Reasons to Love Mike Love

[shelter]

In Mike's defense: I believe that Mike never sued Brian because he thought Brian was taking advantage of him, only when he though that someone was taking advantage of Brian and in the process was hurting his own interests as well. Big difference.

[urbanite]

He'd come off a lot better if he didn't wear all those silly hats, like the ridiculous one he wore at the HOF speech.  He's bald, bid deal.

[Ron]

In Mike's defense: I believe that Mike never sued Brian because he thought Brian was taking advantage of him, only when he though that someone was taking advantage of Brian and in the process was hurting his own interests as well. Big difference.

Yup, didn't Mike supposedly give a big show in court with the copyright lawsuit, saying that he only wanted Brian to offer him a token amount and settle out of court, but all of his lawyers forced it to a decision costing Brian much more money?

[oldsurferdude]

He'd come off a lot better if he didn't wear all those silly hats, like the ridiculous one he wore at the HOF speech.  He's bald, bid deal.

How Myk comes off any more is irrelevant-his reputation is pretty much sealed in stone  and is what it is regardless of hats, jewelery, sandals, smelly jokes or Mick Jagger wannabe swagger. While Brian keeps moving forward, Myk is relagated to a fading career in a travelling juke box cover band. The only thing to look forward to with him(that is, if anyone cares) is how he plans to nuture his ego and line his pockets while still trying like Hell to keep hanging on to Brian's coat tails.

[b00ts]

He'd come off a lot better if he didn't wear all those silly hats, like the ridiculous one he wore at the HOF speech.  He's bald, bid deal.

How Myk comes off any more is irrelevant-his reputation is pretty much sealed in stone  and is what it is regardless of hats, jewelery, sandals, smelly jokes or Mick Jagger wannabe swagger. While Brian keeps moving forward, Myk is relagated to a fading career in a travelling juke box cover band. The only thing to look forward to with him(that is, if anyone cares) is how he plans to nuture his ego and line his pockets while still trying like Hell to keep hanging on to Brian's coat tails.

The true mark of anti-Mike Love dementia - much like anti-liberal or anti-conservative dementia - is the inability to even spell his name correctly, usually as a pejorative.

Whilst I agree that Mr. Love's SMiLe lawsuit (and seemingly many of his other actions over the years) were ridiculous and petty, it's safe to say that neither you or I or most of the other people on this board know Mr. Love personally. We don't live with him day to day or even, I'm guessing, deal with him in person from time to time.

Perhaps remembering that we're all human - and that Brian, as awesome as he is, has made plenty of mistakes in his life as well, of a decidedly different stripe than Mike's - will help you to get over your anti-Love dementia.

[Cam Mott]

Re. the copyright suit in the early 90s: I'd love to have more info because the only documentation I've seen [which is extremely little] shows Mike v. Irving Music, et al with et al listed as about 3 or 4 Irving subsidiaries plus 3 or 4  individuals [which I think I thought were lawyers] plus Brian. Don't know what that means or if there was another suit which did not show up. Anyone know?

[The Heartical Don]

He'd come off a lot better if he didn't wear all those silly hats, like the ridiculous one he wore at the HOF speech.  He's bald, bid deal.

How Myk comes off any more is irrelevant-his reputation is pretty much sealed in stone  and is what it is regardless of hats, jewelery, sandals, smelly jokes or Mick Jagger wannabe swagger. While Brian keeps moving forward, Myk is relagated to a fading career in a travelling juke box cover band. The only thing to look forward to with him(that is, if anyone cares) is how he plans to nuture his ego and line his pockets while still trying like Hell to keep hanging on to Brian's coat tails.

The true mark of anti-Mike Love dementia - much like anti-liberal or anti-conservative dementia - is the inability to even spell his name correctly, usually as a pejorative.

Whilst I agree that Mr. Love's SMiLe lawsuit (and seemingly many of his other actions over the years) were ridiculous and petty, it's safe to say that neither you or I or most of the other people on this board know Mr. Love personally. We don't live with him day to day or even, I'm guessing, deal with him in person from time to time.

Perhaps remembering that we're all human - and that Brian, as awesome as he is, has made plenty of mistakes in his life as well, of a decidedly different stripe than Mike's - will help you to get over your anti-Love dementia.

Seconded, as for the last two paragraphs. Let me put it this way: if you try to make regular appointments with a friend, the first time he shows up drunk and disorderly, or fuelled by cocaine, is easy to forgive. The second time is a bit harder. I am the first one to say that Brian has a mental illness, but that is not my point. No one knew that back in the late '60s. I dare place a bet that Mike really tried to make it not too hard on him; but eventually the most patient of people, and the best of friends can't carry that burden anymore. Just imagine: Mike may have brought in decent new ideas and lyrics time and time again, only to discover that his cousin 'wasn't really there', figuratively speaking.

[oldsurferdude]

He'd come off a lot better if he didn't wear all those silly hats, like the ridiculous one he wore at the HOF speech.  He's bald, bid deal.

How Myk comes off any more is irrelevant-his reputation is pretty much sealed in stone  and is what it is regardless of hats, jewelery, sandals, smelly jokes or Mick Jagger wannabe swagger. While Brian keeps moving forward, Myk is relagated to a fading career in a travelling juke box cover band. The only thing to look forward to with him(that is, if anyone cares) is how he plans to nuture his ego and line his pockets while still trying like Hell to keep hanging on to Brian's coat tails.

The true mark of anti-Mike Love dementia - much like anti-liberal or anti-conservative dementia - is the inability to even spell his name correctly, usually as a pejorative.

Whilst I agree that Mr. Love's SMiLe lawsuit (and seemingly many of his other actions over the years) were ridiculous and petty, it's safe to say that neither you or I or most of the other people on this board know Mr. Love personally. We don't live with him day to day or even, I'm guessing, deal with him in person from time to time.

Perhaps remembering that we're all human - and that Brian, as awesome as he is, has made plenty of mistakes in his life as well, of a decidedly different stripe than Mike's - will help you to get over your anti-Love dementia.

Seconded, as for the last two paragraphs. Let me put it this way: if you try to make regular appointments with a friend, the first time he shows up drunk and disorderly, or fuelled by cocaine, is easy to forgive. The second time is a bit harder. I am the first one to say that Brian has a mental illness, but that is not my point. No one knew that back in the late '60s. I dare place a bet that Mike really tried to make it not too hard on him; but eventually the most patient of people, and the best of friends can't carry that burden anymore. Just imagine: Mike may have brought in decent new ideas and lyrics time and time again, only to discover that his cousin 'wasn't really there', figuratively speaking.

Yeah, kinda takes one back to the Smile days when Myk was right there with a whole lot of cooperation  for Brian-Pet Sounds, too.

[Myk Luhv]

When was Brian diagnosed with a mental illness, anyway? Although I don't know the timeline, I have it in my head that he was diagnosed twice: a first time that was incorrect and he was prescribed wrong medication, and a second time that did it properly and provided him with adequate meds. I hope I'm not making some sort of far-too-elaborate alternative history of the Beach Boys...

[b00ts]

He'd come off a lot better if he didn't wear all those silly hats, like the ridiculous one he wore at the HOF speech.  He's bald, bid deal.

How Myk comes off any more is irrelevant-his reputation is pretty much sealed in stone  and is what it is regardless of hats, jewelery, sandals, smelly jokes or Mick Jagger wannabe swagger. While Brian keeps moving forward, Myk is relagated to a fading career in a travelling juke box cover band. The only thing to look forward to with him(that is, if anyone cares) is how he plans to nuture his ego and line his pockets while still trying like Hell to keep hanging on to Brian's coat tails.

The true mark of anti-Mike Love dementia - much like anti-liberal or anti-conservative dementia - is the inability to even spell his name correctly, usually as a pejorative.

Whilst I agree that Mr. Love's SMiLe lawsuit (and seemingly many of his other actions over the years) were ridiculous and petty, it's safe to say that neither you or I or most of the other people on this board know Mr. Love personally. We don't live with him day to day or even, I'm guessing, deal with him in person from time to time.

Perhaps remembering that we're all human - and that Brian, as awesome as he is, has made plenty of mistakes in his life as well, of a decidedly different stripe than Mike's - will help you to get over your anti-Love dementia.

Seconded, as for the last two paragraphs. Let me put it this way: if you try to make regular appointments with a friend, the first time he shows up drunk and disorderly, or fuelled by cocaine, is easy to forgive. The second time is a bit harder. I am the first one to say that Brian has a mental illness, but that is not my point. No one knew that back in the late '60s. I dare place a bet that Mike really tried to make it not too hard on him; but eventually the most patient of people, and the best of friends can't carry that burden anymore. Just imagine: Mike may have brought in decent new ideas and lyrics time and time again, only to discover that his cousin 'wasn't really there', figuratively speaking.

Exactly, Don. Watching Brian spiral further and further into drug addiction must have been tough for Mike, not just as his collaborator but also as his cousin. I've dealt with similar situations and over time, it goes from heartbreak to frustration to anger and back to heartbreak. A true zero sum game. Imagining that happening in real time to a brilliant artist like Brian is heart-rending - then imagining it happening to one who is also your cousin and former creative partner seems to make it even worse.

Sure, Mike probably resented Brian for using other collaborators for Pet Sounds and SMiLe. He also didn't get SMiLe and may have contributed to its demise. In 2010 we can say "f*** him, he stood in the way of timeless works of art!" and we may be right. Then again, he is only human.  Carl and Al also stood in the way of SMiLe, and in the end, Brian stood in its way more than anyone else. Do we blame them for its demise?

Mike is not an artist on any level close to Brian. He knows that, we know it, my dogs even know it. He is, however, a talented vocalist and frontman, and a truly hard-working guy. He deserves that respect if nothing else. His questionable aesthetic and legal decisions are what they are, but he is not Satan by any means.

So, when OldSurferDude talks about how history has already decided that "Myk" is a total douche with nothing to offer, I have to respectfully disagree. Sure, he didn't support Brian when he should have (Pet Sounds and then SMiLe among other times) but Carl and Al are guilty of the same thing. Carl even queered the pitch with the awesome Landy sessions in the 90's. Why don't you badmouth Carl, OldSurferDude? Why don't you spell his name "Caruhl" or something to obliquely convey your distaste for him in a way that doesn't really make much sense, at least not in my native language (English) ?

My theory, OldSurferDude, is that you don't badmouth Carl for the demise of SMiLe, the joke the live Beach Boys became, the demise of the Paley sessions, and the onset of awful projects like Stars and Stripes because Carl is considered a better songwriter than Mike, he is a Wilson, he hasn't said a bunch of stupid bullshit in the press like Mike has (he has always seemed more circumspect than Mike) and he sued Brian for better reasons than Mike has. Plus, he is no longer with us.

[Ron]

Maybe i'm in the minority, but I like Brian, I like Mike, I like Al, I like Carl, I like Dennis, I like Bruce, and I like David.  If somebody could introduce me sonically to other members of the band I think i'd probably like them too.  Why dwell on anything negative anybody has said or done?  Who cares?  It wasn't done to you, and you don't know the half of it, so f*** it just enjoy the music.  If all you can find to Love about Mike is his hat, love him for his hat.  Don't keep bring up the same old sh*t and even going so far as to claim the final word on his reputation when you've never even met the man.  Mike's great!  God bless Mike Love.  Hold a grudge against Hitler and Bin Ladin, I have no grudge against musicians.

[Curtis Leon]

He'd come off a lot better if he didn't wear all those silly hats, like the ridiculous one he wore at the HOF speech.  He's bald, bid deal.

How Myk comes off any more is irrelevant-his reputation is pretty much sealed in stone  and is what it is regardless of hats, jewelery, sandals, smelly jokes or Mick Jagger wannabe swagger. While Brian keeps moving forward, Myk is relagated to a fading career in a travelling juke box cover band. The only thing to look forward to with him(that is, if anyone cares) is how he plans to nuture his ego and line his pockets while still trying like Hell to keep hanging on to Brian's coat tails.

The true mark of anti-Mike Love dementia - much like anti-liberal or anti-conservative dementia - is the inability to even spell his name correctly, usually as a pejorative.

Whilst I agree that Mr. Love's SMiLe lawsuit (and seemingly many of his other actions over the years) were ridiculous and petty, it's safe to say that neither you or I or most of the other people on this board know Mr. Love personally. We don't live with him day to day or even, I'm guessing, deal with him in person from time to time.

Perhaps remembering that we're all human - and that Brian, as awesome as he is, has made plenty of mistakes in his life as well, of a decidedly different stripe than Mike's - will help you to get over your anti-Love dementia.

Seconded, as for the last two paragraphs. Let me put it this way: if you try to make regular appointments with a friend, the first time he shows up drunk and disorderly, or fuelled by cocaine, is easy to forgive. The second time is a bit harder. I am the first one to say that Brian has a mental illness, but that is not my point. No one knew that back in the late '60s. I dare place a bet that Mike really tried to make it not too hard on him; but eventually the most patient of people, and the best of friends can't carry that burden anymore. Just imagine: Mike may have brought in decent new ideas and lyrics time and time again, only to discover that his cousin 'wasn't really there', figuratively speaking.

Exactly, Don. Watching Brian spiral further and further into drug addiction must have been tough for Mike, not just as his collaborator but also as his cousin. I've dealt with similar situations and over time, it goes from heartbreak to frustration to anger and back to heartbreak. A true zero sum game. Imagining that happening in real time to a brilliant artist like Brian is heart-rending - then imagining it happening to one who is also your cousin and former creative partner seems to make it even worse.

Sure, Mike probably resented Brian for using other collaborators for Pet Sounds and SMiLe. He also didn't get SMiLe and may have contributed to its demise. In 2010 we can say "foder him, he stood in the way of timeless works of art!" and we may be right. Then again, he is only human.  Carl and Al also stood in the way of SMiLe, and in the end, Brian stood in its way more than anyone else. Do we blame them for its demise?

Mike is not an artist on any level close to Brian. He knows that, we know it, my dogs even know it. He is, however, a talented vocalist and frontman, and a truly hard-working guy. He deserves that respect if nothing else. His questionable aesthetic and legal decisions are what they are, but he is not Satan by any means.

So, when OldSurferDude talks about how history has already decided that "Myk" is a total douche with nothing to offer, I have to respectfully disagree. Sure, he didn't support Brian when he should have (Pet Sounds and then SMiLe among other times) but Carl and Al are guilty of the same thing. Carl even queered the pitch with the awesome Landy sessions in the 90's. Why don't you badmouth Carl, OldSurferDude? Why don't you spell his name "Caruhl" or something to obliquely convey your distaste for him in a way that doesn't really make much sense, at least not in my native language (English) ?

My theory, OldSurferDude, is that you don't badmouth Carl for the demise of SMiLe, the joke the live Beach Boys became, the demise of the Paley sessions, and the onset of awful projects like Stars and Stripes because Carl is considered a better songwriter than Mike, he is a Wilson, he hasn't said a bunch of stupid bullmerda in the press like Mike has (he has always seemed more circumspect than Mike) and he sued Brian for better reasons than Mike has. Plus, he is no longer with us.

Indeed. One quality I believe Mike to have, or have had in the past, was his undying support toward the Beach Boys /as a band/, in a commercial sense. You can criticize him for ruining SMiLE and turning the Beach Boys into a corny oldies act all you want, but dammit, he believed in what he was doing, that this would help the Beach Boys in the end. Sure, he was mostly wrong, but hindsight is always 20/20. For the first one, he thought that SMiLE wouldn't be understood by the public, would result in the Boys' commercial failure. Who knows if that might have been the case? He turned them toward a revival of their old sound because he wanted them to be successful again, got Brian to write more songs once more. If Carl and the Passions or Holland hit the top ten, I'm not so sure he would've done it.

[b00ts]

Maybe i'm in the minority, but I like Brian, I like Mike, I like Al, I like Carl, I like Dennis, I like Bruce, and I like David.  If somebody could introduce me sonically to other members of the band I think i'd probably like them too.  Why dwell on anything negative anybody has said or done?  Who cares?  It wasn't done to you, and you don't know the half of it, so foder it just enjoy the music.  If all you can find to Love about Mike is his hat, love him for his hat.  Don't keep bring up the same old merda and even going so far as to claim the final word on his reputation when you've never even met the man.  Mike's great!  God bless Mike Love.  Hold a grudge against Hitler and Bin Ladin, I have no grudge against musicians.

Well, you said it much better and more succinctly than I could - or did.

Indeed. One quality I believe Mike to have, or have had in the past, was his undying support toward the Beach Boys /as a band/, in a commercial sense. You can criticize him for ruining SMiLE and turning the Beach Boys into a corny oldies act all you want, but dammit, he believed in what he was doing, that this would help the Beach Boys in the end. Sure, he was mostly wrong, but hindsight is always 20/20. For the first one, he thought that SMiLE wouldn't be understood by the public, would result in the Boys' commercial failure. Who knows if that might have been the case? He turned them toward a revival of their old sound because he wanted them to be successful again, got Brian to write more songs once more. If Carl and the Passions or Holland hit the top ten, I'm not so sure he would've done it.

Curtis, absolutely right about hindsight being 20/20 and all that. It's also worth mentioning that Mike supported the Beach Boys through Smiley Smile, Wild Honey, Friends, 20-20, Sunflower, Surf's Up, CATP:ST, and Holland before he tried to turn them into the joke they eventually became. Do we ever hear stories about Mike saying Smiley Smile was "too far out?"

The reason the Mike hatred gets to me, aside from the obvious fact that he is one-fifth or sixth of the Beach Boys, is that I felt the same way when I was a fledgling Beach Boys fan. It's essentially an important part of the story that we're sold by the "Beach Boys establishment." Brian's the good one, Mike's the evil one, Dennis is the flawed but beautiful angel who died way too young, et cetera.

Now that I've been around the Beach Boys Block quite a few times, I've come to love all of the Beach Boys for their contributions to the music, and in Mike's case as well as Brian's, I choose to focus on the successes rather than failures.

Mike has made himself an easy target not entirely because of lawsuits and questionable decisions (actions shared in equal measure by Brian, Al, and Carl) but because he has long been the de facto leader of the Beach Boys, he has worked hard and survived, outliving two out of three Wilsons, and he never had drug use and abuse as an excuse for his bad decisions. Instead, he's only had the excuse that he is a human being like the rest of us doing what he can to get by.

So, getting back to what we love about Mike Love...

"All I Wanna Do." Mike's sense of humor (which is too sharp/dry for most American Beach Boys fans). "Cool Head, Warm Heart" being the best of the three Hallmark tunes, although I enjoy Spirit of Rock and Roll and PT Cruiser too. And, just to top it off, his leads on Pet Sounds, which are quite beautiful.

[Alexandre09]

I would really like to agree with you guys. I understand that Mike did what he felt he should do back in the days, i know thats tough seeing your family fall apart, not to mention your business. Very delicate situation.

But then, i saw "The Beach Boys, An American Family". And i dont know, but why re-write history? I know its a "romanced" biography, but i mean, is there an excuse for that? I respect Mike Love  for his contributions to BB music, but thats all.

We all have our flaws, though. Its better to know them than to point them.

[Mike's Beard]

Is just me or do many of the Brian fanatics equivocate Mike bashing as a bizarre way of showing their support for Brian? You CAN like and respect both ya' know!

[Alex]

Great lyrics, plus Mike invented a word.  I will never use said word, but he did invent a word. 

Love was a precursor to Stephen Colbert!

[Mikie]

Mike was responsible for the cheerleaders, right? Did that cheapen the show at all? There was a point in the shows where the cheerleaders and Mr. T kinda took over the show. Al Jardine once called it a "three ring circus". Mike got real pissed at Al because Al called it a sideshow in a major magazine interview. Al says Mike was really embittered by that and that's when he started to re-invent the band.

[oldsurferdude]

He'd come off a lot better if he didn't wear all those silly hats, like the ridiculous one he wore at the HOF speech.  He's bald, bid deal.

How Myk comes off any more is irrelevant-his reputation is pretty much sealed in stone  and is what it is regardless of hats, jewelery, sandals, smelly jokes or Mick Jagger wannabe swagger. While Brian keeps moving forward, Myk is relagated to a fading career in a travelling juke box cover band. The only thing to look forward to with him(that is, if anyone cares) is how he plans to nuture his ego and line his pockets while still trying like Hell to keep hanging on to Brian's coat tails.

The true mark of anti-Mike Love dementia - much like anti-liberal or anti-conservative dementia - is the inability to even spell his name correctly, usually as a pejorative.

Whilst I agree that Mr. Love's SMiLe lawsuit (and seemingly many of his other actions over the years) were ridiculous and petty, it's safe to say that neither you or I or most of the other people on this board know Mr. Love personally. We don't live with him day to day or even, I'm guessing, deal with him in person from time to time.

Perhaps remembering that we're all human - and that Brian, as awesome as he is, has made plenty of mistakes in his life as well, of a decidedly different stripe than Mike's - will help you to get over your anti-Love dementia.

More "anti Myke Luhv dementia"-No, we don't live with him day to day, but  all his EX-wives did-and Brian spent numerous days with him-funny, all have gone their own ways haven't they?? Of course we all know that couldn't mean anything-just coincidence...

[Mikie]

Speaking of Myke Luhv dementia, where's Sheriff John Stone?

[b00ts]

He'd come off a lot better if he didn't wear all those silly hats, like the ridiculous one he wore at the HOF speech.  He's bald, bid deal.

How Myk comes off any more is irrelevant-his reputation is pretty much sealed in stone  and is what it is regardless of hats, jewelery, sandals, smelly jokes or Mick Jagger wannabe swagger. While Brian keeps moving forward, Myk is relagated to a fading career in a travelling juke box cover band. The only thing to look forward to with him(that is, if anyone cares) is how he plans to nuture his ego and line his pockets while still trying like Hell to keep hanging on to Brian's coat tails.

The true mark of anti-Mike Love dementia - much like anti-liberal or anti-conservative dementia - is the inability to even spell his name correctly, usually as a pejorative.

Whilst I agree that Mr. Love's SMiLe lawsuit (and seemingly many of his other actions over the years) were ridiculous and petty, it's safe to say that neither you or I or most of the other people on this board know Mr. Love personally. We don't live with him day to day or even, I'm guessing, deal with him in person from time to time.

Perhaps remembering that we're all human - and that Brian, as awesome as he is, has made plenty of mistakes in his life as well, of a decidedly different stripe than Mike's - will help you to get over your anti-Love dementia.

More "anti Myke Luhv dementia"-No, we don't live with him day to day, but  all his EX-wives did-and Brian spent numerous days with him-funny, all have gone their own ways haven't they?? Of course we all know that couldn't mean anything-just coincidence...

Well, I guess all my points went over your head. I'm not going to keep trying to hammer a square peg into the round hole of your psyche, except to ask how spelling his name differently is supposed to be an insult to him? Or is it just that you can't bear to spell his name the way he chooses to? I anxiously await your answer!

[oldsurferdude]

He'd come off a lot better if he didn't wear all those silly hats, like the ridiculous one he wore at the HOF speech.  He's bald, bid deal.

How Myk comes off any more is irrelevant-his reputation is pretty much sealed in stone  and is what it is regardless of hats, jewelery, sandals, smelly jokes or Mick Jagger wannabe swagger. While Brian keeps moving forward, Myk is relagated to a fading career in a travelling juke box cover band. The only thing to look forward to with him(that is, if anyone cares) is how he plans to nuture his ego and line his pockets while still trying like Hell to keep hanging on to Brian's coat tails.

The true mark of anti-Mike Love dementia - much like anti-liberal or anti-conservative dementia - is the inability to even spell his name correctly, usually as a pejorative.

Whilst I agree that Mr. Love's SMiLe lawsuit (and seemingly many of his other actions over the years) were ridiculous and petty, it's safe to say that neither you or I or most of the other people on this board know Mr. Love personally. We don't live with him day to day or even, I'm guessing, deal with him in person from time to time.

Perhaps remembering that we're all human - and that Brian, as awesome as he is, has made plenty of mistakes in his life as well, of a decidedly different stripe than Mike's - will help you to get over your anti-Love dementia.

More "anti Myke Luhv dementia"-No, we don't live with him day to day, but  all his EX-wives did-and Brian spent numerous days with him-funny, all have gone their own ways haven't they?? Of course we all know that couldn't mean anything-just coincidence...

Well, I guess all my points went over your head. I'm not going to keep trying to hammer a square peg into the round hole of your psyche, except to ask how spelling his name differently is supposed to be an insult to him? Or is it just that you can't bear to spell his name the way he chooses to? I anxiously await your answer!

Speaking of psyche, why would one try to hammer a square...into..a..round...the  spelling of the name  references the subject appropriately-both are effed up.

[b00ts]

He'd come off a lot better if he didn't wear all those silly hats, like the ridiculous one he wore at the HOF speech.  He's bald, bid deal.

How Myk comes off any more is irrelevant-his reputation is pretty much sealed in stone  and is what it is regardless of hats, jewelery, sandals, smelly jokes or Mick Jagger wannabe swagger. While Brian keeps moving forward, Myk is relagated to a fading career in a travelling juke box cover band. The only thing to look forward to with him(that is, if anyone cares) is how he plans to nuture his ego and line his pockets while still trying like Hell to keep hanging on to Brian's coat tails.

The true mark of anti-Mike Love dementia - much like anti-liberal or anti-conservative dementia - is the inability to even spell his name correctly, usually as a pejorative.

Whilst I agree that Mr. Love's SMiLe lawsuit (and seemingly many of his other actions over the years) were ridiculous and petty, it's safe to say that neither you or I or most of the other people on this board know Mr. Love personally. We don't live with him day to day or even, I'm guessing, deal with him in person from time to time.

Perhaps remembering that we're all human - and that Brian, as awesome as he is, has made plenty of mistakes in his life as well, of a decidedly different stripe than Mike's - will help you to get over your anti-Love dementia.

More "anti Myke Luhv dementia"-No, we don't live with him day to day, but  all his EX-wives did-and Brian spent numerous days with him-funny, all have gone their own ways haven't they?? Of course we all know that couldn't mean anything-just coincidence...

Well, I guess all my points went over your head. I'm not going to keep trying to hammer a square peg into the round hole of your psyche, except to ask how spelling his name differently is supposed to be an insult to him? Or is it just that you can't bear to spell his name the way he chooses to? I anxiously await your answer!

Speaking of psyche, why would one try to hammer a square...into..a..round...the  spelling of the name  references the subject appropriately-both are effed up.

So perhaps I can participate - how about Maihke Luvv? Or Mykke Loph? I guess you already hit on the really good ones, and now I'm just playing out the string with a pale imitation of your epiphets. As for why I would want to hammer a square peg into a round hole, it's because I like to waste my time on unimportant things - go figure!

Mr Surfer Dude, I share some of your anti-Mike Love sentiment.. I also love many things the man has done. Let me ask you how you feel about Dennis' many many ex-wives and people who he couldn't keep it together with? Do you judge him for that? What about Carl giving up on the Paley sessions, the last true potential Beach Boys reunion with two Wilsons?

The world isn't black and white, except for in Beach Boys revisionism land. You know I love you baby, I'd never hurt you. I just want to find out what makes Old Surfer Dude tick.

[Mikie]

OK, on a positive note, I really, really like Mike Love's singing on the slow version of "Big Sur". That's a good one.

And I don't care what anybody says - I like "Brian's Back".  Anybody else have the same sentiments?

What else?

[Mike's Beard]

As sappy as "Brian's Back" may be Carl is a monster vocals wise on it.

[Mikie]

Gotta agree. Carl's vocals are really what make the song really nice.  But Mike's parts ain't bad either.