Van Dyke Parks interview in the latest Record Collector

[TdHabib]

I think VDP cares so much that he carried his bitternes towards Mike for decades. He has not many nice things to say about Brian's music either. He's not a fan of Brian's music and Brian's not a fan of VDP's.

Bollocks, in his introduction to Brian's performance at the Carl Wilson foundation in 2002 he says "he has remained my favorite American songwriter of the 20th century for his character, for his character, for his unswerving courage, for his vision. He is not a sissy. He has raised the bar of songwriting and musicality with his incredible sense of subtlety and physicality. And I am incredibly proud to present my friend Brian Wilson." Exact words.

[Cam Mott]

You know what I find interesting? That Mike Love, the supposed devil, never really takes a lot of shots at VDP, yet every chance he gets, Van Dyke talks a bunch of merda about Mike Love.

I hear you.
Van Dyke just doesn't act classy when it comes to Mike. Don't care what Mike did or didn't do it's still not classy.

i think van dyke handles it in a pretty classy way.  Has he ever actually called mike names?  that'd be unclassy.  and he doesn't here.  Y'know what i doubt mike has EVER done?  that would probably fix all of this?  mike apologize to van dyke. 

What would he apologize for?

[rab2591]

Van Dyke Parks could have been a member of the Byrds, but chose not to. He has had the same wife for the last 45 some years (in modern society this is what we consider a "miracle"). He has worked with some of the most popular musicians EVER (The Beach Boys, U2, Ringo Starr) - yet he is content with keeping a low profile. He created one of the most under-appreciated pop albums of all time...then went on to make an album full of calypso music. The definition of "class" in most dictionaries is "Van Dyke Parks" - seriously.

Mike Love on the other hand....well, his reputation of being an ass is probably not that far off the mark - at least in his dealings with VDPs.

[bgas]

Van Dyke Parks could have been a member of the Byrds, but chose not to. He has had the same wife for the last 45 some years (in modern society this is what we consider a "miracle"). He has worked with some of the most popular musicians EVER (The Beach Boys, U2, Ringo Starr) - yet he is content with keeping a low profile. He created one of the most under-appreciated pop albums of all time...then went on to make an album full of calypso music. The definition of "class" in most dictionaries is "Van Dyke Parks" - seriously.

Mike Love on the other hand....well, his reputation of being an ass is probably not that far off the mark - at least in his dealings with VDPs.

Where does Durrie figure into those calculations?

[rab2591]

Van Dyke Parks could have been a member of the Byrds, but chose not to. He has had the same wife for the last 45 some years (in modern society this is what we consider a "miracle"). He has worked with some of the most popular musicians EVER (The Beach Boys, U2, Ringo Starr) - yet he is content with keeping a low profile. He created one of the most under-appreciated pop albums of all time...then went on to make an album full of calypso music. The definition of "class" in most dictionaries is "Van Dyke Parks" - seriously.

Mike Love on the other hand....well, his reputation of being an ass is probably not that far off the mark - at least in his dealings with VDPs.

Where does Durrie figure into those calculations?

Hasn't he been with her since before the SMiLE era?

[Fun Is In]

Uh, NO! That's why she has/had posession of the near-mythical SMiLE-era acetates that she got in the divorce settlement!

[rab2591]

LOL, well scratch that one off the list!

When did they get divorced?

[MBE]

I think VDP cares so much that he carried his bitternes towards Mike for decades. He has not many nice things to say about Brian's music either. He's not a fan of Brian's music and Brian's not a fan of VDP's.

Truth is ML sang the hell out of VDP's lines. There are records that attest to it... And his Cabinessence vocals were heard by the public as early as 1969, so probably it's time Van Dyke moves on. The airplane incident sounds like one of those VDP stories to me: entertaining fiction with a touch of reality. Like the story about Lennon's remarks on ML.

Maybe there was a reason for Brian's speech at Ringo's b-day.

Somebody gets it. It's just looking through interviews done from 1967 on Mike has only said he didn't understand some of the lyrics. He never put Van Dyke down as a person and did not write the stupid movie which honestly doesn't make Parks look all that bad. Van Dyke has made numerous personal remarks about Mike in public. Again Mike was probably a dick at times but it is still not classy to be knocking someone constantly in public after all these years.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

Can't we all just agree that Mike had every right to have an OPINION on the lyrics he was being asked to sing? The guy's a founding member and a creative force in the band that was his just as much as it was Brian's. He had an opinion on a specific line and asked a question which is what any member of any band in history has the right to do.... Let's get over it, even in VDP can't.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

I mean, The Who erupted into bloody fist fights over such concerns and they're all great wonderful blokes but Mike's the devil for asking about a specific line??

[MBE]

For more on this I dug up these threads
http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,2652.0.html
http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,4603.msg75264.html#msg75264

[Autotune]

He has not many nice things to say about Brian's music either. He's not a fan of Brian's music

Huh?  In every interview I've ever seen, VDP is effusive in his praise of Brian Wilson's musical genius.  Sure, he has taken a few shots at the other Beach Boys for wanting to stick to the cars-and-girls formula,  but with regards to Brian, he's been uniformly positive.  Show me something negative he ever said about Brian's music.

I can't really blame VDP for carrying a grudge.  Remember "The Beach Boys: An American Family" made-for-television movie?  

Gee, if I were portrayed negatively and falsely in a major network television movie... and my name were mentioned 7 or 8 times... and I had to get a lawyer and threaten to sue unless they would change the name of "my" character, I think I'd
be a little upset, too.

Van Dyke has been bitter long before the TV mini series. ML did not write the darned thing anyway.

VDP has praised Brian on a personal level, he has not praised his music as much. He hasn't made negativr comments on Brian's music, but he's remained silent most of the time.

It's intersting that Bri and VDP respect each other but still do not remain friends. For me VDP and ML are much more alike than Van is ever willing to admit. And I think it's cool that despite VDP's bitterness, he kept being invited to perform on BBs records, including their last #1 hit. It seems like Mike is cool / indifferent about the whole deal... Maybe it's time that VDP cools it.

[Runaways]

Can't we all just agree that Mike had every right to have an OPINION on the lyrics he was being asked to sing? The guy's a founding member and a creative force in the band that was his just as much as it was Brian's. He had an opinion on a specific line and asked a question which is what any member of any band in history has the right to do.... Let's get over it, even in VDP can't.

van dyke is a creative force.  mike love is a creative fart.

[Mahalo]

Mike Love annoys the hell out of me as much as anybody, but to dismiss him as a creative fart is among the largest bull-merda I have read on the SSMB. Forget all the wonderful lyrics he wrote/contributed/inspired, and that he helps keep the BB flame alive.

Sure he pisses off just about everybody but I still dig the dude. I would bet a fortune that Brian's solo music would be loads better if Mike was contributing lyrics for him..that goes for TLOS and the rest of his solo output...

Shame all this drama has manifested among these artists. Mike may strike-out 99 times out of a hundred on his own, but with Brian he makes great art almost always...

[Mahalo]

These guys all need to drop acid together in their advanced years in Fishmonk's basement and listen to Beethoven and Mozart backwards, and get a grip on reality...

[oldsurferdude]

Mike Love annoys the hell out of me as much as anybody, but to dismiss him as a creative fart is among the largest bull-merda I have read on the SSMB. Forget all the wonderful lyrics he wrote/contributed/inspired, and that he helps keep the BB flame alive.

Sure he pisses off just about everybody but I still dig the dude. I would bet a fortune that Brian's solo music would be loads better if Mike was contributing lyrics for him..that goes for TLOS and the rest of his solo output...

Shame all this drama has manifested among these artists. Mike may strike-out 99 times out of a hundred on his own, but with Brian he makes great art almost always...

Myke Luhv an ARTIST??? WTF?? Creative fart is a flattering description.Toot.

[Mahalo]

Dude, anyone can fancy themselves an artist; hell, half of NY does...but as long as most of my favorite BB songs have Mike Love lyrics then he's an artist in my book. Maybe he was better at one point in time, but IMO he was a great artistic partner to one B.D. Wilson.

[Mahalo]

Also, to be honest, I am in no way elated to be defending Mr. Love...but IMO he deserves more credit than he gets.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

Not to mention Mr. Luv wrote a couple of very good evocative lyrics for Mr. Dennis Wilson as well. Seeing that Brian and Dennis both considered the guy worthy ought to say something.

Trying to turn certain types around about Mike are like trying to convince an ant eater not to stick his snout down an ant hill! It's hard-indoctrination that can't be reversed.

[SG7]

Parks is the modern day Mark Twain, he's a treasure of a lost era.

Totally agree and a real class act. Great to see live too.

[Chocolate Shake Man]

Mike may strike-out 99 times out of a hundred on his own, but with Brian he makes great art almost always...

I think you're unintentionally speaking volumes here.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Not necessarily, because not everyone writes well with Brian. No offense to him, but Stephen Kalinich is an example, with the one obvious exception.  Look at who Brian has co-written with, and look whom he didn't really work that much with. Don't ever underestimate the importance of compatability.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

It's useless trying to reason.

It's a sadistic self-punishing pursuit to "love" a band where you regard one of the key creative forces and vocal contributors with nothing but spittle inducing violent hatred.

[Chocolate Shake Man]

It's useless trying to reason.

Oh, how difficult it must be to deal with us unreasonable fools!

It's a sadistic self-punishing pursuit to "love" a band where you regard one of the key creative forces and vocal contributors with nothing but spittle inducing violent hatred.

Well, for one, I don't consider Love to be a "key creative force" in the band, despite the fact that he takes credit for the Beach Boys success.

I do think he's a great lead vocalist but that doesn't alleviate the fact that he's a guy with a massive ego, with zero artistic sensibilities, and more than likely was a key figure in souring Brian's optimism about Smile.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

It's not difficult, just taxing.

I honestly can't see how you can claim that a guy who sang innumerable lead vocals or key vocal parts in innumerable Beach Boys songs while also writing innumerable lyrics NOT a key creative force in the band. It just doesn't hold up under simple math. And I did say A key creative force. Not THE key creative force (that would be Brian up until 1967 and still a bit beyond that) The Beach Boys were a family affair where each guy got his shot at greatness and it should be embraced as such. Brian was in a position of immense power during Smile and it's demise can't simply be accounted for due to Mike's questioning a lyric or not being 100 % enthused. Many a rock masterpiece has been brought to completion under much more trying circumstances.

And you mean to tell me no one else in the Beach Boys had an ego? Please!!!!

You simply choose to hate Mike and that's it.