Is Mike Love a good singer?

[SBonilla]

I can't picture any Beach Boy singing "I Can't Stop Loving You" too well.  Maybe Carl, but not anyone else, even Brian.  And Carl would be a stretch.

You know Dennis would nail it.


Carl would do the right things.

Brian would be ok.

Bruce would send it to number one.

Mike would be OK at it. Maybe he's got the Country thing down by now.

[SBonilla]

I think Mike gets judged by one voicing he got locked into by Brian and then apparently felt compelled to keep up even after Brian had dropped out as Producer. I wish he had been allowed or felt compelled to use his voicings on Kiss Me Baby and especially Devoted To You much more. Of course that is not as distinctive as his nasal voicing and therefore not as iconic so maybe Brian and he knew what they were doing all along.

His bass/bartitone is knock out imo.   

Yes, he nails his bass parts. Often,  they aren't easy ones, either.

[18thofMay]

I think Mike is a good singer. His delivery in it's prime was a building block of the Beach Boys achievements!

[Landlocked]

I can't picture any Beach Boy singing "I Can't Stop Loving You" too well.  Maybe Carl, but not anyone else, even Brian.  And Carl would be a stretch.

You know Dennis would nail it.

Sure, but Dennis would nail anything. 

[Runaways]

i don't think i'd say he has a good voice, but he's a good singer

[shelter]

If millions of people buy records that you sing on, you can't be all that bad.

I guess Ke$ha (sp?) is a good singer, too, then.

Apparently her voice has a certain quality that makes it appealing to a whole lot of people. So yes, that does make her a good singer, even if she might not be good technically (but then again, neither are Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Tom Waits...). Like it or not, if millions of people are willing to pay to hear you sing, than it's hard to deny that you're a good singer.

[runnersdialzero]

If millions of people buy records that you sing on, you can't be all that bad.

I guess Ke$ha (sp?) is a good singer, too, then.

Apparently her voice has a certain quality that makes it appealing to a whole lot of people. So yes, that does make her a good singer, even if she might not be good technically (but then again, neither are Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Tom Waits...). Like it or not, if millions of people are willing to pay to hear you sing, than it's hard to deny that you're a good singer.

Sue me for sounding elitist, but popular opinion is never an absolute indication of quality. Turn on the television, turn on the radio, browse some YouTube comments and see what a large amount of people are watching these days, listening to these days, and saying these days. 17 million Jersey Shore fans CAN be wrong imoimoimoimo

Yes, 17 million. And those are just the ones with Facebook access. Believe it.

[shelter]

Sue me for sounding elitist, but popular opinion is never an absolute indication of quality.

I agree, popularity doesn't equal quality. But still: there are billions of people on this planet and just a few hundred of them can do a trick that millions of people are willing to hear or see them do for money. So if you're one of those lucky few, it's pretty much an established fact that you must somehow be doing your trick well.

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

Mike is a great singer with one of the most recognizable voices in rock n roll history.

[runnersdialzero]

Sue me for sounding elitist, but popular opinion is never an absolute indication of quality.

I agree, popularity doesn't equal quality. But still: there are billions of people on this planet and just a few hundred of them can do a trick that millions of people are willing to hear or see them do for money. So if you're one of those lucky few, it's pretty much an established fact that you must somehow be doing your trick well.

Oh fine. You with your calm, rational approach to things ;(

[keysarsoze001]

In support of Mike, I'm gonna mention "Johnny Carson". I love his vocal in that.

Then again, I actually like him when he's nasal. He just sounds so much like Mike Love! I'm thinking of his lines in "Santa Ana Winds" or his verse in the Knebworth version of "Sloop John B". It almost sounds like when Brian is making fun of him in "Cassius Love vs Sonny Wilson", it's so extreme. But it's just so distinct.

I've long felt that the greatest singers in pop history aren't necessarily the ones who sound the best, if that makes any sense. Edith Piaf, Bob Dylan, Louis Armstrong, these are all legendary singers whose voices aren't technically what's desired in a singer, per se, but their voices fit the music they're singing so perfectly that you wouldn't have it any other way. Mike's voice isn't in the same league, necessarily, but it's along the same lines.

[Lonely Summer]

Mike may not have a GREAT voice, but he knows how to get the most of out of it. Carl was blessed with a beautiful set of pipes, but he also knew how to use them. The two are not synonymous (i.e, any number of present day singers blessed with pipes of gold that think they have to oversing everything).

[Aegir]

Then again, I actually like him when he's nasal. He just sounds so much like Mike Love! I'm thinking of his lines in "Santa Ana Winds" or his verse in the Knebworth version of "Sloop John B". It almost sounds like when Brian is making fun of him in "Cassius Love vs Sonny Wilson", it's so extreme. But it's just so distinct.

Agreed. Mike is what sends Santa Ana Winds from a good song to a great song.

[EthanJClarke93]

A Good Singer, But somewhat of a Douche...

[runnersdialzero]

A Good Singer, But somewhat of a Douche...

No one in the Beach Boys saga is an angel, though. Far from it.

[Mr. Cohen]

The only musical talent Mike ever had was for giving his sax a good blow job. Other than that, I think he just needed to blow his nose more often.

[oldsurferdude]

A Good Singer, But somewhat of a Douche...

I'll buy into the last part of that.