35th Anniversary of M.I.U today....

[Custom Machine]

I also bought M.I.U. Album the day it came out and overall was very impressed with how great the vocals sounded, being particularly amazed at how good Brian's vocals sounded on Match Point of Our Love. 

Bit there where were two major low points in the album - Brian's irritatingly screeching vocal on She's Got Rhythm and his embarrassing lyrics on Hey Little Tomboy.  I also found the album title to be totally noncommercial and confusing to the general public, and Dean Torrence's cover design was generic looking and uninspired, with the white letting for "The Beach Boys" difficult to read because it didn't stand out from the background.

Back in 1978 I played this album constantly at home and in the car, but almost always skipping She's Got Rhythm, which was easy to do as it was the first track on both the LP and the cassette.  The songs on the album I really liked a lot back then and still really like a lot today include Kona Coast, Wontcha Come Out Tonight, Sweet Sunday Kind of Love, Belles of Paris, Pitter Patter, and My Diane.

After suffering though Brian's rough vocals on 15 Big Ones and Love You, his vocal performances on M.I.U. (with the exception of She's Got Rhythm) were like a breath of fresh air to me.

[shelter]

That makes MIU twelve days older than me.

It's certainly not a good album and there's not a single song on it that stands out (although She's Got Rhythm could've been a bit of a gem if Brian's vocal would've been better). But it's not terrible either. It's decent background music.

[ThyRavenAscend]

I added a poll just for fun.  We may not all agree on whether this album is good or not, but maybe we can come to a consensus on which song is the absolute worst on it.  
(Forgive me if there are already "Worst Of" polls--I didn't check!)

[Freddie French-Pounce]

Belles of Paris hands down

[donald]

Funny thing, but I used to think Peggy Sue was the most listenable song on the album.  Now I rank it as the least exciting or original song on the album.

I HATED Shes Got Rhythm  but now I like it as well as anything on the album.  I read something recently where Brian asked Mike or AL or someone, it they thought people would think they were copying the Bee Gees on the song.  Then it seemed to click.  Perhaps Brian was doing a Bee Gee falsetto for that song?

Other opinions on this?

[Disney Boy (1985)]

Interesting that 1985 connects so much with you. I listened to it half a dozen time and I just don't get anything from it. "Getcha Back"/"Male Ego" is a cool 45 though.

You know, you're right. What I don't understand is why it can't connect to many people 

I think Beach Boys '85 is easily a better album than either 15 Big Ones, MIU, KTSA and pretty much everything that followed... There's nothing on any of those albums that comes close to Where I Belong. And It's Gettin' Late, I Do Love You, Male Ego - great songs!

[FatherOfTheMan Sr101]

On My Diane-- The "Now Iiiiiii" is just AHHHH it's so spine-tingling!

[Smilin Ed H]

My least favourite songs on MIU (I couldn;t just name one):

Hey, Little Tomboy
Kona Coast
Belles of Paris
Match Point of Our Love

If push comes to shove: Kona Coast and Belles of Paris

[Awesoman]

35 years of mediocrity! 

[Phoenix]

MIU & LA were always my Beach Boys black hole.  As I've said before, my Beach Boys experience went oldies radio > Endless Summer > Spirit Of America > In Concert > Good Vibrations/Great Concert > the Preiss book > Concert > Love You > MONUMENTAL needle scratch across the record of the entire experience!  After a few listens, I was chased away from the band like I had an entire village of torch carrying animals behind me.  Check please!  *

With the poll up, I decided to listen to the whole album for the first time, possibly ever (and definitely the first time in a very long time), to make my vote and was surprised it didn't suck as much as I thought/expected.  My thoughts: The album is definitely front loaded which in the days of vinyl probably helped.  I like mostly all of side one, with the exception of "Hey Little Tomboy", which got my vote as worst on the album.  I knew it was bad (and yes, this version is a BIT better than the pedo-version) but I tried to judge it on its own merits, rather than its reputation and I'm convinced its reputation is well deserved.  It's just a dumb song.  "Bells Of Paris" is another turd but I think I gave it the edge because it wasn't stuck in the middle of a bunch of otherwise acceptable to good songs. 

Side two is definitely hit and miss with me.  It's mostly miss and NONE of them hit me particularly hard.  I think "My Diane" is highly overrated.  It's a decent vocal from that era of Dennis but the song ain't all that and the best thing about it (again, to me) is just the appearance of Dennis on the album; like "Oh yeah...and that guy too!  I always liked him."  The biggest surprise is the minimal vocal involvement from Carl but I guess this was another time where the label wanted as much Brian as possible and with Al calling the production shots and Mike firmly holding on to his post-Endless Summer position, the other Wilsons wound up getting a bit of the shaft.  (Funny how Mike complains that the album was "too democratic".)  And speaking of Brian's "forced" involvement, I think he really came through for the guys.  Nearly a full album's worth of music and very few out right duds.  Even "Hey Little Tomboy" might have been saved with different lyrics and subject matter.








* I returned briefly with Keepin' The Summer Alive and that year's Independence Day concert but with no new album for the next five years, I quickly lost interest and they were out of site, out of mind.  "California Dreaming" brought me back and Live Aid, Farm Aid, and "Kokomo" (great hook and big commercial triumph) kept me interested but then I read Wouldn't It Be Nice and (not knowing the story) felt the band was a bunch of A-holes and didn't pay any attention to them until the box set, which kept me satisfied until the Pet Sounds box.  After buying that, I went back and started buying the other stuff but stayed pre-Endless Summer, just to be safe, FINALLY getting some other stuff when the last batch of two-fers came out.

...And now you know...the REST of the story. 

[MBE]

Interesting that 1985 connects so much with you. I listened to it half a dozen time and I just don't get anything from it. "Getcha Back"/"Male Ego" is a cool 45 though.

You know, you're right. What I don't understand is why it can't connect to many people 

Yeah that happens to me a lot sometimes with music. It doesn't matter what others think anyhow, if you like it that's all that counts.

[ThyRavenAscend]

3 people voted for "My Diane" as the worst song on the album?!  I think there are just 3 dramatic people who think the song is overrated... 

[Summertime Blooz]

Happy Anniversary, MIU! I am sorry for all the years that I said you were unlistenable. My eyes have been opened by this message board and I now realize that you are merely mediocre, not unlistenable. Heck, I would now rate you higher than your kid brothers LA or KTSA, those little scamp underachievers! Please forgive me for all the wasted years, but when you were born it was at a time when "Gabba Gabba Hey" seemed to have more meaning to my life than "Pitter Patter". I suppose it didn't help that Pablo Cruise was currently doing the same kind of music that you offered and nobody took them seriously either. I promise that from now on I will listen to you, in all your  humble mediocrity,  on a more regular basis. You could never hope to compete with your more gifted cousins (much like a certain Beach Boy I know), but I think you have a good heart.

[Mike's Beard]

Up until the toe curling last song the second side of MIU is actually rather good. Some of the arrangements are a tad cheesy but the songwriting itself is fairly solid. MIU really would have been better with more Dennis and Carl involvement but then LA Light suffers for lack of Brian, Mike and Al.

[chrs_mrgn]

Voted for match point

[Gabo]

maaaaaaatch pooooooooooooint

[Sheriff John Stone]

I think "Matchpoint Of Our Love" is a good/borderline great song. I think the melody is very good, the arrangement is very good, Brian's vocal is great, the background vocals are great, and the lyrics are, um, good. The tennis metaphors never bothered me, and I always focused more on the heartfelt, "No one ever held me the way you did...No one could ever love me the way you did...how could love slip away from me-ee" That part makes me think of Dennis Wilson POB lyrics.

[bluesno1fann]

I think "Matchpoint Of Our Love" is a good/borderline great song. I think the melody is very good, the arrangement is very good, Brian's vocal is great, the background vocals are great, and the lyrics are, um, good. The tennis metaphors never bothered me, and I always focused more on the heartfelt, "No one ever held me the way you did...No one could ever love me the way you did...how could love slip away from me-ee" That part makes me think of Dennis Wilson POB lyrics.

I sort-of agree. The melody is great, Arrangement is excellent, Brian's vocals is one of the best from the Late 70's, the Background vocals are quite good, but the lyrics are absolutely sh*t

[Shady]

I like most of M.I.U, a pretty great terrible album.

"Winds of change" made me question Al's ability to handle a lead for a while though.

[ThyRavenAscend]

I like most of M.I.U, a pretty great terrible album.

lol, this confusing/indecisive blurb sums it up pretty well.

"Winds of change" made me question Al's ability to handle a lead for a while though.

I don't understand why people loathe "Winds of Change"--I actually really like it.  In fact, it's one of the only BBs songs that moves me emotionally (even though it's pretty much straight-up cheeze).  Am I missing something?

[metal flake paint]

I like most of M.I.U, a pretty great terrible album.

lol, this confusing/indecisive blurb sums it up pretty well.

"Winds of change" made me question Al's ability to handle a lead for a while though.

I don't understand why people loathe "Winds of Change"--I actually really like it.  In fact, it's one of the only BBs songs that moves me emotionally (even though it's pretty much straight-up cheeze).  Am I missing something?

No, both versions have their merits.

[Lonely Summer]

Interesting that 1985 connects so much with you. I listened to it half a dozen time and I just don't get anything from it. "Getcha Back"/"Male Ego" is a cool 45 though.

You know, you're right. What I don't understand is why it can't connect to many people 

I think Beach Boys '85 is easily a better album than either 15 Big Ones, MIU, KTSA and pretty much everything that followed... There's nothing on any of those albums that comes close to Where I Belong. And It's Gettin' Late, I Do Love You, Male Ego - great songs!

I agree with you 100%. MIU is one of the weakest BB's albums...but worse was to come. I think absolute rock bottom has gotta be SIP and S&S.

[Disney Boy (1985)]

I like most of M.I.U, a pretty great terrible album.

"Winds of change" made me question Al's ability to handle a lead for a while though.

"A pretty great terrible album" - brilliant! Sums up MIU perfectly.

Personally I think the back-to-back trio of Pitter Patter/My Diane/Matchpoint is pretty damn good - it's just a pity about the rest of the album really...

[Please delete my account]

"Match Point Of Our Love" and "My Diane" are the twin stellar beacons on this album. I can't believe how many people hate the former. Who cares about the lyrics, it's a great tune with an awesome vocal.

[Gertie J.]

i do care. bad bad bad bad lyrics.