Stamos accused…

[ESQ Editor]

Here's a question (please don't answer AGD):
Which member of The Beach Boys is primarily responsible for initiating the group's changing back to oldies act in 1974?

Don't guess… Oh, and it wasn't John Stamos.

Carl?

Not Carl…not Mike…not Brian…not Bruce…not Al.

Wait for it…  DENNIS!

[Mike's Beard]

I agree that the MIC album is an excellent representation of THE Beach Boys' career. I don't think it represents the current incarnation of the band however.

This may come as something of a shock to you, so you might want to sit down... but MiC isn't supposed to represent the current incarnation of The Beach Boys: it's a comprehensive overview of their career 1961-2012, as you've already stated. Thus you've entirely invalidated whatever abstruse point you were trying to make.

It was fille de plage who wrote "MIC is as serious as it gets and in my view the absolute jewel in their creative crown."  This was in reply to my comment "Of course the Beach Boys have been successful for many years but the current incarnation of the band is successful as a touring outfit playing mainly old hits. It's popular but the band hardly present themselves 'seriously' IMO."

As M&B's BBs are not allowed as I understand it to record new material under the name 'the Beach Boys' obviously MIC has nothing to do with them as a band although Mike and Bruce were  both part of The Beach Boys in an earlier incarnation.

I don't dispute that M&B's band are hard working and take their job seriously. I do dispute that the version of the Beach Boys they present shows the music at its best. Even though in some shows Brian does a similar set, there isn't the same carnival atmosphere of beach balls being thrown around. Someone recently commented on FB how good it was to hear the quiet bit of GV without Mike talking over it. THAT kind of taking it seriously.

Just because Mike likes to have fun and connect with the crowd does not mean he doesn't take the music they are playing seriously. Would you prefer if he sat stone faced behind a keyboard the whole show like someone we could name?

[drbeachboy]

Here's a question (please don't answer AGD):
Which member of The Beach Boys is primarily responsible for initiating the group's changing back to oldies act in 1974?

Don't guess… Oh, and it wasn't John Stamos.

Carl?

Not Carl…not Mike…not Brian…not Bruce…not Al.

Wait for it…  DENNIS!

David, didn't Jim Guercio also have a pretty big hand in it, as well?

[KittyKat]

Oh. My. God. Beach balls!

I actually saw beach balls being tossed around at one Brian Wilson outdoor gig. In some of these comments, I see contempt for the audience.  When people say things like the Beach Boys "don't need that type of popularity," that's dissing the people who go to the shows. Maybe those cretins who are in those tasteless audiences, tossing around beach balls, should stay home and only let intellectual hipsters go to shows featuring the music of Brian Wilson.

[Cyncie]

So,  as far as I'm concerned, if the Mike and Bruce show wants to let Stamos play rock idol, so be it. It annoys me, and I'd skip paying good money to see him; but if they're having fun and the soccer moms enjoy screaming for Stamos, I wish them well.

Bravo. Well Worded.

I will hopefully agree and maybe we wont be labeled as "haters"

Hope so. I mean, it's okay to invite your frat brothers to the Saturday night kegger, but another thing entirely to bring them to the family reunion.

[drbeachboy]

You know, even the years between 1970 and 1974, at least 50% of the show was music from 1967 and back. Even then audiences wanted to hear the songs that they were more familiar with.

[Cyncie]

I agree that the MIC album is an excellent representation of THE Beach Boys' career. I don't think it represents the current incarnation of the band however.

This may come as something of a shock to you, so you might want to sit down... but MiC isn't supposed to represent the current incarnation of The Beach Boys: it's a comprehensive overview of their career 1961-2012, as you've already stated. Thus you've entirely invalidated whatever abstruse point you were trying to make.

It was fille de plage who wrote "MIC is as serious as it gets and in my view the absolute jewel in their creative crown."  This was in reply to my comment "Of course the Beach Boys have been successful for many years but the current incarnation of the band is successful as a touring outfit playing mainly old hits. It's popular but the band hardly present themselves 'seriously' IMO."

As M&B's BBs are not allowed as I understand it to record new material under the name 'the Beach Boys' obviously MIC has nothing to do with them as a band although Mike and Bruce were  both part of The Beach Boys in an earlier incarnation.

I don't dispute that M&B's band are hard working and take their job seriously. I do dispute that the version of the Beach Boys they present shows the music at its best. Even though in some shows Brian does a similar set, there isn't the same carnival atmosphere of beach balls being thrown around. Someone recently commented on FB how good it was to hear the quiet bit of GV without Mike talking over it. THAT kind of taking it seriously.

Just because Mike likes to have fun and connect with the crowd does not mean he doesn't take the music they are playing seriously. Would you prefer if he sat stone faced behind a keyboard the whole show like someone we could name?

Time for me to vacate this thread now that we've started taking pot shots at a mentally ill man.  No matter that he wrote most of that music…  fun in the sun stuff and serious ground breaking pop alike.

[guitarfool2002]

A lot of this goes back in the past, and it's funny bringing up the MIC box set because I think the 1993 GV box set actually had more of an impact on the band's image and "legacy" especially considering when it appeared.

This box set in 1993 was exactly what the band needed. After Kokomo, we could argue they were spinning pretty wildly out of control, image wise. What "new" music did we get after Kokomo? Anything worth noting? Anything dare I say "good"?

The box set comes out, people took notice and listened to the music. Wow, these guys were pretty good, actually they were great. The proof is in the music. Listen to disc 2. Disc 1, wow, what a string of hits, incredible hits that sound great 30 years later. Disc 3, wow I never heard that one before!

Common reactions. The music as it almost always does won them over. It wasn't the stage show, it wasn't the TV appearances, it was the music. In the few years after that box set, there were the surfboards, beach balls, and the dancers dressed as cheerleaders or beach bunnies.

At this point I really don't care what the shows were, but at some point I go back to my mindset in the mid 90's as someone who was getting *heavily* into this band and happily sharing these revelations with other friends and musicians, yet the stage shows and the TV appearances seemed so far removed from the reasons why so many reacted positively to that 93 box set that it seemed there were two separate Beach Boys. People could want to hear more based on the box set opening up a lot of doors and minds, then the new offerings labeled "Beach Boys" consisted of Baywatch, dancers and surfboards on stage, and various TV appearances. Oh, and the Stars And Stripes project which instead of new material was an album full of country-flavored covers of old hits, none of which came close to the originals enough to enjoy as a separate entity, except maybe Willie Nelson because he's such a unique voice.

There wasn't much fruit on that tree in the 90's for those who got into the 93 box set and saw the band in a different light, and it got progressively worse. And the fact these were conscious business and career decisions and not flukes or accidents is what stands out.

[guitarfool2002]

Just because Mike likes to have fun and connect with the crowd does not mean he doesn't take the music they are playing seriously. Would you prefer if he sat stone faced behind a keyboard the whole show like someone we could name?

Doesn't Bruce stand behind his keyboard?

[Mike's Beard]

Just because Mike likes to have fun and connect with the crowd does not mean he doesn't take the music they are playing seriously. Would you prefer if he sat stone faced behind a keyboard the whole show like someone we could name?

Doesn't Bruce stand behind his keyboard?

Only when he's not jumping around Mike.

[Robbie Mac]

Sweet Jesus.

This is a question to the pro-Mike crowd: would it kill you guys to at least admit that the pro-Brian folks have legitimate points that don't deserve to be dismissed as "patently absurd"? The pro-Brian crowd have been generous in giving Mike his due credit and I, in the recent past, gave Stamos his due credit for choosing a deep cut to perform on his popular TV. Show. But where is the due credit from the pro-Mike crowd toward "our" arguments?  Why is it always "that's patently absurd" or "you don't know what you're talking about" or (and this, to me, is the worst insult a BB fan could give another BB fan) "Bloo Board's that way"?

All of that makes debate on this board so frustrating. And it does nothing. Absolutely nothing.

[Robbie Mac]

I agree that the MIC album is an excellent representation of THE Beach Boys' career. I don't think it represents the current incarnation of the band however.

This may come as something of a shock to you, so you might want to sit down... but MiC isn't supposed to represent the current incarnation of The Beach Boys: it's a comprehensive overview of their career 1961-2012, as you've already stated. Thus you've entirely invalidated whatever abstruse point you were trying to make.

It was fille de plage who wrote "MIC is as serious as it gets and in my view the absolute jewel in their creative crown."  This was in reply to my comment "Of course the Beach Boys have been successful for many years but the current incarnation of the band is successful as a touring outfit playing mainly old hits. It's popular but the band hardly present themselves 'seriously' IMO."

As M&B's BBs are not allowed as I understand it to record new material under the name 'the Beach Boys' obviously MIC has nothing to do with them as a band although Mike and Bruce were  both part of The Beach Boys in an earlier incarnation.

I don't dispute that M&B's band are hard working and take their job seriously. I do dispute that the version of the Beach Boys they present shows the music at its best. Even though in some shows Brian does a similar set, there isn't the same carnival atmosphere of beach balls being thrown around. Someone recently commented on FB how good it was to hear the quiet bit of GV without Mike talking over it. THAT kind of taking it seriously.

Just because Mike likes to have fun and connect with the crowd does not mean he doesn't take the music they are playing seriously. Would you prefer if he sat stone faced behind a keyboard the whole show like someone we could name?

Time for me to vacate this thread now that we've started taking pot shots at a mentally ill man.  No matter that he wrote most of that music…  fun in the sun stuff and serious ground breaking pop alike.

That's a mild dig compared to some of the stuff (including some said by a recently departed moderator) that has been said here about Brian.

[drbeachboy]

Sweet Jesus.

This is a question to the pro-Mike crowd: would it kill you guys to at least admit that the pro-Brian folks have legitimate points that don't deserve to be dismissed as "patently absurd"? The pro-Brian crowd have been generous in giving Mike his due credit and I, in the recent past, gave Stamos his due credit for choosing a deep cut to perform on his popular TV. Show. But where is the due credit from the pro-Mike crowd toward "our" arguments?  Why is it always "that's patently absurd" or "you don't know what you're talking about" or (and this, to me, is the worst insult a BB fan could give another BB fan) "Bloo Board's that way"?

All of that makes debate on this board so frustrating. And it does nothing. Absolutely nothing.

There been plenty here jumping on Stamos being on stage, even though it is harmless. But they keep arguing that is harmful right down to album releases released during Stamos' time with the band. Andy, this sh*t works both ways.

[guitarfool2002]

Just because Mike likes to have fun and connect with the crowd does not mean he doesn't take the music they are playing seriously. Would you prefer if he sat stone faced behind a keyboard the whole show like someone we could name?

Doesn't Bruce stand behind his keyboard?

Only when he's not jumping around Mike.

Is he playing when he's jumping around Mike?

[Robbie Mac]

Sweet Jesus.

This is a question to the pro-Mike crowd: would it kill you guys to at least admit that the pro-Brian folks have legitimate points that don't deserve to be dismissed as "patently absurd"? The pro-Brian crowd have been generous in giving Mike his due credit and I, in the recent past, gave Stamos his due credit for choosing a deep cut to perform on his popular TV. Show. But where is the due credit from the pro-Mike crowd toward "our" arguments?  Why is it always "that's patently absurd" or "you don't know what you're talking about" or (and this, to me, is the worst insult a BB fan could give another BB fan) "Bloo Board's that way"?

All of that makes debate on this board so frustrating. And it does nothing. Absolutely nothing.

There been plenty here jumping on Stamos being on stage, even though it is harmless. But they keep arguing that is harmful right down to album releases released during Stamos' time with the band. Andy, this sh*t works both ways.

That is not what was being said.

[Mike's Beard]

Just because Mike likes to have fun and connect with the crowd does not mean he doesn't take the music they are playing seriously. Would you prefer if he sat stone faced behind a keyboard the whole show like someone we could name?

Doesn't Bruce stand behind his keyboard?

Only when he's not jumping around Mike.

Is he playing when he's jumping around Mike?

Only the crowd.

[drbeachboy]

Sweet Jesus.

This is a question to the pro-Mike crowd: would it kill you guys to at least admit that the pro-Brian folks have legitimate points that don't deserve to be dismissed as "patently absurd"? The pro-Brian crowd have been generous in giving Mike his due credit and I, in the recent past, gave Stamos his due credit for choosing a deep cut to perform on his popular TV. Show. But where is the due credit from the pro-Mike crowd toward "our" arguments?  Why is it always "that's patently absurd" or "you don't know what you're talking about" or (and this, to me, is the worst insult a BB fan could give another BB fan) "Bloo Board's that way"?

All of that makes debate on this board so frustrating. And it does nothing. Absolutely nothing.

There been plenty here jumping on Stamos being on stage, even though it is harmless. But they keep arguing that is harmful right down to album releases released during Stamos' time with the band. Andy, this sh*t works both ways.

That is not what was being said.

Been here for all 20 pages of this idiotic thread, and yes, that is what is being said. Like most topics in this place, it always degenerates to a Brian vs Mike debate. Even with this Stamos stuff, I'd bet that even if Brian & Mike were touring together, there would still be folks in here arguing whether Mike was pressuring Brian to accept Stamos touring with them every Summer.

[Jim V.]

I agree that the MIC album is an excellent representation of THE Beach Boys' career. I don't think it represents the current incarnation of the band however.

This may come as something of a shock to you, so you might want to sit down... but MiC isn't supposed to represent the current incarnation of The Beach Boys: it's a comprehensive overview of their career 1961-2012, as you've already stated. Thus you've entirely invalidated whatever abstruse point you were trying to make.

It was fille de plage who wrote "MIC is as serious as it gets and in my view the absolute jewel in their creative crown."  This was in reply to my comment "Of course the Beach Boys have been successful for many years but the current incarnation of the band is successful as a touring outfit playing mainly old hits. It's popular but the band hardly present themselves 'seriously' IMO."

As M&B's BBs are not allowed as I understand it to record new material under the name 'the Beach Boys' obviously MIC has nothing to do with them as a band although Mike and Bruce were  both part of The Beach Boys in an earlier incarnation.

I don't dispute that M&B's band are hard working and take their job seriously. I do dispute that the version of the Beach Boys they present shows the music at its best. Even though in some shows Brian does a similar set, there isn't the same carnival atmosphere of beach balls being thrown around. Someone recently commented on FB how good it was to hear the quiet bit of GV without Mike talking over it. THAT kind of taking it seriously.

Just because Mike likes to have fun and connect with the crowd does not mean he doesn't take the music they are playing seriously. Would you prefer if he sat stone faced behind a keyboard the whole show like someone we could name?

Time for me to vacate this thread now that we've started taking pot shots at a mentally ill man.  No matter that he wrote most of that music…  fun in the sun stuff and serious ground breaking pop alike.

That's a mild dig compared to some of the stuff (including some said by a recently departed moderator) that has been said here about Brian.

Also interesting to note that this certain moderator isn't even on the board anymore. Apparently if he's not a moderator this board ain't worth it for him. Good riddance.

[drbeachboy]

I need to ask this question again: Why does this touring stuff keep coming up? Except for C50, the band has been doing the cheerleaders, Stamos, Ringo, Julio Iglesias stuff for over 30 years. This is what they do whether we like or not. Why keep trying to make them something that they are not?

[SMiLE Brian]

People were dancing like crazy at the BW show I saw in 2011. BW's band is fun on the early stuff as well.

[Rocker]

I have no doubt whatsoever that John Stamos is a lovely guy. What he did for the guy in the wheelchair, and Ethan, proves that to me. I just wish he wasn't up there, trying too hard to be Dennis.

That's like saying, "Jeff Foskett is trying to hard to be Carl Wilson."     Don't we know better than to make these types of comparisons?

From ALL the concert footage I have seen, etc., I have never seen John Stamos TRYING to be anyone (other than himself), which is where I think most of us are having a problem.  As I mentioned in my first post, he seems a bit uncomfortable when he sings "Forever" when he is front and center…and I believe it is because he knows there will NEVER be a day when he fills the void left by Dennis.  He told me as much.  Stamos LOVES THE BEACH BOYS.

AGD, the misconceptions are here:
•  he plays the drums
•  he sings "Forever" on stage
•  he's the one the girls are screaming for

These 3 things are the only thing John Stamos and Dennis Wilson have in common.  Period.  He didn't write "Forever," his drumming style is not the same either. 

"I always wanted to be Dennis Wilson."
- John Stamos, actor

http://www.bignoisenow.com/billyhinsche.html

Somewhere there's an interview with Mike and he also says that Stamos was wanting to be Dennis and also planned to play Dennis in the "An american family" series.
Just for completeness.

Yeah…a rock star…even to go so far as to be envious of Dennis' writing ability.  Have any of us — even briefly — thought, "I wish I had a voice like Carl's," or…I wish I could write a song like, "Cabin Essence" (using my example here).

Stamo's comment does NOT mean his desire is to REPLACE Dennis.  The guy plays the drums, so it is natural for him to marvel @ Dennis' style.  The way this post is loosely thrown out here is to suggest that John Stamos — in between yogurt commercials — has been developing a long term plot (with his mentor Mike Love) to s-l-o-w-l-y remove the memory of Dennis Wilson from the Beach Boys.

I never said that. But there were some posters that said or implied that they never saw a quote of Stamos where he says he wanted to be Dennis Wilson. What you or anyone else read into this is not my problem. I just wanted to give you guys something useful for your discussion

[Sheriff John Stone]

Also interesting to note that this certain moderator isn't even on the board anymore. Apparently if he's not a moderator this board ain't worth it for him. Good riddance.

I don't want to speak for Jason but I have a feeling if you asked him, there might be other reasons why he left the board. Dozens of them. Do you remember all the great posters who USED TO frequent the board?

Anyway, back to John Stamos. Up to 20 pages now. Who's winning, Mike or Brian?

[Shady]

There's only one winner and it's always Stamos

[Jim V.]

Also interesting to note that this certain moderator isn't even on the board anymore. Apparently if he's not a moderator this board ain't worth it for him. Good riddance.

I don't want to speak for Jason but I have a feeling if you asked him, there might be other reasons why he left the board. Dozens of them. Do you remember all the great posters who USED TO frequent the board?

I don't know, I just really think he played up the lack of the civility even more than most did. And he was a moderator. And his posts usually just left a poor taste in my mouth.


As for the all the great posters we used to have, well besides the insiders we chased off by poor the poor form of our posters, I think certain people either got too cliquey or/and full of righteous indignation against Chuck, the owner of the board (such as the initial runners of The Smile Shop, Jon Hunt and John Lane and their lackey Ian, who are all great posters, but also quite elitist and in Ian's case, kinda nuts and dickish).

Then I think there are people like a certain author of a little known Elvis book, who I really liked and respected, apparently thinking he is too important for this forum because he wrote an Elvis book that nobody knows about, and then demanding that he would only return here as an "honored guest". It stinks to lose posters like this, but if they are gonna be that full of themselves not to contribute anymore, what can we do?

Another loss was that of Andrew Hickey, but once again, he got butt-hurt when he got suspended from the forum for a month, and then didn't return because of the "soap opera" atmosphere on here. And to be honest, if that's someone's reason to not frequent a message board, it's kinda bullshit, because that's how these forums are.

I think that as ridiculous as this forum gets, I don't think we truly have run any of our *regular* posters off. We might give the business to someone if they are purposely trying to screw with discussion, or if they are just being argumentative for the sake of it, but besides that, I'd say nearly all of us are tough but fair. As much sh*t as I've given Andrew G. Doe, he has provided us with a lot of great info, but he is also more than willing to take (and surely) give sh*t. It's how message boards are.

[Moon Dawg]

  I just saw Mike, Bruce, Jeff & Co with STAMOS at the Ohio State Fair last Tuesday. My first encounter with Mike's Beach Boys. It was a fine show, albeit far more meat & potatoes than what we witnessed in 2012. (Of course the reunion tour was another realm from what we are going to see from the various configurations from here on out. Let's enjoy what we have.)

  Stamos came across as a nice dude who was genuinely honored to be playing with his heroes. My only complaint was that the Stamos-centric evening likely pushed "Disney Girls" out for the night. Bruce sounded damn good doing the lead for "Do You Wanna Dance?"

 Mike Love was in fine form...I found myself laughing out loud at his corny jokes. Vocally he was as good, maybe better, than the C50 show I saw in June 2012.

 Curve balls - for me anyway - included "Goin to the Beach", "Pisces Brothers", and "Summertime Blues."

 America - the band that is - ably opened the proceedings. They did all the hits with the merciful exception of "Muskrat Love." Dewey's voice has aged better than Gerry's.

 All in all, a pleasant nostalgic evening of California Rock sounds. Kudos to Mike Love for his 50 plus years bringing the Endless Summer to all the people far and wide.