Has Mike ever commented on "Summer In Paradise?"

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

Whenever I listen to SIP, it really does bring that year back to me in a vivid way. Thinking back to 1992, SIP seems pretty damn on it. We had a charismatic new president, the economy was booming and people were pretty much all-around happy, and the So Cal Beach lifestyle the Beach Boys created was fully alive and thriving (I lived in Manhattan Beach at the time)! We had recently "won" the first Gulf "war" and there was a healthy patriotic vibe in the air.... I had recently discovered Sunflower and was listening to it obsessively (via the old Warner's CD: which I still love: then a vinyl copy I found for $1) so, of course, I was disappointed by the lyrical content and lack of anything adventurous, but it still sounded and felt like the damn Beach Boys, so it went down easily enough and, like I said, it brings back it's time and place in a very vivid and comforting way..... I could never hate that album.

[Autotune]

Whatever the faults of SIP, I would have taken one of those every two years rather than the lack of new recorded output we got. Of course, the failure of SIP may be one of the causes for the scant number of new releases since then.

[Zach95]

  "totally for the young"

Yeah Mike, Summer of Love REALLY makes those young kids go crazy.

[urbanite]

If you haven't heard Lahaina Aloha, you're in for a real treat.  At the time, I couldn't understand how they could come up with a song that sounded so good, and yet the rest of the album was a dud.

[Ziggy Stardust]

Okay, i officially can't deny it anymore:


I REALLY like Lahaina Aloha, it really is my big guilty pleasure ATM.

Over the years i've came to really understood what SIP is all about in the end, like Mike Love said it's all about doing the perfect summer soundtrack (of the 90's at least, cause their early hits were perfect summer hits) nothing more nothing less, it has a production that really aged, they used protools, etc.. but is it that BAD for what it is? sure it has terrible moments such as Summer In Paradise, but so does Still Cruisin', so what i mean is that, i can't even tell which one is worse!


What bothers me is the formula they used over almost every songs, they were like "oh snap, Kokomo got number one! we need to do bunch of songs like these!"
not only it was already that scenario for Still Cruisin', but they tried again on SIP.. it just gets old, the percussion intro, the use of accordion everywhere and all..
plus the guitar solos, i mean i kinda like that vibe, but doesn't seem to fit the Beach Boys music that much..

But Lahaina Aloha, man what a catchy tune.. it has the formula i hate of the album (which i already explained) plus the production (god that snare drum noise) but the verses are cool, and the chorus! Carl Wilson! he makes it sound just so beautiful, and the melody really stucks in your head you know.

[tpesky]

I wish I could have been walking in the sand in the summer of '91 and came across  Mike and Terry and could have told them, " This is the worst idea ever, just don't...ever...."

[If Mars had life on it...]

When this tour is over, Mike and Bruce should continue on by performing SIP in it's entirety a la Brian and Pet Sounds.   

[Dave in KC]

And crash and burn after the win with the album and tour. Sure, right.

[Jay]

I personally think the artwork is horrendous.  In fact, I think it's their worst album artwork. By far.

Back in '99 I asked Mike to sign my SIP copy.  He looked at it, probably hadn't seen it in years, and he said "Yeah this was a very good cover". To which I accidentally replied "But only the cover".
He looked at me, continued signing, gave the cd back and left without saying a word.

It would have been awesome had Carl been there, just to have seen his reaction. Something tells me that he probably would have been trying hard not to laugh. 

[EgoHanger1966]

The one thing I kick myself now for not getting.

A large promo poster of Summer In Paradise signed by The Beach Boys. The poster depicted the album cover and it was hanging on the wall behind the cash register at Tower records. They wanted $100.00 for it. At the time I figured that the CD sucked and didn't want to 'invest' anymore into it. I came back a week later and the poster was gone. Made me want the damn thing even more. Dunno how many they signed or if it was just a one-off.

Here's one on Ebay with a Carl sig too...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Beach-Boys-signed-Summer-in-Paradise-poster-incl-Carl-Wilson-/160836413690?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item257298e8fa

[debonbon]

This has to be one of the worst albums ever. Horrible.

[Micha]

Okay, i officially can't deny it anymore:


I REALLY like Lahaina Aloha, it really is my big guilty pleasure ATM.

Over the years i've came to really understood what SIP is all about in the end, like Mike Love said it's all about doing the perfect summer soundtrack (of the 90's at least, cause their early hits were perfect summer hits) nothing more nothing less, it has a production that really aged, they used protools, etc.. but is it that BAD for what it is? sure it has terrible moments such as Summer In Paradise, but so does Still Cruisin', so what i mean is that, i can't even tell which one is worse!


What bothers me is the formula they used over almost every songs, they were like "oh snap, Kokomo got number one! we need to do bunch of songs like these!"
not only it was already that scenario for Still Cruisin', but they tried again on SIP.. it just gets old, the percussion intro, the use of accordion everywhere and all..
plus the guitar solos, i mean i kinda like that vibe, but doesn't seem to fit the Beach Boys music that much..

But Lahaina Aloha, man what a catchy tune.. it has the formula i hate of the album (which i already explained) plus the production (god that snare drum noise) but the verses are cool, and the chorus! Carl Wilson! he makes it sound just so beautiful, and the melody really stucks in your head you know.

Are you talking about the US version of that song? I only ever heard the European version, and that's pretty catchy and well sounding, actually my favorite of that album. The European liner notes seemingly feature the lyrics of the US version, as they are way different than what they sing on the record, and the printed lyrics do pretty much suck.

[Aegir]

I thought that Lahaina Aloha was one of the tracks that stayed the same for the British release.

[startBBtoday]

I thought that Lahaina Aloha was one of the tracks that stayed the same for the British release.

The title track is bolded.

[Aegir]

oh, I thought that was the name of the album being bolded, and wasn't quite sure why.

I'll agree that the title track sounds a lot better on the British version, especially due to the Roger McGuinn verse.

[grillo]

SIP in the only BB album I never even considered purchasing. I mean, their were used copies at 2nd Hand Tunes in Evanston Ill for, like, a buck during the entire 90's and I still never picked it up. The album cover is probably the all time Lamest BB cover, amongst a sea of crappy BB album covers...
20 years later and I can now listen to a few tracks on you tube, but it still really really blows. Possibly the crappiest sounding recording ever. EVER.

[Ziggy Stardust]

Okay, i officially can't deny it anymore:


I REALLY like Lahaina Aloha, it really is my big guilty pleasure ATM.

Over the years i've came to really understood what SIP is all about in the end, like Mike Love said it's all about doing the perfect summer soundtrack (of the 90's at least, cause their early hits were perfect summer hits) nothing more nothing less, it has a production that really aged, they used protools, etc.. but is it that BAD for what it is? sure it has terrible moments such as Summer In Paradise, but so does Still Cruisin', so what i mean is that, i can't even tell which one is worse!


What bothers me is the formula they used over almost every songs, they were like "oh snap, Kokomo got number one! we need to do bunch of songs like these!"
not only it was already that scenario for Still Cruisin', but they tried again on SIP.. it just gets old, the percussion intro, the use of accordion everywhere and all..
plus the guitar solos, i mean i kinda like that vibe, but doesn't seem to fit the Beach Boys music that much..

But Lahaina Aloha, man what a catchy tune.. it has the formula i hate of the album (which i already explained) plus the production (god that snare drum noise) but the verses are cool, and the chorus! Carl Wilson! he makes it sound just so beautiful, and the melody really stucks in your head you know.

Are you talking about the US version of that song? I only ever heard the European version, and that's pretty catchy and well sounding, actually my favorite of that album. The European liner notes seemingly feature the lyrics of the US version, as they are way different than what they sing on the record, and the printed lyrics do pretty much suck.

Sorry i meant Summer Of Love, i get confused when i'm tired, heh.

[mabewa]

Okay, i officially can't deny it anymore:


I REALLY like Lahaina Aloha, it really is my big guilty pleasure ATM.

Over the years i've came to really understood what SIP is all about in the end, like Mike Love said it's all about doing the perfect summer soundtrack (of the 90's at least, cause their early hits were perfect summer hits) nothing more nothing less, it has a production that really aged, they used protools, etc.. but is it that BAD for what it is? sure it has terrible moments such as Summer In Paradise, but so does Still Cruisin', so what i mean is that, i can't even tell which one is worse!


What bothers me is the formula they used over almost every songs, they were like "oh snap, Kokomo got number one! we need to do bunch of songs like these!"
not only it was already that scenario for Still Cruisin', but they tried again on SIP.. it just gets old, the percussion intro, the use of accordion everywhere and all..
plus the guitar solos, i mean i kinda like that vibe, but doesn't seem to fit the Beach Boys music that much..

But Lahaina Aloha, man what a catchy tune.. it has the formula i hate of the album (which i already explained) plus the production (god that snare drum noise) but the verses are cool, and the chorus! Carl Wilson! he makes it sound just so beautiful, and the melody really stucks in your head you know.

Are you talking about the US version of that song? I only ever heard the European version, and that's pretty catchy and well sounding, actually my favorite of that album. The European liner notes seemingly feature the lyrics of the US version, as they are way different than what they sing on the record, and the printed lyrics do pretty much suck.

Does the European version have the verse that Bruce sings?  I've heard the US version on Youtube, and Bruce sings the last verse, which I really like.  Youtube also has the version with Roger McGuinn on 12-string and lead vocals on the 2nd verse.  That version sounds excellent (partially because the McGuinn rules), but at least on Youtube, it lacks Bruce's verse.  If I could get a version with McGuinn, but also with Bruce's verse, I'd call it a genuinely good song. 

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

People need to get over bashing this album. It was Mike and Terry Melcher trying to make something out of a shite situation. Carl, and Brian certainly weren't helping much or at all and it was 1992 for God's sake. Very few classic artists of the 60's or 70's even had their heads above water. Neil Young had Harvest Moon, which was a revelation, but he'd only recently recovered from his own decade + of Summer In Paradises. At least Mike believed in the album and it really isn't even that bad. Most stuff from that awful year has aged even worse that SIP and at least it still has some cookin' tracks that sound like the Beach Boys. So, let's please move on.

[Micha]

People need to get over bashing this album. It was Mike and Terry Melcher trying to make something out of a sh*te situation. Carl, and Brian certainly weren't helping much or at all and it was 1992 for God's sake. Very few classic artists of the 60's or 70's even had their heads above water. Neil Young had Harvest Moon, which was a revelation, but he'd only recently recovered from his own decade + of Summer In Paradises. At least Mike believed in the album and it really isn't even that bad. Most stuff from that awful year has aged even worse that SIP and at least it still has some cookin' tracks that sound like the Beach Boys. So, let's please move on.

I, for one, like the European version of the title track. I wouldn't mind if they did that in concert.

[Lonely Summer]

I remember seeing them do SIP on ABC's In Concert during the summer of 1993, and the version they did had Bruce singing the last verse - but no McGuinn. Bought the cassette, and was disappointed it was Mike all the way through. I really don't hate the song - Mike was trying to move the group into more serious subject matter. Okay, he's no Dylan when it comes to lyrics, but I admire the attempt at addressing things like the environment. I just don't like the sound - the "let's recycle the Kokomo formula to death" syndrome. There are worse albums, but in the BB's catalog, this is rock bottom. It actually makes MIU sound good!

[Jay]

I ddn't know the group did an In Concert special.

[southbay]

I ddn't know the group did an In Concert special.

yes, they did

[HeyJude]

It's interesting that Mike did keep the title track in the setlist until 1998 or 1999. I remember first hearing the album after hearing the horrendous reviews, and it wasn't *quite* as bad as I thought it would be. A couple of tracks are catchy, specifically "Lahaina Aloha" and "Strange Things Happen." Okay, that may actually be kind of all.

Terrible production, though. Bad drum samples, digital recording that may have been ahead of its time in pioneering the use of ProTools, but actually sounds more harsh and grating and dated than the 80's digital recording heard on the '85 album.

[oldsurferdude]

This has to be one of the worst albums ever. Horrible.

Yes sir!! And if anyone has any doubt about where Myke Luhv's head is, was , listen to SIP in it's entirety if you can handle it, and then wonder if DOTO wouldn't fit perfectly with the rest of the garbage on SIPEEEEE.