Brian on future Beach Boys plans, no more reunions!

[Shady]

Before this turns into anti-Mike Love thread #5838565748, I'd like to state very firmly that I want one last great BW-written rocker, in the style of Morning Beat for instance, lead-sung by Michael Edward Love. That's it. That's all I want. The new album can perfectly have that one song and I'll be happy.

"Spring Vacation" didn't take care of that desire?

[gfac22]

Before this turns into anti-Mike Love thread #5838565748, I'd like to state very firmly that I want one last great BW-written rocker, in the style of Morning Beat for instance, lead-sung by Michael Edward Love. That's it. That's all I want. The new album can perfectly have that one song and I'll be happy.

+1

[halblaineisgood]

.

[Pretty Funky]

Before this turns into anti-Mike Love thread #5838565748, I'd like to state very firmly that I want one last great BW-written rocker, in the style of Morning Beat for instance, lead-sung by Michael Edward Love. That's it. That's all I want. The new album can perfectly have that one song and I'll be happy.

"Spring Vacation" didn't take care of that desire?

Spring Vacation breeds Spring Vacation. Still Vacationin' could be the title.

But 'Still Vacationin in Kokomo' would be the result.

[Lonely Summer]

2013 seems now like a mass hallucination. Mike and Bruce are back on the road acting like it never happened, Brian is back in the studio probably giving us the long overdue sequal to TLOS, and Al and David are....where the heck are those guys?

[harrisonjon]

"Bruce follows Mike wherever he goes"

Mike has to lock the bathroom door and his ex-wives all get calls from Bruce.

[Jim V.]

That quote in the rolling stone article is enough to make you hate Mike Love.

What a tool

Yes, how terrible of him to call it brilliant and beautiful. What an awful, awful man.

So you missed him blowing his brains out with a gun, saying that because he didn't write it, it doesn't have a "silver cloud". If Mike got his hands on that song he would have changed it to "Summer's gone but not for long".

Yes, he mimed blowing his brains out. God forbid anyone ever make a joke. And what he's saying about his own writing is *exactly what all the people who attack Mike say about it too*. He said that if he'd done it, it would have been happier -- which it would. He didn't say it was bad, just that he would have done it differently.

Andrew, usually I think you are the voice of reason on here, but I gotta disagree with you. Let's really look at what Mike said. "It's brilliant, beautiful". That seems like him just trying to cover his ass before complaining. And ultimately, what is the point of complaining? That would be like somebody saying "yeah, 'Fun, Fun, Fun' is cool, nice, but it's the story told in the lyrics is lame, and ya know, if I wrote the lyrics it would have a better story." It's just like, ya know, what's the point of making that point? And really, I think "From There To Back Again" is uplifting, way more than something like "Summer Of Love" where he's singing about doin' it in a swimming pool. And he made a point of doing all this in a Rolling Stone interview. And whatever you wanna say about the man, he's not stupid. He knew exactly what he was doing.

I just think it's a shame that the man really cannot write a good lyric anymore*. Even on his latest unreleased solo work, the lyrics were pretty ham-handed. Stuff like "Unleash The Love" just sounded like world peace posters, and stuff like "Pisces Brothers" was just him trying to mention once again, "hey I knew The Beatles!", like the time he said Carl died of cancer, ya know, like one of THE BEATLES! It's like, okay Mike, great. Why the need to mention that? He's so very calculated to try to look "cool" at certain points and it just comes off as twice as clueless. Kinda like that interview from last weekend where Bruce was trying to impress the reporter by talking about Kenny Chesney and how he lives near Brad Paisley. Cool Bruce! You are in one of the greatest groups in American history, but the fact that you like right-wing country-pop, you are just so hip! Oh wait, no, you're clueless.

I would say it's sad that Mike has descended into a clueless self parody, but he seems happy where he is. He got to reunite with Brian and get a bunch of promotion. He got to do a few more songs about "good vibrations" and "fun, fun, fun" and "gettin' around". But he wasn't so into that sad "art" so now he's happy to go on his way with his lackey Johnston. Which is his prerogative.


*"Isn't It Time" has a decent set of lyrics. Probably his best in, what, 30 years?

[18thofMay]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daKd0jgVWy8

Brian has to go see Charlie if he makes a Rock and Roll album! From about 10 mins in!

[Shady]

That quote in the rolling stone article is enough to make you hate Mike Love.

What a tool

Yes, how terrible of him to call it brilliant and beautiful. What an awful, awful man.

So you missed him blowing his brains out with a gun, saying that because he didn't write it, it doesn't have a "silver cloud". If Mike got his hands on that song he would have changed it to "Summer's gone but not for long".

Yes, he mimed blowing his brains out. God forbid anyone ever make a joke. And what he's saying about his own writing is *exactly what all the people who attack Mike say about it too*. He said that if he'd done it, it would have been happier -- which it would. He didn't say it was bad, just that he would have done it differently.

Andrew, usually I think you are the voice of reason on here, but I gotta disagree with you. Let's really look at what Mike said. "It's brilliant, beautiful". That seems like him just trying to cover his ass before complaining. And ultimately, what is the point of complaining? That would be like somebody saying "yeah, 'Fun, Fun, Fun' is cool, nice, but it's the story told in the lyrics is lame , and ya know, if I wrote the lyrics it would have a better story." It's just like, ya know, what's the point of making that point? And really, I think "From There To Back Again" is uplifting, way more than something like "Summer Of Love" where he's singing about doin' it in a swimming pool. And he made a point of doing all this in a Rolling Stone interview. And whatever you wanna say about the man, he's not stupid. He knew exactly what he was doing.

I just think it's a shame that the man really cannot write a good lyric anymore*. Even on his latest unreleased solo work, the lyrics were pretty ham-handed. Stuff like "Unleash The Love" just sounded like world peace posters, and stuff like "Pieces Brothers" was just him trying to mention once again, "hey I knew The Beatles!", like the time he said Carl died of cancer, ya know, like one of THE BEATLES! It's like, okay Mike, great. Why the need to mention that? He's so very calculated to try to look "cool" at certain points and it just comes off as twice as clueless. Kinda like that interview from last weekend where Bruce was trying to impress the reporter by talking about Kenny Chesney and how he lives near Brad Paisley. Cool Bruce! You are in one of the greatest groups in American history, but the fact that you like right-wing country-pop, you are just so hip! Oh wait, no, you're clueless.

I would say it's sad that Mike has descended into a clueless self parody, but he seems happy where he is. He got to reunite with Brian and get a bunch of promotion. He got to do a few more songs about "good vibrations" and "fun, fun, fun" and "gettin' around". But he wasn't so into that sad "art" so now he's happy to go on his way with his lackey Johnston. Which is his prerogative.


*"Isn't It Time" has a decent set of lyrics. Probably his best in, what, 30 years?

I love when people post my exact thoughts without me having to write anything.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

I guess it bothers me less because I don't really care about lyrics as long as the music is good. Really, a lot of the Jack Reiley era songs had 'terrible' lyrics but the music was so good that it didn't matter(plus, they fit).
Spring Vacation is not a good example to use as some of the lyrics were Brian's!

[Jim V.]

I guess it bothers me less because I don't really care about lyrics as long as the music is good. Really, a lot of the Jack Reiley era songs had 'terrible' lyrics but the music was so good that it didn't matter(plus, they fit).
Spring Vacation is not a good example to use as some of the lyrics were Brian's!

Honestly Billy, even though I think "Spring Vacation" and "Beaches In Mind" have garbage lyrics, I still love both songs. But I guess they could just be better if Mike took more than five minutes to write a lyric. And yes, I'm pretty sure Joe Thomas did mention how Mike wrote the lyrics to "Spring Vacation" or one of those songs in like five minutes or something.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Yep. My understanding was the chorus to Spring Vacation was Brian and Mike trading off, very quickly, and were written before the verses(which in all fairness were pretty weak in comparison). Brian's lyrics on Private Life were also done quickly. Said this before... Brian's lyric style has a certain idiosyncratic rhyming scheme that is consistent from 1969 onwards. Good way to tell on this song is to compare his verse  lyrics to Thomas's chorus lyrics.

[Awesoman]

I don't think you can afford to be picky with lyrics in Beach Boys songs.  Lyrics have never been the band's strong suite, and it shows with their album from last year.  Take this little nugget from "Strange World":

Sunday morning
 Skies so blue
 Yo te amo
 Means I love you


 

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Guess whose lyrics those were?

[Nicko1234]

I don't think you can afford to be picky with lyrics in Beach Boys songs.

Obviously lyrics are not the most important thing with the group's recordings but they are still very relevant. If Pet Sounds had been given fun in the sun lyrics then it wouldn't be half as highly rated as it is.

The band members themselves are obviously the worst judges of lyrics however which is the only explanation why 'poet' Stephen J. Kalinich can still be working with the individuals.

[rogerlancelot]

I guess it bothers me less because I don't really care about lyrics as long as the music is good. Really, a lot of the Jack Reiley era songs had 'terrible' lyrics but the music was so good that it didn't matter(plus, they fit).
Spring Vacation is not a good example to use as some of the lyrics were Brian's!

I agree about the first part but I have to disagree about Jack Reiley's lyrics. His and Van Dyke's are my favorite but then again I'm a fan of YES lyrics as well. I think it was Ian who challenged somebody to write lyrics as good as "Good Vibrations" and I keep thinking how many times that the title alone has been referenced in Mike Love's later lyrics.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

I must  admit that I'm not too fond of VDP's lyric style. With that in mind, it's imperative that I state that while I think VDP and Reiley's lyrics are pretentious and not entirely to my liking, they fit the music perfectly and no other lyrics would fit the music, so they're a perfect fit. Standalone, not so much; together, yes. That's why I used quotes around 'terrible'. As for Pet Sounds, the lyrics are good by themselves, but it's, again, the perfect marriage with the music.

Hopefully I made my point clear; almost confused myself for a minute

[rogerlancelot]

YES lyrics are also pretentious. Really, what do they mean?

But for fun, read the lyrics to Song Cycle (whole album) without the music. It's some of the best yet ambiguous poetry I've come across.

Link:
http://lyrics.wikia.com/Van_Dyke_Parks:Song_Cycle_%281968%29

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Interesting you brought up Song Cycle,as I was about to edit my post and state there's an example of the lyrics being IMHO better than the music, are better standalone.

[Rocker]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daKd0jgVWy8

Brian has to go see Charlie if he makes a Rock and Roll album! From about 10 mins in!

Didn't Charles know abou Carnie & Wendy?

[Cam Mott]

That quote in the rolling stone article is enough to make you hate Mike Love.

What a tool

Yes, how terrible of him to call it brilliant and beautiful. What an awful, awful man.

So you missed him blowing his brains out with a gun, saying that because he didn't write it, it doesn't have a "silver cloud". If Mike got his hands on that song he would have changed it to "Summer's gone but not for long".

Yes, he mimed blowing his brains out. God forbid anyone ever make a joke. And what he's saying about his own writing is *exactly what all the people who attack Mike say about it too*. He said that if he'd done it, it would have been happier -- which it would. He didn't say it was bad, just that he would have done it differently.

Andrew, usually I think you are the voice of reason on here, but I gotta disagree with you. Let's really look at what Mike said. "It's brilliant, beautiful". That seems like him just trying to cover his ass before complaining. And ultimately, what is the point of complaining? That would be like somebody saying "yeah, 'Fun, Fun, Fun' is cool, nice, but it's the story told in the lyrics is lame, and ya know, if I wrote the lyrics it would have a better story." It's just like, ya know, what's the point of making that point? And really, I think "From There To Back Again" is uplifting, way more than something like "Summer Of Love" where he's singing about doin' it in a swimming pool. And he made a point of doing all this in a Rolling Stone interview. And whatever you wanna say about the man, he's not stupid. He knew exactly what he was doing.

I just think it's a shame that the man really cannot write a good lyric anymore*. Even on his latest unreleased solo work, the lyrics were pretty ham-handed. Stuff like "Unleash The Love" just sounded like world peace posters, and stuff like "Pisces Brothers" was just him trying to mention once again, "hey I knew The Beatles!", like the time he said Carl died of cancer, ya know, like one of THE BEATLES! It's like, okay Mike, great. Why the need to mention that? He's so very calculated to try to look "cool" at certain points and it just comes off as twice as clueless. Kinda like that interview from last weekend where Bruce was trying to impress the reporter by talking about Kenny Chesney and how he lives near Brad Paisley. Cool Bruce! You are in one of the greatest groups in American history, but the fact that you like right-wing country-pop, you are just so hip! Oh wait, no, you're clueless.

I would say it's sad that Mike has descended into a clueless self parody, but he seems happy where he is. He got to reunite with Brian and get a bunch of promotion. He got to do a few more songs about "good vibrations" and "fun, fun, fun" and "gettin' around". But he wasn't so into that sad "art" so now he's happy to go on his way with his lackey Johnston. Which is his prerogative.


*"Isn't It Time" has a decent set of lyrics. Probably his best in, what, 30 years?

I don't know if Mike is over reaching or not. It sounds pretty much like typical old manspeak where you only have so many stories so you can't help but repeat them, plus as you slip into irrelevance you feel compelled to share your story more.

If he is overreaching maybe, as someone pointed out, he feels like he has 30 years of denied legacy to catch up and possibly decades of "journalistic" slanderish doesn't help either.

[bgas]

Interesting you brought up Song Cycle,as I was about to edit my post and state there's an example of the lyrics being IMHO better than the music, are better standalone.

It seems it's tough everywhere for songwriters:    http://www.theonion.com/articles/bob-dylan-lays-off-2000-workers-from-songwriting-f,31407/? 
 

[Sam_BFC]

Lyrics have never been the band's strong suite

Lyrics are a significant part of the reason why I love The Beach Boys.  Also agree that there are of course many moments where the quality of the music transcends any lyrical weaknesses.

[Shady]

The Beach Boys were incredible lyricists

Busy Doin Nothin, Till I die, All I wanna Do. That is just a very, very small selection of songs I consider to be lyrically perfect.

I agree with Sam_BFC, the lyrics to Beach Boys songs are one of the reasons I fell in love with them