The Smiley Smile Message Board

http://www.examiner.com/article/mike-love-states-his-case

Interesting to hear Mike's detailed perspective.

Hmm… I don't think this is the end of this. Needs a conversation, and incisive questioning.  I believe everything Michael says here but it needs the input of Brian and Joe, with a lot of to-ing and fro'-ing, to arrive at the full - or at least a fuller - picture.

Hmmmm...the plot thickens!  Sounds like communication isn't really a strong suit with these guys.

"... as I understand it, I could be wrong, but the suites, per Joe, for TWGMTR and NPP is the result of their collaborations from many years ago."

Interesting...

"I will elaborate more on the 50th anniversary and it's end in my book."

Fascinating...

"As I understand it…" - again hinting at a lack of communication.

Tantalising.

Roll on Summer 2016.

Also I finding amazing that Mike came out with all this stuff after an an innocuous query about whether he liked Brian's new song.

Is he sending a message of conciliation to Brian and folks? Is David being used here, to convey the idea that there's been some kind of misunderstanding?

God, while I love this element of voyeurism, I also wish these grown up, world renowned musicians could manage to handle their dirty laundry behind closed doors.

Is there no one in their lives who doesn't know each party sufficiently well to act as mediator, bring them back together, with maybe a compromise here and there to oil the wheels?

I distinctly recall that in a previous examiner article (one that caused a small stir here), David had stated that such a piece would be upcoming.

Is David being "used" ? No more than anyone who's ever interviewed someone.  ;D

I think Carl was the one who did a lot of that

yeah. fascinating stuff.  ::)


"When Brian is ready...I'm ready!"

when he's ready for WHAT exactly, Mike?
another album? to be a Beach Boy again? to head to The Room with you?

don't count on it. you had your chance and you blew it. no amount of backpedaling or bullsh!tting will change that.


and isn't it funny that Mike had time to read every word of Brian's press release and cook up a long-winded response, but he's been unable to listen to even a snatch of Brian (and Al and Dave's) new single which clocks in at just over 2 and a half mins?

and Mike was "stoked" about doing a covers album, but just kind of lukewarm about an album of Brian Wilson songs that went top 3. so much for the stance that Mike would only record if he were given more opportunity to write with Brian.

Mike 2015

How was this to be another Beach Boys album? There was never any discussions within the group either during, at the end or after the scheduled and agreed upon ending of the reunion tour.




http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/482551/beach-boys-talk-another-album-together

Mike Love on Band's Future, Label Reaction & the 'Only Drawback' of the Reunion

Though the Beach Boys' 50th anniversary reunion tour comes to an end on Sept. 28 in London, Mike Love says the quintet may, well, do it again, both on the road and in the recording studio.

"There's only one 50th anniversary, obviously, but... there's talk of us going and doing a return to the Grammys next year, and there's talk about doing another album together," Love -- who recently announced some fall dates in South America for the edition of the Beach Boys he and the group's Bruce Johnston take on the road -- tells Billboard.com. "There's nothing in stone, but there's a lot of ideas being floated around. So after this year, after completing the 50th anniversary reunion, we'll entertain doing some more studio work and see what we can come up with and can do in the future.".....


Discussions within the group? WTF were they doing between April and September?

Another album together....it doesn't even sound like they were on the same tour!

As much as I stick up for Mike when it's deserved, I gotta call bullshit on this one. Why not just say 'hey, at one point we were going to continue on, but sh*t happened. It'll be in the book'?

It sounds to me like everybody in the band was open to more but the more was just talk and nothing became concrete to change the status quo.

Yep. It's a little hard to blame the mysterious "forces" when Mike himself said pretty much the same thing in that Billboard article. Damage control is a bitch.

Mike was given an opportunity to stick it to Brian and Joe, in a space guaranteed to get noticed, so he ran with it

Mike is full of sh*t as always. ::)

Is anyone here really believing Mike actually said a word of this?

Pretty much. I’m calling BS on this interview and Mike’s comments as well. If Mike’s book reads anything like this interview, it won’t answer or solve *anything* relating to the end of the C50. The whole interview (and I’m not exactly sure if Mike is prone to writing or saying the “NPP” acronym for Brian’s new album, that’s a bit odd) reads like a lawyer and a defensive internet Mike Love fanboy collaborated on a “response” to Brian’s new album.

Who is even *asking* the question of whether Mike is involved in Brian’s new album? Isn’t that the whole point? He’s *not* involved.

It seems to me like David Beard is running with this “everybody is pointing fingers at Mike for NOT being on this new album” idea when nobody else seemed to care, not even the “I’d give my left nut for this to have been a new Beach Boys album” crowd. Even those people never seemed to care beyond passively acknowledging that, yeah, it appears this *could have* theoretically been another Beach Boys album.

Did Mike Love *read* the press release for Brian’s new album? Did David Beard read a different press release to him or something? Saying Brian moved on to doing a solo album because a Beach Boys album “was not to be” is about as passive as the wording could possibly get. Mike thinks *that* comes across as bitter? Mike Love’s name is not even mentioned in the press release for Brian’s album.

What does Joe Thomas’ fear of flying (already having been documented years ago) have to do with working on a new album? Is there a non-passive aggressive reason for even bringing that up? And if MIke seems to be so familiar with the history of the Brian/Joe collaborations and knows they're so old, why would Joe need to, what, fly into each city during the tour to write NEW material with Brian? What is he even saying?

The biggest BS moment in this interview comes from Mike’s attitude of essentially “Whaaaa? Why would anyone think we might do another album?” The group collectively and individually were asked during the tour about future plans, which would include live and studio work. No definitive answers of any sort were ever provided. But to suggest it was never even discussed strikes me as pretty odd. There were leftover tracks from the TWGMTR, Joe Thomas mentioned in interviews before or during the tour that Brian specifically decided NOT to name the album “Summer’s Gone” because he didn’t want it to be the last BB album.

The whole interview reeks of going back to the drawing board and developing new, different, seemingly (but not really) more plausible reasons for the end of C50. Mike’s position seems to keep shifting. In previous interviews, he discussed disliking elements of the whole C50 project. Now it has shifted to a “what are you talking about? We never even discussed the possibility of ever doing another album?” argument.

And now the “offers” for more dates were “nebulous”? What happened to the reasoning that he didn’t want to do more of those dates because he didn’t feel the band should only play large venues? What about the fact that he had already booked shows for his old band? Would he have taken the offers for more C50 shows if they had not been “nebulous”? It doesn’t sound like it based on prior interviews, so why does it matter?

The whole interview reads like passing the buck on the issue of the end of the reunion, and he has made crystal clear in numerous interviews that another reunion like that is not something he’s into. Why not just say that?

It’s all sort of the same BS as always I guess, but this does nothing but fill me with dread for Mike’s book. If he lays it on this thick in terms of being defensive and passive aggressive, it’s going to be tough to get through the book.

I would certainly assume it’s not as if Mike was not involved in this and someone else just wrote it in his name.

But the interview certainly reads like someone else is feeding him a lot of this information, both the background information (Mike seems to think Brian called him a d*ckhead in the press release for NPP or something) as well as the “arguments”, which as I mentioned previously, read like a mixture of internet fan defenses (the “autotune” jab for instance) and legal defenses. None of that may have happened in the slightest, but as good or bad as Mike interviews have been in the past, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen one with him like this, where it reads almost like someone else is using Mike to further *their* agenda, like someone got all hot and bothered about the accusation that Mike could have helped make this another BB album.  

The interview reads like Mike is more upset about this not being a BB album (or the accusation, not actually present, that Mike could have made it a BB album) than Brian is or ever was.

Objectively, taking the “let’s all get along” stance, I would say Mike and David Beard are stirring more s**t about all of this than Brian or Brian’s album press release did. Very odd…..

A piece getting the bottom of the demise of C50, or of Mike’s perception among fans, would have (or could have) been an intensely interesting article. But to linger on the “Brian implied his new solo album could have been a BB album” thing is just really bizarre. David Beard seems to be the only one fixating on this, to the point of bring up Mike’s name in a review of the song “The Right Time.”

Mike’s right about one thing in his interview at least: He isn’t involved in Brian’s new album. It appears Beard wants to drag Mike into it and involve him for some reason.

Thank you! The tone in the interview was as if the idea of doing another BB album was some fantasy developed by Brian after the reunion broke up. How would just the *idea* of another album not at least be feasible to some degree? Weird….

Man, where to begin. For a band known for it's vocal ability, these guys are beyond tone deaf some times.  :(

In addition to the fact that he directly contradicts himself from one paragraph to another, he also contradicts statements he made in 2012. And over what? A press release claiming that Brian intended to make a new Beach Boys album but ended up with a "solo album" (featuring 4 members of the Beach Boys, Matt and Jeff) because the band dissolved again? Which part of that is untrue? Wasn't there a Capitol/BBs recording contract that called for 3 albums or am I remembering incorrectly? I seem to recall someone suggesting that Brian's new contract was in essence an assumption of the remainder of the BB's contract.

More to the point, he ends with, "More on that in 2016 when you buy my book." Given the contradictions and seeming inaccuracies that a few have already noted, it seems less like Mike clearing things up and more like an opportunity to plug a book and make thinly veiled snipes at Joe and, presumably, Melinda.  

This passive aggressive behavior on both sides is really beneath the legacy of this band. What a shame. Where they could be working as a team to brandish their legacy (both creatively and financially), once again they fail to see the big picture.

"Brian wanted to do a rock album"

LONG LIVE PLEASURE ISLAND!  :-D

I don't think anyone knows for sure how the Capitol contracts went. But many have said the deal was for two albums, and the live album satisfied that, and Brian's album is on a new solo deal.

As with the end of the C50 tour, I guess Mike is saying he was not contractually obligated to do another BB album. I don't think anyone has ever suggested otherwise. That doesn't address whether they could have done another album, or who wanted to do another one.

It is kind of amusing that Mike seems to think an album of covers might have been a better idea than an album of new songs.

When your first album in 20 years goes top 3, why would the possibility of another one not be discussed? I can't imagine any scenario where it wouldn't, but maybe that's just me.

It really is a weird piece and contradicts everything that everyone (including Mike) has said about the tour and follow up plans.  I don't know who did what to whom related to the C50. Maybe "No Pier Pressure" is a subtle dig at Mike from Brian. But, it's Mike, not Brian, who seems to be spinning out in an effort to rewrite what we know of the story. It's not pretty.

Did Brian pull in a bunch of other Beach Boys for this album? Sure. Why should they all sit around collecting belly button lint while Mike tours the Beach Boys name? They wanted to go on. He didn't. So they went on without him. I, for one, don't blame them.

Then there's Mike's transparent attempts to "out Brian" Brian this year.

Cousin Bri's got a new album coming out? So what! I've got one coming out in… ah…. a few years. Yeah.

Cousin Bri's got a book coming out? Well……. Me too! So N'yah!

Brian did a Q&A on a message board?  Well…. come on over to the newly created and creepily named "Vibe Room" and post your questions to the Lovester! (Seriously. Get a PR guy, Mike. He would have told you that "Mike Love's Vibe Room" was not a good name for a forum).

One thing is sure, though. These guys definitely need to get in a room. Not to write songs, because I think that ship has pretty much sailed. They need to sit down and settle these silly issues that keep getting played out in public, decide how they want to ultimately be remembered, set their own egos aside and do what's best for the band's legacy.

Not going to happen.

As Howie Edelson has pointed out numerous times, this happens because the *band* doesn’t have management. They apparently have a guy that runs BRI (Elliott Lott), but they don’t have a manager that appears to even attempt to get all the guys on the same page, even during times when they can’t or won’t work actively together. As Edelson has mentioned, there are other unifying things they could be doing (merchandising, getting songs in movies, in other words, improving the BRAND) even if they aren’t working together.

It’s just sad. Does anybody think that a Mike book where his recounting of C50 reads anything like that article is going to help the chances of the guys all working together again. Is it even possible in, say, 2016, for the band to do even a tiny “Pet Sounds” tour (or whatever sort of project) while a new Mike Love book is on the shelves that says the things about Brian that Mike has said in the last couple of years. And, to some degree, the same would be true for Brian’s upcoming book. Neither book will likely help relations.

It’s far from a perfect analogy, but it probably isn’t a total coincidence that once Brian’s 1991 book came out, he went from at least occasionally appearing live with the BB’s to not playing a gig with them for five years or so. 

I’m just still astonished that Mike still portrays himself as so disenfranchised. I mean, doesn’t he have pretty much everything the way he wants it now, as far as the “Beach Boys” empire is concerned?

Why is he so concerned with Brian’s new SOLO album, the one that he will no doubt proclaim to never listen to?

Some of the above posts just make me wish that Hey Jude was writing Mike's biography. And if Mike is going to include the sort of comments made in this article perhaps a change of title would be in order because those Good Vibrations seem to  have been in short supply upon occasion.

The thing is, I have no doubt Mike has plenty of interesting and genuinely informative and interesting things to say. But an interviewer (or autobiography co-author) has to snap the person out of the uber-defensive mode.

When it seems like someone is actually stoking those defensive flames even more by asking about the most passive of mentions in a Brian album press release that he wanted to do another BB album , then we just get more defensiveness.

Seriously, the thing comes across as if someone showed Mike a draft of the NPP press release where Brian called Mike a huge a**hole or something. 

If a lawyer wrote that email, he or she is not a good lawyer. It's poorly written, both in terms of the expression of ideas (it's all over the place) and the syntax. I don't know why the press release for NPP needed to mention the BBs, but if it was stirring the pot, it was doing so in a pretty innocuous way. As quotes in this thread have demonstrated, there WAS talk of a follow-up album after TWGMTR. So either Mike is remembering wrong, or he's not being truthful. But why bring it up at all?

It is crazy with how many excuses Mike continues to bring up for the ending of the C50. All this stuff he keeps making up on the go is really uncovering the the real reason for why the reunion didn't work:
Mike Love

This is what baffles me, as well. Mike made his choice to go back to the way things were. What did he expect Brian to do? Go home, curl up in a ball and cry? Brian's not that guy anymore. He picked up and moved on… without Mike. And, he moved on in grand style: movie, album, book deal. Boom! Boom! Boom!

Mike got what he wanted: The Beach Boys name and control over the touring band with no Brian Wilson. Brian moved on solo. What about that bothers Mike?

Because people have heard of The Beach Boys who haven't heard of Brian Wilson by name, and also because casual fans will be waiting on a follow-up to TWGMTR and will wonder why they're getting a solo album instead of that. Simple as that.

Actually:

1. Mike nods at a message board several times.

2. Brian's people put on a Q&A in it.

3. Vibe room is a cool name, if one gets rid of the supercilious, nitpicking-ad-nauseam, BW nerd fanboy pose.

4. Something happened for Mike not to like Joe. I think Joe was Mike's guy initially (1996?) but something happened during the tour.

5. Pleasure Island was to be mostly a covers album. The C50 album was going to be a covers album initially. Pleasure Island, perhaps. People that heard "Rave on" and other covers post TLOS praised them. Brian mentioned he had arrangement ideas for Honeycomb (in a group interview, 2012). Why shouldn't Mike be stoked to work with Brian on an album of favorites from their youth?

Then it would probably be too long.

That's a Beach Boys FanGIRL, and as a GIRL I find the name creepy. And who's being supercilious here?

What happens in the vibe room, stays in the vibe room.  ;)

Mentioning the Beach Boys (and not just Brian being a founding member) and specifically referencing the demise of the 2012 reunion in the NPP press release is not inappropriate at all.

Joe Thomas has mentioned in an interview that least one song on the album may have been specifically informed by and/or influenced by the demise of the BB reunion. Additionally, if Brian wrote (or did additional writing, or arranged) any of these tunes with the BBs in mind, that’s worth mentioning as well.

In a more general sense, the press release describes Brian’s train of thought and where his thinking was going back a few years. Brian came off the 2012 tour with a bag of songs and hoping/thinking it could form the basis for another BB album. Then, as the press release extremely PASSIVELY mentions, that was “not to be”, so Brian decided to push through and reformat his vision for the project. I figured this was specifically mentioned in the press release because it was a specific change to how Joe Thomas described Brian’s ethos for some of the “TWGMTR” songs. That is, going back as far as 1998 at least, Brian was specifically setting aside tracks as “Beach Boys” tracks that he refused to cut as solo tracks. I always found that very slightly poignant, because it was clear at that time that Brian didn’t have a huge desire to work with them. Yet, he still set aside some tracks. So with this new album, he did NOT do the same thing. They are indeed making it sound like at least some of these songs were specifically targeted as BB tracks, and then Brian decided to cut them anyway as solo tracks and/or duet or guest vocal tracks.

Make no mistake, Brian’s camp makes “statements” too. The 2013 “BAD” tour was certainly one. “No Pier Pressure” could easily be a dig, maybe at specific people, or maybe just exasperation with the demise of the reunion. But for chrisssakes, the album isn’t called “No Peer Pressure from that D**khead Mike Love.”

The problem is that Mike imagines its called “No Peer Pressure from that D**khead Mike Love.” and sends out lawsuits accordingly. For a man who cheated the founder of the BBs out of the group and keep the name, Mike Love is a miserable man.

Setting aside the argument that it’s more artistically valid, and/or more interesting for fans, to do an album of NEW material instead of lazily doing a covers album (which sounds like a good “bonus disc” idea or something), I think one theoretical argument is that it wouldn’t be so much that Mike is excited about doing an album of covers, but rather could be more off-put by an album of NEW songs where only a few have his name on them, and where the vast majority have Joe Thomas’ name.

No PIer Pressure - I think that spelling of 'pier' is not accidental. Perhaps Brian is making a point 'I, not my peers'

the Rolling Stone article stated that 28 songs were recorded during TWGMTR sessions. that's enough for two more freaking albums! I love how Mike forgets all of these facts that were reported and published, and thinks he can just have a clean slate every time he opens his mouth to defend his pathetic self. he contradicts his own previous statements as much as anyone else's. what a guy.

Mike is the king of straw grabs. There's more straw-grabbing going on here than at the root beer stand from Chug A Lug.

Maybe he sounds defensive because so much criticism has been directed towards him.  He has a right to set the record straight every now and then.  Personally, I think all the members of the band should forget about 2012 and move one, it's pointless to rehash their falling out.

Interesting, indeed.

Two things, actually.

One, that Mike hints the suite tracks date from "many years ago."  I know that's a sort of vague statement, but I thought the suite tracks were rather recent?

The second interesting thing is, of course, the notion that NPP may contain suite material.


And oh, I sure hope so.  Ever since we first heard word of a "Life Suite" I was interested.

And then when I actually listened to the suite tracks on TWGMTR, my interest in hearing the rest of the piece went from a case of "anticipation," to a state of full-blown, unabashed desperation.   :)


Fast-forward to NPP.  When the track listing for the various editions of Brian's new album was first published, I recall someone here suggesting that the three additional tracks on the deluxe version might have come from the suite.  Maybe they were right, after all?

Whatever the case may be, I just hope that any suite tracks on the new album will be acknowledged as such, officially.

And then I'd very much want to know whether we'd heard the entire suite, or if there is still more yet to come?

And finally, if we ever do have the entire suite made available, I'd very much like to know Brian's suggested running order for the darned thing!

I read through the article again, and one point I initially missed out on was Mike contending that Brian didn’t write the press release. Setting aside the fact that he seems oddly touchy about the simple passing mention of a Beach Boys album that was “not to be”, I’m left pondering the following: Does Mike write all of his press releases personally? Of course other people write these things. The pertinent parties approve it. I would imagine Brian would not have approved anything that said something negative about Mike Love. The press release doesn’t mention Mike Love at all. The press release simply mentions that, in Brian’s mind, he was hoping/considering another BB album. Even if *everything* Mike says here is accurate and nobody ever discussed another album (even though someone already produced a 2012 interview where Mike specifically says they HAD discussed another album), what would possibly be wrong with Brian, in a press release for his own album, mentioning that he had envisioned another BB album?

While we know the reason a BB album was “not to be”, the press release doesn’t elaborate on that at all. A non-fan reading that would have no idea why it was not to be, or who to blame, or even if blame needed to be placed.

It’s interesting that Mike seems so aghast at the album press release, within an interview in which he makes much more obvious negative comments about Joe Thomas and Brian. The bit about how Brian couldn’t have written the press release is just another in a long line of interviews where there is a passive or direct implication that others are controlling Brian.

Objectively, Mike’s interview is FAR more inflammatory than the press release for NPP.

Yeah, I don't get this pre-emptive damage control. I guess David Beard means well but he seems to be making it worse for EVERYONE, most of all Mike Love. Nobody who wasn't already swilling Bruce's prize Pacifico already would walk away from this piece with a positive impression. What kind of Vibe Room is this, I ask you!

Looking forward to his outbursts about the movie.

The comments at the bottom are a hoot. So who is who?

"weak. Mike either really doesn't get it, or has a really hard time being honest. It's no secret that Brian wanted to continue touring and recording as a Beach Boy after the success of the C50 tour and TWGMTR's top 3 status.

It was also stated at the time that although Brian had originally envisioned the album to be their last (with a title of Summer's Gone) he changed his mind after working with everyone in the studio. He really thought (as did millions of fans the world over) that the band was going to continue forward with all the surviving members. It seemed a perfect last chapter to this, America's greatest band led by one of its greatest composers, rich and storied career.

But after all Mike's crowing during the reunion about "the whole being greater than the sum of its parts" and it feeling "just like 1965" in the studio, we are once again subjected to the fraud that is Love, Johnston, and Stamos masquerading as The Beach Boys on a nightly basis... while the man who wrote Pet Sounds and every hit the band ever had (but one) is forced to pursue a solo career.

Seeing as Brian's new album contains at least twice as many Beach Boys as the Mike Love Show, I think the truth is clear to most anyone who's been paying attention... despite disingenuous and backpedaling "articles" such as this."

"Its obvious that Brian Wilson and Al Jardine are the Beach Boys. Mike Love is just a greedy, self-serving jerk who got lucky and hired excellent lawyers."

at least one good one: "Thanks for the article, nice to hear Mike's side of things."

"There's nothing nice about the self-serving bull he coughs up."

"What a creep. Mike Love keeps digging a bigger hole for himself. Maybe he can invite John Stamos into the hole instead of Brian."

"Mike's 2017 album will be called No Pisces Pressure."

"David Beard, washroom attendant of Club Kokomo... putting out fires. Most of it doesn't even sound like Mike Love. I wonder who actually came up with this drivel... all ending in a plug for his book. Act now before it's pulped! Hopefully no autotune? Says the guy who needs help with his vocals. Listen to the first shows of C50, Mike was singing through some processing himself. He sounded like an Autobot on "Don't Back Down."

Now he tries to pretend those offers for further shows were nebulous or he never saw them? Yeah, he'll never see them again either. He didn't get the deal in writing? The professionals were dealing with that while he was off pointing at people and trying to sleep with girls a third his age. He can take his cutrate hasbeen act to some Indian casinos and chicken wing parties. Nobody from MSG is going to be buggin' him in this lifetime. Now go meditate, Michael Edward! On an ego so big no baseball cap can hide it: unlike baldness."

""Joe" is mentioned five times in this article ... who is "Joe"?"

"I was hoping for more from Mike Love. Rather than ruminate with the interviewer on the potential of working with his cousin again, he resorts to technicalities about contracts and gig bookings."

"BOO. I'd love to throw rotting garbage at this guy."

Well. I guess that damage control is gonna need some tweaks.

I think it's interesting that Mike Love is opposed to Autotune, and noticed it's detrimental affect on the 2012 BB record.

Regardless the dig about Al and autotune certainly seemed unneccessary. The rest reads to me like someone defending themselves against something they weren't actually accused of. Not by Brian or that press release anyway.

If Mike finds a reference in a press release for Brian’s album mentioning that a Beach Boys album was “not to be” to be “criticism”, then *anything* could be criticism. Is he really going to have to “respond” now every time any of the other band members simply mention that the reunion ended?

If any PR people are watching, I would suggest a different tact. Mike comes across as being far more stuck on the end of C50 than Brian at this stage.

The whole article has the appearance that the author was the one who was stuck on the issue of the album press release somehow placing blame on Mike (even though it didn’t), and then the interview comes across as if Mike was baited into slinging mud about the reunion and Brian’s new album. Was Mike asked more questions in this interview that weren’t printed? The interview reads as if he was asked if he had heard “The Right Time”, and then launched into the rest of the diatribe without any other prompting. I’d like to see the full exchange including all of the questions, if additional questions were asked to prompt the answers. At any point in the interview, was Mike challenged regarding discussions about another BB album, considering there are printed interviews from 2012 in which Mike cites discussions of another album?

The whole context of this article kind of smells bad.

Who is Mike stating his case against? The staffer who wrote the press release for the new album? Wtf?

I feel everyone's pain and consternation here: Mike adds nothing credible to what we know and suspect. I do not want to read his book, likely to be more contrived, about the 50th breakup. Rather I hope that this forces everyone to get together and make a new album.  If Mike wrote this, I get the feeling that he is feeling terrible and left out, likely mis-remembering or obfuscating intentionally (or unconsciously) his own role is making sure a new album together did not happen.

What a mess. The only healing I could imagine is for all the BB to get together and decide to do a BB album so that every voice is heard emotionally and all is forgiven, as confusingly entangled as it all is.

A taxonomy of failure is impossible and otiose; rather sweep that question away and make songs together.

Of course it's not an accident. The cover photo is of a pier.

Guys, we won't know what really happened until young family members rant about it on social media.

We just have to wait and see.

Unfortunately, Mike saw the 2012 setup as too much of a compromise, based on his own interviews. There’s no particular evidence from what I’ve seen that he wants an all-inclusive, group effort. I’ve never seen him mention how it might be nice to have Al write a song, or Bruce, or Dave, for a new BB album. That doesn’t mean he would never allow it. What it means is that in his mind he seems to have a specific idea of what constitutes a proper Beach Boys album, and that includes mainly he and Brian writing songs alone and, I would guess, NOT an member outside of the group co-writing nearly every song on the album, more often than not to the exclusion of Mike. He has his own benchmarks for what an album should be, and they clearly are at odds with others’ opinions and, in my opinion, common sense. For instance, he downplayed a #3 chart placement for the album. If he and Brian had written all the songs and the album had had the exact same chart activity, I doubt he would have dismissed the performance of the album. Then it would have been “We got to #3 on the charts! Clearly, when Brian and I write the album, it results in our biggest chart debut ever!”

I don't believe for a second that Mike feels terrible or left out... though he should.

no, Mike got exactly what he wanted. business as usual. casinos and SeaWorld. Stamos, Foskett, and Johnston. and himself at the helm. he doesn't care about the band's legacy or Brian's muse. he doesn't care about making art. he cares about making a buck and a few babes along the way.


what exactly could Mike contribute to an album like No Pier Pressure that would make it better in any possible way? Executive Production? what a joke. lame vocals and even lamer lyrics about having fun fun fun? thank God we've been spared.

the C50 and TWGMTR were cool, but we should all be glad it's over. like Jeff said in Rolling Stone, Brian is an artist and Mike is an entertainer. let him go entertain. himself and all the ladies who came to see if the guy from Full House is gonna show up. you can't teach an old bitter lecher new tricks.

Mike is going to continually be asked questions about Brian's album for the foreseeable future. "Have you heard it?"... "What do you think of it?"... etc. etc.

IMHO... I think he wants NPP to not be great, because the better it is, the worse it makes him look/feel. The better the album actually is, and the better it is reviewed/received by the public and critics, the more it drives home the idea that he is most insecure about - that BDW can write/create a well-received album with multiple BB members, without the help/contributions WHATSOEVER of Mike himself.  Especially, especially in the wake of the public kerfuffle known as the demise of the C50.

So, as a result, we're gonna get negativity. The sour way that a post-C50 Mike slagged TWGMTR for "only" hitting #3... well, believe me, if NPP hits (for example) #15, Mike will likely find a way to spin TWGMTR (featuring Mike) having beaten out NPP's chart position. Suddenly, it will be praise for TWGMTR. It's childish, but everything is being used as a chess piece in some sick ego game at this point.

If NPP should win some awards, or a Grammy no less, well I don't imagine Mike would be honestly, truthfully happy about that. It would just be more sour grapes. I cannot fathom Mike will ever respond to a reviewer asking a question about NPP, and the response actually being a positive, not-laced-with-subtle-digs, review. Sadly, it will have to be put down in some way, shape, or form. It's about ego, as it has been for all these decades.

Of course, the easiest, most passive-aggressive way of dealing with it, would be to say that he simply hasn't listened to the album. Right.  Like the way he didn't show up at the (very important, legacy-related) 2005 Hawthorne monument induction, because he was too "busy" touring, which of course was a non-issue when the ELLA award was for Mike alone.

While I doubt I will be, I will say that I sincerely wish to be proven wrong.

 :lol

so true though.

So the title is based on the cover art? Oh, right LOL!

The title was obviously spelled that way on purpose and they followed suit by using a photo of a pier as a cover. It's clearly a comment on outside pressures to focus on surf-related music. Because you find piers along the coastline. The coastline is the edge between earth and water. In water, people surf. People made music about surfing. Brian made music about surfing.

But, I guess I'm wrong. They spelled it that way to put an "i" there with an utter disregard for everything else. Sure, that seems reasonable.

Obviously there is a play upon the words 'peer pressure' and to introduce something that references  the ocean once again also makes sense. But I take it to mean that Brian doesn't want it to be about peers or piers - just his own ideas in which case the whole idea hangs together quite nicely.

Did I read these wrong? Isn't Mike saying there were no real/concrete deals/offers brought to the table to be decided for or against by the group?

There was just talk, by someone. Isn't that also what Jon and/or Howie said back at the time?

JT was producing the tour and presumably handling booking. Why would any venue want to negotiate directly with Mike Love? They wouldn't be negotiating directly with BW either. Is he honestly going to pretend offers for further shows weren't on the table and didn't exist because they weren't put into writing and in his mailbox at home that he wouldn't see because he was on tour? This is why you have a manager or someone like the mullet to handle details. He may have been in Chicago a lot but we can't deny that he got sh*t done. He might not have been traveling with Mike and holding his hand on the road, but he got them booked into better venues than they've had in years.

His whole story just adds up to: waaaaaaah, waaaaah, waaaaah!

He got what he wanted. Go sing Brian's songs some more and shaddup about it. It comes off so whiny and shameful for a man of his age.

These deals would be brought to the board members of BRI for consideration/approval/disapproval though, right?

Just curious...were the Disney and Gershwin albums art? I would argue they were oldies covers. Kind of the stuff Mike seems hung up on. How about the Christmas album by Brian or re-working Smile into a 3 part album?

Also, the last time I saw Brian live I paid $100 bucks face value. ...so everyone likes to make a buck.

But who is arguing any of these things? We’re talking about, when it’s time to reconvene and do the first BB album in 20 years, and the first to include Brian in 23 years, and the first to include Brian in a substantial fashion in anywhere from 27 to 35 years, maybe it’s a bit of a cop-out to record an album of cover versions. I find it easy to believe Mike is more enthusiastic about old Everly Brothers songs than a new melancholy ballad penned by Brian and Joe Thomas. But not learning from the mistakes of things like “Stars and Stripes” or “Summer in Paradise” shows a lot of tunnel vision in my opinion.

Not that it needs to be defended, but Brian has cut many solo albums, so it’s easier to stomach albums of covers when we’ve also recently had albums of new material. If Brian’s first solo album in 1988 had been all covers, that would have been just as misguided of an idea.

Also not needing defending is that Brian charges money for tickets. Nobody ever claimed Brian doesn’t seek out chances to make money. Having an “artistic” slant simply to the degree of pursuing writing and recording new, original material does not mean one then should give the music away for free or lose money touring.

Interesting, indeed, given that it seems to be all over "Cool Head, Warm Heart" and "Pisces Brothers."

I agree with Mike on one issue, Brian isn’t inclined toward bitterness - or subtle digs.  Knowing Brian, “No Pier Pressure” means exactly that.  He’s doing what he wants to do on this record and enjoying it.  And in my opinion from the 2 released tracks and the samples we’ve heard, the enjoyment is contagious.
 
Many of you here were complaining a few weeks ago because Brian prefers direct questions and gives direct answers.  I find that refreshing - especially after reading this very, very strange article where I was lost in the circular logic, amazing inconsistency with known facts and the drama.  Now can we get back to the music, instead of the BS?

My takeaway from the interview is that Mike is suggesting no discussions ever took place about a new album, which not only seems very odd, but contradicts what Mike himself said in interviews in 2012.

In terms of touring offers, Mike has said on numerous occasions that he had his own shows booked, and he felt BB tours should not play exclusively larger venues.

Do you really think that Mike would have agreed to extend the reunion tour if a firm offer for a show in Wrigley Field and Madison Square Garden had been put on the table?

Further, doesn’t the implication that Mike would have agreed to these shows had they been firm, fully-backed offers *completely* contradict the “Set End Date” mantra we’ve been hearing since 2012? If there was a firm “set end date”, weren’t these offers completely irrelevant?

I’m also not convinced the process of show offers is as simple as Mike is suggesting in this interview. What is the implication? Con artists were offering fake show bookings? Who knows? Maybe as soon as promoters saw the clusterf*** that occurred just prior to the end of the tour, and/or when promoters were made aware that Mike was already booking his own shows, the offers for more reunion shows dried up.

We know that tour was successful financially and in terms of industry perception. It’s hard to believe they wouldn’t have had more offers on the table. Maybe the question should have been asked this way: Why didn’t you pursue another tour and/or more bookings for the reunion? That would of course get us back to the first set of 2012 reasons for ending the reunion (needing to book smaller markets, etc.).

Yep -- such as the best song, so far, of 2015!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTkM3uqWctg

In short:  "Buy my book to hear more about what Brian Wilson doesn't say to me and conversations we've never had."  Sounds like compelling stuff.

That is exactly what I gleaned from the whole article. :lol What else was anyone expecting from Mike on C50 and a new Beach Boys album? What he said was exactly what I was expecting he'd say.

:thumbsup :thumbsup :thumbsup :woot :woot :woot :bow :happydance :happydance :happydance :love :love :love :rock :rock :rock :h5 :h5 :h5 :pirate :pirate :pirate

The executive producer didn't have a say in that did he? Someone called Mike Love according to the album credits.

My God, this is a wind tunnel worse than anything over at the sand box?

Don't you guys ever get sick of saying the same damn things?

We are a bunch of opinionated wind bags. That's for damned sure. :)

My take away is just as he said someone was discussing stuff but nothing concrete ever came to discussion within the group. He said he was both ready to discuss what would come after the C50 agreement in place and that nothing concrete was discussed.

I'm not implying anything about offers. Just that so far it looks to me like everybody in the group may have been open to discussing post C50 but all of the talk didn't amount to anything actionable or something.  I wasn't there.

The Beach Boys had a #3 album in 2012, their highest charting studio album, since…. Ah… dinosaurs ruled the Earth.

So, no one ever thought of doing a follow up?

They could have done a follow up and called it “Shooting Ourselves in the Foot”.

I love the absurdity that prior to anyone quoting any piece of this article (as if namechecking one's source isn't enough) one has to actually CONTACT David Beard.

In music,
Howie

Some nuggets from this looping, shitty, thread:

"For a man who cheated the founder of the BBs out of the group and keep the name, Mike Love is a miserable man."

"I love how Mike forgets all of these facts that were reported and published, and thinks he can just have a clean slate every time he opens his mouth to defend his pathetic self."

"Mike is the king of straw grabs."

"Objectively, Mike’s interview is FAR more inflammatory than the press release for NPP."

"Is he really going to have to “respond” now every time any of the other band members simply mention that the reunion ended?"

"Mike got exactly what he wanted. business as usual. casinos and SeaWorld. Stamos, Foskett, and Johnston. and himself at the helm. he doesn't care about the band's legacy or Brian's muse. he doesn't care about making art. he cares about making a buck and a few babes along the way."

"he wants NPP to not be great"

"If NPP should win some awards, or a Grammy no less, well I don't imagine Mike would be honestly, truthfully happy about that."

" It comes off so whiny and shameful for a man of his age."

Seriously, do you guys feel like rambling on?

Give him a fucking break.

I dunno, you seem like you want to. Sorry we all don't have your view of the situation.

Guess I'm in trouble then, as I printed it out and used it to wipe my....

To be fair, some of these SmileySmilers readily and happily gave Mike all the love and benefit of doubt possible during C50. I remember someone proudly stating "The is redemption" ..... (No, OSD, it wasn't you) ..... But we should have been well prepared all along for these Beach type guys to be themselves .... Like Blondie says in that Holland doc "The Beach Boys were always gonna be The Beach Boys" ...

I just can't help but feel like, what use is there to talk about someone when your personal opinion of the person will simply dictate your reaction to whatever this person says or does? ... Can't we try and be a bit more open minded? We're no more human than Mike. Maybe we have more hair and a better wardrobe, but he's still just a guy dealing with family, friends, business, Bruce, and all the headaches that come with it.

He says in the interview that there was “never any discussions within the group” regarding another album. That sounds pretty specific, and it directly contradicts 2012 interviews where he said such things were being discussed. He doesn’t say “There were some discussions and ideas, but we never firmed anything up.” He never says “I was open to another album, but clearly Brian and I had different ideas as to how likely another immediate album was.”

No, he says there were *never* any discussions within the group, either during, at the end, or after the tour. He specifically says this. That sounds to me as if the topic was never even broached. Not only does that make no sense in light of rave reviews, solid sales, a #3 chart placement, etc, it also contradicts his own previous statements. It sounds like he doesn’t just want to say he didn’t want to do another album the way TWGMTR was done. He at least indicated that was the case to some degree in prior interviews, talking about not being able to write more with Brian, etc. Why this extreme, contradictory, ultra-defensive posture is being taken in 2015, I have no idea.

A bad article.  A bad day for Mike.  A bad day for the Beach Boys.  Everybody loses.  Sometimes you have to ask...WTF were they thinking when they decided to press 'post' with THAT?  :(

Negativity rules yet again...and WE'RE expected to be positive about it?  ???

Ain't gonna happen. :wall

ha ... I doubt Mike or Brian had much to do with many of the decisions made on that record!

It does seem to be a rather odd, puzzling side story as to why the guy the publishes ESQ seemingly stirred this entire thing up. I mean, has the mainstream media been beating up on Mike because “No Pier Pressure” isn’t a Beach Boys album? How many reviews of the album are even out there so far?

If I had never read the press release for NPP, and then read that article and Mike’s comments, I would come away assuming the NPP press release totally personally tears Mike a new one, and that swaths of media have been blaming Mike for NPP not being a BB album. But all of this because the press release said a BB album was “not to be”?

Frankly, I’ve seen more cranky “this album is better off without Mike” sort of comments than I’ve seen “how dare Mike now allow this to be a Beach Boys album!”

Read the article earlier at lunch time and have only skimmed this thread this evening, so forgive me If I'm missing something...

it seems to me that Mike was open to the idea of doing a follow up to TWGMTR in principle, but he was never open to the idea of said follow up being derived from the initial ideas that have now matured in to NPP as it is today.

Whats next a Mike biopic called Looking Back With Love   

Uh..no...people do and are arguing these things. You can't have it both ways. It's bad for Mike to make money but not Brian, it's bad for Mike to do covers but not Brian. Sorry but that and numerous other hypocritical statements and allegations are tossed at Mike routinely. If you want to bitch about Mike stick to relevant facts instead of HYPING his persona in an attempt to convince people how evil he is.

I just read that Bill Pohlad who directed Love and Mercy is the son of a Billionaire. Hmmm.... I'm sure he's just fattening his already fat wallet too and sponging off Brian.

If I’m reading the back of this box of Lucky Charms cereal—
with the “Reach the Pot o’ Gold” mini-maze—correctly,
I believe I can make some sense of our tale.  It would seem
that Mike Love took the left-side path, skirting the troll under
the stone bridge and perhaps hesitating when  he approached
the peat fire, and soldiered on.  Brian Wilson, on the other hand,
moved down the right side, likely slowed by visiting
the leprechaun library, but then made short work of the
stone path above the Viking landing.  Both reached the gold
reward, but with different stories to tell.
I’m thinking everyone was a winner.

have you listened to the Gershwin album? are you familiar with Gershwin's catalog? the album and the material are ABSOLUTE art, and Brian invested himself into that record with a passion and dedication unlike any album he's ever done. as for the Disney album, I believe it was the required obligation in order to do the Gershwin album. a fair trade that produced two very unique and whimsical albums in the BW canon. far different from just "oldies covers" albums, and a very far cry from something like The Beach Boys Salute NASCAR.

likewise, Brian's Christmas album was a labor of love, and a nod to Phil Spector's Christmas album which many people, Brian especially would consider art. or at least some of the best pop music arranging and recording ever made. a bit indulgent perhaps, but Brian has earned that.

and you're asking if SMiLE being reworked into 3 parts constitutes as art? um. yes?


I am aware that concerts typically cost an admission fee. Brian's tickets might even run slightly higher than Mike's, but you get what you pay for. he plays far fewer shows per year with a considerably higher production value. and yes, everyone likes to make a buck. but my real point is that making a buck is Mike's top priority, while Brian Wilson's is making art.

See, this is what irks me to no end. These fawning, Benny Hinn attendee-like declarations of any damn thing Brian releases as art of the highest order! ..... Even when it's Gershwin material or Disney stuff ...... Meanwhile, Mike merely performs an original song live (Pisces Brothers) in rather unassuming fashion and gets nothing but insults hurled his way by those much more cultured and informed folk who know what true art is.....

And oh, multi-millionaire Brian only charges because he puts on such a huge, fantastic show, while multi-millionaire Mike only charges because he's greedy?

I call bullshite several million times over.

And what exactly is this "higher production value?" ..... Lazers? Explosions? More band members? What difference does that make? Does Earth Wind & Fire charge more for 45 members than U2 who only have 4? .... It's all just guys playing music and singing.

Who said it's "bad for Mike to make money but not Brian"? There's a difference between being primarily or solely motivated by money, and simply making money. It's a very, very easy distinction to make.

Please direct me to a fan or other comment where someone specifically suggested that Mike shouldn't make money but Brian should.

Same thing with covers. It sounds like, in the specific case of the first new BB album in 20 years, Mike may have preferred to do an album of covers. Brian had over an album's worth of NEW songs. Thankfully the album ended being the latter. To suggest that was a good decision is not to suggest that "it's bad for Mike to do covers but not Brian." EVERYBODY knows that Brian has done albums of covers, and I and many other Brian fans have expressed mixed and sometimes negative feelings about some of those projects (and other projects of his). What this discussion has been about pertains specifically to C50. That a member of the band thought that THAT album should have been covers instead of new material speaks to their preference and thought process. Nothing more, nothing less.

I'm not sure exactly wtf the director of "Love and Mercy" has to do with what we're discussing. If you want to turn a discussion of the Mike article into a diatribe against, I guess, a perceived anti-capitalist mentality or something, you'll probably have better luck in other forums.

Y'know, Pinder... I like Cool Head, Warm Heart (for an example of a late-era Mike song)... I thought that it was surprisingly the best new song by any member of The BBs on the Hallmark CD, and still think that. But Pisces Brothers rubs me (and others, I think) in somewhat the wrong way, because it seems to be unnecessary name-dropping in the form of a song. Much like the endless, endless interview mentions by Mike of his contributions, exaggerated or otherwise, to Back in the USSR.

Pisces Brothers just strikes me as cheesy and inauthentic, suggesting a closer friendship that by all accounts never existed. (By the way, BW's A Friend Like You could be fingered as similarly being somewhat inauthentic about the relationship between a BB and a Beatle... but of course you have Paul himself on it, which more or less nullifies that idea, and gives it a ton more cred).

So don't assume that people are insulting a Mike song just because it's a Mike song. I, for one, will criticize something I think sucks for a reason, not because of its author.

One of the problems is that you're taking two contentions (in some cases exaggerated contentions), and ascribing both of them to same theoretical person and charging "hypocrisy!" to some unknown straw man.

Some find Brian's covers (or whatever else) to be "art" by whatever definition they have. Others didn't like "Pisces Brothers." I'm not sure all of the people who hold one of these opinions hold both opinions.

Apart from a few troll-type commentators, I think most fans here explain their criticism and praise fairly. I'm not super into "Pisces Brothers" *or* Brian's Gershwin or Disney albums. If someone out there likes the Gershwin album and thinks "Pisces Brothers" blows, maybe they just feel that way and they're not motivated by hatred of Mike or any band member.

Again, apart from a few trollers, I think most folks on this board who might tend to make critical comments about Mike do so not because they have, at the outset, a bias against him. Rather, they are responding to specific actions/comments, etc.

I'm pretty sure even at least *some* who tend to walk the fence or try to stay positive about all factions of the band would admit that this latest Mike interview is a trainwreck for numerous reasons.

Well put. I think, musically, "Pisces Brothers" is fine. It's inoffensive at worst. I indeed recall that some of the criticisms of the track when it got a wide airing publicly had to do the irony of suggesting a close connection to George Harrison that, for those are familiar with George's career and life, may not have been mutual.

I know you're probably absolutely correct, but it gets hard sometimes to believe when it's open season on Mike seemingly 24/7 on this board.

One potential source of the criticisms would be overzealous, biased fans. That is the cause sometimes. As I've often said, I think there are really very few folks on this board that fall firmly into that category.

Other times, especially when the critical comments are not random or unprompted, but are made in reaction to a particular discussion topic, or article, interview, etc., then I think it's more about the source rather than those reacting to it.

In other words, maybe sometimes (or often, or usually; opinions vary of course) Mike gets criticized because he does or says things that warrant criticism.

I'm pretty sure Brian has talked about doing a covers album in the past, long before C50 (just like that "rock and roll" album he's talked about since the 90's: see "Imagination" promo material). While I'd much rather hear new material from Brian (even if it's all co-writes with Joe Thomas) and I'm excited about NPP, it's certainly plausible that Brian would suggest doing an album of covers and Mike would be "stoked" about it, considering Brian's done a ton of them his whole professional life and obviously must love recording them.


Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Capitol chose the songs for inclusion on TWGMTR and the album's producer and executive producer were mostly in the dark about what was going to be on it. Personally I had always assumed the surplus of material that was rejected from those sessions would constitute the next Beach Boys album, if there was ever going to be one. Considering there's also a large chunk of material that was recorded for NPP but has been left off....there's a future box set in there somewhere.

Mike: There was never any discussions within the group....

That statement is pretty disappointing if correct. The thought that at no time were they close enough to say "Ok....band meeting time!" over the future.  :(

I have no reason to doubt that Mike would have been stoked about an album of covers. But I think most fans and observers would say that an album of NEW songs is preferable, assuming the principals involved are capable of writing songs. In this case, they are.

But as a separate issue, I think lodging some sort of complaint with an implication of bait-and-switch just reeks of sour grapes after the fact. Didn't Brian get the Capitol record deal based on some songs he had written with Joe Thomas? I think before the "proper" album sessions began (meaning once all the members were involved), it was *already* known that it would be new songs, and specifically mostly songs written by Brian and Joe. That's what scored the record deal. Mike showed up and did the album, and even *wrote* lyrics to several and flew in his own solo song. To object to the concept of an album of Brian/Joe songs, and/or object to an album of new songs, way after the fact, just seems silly.

We don't even know *when* Brian and Mike threw around the idea of an album of covers. It kind of sounds like Mike interview implies it was right before the sessions started (the aforementioned implied bait-and-switch), but what if they threw that idea around six months or a year prior, before they even got the Capitol deal?

I would tend to doubt *no* discussions took place. Mike said in 2012 that they discussed it in some form.

Clearly, though, they don't have any management that will get them all together and on anything approaching the same page.

But it also seems like Mike was ready to move on and go back to his own thing before the tour was even over. David Marks said in an interview no too long ago that his understanding was that everybody knew Mike was going to back to his own thing.

They all should shoulder some blame for not having good management. But something worth thinking about is that it probably isn't terribly conducive to a group discussion about future *group* plans once Mike has already started booking shows outside of the reunion group.

It isn't open season on Mike from me Pinder.  But the poor mother-f*cker keeps putting on that gawd-damned hat with the friggin' antlers on it. ???  And the shirt with the target on the back?  He has 3 closets full of THOSE.  And he puts them on almost as if it's just par for the course.

I agree...in essence...BWPS is an album that is, for the most part, a collection of covers.  Never before released...at least in a completed form...ocvers but covers, by and large, nonetheless.  In the Key Of Disney?  Covers.  Gershwin?  Primarily covers.  THOSE TWO THOUGH?  Brian was contracted and paid to do those specifically.  It wasn't like he woke up 2 mornings in a row and thought...Disney/Gershwin?  Oh YAAAAAAA.  And it's not like all of those songs have just been recorded to death.  The Christmas album?  Well... ... ...

You surely would agree that Brian can write a song.  You would also agree that he can take a song...his or the next person's...and give it an arrangement like it's never had before?  True?  You must agree or you wouldn't be here.  Can cousin Mike do that?  

No.

That Mike makes dough is good.  It's good for Mike, Bruce, the touring band...and for BRI.  No problem.  Fans, even if only for the night, DESERVE to hear those songs presented and performed as often as possible and as well as possible by as many Beach Boys as possible.  Mike delivers the 'goods'.  He does it well.  He does it successfully.  He does it repeatedly.  In some way, shape or form the Beach Boys have been serving up one of the VERY BEST bodies of work ever concocted for over half a century and Mike Love deserves a ton of credit for that.  Primarily...EVERYBODY wins.  He does it as well as he can for as low a cost as he can realistically and artistically get away with in terms of the presentation.  He doesn't shy away from ADDING value to the show though.  S'all good.  Again...EVERYBODY wins.

Brian does it better.  Different raison d'etre.  Different agenda.  Different in terms of the goals.  Different in terms of the results.  Why?  'Cause Brian is representing Brian.  Mike is representing EVERYONE connected with BRI...and, of course, he's representing the Beach Boys.  I made a joke a few weeks ago in the thread suggesting songs that Mike and the guys should include in this years 'set'.  I copied ALL of the songs from No Pier Pressure and posted it.  Why?  Because I think that THAT is humorous.  In fact knee-slappingly/nose drainingly funny.  But that's just me.  I like to laugh. :lol

Brian has done his 'covers'.  He's all 'covered' out.  He has new music and new arrangements he wants to share with us...you, me and all the other folks interested.  He can DO it...and he has.  Mike wants to share the Beach Boys body of work with us.  He can DO it...and he does.  As for something new?  Not so much.  He's got Pieces Brother.  He includes it.  Fans show him respect when he plays it.  If he wants to release it with a bunch of covers of old re-visted Beach Boys tunes or tributes to HIS peers...good for him.  Will it be comparable to No Pier Pressure?

No.

Some here are tired of seeing Mike get pilloried at every step.  It really could, should and would stop...if he'd just take off the friggin' HAT. :hat  The one with the antlers on it.  If he wants to play the part of the thoroughbred...he should choose the 'part' more carefully.

That article makes him look small.  It ain't the first time.

These are actual Mike Love quotes that went on to run -- audio and transcript -- nationwide via my syndicated radio feed during C50.

I don't know how someone could interview Mike and not follow up with him asking him why he said the following to another journalist, if according to him now, none of it supposedly happened.

"There's talk of another album, yeah. Y'know, the record company's completely stoked about how well this whole project has gone. There's the Grammys coming up next year and there's talk of us going back and doing a return to the Grammys and there's talk of doin' a new album together. So, we'll just have to see what happens in the future. There's nothin' definitely in stone, but there's a lot of ideas bein' floated around -- and there's been some very successful concerts. Y'know, 17-and-a-half thousand people at the Hollywood Bowl sold out and there's interest from promoters, obviously, 'cause that's how they make money."

and. . .

"After this year completing the 50th anniversary reunion, we'll entertain doing some more studio work and see what we'll come up with and then we'll look at what to do in the future."

Pinder, if I understand you correctly, you are b!tching about people posting the same things they always post by posting the same thing you always post when people post the same things they always post?  That is so blatantly sefl-condemning its hard to imagine why you would waste the time, yet there it is...

EoL

Ouch, Howie. Well, there it is. No doubt some cementheads will try to carefully parse his words and insist "there's talk of doin' a new album together" somehow doesn't mean that they talked about doing a new album together.

I almost feel embarrassed for Mike Love, but somehow I get the impression he has no problem changing the story to suit him without a lick of embarrassment. A guy with that kind of shirt collection just doesn't do embarrassment.

I wonder what the story will turn into by the end of the year, after months of Brian Wilson getting good press for the album and movie. No doubt he'll deny ever being a part of the reunion and insist it never happened.

That's what happens when you like swimming in the ocean and get caught in whirlpools. The Beach Boys are the ocean and threads like this are the whirlpools...

Hilarious Add Some, and spot on.  Yet some here seem to think he should be able to contradict himself with impunity.  Mike gets to say things that aren't true, that's ok, but if anyone complains about it, well, they are being jackasses.  It doesn't work that way.

EoL

LOL

We're talking about insane rock stars here! Some contradictions should be allowed. Yes! Does anyone want to tally up the times (however innocently) Brian has contradicted himself in an interview?

:) And then ask AGD to post the result on Bellagio, for future reference - on the off chance the topic should ever come up again.

Yes, and yet that is quite ok because it's, well, Brian and he has complete impunity. I never encountered such a place as this one where we rip the sh*t out of the bandmembers of the band that we love.

I guess it's not a surprise that you guys would rather talk about Brian Wilson when Mike Love shoves his foot and most of his ankle in his mouth.

Maybe one of you can bring up Al Jardine and the whole "Beach Boys Family & Friends" thing and really distract from this boneheaded article.

I don't blame Mike -- but I do fault shoddy, amateur writing/reporting for tabloid purposes.

If your deal is covering The Beach Boys and what they do and say -- especially on a topic as devisive, current, and fascinating as the 50th -- know your sh *t. Know who said what and when. I do. A lot of people here do, too. I think that the interviewer didn't know of Mike's past comments, and even if he had would've been far too skittish to call him on them. ESQ should've been all over why C50 fell apart, it should've ALL BEEN THERE in those pages. And it wasn't because the comps, free CD's, and promo pix MIGHT'VE dried up. To run this piece now, after pulling such a huge punch regarding the reunion issue is insulting.

There's a lot of really good things about ESQ and God knows, I'd rather have it around than not -- but this is a KEY example why it'll always remain a fanzine and never a true publication of record. Having it linked to such an amateur operation as Examiner.com isn't doing it any favors either.

Howie speaks the truth here, guys.

Absolutely.

Also interesting that certain elements haven't contributed to the thread.

this was directed at me, so I'll respond.
Gershwin's music is generally considered to be art of the highest order (or at least several notches above doo-wop and Little GTO), as are many of Brian's arrangement and production methods. as a marriage of those two things I think many would consider the Gershwin album to be a work of high art. not to mention Brian's deep love and respect for the music, and the fact that Brian was given the opportunity to flesh out and "finish" two Gershwin compositions himself. it really is a special album and overall, quite lush and beautiful.

I never claimed the Disney album was art of the highest order, rather it's an enjoyable and also rather unique entry in the catalog, that exists only as a contractual obligation.

I have also never uttered one word about Pisces Brothers on this site, or anywhere else for that matter.


I never said that either, but I do believe that Mike is motivated primarily by wealth and fame while Brian is motivated mainly by making music. In the words of Jeff Foskett: Brian is an artist, Mike is an entertainer. simple as that.


bingo.
what difference does it make? a difference in the cost of production.
and I don't know if they charge more than U2, but are there really 45 members of Earth Wind & Fire?

I call bullshite, oh... about 30 times over  ;)

On another note did anyone see David Crosby's tweet about ML?

Wait a minute, did David or Lee ever claim that ESQ was anymore than what you claim? I have never seen it as nothing more than a fanzine. I doubt that even Brian would participate if it was anything other than that.

Bossaroo "I do believe that Mike is motivated primarily by wealth and fame while Brian is motivated mainly by making music. In the words of Jeff Foskett: Brian is an artist, Mike is an entertainer. simple as that."



Well, that's not true. Mike has more money than most of us will ever see in our lifetime. Same goes for Brian. Mike's not out there doing it to accumulate cash. Both Mike and Brian could never play live again and live quite comfortably for the remainder of their lives. I think they're BOTH doing it to make music. They may (or may not) have different visions on how the music should be presented, and fans can choose to respect one vision over another, but both visions are valid.

For me the bottom line is, Brian's PR didn't mention Mike in the press release. They didn't blame Mike or even mention him by name. I just think taking a few innocuous words from a press release and using them as a platform to make the whole thing about you being wronged somehow is not a classy move. Yes Mike is criticised quite brutally, sometimes fairly but often unfairly. But NPP is looking like it's going to be a success, Brian and Mike are both still here, they should both be glad of that.

As other poster's have alluded to, Mike is doing what he wants as far as The Beach Boys go - he has that European tour coming up which I hear is selling well. If Brian starts sh*t-talking him in interviews and saying 'This would have been a Beach Boys album, but Mike has deprived you all of that.', fine that's the time to say your piece. It hasn't happened and I doubt it will.

Maybe Mike's just so used to being blamed for anything that goes wrong in the Beach Boys world that he's developed an itchy trigger finger. I think he fired off a round too fast this time around.

Agreed.

unless you're Mike Love, you are simply stating an opinion like me.
you have no idea what motivates Mike Love. just because someone is already wealthy, doesn't mean they don't want to keep accumulating wealth and stay that way. that's kind of how being wealthy works. Mike has numerous ex-wives, children, and expenses I'm sure. and as I stated, he also does it for the fame and adulation. Mike loves being the frontman. he loves pointing at people in the audience. he loves flaunting his gold and he loves the attention of the ladies. he loves being a rock star.

Brian doesn't care a thing about being in the spotlight.

and there is quite a big difference between MAKING music and PERFORMING music. Mike doesn't really make music. he doesn't play an instrument. he doesn't arrange harmonies or write songs or melodies to speak of. what has he written in the last 20 years?? Pisces Brothers? there's really no comparison.

(http://i59.tinypic.com/34pb3nn.jpg)

Well, maybe my thinking of The Ramones as equally "high art" as Gershwin might have something to do with me thinking what Mike does as being just as artistically valid as what Brian does. But I think it's a point worth making .... Arranging music and vocals is not the only thing that qualifies as art .... Especially in the world of Rock n Roll. I truly think the "Brian is a genius" thing has warped people's ability to just soak in the man's own music for the joyous thing that it is .... This endless obsessing over who wrote what and credit credit credit ends up being not much more than a defensive attitude .... Mike is just as good at what he does as what Brian does, and they created a whole lot of awesomeness together .... And I'm certainly not into tearing down a singer, performer, frontman, lyricist just to further lavish praise on a songwriter, singer, arranger .... It makes no sense to do so, yet in The Beach Bous fan world, it's par for the course ..... Even when it's two guys who have frequently worked together to astonishing effect ..... Incredible .... Where do we draw the line with this once we allow this thinking to extend beyond The Beach Boys? Are AC/DC just doing it for the money because they play basic instruments and sing about sex and rocking? Do we consider U2 "high art" in comparison because Bono sings about "important things?" ....

:lol

never gets old!

The whole thing is just pretty tacky and monumentally misjudged. If he's going to turn the whole thing into a plug for his memoirs, why doesn't he just shut up, bite his tongue, be gracious to his "Cousin Brian" and let the man take a well-deserved victory lap this year. Say he's excited to hear "Cousin Brian's" new album and then turn it into a plug for a show in Point Pleasant, NJ or something. Use a labored pier segue if needed. BW seems set to have a pretty big year and why further the "Mike Love is a douchebag" narrative by acting like one, Mr. Love? Meditate for an extra twenty minutes before facing the press. Dive reaaal deep. Balance teacups on your cap brim before interviews.

Then tell his side in the book next year.  Save the sour grapes for then and bust out "needless to say, I had the last laugh" at the end of every anecdote.

Well, considering my paragraph was about playing live, I assumed you (or anyone else) would get that. Okay, PERFORMING music.  
When folks on here are comparing Mike to Brian they're generally referring to playing live because Mike obviously hasn't released any albums at all. That's a given.

perhaps but there's not a lot of genius in pointing, miming lyrics, and color coordinating. or regurgitating lyrical themes. or continuously playing the same 30 or so songs you recorded in your 20s for the last 3 or 4 decades.

no it's not a given.
Brian has never been a particularly strong or comfortable performer, whereas Mike eats it up.

my original statement which you disagreed with was: Mike is motivated by wealth and fame, Brian is motivated by making music.
I never said anything about playing live. many fans think Brian would be happy never performing live again, but never sitting at the piano?

it's the opposite with Mike.

Brian plays those same 30 songs too. Brian points, as well. Brian has solo music he can perform, but does he? No, he does not. He relies on the same set of songs that Mike does. Those 30 songs are the cash cows for both performers.

Part of the problem here is stated right up front, the guy did this 'interview' through email.  So when Mike says something, that's easy to misunderstand, you can't immediately ask him for clarification. 

So the right way would be

Mike: "there was never any talk of another album"

Interviewer: "You mentioned something about it back in 2012"

Mike: "Yeah, but I mean nothing formal, no offers or contracts or time frames or whatever"

Interviewer: "You say he mentioned a rock album, cover album though?"

MIke: "Yes, we talked about that but he never followed up"


Etc. would clear up a TON of this sh*t (as if it even matters) ... but since all these interviews are either A. Not really interviews, but emails or B. conducted by people who aren't very invested in any of these questions, it doesn't clear up anything.

funny, the last time I saw Brian (and Al and Dave) they played quite a mix of hits and obscure tunes, as well as some of Brian's solo numbers. and Summer's Gone.

and didn't Brian just film a performance of nothing BUT new material?

I guess that depends on whether or not you consider 50 year old songs to be new.

ok my bad, but it was certainly filmed to showcase his new material

Yeah, that was definitely the reason they filmed it. Looking back though, it's sort of a shock to see that only 6 of the 31 songs performed were from the new album.
Still, they restarted a song midway to get it just right and played another song twice to get a better take, so their focus was definitely on the new stuff.

only 6. isn't that how many Beach Boys were present as well?  ;)

Yes he does.

And ya know? You gotta interview Mike Love one on one eye to eye in person and ask pinpoint questions - the right ones - the same ones that have been regurgitated here for three years now. You gotta get the answers to put this C50 demise bullshit to rest so we don't have to see it brought up over and over and over again here on Smiley Smile. ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS IN PERSON and put this sh*t to rest!!! Please!!! We really need a Q&A with Mike Love here. Somebody get him here - whatever it takes!!

Yes, that would be the ideal scenario. But Mike chose to speak out and like anyone else if he wants his words to mean something its his responsibility to be clear.

couldn't resist...

(http://images.yuku.com.s3.amazonaws.com/image/jpg/48f35a9abeffa0c1687e307a5a055d5536ee445_r.jpg)

(http://i59.tinypic.com/34pb3nn.jpg)

Talk by promoters and labels and unilateral predictions of future albums isn't "discussion in the group". In 2012, no mention of discussion in the group just talk by someone, nothing set in stone, group plans are in the future after C50. In 2015, nothing was ever in writing or concrete so no plans.  It still seems to me they were/are all open to plans but those talking to the group apparently never present anything in writing and there is no discussion in the group of plans. Anyway, like somebody said earlier the whole thing screams of no discussion within the group.

Well, I guess I misread your statement because Mike doesn't put out albums so I assumed you were talking about playing live.

Please get your head out of the sand

They should change their name to the Beach Teenage Girls

either way, my point remains the same. why are these guys in show biz?

for Mike, it's as much about being the frontman, the rock star... and all that entails.

Brian really couldn't care less about any of that it would seem. he is in show business for one reason only, his ability to make music. he enjoys a very comfortable lifestyle, but he's not out there chasing the spotlight or the concert revenues night after night like Mike is.

Of course, as it's been pointed out many times, One reason Brian doesn't have to chase the spotlight/concert revenues is he gets a split form every show, whether he appears or not. 

I think this is assuming a great deal about both Brian and Mike and oversimplifying them both as well.

"His (Brian's) ability to make music?" ....... So, Brian plays live shows simply because he can make music? ..... Kate Bush has the ability to make music yet has only toured exactly twice, decades apart ...... Brian either loves playing live in front of people or he's being put up to it ..... And if any part of Brian loves playing his music to a crowd, then he has a lot more in common with Mike than we give him credit for.

it's also been pointed out that Brian's split provides relatively little in the way of income. he's not depending on Mike to pay his bills

So there's been a lot said here, a lot of it valid. Anyways, I'd like to add some of my thoughts.

First off, I'd just like to address some of what Mike said. Like this one: "Now don't get me wrong, Joe flew occasionally...to Los Angeles to work on the album TWGMTR, and also as I understand it, I could be wrong, but the suites, per Joe, for TWGMTR and NPP is the result of their collaborations from many years ago."

Now while talking about the planning (or lack thereof) of a new Beach Boys album, he speaks of a "suite" on No Pier Pressure as if he's talked to Joe Thomas about it. So does that mean Mike has spoken to Joe Thomas recently? Otherwise, how would he know so much about material he apparently has no ties to? Could it be that this "suite" material was mentioned to him in regards to another Beach Boys album? An album, which he of course says he never heard anything about. Sure sounds odd.

And back to the fact that he brought up that this was material was the "result of their collaborations from many years ago." Now what is this supposed to mean? That Brian can't write new material and that he has to find old, unreleased stuff to put out "new" music? Because even if this is true, it sounds like the same thing this other guy is supposedly doing for HIS new album too. And that guy's name is Mike Love. And to me, there's nothing wrong with re-recording old unreleased material with a view to releasing something new. Shoot, even if it's previously released it's okay. If the artist in question feels that they wanna put a new spin on something that isn't exactly new that's alright.

There's also this one: "...initially, Brian wanted to do a rock album and covers of our favorite songs which I was stoked about!"

Now, unlike some other posters on here, I do think that Brian and Mike probably were on the same page wanting to do a covers album. From what I understand, Brian really does love doing covers, and that's probably been the case since like 1972 or so. We know he did a few with Spring, he did a bunch for 15 Big Ones, started the Keepin' The Summer Alive sessions that way, and we know he's recorded stuff like "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" with Mark Linnett. Not to mention stuff like "I'm Into Something Good" and others. So yeah, I think if Brian does ever do that "rock 'n roll" album he's always been talking about, it would probably be made up of a large chunk of covers and probably a bit of new material. And I think left to their own devices, if Brian and Mike had their way, I wouldn't doubt that if they do record together again, it would probably be a lot of doo-wop covers and other things, and some new material.  So yeah, I really do believe that Brian and Mike have discussed at least that. It's something that interests both of them.

Now, about the "interview" or whatever this was....well, it left a lot to be desired. It seems that David Beard is trying to stir up sh*t in an area where there was really no unrest. I don't get it. I also think that instead of coming to the interview prepared to ask Mike why he seems to be contradicting things that he had said before, he just lapped up whatever Mike told him and basically did a nice little press release for Team Love. Also, what I find interesting is that ESQ has tried so hard to not rock the boat in Beach Boys land that it's kinda become the standard bearer for continuing the status quo, and defending why "things are better as they are now," rather than digging deeper and finding out why our favorite band can't get back together and do it again. Or wait, he actually does know, as he's alluded to before, but would rather not push the envelope so he can continue to be able to get those few quotes on how exciting the 50th anniversary of The Hot Doggers was or info about how Mike will release an album in TWO(?!?) years while at the same time, telling us basically nothing. While I appreciate some of the articles in ESQ and on the Examiner, there could be so much more interesting stuff revealed. Instead we get PR fluff. Blah.

Why it's such a shame that Brian and Mike don't work together more is because they both have what the other lacks. BW is an artist, a producer, songwriter and musician that is in the very upper class of pop musicians, and of course as a live performer he is often quite lacking and inconsistent. ML is not as prolific on the writing side, although he has written a few gems, but as a performer he is as good as anyone in rock-Jagger, Springsteen, Daltrey and Townshend-ML is in their class as a live performer. And he is also a very consistent live performer. He's worn out his voice a tad, but only Al Jardine gets to sing like his 1966 self anyway-but Mike can make Brian's music accessible to the average person more than Brian himself can. They need each other.

I think Brian enjoys performing on some level, and he really appreciates the love he receives from his audiences. but clearly Mike craves the spotlight and the attention in a way Brian never has.

That's fair ... Art/fame/wealth ..... we can argue till the cows come home, but rock n roll needs Brian Wilsons and Mike Loves in nearly equal measure.

This isn't a knock on Mike or anything but how many of these "Oldie" type albums does Mike want to do? he has already done quite a few of them, if you consider "15 big ones" (well most of it), a handful of cover tunes on "KTSA", "SIP" and a couple on "MIU" as well as the "Nascar" cd, and the two or three Mike and Dean albums, not to mention stuff still in the can like"On Broadway"  and some covers by "Celebration" and his solo albums, not to mention having half of "Still Cruisin" being filled with "Oldies" although not re-recorded..and we can't forget about the "Party" album which was MOSTLY cover songs..

Art ? That's up to how you define art, but what they certainly weren't were straight covers: considerable thought went into how each would be re-imagined.

Entirely true - whilst not what you, I or anyone else here (except maybe Cam) would consider a trifling sum, the cut Brian gets from BRI would barely pay for the dog food and childminders. That said, if he - or Alan - had to rely purely on their solo careers to pay the bills, their bank balances would look a lot like mine. The cash cow is the 1962-66 catalogue.

Very, very true.

You should be a bit more thankful to Mike that he enabled you to go to your religious service with your personal god Brian without having to see and hear your devil on the same stage or music recording.



They do, it is the light of their lives.

Pinder, you can stop arguing. It is of zero use. They don't want a fair and balanced view. They need a villain, they have found him. As one not so narrow minded poster (there are some on this board and even in this thread) wrote about Brian and Mike: Both are right, both are wrong.

After reading the article and then reading the posts on this thread, I'm beginning to think Mike isn't the villain in all of this.  What I get out of it (and a few other scenarios as well) is that Melinda is a pain in the ass and no-one wants to work with her  ;)

Give Mike a break FFS, he hasn't done anything that bad. I believe he really cares for Brian and Brian for him. 

WOW

Yes, a pittance by my standards. It barely comes up to my annual budget for using thousand dollar bills as toilet paper and kleenex.

After you, old pal.

Why do I think that even if Mike apologized in public for everything atrocious he's ever done to Cousin Brian - like some fans believe that he should - then the haters would say "I don't know, did he really mean it?"...

Before I got into The Beach Boys, I used to watch Spanish soap operas.

I can confidently say that the BB's fill that drama void I always wanted in my life  :3d

Because you're right ?

No, I think BOYS is about right.

Burn.

Burn? Burn what?

Hehe Micha   :lol   Definition:

An exclamatory response, generally used by a third party after someone has just received an insult.   :hat

Meh, I think even just a few cases of being earnest and humble and admitting some mistakes and faults would go a long way. Now, "we should have put out a greatest hits package instead of a new album that year" or something like that does not count as admitting a mistake. I mean something more like admitting a personal fault.

There was a thread awhile back where a few folks tried to think of a case of Mike admitting a fault, a personal specific fault, and one that isn't anything like "my problem is I *care* too much!" or some sort of self-deprecating "I'm an old guy" joke for the live shows, and I don't think anyone could come up with much of anything.

To me, never admitting a fault and constantly being defensive and evasive is a big warning sign. So, as I said, even a few cases of some self-refelection that doesn't result in "the lyrics I wrote were awesome for Brian's music" would be refreshing and would go a LONG way I think. Just like the simple act of *doing* the C50 project went a LOOOONG way toward making a lot of crusty, cranky fans forget about the past Mike B.S.

Thank you, sir.

Seriously, I've read a million interviews where it's frustrating that pertinent follow-up questions were seemingly not asked. But this new one just seemed extra odd. I mean, you've clearly got Mike Love's freaking e-mail address and you didn't think to ask about the times in 2012 where Mike specifically mentioned discussing another album?

Wait... "Talk" and "predictions" don't amount to even mere "discussion" to you? C'mon.

As I've said, even if one is inclined to be extra sympathetic towards Mike, you have to admit this new interview is a disaster for the interviewer and interviewee.

Yes, the more I read this thing, the more it seemed it was the interviewer/author that might be the issue. I don’t think Mike came off well in his comments either, but the interview doesn’t make clear at all how many questions were asked, which questions were asked, etc.

I came away from the interview thinking, “Did David Beard just make relations between Mike and Brian worse somehow?”

I’m not convinced Mike necessarily cared so much about this issue before it was raised to him.

To not ask follow-up questions that any fan with mid-level knowledge would be able to ask, *especially* when the topic is so sensitive and controversial (and, in this case, is being stirred up where there didn’t seem to be any public animosity between Brian and Mike on the issue), is disappointing and frustrating.

You nit-pick over one show? Hard to have an educated conversation about this if this is how you go about proving your point. Anyone who has been to both shows know that both Brian & Mike play the hits and a few deep cuts. Brian may play a few more, but all in all it is mostly a meat & potatoes show, just like Mike's. Brian has a helluva lot more to choose from with his solo material, but he chooses not to play them, which in my eye makes him a more meat & potatoes man than Mike.

Well, we are just going by 3 interviews but "talk" and "predictions" don't  equal "discussion in the group", no.  It could mean discussion but it still doesn't say it was "in the group" and it was in the context of promoters and Capitol talking but not having anything "set in stone" and group plans being made at some later date. And then Mike later claim is there were no "discussions in the group" and plans were never presented in writing and nothing was "concrete". So there is all of that.

No I don't see the interview as a disaster. A guy was asked some questions and he gave some answers along with some compliments.

Yeah, to me, that’s a HUGE stretch. “Talk” and “predictions” don’t amount to “discussion?” Maybe that’s how you define those words, but I’m not inclined to assume Mike defines those words that way. His interview reads like nobody mentioned *word one* about doing another album. I don’t think anyone would come away from that interview assuming “well, maybe smaller groups of band members talked about it, but the five never sat down and had a hardcore planning session for the next album.” A typical person, I believe, would come away thinking nobody ever said *anything* to each other about the possibility of another album.

Further, to the degree Brian (and/or his album press release) discusses the topic, it has never been anything more than suggesting Brian was planning or hoping for another album. Brian has never said there was a concrete contract to do another album.

The issue at hand is, why does Mike take issue with what the NPP press release says? It simply says Brian wanted/planned for another BB album, but it was “not to be.” It doesn’t say Mike promised to do another album and then went back on his word. Even in a scenario where nobody said word one about a new album, and Brian just dreamed it all up in his mind, even then I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the NPP press release.

Which gets us back to, what exactly did David Beard say or imply to Mike?

I think that the perceived success of C50 (from outside), went a long way with the fans in Brian's camp. The quality of the album, the smiles on-stage and when being interviewed...It seemed that they'd all moved on, so the fans finally could do. And then, they reverted back to their norm and all was clearly not forgiven.

They came into C50 as a career .283 hitter, and then at age 39 they inexplicably batted .357 for April through August before eventually coming back down to earth and hitting .220 for the remainder of the season, into the playoffs. The obvious explanation is that someone was on the juice.

David states quite plainly what he said to Mike:


How he knew Mike would go into full flow like that on the basis of such a seemingly innocuous question floors me. Very perceptive.

I know a lot of thought went into those records but the "art" had already been created decades ago. Same with BWPS. Straight covers no, but giving Disney and Gershwin the Pet Sounds treatment is far from the avant-garde genius people like to pretend is what happens every time Brian walks into a recording studio.

My beef is that these people that can't stand Mike Love are incapable of keeping their gripes relevant to certain things Mike does. It always goes back to this crap about money, greed, he killed Smile, ect. and it's a false charge. It's a tiresome charge. And it's why guys like Pinder or myself are compelled to call it for the crap it is.

Carl and Al were there for Summer in Paradise and all of those late 80's 90's concerts that chugged along with cheerleaders onstage too. No one ever seems to remember that while Brian was either at home doing nothing or being brainwashed by Landy the rest of the BOYS were all about business as usual ..... not just Mike.

Furthermore, I never liked that Mike went on as the Beach Boys after Carl died but THAT IS WHAT MIKE AND BRIAN AGREED TO like it or not. Years later the unlikely C50 was a dream come true and TWGMTR a huge bonus.  To have expected more beyond that was foolish given the history of this band, these individuals, and their management.

not nitpicking at all. just pointing out that Brian plays a much more diverse and satisfying (to hardcore fans) setlist on just about any given night. of the 39 songs he played when I last saw him, 13 of those were either deep cuts, solo tunes, or new material. that's a full third of the show.

oh, and he also had two other Beach Boys that he doesn't mind sharing the spotlight with. more Beach Boys than "The Beach Boys" show. how's that for meat & potatoes?

Well, while an apology for inadvertently deeply hurting Brian's feelings during Smile (and, ya know, Ol' Man River sessions, etc ) would be about half a century overdue, if it was sincere, I don't think that people would question it. When  I saw Mike talking from the heart and getting legitimately choked up at the Grammy Museum when talking about what drugs are done to his family, I felt it... It was real and sincere, and while I am critical of many actions of Mike, I would have wanted to punch somebody for saying there was anything insincere about how he came off.

+1

Cam, is there any feasible way Mike could ever give an interview which you would qualify as a disaster? What what do you have to do, say he wishes for the earth to be blown up by aliens?

CD wins the thread... :lol

See, the thing is, on the whole, Brian isn't that more diverse. His last show was a TV Special, so that of course will be different. If he tours NPP, then yes, he will play a few new tunes. Even when he toured with Al, Dave & Blondie, they did very few extra deep cut tracks. I just don't see enough difference in the setlists to agree with your point. But, I do agree that Brian's shows are more satisfying having Al, Dave & Blondie on stage with him.

he just added the word 'exactly' https://twitter.com/thedavidcrosby/status/571087496739553281


burn.

Yeah, Crosby.... Who certainly didn't do his best to derail his own band with drugs and who's certainly not currently involved in childish drama with Neil Young .... What an authority.

Hipocrisy is great when it suits ya....

So to recap:

1. Mike gives a REALLY stupid interview.
2. Somehow it's Melinda's fault.
3. Brian Wilson does the same show as Mike Love and all of those tours playing entire albums or presenting new material somehow never happened because of "Pisces Brothers" and Cowsill singing "Wild Honey" sometimes.
4. Talk isn't discussion.
5. If Mike Love were the head of ISIS, somehow it would still be Melinda's fault. Possibly Joe Thomas' for living in Chicago... the bastard!

not true. two songs from Gershwin were brand-new "collaborations" and that was a pretty big deal.
same with BWPS. new lyrics were written and several songs were finally completed, not to mention the whole project was finally given cohesion and released! f*cking SMiLE!!! 37 YEARS LATER!!!!! but you're right. no big deal.



these people? I'm assuming that includes me, though I never used the word greed. I actually think he is more greedy of the spotlight and the recognition than the money. I also never said Mike killed SMiLE. so I guess I can call some crap too.


Carl and Al were there, it's true but it's pretty obvious who was steering the ship in the late 80s or so. Carl is gone now and Al has regained his integrity, but Mike and Bruce keep chugging on.

your statement about Brian being "home doing nothing" is rather cruel and uncalled for. or were you peeking in his windows?


I never liked it either. at least we agree on something.
Mike and Brian may have agreed to Mike continuing as the Beach Boys after Carl's passing, but that obviously changed when C50 happened. BRIAN DID NOT AGREE with the way things ended. like it or not

and I think most everyone would have expected a follow-up to TWGMTR, considering it got great reviews and was their highest-charting album of all-time.

Some Clintonesque prevarications ("it depends on what your definition of 'is' is") Mike has going on here.  Maybe he's making some distinction between "discussion" and "talks"?

If so, an interview is not a court of law. He should just concentrate on saying what he has to say as clearly as he can.

You should go into politics. You twist stuff into whatever point you want to get across. With point 3, nobody was really talking about tours 10 plus years ago. Let's keep this to fairly recent goings on.

Right. I'm the one twisting stuff. Like talk not being discussion?

Face it, Mike gave a HORRENDOUS interview. David Beard framed it badly. All this distraction isn't going to make that come up smelling like roses.

Brian was at home doing nothing? At least during the Landy years, he was actually doing quite a bit of recording. However, only one album got released (the '88 solo debut). And keep in mind this was a guy who was being severely mistreated for deep psychological issues. And how you just throw out "him being brainwashed by Landy," what's that supposed to mean? I don't think Brian wanted to be mistreated by his doctor, so why are you throwing that out there offhand. It's not really a situation that should be joked about.

And I don't know where you've been, but Carl has gotten a whole lot of flak for being part of the shitshow that was the '90s Beach Boys. He has repeatedly gotten thrashed for participating in the Summer In Paradise disaster, yet calling an end to the mid '90s reunion sessions with Brian. However, he died in 1998 and also hasn't spent a large part of the past 25 years suing Brian and making snarky comments every chance he gets.

And Al, well...yeah he does seem to have a good place among fans these days. Since he was the one protesting the ridiculous cheerleaders and the stale setlists, etc. people seem to forgive Al a little easier. Not to mention his advocacy of parts of the back catalogue that Mike for the most part avoids. However he did have a ridiculous ponytail and cheesed it up with the other three for a long while. So yeah.

You should read yourself sometime. ;)

It's a crap interview that makes Mike Love come off whiny and bitter... and it's full of contradictions to his other interviews. You can attack me all you want with your utterly ineffectual distractions, but Mr. Love is the one that sh*t the bed.

He got what he wanted and doesn't want to deal with the fallout, thinks he can spin reality into something that shows him a better light. He's wrong. People will continue to point it out. I hope he enjoys his touring and living off the name that BW and AJ helped build, but internet comments are NOT going to be positive about the man for years to come. You guys have been defending him so long this all seems normal to you, but I assure you that Mike Love defenders can be counted on what, two hands? Maybe three? Nobody else is going to believe that talk isn't discussion or that Mike Love didn't end C50 in the most embarrassing, idiotic way possible.

AGD, Cam Mott, Pinder, Paul JB, and others are the great wall of kokomo. Mike can do no wrong with them despite shitting on the BBs name everytime he uses it in M&B.

I agree.  I can't believe that Mike would not have/could not have grabbed Brian and planned a second album if he wanted to and that they could have worked it out. We all compromise in life, and if some elements of production and writing were not to Mike's liking, the notion of a "BB album" could have overridden all particular concerns if he wanted to make it happen. BW, AJ, DM were up for it big time, and BJ loves to sing. I feel Mike's pain, but he could have made sure it happened if he wanted to. Ego and pride, in a very non-TM way, have nagged him.

Mike can always come up with a new car song (who doesn't love Mike singing on car songs, right?) called Skid Marks, and the title can have a dual meaning too.  :lol

Believe me, we are the only ones that care. I don't let it affect me one bit. It is their business and no amount of my caring one way or another makes a bit of difference. I hate arguing with folks over this stuff. Even Mike & Brian don't seem to get that bothered by it all.

(http://i.imgur.com/ir2DvQW.jpg)

Well, at least this interview was good for something! Suitable for framing.

 :lol :lol

Oh heavens. This is stunning. Who did this? You are a great artist. Surely this is more than just a delight for us board members; this must be a published piece of art, justly displayed, sold and reproduced.

And it comes around again to the original - brand new, mind you - topic of discussion getting diverted, re-directed, etc.

Look for the patterns, connect the dots. Like clockwork.

As for my own take on this, if I remove myself from being an obsessed/diehard fan and put myself in the place of anyone curious enough to read these articles, I feel like twice in one week I'm reading an article that seems to be wagging a finger at or even lecturing to fans who are and have been perfectly willing to consider a new Brian album on its own merits, as well as consider Mike's pursuits as a Beach Boy on their own merits as well.

Instead I feel like a large number of fans are stuck in the middle of all this, and in this specific case are being lectured by means of a preemptive PR strike of sorts against something that didn't exist or wasn't much of an issue to begin with.

I've made a few challenges on this board, in jest but sometimes with a serious undertone as well. Note: I still have the bottle of wine from the "spot the autotune" challenge last summer...actually, no, I uncorked and enjoyed that bottle already and even sacrificed a cup and a half on making a garlic and white wine mushroom sauce with chicken over angel hair pasta. But I can easily buy another bottle.  :lol

I did, however, ask a serious question and if anyone can answer this, let me know - this thread is as good a place as any.

Someone find me an interview or public quote where Brian has said anything negative about Mike. Not implied, not perceived, but a simple negative quote.

Then we read comments like this Examiner article and the previous one from earlier this week, which are supposedly responding to fans' perceptions of events, a blogger's column or other online review of little consequence, and it feels like "setting the record straight" is more like playing defense before the offense has even taken the field.

Or in baseball terms, having your infielders charge home plate anticipating a bunt when the other team's cleanup hitter is at the plate in the second inning with no outs, 0-0 count, and no one on base. It's a foolish move in baseball terms.

So I guess it's an open forum, therefore open season on taking the opportunity to unload, distract, divert, etc. That's the deal with an open forum.

But also, for anyone interested in looking for them, go into this topic and see what adds up and what does not.

I agree, but to be less analytic and more emotional, many of us are just hurting because if the disharmony from the artists whom we associate so poignantly with all aspects of musical harmony. The BB are medically therapeutic; this proved, and this type of conflict is antithetical to that medicinal function.

I honestly can't tell if you're being sarcastic (and I'm not saying  that to be sarcastic or snarky, I honestly can't tell!  :lol )

But yeah, I would tend to doubt Beard asked a one-line question (with no pre-question discussion, no follow-up, etc.) about whether Mike had heard the new Brian song, and then Mike unprompted went into that diatribe.

It would make no sense. If the goal is to get Mike to tell "his side of the story", and you plan on asking one simple question, why on earth would you ask if Mike has heard the new Brian song? Wouldn't you *lead* with something like "Brian's press release, in my opinion, implies you kept the album from being a Beach Boys album. Your thoughts?"

No, there was a clear indicator (I would say in fact a warning) in the previous odd "review" of Brian's song that a future article would address this Mike/No Pier Pressure issue (which is, at the end of the day, NOT an issue, although Beard appears to have made it one at this point). This Mike "interview" is that article, and it was clearly a venue for a soap box diatribe that, I truly feel for Mike's sake, was severely egged on by the interviewer. If Mike had that all pent up and ready to blow and Beard contacted him out of the blue with a one-line email asking if he had heard the new track, then, well, I'm not sure what the means....

coming to a theme park near you
(http://images.yuku.com.s3.amazonaws.com/image/jpg/63915cbea46e3e5146fe1a3fd001e20aca7c49b_r.jpg)

Mike says a bunch of passive aggressive horseshit and when we point it out we get the usual defensive tactics from the Club Kokomo peanut gallery. Mike is bitching about autotune (Okay, Mike - can't wait to hear your 2017 album where I'm sure NO vocal processing will be done ::)), whining about how "bitter" Brian's press release was (What press release did you read? You want bitter? read your own interview here Mike), "Joe's fear of flying" CRUCIAL DETAIL HERE THANKS MIKE.

THIS is why people can't stand Mike Love....he is contradictory, seemingly irritated for no fucking reaon here, takes cheap shots at people. I could care less that he's greedy, or plays Seaworld and the parking lot of Lucky Strike Lanes and Lounge (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ja1d0yXGK4), or that he feels the need to call a lawyer anytime Brian shifts position in his Laz-y-boy recliner. It's the fact that he's said some pretty godawful things in interviews (both directly and passive aggressively) and yet he's supposedly a huge proponent of a religion devoted to inner and outer peace....way to carry the torch.

OK, you find it a stretch, I don't.

The "discussion in the group" is in the context of talk about nebulous offers and pronouncements instead of "concrete" offers in writing etc.. The same context as in 2012 where there is "talk" by someone but nothing set in "stone" and in the future, after the end of C50, "we'll entertain doing some more studio work and see what we can come up with and can do in the future." So to my mind there is no conflict between the interviews.

Not to derail the original topic, but the "BAD" tour in 2013 (apart from the small hand full of pre-Beck shows they did) consisted of half-length shows. Severely truncated, around 15 or more songs *shorter* than a typical Brian show. Nevertheless, the following songs were aired during 2013 shows at one time or another:

Break Away
Girl Don’t Tell Me
Old Man River
Little Bird
Summertime Blues
Your Imagination
Goin’ Home
That’s Why God Made the Radio
Summer’s Gone
Let Him Run Wild
She Knows Me Too Well
Custom Machine
This Car of Mine
Monster Mash
Forever
Wild Honey

That's not even getting into the one or two gigs where they did the entire "Pet Sounds" album randomly. Brian has toured numerous full albums. Brian set the bar for "deep cuts" setlists back in 1999 and 2000. Al tried in 1999, but was hindered in terms of getting bookings.

More importantly, as anyone who has worked in a "touring" band or is familiar with the history of the various BB touring factions knows, when the band isn't *regularly* touring and does scattered one-off shows or short strings of shows, they have to rely more on the meat-and-potatoes numbers. They often rehearse on the day of the show. When you haven't played a gig in numerous months and you have one rehearsal prior to a one-off show, you don't start whipping out a bunch of rarities you've never done before. You do the stuff you're most familiar with. Ironically, even within this constraint, they did weird stuff like performing the entire "Pet Sounds" album for the first time in over six years, with perhaps a day or two of rehearsal.

Not that I can think of, or for Brian, Al, etc.. and that's saying something.

People were wishing they would give something beyond their usual responses, so here we are.

I think a few posters including Howie Edelson have printed pretty much the textbook definition of "conflicting interview comments." I don't know what else to say.

As for "nebulous" offers, I find that characterization rather dubious. Again I ask, what is the accusation or assertion as to those offers? That someone was offering fraudulent bookings for non-existent venues/shows? There's no follow-up in this new interview. In the interview it comes across as if when an iron-clad contract is not put in front of him, everything is "nebulous" or not even on the table.

When promoters are interested in booking the C50 lineup for HUGE venues, I would imagine it starts with "talk." I don't think they immediately shove a contract in front of you to sign.

The interview surely does offer us more insight into Mike's thoughts than the typical interviews.

The problem, in one sense, is less Mike's comments and more that a small group of fans seems to be completely incredulous in terms of how some people who read the interview might come away with a negative impression of Mike, and/or objectively can say that it's a bad move in terms of PR, or that objectively the interview *completely* contradicts comments made in previous interviews, etc.

A point to bear in mind. When you're dealing with Brian Wilson, you're dealing with someone who is a master at passive aggressive manipulation. No, he has seldom said a word against Mike. Yes, he's always floated about the fray in matters like this.

But consider.

Brian is putting out an album featuring three other current and former Beach Boys. Including Brian, that makes two more on NPP than you would see at most of Mike's shows. Brian toured with Al and David, and is currently doing most of his shows with Al, putting him at least on par with Mike's shows.

For much of his solo career, Brian has been content to write songs with outside collaborators and record with his touring band. But now he's managed to -- totally innocently, of course  ::) -- hit Mike where it hurts. Why isn't NPP a Beach Boys album? It has four Beach Boys on it! Why aren't BW's shows BB shows? They have two Beach Boys in them! Brian has essentially put Mike in an impossible place, one where Mike most likely feels threatened and used.

I think it's too easy, too simple, to say that Mike is just acting like a jerk. I mean, yes, he is acting like a jerk, but that's nothing new. Brian has had decades of experience in figuring out what buttons to press to make his cousin go bananas. And if you think he's not doing that now -- just a little bit -- well, let's refer back to BWPS and the subsequent litigation. I think Brian was genuinely disappointed when C50 ended the way it did, and he has a healthy enough ego these days to try to send a message.

The only surprise is that Mike -- kind of like Wile E. Coyote -- keeps falling for this Road Runner's traps. Meep meep, as the saying goes.

You mean something negative like this?

"Listen, I wish my cousin in all of his professional endeavors the best...however, I had nothing to do with his album or the circumstances of his album. I have known my cousin since childhood, besides being musically gifted, my Cousin is a kind, and gentle spirit without a bitter bone in his body. The tone of this press release seems bitter of which is not consistent with the Brian Wilson vibe…so I know this did not come from Brian. When Brian is ready...I'm ready!"

We aren't talking about how you mean it, we are talking about how Mike means it.

I have no idea how you manage to ascertain how Mike means anything, unless you're in close contact and have a special little hotline phone that flashes a different color according to the day of the week. You're just describing how Cam Mott means it. Your guess is as good as anyone else's.

Does anyone else want to pretend Mike Love didn't completely contradict himself in these two interviews other than Cam Mott? The guy who cannot think of a single way that Mike Love could respond to make any hypothetical interview a total disaster. Genocide of the human race by aliens would be a-ok, so he could be jabbering about white power, insider trading, or abusing social studies teachers and Mott would probably back it up and parse words. How biased could you get?



He even has to bring in BW and AJ into it, heaven forbid someone ask him a direct question about Mike Love without a distraction...

let's hope that Brian catches wind of Mike's email response to a fanzine.
how else will he know that Mike is finally ready???

Yes Cam...THAT is a negative.  It says my cousin is being controlled and manipulated...but not by ME.  I'm ready to assume that responsibility/opportunity asap.

Well, no. Largely because of the poor quality of the interview itself (can we really even call this an "interview"?), we don't know how Mike "meant" it. We have to deduce that. What we're talking about is what *you* think it means, or what *I* do, and/or what a typical/average person might take away from the interview.

The context of how the piece came about (apparent soap box to air a bunch of grievances, rather than an organic, casual Q&A session), coupled with the CLEAR inconsistencies between some of the comments in this interview as compared to past interviews, will inevitably lead some readers to take away nothing particularly positive from this piece.

The more this discussion goes on, the more I'm inclined, in a weird way, to cut Mike some slack and agree with Howie Edelson that a main problem is the interviewer/author and the context of the interview.

The comment implies that Brian is being controlled/manipulated and/or someone is speaking FOR him but AGAINST his wishes/nature. Frankly, I'm sure many people would find that sort of rhetoric *MORE* offensive than just being called an a-hole or something.

When a list of "positive attributes" is seemingly ALWAYS followed by some sort of qualifier, then yeah, it rightfully falls into the "negative" category.

I mean, when Brian says in interviews that Mike wrote great lyrics, does he always follow it up with "but he kind of stopped writing good lyrics after about 1966"? When he says he likes Al's voice on "Then I Kissed Her", does he follow it up with "but he was kind of an asshat this other time."

That sort of speaking pattern happens with some people. One might ask "What did you think about Dennis as a songwriter", and the response might start with some positive comments but will often HAVE to veer into saying "but he had drug and alcohol problems." This is sort of like psychology exercise stuff. "Say something positive about the other person WITHOUT using qualifiers like "but"....)

You don't get it. I don't hold it against you.

I just answered CD's question directly. Did you not get that either?

... Am I the only one who didn't think it was out of line that Mike was actually responding to comments in the press regarding Brian's new album?

I've definitely seen some reviews that had little digs about Mike or the reunion fallout ... a quick Google search comes up with several examples on the first page:


"... This is the Beach Boys song that should have come next, before the latest in a series of mishaps involving Mike Love wrecked everything again after their celebrated reunion for 2012’s That’s Why God Made the Radio album and tour."

http://somethingelsereviews.com/2015/02/19/brian-wilson-the-right-time-review/

--

"... Wilson saw an opportunity to finally become hip with his kids and recruited some amazing young vocalists who have been inspired by his music.” (Ed. Note: It probably didn’t help that Wilson and Mike Love had a public fallout in 2013.)"

http://consequenceofsound.net/2015/01/brian-wilson-announces-no-pier-pressure-his-star-studded-new-solo-album/

--

"... The first meaning I readily see is that Brian Wilson’s album, No Pier Pressure means “No peer pressure” from his cousin Mike Love or Bruce Johnston."

http://musicofourheart.me/2015/02/21/no-pier-pressure-brian-wilson/

--

... even from Rolling Stone:

"... Wilson channeled his disappointment at bandmate Mike Love's decision to cancel a 2012 reunion tour into tracks like 'Last Song' ..."

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/2015-preview-68-reasons-to-love-this-year-20150105/brian-wilson-no-pier-pressure-spring-20150105

My monitor must be on the fritz because people can read a lot more in these quotes then they say or I can see. He is "negative" about Brian's supposed PR writer at most in the quote I see. He is very complimentary towards Brian in what I read.

Maybe it is press comments like this that are irking David Beard for some reason. But he and/or Mike seem to have conflated these media comments (none of which they specifically cite) with the press release for Brian's new album (which IS directly cited). That is indeed unfair and illogical. To say nothing of the fact that I don't think any of these quick side comments in a few articles/reviews are particularly inflammatory towards Mike Love.

As for those press comments, I suppose "wrecked" is arguably hyperbolic, and the interpretation of "No Pier Pressure" is, well, open to interpretation. But the other comments seem accurate to me. I'd say not working together and trading LA Times editorials could be characterized as a "falling out" of some sort.

The other problem I see with this statement of Mike's, is that it shows Mike presumably is in full belief the idea that Brian doesn't have a bitter bone in his body and doesn't carry grudges/resentment, etc. While Brian is (much) more outwardly classy about not *directly* talking smack about people who Brian feels have acted particularly sh*tty to him, Brian is human like the rest of us. I'm sure Brian feels bitter on some internal level about many, many of Mike's actions over the years. MANY.

It almost makes me think that Mike's decades of questionable actions towards his sensitive cousin (showing Mike seemingly acting as though Brian is *not* a particularly sensitive person, that he's just a regular guy and can "take it" with no problem) are due to Mike's belief that nothing Mike has done (or could do) has actually effected Brian in a deeply negative way. Because, of course, Brian isn't ever bitter. Riiiight. In other words, I think it's an ostrich-with-his-head-in-the-sand type comment, that helps to further absolve Mike from any wrongdoings of his own.

I'd say, conversely, it might be that one can conveniently overlook clear implications. That "NPP" press release was sent out *all over the place.* Mike is implying someone is writing that stuff against Brian's wishes/nature, which implies Brian is NOT in control of things like these press releases. At *best*, that is a professional affront to someone. At worst, it is another reference to the well-known and often-cited "people around Brian" implication we've been hearing for ages. There is evidence at hand that these implications, presently, are untrue and perhaps hurtful to Brian. Much more hurtful potentially to Brian than Brian simply saying  that he's bummed he couldn't do another BB album.

Interesting insights. There might be something to this.

Cam Mott is the Baghdad Bob of SS.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfAeMtcURg0

People read into it these statements because of Mike's previous comments about supposed handlers or "controllers" ("Brian is controlled and still medicated. It used to be the indiscriminate use of street drugs, but now it’s prescribed drugs. He speaks very highly of me and I have no issues. If just he and I could speak alone it would be great, but Brian is controlled." (http://www.masslive.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2014/08/the_beach_boys_to_turn_tanglew.html) - yet another classy and tactful statement from the guru of peace and harmony). And as HeyJude said above, the fact that he implies Brian isn't in control of press releases could be his way of bringing up this "handlers" crap we've heard from him before)

And that interview where he used the phrase "still medicated" and compared Brian's current situation (of which I would presume Mike is not specifically aware) to "indiscriminate" drug use was one that even some staunch Mike Love defenders would agree is something Mike should have/could have offered an apology/clarification for.

One of the only times I've seen anything approaching a clarification/apology recently was when a comment was made that Al's website had negative comments about Mike. That had to be retracted, as the comments were on other social media sites (not to mention Mike's *own* Facebook page had negative stuff about him as I recall), and not Al's actual website.

Good god your responses are ridiculous.  Re-read it yourself. A lot of but, not really, and I never said.

if you're going to call people out on saying certain things, make sure those things were actually said, sir.

and your statement that "Brian was either at home doing nothing or being brainwashed by Landy" was not only ridiculous, but cruel and flippant. below the belt even.

Thank you, beautiful lady without an avatar! :) (Sorry for the late response)

If you actually ever read a post on this board as opposed to trolling what thread would be an opportunity to jump in and take a jab at Mike, you would know I think Mike can and has done plenty of dumb things. I challenge the moderators to calculate the posts that you contribute to that have nothing to do with bashing Mike in comparison to the ones where you dig at Mike. It is blatant and TROLLING.

You hate Mike and we know that. Is it possible that you can now shut the hell up about it or do we need to be reminded by you day after day after day on this site?

I don't hate Mike. He might have flaws but we all do. He is Brian's cousin and a huge part of my favorite band ever.  You clowns that claim to be Beach Boys fans but bitch about Mike Love NON-STOP and are annoyed by songs like I Get Around really are a joke. Get a life...get a new band....or get help.

Actually, according to all involved, Al *wasn't* there for the majority of "Summer in Paradise", having been either "suspended" or just not invited or choosing to stay away.

Al was also rather infamously against the cheerleaders on stage. He even years later said he got in "trouble" for having complained about the cheerleaders in an article back in the 90s.

These little tidbits are likely small parts of the story behind why Al is no longer in the touring band.

I don't think I've *ever* run into even the most blatantly anti-Mike person possible who said they disliked the song "I Get Around."

I've seen some people here pegged as "anti-Mike" who have literally celebrated and praised Mike's lyrics.

Mike's actual musical and lyrical sensibilities have nothing to do with the current article being discussed. Mike *could* make some cogent points about C50. Ideally, I think most of us would have liked to see some true Wilson/Love compositions. I'd love to hear even one, just to see how one of those "in a room alone" songs would actually sound.

you clowns... these people...
who the f*ck are you referring to?

has anyone claimed to HATE Mike Love? who is annoyed by I Get Around? who really needs help?

I'm sure even OSD would raise a glass to Mike's talent back in the mid-60s.

And, Paul J B, if Mike didn't constantly give us a plethora of material to bitch about, many people here wouldn't be so irate about him. But instead, Mike seems to have a never ending supply of negative comments about his cousin ("Brian is controlled"), or about his music (life suite)...and now he takes cheap shots at Joe Thomas, and then makes some crack about autotune. It shouldn't be any mystery as to why people express such dire opinions about the man.

IGA was just mentioned in the annoying songs thread a few days ago. As well as several other early classics.

you claim to be a Beach Boy fan but you spout sh!t like this:


seriously, you are the one who should get help

I wonder if some of these kids are Stones fans. I would advise against it!!!! Don't read Keith's book!!! .... But alas, all the other rock stars in history are free to be complete bastards to each other but you're endiessly butt-hurt by some vague Mike comments because it suits a fairy tale you get down on your knees for in the church of Brian ... Ya all need to have Dennis take you out on the town for a couple nights .... That might open your eyes a bit ... Hell, I'd go as far as to suggest some of these folks don't even really like BRIAN!!! They like the story is all .... Good guy/bad guy mythology is powerful stuff

Well, gosh, it's almost as if each and every member here has different tastes from one another. I find it odd that a fan would think IGA is annoying, but to call them a joke because of this? I'm not sure these are the people who need to find a life ::)

Yet, we bitch about autotune constantly in here, even when it isn't present. If Mike listened to how he sucked the life right out of the Live album, I can certainly understand his concern with his work. I am no fan of Joe's work on the whole.

Was Joe Thomas responsible for the voice processing on Pisces Brothers and Cool Head, Warm Heart?

...and who are these folks that find I Get Around annoying? I just get itchy about Barbara Ann and am not keen on Little Deuce Coupe, really. Hopefully that's permissible in polite society.

Problem with Mike Love seems to be, he's a poor leader. He's not a team player. The BBs functioned better with Brian initially calling the shots or Carl on the road later as leader. They didn't quite cause so much resentment. Mike just treats people like employees or dirt and doesn't seem to have many friends. You find so many people speaking in such technicolor terms about Carl, about what a good friend he was, do people say that about Mike? He knew how to handle people, how to be tactful and diplomatic about difficult decisions. Mike doesn't seem to.

If he understood how to work with people instead of bossing them around and needing to be in control, he would've had a fairer time of it in the press and with fans. Or at least be helluva lot more sympathetic. The only people who like this grim side of Mike are contrarians, cementheads, glue-sniffers, and Young Republicans.

last time I checked, Mick and Keith were still able to continue touring and recording together. I mean could you imagine just Mick or just Keith going out as The Rolling Stones? no one would take it seriously! but we're supposed to be fine with the current situation of Mike Love touring as The Beach Boys, even when Brian and Al have both stated publicly that they would like to be included from this point on.

Indeed. One of the most powerful, unacknowledged factors in BB history. Many want to have a simple tale of good and evil, of a genius's resurrection, of a villain's just desserts.

I am an unapologetic Brian fan, but to ignore these things is to lose crucial perspective.

Cruel and flippant? Give me a break. Your trying to start something that is not there because your logic fails. Brian was out of the picture and Carl and Alan were right there with Mike business as usual. You know damn well what I meant and your response was lame. Being a huge Beach Boy fan I'm a huge Brian fan. I've seen him live 5 times and the Beach Boys 20. And for the record, not one of the 20 Beach Boys shows I've seen was the Mike and Bruce version. Not one. I'm looking forward to NPP and especially the film.

When it comes to the Beach Boys I pride myself on keeping it in perspective. A really great band that has been great to be a huge fan of. I can reach for Sunflower, All Summer Long, or In Concert and will love them as much now as I did in the past till I'm gone.

What do guys like you pride yourself on concerning the Beach Boys?  Bitching about Mike Love? Thinking you know more about their personal lives and dealings than anyone should give a crap about?

Like I told Smile Brian ....it is sooooo old. But like OSD some people just won't quit.

Stones also stayed a tight and loyal (to each other and the cause)  performing entity right from the beginning .... The Beach Boys did not ... You gonna blame Mike for that?

it was a disrespectful comment and you know it. it's also a misrepresentation and a myth. as a Beach Boy/Brian fan you already know this. you make a sweeping and false comment regarding Brian's personal life, and then you try to call us out for thinking we know more about their personal lives and dealings than anyone should? rich indeed.

I don't bitch about Mike Love every chance I get. I'm not criticizing him on every other thread on this board. but this thread concerns Mike's very recent statements, which come off sounding bitter, defensive, insulting, and downright false to varying degrees. of course people are going to respond to that.

if you can't stand the heat, stay off the sand

no. I will however blame Mike for the horrible way he handled the end of C50 and his contradictory and disrespectful statements about his bandmates ever since.

Good points on the good/evil mythology. This saga some people want to believe and reproduce, of a troubled genius who can do no wrong only to be constantly screwed up by an eternal asshole who can do no right, is as tiresome as it is compelling. Even in its unfairness and inaccuracy.

But some people arrive to a certain point in their fandom, of such de-humanized puritanism, such cold and indolent supercilousness, such easiness to pass moral judgement, such lack of sympathy for Mike Love's character (the same sympathy we demand from others when our actions and words are being examined), that if Mike were to donate his entire fortune to the poor and become Brian Wilson's butler, he would still get backslashed.

 :lol

At the very least it would be a good reality show idea. Mike Love could serve as Brian and Melinda's butler for six weeks as a character building exercise with all profits going to some obscure foundation the Maharishi set up. Get Al Jardine to come over and ask for a beverage they don't have in stock. Hilarity ensues.

For extra character building: it's rude to wear hats indoors. Especially for butlers. No baseball caps!

You do bitch about Mike. A lot.  It's kind of mean too.  He posted your pic at his show with a "Thanks Bossaroo"  and now you post it and make fun of him that he did that. He was having a bit of fun and you go and do that?  That is high school bullying and plain nasty. 

What is this good vs evil crap? Even the most ardent Mike Love haters would be hard pressed to find any annoyance with Brian, Al, and David becoming part of the Beach Boys band again. Look at the C50 - who among us wanted turmoil to ensue because of that reunion? Who among us was pleading for a good-vs-evil story? Who among us was pissed that Mike was penning songs with Brian again? NO ONE. This 'Good vs Evil' is the most bullshit argument that has come from the Klub Kokomo crowd.

I would LOVE to have Bruce's vocals on this record. I would LOVE to hear some Mike Love bass notes on Sail Away.

If there is a good vs evil story here, it's not because of us. We're not the ones calling Brian "controlled" in the media. We're not the ones who left Brian and Al feeling as though they were fired from their own band. We're not the ones taking cheap shots at Joe Thomas. In the time it took Mike to write that email response he could have actually listened to the fucking song in question. He could've easily deduced if his fears of auto-tune were rational. Or he could've easily said "No, haven't heard it yet, but I'm looking forward to hearing it" - instead we get a page long answer that as Bossaroo said, sounds bitter, defensive, insutling, and downright false to varying degrees.

In fairness, bossaroo was kinda poking fun of Mike initially and portraying him as a Dark Lord of the Sith capable of frying people with his evil Force Lightning, so it's not his fault Mike's people didn't get a geeky Star Wars reference and incorporated it into Good Vibrations.

Exactly, this whole narrative is a reflection of Mike's bitter ego and refusal to see BW do anything creative without him.

Ok. But you just proved my point. Perhaps you could delete your last paragraph?

I can stand the heat fine but am fed up with the BS. Because I respond to something YOU did say does not mean every statement in a post is directly talking about you. And you were way off topic days ago IN THIS THREAD when you made YOUR comments abut Mike making money ect. and that had NOTHING to do with how he handled the C50. Brian spent years doing nothing regarding the BB's and a guy named Landy drugged the hell out of him in an attempt to brainwash him into thinking he needed him to exist. If you find those facts disrespectful that's your hang up.

Christ on a tandem but you do talk some absolute fucking nonsense: you should stop hanging around your fellow troll, his problems are rubbing off.

Yes he is.

No he isn't.

Yes he is.

No he isn't

YES...he IS!

NO..he ISN'T

IS!!!  >:(

ISN'T  >:D

Is SO :wall

IS NOT!!! :angry

 :jedi   :jedi  :jedi

ad infinitum... ... ... +  forever and a day... ... ...

( :listening )

He IS. ;)

 ??? Why? ???

That's just WHO he is.  Nothing new.  No surprises.  It's not something out of left field.  It's been like this for longer than dirt.

It would appear that we ALL agree that we WISH it wasn't so.

 :grouphug

But it is.

The guy was questioning who thought that about IGA as if it was not so. Read it all ok. And the get a life quote you are taking out of context by only mentioning the IGA part. There are people here nearly every day that are all "oh Brian" but pretty much look down on a lot of things Beach Boys, like the 62-66 period and hate Mike ect. Brian is/was the Beach boys so that makes no sense. I stand by my statement of get a new band or a life if one takes time on a nearly daily basis to come here and gripe about gems like IGA and Mike and the rest. I like Van Halen a fair amount.... but I sure as hell would not join a Van Halen message board and gripe about David Lee Roth every day or dismiss the songs that were hits for them. If I started doing that I would think I needed....a life.


Amusement Parks USA...now that's annoying.

David Crosby has no room to criticise anyone ever. To my knowledge, Mr Love was never an annoying hippie blowhard who spent 20 years as a crack addicit.

Mike is his mid-70's now, and has said he no longer enjoys making records. If he would say, "hey, I just didn't want to spend 2 years making a record that people will be listening to for free on spotify, working with people I don't get along with -- I 'm too old for that crap, it's not how I want to spend my twilight years" , I would totally respect that.

I'd imagine that has a lot to do with the fact that anyone with an ounce of sensitivity wouldn't describe battling severe mental health issues as 'doing nothing'.

No, Mike was just an annoying hippie-wannabe blowhard.

(http://www.smileysmile.net/uncanny/media/users/djm/Mike_Love_1.jpg)

You're saying we want a good vs evil story. We don't. I'm saying "If" there is a good vs evil story Mike isn't doing to much to quell those thoughts.

Such frankness would actually be refreshing. Mike has never struck me as being the self-deprecating type (jokes in concert about how old the band's songs are don't count, nor do references to how others think he's "big bad Mike Love"), but he could easily be honest and frank and throw in a little self-deprecating humor. I'm not saying he should or that he should be expected to, but since folks have been alluding to hypothetical scenarios where fans would be less annoyed, that sort of scenario is one.

A number of the BBs have, over the years, had a tough time finding where they want to be on the spectrum that has "blunt frankness" on one end and "slick shiny it's-all-good PR" on the other. So you get these weird moments where they're kind of being frank and blunt, but they're coating it with a candy shell of BS or lawyer-esque mumbo-jumbo, so they just end up looking like more of a d**k than if they had just been honest and straightforward in the first place. One can be a "straight shooter" without being overtly mean-spirited about it.

That Goldmine interview from back in 1992 with Mike was actually quite refreshing. There was very little if any PR coating on that one. I didn't agree with a lot of it, but I respected the openness and frankness quite a bit. One of my all-time favorite BB-related interview bits is in that one. Asked about Brian's 1988 solo album:

Did you like his first solo album?

No.

You didn't like it?

f*** no.

This exchange from that same 1992 interview is also kind of funny in light of more recent developments:

So I guess there's no chance for a book?

Who would want to take the fucking time to go through garbage like that just to rectify garbage.

One needs hair to be a hippie.

You just called Cros a hippie and he, too, had a similar hairline to Mike's. Which is it?

Croz still had hair in the 60s. Mike started receeding at age 12.

If you have a problem with me Paul, at least have the balls to call me out by name, y'dig? Hell, I'll even give you my Skype number and you can say it to my face if it'll please you. Say 'Elnombre really is a joke because he said he'd played out a few of the old hits so he needs to get a life, get a new band and get help.' Of course, trying to 'get help' is 'doing nothing' according to you, so I'd be wasting my time.  :angel:

My comments on 'I Get Around' and 'Surfin' U.S.A.'



Anyway, heartily looking forward to hearing why being a little bored of a few of the always-played hits prohibits me from having an opinion on a Mike Love interview and why you feel the need to launch personal attacks (the very thing you claim to be oh so valiantly railing against) on other forum members rather than say, oh I don't know, responding to the comments they made in the relevant thread. Stay classy.  :wave

Surely it's time that someone closes and locks the doors on this thread.

I enjoy some Mike griping as much the next fan, but I'm getting tired of this nonsense.

This is a very good point.

Another key point, to me anyway, and one that I've been so surprised hasn't been more widely discussed, is how much C50 seemed to heal so much of the BS. BS among fans, BS between band members and fans, BS between band members, etc.

Now, it's easy to look back and say it was kind of just a mirage. An anomaly. Sort of like the analogy mentioned about batting at a weirdly high rate for a little while before dipping down again.

But I don't think the fans that enjoyed C50 and felt some sort of healing were delusional. We all knew to *some* degree that some niceties were going on; some amount of sweeping everything under the rug rather than actually healing all of the old wounds. But it seemed like that the band, as a whole, was at one point willing and able to move on. In the literal sense. As in, not necessarily getting over everything from the past or forgetting, or not still being pissed about this or that. But they seemed to actually portray that the music itself, and singing together, had made "moving on" possible. I don't think I would have felt this way if they had taken the easy way out on the "reunion", to just basically make it a novelty act of seeing them all on the same stage and playing a quickie 75 minute barebones sets of hits.

They showed genuine signs at one point of seeing the bigger picture. I figured that's what Mike was doing in agreeing to essentially let Brian's band take over the Beach Boys live brand. I figured that's what they were doing in keeping David Marks in the band. I figured that's what was at play when Mike genuinely broke down in tears as he gave speech at the "California Saga" gig.

The "wasted opportunity" of C50 isn't just the obvious stuff (more money, more press), it's all the other peripheral stuff that could have made us truly forget about the BS of the past. Sure, all the past stuff is important and should be recorded in biographies and scholarly works. And yes, these guys wouldn't have (or can't) tour for another 30 years. But they could have ended this thing together, not just to give it a story book ending, but to give it an ending that didn't leave fans throwing stones at each other, fanzine editors prompting band members to start sniping. We wouldn't have had clusterf***s like Al Jardine being portrayed as a d**k for maybe not finding the prospect of being "allowed" back into his own band for one night at Jones Beach to be so thrilling. We wouldn't have Al Jardine back to playing street fairs. We'd probably be hearing David Marks singing some Dennis tunes or something in concert next to Brian. I'd be buying overpriced autographed 8x10's of the band each and every year on tour!

The reunion holding together would have snowballed in ways I don't think we can even imagine. The thing falling apart has obviously snowballed to some degree as well. There are *even* ways to allow for it to fall apart and come out with everybody having a modicum of dignity, but they couldn't even muster that.

I guess The Beach Boys can't even break up correctly!  :lol

Even when the guys try to scrape together the next best thing and move on and do something artistically valid, like Brian is trying with NPP, now someone has to s**t on that for some reason? I mean, has anybody seen Brian busting on Mike's band? He doesn't even discuss it. Al does, but Al's comments are usually a case of kind of desperately wishing the whole band was together rather than what Mike's doing.

Or, the sniping folks can take to PM or something.

I think discussing this *article*, rather than just Mike vis-à-vis Brian or whatever, is worth doing. If we can pick apart Wrecking Crew books and films and what's wrong with those, then I think this article can or should be discussed.

But maybe we are all discussed-out.  :3d

I don't think anyone is taking a dump on NPP.  Sure, Mike made the comment about autotune, but bunch of people here always complain/are concerned about that when it come to Joe T.

I didn't mean so much the autotune comment. I was speaking more about just turning the whole issue of the album's existence and it's press release into a venue for sniping (or baiting members to snipe).

I'm just astonished if this is really a case of David Beard getting rankled about one NPP review to the point of crafting more than one article that stirs the pot about something that isn't an issue, and going so far as to pull Mike Love into it. Not only is the "it could have been a Beach Boys album" thing not worth this degree of acrimony, the assertion itself isn't even false. This *could* have been a BB album. Saying so doesn't imply fault, regardless of whether a reviewer somewhere out there might think so. The press release for the album ascribed no fault to anybody about anything.

The dysfunctional unit that can't get along for any length of time will continue to be a dysfunctional unit that can't get along for any length of time, even as septuagenarians. It's not going to be a storybook ending for these guys, but perhaps a fitting one.  'Sporadic Harmony' just doesn't have the same ring to it, but it's closer to the truth as we all know.

Another sterling Mike thread, real and imagined. Well done everybody. (slow clap)

i really don't. in this thread, yes. but not all over this board.

high school bullying? I am bullying Mike Love? because I reposted the 'Thanks Bossaroo' picture? really??


he was having a bit of fun and so was I. the fact that Mike went searching through a thread called Weirdest Pics of Mike Love You Can Find and found one he liked, and actually put it on the big screen at his concert is pretty funny to me. whether he intended it to be funny is unclear, which makes it even funnier.

most people who have spent much time with Mike and Brian at certain points in the Beach Boys' career have described his dynamic with Brian as somewhat bullying and intimidating. perhaps even physical altercations provoked by Mike. if me posting a couple pictures on a message board is bullying Mike Love... fine. i'll take it.



Mike's major complaint about the C50 tour was how much money it was costing, what a large and cumbersome show it was. not streamlined enough. too lavish. he found a way to mention it in almost every interview at the time. and as a result, he came across as overly concerned about money and expenses. even when it was all over he still couldn't shut up about it. mentioning Mike's preoccupation with money is dead-on topic.

and there you go again... "Brian spent years doing nothing"
what years were those exactly?

And you sir, not that I give a sh*t about your well being, should stop browning your nostrils with your fellow clown myKe luHv as his arrogance has shredded your thought process.

TELL IT LIKE IT IS!!!!   :woot :woot :woot :woot :woot :woot :woot :woot :woot :woot :woot :woot :woot :woot :woot :woot :woot

Or how about YOU looking for another board, huh? Last time I checked, opinions are, in fact, what this place is all about and without them conditions here would be quite boring. If anyone needs help, it may be you yourself in your pathetic defense of the luhvster. I have my opinion of him and will, as long as they allow me, state that opinion regardless of who takes issue with it. I may disapprove of who I choose with the understanding that some here may not like what I say. Did it ever cross your mind as to exactly WHY Love gets so much negative press here and at numerous other sites on the internet? Could it be that there may be valid reasons why people say what they do about him and not say... Carl, Al, Dennis or Brian?? Did you ever land on that godforsaken, barren, wasteland called the Mike Love Fan Club?? It's literally an outpost that is hugely ignored. Why? The man has been in show business for 52 years! I'd say it speaks volumes by it's lack of attention. So, if you don't like what you see here, move on, but knock off the crap you spew about having an opinion. Having one of those here is enough and one more in the mix is unnecessary.

So this is what you call makin' love.

Just to be clear and fair, OSD: much if not MOST of the negativity about Mike on other sites is because of stuff posted by you!

Nah, Mike had the bad rap back when OSD was playing PONG.

Pinder, even you know that's BS. For example-read the last L & M review posted here. If that doesn't do it for you, go to the "Why I Hate Mike Love" site. Yes! A site fully devoted to how much of an asshole Mike Love is. One of quite a few. There's your clear and fair. Youtube? I'm just one of many.

You mean when his grandkids were playing PONG

And it's not a matter of Myke Luv being a great guy or bad person that's the point .... It's the extent to which some of you obssess over it while ignoring some awful stuff a guy like Dennis did while in the same band ... Someone blew off my Stones comparison earlier but can you just imagine if Mike said Brian had a small penis in print??? ... Actually, I can imagine because you all react as though he has said such a thing ....

Point is: can some of us accept Mike for being a flawed human being yet still love his band and be fans of his work? Yes! And it is extremely easy .... The bullying and sociopathic hatred is what must be truly hard.

I'm with you on this one. To be perfectly frank, this interview was not one of Mike's shining moments, and that's being kind. My bullshit detector was firing off like a guy on viagra watching porn. That said, I find it amazing how anybody can only see things in black and white, and can be so biased to the point where it comes across as an unhealthy negative obsession. Truth be told, I'm pretty much on 'team Brian' so to speak, but I don't let that color my views. If someone deserves praise or is unfairly maligned, I call it out. Likewise, if someone deserves criticism, I call it out too. Not to bring politics into this too much, but it's no different than the arguments between supporters of the Democrats or Republicans. Everything is so one sided, logic and reason goes out the window. I honestly find it sickening, but not nearly as much as how fans of the same band can be complete assholes to each other.

Hey PGTKABA! I resemble that remark! :lol

You mean you were actually there to see Plymouth Rock roll over?? :p

Well, when he was a wee lad, the Dead Sea was merely sick

:lol
 My wife used that one on me :D

Threads like this kill the spirit of the music we all love.  We all have opinions and views of past and current happenings, but we never seem to remember a few things.  99 percent of us base our opinions on at best second hand information, and the 1 percent that know the real inner workings will likely never spill the beans.  Getting back to my point, regardless of what side of the fence you lean towards, I think we could all agree it has stopped being about the music a long time ago.  Why don't we make it about the music again? 

He was around long before the Love hereditary hairline went south!

I think I can fairly speak for a lot of us here in that, regardless of what "camp" you're in, the people involved in creating this music, and their stories are a big reason why the music as a whole grabs us and resonates/takes on even greater meaning than merely on it's own merit .... That and the amount of cultural cache the music has claimed .... It is very very difficult to approach The Beach Boys music on face value alone.

I'm with you. I always try to focus on that, even though it can be difficult at times. At the end of the day, for me it's about the glorious music

At last.

Normally I suggest we all head to t'pub for a beer/ soda/ coffee… but there's a sign outside says "no coaches" (not that Coach I hasten to add!).

Maybe the milk parlour down the road?

It's always amazed and amused me that people who post nothing but their hatred of Mike & everything he stands for can still bear to listen to, and actively enjoy, any BB song where he takes the lead, or the bass, or is even known to be on but inaudible (which at a rough guess would be some 95% of the catalog). Then I realised they're major league hypocrites, of course.  ;D

Hey, cause I'm such a sweetheart, here's a list of Beach Boys tracks I'm pretty sure aren't in any way contaminated by Mike's presence (does writing the lyric count ?) for the Usual Suspects to fully enjoy, safe in the knowledge that they're not in any way being offended:

Moon Dawg*
Misirlou*
Honky Tonk*
Surf Jam*
The Rocking Surfer*
Boogie Woodie*
Your Summer Dream
Denny's Drums*
Carl's Big Chance*
Blue Christmas
Winter Symphony
Morning Christmas
In The Back Of My Mind
Summer Means New Love
Let's Go Away For A While
Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)
Pet Sounds
Caroline, No
'Trombone Dixie'
Passing By
Be Still
Busy Doin' Nothin'
Diamond Head
Wake The World
Be Here In The Morning
Friends
Little Bird
The Nearest Faraway Place
Make It Good
In My Car

* may have been in the studio while track was recorded: procede with caution

All jokes aside, that'd make a pretty good CD in all honesty.

Re Wake The World and procede with caution advice.

I know there is evidence to the contrary, but sure sounds like Mike's in there to me, particularly on mor-nins and daw-nins of the last chorus.

It's almost like Mike Love says these kind of things on purpose so people will continue seeing him as the "evil one", in the name of keeping Mike Love relevant..


He could have easily said "I wish my cousin Brian the best of luck in his future endeavors and hopefully will one day be able to collaborate with him again" but instead spews this same vitriol that people have come to expect from him despite his "transcendental meditation, good vibrations, I spent time with The Beatles in India" personality he wishes people would equate Mike Love to.


Because what gets people talking more? Mike Love wishing the best of luck to people, or Mike Love calling Mick Jagger "chickenshit"?

Oh, stop it...
He called Mick a chickenshit 27 years ago! Give him a break. There's been enough punishment to the Lovester already on this thread. The majority of posts are a rehash of the first 10-20. No new ideas. All the sh*t hit the fan like by page 5. There's not sh*t left.

I mean, with gems like this, a line is being crossed. Constantly. Redundantly. Endlessly.

"I've like [sic] to ask him what it's like being so bald while being a cousin to people with such luscious heads of hairs, and if he'd trade lifetime of Buber-creativity and mental illness for having enough hair to never have to seek out a baseball cap,  but have no interest in signing up for his "vibe room"."

It must suck to be a Beach Boys fan while hating one of them.

What would the CD be called though?
Lack of Love?
A Quick One While He's Away?
Mike's Gone to the Beach?

There's a man at the door called Townshend would like a word...

 ;D Mike's lawyers would eat Pete for breakfast.

Bobby Heenan wants his joke back. 😉

Wipe Out (with the Fat Lads)?

Class Dismissed!

I'll refer back to a great post by Ontor Pertawst from a couple months ago when this same tired argument came up:

My point is that The Troll Twins don't just dislike Mike, they hate him: to go by their posts here (and in one case, elsewhere), the mere mention of his name provokes bloodshot eyes and foaming mouths. The mererest sight of Walliam's flabby, smug visage has exactly the same effect on me, as does the impression of a cat being castrated without anaesthetic that Morrissey prat believes is singing... the difference is that I turn the TV off, or leave the room, or change the radio channel. I don't even pretend to so much as tolerate them, much less like.

I get that you are implying that I am not a BBs fan because I don't like Mike Love. Well it's really about the music when I listen to 1960s stuff with love. He was pretty good when he was a actual band member, not the dictator of the group's music and image against BW's wishes.

Speaking of "flabby, smug visage"... nah, don't need to pounce on how you just set yourself up for a genuine shot that would be miles over your head. It appears, however, that you:

         1. spend your "valuable" time reading our posts.
 
         2. ponder for a time  about how to try to formulate a snide response.

         3. post your response only after spellchecking, searching for punctuation errors and lastly insuring that said content will thoroughly insult the individual(s) your one half star dreck is aimed at.

         4. wander off and finish your bacon sandwich.

Whether or not we hate myKe luHv is really our business isn't it?? But if it gets your dander up then it certainly was well worth it.   :smokin

For me, it's a matter of hating the sin rather than the sinner. I'm prepared to give credit where it's due - Mike contributed some good BVs and his earlier lead vocals sound a lot better than he does now, not just because of the natural result of ageing but because of those bad habits he has picked up ('wheeennnn' for example). I like some of his lyrics, in particular All I Wanna Do. However, IMO Mike has made some serious errors of judgment (I know someone will point out that we all do but Mike's helped to alter the direction of the band in a negative way IMO) and too often comes across as resenting his cousin's success.

Mike and Bruce's BBs are enjoyed by many so best of luck to them.  But I have no wish to see another reunion - though if it happened I'd go, just to see Brian and Al. Brian is still creating interesting music and  with his band has been performing the greatest hits better than the Beach Boys do. The focus should now be on his forthcoming album and yet the article that started this hijacked attention and got it back to the past again.

you've got bacon?

Since that never happened, you may stand down. I bet that is a relief for you.

I reckon this thread is now drained of blood… can itnpleasednbe locked and retained as evidence in case of any murder investigation?

Bacon ??!!     mmm, Ham.

Hey, who doesn't like bacon?

Could we possibly move along now from all this so that we might notice that Brian posted a wonderful treat on his FB page regarding NPP in celebration of his page's 200K likes (now 200K plus)?  As Ang stated, it's time to drop this distracting sideshow and re-focus on the great news that we're about to get a new record from Brian and someone can win a signed deluxe package of NPP on his FB page?

Just because of a complex technicality, involving not wanting to screw over the bank account of his late brother's family, plus wanting to avoid surely massive legal headaches, that doesn't make it not true. BW made it pretty damn clear that his own extraction from the group this time around was an act by a certain Mr Love that happened against his (Brian's) own wishes (despite the BRI setup, which I'm well aware of, and the presumptive mentioning of which will not help your "argument").

Again, the sad truth of the matter leaves a bad taste in my mouth; I couldn't bring myself to buy the C50 live CD and DVD, which is saying something (though, in addition to being very bummed about how things ended, the horrible production of those items was a factor as well). But this does not affect my enjoyment of any of BB material with or without Love, and it does not make me have a lack of appreciation for Mike's many achievements and contributions over the years.

Technically - he, and the touring group work for BRI, and they set forth the terms. It has been debated ad nauseum...Mike plays what is in the catalog, except for what he may have written, and he appears to be not allowed to record as The Beach Boys.  Those terms were set forth by agreement.  

Until and unless BRI changes that, and he follows whatever terms are enumerated, he keeps the license.  He can't dictate the image.  He has to conform his performance to BB-style music.  Period.  He can't do opera, punk rock or rap.

And, FYI, the club Kokomo thing, uses a backdrop that is mostly vintage BB's.  It isn't all about Mike.  It is all about the band, as a whole.  We don't decide what they do.  BRI's members decide.  It is their long-established business.  

That isn't to say that they can't decide in the future to regroup again (and I love pleasant surprises like that!) but C50 was a function of "status quo ante" with an "apparently" (because I have not read it) separate agreement just for that occasion.

"Status quo ante" means going back to the earlier conditions, prior to the "special event" that was C50.  And, he says great stuff about Brian every time he performs.  The music is the star of the show, not Mike.  He proudly "showcases it." A little objectivity goes a long way.

We are blessed and have a lot of good stuff to enjoy right now, such as NPP and the movie, while being able to see BB music "live." And all that vintage YouTube stuff showing up!

That is a win-win, in my book.   ;)

In all seriousness , it's really a shame that people get so worked up about this because in the not so distant future you're going to hear one of these guys speak at the others funeral and they're going to say how much they loved the person and how talented the person was. I understand that people on this message board like to bitch and make their case for Brian or Mike but it's like a Demorcrat  trying to convince a tea partyier that Obama is not a Muslim. It's a great year to be a fan, (Paul Dano may even get nominated for the film) with all the  things we know for sure are happening. I'm 60, I've been a fan since 1969 and I remember all the dark and lean years of being a BB fan and this ain't one of 'em. All this other stuff is petty, immature bullshit.

I agree, and well said! :)

Good to see another fellow "humanoid" on here :D

"I had it tough too McMahon. One day my Mom fired our chauffer and we had to rent a limo for a week!"

Not when it continually and increasingly pollutes an otherwise perfectly fine forum. Bit like ordering a lasagne and and discovering a large turd lurking therein.  ;D

There is no reason to lock this thread if this is an open forum. All I'd suggest is to not follow a pattern that has played out quite a few times in the past year or two, and stick to what the original post was about. Getting into taking shots at other members, no matter the reason and no matter who is involved, isn't what other members coming to the thread to catch up want to read. If it happens, perhaps either move it off the board or move on period.

There was an original article linked to in the first post which I think fans here should have a chance to react to and discuss. I would have done that more myself but my PC went haywire last night among my usual schedule. So I come back today to catch up and see calls to lock it? I'm not in favor of that, and usually in 9 out of 10 cases am not in favor of locking threads because people distract and divert and go off-topic into pointing fingers at other members rather than discussing the topic itself.

This one will stay open so everyone who wishes can have a say. If it starts getting into way-out diversions and personal swipes, everyone will see how, why, and who is doing it. And I hope the topic remains the topic despite attempts to twist and shift it miles away from what was actually the issue. Because it is something that fans feel strongly enough to have opinions about, and who may want to discuss further.

Woah, if you change one letter in Mike Love, you actually get Make Love.

WOOOOOOAAAAH

I can't believe I'm the first person to put the pieces together.

How do I submit my name for MVP 2015?

I knew it sounded familiar. 8)

you have discovered the love pun of 2015!!! 8)

I can think of roughly 13 million people off the top of my head.

A shortened version of what I wanted to say before the computer problems struck yesterday...

It could/should/would be all about the music, no doubt. I can't count the number of times I and others here have said that, it's amazing how actually giving some of these songs we all know a spin can erase a lot of bad feelings...here and in real life.

One point I had to get off my chest from the original article. Brian's new song clocks in at three minutes or so, and has been out long enough that it can easily be found on YouTube and elsewhere. I find it both disappointing and bordering on absurd that Mike claims to have not heard it. Would it have been a burden to take three minutes to give his cousin's new record a spin, a record also featuring his bandmates Al, David, and Matt?

Seriously, if it's all about good vibes, how does it look to flatly deny even listening to a new single featuring those musicians and a blood relative? Can whatever axes there are to grind be put down for three minutes to take a listen? As a musician, I'd be curious to hear the results, whether there are bad feelings or not under the surface.

I saw Bruce Johnston took a listen and commented on the Google preview tracks, and it was good to see he had done that. Whatever is going on, if it really is "all about the music", this is what musicians do...they listen. And when it involves people you've lived with and worked with for 50 years+, you put the bullshit aside and listen. I hate to use the term, but it was almost refreshing to read Bruce's comments after taking a preview listen, it showed that whatever else is going on, he was interested enough to both listen AND comment. Or maybe he, as he was in the 60's, is genuinely interested in hearing new music from Brian Wilson.

That's one way to set the record straight...drop the needle and listen.

If you like or don't like it, at least say you listened and wish it the best of luck, unless you really don't care. To dismiss it entirely and say you didn't listen is both hard to believe and sort of pathetic. Three minutes.

My 2 cents.

Really? I'd find it fascinating if his current claim wasn't completely contradicting his story two years ago. That really isn't good promotion for an upcoming autobiography.

It's a shame because I would like Mike's book to do well (as with Brian's) and I'd like to see all of them succeed and be happy. I'd love to see them get together again but if they don't, I still wish each fraction of the band the best. What I find most fascinating of Mike's "comment" or "interview" is that at the end, he still seems to keep the possibility of getting together again open.

This thread is the equivalent of what happens after you've spent the night throwing up but still feel sick. All that's left is noxious smelling stomach acid and bile, leaving little greasy splashes on the floor.

Then don't post and let those who do want to discuss the topic at hand have a chance. Things don't go right so we shut it down and throw sh*t on it? That's ridiculous.

Ah, see, there's the problem: not everyone wants to stay on topic. If everyone did that, why... we'd have world peace. Maybe even candy bars.  ;D

I echo those sentiments exactly. But I fear we will never hear genuine, nice kind words of praise from Mike about the new music… Unless they are followed with the word "but", or some similar sentiment. And that's really, really sad.

Fine.

It's more a case of not wanting to discuss and debate in a way that an open forum would allow if not encourage. If something is said that someone else doesn't agree with, there are many ways to challenge and offer an opposing view without making it personal. There are ways to challenge something that doesn't seem accurate with the facts as you know them without taking personal jabs. And there are ways to disagree strongly and debate without slinging mud. It's not always an easy road to take, but it's still open.

I really take issue with calls for threads to be shut down and a collection of opinions and discussions being labeled as vomit when the direction of these discussions is in the hands of everyone who chooses to post. If you're not happy with the score of the game, is it a case of "I'm taking my ball and going home" so no one else can play? That's playground stuff. Give everyone a chance to speak up, and if you don't agree or take issue with what's said, then debate and challenge it in a way that doesn't spin the original issue into all kinds of stuff that is miles away from the original points.

If it didn't happen in numerous other discussions over the past year or so, the whole divert-distract-diminish-dismiss thing, I wouldn't have called it out here. If board members want to challenge or agree with the words of the original article, let them do it.

Bowing out of this one
..I've read too many 'Ooh Mike is an asshole' and 'Ooh Brian's being controlled' bullshit threads to last a lifetime. I have enough stress as is with some health matters. So if this thread stays open, I won't have any part of it.

Do you seriously believe this to be true?

Actually yeah...those of us who follow a Kosher diet, for one (although I'm not one of them anymore). Just one example.

The question is, does AGD seriously believe that no Jewish person eats pork, as his post implied?

do we really have to argue about whether Jewish people eat pork or not

We shouldn't because it isn't an argument to be had.

not only us, don't forget vegetarians, or people on a restricted diet for health reasons like I am now, so there's a variety of different reasons.

glad we're staying on topic here...  ::)

Look, bacon's been around for like, how many decades? Centuries? All Mike has to do is send Bruce down to the nearest Ralph's and put a strip or two on the stove. Takes like 3 minutes to cook ..... Brian loves bacon! Bruce has even posted some comments about liking bacon. Why can't Mike just cook some himself instead of just saying "Oh, I've never had it" .... Makes me sad...

If you knew anything, you'd know Mike's a vegetarian. So no bacon for Mike.

"Mike's the Greatest" got it right years ago. God bless him.

Too bad that we have some sorte of Male Ego going on here, but.... Well, it's only ok to go 'male ego' when it's about some specific members of the Beach Boys. If 1% of the crap written about Mike was directed at Brian this thread would have been shut down in page 3.

But shouldn't he just do it for Brian? To show his appreciation for Brian's favorite processed meat? He can even scribble an apology for SMILE on a napkin.

I hear you, GF and am not inclined to ask for threads to be closed, including this one.  At the same time it's depressing to see all the energy sucked into all these personal insults between posters - to the point that Brian himself posted a few days ago giving a tribute to a lovely musician who passed and was a huge Brian fan and it was generally ignored.  I guess people enjoy a battle more than something touching from Brian and an opportunity for those who didn't know Chris Rainbow to look into his music.  Such is the world and I live in it, so...

100% agreed

Give you something to do... Brian Wilson's Masterpiece by The Passion and objective Joker Fan.. Nice song..run along and find it!

What amazes me is that we feel so inclined to fight their battles for them. I'll bet none of the guys have ever gone at each other like we do for them. Mike & Dennis probably never had shouting matches like the agruments in this thread. We are a pathetic bunch, aren't we? ;)

I'm pretty sure that Muslim folk don't eat bacon either.

--

Although I find threads like this tiresome by this stage, I'm with guitarfool in that I don't want to see threads locked unless absolutely necessary.  My problem is that I feel compelled to (at least skim-) read all this garbage in case there any interesting pieces of information hidden away that I would otherwise miss out on!

You know, I noticed that too. The main man posts something here and about 20 posters virtually ignore him and would rather argue about effing nothing! You know he (or Melinda) came back here to see the responses and instead saw a long line of posts arguing about the same ol' regurgitated bullshit about Mike Love and the demise of the C50. These people really don't have lives. They're more fanatical about getting their opinions validated than being actual fans of the band. It's really sad that Brian posts something on here - only the third time after posting in the Q&A thread and you guys have nothing else in the world to do but waste time posting BULLSHIT about nothing.

You have the nerve to talk about personal attacks and intentionally put your name into the mix and spew stuff like tell it to my face via skype then tell me to stay classy? Pardon me but I don't memorize every poster and recall exactly who it was that said what. And once more, you, like others here are cherry picking a statement and taking it out of context to be a jack.

Y'dig? seriously...

Since you want it personal.....Hey! elnombre!  If IGA comes up in a thread of Beach Boys songs that most annoy you I would wager you are not very familiar with their really bad stuff, feel free to like what you want, but I would stay away from the Love & Mercy clip if I were you. (spoiler...they play that and S-USA...yikes) How's that?

The IGA comment was a generalization in context with an ongoing attitude about Mike and the early stuff by some people that baffle many a true Beach Boys fan here. Not just IGA..go back and read it.

"I'm big on John Wayne but westerns are boring and I don't like them".......I'd say find a new film star to admire. To the people that post here and hate Mike I fully stand by my get a new band or a life comment.

As far as your other obnoxious comment about Brian's mental health that you are also taking out of context ...see my next post.

For you and that other guy that wants things to be personal...

Bossaroo! What is your problem? I will try to be very clear this time...OK..my "Brian spent years doing nothing" was a response to comments I was making concerning Mike Love and the Beach Boys with Carl and Alan and not Brian. It was all about the recording and touring and Beach Boy Brian ect. ...OK...it was always pretty clear. Do you get it now?

I'm fully aware of Brian's struggles and mental illness issues over his lifespan. 

I attended concerts in the early 80's where I witnessed a chain-smoking 300 pound man, seemingly on the verge of a heart attack, onstage, singing into a mic that was not hooked up to anything, singing lyrics to a song the Beach Boys were not even singing beside him, and thinking.... boy this is great ..it's  Brian... but... I was also thinking....c'mon guys.... figure this out cause this isn't good.  Took place at the Wisconsin State Fair two years straight..81 and 82.  At that time Brian WAS doing something with the BB's and clearly should not have been.

I don't need to be lectured about being insensitive. There was NOTHING insensitive in my comments to anyone but those like you looking for a gripe. Trying to turn this into some kind of slam on Brian is a load of crap that you are imagining.

You bring up a major major hurdle with this board ... We can't even be honest about Brian here without being accused of being "anti-Brian Wilson" and if we get the least bit sensitive about insults toward Mike, we're greeted with only more insults, where being accused of being "anti-Brian" that's generall greeted with either apologies or attempts to explain such taken out of context comments in minute detail ... See the trouble with this set-up?

I'm still wondering how Jewish people who don't eat bacon feel about Mike

I feel sorry for Mike at the Sea World gig ... All that BBQ on the grills wafting toward the stage!!!

Dude! As if! As if there wasn't unlimited gratis barbeque backstage at the seaworld gig. gnorance personified. you stupid piece of hoot.

Only Pinder dreams of M&B at seaworld :p

Sir, please try and follow the thread ..... Mike's a vegetarian .... Get it??

Or any of the new venues that they'll be booking in the future such as Dairy Queen, Wendy's(Free Baconators w/cheeze), WalMart parking lots, dealership openings, local senior centers, turnpike rest stops, Greyhound terminals and the nursing home circuit.   >:D  

The last one means they're coming for YOU, OSD!!!  >:D

OSD will take his sleeping pills ;)

:applauds:

I was saying much the same when a poster mentioned he was debating whether or not to buy M&B tickets. I guess when there's a schism in the fanbase as there is with the BB's, people find it easy to pigeonhole posters into one of two camps when I think the majority lie somewhere much more slightly left or right of the centre and when someone behaves questionably - as Mike undoubtedly has with this interview....not necessarily wrongly, but certainly he's raised questions and contradictions on previous statements - then they/we take it on a case by case basis.

Of course this isn't true of everyone. Reiterating your hatred day after day is something I don't get once everyone already knows its your own view to the point its synonymous with your username. But live and let live while you can. Or else you'll get a stomach ulcer.

Gives new meaning to the term "lookin for Love in all the wrong places"

I said I wasn't going to get involved, but dammit...

Here's my problem...the thread is supposed to be about Mike's interview.  The interview was full of many statements that were poorly chosen, at best. That a legit gripe for many posters here. I have always tried to be fair with all sides of the band, and that includes Mike. I happen to *like* the touring band, and I have always given Mike credit where it is due. Hell, I even like most of Looking Back with Love, and I probably like it more than he does. That said, the interview was pretty questionable for many reasons.

That's on topic. That's what we should be discussing here. That was honest, without getting out of hand. Now, with that in mind, and addressing to this to everyone...why in the hell are we talking about who is anti-Brian? And why does it always end up so personal? I have to echo what was said earlier, and put my own spin on it...so many of you act like complete tools to each other, and say worse things about each other than any other member of the band ever said about each other. Hell, both 'sides' probably have more animosity than there *ever* has been between Mike and Brian, and have said worse things about Mike or Brian (guys in a band that we're supposedly all fans of) have ever said to each other. I'm not even talking about criticizing them...it's the fact that it's taken to a whole other level. That sickens and disgusts me.

Exactly. These guys aren't 19 and 21 any more. Life's too short for that. Trust me, I know that all too well.

Hey Billy; Don't know if you get your meat at a Kosher Butcher, but ours has had BEEF Bacon for seemingly forever( Longer than we've shopped there) 

Well put Billy, but don't we all kinda know Michael E. Love a little by now? Don't we kinda know what to expect in an interview? The guy's in his mid 70's and isn't likely to start making us all happy regarding all these topics now ... He's set in his ways, and so are we ... And even when he does say something we might appreciate, his words just cause a feeding frenzy for the sharks ....

It should tell us something that Dennis was by far those most intelligent, articulate, thoughtful and insightful interview subject in The Beach Boys. We need to let the man (Myke) be himself.

Ya know, I haven't had it since I was about 6, around the time my parents split.  It's not easy to come by where I live. I'd have to go clear on the other side of town, but might well be worth for the memories at least!

What kind got overlooked is the idea that no one in the band put a stop to extended/post C50 touring or album.

What do you mean Cam?

I mean, if I understand Mike's version, for all of the talk no offers were put on paper and brought to the band/BRI for discussion.

(http://charlesandhudson.com/wp/photos/concrete-cement-mixer-pour.jpg)

Fig. 224. "Set End Date"

That's quite a sweet, and defensible position.  It shows a passionate view of the BB legacy, as one may see it today.

Please keep bringing that to the table, rather than knee jerk reactions and, sadly, predicatable accusations of an unfounded Mike conspiracy to undermine anything resembling reconciliation.

Accusing AGD as an employed emissary of Mike and other dismissive responses is kind of dull - you know better; I think your're smarter than that.

The recent '60s reissues by AP are just great - come an talk with us (4 at the last count) about it.  Your opinion is appreciated - A   

What a relief.  People seem to be getting back on topic.  I AM glad the thread wasn't shut down, in that an informed discussion of the questionable assertions in that "interview"/rant was valid.  And humans will get emotional.  The good news is, the upset WILL have died down by the time NPP is released and people will be seeing L&M at SXSW in a few weeks.  I suspect - okay, naturally assume - that more distractions will be launched at those times, but a lot of us will be too wrapped up in enjoying the film or the music to notice, hopefully.  And all I needed was an hour of Chris Rainbow followed by an hour of "Smile" on Mike Grant's show yesterday to make all the other nonsense irrelevant.  "Dear Brian" is still healing us with his music, and he's inspired so many others, like Chris, to do the same.   

But neither is Brian. Brian would always put his own artistic vision above the feelings of his bandmates. I read of an incident during the TWGMTR album sessions where Al supposed to Brian working on "Waves Of Love", and Brian supposedly just stood up and left the studio without saying a word. If that really happened that way, I say that's an appalling thing to do. They are all flawed human beings like all of us, not just Mike.


I already wonder what I will get as punishment for criticising Brian.


Oh, and for the bacon debate: Wasn't the question whether or not everybody likes bacon rather than who isn't allowed to eat bacon due to some nonsensical religious commandment? While I eat pork, I don't really like bacon...

Just tried to re-read the article, but it was gone for the time being. Anybody saved it?

The entire article can be read here:
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://www.examiner.com/article/mike-love-states-his-case

Thank you! :)

That seems odd, in that every other article by Dave beard seems to still be available: http://www.examiner.com/beach-boys-in-national/david-beard

It did make Mike Love look absolutely horrendous. Especially with the contradicting quotes posted underneath. Not surprising it evaporated!

Great Moments in Damage Control, Volume 23.

I think it is unfortunate the article was pulled. A lot of people showed a lot of interest in it and pulling it makes it harder to read it. Maybe David will shed some light on what happened later.

This might just be my favorite Club Kokomo meet-n-greet pic.

Re: The article getting pulled.

Lame.

The 101 in being a journalist is putting your money where your mouth is.
If you're feeling the heat as a writer -- take solace in the fact that your work has balls.
If you're getting pressure from an interview subject after the fact, too bad -- it's on the record.

Along with that territory is good intent.

If the interviewer in that Mike interview saw what the answer was to the supposedly innocuous (HEAVILY loaded) question regarding his opinion on his bandmates' (whom there is nothing but badmouthing and bad blood) new single -- he could've turned it, explored it, gone deeper, if for no other reason than to adhere to party line that ESQ is unbiased. Which, frankly, it is not. (The simple fact that Ian and Jon's book -- the most important tome of the past 15 years in BB-dom -- went all but unexplored while the Bamboo band got heavy coverage in ESQ as if it was an actual professional Beach Boys offshoot group proves that. ESQ was involved in one of those projects and not in the other.)

This proves it, too.
What is the intent of being around musicians and asking them questions; to get the answers -- or be the guy that asks them?
Not for me to say. I know why I do my thing -- but good or bad, you can't erase it. No do overs.

One wonders how the fanzine (and its "staff") covers Mike's book as opposed to Brian's.

Here, saved for posterity:

We know Mike reads this site before his dinner, he probably saw this thread.

Not shocked the article got pulled.

After reading that article for the first time today, I have to say that I'm most appalled by the excessive comma splices.

I'm personally amazed that Michael calling Brian a sweet and gentle soul and that when Brian's ready, he's ready, isn't the main takeaway from this interview .... Mike loves his cousin and has shut no doors preventing any future collaborations .....

Can't this be good enough?

Mike is Mike just like we're all ourselves, warts n all... Why not be happy with the good parts?

Pinder, whether one agrees with it or not, it's the standard Mike line -- "I love Brian -- it's his owners that I hate."
It's a thread throughout the history of this band (loves Brian - hates Murry, loves Brian - hates drugs, loves Brian - hates Landy. . . etc. . . )

This time his perceived "downside" to Brian derailed the whole thing for him.
Wanna believe that the thing he supposedly loves trumps the thing he hates -- be my guest.
I don't doubt that Mike has love for Brian -- the fact is that that love is nowhere near enough to be partners with Melinda Wilson.

And that album WOULD'VE been a Beach Boys LP, too.

 

"When Brian's ready... I'm ready!"


Mike has said these words before, at the end of the C50. It's an empty statement. meaningless.

Brian was ready to continue touring as a Beach Boy. Brian was ready to record another album with the Beach Boys. Brian was writing new songs and completing old songs specifically for the Beach Boys. Brian was ready to finish out his career as a Beach Boy, the way he began. Brian was ready and willing. It's Mike who opted out. His words mean nothing.


I'd love to know who pulled the article. Maybe Mike was fasting when he wrote that email, and thought better of it after he got a little nourishment? Interesting and fascinating.

Howie and bossaroo are dead on! 8)

Can those words have any meaning whatsoever besides restating that the "Mike and Brian alone in a room" condition must be met for this to happen? Not that this is a surprise or anything. But essentially, bossaroo is right: it is meaningless.

It's worded ever so nice and cheery, but in reality isn't that just a way of publicly saying nothing new at all?
It seems like a mere exercise in a PR spin attempt. All these niceties and kind words, and implying that the door is open? Um...  ::)

Everything seems nicey-nice when the conditional parts are omitted. And I get that Mike has things he wants, but to play it off as though there isn't a "but" lurking right around the corner of those kind words isn't right. Conversely, and unfortunately, the "buts" are in full bloom when saying nice words about NPP.

It's a standard practice for anyone in the media - especially someone with as much experience with it as Mike has - to end a long screed against someone on a compliment in the hope that your points are made and you still come off looking like a good guy. More often than not it works, however the 'points' on this occasion were so unnecessary to the line of questioning that it didn't.

Agreed, its crazy how Mike lets such bile out and then expects a hollow statement of future reunion plans to make up for it.

I'm sorry, but anyone taking Mike's comments in question as a long screed against Brian simply WANTS to see it that way.

Why do you guys even bother discussing subjects where there can be no happy ending for you? Aren't there dungeons where you can work as subs of the most violent order? ... In another life you'd all be suicide bombers.

If it was such an inoffensive, accurate, and polite statement/answer from Mike, it makes one ponder why the hell it would be taken down. Surely the "misguided" complaints from some fans wouldn't warrant a complete irradication of the article in question from the site that published it...especially if the article in question was entirely sound.

Hey, whatever suits your personal narrative!

I never said I saw it as a long screed against Brian. As usual it appears to be aimed at his 'handlers' (a condescending term I hate, but that seems to be how Mike sees it) and on this occasion Joe Thomas and whoever wrote the press release. It's basically flailing around at invisible accusers for things that no one had brought up, at least not publicly. If these accusations are going on privately between parties then privately would be the classy way to deal with them. If Mike simply wanted to clear the air about the 50th lineup disintegrating, that's fair enough, but there's no need to tie that to the NPP press release.

I dunno. Are you or I in the Beach Boys? No .... Let the guy have his damn educated opinion.

He's had it. No one stopped him having it. Who was trying to censor Mike? Not me. I simply came to a fan forum to give my opinion on his as a fan. Seems fair to me.

Although tellingly, either David Beard or Mike has apparently chosen not to stand by said opinion given that the article has been removed.

What's also a hilarious thing to ponder is, how much am I willing to bet, if Mike were to actually "attack" Brian in such an interview, you guys would all be crying "But why can't Mike just attack Brian's handlers? It's them!!! Not Brian"

There are no handlers, they are just Mike's boogeymen for why BW wants nothing to do with him.

:lol :lol

Between this and your suicide bomber comment I can't even try to take you seriously.

Anyways, back to reality...Perhaps someone who actually knows what happened regarding the article's disappearance could comment on this matter...

You not taking me seriously? Quite a compliment considering this lot.

However, yes, I agree completely in perhaps allowing some insider info regarding the interview's yanking might be a good thing to wait for ... I'm sure Woodward and Bernstein are on it!

Keep going Pinder, someday you will convince somebody.

You've already used that line on me, SB ;)

I'm saving up for 2 tickets to Club Kokomo for you and OSD! Platinum package!

That would be a coup, Pinder. I'd also love to see you collaborate with Mike Love and learn the true meaning of Kokomo up close. He needs to compete with BW, so pretend you're a sh*t-hot up and coming so and so and are "like this" with Bruno Mars. Tell him you used to romp with Lana Del Rey. Get in a room with him and report back if he thinks your arrangements are commercial enough.

Quit strawmanning, it's lame. Mike has said plenty of nasty stuff about Brian and his work in the past. Fortunately these days he seems more accepting and understanding up to a point. What's your point? I'm talking about things that have actually happened and been said, why are you throwing up hypotheticals. Is that the only argument you can come up with? A fictional one?

You are completely talking out of your rear, to be quite frank. I love Brian and Mike for all they've given us. If Mike called Brian an asshole, I'd think Mike was being an asshole. Same goes the other way. I'd argue perhaps Brian has more reason to say that, but I'd still be immensely disappointed by him doing so.

And the diehard Brian fan, anti-Mike contingent on this website, I suspect would also say 'Mike is being an asshole to Brian'. It's his talent and his feelings they care about most. I've never seen any of them attribute Brian's flaws to his management or his wife.

I'm all for that! And if this occurs on one of the two evenings a year where Bruce is allowed a Pacifico: who knows where the night may lead!

My god you guys are so friendly and accepting of dissenting points of view .... And you wonder why folks with my tone pop up every now and then?

No, what I wonder is why you seem incapable or unwilling to address any of the points made.

Okay Howie… I am answering these charges as ESQEditor because that's where you're carelessly swinging your high and mighty axe.
1)  You don't know what is happening with the article, do you?

2)  What are your sources that indicate that there isn't something happening right now that explores the topic deeper?  Content that appears on Beach Boys Examiner is often exclusive of ESQ, so the two are not a self-contained entity.  They share one commonality… me.    

3)  You're wrong, ESQ — the magazine — is unbiased.  Unless you have read every edition of ESQ since 1993, then how could you comment on such a topic?  To make it easy for you, go to http://esquarterly.com/buy-ESQ.html and look at the contents.  Have there been more interviews recently with Mike (in 2014)?  Yes.  About the Beach Boys albums, and concert memories.  As you know, I also interviewed Al.  Brian's unavailability is why he did not appear, and the door is ALWAYS open to David.  Plain and simple.  Making anything more of it than that is simply untrue.  Don't believe me?  Ask them.  And I know you can.

4)   Jon and Ian's book is astounding, and I'm currently working with Ian to continue the discussion in ESQ since more information has come to light since the book was published.  I felt my four-star two-page spread review (Spring 2014 issue of ESQ) was ample space upon its release.  You could have very easily submitted an extended review of the book to run in ESQ.  That would have been fascinating.  The door remains open.  

5)   You really have a splinter up your ass about The Bamboo Trading Company.  I am sorry you didn't enjoy it.  I take that very seriously.  But please don't make a broad stroked comment about ESQ, because it is not fair to Lee Dempsey.  So it's, David Beard, not ESQ, that was extremely proud of his little pet project with a group of really gifted artists.  Unless, of course, you're saying that Gary Griffin, Randell Kirsch, Philip Bardowell, Matt Jardine, Probyn Gregory, Dean Torrence and David Marks are unfit for coverage, because that is who appears on the album.  There were two other members — Miami Dan Yoe and Chris English — who also had a chance to fulfill a lifelong wish of working with top drawer musicians.  But I get it, it isn't for you.

David, can you offer some insight into why the article was pulled? Or is it coming back with revisions?

Maybe because I'm addressing the big picture ... A concept which seems to have increasingly little place amongst the religious cultists around here.

In what way as a fan of both Brian and Mike am I 'religious cultist' based on my posts? And in what way are you addressing the big picture? I'm all ears.

No, you're not all ears. I've done all you pretend to be asking of me yet will never dare acknowledge when I do ... An ages old tactic on this board.

Then point me to the posts where you addressed a single one of the points I made. I'll be more than happy to read them.