Mike Love’s 2016 solo project

[CenturyDeprived]

Mike is the BBs in his warped mind...

It's very difficult to read the article and take away anything less than that... or to figure out how Mike wouldn't realize that's the impression he could give to people by his answering a different question than the one asked. Him not realizing that is the one thing for me that is hardest to understand - not that he would find it emotionally difficult to answer the question about THE BEACH BOYS in the studio - that is easy for me to understand. Yet I'll bet Mike (like most any of us) would be a guy who, if watching a presidential debate, and a politician gave that kind of switcharoo response to a question, would find their response laughable.

[HeyJude]

The whole BB license/name/trademark is muddled, and that's all of the shareholders' faults. Even when they weren't all splintered, it was confusing what was what.

Mike, not surprisingly, frames his comments about his current touring band as though it's the same band that has existed since 1961, and that all of the changes have happened *around* him. Technically and in terms of business entities, this is not the case. The band he fronts now is a tour run by "Meleco" which licenses the use of the "Beach Boys" trademark and employs the musicians in the band. *That* setup is *not* the same band that existed in 1961, or 1971, or 1981, etc. It *is* the setup Mike wanted in the 90s, which is one of the reasons Al ended up pissed off and then marginalized.

Again, all of the "corporate" BBs hold some responsibility for this muddled, sometimes acrimonious state, where one Beach Boy can use the BB name for his tour, but can't use the name for his recordings.

[SMiLE Brian]

I guess it was the only way to keep Mike from suing BW and Al until the end of time. Mike is a vicious guy in that 2005 lawsuit.

[Jim V.]

I just wanna throw in here that I don't think Mike has the balls to put out a new album, whether it be a compilation of his best solo work or new stuff or even a re-release of Looking Back With Love. Maybe I'm wrong, and I'd love to be proven wrong, but it's just the way it seems to me.

[HeyJude]

I don't see a reissue of LBWL or an archival release of his old stuff as very likely. But I could envision him doing a digital release of a solo album. I think to him it's just a little boutique, side thing. But given he's done several digital "singles", I could picture him using the book to promote a solo CD.

[CenturyDeprived]

I just wanna throw in here that I don't think Mike has the balls to put out a new album, whether it be a compilation of his best solo work or new stuff or even a re-release of Looking Back With Love. Maybe I'm wrong, and I'd love to be proven wrong, but it's just the way it seems to me.

I used to think that too, but with the way he's been talking about this solo project, as well as social media photos of studio sessions trickling out there, it's hard to think that he'd do all that and then not ever actually release stuff. I think he's gonna release some new material this year. Best chance he's got to get any attention payed to the music is to piggyback on notoriety from his bio.  I hope it's good, and I truly want to like it and will give him the benefit of the doubt that there could be some decent stuff on there.

[The Shift]

I'd be interested to see whether any other BBs appear on Mike's album, as happened on both Al's and Brian's most recent solo efforts. Ongoing conflicts aside, there are currently six others he could invite to be guests. In which case anyone might read even more into his answers. Probably mistakenly, but not without foundation.

I'm looking forward to it, whatever.

[HeyJude]

I'd be interested to see whether any other BBs appear on Mike's album, as happened on both Al's and Brian's most recent solo efforts. Ongoing conflicts aside, there are currently six others he could invite to be guests. In which case anyone might read even more into his answers. Probably mistakenly, but not without foundation.

I'm looking forward to it, whatever.

We know Foskett is on the stuff. Totten almost surely too. After that, I'd say Dave would be an easy bet. Bruce ironically a bit less likely, but Mike could easily get Bruce some small cameo.

Al and Brian? Doubt it. Al *maybe*. Brian? No way. Mike walked away from those guys, so I can't imagine he'd expect them all to want to reform for his solo album.

And really, if by some miracle they all wanted to sing together again, it would be misguided to hide such a collaboration away on a Mike solo CD. Then they *should* be making it another BB project.

[The Shift]

Ongoing conflicts aside, there are currently six others he could invite to be guests…

We know Foskett is on the stuff. Totten almost surely too. After that, I'd say Dave would be an easy bet…

My other two were Ricky & Blondie (though they're perhaps as likely as Brian!). Jeff and Scott, for all their superb credentials and lengthy affiliations, I don't count as core BBs. Touring BBs for sure, to me, but not recording Beach Boys.

[The LEGENDARY OSD]

I guess it was the only way to keep Mike from suing BW and Al until the end of time. Mike is a vicious guy in that 2005 lawsuit.

Yes, by all means, myKe, be sure to bite the hand that feeds you and enrich your legacy as one who goes for the jugular. The Litigious Lovester.

[drbeachboy]

I wasn't defending Mike or anything else, except my reading comprehension.

[Matt Etherton]

Same sessions as the Christmas single here, so Jeff and Bruce are present. From my understanding, no other boys for the "project"...(and, this board sucks without AGD).

[The LEGENDARY OSD]

Same sessions as the Christmas single here, so Jeff and Bruce are present. From my understanding, no other boys for the "project"...(and, this board sucks without AGD).

If this board is so stinking bad without the arrogant one, why in the hell are you here posting?? Huh?

[Cam Mott]

Quick observations like the one I made are not meant to provoke a debate.

Yes, they are. And you do it well. Very well.

I don't mind engaging in debates, but I don't set out to start debates, and certainly not arguments. I can see how some, particularly folks whose modus operandi is to defend Mike regardless of the circumstances, might take away that impression.

But as I said, observations were made, and the whole topic would have died an unceremonious death were it not for someone trying to parse and defend Mike. At that point, yes, I don't mind engaging in that debate for some length of time. Sometimes, as with cases where I'm literally having the same debate with Cam I had in 1999, I might eventually tire and move on.

Like anyone, I don't tend to dig it when someone questions my motives, but when the characterization is wrong, and comes from someone whose motives I (not coincidentally) apparently equally question, I don't give the accusation or characterization much weight. Like any reasonably thoughtful person, I'll take the criticism and do some self-reflection. That's always good. In this particular case though, the accusation and characterization that I intended to provoke a debate is incorrect. That a debate has resulted does not prove I intended to provoke one.

Now, I *am* aware a debate may result whenever I point out a lamentable aspect of something Mike has done or said, because the same small group will tend to come out and offer the predictable defenses. So, while I didn't want a debate and didn't intend to provoke one, I *was* aware that it was quite possible one would result. But obviously, I don't think editing discussion because a small group will predictably disagree is the way to go either.

I didn't respond to your post, my responses were to Century Deprived and the same small group again piled on and offered the predictable defenses.

[Don Malcolm]

Getting back to Michael Lloyd, fans of post-PS West Coast "pop psych" should get their hands on Lloyd's 1968 LP called The Smoke, a record lost in the ozone layer between PS and a truly psychedelic Smiley Smile (in other words, Smile-lite tracks with guitars). The song "Odyssey" is a pretty ingenious knockoff of Smile modularity. Pretty impressive for a 19-year old!!

http://www.longplayerlateblogger.com/article-the-smoke-1968-usa-83914081.html

There are several more bloggers who covered this very interesting LP, but this gives you the gist.

[KDS]

Ongoing conflicts aside, there are currently six others he could invite to be guests…

We know Foskett is on the stuff. Totten almost surely too. After that, I'd say Dave would be an easy bet…

My other two were Ricky & Blondie (though they're perhaps as likely as Brian!). Jeff and Scott, for all their superb credentials and lengthy affiliations, I don't count as core BBs. Touring BBs for sure, to me, but not recording Beach Boys.

Mike doesn't seem too keen to revisit much BB material from the short lived Blondie/Ricky era.  So, I'd say that's unlikely. 

I just hope John Stamos doesn't get any lead vox on any Mike project. 

[mabewa]

Ongoing conflicts aside, there are currently six others he could invite to be guests…

We know Foskett is on the stuff. Totten almost surely too. After that, I'd say Dave would be an easy bet…

My other two were Ricky & Blondie (though they're perhaps as likely as Brian!). Jeff and Scott, for all their superb credentials and lengthy affiliations, I don't count as core BBs. Touring BBs for sure, to me, but not recording Beach Boys.

Mike doesn't seem too keen to revisit much BB material from the short lived Blondie/Ricky era.  So, I'd say that's unlikely. 

I just hope John Stamos doesn't get any lead vox on any Mike project. 

Vocals, no, we don't need him to do any singing.  But Mike's album NEEDS Stamos to be playing the electronic bongos, or at least to be playing the electronic bongos in videos. 

[KDS]

Ongoing conflicts aside, there are currently six others he could invite to be guests…

We know Foskett is on the stuff. Totten almost surely too. After that, I'd say Dave would be an easy bet…

My other two were Ricky & Blondie (though they're perhaps as likely as Brian!). Jeff and Scott, for all their superb credentials and lengthy affiliations, I don't count as core BBs. Touring BBs for sure, to me, but not recording Beach Boys.

Mike doesn't seem too keen to revisit much BB material from the short lived Blondie/Ricky era.  So, I'd say that's unlikely. 

I just hope John Stamos doesn't get any lead vox on any Mike project. 

Vocals, no, we don't need him to do any singing.  But Mike's album NEEDS Stamos to be playing the electronic bongos, or at least to be playing the electronic bongos in videos. 

When is Brian going to hire Dave Coulier to play mouth trumpet in his band? 

Or, if he wanted to go an album with TLOS style narration, get Bob Saget. 

[HeyJude]

Ongoing conflicts aside, there are currently six others he could invite to be guests…

We know Foskett is on the stuff. Totten almost surely too. After that, I'd say Dave would be an easy bet…

My other two were Ricky & Blondie (though they're perhaps as likely as Brian!). Jeff and Scott, for all their superb credentials and lengthy affiliations, I don't count as core BBs. Touring BBs for sure, to me, but not recording Beach Boys.

I definitely wasn't counting Foskett or Totten as "Beach Boys." I was just running down a list of known players/singers that we have confirmed have popped into those sessions. Right now, that's pretty much just Foskett. I was then making a relatively safe leap that Totten is likely involved, as Totten has done other recent ML sessions, and I believe Totten plays on some of the decade-old Fauerso stuff as well.

As for Ricky and Blondie, yeah, I'd say that's about as likely as Brian. Though, I would imagine if Mike called Fataar up and Fataar had time in his schedule to do it, he'd probably play on Mike's stuff. Dunno if Fataar is out of Mike's budget range though (and I'm not trying to be funny). He's an in-demand dude. No offense to the other guys in those recent studio pics, some or all of which might be familiar to folks knee-deep in whatever is left of the session musician scene, but I'd guess Fataar is a more in-demand (and thus more expensive, and tougher to book) player at this stage. Whereas, I'm sure Stamos would pay to play on Mike's sessions if he needed to.

[HeyJude]

When is Brian going to hire Dave Coulier to play mouth trumpet in his band? 

Or, if he wanted to go an album with TLOS style narration, get Bob Saget. 

Al *did* get Alec Baldwin to do narration on "A Postcard from California." Ironically, Baldwin has a good voice for narration and book reading, but probably not the best "sound" for reading back Stephen Kalinich's very earnest, heart-on-its-sleeve poetry.

[KDS]

When is Brian going to hire Dave Coulier to play mouth trumpet in his band? 

Or, if he wanted to go an album with TLOS style narration, get Bob Saget. 

Al *did* get Alec Baldwin to do narration on "A Postcard from California." Ironically, Baldwin has a good voice for narration and book reading, but probably not the best "sound" for reading back Stephen Kalinich's very earnest, heart-on-its-sleeve poetry.

Alec Baldwin narrated the America's Game documentary on the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, and I thought he did a great solo.

Less so on Al's spotty, but overall pleasant, solo album. 

[CenturyDeprived]

Ongoing conflicts aside, there are currently six others he could invite to be guests…

We know Foskett is on the stuff. Totten almost surely too. After that, I'd say Dave would be an easy bet…

My other two were Ricky & Blondie (though they're perhaps as likely as Brian!). Jeff and Scott, for all their superb credentials and lengthy affiliations, I don't count as core BBs. Touring BBs for sure, to me, but not recording Beach Boys.

Mike doesn't seem too keen to revisit much BB material from the short lived Blondie/Ricky era.  So, I'd say that's unlikely. 

I just hope John Stamos doesn't get any lead vox on any Mike project. 

Vocals, no, we don't need him to do any singing.  But Mike's album NEEDS Stamos to be playing the electronic bongos, or at least to be playing the electronic bongos in videos. 

When is Brian going to hire Dave Coulier to play mouth trumpet in his band? 

Or, if he wanted to go an album with TLOS style narration, get Bob Saget. 

Mike could do When I Grow Up (To be a Tanner) with Joey Gladstone doing brief Popeye impersonations for the "16, 17..." age countdown part. And add Comet the Dog's barking as a nod to Banana and Louie.

[Douchepool]

Mike can do the soundtrack to the Full House Tournament Fighter video game when it comes out.

[Emily]

Mike can do the soundtrack to the Full House Tournament Fighter video game when it comes out.

Hahahaha. That would be a hilarious game. I think I would play.

[Douchepool]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTg4KIxdpic