Mike's Book Discussion Thread (and how it relates to the SS board)

[jeffh]

Wow! Looks like a great book from Mike .

[urbanite]

I had hopes this book would not be a rehash of the Brian Wilson drug stories, but this excerpt from the Daily Mail seems to indicate otherwise.  I suppose one cannot go through a history of the Beach Boys without talking about how the group declined in the mid to late 60's due to the deterioration in Brian Wilson's health and his massive use of drugs.  I know that a lot of this has been written about before, but maybe this version will have even more detail and the perspective of the ultimate insider.  It seems like this book will be packed with disturbing, lurid stories of sex, drugs and rock and roll, with a double dose of massive ego on top.

[Autotune]

Seems like a great read. The excerpt must be 5 pages from a 300-page tome. Looks good to me. Personally, I hope the book reflects Mike's POV, his own take on things, and not my own opinions or the things fans would rather Mike say. The writing style seems to follow Mike's straightforward yet lively prose of his recent FB posts.

[CenturyDeprived]

Seems like a great read. The excerpt must be 5 pages from a 300-page tome. Looks good to me. Personally, I hope the book reflects Mike's POV, his own take on things, and not my own opinions or the things fans would rather Mike say. The writing style seems to follow Mike's straightforward yet lively prose of his recent FB posts.

I don't think there's a single person here who wants Mike to lie, or to say things that are not in his heart. So in that way, I think everyone, even his biggest detractors, would prefer that if he was going to write a book, that he be honest. Either that, or that he simply shut up. But not that he say something that he doesn't truly feel. People just wish he had some self-awareness, and that he would see the light, so to speak.

Mike will only be credited with having a straightforward style IMO if he addresses things like booting Al during Carl's illness, and owning up to undeniably crappy behavior of his own. Then we can say he is a straight shooter.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Mike will only be credited with having a straightforward style IMO if he addresses things like booting Al during Carl's illness, and owning up to undeniably crappy behavior of his own. Then we can say he is a straight shooter.

If he owns up to his mistakes and to the incredibly shitty way he acted towards Brian, then good on him. I don't think he will...I think it will be more of the constant blame on everyone else and will portray himself as St Mike like he always does.

[CenturyDeprived]

Mike will only be credited with having a straightforward style IMO if he addresses things like booting Al during Carl's illness, and owning up to undeniably crappy behavior of his own. Then we can say he is a straight shooter.

If he owns up to his mistakes and to the incredibly shitty way he acted towards Brian, then good on him. I don't think he will...I think it will be more of the constant blame on everyone else and will portray himself as St Mike like he always does.

Unfortunately I don't see how your statement will be inaccurate. Mike always has to be the victim. It's a way unhealthy attitude to have.

[GhostyTMRS]

More excerpts here about Smile and Manson

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/event/article-3761744/One-Charles-Manson-s-murderers-gang-babysat-two-children-says-Beach-Boys-star-Mike-Love.html

Seems like they're pulling random passages. Still, it looks like a doozy of a book. His comments about receiving death threats and having to go authorities after the C50 tour ended....Damn. 

[HeyJude]

More excerpts here about Smile and Manson

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/event/article-3761744/One-Charles-Manson-s-murderers-gang-babysat-two-children-says-Beach-Boys-star-Mike-Love.html

Seems like they're pulling random passages. Still, it looks like a doozy of a book. His comments about receiving death threats and having to go authorities after the C50 tour ended....Damn. 

Odd that they pulled random passages. Other than the death threats, the C50 blurb reads exactly like his other past comments on the tour. I would certainly hope he explains beyond simply saying the tour was not feasible economically, which is specious and circular logic. That some of these lines are almost verbatim what was in his LA Times letter is disappointing.

While death threats are never justifiable, I'm curious if he might have any perspective on why fans might have been that upset.

[Cam Mott]

Death threats are never justifiable but how would he justify fans threatening his death?

[bossaroo]

sadly it appears we have a book by the only Mike there is:

not a man interested in any type of meaningful self-reflection, apologizing for any wrongdoing, or displaying any degree of humility whatsoever.

just the same guy proclaiming his immense contributions to the band's success, extolling his superior lifestyle choices, and bitterly calling out those he feels ripped off or slighted by.

what a loathsome, ungrateful, and utterly self-centered human. y'all enjoy the book

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Agreed bossaroo. Sounds like it'll be the  literary equivalent of a septic tank...completely and utterly full of sh*t.

[jiggy22]

sadly it appears we have a book by the only Mike there is:

not a man interested in any type of meaningful self-reflection, apologizing for any wrongdoing, or displaying any degree of humility whatsoever.

just the same guy proclaiming his immense contributions to the band's success, extolling his superior lifestyle choices, and bitterly calling out those he feels ripped off or slighted by.

what a loathsome, ungrateful, and utterly self-centered human. y'all enjoy the book

But surely you never heard about the time Mike helped Paul McCartney write "Back in the USSR"! Or that he came up with the hook to "Good Vibrations"! That's what the people wanna (constantly) hear from Mike, right? 

[Dove Nested Towers]

sadly it appears we have a book by the only Mike there is:

not a man interested in any type of meaningful self-reflection, apologizing for any wrongdoing, or displaying any degree of humility whatsoever.

just the same guy proclaiming his immense contributions to the band's success, extolling his superior lifestyle choices, and bitterly calling out those he feels ripped off or slighted by.

what a loathsome, ungrateful, and utterly self-centered human. y'all enjoy the book

I for one won't be purchasing a copy.

[IainLee]

Seems like a great read. The excerpt must be 5 pages from a 300-page tome. Looks good to me. Personally, I hope the book reflects Mike's POV, his own take on things, and not my own opinions or the things fans would rather Mike say. The writing style seems to follow Mike's straightforward yet lively prose of his recent FB posts.

I don't think there's a single person here who wants Mike to lie, or to say things that are not in his heart. So in that way, I think everyone, even his biggest detractors, would prefer that if he was going to write a book, that he be honest. Either that, or that he simply shut up. But not that he say something that he doesn't truly feel. People just wish he had some self-awareness, and that he would see the light, so to speak.

Mike will only be credited with having a straightforward style IMO if he addresses things like booting Al during Carl's illness, and owning up to undeniably crappy behavior of his own. Then we can say he is a straight shooter.

He does explain why Al was kicked out of the Beach Boys. I'd never heard the story before.

[HeyJude]

Death threats are never justifiable but how would he justify fans threatening his death?

Read what I wrote again. Having perspective on why fans might be upset is not the same as justifying death threats.

As in "Death threats are never okay. But I wonder what I did that might have upset fans."

[The_Beach]

Death threats are never justifiable but how would he justify fans threatening his death?

Read what I wrote again. Having perspective on why fans might be upset is not the same as justifying death threats.

As in "Death threats are never okay. But I wonder what I did that might have upset fans."

I dont know if you can consider them fans if you are threatening to kill a member of the band.

[KDS]

Death threats are never justifiable but how would he justify fans threatening his death?

Read what I wrote again. Having perspective on why fans might be upset is not the same as justifying death threats.

As in "Death threats are never okay. But I wonder what I did that might have upset fans."

I dont know if you can consider them fans if you are threatening to kill a member of the band.

I honestly hope if Mike did receive death threats that he filed a report and had them investigated. 

John Lennon, Selena, "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott have all been killed at the hands of their "fans" so that's nothing to mess around with. 

[Cam Mott]

So you meant that while death threats are never justifiable, you are curious if Mike might have any perspective that might justify why fans might have been that upset to justify death threats.

I wonder why anyone would give any consideration to any of the thoughts of anyone who would threaten death over anything, let alone Pop concerts.

[JK]

This is from Domenic Priore's book SMiLE: The Story of Brian Wilson's Lost Masterpiece (on p. 154):

"The keynote moment of the evening [a tribute to Brian at Gerde's Folk City, Greenwich Village] was a performance by Ben Vaughn, who that night debuted his song 'Ben's Prayer', referencing the '50s vibe of the early Beach Boys----'Every night I pray to the stars above'. Then, abruptly, he stopped to wrench out the words 'KILL MIKE LOVE!', prompting the New York City crowd to scream with delight."

Shame on you, Mr. Priore.

[filledeplage]

Death threats are never justifiable but how would he justify fans threatening his death?

Read what I wrote again. Having perspective on why fans might be upset is not the same as justifying death threats.

As in "Death threats are never okay. But I wonder what I did that might have upset fans."

Hey Jude - it is "crossing the line."  And another poster mentioned fans (fanatics-borderline or bona fide mentally disturbed and dangerous individuals) who have this "associative" thing going on where they think they "know" a performer or celebrity, where it threatens their personal safety and that is never "ok" nor "qualified or justified" or by being "upset" - or perceive that Brian is a family member whom they have to defend by threatening another band member.   Or that Brian (or any other musician/artist) is their "personal savior."  It is a most dangerous place.

And, I can assure you that I have met some of these such "marginal people" who have built up a "Brian thing" in their minds where  they needed to be talked-off- the-ledge.  For example, at one meet-and-greet C50 event, I landed next to a "borderline" fan who was literally crying in the line, that Brian's/Beach Boys' music had literally "saved her life" and she was diagnosed with a serious behavioral disorder so the music was a huge help.    

This person was literally shaking at the prospect of "what to do" and "what to say" to Brian during the photo op.  (There was no personal chat, as I had to explain and just put on a big smile for a great photo to have forever.)  

There is a hard line - for personal safety that, never gets "justified" for a threat of violence.  And those of our artists such as Lennon or Selena, etc. are lost forever because of people who felt "justified" to take matters (that are none of their business) into their own hands.  There is never justification.  

 

[urbanite]

He does explain why Al was kicked out of the Beach Boys. I'd never heard the story before.

So what does he say about it?

[HeyJude]

So you meant that while death threats are never justifiable, you are curious if Mike might have any perspective that might justify why fans might have been that upset to justify death threats.

No. Try actually *reading* what I wrote without a weird filter. Let's try it this way:

"Having perspective on why fans might be angry" DOES NOT EQUAL justifying death threats.

Again, you can find something happening to you totally unwarranted, illegal, immoral, and so on, but also take a moment to ponder why it's happening. Sort of like when, say, a country is attacked and NOBODY feels it was warranted or moral in any way, but people still take time to actually understand why someone may have come to have so much anger towards you.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but if you're able to, say, parse the definition of "talk" versus "discussion" as you did regarding Mike's statements in the past about the possibility of additional C50 shows, then I can't fathom how it's difficult to understand the difference between "perspective" and "justification."

Let's try Google dictionary:

Perspective - a particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view.

Justification - the action of showing something to be right or reasonable.

The idea isn't that Mike should take various perspectives on the issue and arrive at a justification. The idea is simply to look at additional perspectives and perhaps even briefly ponder *why* people would be so angry, and think about whether there was *any* possibility of avoiding the animus from some fringe group of fans.

[HeyJude]

Death threats are never justifiable but how would he justify fans threatening his death?

Read what I wrote again. Having perspective on why fans might be upset is not the same as justifying death threats.

As in "Death threats are never okay. But I wonder what I did that might have upset fans."

I dont know if you can consider them fans if you are threatening to kill a member of the band.

True. And if so, it makes the resulting death threats still just as heinous and awful, and also even less germane to the issues surrounding Mike choosing to end the reunion. If it was trolls and other assorted bad guys, *non-fans*, on the internet, what does that have to do then with actual fan attitudes towards Mike's decision in 2012?

[HeyJude]

 There is never justification.  

Yeah, I'd say so. There was another posted named "HeyJude" who agreed with you yesterday when he posted:

death threats are never justifiable

Here's the link to the post that you probably NEVER EVEN READ, just in case your scrolling ability isn't working:

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,24284.msg587239.html#msg587239

[filledeplage]

 There is never justification.  

Yeah, I'd say so. There was another posted named "HeyJude" who agreed with you yesterday when he posted:

death threats are never justifiable

Here's the link to the post that you probably NEVER EVEN READ, just in case your scrolling ability isn't working:

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,24284.msg587239.html#msg587239

Hey Jude - you don't "know me" or "what I read."

You gave an "opening" after your comment, where ""why fans might be upset."  It does not matter if or why a fan is "upset" - it is that "mental state" that precipitates or can precipitate violence against a public figure  - and there is nothing to explain it or qualify it.  And what I shared about only ONE instance, where a fan who was "mentally fragile" in a C50 meet-and-greet line, only feet from Brian (never mind any other members) puts him and all the nameless rest in danger.

And, please don't get confrontational; there is no need. (And it is against board rules.)