New essay on my deep affection for Mike Love

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

http://aeijtzsche.blogspot.com/

Edit:  Just added a new essay that talks about how I developed a understanding of Mike's "idiosyncrasies".

[Mr. Wilson]

Naw..Not board at all..Keep em comin..!!

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

Bump for new content

[Sheriff John Stone]

Thank you for posting it; I basically agree with everything you wrote. Like you, I've also been able to empathize with Mike. In my case, it's probably because I agree(d) with Mike's position on a lot of the issues. Not all of them (SMiLE being a glaring one), but most of them. I also think that Mike gets blamed for holding positions that I believe most of the other guys in the group shared, but didn't admit. Yeah, the money was a big motivating factor for Mike Love, but I was always amazed how he put up with all the craziness; I know I would've knocked a couple of people out.

[donutbandit]

Mike should be pumping gas somewhere - but he would have to move to Oregon to do so.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

Nobody should be pumping gas, anywhere.

[MBE]

Hey I liked that a lot. Very much my views.

[ronster44]

I have been a GEEK type fan since the 60's and I have never understood the "loyal to Brian" OR "loyal to Mike" camps.....WHY can people not admit that if they love THE BEACH BOYS, that both were essential in getting a foothold with the early car and beach sound?

[Amy B.]

I enjoyed reading that. I think a lot of fans are like you, in that when they first get into the BBs, they subscribe to the "Brian good/Mike bad" idea. I certainly did. It's the simplest way of looking at the band, and it's easy to believe when you first start learning their story.

I agree with a lot of what you said, although I wouldn't say I have any affection for Mike. I do have sympathy for him, because I believe that Brian isn't the only one with deep psychological issues. Mike is a Wilson too, after all. I believe someone (a book? a message board poster?) once pointed out that when Mike got kicked out of his family, the BBs became his family, and in this sense, it's been hard for him to let go. It was hard for him to see Brian changing, even when Brian was growing. It was hard for him to see Brian (in his eyes) reject the BBs and him. Mike holds onto the early days because they were a happy time when his adopted family loved and accepted one another.

On the other hand, Mike's issues have done nothing to heal the rifts among the BBs. (Just as Brian's haven't, but you know, Brian has acknowledged that he has problems.) Sometimes I wish that he could do a little soul searching and put aside his issues enough to be happy for Brian--to listen to BWPS, since it's his cousin's greatest work, for example. I wish he wouldn't always feel the need to mention the drugs and other problems Brian and Dennis have/had in the same breath he talks about their talent. I wish he wouldn't contast himself favorably as the positive one, when we'd all have much more sympathy for him if he'd acknowledge his own issues. But that doesn't mean that I don't feel for Mike. You really do have to look at the root of his behavior, as you have, Aeijtzsche. Maybe, just as when Brian acts out, we  look at his behavior in the context of his past with Murry, when Mike acts out, we can look at his behavior in the context of his past as well.

There's a YouTube somewhere of an interview done while Brian was in Landy's clutches. Mike talks about his love for Brian and starts to cry. There's a deep, deep love there. He just doesn't always know how to express it appropriately.

[melissalynn]

Going to go read it right now. Glad you posted it, I was looking forward to it 

[Zander]

I've gotta say I agree with the blog. He's under-rated as frontman, his lyrical ability is great and his biggest mistake was sticking (to use a well worn term) to the "formula" in some peoples eyes. But if the formula's successful - why change it? Fair point he should have loosened up a little with the use of other collaborators but at the end of the day he was looking out for his band, his cousin and of course himself. I may have done the same if I was in his shoes. 

[Beach Boy]

Great job! 

He probably is greedy, you know. Everybody is.

Best sentence I've read for a while.

[mikeyj]

He probably is greedy, you know. Everybody is.

Best sentence I've read for a while.

I don't think everyone is greedy. Most people are and I certainly am in a lot of ways but there are plenty of people out there who are giving money to charity or giving up their time caring for people with disabilities etc..

[mikeyj]

So when Smile didn't materialize, Mike might have been relieved. Maybe that experience would teach Brian that he still needed Mike to give that lyrical impetus that might make an album more viable, at least commercially.

I don't understand these two sentences? SMiLE never came out and so how would Brian know that "he still needed" Mike's lyrics from a commercial point of view? And Pet Sounds wasn't exactly a failure as some people make out (#10 is still a pretty respectable chart position).

Other than that I really enjoyed the essay. I agree with Amy B. in that I don't have much affection for Mike but I can see where Mike is coming from in a lot of ways. I mean if I was in Mike's position when Brian largely stopped writing with him, then I would be pretty frustrated too... I mean who wouldn't want to write lyrics for some of the most beautiful music ever created?

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

So when Smile didn't materialize, Mike might have been relieved. Maybe that experience would teach Brian that he still needed Mike to give that lyrical impetus that might make an album more viable, at least commercially.

I don't understand these two sentences? SMiLE never came out and so how would Brian know that "he still needed" Mike's lyrics from a commercial point of view? And Pet Sounds wasn't exactly a failure as some people make out (#10 is still a pretty respectable chart position).

Other than that I really enjoyed the essay. I agree with Amy B. in that I don't have much affection for Mike but I can see where Mike is coming from in a lot of ways. I mean if I was in Mike's position when Brian largely stopped writing with him, then I would be pretty frustrated too... I mean who wouldn't want to write lyrics for some of the most beautiful music ever created?

That "still needing Mike" line would be from Mike's perspective, not mine.  I didn't make it clear, perhaps, but I'm speculating that Mike felt that Smile's non-materialization would lead Brian back to him.

[Uncomfortable Seat]

Mike even admitted as much, once saying something to the effect of "I like it when I tell a bad joke and there's an awkward moment."

I think that my signature may be the quote you were referring to

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

Indeed it is.

[Ron]

I agree with most of what you said, although I never really fell into the "mike bad/Brian good" trap at any time, and I tend to think that Mike actually thinks he's being therapeudic when he sues Brian.  He's said it in about every court case, and hell I believe him. 

I think Mike deeply loves Brian, and vice versa.  Mike has sued Brian, and with possibly the exception of the last lawsuit (and I believe even that one, Mike felt he was in the right on)... with the exception of that one, I think Mike probably did get the bad end of the stick.  I think that he feels when he sues Brian, since Brian has an entourage he's really striking out at the people surrounding and controlling Brian (and Brian, in my opinion, does have people control him and needs people to control him! he's mentally ill!). 

Like the songwriting credit thing.  Mike apparently said in court (I read a transcript from someone who claimed to be there) that all he wanted was for Brian to give him some nominal amount, and to fix the credits.  I honestly believe that.  Mike Love doesn't spent a ton of money or live some huge flashly expensive lifestyle, I don't think the guy is out to get every dollar he can... I think he honestly just felt slighted, and hell he WAS slighted.  So according to the account of the trial, Mike apparently told the court that Brian's lawyers forced it to trial so they could all make money off Brian... and Mike ended up getting about 4 times the amount he originally was asking for from Brian because his lawyers took it to court.  I think Mike's probably right in that... and I think he feels that he's actually HELPING Brian when he sues him!  I think Mike subscribes to the notion of "Tough Love" (No pun intended!).  You can hear it everytime he talks about it, he takes this attitude that Brian's being manipulated, and even today he acts like he misses Brian and such. 

I saw Mike Love in concert 1 time.  It was about 98 or so, and he made sure to thank Brian while he was on stage and didn't say 1 bad thing about him... now I know he's said a lot of OTHER things, but the man isn't going out of his way to be an ass.  He just feels strongly about his point of view and doesn't mind pissing people off.  I have no problems with Mike.

On a professional level, I think at the present his stage voice is shot, but he's definately one of the necessary ingredients in the Beach Boys.  In the early music, he was irreplacable and more times than not, his vocal is my favorite part of the song.  Even stuff like "Add Some Music" which was much more sophisticated and developed, he just totally steals the show.  Great singer, and since he's been touring, leading the band non-stop since about '63, anybody would have to admit he's one of the greatest front men of all time. 

[Amy B.]

Can someone please address the TV movie and where it fits into all of this? I know Mike was involved, and apparently it distorted the truth to be more favorable to Mike and paint Brian in a bad light. I have to say, I've never seen the movie, but when I heard about it, it just sounded like a horrible thing to have done. But then, maybe Mike wasn't as involved as I thought.

What's the real story, and where does it fit in with all this speculation about Mike?

[MBE]

Mike was a consultant on the movie and said in ESQ  that there were things in it he didn't like seeing. He didn't write it or have final say but he (like Brian) was involved. Van Dyke Parks overracted to the situation because Mike did come off much better overall then Brian and wrote a diatribe against Mike which caused me to change my opinion of Parks. In fact Parks' actions may have been the root of me understanding, if not always agreeing with,  Mike's point of view. I think 80 percent of Mike's artistic descisions after 1973 are poor, but that doesn't take away from how vital he was to the groups sound up to that point.

[mikeyj]

So when Smile didn't materialize, Mike might have been relieved. Maybe that experience would teach Brian that he still needed Mike to give that lyrical impetus that might make an album more viable, at least commercially.

I don't understand these two sentences? SMiLE never came out and so how would Brian know that "he still needed" Mike's lyrics from a commercial point of view? And Pet Sounds wasn't exactly a failure as some people make out (#10 is still a pretty respectable chart position).

Other than that I really enjoyed the essay. I agree with Amy B. in that I don't have much affection for Mike but I can see where Mike is coming from in a lot of ways. I mean if I was in Mike's position when Brian largely stopped writing with him, then I would be pretty frustrated too... I mean who wouldn't want to write lyrics for some of the most beautiful music ever created?

That "still needing Mike" line would be from Mike's perspective, not mine.  I didn't make it clear, perhaps, but I'm speculating that Mike felt that Smile's non-materialization would lead Brian back to him.

I understand now. Thanks for clearing that up

[Magic Transistor Radio]

Mike even admitted as much, once saying something to the effect of "I like it when I tell a bad joke and there's an awkward moment."

I think that my signature may be the quote you were referring to

Sounds like Andy Kaufman!

Speaking of which, when I watched his Hall of Fame speach where he started trash talking the Rolling Stones and Beatles, I get the impression that he was just trying to be funny. Of course he came off looking like a jerk.

[ronster44]

MIKE LOVE = original shock joke (re-hall of fame speech)

[Cam Mott]

This board has come a long way in its thinking about Mike Love; congratulations and keep up the good work.

[donutbandit]

If not for Brian Wilson, nobody would even know the name of Mike Love. Because Brian thrust him into stardom, some still try to defend his very meager talents. He fronted a major rock 'n' roll band, got to write lyrics for some of the greatest songs ever written, and has become a major star and a major asshole. Without Brian Wilson, Mike Love would have probably worked out his life in a factory. Today, he would probably be working at Wal-Mart as a greeter. That's how much this board should acknowledge Mike Love's talent. Brian gave him a chance to display what little there was of it.