2. People angered by Mike Love: Lets say a family member sues you for millions of dollars, Nate, and in that lawsuit basically rips to shreds any work you did for 3-4 decades...claiming all you did was lay around in bed collecting checks and doing drugs. That is exactly what Mike did to Brian just over a decade ago. The list goes on, quite frankly given how many times it has been discussed here, I’m surprised that a handful of posters forget why exactly Mike Love isn’t looked on too highly amongst some fans. And again, I think the adulation Mike receives on these forums by some fans irks those who hold these rather logical opinions about the man.
Much like you Nate, I have shifted my views a bit in recent years. Mike has definitely become more chill these last few years. Having lived a decade since my first major dive into the Beach Boys world, I too have realized that people mess up in life. It makes me more sympathetic and forgiving because of this. I mess up, Mike messes up. The odd thing is though: those of us who mess up usually ADMIT we mess up. When has Mike ever apologized for the way he talks about Brian in the media? When has he ever publicly apologized to Brian for suing Brian’s wife, friends, and business partners over a silly picture on a FREEBY CD? When has he ever publicly acknowledged his 2005 lawsuit flat out lied about Brian? This is exactly the reason why there is a lot of anger directed toward the man.
I can still look past all this and appreciate all the good things that Mike has contributed to the world and to the music of the Beach Boys. But I also wish that when some fans express annoyance/anger at Mike that others wouldn't be surprised that those emotions are grounded in reality.
I suppose people's argument against Mike is totally legitimate, but I don't think it should be brought up when talking about his music.
Taking Paul McCartney for example, in Japan in 1980, he was arrested for possession of marijuana and was put in jails for ten days until he was deported. In the same year, he released a song on the album McCartney II which has an obvious racial slur as the title ("Frozen Jap"). As far as I know (correct me if I'm wrong), he never publicly apologized for these offenses he committed.
Then, is it okay to criticize him as a "racist" or "criminal" when Beatles'/Paul's music is brought up as the topic subject? I don't think so - as much as what he had done was wrong, I think we should avoid ad hominem when discussing music, because it's simply distracting, and isn't likely to contribute to the reasonable appreciation for the music itself.
I'm not saying that we can't criticize Mike for what he's done - I do think it is completely legitimate to criticize him for what he's done, unless it goes too far to the point it's just a slander. That being said, I'd say let's keep these discussion out when discussing the music.
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