The Smiley Smile Message Board

While it’s pretty undeniable that the vilification of Mike over the years has been taken to the extreme (especially in the online world), it seems to me that if the other BB members (Bruce excepted) really think that this is unfair and undeserved, that they’d have spoken out about it publicly at some point along the way. Particularly Brian and Al. Maybe they did and I missed something?

I guess what I’m wondering is if they feel a slight bit of satisfaction that Mike has a ridiculous amount of haters (that they may or may not feel he deserves).

And what would Dennis have thought about the subject if he were around today?

My guess is that some of the other members are aware (to a degree) of the amount of vilification that has more or less cemented into the public consciousness, and though that they may not be aware of all the details (and have likely not read through pages of Youtube comments and/or entire websites dedicated to the subject), they might feel that despite how over-the-top the sentiment is, they may still feel this is justified payback in some way. Or maybe not.

None of us can begin to understand the complexity of the relationships between the individuals in this band, but I’m curious as to what y’all think about this.

Some time within the last year I read an interview where Brian was asked something like why is Mike Love such an assh-le and Brian responded he's not an assh-le, just difficult to work with.

i can't say for sure about the band's interpersonal differences, i've read something about certain members keeping to their hotel rooms. i do think the vilification of mike has gone way out of proportion. he cares about the band, and he loves the wilson family, always lamenting the damage that the drugs did to the family. there's a nice youtube clip of mike in the street, surrounded by adoring autograph hunters.

No.

There is no misunderstanding.

Mike love is guilty of everything he is accused of.

While I'm sure that response was tongue in cheek, I think my question may nevertheless have been misunderstood a bit. I wasn't asking if the band members think Mike is actually guilty of everything he is accused of (obviously he isn't and obviously they don't), but rather why they don't seem to care enough to ever proactively do/say much of anything to counter the sizable swath of public fan sentiment that casts him as arguably the most hated man in rock and roll. My theory is that the other band members may get some enjoyment on some level because of their own deep personal beefs with him. I'd like to think this isn't the case, but in actuality I think it probably is.

Brian & David have defended Mike. Al has his issues with Mike at the moment, so I doubt you will get too much out of him. Bruce tours with the guy, and I'll bet if asked directly, would defend him to the hilt. That leaves Dennis and Carl who can no longer speak for themselves. Though I will say, that I have rarely heard or read anything from Carl ripping any of his fellow band members. He was the mediator in the band and had to stand the middle ground for the most part.

Had Dennis been around I think they would probably not be on very friendly terms.

For what it is worth, when Brian first started touring there would be a film that was played before Brian started the show.  Mike was featured briefly in said film and was routinely booed.   Brian did not like that and told his audience as much on more than one occasion.

Pure conjecture here, but if Dennis was still alive he would have surely cleaned himself up by now, which in my estimation would have been the first step in repairing any bad relationships he had through the late 70's and early 80's.

They answer the questions that they are asked...

How often are the other band members asked, `Does Mike deserve his reputation?`

This is true... But I suppose I also wonder what they privately think of the subject behind closed doors as well...

Mike's happily married, incredibly rich, famous, still successful, is very healthy, and has a lot going for himself at this advanced age.

The people that know him (the band members) probably don't feel sorry for him in any way.