Mike Love Appreciation thread

[Quzi]

This thread is ONLY for Mike appreciation. If one of you even THINKS about bringing the negativity that's crowded practically every other thread on this forum, I will forceably take over the Internet and ban you from Smileysmile and every other forum imagineable and give you a pistol whipping worthy of being dealt by Bruce Johnson himself.

[the professor]

He wrote the words to Warmth of the Sun, the single most beautiful BB song and the most divinely inspired song that Mike and Brian wrote together. The song brings me to my knees every time I hear it. Mike also wrote "told my folks I  would be alright," one of the single most humane and sensitive depictions of young love and parental relations and support (in Kiss me Baby).  Let me put it better: it's a real young man's moment emotionally, vulnerable, with his caring mom and dad.  The Professor could go on listing how many moving, genuine lyrics Mike wrote. I am on record as praising him widely. I want him back with the others Boys.

[Rocky Raccoon]

This thread is ONLY for Mike appreciation. If one of you even THINKS about bringing the negativity that's crowded practically every other thread on this forum, I will forceably take over the Internet and ban you from Smileysmile and every other forum imagineable and give you a pistol whipping worthy of being dealt by Bruce Johnson himself.

Well thank god there's no negativity in this thread. 

Anyways, Mike Love seems like a chill dude.  Out of touch, sure, but I think his intentions are good and I think he's a great singer and frontman.  His daughter, Ambha is also really sweet, I've talked to her on Tumblr a few times and the relationship between the two is truly something to admire.

[Justin]

I dig Mike Love.

[Lonely Summer]

Lest we forget, he did sing on Pet Sounds and SMiLE.

[runnersdialzero]

Every time you add a Y to Mike's first name, he eats a baby to prove how horrible he really is.

[Quzi]

Some of my favourite vocal performances by the Lovester:

1. Kiss Me, Baby
2. Aren't You Glad
3. All I Wanna Do
4. Surfin' U.S.A.
5. That's Not Me
6. 409
7. All I Want to Do
8. Here Today
9. Big Sur
10. Meant for You

[Nicko1234]

One thing I think that is overlooked sometimes about Mike is the fact that he never seems to phone it in onstage even though he has performed those songs thousands of times. Most groups who started decades ago become greatest hits acts and some get sick of performing because of it (eg. Daryl Dragon said in an interview years ago that that's why Captain and Tenille quit touring). It is pretty rare I think to have a frontman who will give the crowd what they want and won't resent them for it.

Aside from that, Mike obviously deserves praise for his vocal and lyrical contributions from the band's beginning up to 1973. And some (only some) of his solo work is worth a listen too.

[Quzi]

Mike got heckled a few times on the C50 tour when he began talking about TM before playing "All This is That". I appreciate how despite it being ammunition his detractors use against him and it falling out of vogue 40 years ago, he hasn't surrendered his beliefs to peer pressure, remaining a devoted practitioner of TM amidst all of the adversity.



Massive respect was gained when I saw the album this photo was sourced from posted on his facebook.

[halblaineisgood]

.

[modestmaus]

His lyrics on Today ("Kiss Me, Baby" has been mentioned. "When I Grow Up (To Be A Man)" and "Please Let Me Wonder" are really strong material as well.)
A high count of excellent vocal performances.

CONTROVERSIAL OPINION TIME WARNING


In a manner of speaking, he was kind of right when it came to Van Dyke Parks' Smile lyrics. Now before you sharpen those axes let me state: I love Van Dyke's lyrics and had Smile been completed I would have wanted it done with his lyrics as intended.
But Mike's right about it not being quite 'commercial' material. The H&V single 'bombing' the way it did I think could be mainly blamed on the lyrics. And hey, the lyrics to H&V, from my personal view, are some of the best written but if you try to see it from your average feller's or lady's view point the lyrics are a bit inaccessible.

[runnersdialzero]

Mike got heckled a few times on the C50 tour when he began talking about TM before playing "All This is That". I appreciate how despite it being ammunition his detractors use against him and it falling out of vogue 40 years ago, he hasn't surrendered his beliefs to peer pressure, remaining a devoted practitioner of TM amidst all of the adversity.

Massive respect was gained when I saw the album this photo was sourced from posted on his facebook.

True story.

[runnersdialzero]

In a manner of speaking, he was kind of right when it came to Van Dyke Parks' Smile lyrics. Now before you sharpen those axes let me state: I love Van Dyke's lyrics and had Smile been completed I would have wanted it done with his lyrics as intended.
But Mike's right about it not being quite 'commercial' material. The H&V single 'bombing' the way it did I think could be mainly blamed on the lyrics. And hey, the lyrics to H&V, from my personal view, are some of the best written but if you try to see it from your average feller's or lady's view point the lyrics are a bit inaccessible.

I think when Mike says "commercial", it really feels as though he means not only what will sell to the public, but what their core fanbase would expect of them based on a few things he's said in the past. Like, their real, honest to goodness Beach Boys fans. He talked about this on one of the Smile Sessions videos - how he wondered how so and so from wherever who loved the band would take Van Dyke's lyrics. Agreed that I wouldn't have Smile any other way, but I can understand his side of things, too. The guy wanted himself and his group to do well and wasn't specifically put off by change or growth, just concerned about Van Dyke's specific imagery in the context of "Does it make sense for the Beach Boys? Will our fans love it or hate it?"

Regardless, Mike still sang the specific line of Van Dyke's that seemed to irk him the most and did so really well. The tag of "Cabin Essence" and his vocal on that part is a huge key moment from the "completed" 2011 album (or fanmix of your choice). He was a team player and ultimately trusted Brian's creative vision. He was never the ultra-nostalgic super regressive writer and performer he's consistently accused of being in the Pet Sounds/Smile era until at least 1974 or 1975 when Endless Summer happened - that's evident in stuff like "Big Sur", "All I Wanna Do", "Let The Wind Blow" etc. Those are really interesting, well-done lyrics, a huge leap forward from his early work and not at all solely "Surf sun summer hurr durr."

[Cam Mott]

Every time you add a Y to Mike's first name, he eats a baby to prove how horrible he really is.

And we appreciate that.

[Mike's Beard]

I've been banging my head on the Hoffman board lately on a thread which relates to Mike's songwriting abilites. It's shocking how many people out there genuinely believe Mike had no part in writing all the classic hits - that it was all Brian. There are also people who won't budge an inch on giving him any credit simply because they don't like him as a person.

[runnersdialzero]

I've been banging my head on the Hoffman board lately on a thread which relates to Mike's songwriting abilites. It's shocking how many people out there genuinely believe Mike had no part in writing all the classic hits - that it was all Brian. There are also people who won't budge an inch on giving him any credit simply because they don't like him as a person.

It's either that or you present them with the facts that the basis of a song was written by Mike and suddenly, "That song isn't very good anyway." Okey doke.

I also like the "He just wrote lyrics" argument (if they're even willing to give him credit, there). Writing even decent, fitting lyrics can be really fucking hard for some people. Not to take anything away from Brian, but you do wonder if things would've played out in a drastically different manner if not for Mike and Brian teaming up on so many of their early hits.

[Nicko1234]

The one thing that I really don't get is how if you say anything vaguely positive about Mike's contribution some people seem to think that it threatens Brian in some way. Clearly everybody know that Brian was a genius and saying that Mike wrote some good hooks and lyrics doesn't change that.

[Shady]

He and Brian are my Lennon/McCartney, my Jagger/Richards..

Needless to say I do appreciate him

[J.G. Dev]

Mike Love is not chicken sh*t

[Mike's Beard]

It's either that or you present them with the facts that the basis of a song was written by Mike and suddenly, "That song isn't very good anyway." Okey doke.

I also like the "He just wrote lyrics" argument (if they're even willing to give him credit, there).

Yep i've been hit with that doozy. Guess someone better tell Jagger, Plant, Tauplin etc that they are talentess fucks who caught a lucky break too.

[Gertie J.]

i like my glove..

[Cam Mott]

It's either that or you present them with the facts that the basis of a song was written by Mike and suddenly, "That song isn't very good anyway." Okey doke.

I also like the "He just wrote lyrics" argument (if they're even willing to give him credit, there).

Yep i've been hit with that doozy. Guess someone better tell Jagger, Plant, Tauplin etc that they are talentess fucks who caught a lucky break too.

Hammerstein, David, Hart...

[Moon Dawg]

 Mike's ATLANTIS RISING is a lost masterpiece.

[AndrewHickey]

It's either that or you present them with the facts that the basis of a song was written by Mike and suddenly, "That song isn't very good anyway." Okey doke.

I also like the "He just wrote lyrics" argument (if they're even willing to give him credit, there).

Yep i've been hit with that doozy. Guess someone better tell Jagger, Plant, Tauplin etc that they are talentess fucks who caught a lucky break too.

Hammerstein, David, Hart...

Unfortunately, a lot of people seem to dismiss the art of lyricists. Like the story about Oscar Hammerstein's widow at a dinner party when someone mentioned that Jerome Kern wrote Old Man River. She replied "No, Jerome Kern wrote dum dum dum-dum. *My husband* wrote Old Man River".
Or when, after Ira Gershwin testified to Congress, he was thanked and told "how much we all admire those great songs written by your brother George."

For some reason everyone seems to think that writing music is some sort of arcane magic, while anyone could dash off a lyric in a few seconds.

[Disney Boy (1985)]

The 'First Love' album is brilliant! Stylistically diverse and full of great tunes. Ok it's not all great - 'Daybreak' manages to be even more mundane than on the released version, which is saying something, and the lyrics to 'Brian's Back' are truely cringeworthy - but elsewhere the album really is excellent. 'Viggie' is one of his very finest (the 'flowers for another man' line gets me every time); 'Glow Crescent Glow' meanwhile is even better - it really is such a superb arrangement. A very moving song. 'Little Darlin' has a great melody and some really fun, interesting production (it almost sounds like Midnite Vultures-era Beck). 'Tricia' is another winner (wasn't this later passed up for inclusion on Beach Boys '85? Big mistake).

Sad that Mike (and Dennis) had all this incredible unreleased music in the late '70's and yet the band only saw fit to include a few scraps of it on L.A. Light Album (and none of it on Keepin' The Summer Alive). The inclusion of Glow Crescent Glow or I Don't Wanna Know or Viggie on any of the later albums would've massively improved 'em.

Hope we get some choice First Love cuts on MIC. These songs deserve to be heard by a wider audience.