The Smiley Smile Message Board

What do you think? Including beach boys work.  There are a ton of potential answers since much of his later work is unreleased. I was considering Be My Baby (solo album) or Lahaina Aloha but have to go with:

Anna Lee, the Healer (goofy Funny Lyrics)

Too good, too under-appreciated.
 

 
  
 

Cool Head, Warm Heart. A very solid effort.

Yes that is a really good one! I seen Mike and Bruce do it live in July 2013! Mike rocked it live!!! :afro

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oC7DyhoDx6s

'Tricia', recorded in '78. Has such a nice, upbeat tempo, w/ a lush sort of Hawaiian arrangement. One of my all-time favorite songs.

Mike Love doesnt have underrated songs. The hits and early 70s stuff (that dont suck) are properly acknowledged, the other stuff gets as much scorn or indifference as theyre warranted. His solo work is pretty much forgettable, all the TM-related songs are annoying and many are awful. The first one on Friends completely kills the album for me.

I really dont know what to say. Maybe Im Waiting for the Day in the sense that few seem to realize he wrote it?

Brian's Back

All I Wanna Do

Guilty pleasure: "Paradise Found" (Mike Love, Jim Studer) from Looking Back With Love

Teach Me Tonight (really just the choruses) are a guilty pleasure. Hard to say the song itself is.

Brian's Back for sure. It should have been on a Beach Boys album.

That and California Feelin' really should've made the Light Album!

Right first time. This goes on all my BBs playlists/compilations.

Or 15 Big Ones, which was the "Brian's Back" album. A sequence like this would've been cool:

-  "It's OK"
-  "Had To Phone Ya"
-  "Back Home"
-  "Brian's Back"
-  "Sea Cruise"
-  "Just Once In My Life"
-  "Chapel Of Love"

and then, close with...

-  "TM Song" ;D

Good call, Mujan. My favourite vocal track on Pet Sounds (usually kept out of the limelight by its world-famous companions) and one of my all-time favourite BB songs. 

<<Teach Me Tonight (really just the choruses) are a guilty pleasure. Hard to say the song itself is.>>

Teach Me Tonight is actually an old standard, written by Sammy Cahn and Gene De Paul.  It was recorded by - literally - everyone - the hit version came from the DeCastro Sisters in 1955.

If we're considering lyrical contributions as opposed to full songs, I think Kiss Me Baby is one of Mike's finest efforts. Sensitive, yearning lyrics to match Brian's composition with no "alliterating." Should have been an A-side release. Same goes for Warmth of the Sun. Mike was capable of doing reflective lyrics in those early days.

I'll go for Cool Head, Warm Heart. Not his best song by any stretch, but for him to come up with something of that standard at this stage of the game was an unexpected surprise.

"I'll go for Cool Head, Warm Heart."

That's a great little track... love that temporary key change bit near the end... and Christian Love at his most Carl-sounding.

I'm also quite fond of Pisces Brothers.

Thanks for the info, I hadn't looked at the song's writing credits before posting. While parts of the song are pretty blah, I still dig the yacht rock synths in the production on this track, especially the vibraphone-sounding melody that comes in on the fade. The fade to this song is surely the best thing on the Looking Back With Love album.

I f you're considering his lyrical contributions, there are way too many - something overlooked by too  many people - though I would say, by and large, there's not much after Holland, beyond Pacific Ocean Blues, Let Us Go On This Way and Had to Phone Ya. His ability to write good (and great) lyrics goes south about the same time his vocals become way too nasal. However, having said that, I also like Cool Head, Warm Heart and 10,000 years, though I know it is, at least in part, of considerable vintage.

Sumahama.

Big Sur in 4/4 time from the Brother Comp Reel (LANDLOCKED). Love that track much better than the version on Holland.

None. >:D

I'll throw in Sweet and Bitter

All This Is That comes to mind, though not exclusively his, he did have a hand in it (unless I am mistaken). 
This one didn't make my top 5 (see other thread) but it came damn close.   Love it (no pun intended  :p)

I note, with interest that OSD has yet to contribute to this thread  :o

Daybreak Over the Ocean grows on me with every listen.

Smile Brian said all there is to say, but, no doubt delighted you took notice, Rob.

Sticking with the post surf / car era

All I Wanna Do
California Saga
Brian's Back
Sumahuma
Still Cruisin
Daybreak Over the Ocean 

I suspect Smile Brian is still waiting for you to bestow emoticons upon his post ;)

Like, a row of these perhaps? :woot

You mean he wrote the lyrics? right?

Let the Wind Blow was apparently mainly written by Mike

 :thumbsup :woot :thumbsup :woot :thumbsup :woot :thumbsup :woot

Rockin' the Man in the Boat ;D

Vocally and lyrically, I'd have to say "Kiss Me, Baby" (yeah, I know I said the same for Brian..). In terms of purely lyrics, "Don't Run Away". Of his own stuff... the ocarina mix of "Viggie".

Don't Go Near the Water (with Al Jardine)

And Your Dream Comes True (with Brian on SDSN) - should be performed live... ;) oneiric - (dream-like)

All Summer Long (with Brian)

Little St. Nick (with Brian)

Cool Head, Warm Heart

Just can't pick one song... :lol

I actually like the word "Sumahuma" better than the word "Sumahama". :-D

Is "Alone on Christmas Day" a Mike song? Then this is the one I'd say is underrated. Wasn't that to come out this year anyway?

hands down the og big sur. ita  really glorious piece of music and it's insane it was never officially released.

Have to say I think the version that appeared on "Holland" is far better.

Agree with you Bw; I think they made the right call releasing the version they did. Will be nice if the other sees an official release one day as part of an archive package/deluxe edition/whatever, but Holland has the superior version IMHO.

Id say I Get Around was the most underated Mike Love song! No wait that was the Beach Boys very first Hot !00 single with Mikes lyrics and lead vocals!

This is a pretty cool song... never heard it before.  This was always his best sound in my opinion, almost a doo-wop throwback, or almost reminds me of something like Fabian's "Turn Me Loose".  Love Sick hearthrob stuff (although Mike would have probably had trouble trying to be a hearthrob)