's vocals. I had serious doubts that his voice would ever recover from the last strains of "Love Is A Woman". So, when I first heard the opening notes to "She's Got Rhythm", well, there were several emotions flowing - joy, relief, and shock to name a few. Those same emotions continued through the initial listening, especially with "Wontcha Come Out Tonight", "Matchpoint Of Our Love", and the closing notes ("Won't last forever") of "Winds Of Change".

I was literally doing cartwheels in my room. Brian's back! He's really back! The voice is back! Yes, I did sense the reduction in quality of the songs from Love You, but, in some ways, the improved vocals compensated for it. I still think Al's vocals on the album, and specifically on "Peggy Sue" are the strongest of his career. It was, and is, an enjoyable listen. There could be a little more Carl, but all of the guys are represented well. I'm not crazy about the sequencing, and closing the album with "Our Team" is a no-brainer. I can still pull the CD out and find things to enjoy. Yeah, I guess it could've used a "deeper" cut or two - and they were available - but it wasn't to be. After MIU, because of Brian's improved vocals, I couldn't wait for the next album, only to be bitterly disappointed by Brian's absence on L.A. Light Album.

No one's celebrating.

Pitter Patter must be one of their most underrated songs ever. It's such a clever tune. Those harmonies are amazing.

Honest question, are you a fan? Not the best thread to bring this up, but you rarely have anything good to say about the Beach Boys.

35 years since the world found out that The Beach Boys were in undeniable decline as artists.

I love "My Diane," but in terms of M.I.U., it seems to be the song that breaks the curve.  The Beach Boys and Summer in Paradise are both worse albums than M.I.U., but I'm not entirely sure that the band was capable of producing anything better at the time those albums were made.  With M.I.U., "My Diane" makes it evident that The Beach Boys were still capable of producing good music (and anyone who's heard Adult Child or some of the other tracks from around that time on MiC or elsewhere has even more evidence of that) rather than the substandard songwriting and lazy attempts to cash-in on their legacy that comprise most of MIU.  I don't hate everything else on the album, but even the other songs I sort of like ("She's Got Rhythm" and "Come Go With Me" and... I guess that's it) seem to me far below what they were capable of.

Duh

I like it as an album "to calm the nerves."

Other than that, (makes raspberry noise.)

‍

Nah, you're thinking of 15 Big Ones.  :)

I didn't get my filthy little hands on MIU until the twofer hit the shelves -  it was the only offering I'd not heard in full (had heard the selections on 10YOH).

One or 2 ok tracks,  but not an album that I go back to.

On a positive note, Brian is in good voice (although asleep) and it provided Al with experience and expertise to deliver the goods in the ensuing years.

While I like MIU for what it is, I think it was the first blatantly bland album the group released ... and the first of their albums that was not controlled creatively by the Wilson clan. I think these are the reasons it was so hated at the time (and still is by some). And it set a certain standard for what was to come later (beach/summer-themed lyrics, Brian Wilson involved but sterilized for mass consumption, etc.).

I think it has aged well, however -- possibly because it's better than anything the group has released since (as a group or solo artist).

Although it's pleasant, there's just very little artistry in the album. It really just sounds like Celebration with better songs, more character and some magic BB dust.

Funny that the group and/or Capitol are commemorating their first true low point ... the first of many albums that were commercial failures and artistically bankrupt.

Figured as much.

I'll take the L.A. (Light Album) over that album in a heartbeat.

I know some people really like that record (I like it okay, except HCTN), and that's reasonable ... but I think LA was still a step in the wrong direction. If you take off 'Good Timin' and Denny's songs, it's kind of a dud. But I agree LA was at least TRYING to be 'artistic'.

I think MIU has a stronger selection of songs, while LA just kind of meanders. I suppose in truth, MIU, LA and KTSA are all fairly comparable, though MIU has more energy and I've certainly listened to it way more often that the other two over the years. But after that, I feel their output was just dismal.

... no love ... (My Diane excepted) ... its a train wreck in motion ...

MIU has grown on me. I like Pitter Patter and My Diane. And Matchpoint Of Our Love has a chilled-out thing about it which I like. I like it better than 15 Big Ones actually.

My reaction to MIU compares to Sherriff"s about the vocal quality of the record.. And the small amount of DW + CW on the record.. Then again i find that i dont like BOP + WOC + I find " My Diane" WAY over rated.. The rest of the tunes i like.. I think under the conditions it was made it was a good record.. After the rough vocals + oldies on 15BO +  demo quality  + rough vocals on LY. I foud this record pleasant + fun to listen to.. Theres no GV on here but at least theres no ITSOTN or BHill either..

"The Beach Boys 85'" worse than "M.I.U."? That's a joke, right?
Same  ;D
Sums up my feeling as well
As much as I don't like M.I.U., I'll have to agree that it's a lot better than 15 Big Ones

For me, M.I.U. is a guilty pleasure, or the half of it I listen to is.

I always think of M.I.U. as L.A.'s slightly more handsome brother.

Well, that's a difficult thing.  I definitely think The Beach Boys is a worse album: whereas M.I.U. has one standout track ("My Diane") and two tracks I kind of like ("She's Got Rhythm" and "Come Go With Me") The Beach Boys doesn't have anything on it that I particularly like.  Most of the tracks sound the same and are clear attempts to make the Beach Boys sound current in 1985, which consequently makes the album sound far more dated than any of their classic albums, and indeed even more dated than some of their previous cynical cash-in attempts like M.I.U. or Keepin' the Summer Alive.  In addition to that, it has one of my least favorite songs, "Passing Friend," which I think is worse than anything on M.I.U.

MIU is so-so, 85 I never liked at all.

She's Got Rhythm is such a great song. I love everything about it. Especially Brian's LAAAAAAAAAAST

M.I.U. is underrated. There. I said it.

I guess it's your opinion. But i find "the Beach Boys" to be their most underrated album, and I love a majority of the tracks. Getcha Back, Maybe I Don't Know, She Believes In Love Again, Where I Belong, It's Gettin Late, even the guilty pleasure track I'm So Lonely I love. The only real clunker to me is the sh*t California Calling. With M.I.U. there's only really My Diane.
I don't mind the 80's sound of the album at all, in fact I really like it. At the same time, I can understand why some people may not like it. But still it doesn't deserve most of it's bad ratings and bad reputation. To me at least, "The Beach Boys" is so, so much better than 15 Big Ones, M.I.U., KTSA, Still Cruisin, SIP, and Stars and Stripes. I still don't fully understand why a lot of people like it, but I will defend it when I get the chance, somebody has to lol.

WTF is up with all the praise for "My Diane"? Do people love it just because it's Dennis singing? The song is nothing special, much like the rest of the album.

Same with me! :)



You're wrong. I am. Three cheers for MIU!  :spin



I love Pitter Patter too. THAT should have been the single. I've listened to the album lots of times, but I listened to "Peggy Sue" about three times at most.



Delete "guilty", and I'm 100% with you! :)

Interestingly, I don't enjoy listening to the celebrated My Diane. That drags, I don't like the arrangement. I wouldn't say it was bad, it's just not an enjoyable listen to me. Many others say it's the only song they like on MIU.

To me, the fact that it's Dennis Wilson is singing My Diane is irrelevant. It's how great he did it is what matters. And yes, he did a brilliant job on that song!

Unlike 15 Big Ones this one hasn't grown on me at all. I like Tomboy and My Diane and some of the other tunes are fairly decent. Not a bad album but painfully mediocre for a group like that. Despite the lack of BW involvement I like the Light Album WAY better than this.

Nah, it's a gorgeous song, full of emotion. Definitely in my top 15 Brian Wilson compositions. In fact, I think it's so good that it's almost out of place on MIU.

Charmless album. Some listenable songs, like most BB albums post-Holland (Love You, POB and BW88 being the obvious exceptions because they're better). I much prefer LA, which, at least, seems like a whole album, even with HCTN.

I like My Diane, Pitter Patter and, to a lesser extent, Winds of Change and Woncha Come Out Tonight, but I don't like any of them as much as the songs I like on LA.

Not mad on Brian's 'She's Got Rhythm' vocal.  Love Mike's parts to that song, though.

I for one think that it's one of the worst performances by Dennis, too gritty to my taste. Give me his youthful 60s vocals any time. That being said, I don't think that if Brian or any other Beach Boy had sung "My Diane", it would've been any more better. So yes, the song itself is nothing special, regardless of whom.

Now, let me join in & congratulate this jolly enjoyable record & wish it to become a timeless classic soon. M.I.U. to the masses!

While I agree that Dennis was a far better singer in the 60's and early 70's, I think that his vocals actually suit My Diane very well

Yeah My Diane is a Dennis vocal from later I really like, even though I too like his pre 1974 voice the best.

Interesting that 1985 connects so much with you. I listened to it half a dozen time and I just don't get anything from it. "Getcha Back"/"Male Ego" is a cool 45 though.

Not counting Love You, Brian's good (released) stuff from post Holland, up to and including KTSA: My Diane, California Feelin', Winter Symphony, Had to Phone Ya, Back Home - and I do like the instrumental Why. Not knocking his contributions to other stuff, but I get the feeling that, for example, Santa Ana Winds - which I love - is more Al than Brian and isn't Good Timin' largely Carl's work?

You know, you're right. What I don't understand is why it can't connect to many people  ???

Strangely, MIU was always my least favorite BB album until just recently. It's just starting to click with me.  "She's Got Rhythm" is really fun to sing in the car driving home from work.Brian sounds great.  I love Pitter Patter and Match Point. The only song I get bugged by anymore is Belles of Paris because I can't hear it anyother way than Bells of Christmas.  :lol

Played the heck out of "She's Got Rythm" when it first came out. It was nice to hear Brian and Mike sharing the lead vocals on that one and others.

Nice album. 'Come And Go With Me" would become a top 20 hit in 1981.  Not too shabby.  :hat

I only recently got M.I.U. and my expectations were really, really low.  The only track on it that I had heard was Come and Go With Me, so I was expecting the worst.  Also with Carl and Dennis all but AWOL, how good could it be?  But I was impressed.  I like the mix, I like the overall feel, and there are some decent songs on it.  As someone said earlier, Pitter Patter has got to be one of the most underrated BB songs, I love it.   

So it was 35 years ago an album was released that was cobbled together from some "highlights" of new material and filled out with some 15 Big Ones-era recordings, ranging from ho-hum to just plain creepy, despite having some dynamite material in the can that could have made for a much better album.

Oh well...at least Al had the good sense to use the slightly-not-quite-as-creepy version of "Hey Little Tomboy."

But to me, MIU Album is what Summer In Paradise would have sounded like had the Beach Boys used actual instruments.

Happy birthday, MIU Album. Jai guru dev. And shave your legs, now, for your first time.

It seems that a number of people's opinions of M.I.U. were influenced by their expectations (obviously there are still other, important factors--but it's worth noting).  If expectations do affect our initial and overall opinion of an album, maybe we could learn our lesson and expect the worst for Brian's upcoming solo album!

I also bought M.I.U. Album the day it came out and overall was very impressed with how great the vocals sounded, being particularly amazed at how good Brian's vocals sounded on Match Point of Our Love. 

Bit there where were two major low points in the album - Brian's irritatingly screeching vocal on She's Got Rhythm and his embarrassing lyrics on Hey Little Tomboy.  I also found the album title to be totally noncommercial and confusing to the general public, and Dean Torrence's cover design was generic looking and uninspired, with the white letting for "The Beach Boys" difficult to read because it didn't stand out from the background.

Back in 1978 I played this album constantly at home and in the car, but almost always skipping She's Got Rhythm, which was easy to do as it was the first track on both the LP and the cassette.  The songs on the album I really liked a lot back then and still really like a lot today include Kona Coast, Wontcha Come Out Tonight, Sweet Sunday Kind of Love, Belles of Paris, Pitter Patter, and My Diane.

After suffering though Brian's rough vocals on 15 Big Ones and Love You, his vocal performances on M.I.U. (with the exception of She's Got Rhythm) were like a breath of fresh air to me.

That makes MIU twelve days older than me. :)

It's certainly not a good album and there's not a single song on it that stands out (although She's Got Rhythm could've been a bit of a gem if Brian's vocal would've been better). But it's not terrible either. It's decent background music.

I added a poll just for fun.  We may not all agree on whether this album is good or not, but maybe we can come to a consensus on which song is the absolute worst on it.  :)
(Forgive me if there are already "Worst Of" polls--I didn't check!)

Belles of Paris hands down

Funny thing, but I used to think Peggy Sue was the most listenable song on the album.  Now I rank it as the least exciting or original song on the album.

I HATED Shes Got Rhythm  but now I like it as well as anything on the album.  I read something recently where Brian asked Mike or AL or someone, it they thought people would think they were copying the Bee Gees on the song.  Then it seemed to click.  Perhaps Brian was doing a Bee Gee falsetto for that song?

Other opinions on this?

I think Beach Boys '85 is easily a better album than either 15 Big Ones, MIU, KTSA and pretty much everything that followed... There's nothing on any of those albums that comes close to Where I Belong. And It's Gettin' Late, I Do Love You, Male Ego - great songs!

On My Diane-- The "Now Iiiiiii" is just AHHHH it's so spine-tingling!

My least favourite songs on MIU (I couldn;t just name one):

Hey, Little Tomboy
Kona Coast
Belles of Paris
Match Point of Our Love

If push comes to shove: Kona Coast and Belles of Paris

35 years of mediocrity! 

MIU & LA were always my Beach Boys black hole.  As I've said before, my Beach Boys experience went oldies radio > Endless Summer > Spirit Of America > In Concert > Good Vibrations/Great Concert > the Preiss book > Concert > Love You > MONUMENTAL needle scratch across the record of the entire experience!  :o After a few listens, I was chased away from the band like I had an entire village of torch carrying animals behind me.  Check please!  *

With the poll up, I decided to listen to the whole album for the first time, possibly ever (and definitely the first time in a very long time), to make my vote and was surprised it didn't suck as much as I thought/expected.  My thoughts: The album is definitely front loaded which in the days of vinyl probably helped.  I like mostly all of side one, with the exception of "Hey Little Tomboy", which got my vote as worst on the album.  I knew it was bad (and yes, this version is a BIT better than the pedo-version) but I tried to judge it on its own merits, rather than its reputation and I'm convinced its reputation is well deserved.  It's just a dumb song.  "Bells Of Paris" is another turd but I think I gave it the edge because it wasn't stuck in the middle of a bunch of otherwise acceptable to good songs. 

Side two is definitely hit and miss with me.  It's mostly miss and NONE of them hit me particularly hard.  I think "My Diane" is highly overrated.  It's a decent vocal from that era of Dennis but the song ain't all that and the best thing about it (again, to me) is just the appearance of Dennis on the album; like "Oh yeah...and that guy too!  I always liked him."  The biggest surprise is the minimal vocal involvement from Carl but I guess this was another time where the label wanted as much Brian as possible and with Al calling the production shots and Mike firmly holding on to his post-Endless Summer position, the other Wilsons wound up getting a bit of the shaft.  (Funny how Mike complains that the album was "too democratic".)  And speaking of Brian's "forced" involvement, I think he really came through for the guys.  Nearly a full album's worth of music and very few out right duds.  Even "Hey Little Tomboy" might have been saved with different lyrics and subject matter.








* I returned briefly with Keepin' The Summer Alive and that year's Independence Day concert but with no new album for the next five years, I quickly lost interest and they were out of site, out of mind.  "California Dreaming" brought me back and Live Aid, Farm Aid, and "Kokomo" (great hook and big commercial triumph) kept me interested but then I read Wouldn't It Be Nice and (not knowing the story) felt the band was a bunch of A-holes and didn't pay any attention to them until the box set, which kept me satisfied until the Pet Sounds box.  After buying that, I went back and started buying the other stuff but stayed pre-Endless Summer, just to be safe, FINALLY getting some other stuff when the last batch of two-fers came out.

...And now you know...the REST of the story.  ;D

Yeah that happens to me a lot sometimes with music. It doesn't matter what others think anyhow, if you like it that's all that counts.

3 people voted for "My Diane" as the worst song on the album?!  I think there are just 3 dramatic people who think the song is overrated...  ;D

Happy Anniversary, MIU! I am sorry for all the years that I said you were unlistenable. My eyes have been opened by this message board and I now realize that you are merely mediocre, not unlistenable. Heck, I would now rate you higher than your kid brothers LA or KTSA, those little scamp underachievers! Please forgive me for all the wasted years, but when you were born it was at a time when "Gabba Gabba Hey" seemed to have more meaning to my life than "Pitter Patter". I suppose it didn't help that Pablo Cruise was currently doing the same kind of music that you offered and nobody took them seriously either. I promise that from now on I will listen to you, in all your  humble mediocrity,  on a more regular basis. You could never hope to compete with your more gifted cousins (much like a certain Beach Boy I know), but I think you have a good heart.

Up until the toe curling last song the second side of MIU is actually rather good. Some of the arrangements are a tad cheesy but the songwriting itself is fairly solid. MIU really would have been better with more Dennis and Carl involvement but then LA Light suffers for lack of Brian, Mike and Al.

Voted for match point

maaaaaaatch pooooooooooooint

I think "Matchpoint Of Our Love" is a good/borderline great song. I think the melody is very good, the arrangement is very good, Brian's vocal is great, the background vocals are great, and the lyrics are, um, good. The tennis metaphors never bothered me, and I always focused more on the heartfelt, "No one ever held me the way you did...No one could ever love me the way you did...how could love slip away from me-ee" That part makes me think of Dennis Wilson POB lyrics.

I sort-of agree. The melody is great, Arrangement is excellent, Brian's vocals is one of the best from the Late 70's, the Background vocals are quite good, but the lyrics are absolutely sh*t

I like most of M.I.U, a pretty great terrible album.

"Winds of change" made me question Al's ability to handle a lead for a while though.

lol, this confusing/indecisive blurb sums it up pretty well.


I don't understand why people loathe "Winds of Change"--I actually really like it.  In fact, it's one of the only BBs songs that moves me emotionally (even though it's pretty much straight-up cheeze).  Am I missing something?

No, both versions have their merits.

I agree with you 100%. MIU is one of the weakest BB's albums...but worse was to come. I think absolute rock bottom has gotta be SIP and S&S.

"A pretty great terrible album" - brilliant! Sums up MIU perfectly.

Personally I think the back-to-back trio of Pitter Patter/My Diane/Matchpoint is pretty damn good - it's just a pity about the rest of the album really...

"Match Point Of Our Love" and "My Diane" are the twin stellar beacons on this album. I can't believe how many people hate the former. Who cares about the lyrics, it's a great tune with an awesome vocal.

i do care. bad bad bad bad lyrics.

It's a shame, really. Such a beautiful song musically. But I can't think of much worse BB's lyrics (Summer of Love comes into mind, but not much else).
Don't blame Brian. Blame Mike

Shady, what did you find questionable about Al's lead on WOC? Normally, it's "bland" arrangement, lyrics & melody that people question in the song. You're maybe the only 1 who had trouble with the vocals there. But I'm glad your opinion's changed since - Al's singing is beautiful, no doubts. Same mellow style he'd use on "Lady Lynda".

Match Point is another one I like, almost forgot about it. Brian almost sounds like he did on Busy Doin' Nothin' 10 years prior.

As for Winds of Change... too forced for me.

I like "Winds Of Change" immediately after "My Diane". I guess this belongs in the alternate album thread, but my preferred sequence/ending of MIU Side 2 would be:

09 Pitter Patter
10 Matchpoint Of Our Love
11 My Diane
12 Winds Of Change
13 Our Team

I can, easily: The Private Life Of Bill And Sue, Summer Of Love.

Matchpoint to me is too much typical 70s sound for me to like it. Especially the drums and strings.

Our Team should definitely have been on the album, preferably in place of Winds. What the hell were they thinking leaving that one in the can?

So what's wrong with the 70s sound? The 70s were awesome. I don't get your point.

I did mention Summer of Love, and I also said there were a few others

My point is, I don't like that typical 70s sound, that's what's wrong with it. So if you love that 70s sound, which is absolutely OK and accepted by me, you can't get my point.