interesting article: "Mike Love states his case"

[HeyJude]

Maybe he sounds defensive because so much criticism has been directed towards him.  He has a right to set the record straight every now and then.  Personally, I think all the members of the band should forget about 2012 and move one, it's pointless to rehash their falling out.

If Mike finds a reference in a press release for Brian’s album mentioning that a Beach Boys album was “not to be” to be “criticism”, then *anything* could be criticism. Is he really going to have to “respond” now every time any of the other band members simply mention that the reunion ended?

If any PR people are watching, I would suggest a different tact. Mike comes across as being far more stuck on the end of C50 than Brian at this stage.

The whole article has the appearance that the author was the one who was stuck on the issue of the album press release somehow placing blame on Mike (even though it didn’t), and then the interview comes across as if Mike was baited into slinging mud about the reunion and Brian’s new album. Was Mike asked more questions in this interview that weren’t printed? The interview reads as if he was asked if he had heard “The Right Time”, and then launched into the rest of the diatribe without any other prompting. I’d like to see the full exchange including all of the questions, if additional questions were asked to prompt the answers. At any point in the interview, was Mike challenged regarding discussions about another BB album, considering there are printed interviews from 2012 in which Mike cites discussions of another album?

The whole context of this article kind of smells bad.

Who is Mike stating his case against? The staffer who wrote the press release for the new album? Wtf?

[the professor]

I feel everyone's pain and consternation here: Mike adds nothing credible to what we know and suspect. I do not want to read his book, likely to be more contrived, about the 50th breakup. Rather I hope that this forces everyone to get together and make a new album.  If Mike wrote this, I get the feeling that he is feeling terrible and left out, likely mis-remembering or obfuscating intentionally (or unconsciously) his own role is making sure a new album together did not happen.

What a mess. The only healing I could imagine is for all the BB to get together and decide to do a BB album so that every voice is heard emotionally and all is forgiven, as confusingly entangled as it all is.

A taxonomy of failure is impossible and otiose; rather sweep that question away and make songs together.

[alf wiedersehen]

No PIer Pressure - I think that spelling of 'pier' is not accidental.

Of course it's not an accident. The cover photo is of a pier.

[Mendota Heights]

Guys, we won't know what really happened until young family members rant about it on social media.

We just have to wait and see.

[HeyJude]

I feel everyone's pain and consternation here: Mike adds nothing credible to what we know and suspect. I do not want to read his book, likely to be more contrived, about the 50th breakup. Rather I hope that this forces everyone to get together and make a new album.  If Mike wrote this, I get the feeling that he is feeling terrible and left out, likely mis-remembering or obfuscating intentionally (or unconsciously) his own role is making sure a new album together did not happen.

What a mess. The only healing I could imagine is for all the BB to get together and decide to do a BB album so that every voice is heard emotionally and all is forgiven, as confusingly entangled as it all is.

A taxonomy of failure is impossible and otiose; rather sweep that question away and make songs together.

Unfortunately, Mike saw the 2012 setup as too much of a compromise, based on his own interviews. There’s no particular evidence from what I’ve seen that he wants an all-inclusive, group effort. I’ve never seen him mention how it might be nice to have Al write a song, or Bruce, or Dave, for a new BB album. That doesn’t mean he would never allow it. What it means is that in his mind he seems to have a specific idea of what constitutes a proper Beach Boys album, and that includes mainly he and Brian writing songs alone and, I would guess, NOT an member outside of the group co-writing nearly every song on the album, more often than not to the exclusion of Mike. He has his own benchmarks for what an album should be, and they clearly are at odds with others’ opinions and, in my opinion, common sense. For instance, he downplayed a #3 chart placement for the album. If he and Brian had written all the songs and the album had had the exact same chart activity, I doubt he would have dismissed the performance of the album. Then it would have been “We got to #3 on the charts! Clearly, when Brian and I write the album, it results in our biggest chart debut ever!”

[bossaroo]

I don't believe for a second that Mike feels terrible or left out... though he should.

no, Mike got exactly what he wanted. business as usual. casinos and SeaWorld. Stamos, Foskett, and Johnston. and himself at the helm. he doesn't care about the band's legacy or Brian's muse. he doesn't care about making art. he cares about making a buck and a few babes along the way.


what exactly could Mike contribute to an album like No Pier Pressure that would make it better in any possible way? Executive Production? what a joke. lame vocals and even lamer lyrics about having fun fun fun? thank God we've been spared.

the C50 and TWGMTR were cool, but we should all be glad it's over. like Jeff said in Rolling Stone, Brian is an artist and Mike is an entertainer. let him go entertain. himself and all the ladies who came to see if the guy from Full House is gonna show up. you can't teach an old bitter lecher new tricks.

[CenturyDeprived]

Maybe he sounds defensive because so much criticism has been directed towards him.  He has a right to set the record straight every now and then.  Personally, I think all the members of the band should forget about 2012 and move one, it's pointless to rehash their falling out.

The whole article has the appearance that the author was the one who was stuck on the issue of the album press release somehow placing blame on Mike (even though it didn’t), and then the interview comes across as if Mike was baited into slinging mud about the reunion and Brian’s new album.

Mike is going to continually be asked questions about Brian's album for the foreseeable future. "Have you heard it?"... "What do you think of it?"... etc. etc.

IMHO... I think he wants NPP to not be great, because the better it is, the worse it makes him look/feel. The better the album actually is, and the better it is reviewed/received by the public and critics, the more it drives home the idea that he is most insecure about - that BDW can write/create a well-received album with multiple BB members, without the help/contributions WHATSOEVER of Mike himself.  Especially, especially in the wake of the public kerfuffle known as the demise of the C50.

So, as a result, we're gonna get negativity. The sour way that a post-C50 Mike slagged TWGMTR for "only" hitting #3... well, believe me, if NPP hits (for example) #15, Mike will likely find a way to spin TWGMTR (featuring Mike) having beaten out NPP's chart position. Suddenly, it will be praise for TWGMTR. It's childish, but everything is being used as a chess piece in some sick ego game at this point.

If NPP should win some awards, or a Grammy no less, well I don't imagine Mike would be honestly, truthfully happy about that. It would just be more sour grapes. I cannot fathom Mike will ever respond to a reviewer asking a question about NPP, and the response actually being a positive, not-laced-with-subtle-digs, review. Sadly, it will have to be put down in some way, shape, or form. It's about ego, as it has been for all these decades.

Of course, the easiest, most passive-aggressive way of dealing with it, would be to say that he simply hasn't listened to the album. Right.  Like the way he didn't show up at the (very important, legacy-related) 2005 Hawthorne monument induction, because he was too "busy" touring, which of course was a non-issue when the ELLA award was for Mike alone.

While I doubt I will be, I will say that I sincerely wish to be proven wrong.

[CenturyDeprived]

Guys, we won't know what really happened until young family members rant about it on social media.

We just have to wait and see.

 

so true though.

[Ang Jones]

No PIer Pressure - I think that spelling of 'pier' is not accidental.

Of course it's not an accident. The cover photo is of a pier.

So the title is based on the cover art? Oh, right LOL!

[alf wiedersehen]

No PIer Pressure - I think that spelling of 'pier' is not accidental.

Of course it's not an accident. The cover photo is of a pier.

So the title is based on the cover art? Oh, right LOL!

The title was obviously spelled that way on purpose and they followed suit by using a photo of a pier as a cover. It's clearly a comment on outside pressures to focus on surf-related music. Because you find piers along the coastline. The coastline is the edge between earth and water. In water, people surf. People made music about surfing. Brian made music about surfing.

But, I guess I'm wrong. They spelled it that way to put an "i" there with an utter disregard for everything else. Sure, that seems reasonable.

[Ang Jones]

Obviously there is a play upon the words 'peer pressure' and to introduce something that references  the ocean once again also makes sense. But I take it to mean that Brian doesn't want it to be about peers or piers - just his own ideas in which case the whole idea hangs together quite nicely.

[Cam Mott]

Did I read these wrong? Isn't Mike saying there were no real/concrete deals/offers brought to the table to be decided for or against by the group?

There was just talk, by someone. Isn't that also what Jon and/or Howie said back at the time?

[ontor pertawst]

JT was producing the tour and presumably handling booking. Why would any venue want to negotiate directly with Mike Love? They wouldn't be negotiating directly with BW either. Is he honestly going to pretend offers for further shows weren't on the table and didn't exist because they weren't put into writing and in his mailbox at home that he wouldn't see because he was on tour? This is why you have a manager or someone like the mullet to handle details. He may have been in Chicago a lot but we can't deny that he got sh*t done. He might not have been traveling with Mike and holding his hand on the road, but he got them booked into better venues than they've had in years.

His whole story just adds up to: waaaaaaah, waaaaah, waaaaah!

He got what he wanted. Go sing Brian's songs some more and shaddup about it. It comes off so whiny and shameful for a man of his age.

[Cam Mott]

These deals would be brought to the board members of BRI for consideration/approval/disapproval though, right?

[Paul J B]

no, Mike got exactly what he wanted. business as usual. casinos and SeaWorld. Stamos, Foskett, and Johnston. and himself at the helm. he doesn't care about the band's legacy or Brian's muse. he doesn't care about making art. he cares about making a buck and a few babes along the way.

Just curious...were the Disney and Gershwin albums art? I would argue they were oldies covers. Kind of the stuff Mike seems hung up on. How about the Christmas album by Brian or re-working Smile into a 3 part album?

Also, the last time I saw Brian live I paid $100 bucks face value. ...so everyone likes to make a buck.

[HeyJude]

no, Mike got exactly what he wanted. business as usual. casinos and SeaWorld. Stamos, Foskett, and Johnston. and himself at the helm. he doesn't care about the band's legacy or Brian's muse. he doesn't care about making art. he cares about making a buck and a few babes along the way.

Just curious...were the Disney and Gershwin albums art? I would argue they were oldies covers. Kind of the stuff Mike seems hung up on. How about the Christmas album by Brian or re-working Smile into a 3 part album?

Also, the last time I saw Brian live I paid $100 bucks face value. ...so everyone likes to make a buck.

But who is arguing any of these things? We’re talking about, when it’s time to reconvene and do the first BB album in 20 years, and the first to include Brian in 23 years, and the first to include Brian in a substantial fashion in anywhere from 27 to 35 years, maybe it’s a bit of a cop-out to record an album of cover versions. I find it easy to believe Mike is more enthusiastic about old Everly Brothers songs than a new melancholy ballad penned by Brian and Joe Thomas. But not learning from the mistakes of things like “Stars and Stripes” or “Summer in Paradise” shows a lot of tunnel vision in my opinion.

Not that it needs to be defended, but Brian has cut many solo albums, so it’s easier to stomach albums of covers when we’ve also recently had albums of new material. If Brian’s first solo album in 1988 had been all covers, that would have been just as misguided of an idea.

Also not needing defending is that Brian charges money for tickets. Nobody ever claimed Brian doesn’t seek out chances to make money. Having an “artistic” slant simply to the degree of pursuing writing and recording new, original material does not mean one then should give the music away for free or lose money touring.

[Wirestone]

I think it's interesting that Mike Love is opposed to Autotune, and noticed it's detrimental affect on the 2012 BB record.

Interesting, indeed, given that it seems to be all over "Cool Head, Warm Heart" and "Pisces Brothers."

[Debbie Keil-Leavitt]

I agree with Mike on one issue, Brian isn’t inclined toward bitterness - or subtle digs.  Knowing Brian, “No Pier Pressure” means exactly that.  He’s doing what he wants to do on this record and enjoying it.  And in my opinion from the 2 released tracks and the samples we’ve heard, the enjoyment is contagious.
 
Many of you here were complaining a few weeks ago because Brian prefers direct questions and gives direct answers.  I find that refreshing - especially after reading this very, very strange article where I was lost in the circular logic, amazing inconsistency with known facts and the drama.  Now can we get back to the music, instead of the BS?

[HeyJude]

Did I read these wrong? Isn't Mike saying there were no real/concrete deals/offers brought to the table to be decided for or against by the group?

There was just talk, by someone. Isn't that also what Jon and/or Howie said back at the time?

My takeaway from the interview is that Mike is suggesting no discussions ever took place about a new album, which not only seems very odd, but contradicts what Mike himself said in interviews in 2012.

In terms of touring offers, Mike has said on numerous occasions that he had his own shows booked, and he felt BB tours should not play exclusively larger venues.

Do you really think that Mike would have agreed to extend the reunion tour if a firm offer for a show in Wrigley Field and Madison Square Garden had been put on the table?

Further, doesn’t the implication that Mike would have agreed to these shows had they been firm, fully-backed offers *completely* contradict the “Set End Date” mantra we’ve been hearing since 2012? If there was a firm “set end date”, weren’t these offers completely irrelevant?

I’m also not convinced the process of show offers is as simple as Mike is suggesting in this interview. What is the implication? Con artists were offering fake show bookings? Who knows? Maybe as soon as promoters saw the clusterf*** that occurred just prior to the end of the tour, and/or when promoters were made aware that Mike was already booking his own shows, the offers for more reunion shows dried up.

We know that tour was successful financially and in terms of industry perception. It’s hard to believe they wouldn’t have had more offers on the table. Maybe the question should have been asked this way: Why didn’t you pursue another tour and/or more bookings for the reunion? That would of course get us back to the first set of 2012 reasons for ending the reunion (needing to book smaller markets, etc.).

[Heysaboda]

Many of you here were complaining a few weeks ago because Brian prefers direct questions and gives direct answers.  I find that refreshing - especially after reading this very, very strange article where I was lost in the circular logic, amazing inconsistency with known facts and the drama.  Now can we get back to the music, instead of the BS?

Yep -- such as the best song, so far, of 2015!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTkM3uqWctg

[Rocky Raccoon]

In short:  "Buy my book to hear more about what Brian Wilson doesn't say to me and conversations we've never had."  Sounds like compelling stuff.

[drbeachboy]

In short:  "Buy my book to hear more about what Brian Wilson doesn't say to me and conversations we've never had."  Sounds like compelling stuff.

That is exactly what I gleaned from the whole article. What else was anyone expecting from Mike on C50 and a new Beach Boys album? What he said was exactly what I was expecting he'd say.

[The LEGENDARY OSD]

I don't believe for a second that Mike feels terrible or left out... though he should.

no, Mike got exactly what he wanted. business as usual. casinos and SeaWorld. Stamos, Foskett, and Johnston. and himself at the helm. he doesn't care about the band's legacy or Brian's muse. he doesn't care about making art. he cares about making a buck and a few babes along the way.


what exactly could Mike contribute to an album like No Pier Pressure that would make it better in any possible way? Executive Production? what a joke. lame vocals and even lamer lyrics about having fun fun fun? thank God we've been spared.

the C50 and TWGMTR were cool, but we should all be glad it's over. like Jeff said in Rolling Stone, Brian is an artist and Mike is an entertainer. let him go entertain. himself and all the ladies who came to see if the guy from Full House is gonna show up. you can't teach an old bitter lecher new tricks.

[Pretty Funky]

I think it's interesting that Mike Love is opposed to Autotune, and noticed it's detrimental affect on the 2012 BB record.

The executive producer didn't have a say in that did he? Someone called Mike Love according to the album credits.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

My God, this is a wind tunnel worse than anything over at the sand box?

Don't you guys ever get sick of saying the same damn things?