Mike Love = Hip

In one of the first posts I ever read on some Beach Boys' message board (don't remember which one), a fan who was around during the 1963-1965 period, posted that during the striped-shirt, hit-making, surf & turf years, Mike Love was considered cool and hip, right up there with any band's lead singer/frontman. The poster also said that many fans who saw the group in concert thought that Mike Love was Brian Wilson.

In 1965 the striped-shirt, hit-making, surf & turf stuff was hip.  The problem is that by 1967 it was passe.

You did hit on something else.  The Beach Boys are a super group devoid of a individual personas - really faceless.  It is interesting that the key member of the group could stop touring at the height of their power and they wouldn't miss a beat.  Imagine the Beatles touring without Lennon or McCartney or the Who touring without Pete Townshend.  There would be huge outcry.

It is interesting that Mike Love can put so much money in the pockets of BRI by touring as the Beach Boys instead of whatever name he was using even though the product is the same.  I wonder if Brian had obtained the license instead if how much more he would draw?

I have always preferred the life version of "Wild Honey", "Friends", "CATP" and "Holland" material was significantly better life.

Of particular note:

"Aren't You Glad" on "Live in London" should have been released as single.  It has so much more soul than the studio version.

"Marcella"
"Let the Wind Blow"
"Wake the World"
"Funky Pretty"

"All This and That" (I saw a '93 clip on YouTube and the sax solo fits perfectly.  The recordings from Mebourne in 1978 and Largo in 1977 are substandard because Carl's is in poor voice.

I have never been a big fan of Dennis' drumming.  To me, Brian's best moments were the subtle ones and Dennis' drumming could not catch that.  I always thought Dennis would have served the band better by playing the keys live as opposed to the drums. 

I am a big Beatles fan but Pepper does not do much for me.  I much prefer "Help!", "Rubber Soul", "Revolver" and "Abbey Road".

I am very touched by SMiLE every time I listen to it.  The entire second movement (Whenever I hear "Wonderful" thoughts go to my daughter) is very touching.  The seague from "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow" to "Blue Hawaii" is absolutely sublime.  When Brian sings "Is it hot in hell . . . . . . . " it sounds like he is being transported from Hell to Heaven.  Powerful stuff.

“SMiLE” is a work of genius and “Surf’s Up” is the greatest song of the rock era.  With that said I do not begrudge Mike or any of the other Beach Boys for their resistance to SMiLE.  Here they are coming back from a tour and are presented with this partially completed vision that would be impossible to do justice to live (they were still touring as a 4 piece band – 5 if you add in Mike’s sax).  To me the issue was not only the complexity but the fact that Brian did not know how to finish it.  I would have reacted negatively to it as well if I could not discern where it was going (song list, order).

It took software (something that did not exist in 1966-67) and a band that had nothing to lose to finish SMiLE.

Rightly or wrongly I do blame Mike for the direction that the Beach Boys took after the success of Endless Summer.  He came to the forefront and Carl took a step back.  The band was better and more vital under Carl’s leadership. 

As for the votes.  It is my understanding that they were 3 to 2 with Brian siding with Al and Mike.  I am unclear as to whether Carl and Dennis ever bought off on the late 70’s changes to the Beach Boys.

I also blame Mike for this:

http://www.omahasymphony.org/artistsdetail.asp?art=51

“In 1974 Mike Love’s concept album Endless Summer ignited a second generation of Beach Boys fans and stirred a comeback that rocked the music world.”  For that he should be forced to sing “Over and over, The crow cries uncover the cornfield. Over and over, The thresher and hover the wheat field” for an eternity.

If there is a reunion I would be happy with Mike. Bruce and Al joining Brian's band.

Honor Carl by having a video of huim singing 'God Only Knows' to the music and background vocals of the live band.  Do the same for Dennis to 'Forever'.

My guess is that it would have to be a one shot thing - a tour would probably not be a much higher draw than the current Mike and Bruce show.

Why Brian dropped SMiLE?
Brian dropped it because he could not finish it.  Once VDP left there was noboby in the band capable of completing it.  I suspect that if the band returned from Japan and walked into the studio and Brian told them the concept and layed it out for them it would have been finished - even if they didn't like it.

Did the Band Like SMiLE?
They did not know what SMiLE was.  All they had were a bunch of fragments and a few songs - none of which was commercial.  If Carl could have made it happen in 1971 he would have.  

Mike Love:
There are a lot of reasons to dislike him but the collapse of SMiLE is not one of them.  If I was in the band I would have been concerned too.  How could a four piece band (well 5 if you include Mike's sax) do any type of justice to the music?

There is alot known about the relationships between Mike and Al, Brian and Mike and Al and Brian.  I always wondered about Carl's relationships through the years with Mike, Al and Bruce.  Carl certainly never said much about it.

The only thing I can really surmise is that things went very sour from 1977 through 1978 - and this is only looking at Carl's postion on stage.  I remeber seeing them in Boston the night Brian was on SNL.  Carl was to Mike's left, but very much in front (when he played the electic piano they had to place it out there.  If you look at the Largo videos he is as far away from Mike as possible.  Of course, a couple of years later when  he cleaned up Carl was right back where he was before.  Otherwise I don't have a clue as to what was going on between them although I guess Carls silence and Mike's reletive silence on Carl's death might speak volumes.

My sense is that Carl was frustrated by the devolution of the band into an oldies act and one would expect it to impact hgis relationship with his bandmates, but then again that was the right business decision.

Even if he could (which I highly doubt) I would hate it if he came out and told us in great detail what each line means.  It would detract from the experience.

I may not understand the meanings of all the lyrics but I love the work and it has a meaning for me.  I suspect thats what he was shooting for.

I know that "Everyone's in Love with You" doesn't sound as good as did before I knew who it was about - Sometimes the art and beauty are in the mystry.

I have always taken to be about the loss of innocence followed by some type of redemption - that certainlly fits in with theme of the suite.

The last two verses always struck me as being antithical to generation gap that was occuring at the time the lyrics were written:

"All fall down and lost in the mystery
Lost it all to a non-believer
And all that's left is a girl
Who's loved by her mother and father

She'll return in love with the mystery
Never known as a non-believer
She'll sigh and thank God for won-won-won-wonderful"

Not exactly a "Never trust anybody over thirty" sentiment!

I forgot: 'He Came to My Window'

I love when Brian whispers "Poof" and "Window".

Right now it is SMiLE and Sunflower/Surfs-Up.

'Take A Load Off Your Feet' - When I first heard it I thought of it as a throw away, however, it is played with such a proverbial twinkle in the eye (the sound effects) that it brings a smile to my face.  This has been one of my daughters favorite songs for years (she learned the words when she was 4).

'Disney Girls' - At first impression it is a shmaltzy sugary song.  Then when you think about it that is the exact point.

'Had to Phone Ya' - One of the great disappointments in life was to be a Beach Boys fan in 1976 and buy '15 Big Ones' when it came out.  The decline in the quality of material compared to 'Holland' (only 4 years prior) was astounding.  Even more shocking where the voices of Brian and Dennis.  This song features all 5 Beach Boys singing lead.  On first listen it summed up the band - a throw away song with silly lyrics that highlighted the deteriation of the bands vocals.  After a while it just grew on me.

It would be interesting to see Carl perform 'Feel Flows' in a better frame of mind.

I have always found the history of the touring band interesting.  From 68 to about 75 it is clearly Carl's band.  From 76 through 78 it becomes Mike's band with Carl clearly in the background.  His stage position is as far away from Mike and Al as possible.  From 79 onward Carl comes back into prominence (See Knebworth where he is the best player on stage).

I would also observe that the quality of the product was in direct proportion to the interest Carl had in being there.  Even though the 80's and 90's osng selectionleaves something to be desired the band sounded better than it it did in 76 through 78.

Another question regarding the 76-78 version of the band.  The damn this was so big (4 or 5 Beach Boys, 6 horn players including Charles Lloyd, Ed Carter on bass, Billy Hinsche on Guitar and keyboards, Carli Munoz on keyboards, Elmo Peeler on keybords, Ron Altbach on keyboards and Bobby Figeroa.  Why did it become so big and bloated and what got into a dollar conscious Mike Love tha he would allow it to happen?

Well since Mike Love is an unaccredited co-writer and the inspiration for "Back in the USSR" it is obviously going to sound like a Beach Boys song.

At the time just prior to Carl's illness in 96/97...Al and Carl had become somewhat "enstranged" due to issues regarding Mike and BB's concert productions. It seems Al was none too happy with Carl's tendency to allow Mike free reign at that point in time...this led to Al's eventual freezing out...or departure from the BB's...call it what you want. These events are examined in the upcoming Dave Marks book.

From what I am learning it seems that Carl kind of gave up after the 93 tour.

My guess us that even if he didn;t know he was terminally ill, it still would have impacted his outlook.  He probably stopped caring about stuff many months before he was diagnosed.

Both my parents died of cancer and there was a difniate change of attitude.

The part I don't understand is this:  if Al left voluntarily as he once claimed, and the touring money was split four-ways regardless of who was touring, how come Al's legal fight against Mike claimed he was frozen out of certain monies by being excluded from touring? 

The touring money is not split four ways.  The license fee that the Mike/Bruce show pay BRI is split four ways.  I do not know what the percentage is (5%?).

I downloaded "Wonderbill" off of Walmart and was wondering about the history of "Don't Worry Bill".  Who wrote it?  When was it written? What album was it for?  Why the medley with "Wonderful".

I find ‘Wild Honey’ a maddening album.  It is a great collection of songs that are under produced.

Live versions of “Aren’t You Glad”, “Let the Wind Blow” and even “Darlin’” really grab you.  I thin the album would have been a huge hit if it had a Stax feel to it.

Of course Brian toured 'Smile' with a 17 piece band.  In 1966 and 1967 the Beach Boys were still touring as a 5 piece (it was a year before supporting mucisians were added).   

The very night Brian was on SNL I saw the band at the Boston Garden - They did "Airplane" and "The Night Eas So Young".

Production
1. Brian
2. Carl
3. Bruce
4. Dennis
5. Mike
6. Al (Slips behind Mike becasue of MIU)

Voice
1. Carl
2. Al
3. Brian
4. Mike
5. Bruce
6. Dennis
Dennis would be higher if he hadn't lost his voice.  His voice on Sunflower and 20/20 indicate a very soulful singer.  Mike is very over-rated.  The least integral part of most of the songs that Mike sang lead on were the lead vocals.

Songwriting
1. Brian
2. Dennis
3. Bruce
4. Carl
4. Mike
4. Al

Instument
1. Carl
2. Bruce
3. Brian
4. Al
5. Dennis
6. Mike

Performer
1. Carl
2. Al
3. Mike
4. Bruce
5. Dennis
6. Brian
People will quibble about where I rank Dennis but I stand by it.  He loads of charisma but he was an uneven performer at his instrument, added few vocals and would take several songs off during a show - Very replacable.

I find it interesting that pictures and videos from 1970 through 1973 show Carl front and center while Mike is on the side and his demenor is subdued (on the 'In Concert' album he sounds very mellow!).  Compare that to the post 'Endless Summer shows where Mike is front and center and very obnoxious.

Watching some of the Australian concert footage I had some random thoughts -

The band of that era was way too big.  I count (besides the core group) a guitarist, at least 3 keyboard players (maybe 4, during 'Rhonda' there is a guy beyond ML sitting at a keyboard playing a tamborine), a bass player, a drummer and 6 horn players.  To make matters worse the arrangements appear to be straight out of Vegas.  The horns seem todrive the sing instead of sitting under it (plus, the fewer instuments on Surfer Girl the better - the best live version I have heard is the one on Roxy that is pretty much accoustic!).

I suspect the Love/Jardine alliance was based more on the Wilson's drug use than anything else.  Carl is a total mess.  It is unbelievable how different he looks two years later (Knebworth, Friday's & DC) where he is back in command and the best performer on stage.

Comparing the David Frost clips from '71 with the Austrailian clips is depressing as hell.  It is just like watching the clips of Elvis in '68 when he is sitting in a circle with his origianl band and comaring it to clips of him in 74, 75 and 76.

If the Beach Boys released Sunflower in 1976 instead of 1970 it would have sold 10 million copies.

If they had released LA (ex HCTN plus maybe Santa Anna Winds and maybe the alternate version of Big Sur to replace it) it would have sold 3 million copies.

If Mike had left the smart thing to do would have been to move Dennis off the drums and have him take Mike's place.  The fact is that for most of the songs that Mike sang lead on the lead vocal is the least important part of the song. 

As for what would have happened.  Hopefully SMiLE would have been released then after that who knows - no Smiley Smile for sure but then Wild Honey would have been alot different as well.