after Holland, did it seem like they gave up?

[Nicko1234]

Mike's best solo stuff rivals Long Promosed Road, Trader and Feel Flows... really? I love some of Mike's solo stuff both with the band (Big Sur) and without (Viggie), but nothing he did ever touched the exceptionally high standard of these trio of Carl songs. They really are three utterly stunning pieces of work.

I wasn`t only talking about 3 songs and the fact that they can be individually named sums it up really. Carl wrote (or co-wrote to be more accurate) maybe 10 or 15 good songs in his career which spanned nearly 4 decades. I would say that Mike has written at least as many as that solo. If you include the lyrics, which it`s only fair to do, then he has to be seen as a better songwriter than Carl.

[Aegir]

I'm not sure what happened with Adult Child, but it's a better 'album' than MIU and so it seems that either Brian withdrew himself, or Al/Mike decided to try a different path with MIU.

Wasn't Adult/Child rejected by the label?

[Lonely Summer]

Mike's best solo stuff rivals Long Promosed Road, Trader and Feel Flows... really? I love some of Mike's solo stuff both with the band (Big Sur) and without (Viggie), but nothing he did ever touched the exceptionally high standard of these trio of Carl songs. They really are three utterly stunning pieces of work.

I wasn`t only talking about 3 songs and the fact that they can be individually named sums it up really. Carl wrote (or co-wrote to be more accurate) maybe 10 or 15 good songs in his career which spanned nearly 4 decades. I would say that Mike has written at least as many as that solo. If you include the lyrics, which it`s only fair to do, then he has to be seen as a better songwriter than Carl.

Long Promised Road, Feel Flows, The Trader, Angel Come Home, Keepin' the Summer Alive, Livin' With a Heartache, It's Gettin' Late, Where I Belong, Heaven, Givin' You Up, Of The Times, Like A Brother, I Wish For You....Carl's greatest hits.

[Magic Transistor Radio]

I'm not sure if Carl's songwriting over all is much better than Mike's. But Carl's biggest strength creatively was as a producer. This included arranging old songs for live shows. I think Carl's solo albums might have been better if he produced them himself.

[MBE]

Mike was much more of a lyric writer than Carl, musically Carl had some good ideas, but yeah his talent lay mainly in his musicianship, vocals, and production work. Mike's was and is in bass and lead singing, being an emcee, and writing lyrics.  They didn't really have the same role in the band.

It's not that say The Beach Boys didn't try from 1973-80 to one degree or another, it was more that their focus became more on what they had done than what they were doing. Once Ricky and Blondie left there was really no pretence of being contemporary, which was a shame.

[Magic Transistor Radio]

Mike was much more of a lyric writer than Carl, musically Carl had some good ideas, but yeah his talent lay mainly in his musicianship, vocals, and production work. Mike's was and is in bass and lead singing, being an emcee, and writing lyrics.  They didn't really have the same role in the band.

It's not that say The Beach Boys didn't try from 1973-80 to one degree or another, it was more that their focus became more on what they had done than what they were doing. Once Ricky and Blondie left there was really no pretence of being contemporary, which was a shame.

There have been a few songs that Mike pretty much wrote on his own. All be it with production and arrangement help. Let the Wind Blow and All I Wanna Do (arr. by Brian), California Saga (produced and possibly arr. by Carl). Not sure about Everyone's in Love with You. Sumahama (produced by Bruce?). But The songs that Mike wrote, and the songs that Carl wrote are pretty compatable. Only Long Promised Road and Feel Flows are on a different level.

[Aegir]

Mike only wrote the "Big Sur" part of the California Saga, the other two songs were written by Al.

[DonnyL]

It seems like we are really talking about Carl here. Carl was the leader of the group from '68-'73. After Endless Summer, I think he did give up. Brian 'gave up' in '68 after 'Friends', and Mike was always more about touring and commercialism than leading the band artistically in any case. I think this is kind of when the group changed from a 'band' mentality to a 'corporation' mentality.

I would also add, regardless of it's failures, 'L.A. (Light Album)' was at least a fair attempt at producing a valid record.

[Magic Transistor Radio]

Mike only wrote the "Big Sur" part of the California Saga, the other two songs were written by Al.

I meant to say Big Sur.

[Alex]

It seems like we are really talking about Carl here. Carl was the leader of the group from '68-'73. After Endless Summer, I think he did give up. Brian 'gave up' in '68 after 'Friends', and Mike was always more about touring and commercialism than leading the band artistically in any case. I think this is kind of when the group changed from a 'band' mentality to a 'corporation' mentality.

I would also add, regardless of it's failures, 'L.A. (Light Album)' was at least a fair attempt at producing a valid record.

I wonder if Carl's back problems, plus drugs and booze put a damper on his group "leadership" post-Holland...

[kookadams]

The mid 70s was sort of a new renaissance for the group. Sure all their best albums were behind them but they were resurrected in the mainstream again thru the nostalgia.
Some people see the nostalgia as good and others don't. I look at it in 2 ways-
#1 All their early output was amazing and can never be undermined, those songs are albums defined the golden era of rockNroll.
#2 All the great music they did from Pet Sounds to Holland needs to be viewed for what it was, each album was so unique, and even if these albums didnt get the promotion they deserved nor the commercial regard they still represented the progressive era for the Beach Boys; and as most of us know those albums were very successful elsewhere outside the US. And as others have mentioned with Vietnam being over/ rockNroll getting back on track younger generations were getting into the BBs.
ALL "REAL" music zealots will always look at the Beach Boys beyond the hit singles and Pet Sounds. And thank god the Ramones came along and in their own way picked up where the Beach Boys left off in the mid 70s.
The BEST rockNroll was and will always be from the United States. NOT ENGLAND.   

[hypehat]

The BEST rockNroll was and will always be from the United States. NOT ENGLAND.   

[Cabinessenceking]

Why did Blondie leave? Could someone please provide me with some insight?

[hypehat]

The BEST rockNroll was and will always be from the United States. NOT ENGLAND.   

[Gertie J.]

ELVIS IS THE KING OF ROCK N ROLL!!!!!!!!! true fact.

[hypehat]

The BEST rockNroll was and will always be from the United States. NOT ENGLAND.   

[hypehat]

The BEST rockNroll was and will always be from the United States

[hypehat]

The BEST rockNroll was and will always be from the United States

[hypehat]

[SMiLE Brian]

Good music is good music no matter where it is from. (Though I do love all the bands Hypehat posted)

[Gertie J.]

cool!

edit:  

[Peadar 'Big Dinner' O'Driscoll]

Id love to hear a bit of inside info on how Mike came to write "Big Sur". Any chance he might have just bought it off some folk singer and hushed it up? sorry Mike, I'm sure you did write it...

[BergenWhitesMoustache]

The BEST rockNroll was and will always be from the United States. NOT ENGLAND.   

Maxwell's Silver 'Ammer, came doon, upon his 'ead! Maxwells Silver 'Ammer, made sure that ee wurze dead *clang clang*

Will never understand why people rate Abbey Road so highly. 1/3 good, 1/3 mediocre and 1/3 utter, utter dreck.

[Mike's Beard]

Why did Blondie leave? Could someone please provide me with some insight?

Mike's bunghole of a brother, who was managing the band at the time, got into a fight with him backstage and called him a n*****.

[jimmy1949]

Why did Blondie leave? Could someone please provide me with some insight?

Mike's bunghole of a brother, who was managing the band at the time, got into a fight with him backstage and called him a n*****.

I saw something heavy go down with Blondie at a Winterland San Francisco show.