Why didn't Brian fire Mike?

[runnersdialzero]

This thread should self-destruct. It is an embarrassment to my life. 

[Freddie French-Pounce]

This thread should self-destruct. It is an embarrassment to my life. 

Agreed

[feelsflow]

This thread should self-destruct. It is an embarrassment to my life. 

Agreed

Agreed, close it down.  First, let's just keep adding and building on the word AGREED til it takes up a whole page.  Mods, wave your magic wands, and it will fall off the charts.

Mike does not deserve this kind of hate here.  He is a Beach Boy.  How can you love the band, and say this sh*t?

It's okay to poke fun now and then, but these kinds of threads ARE an embarrassment.  I like Mike.  I can't see the point of what if-ing the 60's band.

[feelsflow]

If what I read on this board is true, and Mike Love is Evil Incarnate, a money grubbing bastard that never cared about the music, why didn't Brian fire him back in 1966?

Fire was one the SMiLE album "elements" and SMiLE was not released at the time. Brian released his own version of SMiLE in 2004.

Lonely Summer,  Most of us are joking.  Mike is NOT "evil incarnate"...and everybody wants more money.

[Robbie Mac]

And please stop saying Mike was not an important part of the vocal mix on the records.  Mike and Brian's co-leads on so many of the mid-sixties tracks made them what they are.  

Exactly. Listen to this - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTsL_ImgWn0 - and then tell me Mike isn't a vital part of the vocal mix.

Well that's just 2:45 mins of perfection right there.

I got a "this video has been removed"  notice.

[Lonely Summer]

I think a lot of people on this board are Brian Wilson fans, aka Brianistas, some are Dennis Wilson fans, and some are Beach Boys fans. Brianistas think Brian was/is a genius who could have accomplished much more than he did, if only he hadn't been held back by those no-talent, money grubbing Beach Boys (except for Dennis - he was cool because he was a real surfer, had more women than God, and died young, and dying young is always good for rock 'n' roll people). Beach Boys fans agree that Brian was (and maybe still is?) a genius, and that he accomplished so much of what he did in part through the efforts of his bandmates.

[drbeachboy]

I think a lot of people on this board are Brian Wilson fans, aka Brianistas, some are Dennis Wilson fans, and some are Beach Boys fans. Brianistas think Brian was/is a genius who could have accomplished much more than he did, if only he hadn't been held back by those no-talent, money grubbing Beach Boys (except for Dennis - he was cool because he was a real surfer, had more women than God, and died young, and dying young is always good for rock 'n' roll people). Beach Boys fans agree that Brian was (and maybe still is?) a genius, and that he accomplished so much of what he did in part through the efforts of his bandmates.

You got that about right. Include me in the "Beach Boys fans" camp.

[feelsflow]

Then I'm a Beach Boys fan.  They all made it what it was.  I don't think Brian could have done it on his own.  Saying that, I do like Brian, Dennis, and Carl the best of the Beach Boys.  Some folks here like Al or Mike the best.

[bluesno1fann]

No way I'm a Brianista either. Yes, Brian was a genius. But I love all the Wilsons. And Dennis is my favourite anyway. He and Carl were also very talented.
I also really like Al, David, Bruce (I know, I know. Enough with the Bruce bashing!), Blondie, and Ricky. All of them seem like great people, and have also made some terrific music

[Andrew G. Doe]

And please stop saying Mike was not an important part of the vocal mix on the records.  Mike and Brian's co-leads on so many of the mid-sixties tracks made them what they are.  

Exactly. Listen to this - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTsL_ImgWn0 - and then tell me Mike isn't a vital part of the vocal mix.

Well that's just 2:45 mins of perfection right there.

I got a "this video has been removed"  notice.

Can't see why - just tried it, no problems at all. God probably hates you.

[Alan Smith]

I think a lot of people on this board are Brian Wilson fans, aka Brianistas, some are Dennis Wilson fans, and some are Beach Boys fans. Brianistas think Brian was/is a genius who could have accomplished much more than he did, if only he hadn't been held back by those no-talent, money grubbing Beach Boys (except for Dennis - he was cool because he was a real surfer, had more women than God, and died young, and dying young is always good for rock 'n' roll people). Beach Boys fans agree that Brian was (and maybe still is?) a genius, and that he accomplished so much of what he did in part through the efforts of his bandmates.

Well said! Although a slight oversight not giving a shout-out to the few Alanistas here 

Count me in the BB camp as well - oh, how I want to be in that number!

[Lonely Summer]

I do like the Wilsons the best, but each member brought something special to the group. Although these days, it is hard to figure out exactly what it is that Bruce does in the band, beyond adjusting his mic stand and getting the crowds to clap along. The member my attitude has changed the most about is David. Years ago, when I was reading the books about the group from David Leaf, et al, David Marks was barely mentioned. Now I know how important his guitar playing was to the early sound of the group, and he was one of the definite highlights of C50.

[Alan Smith]

I do like the Wilsons the best, but each member brought something special to the group. Although these days, it is hard to figure out exactly what it is that Bruce does in the band, beyond adjusting his mic stand and getting the crowds to clap along. The member my attitude has changed the most about is David. Years ago, when I was reading the books about the group from David Leaf, et al, David Marks was barely mentioned. Now I know how important his guitar playing was to the early sound of the group, and he was one of the definite highlights of C50.

re Bruce these days.

Back in the day (I  think) Bruce bought an objective producers eye - evidenced in that vox sessions fragment where post-take Brian asks Bruce in the control room how the take sounded - and Bruce said "It was ok, but it wasn't, y'know, great" (or something along those lines).

Essentially, he helped to push/challenge things a little - perhaps not a mega contribution, but an important one none the less.

And, perhaps his current involvement is no more than his early one - he's just there to push it along a bit and perhaps make things a bit more spesh than otherwise, maybe.

Totally behind ya re David Marks:  

[Micha]

Some folks here like Al or Mike the best.

Umm... I don't think I have a favorite Beach Boy! Since C50 Dave comes across as the most sympathetic.

Hands up, who here likes Mike the best? I expect not even the Mike Love apologists like myself do.

[Lonely Summer]

Bruce, IMO, is kind of a sad story, because as others have pointed out to me here, he does have a major amount of talent as an arranger, keyboard player, and a very nice voice, but his role in the M&B show is so minimal. I can't imagine, say, Carl, if he were still here, just coasting along like Bruce does. He still be giving us several strong vocal spotlights in every show, and still playing those classic guitar solos. Al sure seems to be underutilized in the BAD shows, he's the member with by far the best voice at this stage of the game, but only gets to sing lead on 4 or 5 songs per show. Maybe this will change over time, but probably not. Al just isn't the kind of guy to push himself, probably just happy to have a gig now.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

Some folks here like Al or Mike the best.

Umm... I don't think I have a favorite Beach Boy! Since C50 Dave comes across as the most sympathetic.

Hands up, who here likes Mike the best? I expect not even the Mike Love apologists like myself do.

Mike is certainly the most fascinating/interesting/exasperating Beach Boy next to Brian ,and his best vocals (including many bass/background parts) are supernaturally amazing.

Mike doesn't need to be, and shouldn't be anyone's fsvorite because he was a team player in a great team. His contributions didn't stand out like Dennis' songs because Mike was so much of the basic Beach Boys DNA. You hear Mike's voice and your mind recognizes what you're hearing as The Beach Boys. This is key point about Mike.

[Cam Mott]

Some folks here like Al or Mike the best.

Umm... I don't think I have a favorite Beach Boy! Since C50 Dave comes across as the most sympathetic.

Hands up, who here likes Mike the best? I expect not even the Mike Love apologists like myself do.

Mike is certainly the most fascinating/interesting/exasperating Beach Boy next to Brian ,and his best vocals (including many bass/background parts) are supernaturally amazing.

Mike doesn't need to be, and shouldn't be anyone's fsvorite because he was a team player in a great team. His contributions didn't stand out like Dennis' songs because Mike was so much of the basic Beach Boys DNA. You hear Mike's voice and your mind recognizes what you're hearing as The Beach Boys. This is key point about Mike.

You are so wise Pinder-san.

[feelsflow]

Pinter,  Welcome to the "Alternate Mike/HuffPost" thread, where we like ALL The Beach Boys!  Even Joe is welcome here.

Yes indeed, this thread is shaping up.

 

[leggo of my ego]

As long as I don't have to like Stamos, I will be a Beach Boys fan. 

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

As long as I don't have to like Stamos, I will be a Beach Boys fan. 

"Stamaoists" anyone? 

[SMiLE Brian]

They were purged in 2005....

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

They were purged in 2005....

But that was back before his heroic contributions to the C50 tour

[Don Malcolm]

Oh, brother. Mike has shown a lamentable tendency to regress into the pre-Beach Boys Today! weltanschauung (there's the twelve-bit word for today...), and his politics too often drift toward squishy-Fascist....but he's a great singer, equally proficient on lead and backup, and all phases of the Beach Boys oeuvre (six bits! six bits!) would be untenable without him. Brian would never fire Mike because his voice is one of the key foundations that makes 'em great. Brian has known it since Day One, and he still knows it.

Now, writing with him is an entire different matter.... 

[Andrew G. Doe]

Brian would never fire Mike because his voice is one of the key foundations that makes 'em great. Brian has known it since Day One, and he still knows it.

I'll just slip into "keep-saying-this-until-it-sticks" mode, if that's OK with y'all. 

Brian didn't fire Mike because he couldn't, at least not without the support of both brothers 1964-70. After that, my guess is he was more interested in feeding his myriad habits than The Beach Boys, at least to that extent.

[Micha]

Brian would never fire Mike because his voice is one of the key foundations that makes 'em great. Brian has known it since Day One, and he still knows it.

I'll just slip into "keep-saying-this-until-it-sticks" mode, if that's OK with y'all. 

Brian didn't fire Mike because he couldn't, at least not without the support of both brothers 1964-70. After that, my guess is he was more interested in feeding his myriad habits than The Beach Boys, at least to that extent.

If that was the only reason, it would imply Briane really did want to fire him. Did he?