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Post by Rick Bartlett on May 19, 2023 8:00:09 GMT -5
I've always liked MIU from the instant I heard it. I'll never understand the dislike for it, considering Brian is leaps and bounds vocally here than his efforts on the previous albums, and his vocals in my opinion are very pleasant, I even like the 'screachy' falsetto on 'She's Got Rhythm'. Yeah, it's a nod to nostalgia here and there, but it's still an uptempo album with 'catchy' tunes. While everybody may cringe at things like 'Hey Little Tomboy', well it's as unique of a song as one can get, and you'll only find it in The Beach Boys catalogue. Yes, the lyrics are 'this or that', but so is 'Take Good Care Of Your Feet', but it's only a song you can only find in The Beach Boys catalogue. They are gems to themselves and have become famous because of their 'lameness' or 'cringeworthy'. I love Brian's vocals on 'Matchpoint' and 'Woncha Come Out'. Probably the last we really hear of early Brian pre Landy drugged out period vocals and horse cocaine smoking vocals.
For me, the only elephant in the room for MIU, is the 'Crappy' artwork sleeve. Geez!! The cover is a snooze fest and it really takes on the persona of the album that most people seem to have of it. It doesn't even look remotely close to anything related to The Beach Boys, and even so, it has no 'statement' value whatsoever. One could argue the 'Surfs Up' album cover doesn't represent the Beach Boys either, but at least the artwork is superb and something interesting to look at, attract and stimulate the brain and draw you in. The MIU artwork, I'd put down as the worse cover of their official album catalogue. You can almost pick the album up and it says to you 'Please! don't play me!!', that's how bad it is. LOL! I think we'd all be talking about the album quite differently, just based on that detail alone. 7/10
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Post by boogieboarder on May 19, 2023 9:27:34 GMT -5
Even worse than the cover is the album title. No one knows what M.I.U stands for. It’s not anything anybody would have known. And if you bother to look it up and find out it means “Maharishi International University” where the album was recorded in Fairfield, Iowa, you care even less.
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Post by Awesoman on May 24, 2023 8:51:20 GMT -5
Yeah all the history revisionism in the world isn't going to save this album. It's pretty lackluster. There are a few alright moments here and there but nothing really stands out. It often gets lumped in with 𝐾𝑇𝑆𝐴 as being among the band's worst albums from this era but if I had to choose I think the latter album fares better (although not by much). Other than possibly the moderate hit with "Come Go With Me" there's really no standout track here attractive enough for radio airplay. It's just a bland, dusty affair. Their follow-up 𝐿.𝐴. (𝐿𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝐴𝑙𝑏𝑢𝑚) didn't exactly perform much better but at least was a considerably stronger and better-produced album.
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Post by E on May 24, 2023 13:13:35 GMT -5
Yeah all the history revisionism in the world isn't going to save this album. It's pretty lackluster. There are a few alright moments here and there but nothing really stands out. It often gets lumped in with 𝐾𝑇𝑆𝐴 as being among the band's worst albums from this era but if I had to choose I think the latter album fares better (although not by much). Other than possibly the moderate hit with "Come Go With Me" there's really no standout track here attractive enough for radio airplay. It's just a bland, dusty affair. Their follow-up 𝐿.𝐴. (𝐿𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝐴𝑙𝑏𝑢𝑚) didn't exactly perform much better but at least was a considerably stronger and better-produced album. Yep and yep. I don't think it's as bad as I used to (but I can even see some good in LBWL - just about, anyhow), but I'm not sure I'd go beyond Pitter Patter if I had to include anything on some kind of comp and I really don't like Tomboy, Sweet Sunday, Belles (which is marginally better in its Christmas incarnation) and Kona Coast. Better or worse than KTSA? The latter has Santa Ana Winds and Goin' On, so they're plusses, but it's also got the awful Sunshine and a lot of slightly less than passable stuff. I think , in the end, I'll go for MIU just slightly ahead.
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stuart
Grommet
Posts: 35
Likes: 68
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Post by stuart on May 27, 2023 8:25:08 GMT -5
I would rather hear a bad BB song than any drivel that I hear in today’s top 40.
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Post by boogieboarder on May 27, 2023 11:50:25 GMT -5
I would rather hear a bad BB song than any drivel that I hear in today’s top 40. There's only good Beach Boys songs and better Beach Boys songs.
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Post by esqeditor on May 27, 2023 23:12:01 GMT -5
Some contemporary views of this LP.
What publication is the Jim Girard review taken from?
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Post by Al S on May 28, 2023 5:34:59 GMT -5
I've always liked MIU from the instant I heard it. I'll never understand the dislike for it, considering Brian is leaps and bounds vocally here than his efforts B-Dub sounds like he's singin' in his sleep for the most part. Given the material, he probably was.
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Post by Al S on May 28, 2023 5:40:16 GMT -5
Yeah all the history revisionism in the world isn't going to save this album. It's pretty lackluster. There are a few alright moments here and there but nothing really stands out. It often gets lumped in with 𝐾𝑇𝑆𝐴 as being among the band's worst albums from this era but if I had to choose I think the latter album fares better (although not by much). Other than possibly the moderate hit with "Come Go With Me" there's really no standout track here attractive enough for radio airplay. It's just a bland, dusty affair. Their follow-up 𝐿.𝐴. (𝐿𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝐴𝑙𝑏𝑢𝑚) didn't exactly perform much better but at least was a considerably stronger and better-produced album. Yep and yep. I don't think it's as bad as I used to (but I can even see some good in LBWL - just about, anyhow), but I'm not sure I'd go beyond Pitter Patter if I had to include anything on some kind of comp and I really don't like Tomboy, Sweet Sunday, Belles (which is marginally better in its Christmas incarnation) and Kona Coast. Better or worse than KTSA? The latter has Santa Ana Winds and Goin' On, so they're plusses, but it's also got the awful Sunshine and a lot of slightly less than passable stuff. I think , in the end, I'll go for MIU just slightly ahead. And Oh Darlin' which must be on high on the worst songs evah list. A compelling argument, Ed, but I find myself reaching for KTSA over MIU when the hard times press upon me; I don't know why, perhaps a Darwinian instinct (the Harmonica on Santa Ana wipes anything on MIU in my book).
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Post by E on May 28, 2023 8:01:06 GMT -5
Yep and yep. I don't think it's as bad as I used to (but I can even see some good in LBWL - just about, anyhow), but I'm not sure I'd go beyond Pitter Patter if I had to include anything on some kind of comp and I really don't like Tomboy, Sweet Sunday, Belles (which is marginally better in its Christmas incarnation) and Kona Coast. Better or worse than KTSA? The latter has Santa Ana Winds and Goin' On, so they're plusses, but it's also got the awful Sunshine and a lot of slightly less than passable stuff. I think , in the end, I'll go for MIU just slightly ahead. And Oh Darlin' which must be on high on the worst songs evah list. A compelling argument, Ed, but I find myself reaching for KTSA over MIU when the hard times press upon me; I don't know why, perhaps a Darwinian instinct (the Harmonica on Santa Ana wipes anything on MIU in my book). I agree about that. I also have a soft spot for the title song (I may even prefer it to It's Okay...)
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Post by drbeachboy (Dirk) on May 28, 2023 17:21:37 GMT -5
Yep and yep. I don't think it's as bad as I used to (but I can even see some good in LBWL - just about, anyhow), but I'm not sure I'd go beyond Pitter Patter if I had to include anything on some kind of comp and I really don't like Tomboy, Sweet Sunday, Belles (which is marginally better in its Christmas incarnation) and Kona Coast. Better or worse than KTSA? The latter has Santa Ana Winds and Goin' On, so they're plusses, but it's also got the awful Sunshine and a lot of slightly less than passable stuff. I think , in the end, I'll go for MIU just slightly ahead. And Oh Darlin' which must be on high on the worst songs evah list. A compelling argument, Ed, but I find myself reaching for KTSA over MIU when the hard times press upon me; I don't know why, perhaps a Darwinian instinct (the Harmonica on Santa Ana wipes anything on MIU in my book). Oh Darlin’ is one of my favorites on KTSA. I also like Some Of Your Love, along with Goin’ On and the title tune. The first songs that I mentioned have some cool chords that are very Brian. Every song doesn’t have to be a masterpiece to catch my ear.
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Post by boogieboarder on May 28, 2023 18:04:17 GMT -5
My problem with Oh Darling is the lyrics. Especially the lines:
To love and to be loved is so inspiring And that's why every lover's so desiring Of the love they're seeking never retiring
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Post by Rick Bartlett on May 28, 2023 20:29:59 GMT -5
I've always liked MIU from the instant I heard it. I'll never understand the dislike for it, considering Brian is leaps and bounds vocally here than his efforts B-Dub sounds like he's singin' in his sleep for the most part. Given the material, he probably was. Awww c'mon.... He probably just had a toke and was chillin' out against the wall... oh wait! That was Carl!.... Anyway, I've learned how these things work, all we need to have is Brian or the guys come out and say it's one of their best albums of all time and all of a sudden, The Beach Boys 'sheeps' will soon agree. Look at how now albums like 'Smiley' and 'Friends' and the great 'Sunflower' have become favorites for many fans now after being dormant and off the radar to the general fan base. I'm also seeing a lot of comments now from people now saying 'I finally listened to 'Summer In Paradise', and it's not as bad as many say it is'. Just wait til' the MIU Sessions box comes out, everybody is gonna be lookin' at this baby as another masterpiece lol It's gonna blowww yourrrr minddddd!
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Post by Al S on May 28, 2023 21:44:02 GMT -5
And Oh Darlin' which must be on high on the worst songs evah list. A compelling argument, Ed, but I find myself reaching for KTSA over MIU when the hard times press upon me; I don't know why, perhaps a Darwinian instinct (the Harmonica on Santa Ana wipes anything on MIU in my book). Oh Darlin’ is one of my favorites on KTSA. I also like Some Of Your Love, along with Goin’ On and the title tune. The first songs that I mentioned have some cool chords that are very Brian. Every song doesn’t have to be a masterpiece to catch my ear.Obviously!!!
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Post by boogieboarder on May 29, 2023 11:10:58 GMT -5
Awww c'mon.... He probably just had a toke and was chillin' out against the wall... oh wait! That was Carl!.... Anyway, I've learned how these things work, all we need to have is Brian or the guys come out and say it's one of their best albums of all time and all of a sudden, The Beach Boys 'sheeps' will soon agree. Look at how now albums like 'Smiley' and 'Friends' and the great 'Sunflower' have become favorites for many fans now after being dormant and off the radar to the general fan base. I'm also seeing a lot of comments now from people now saying 'I finally listened to 'Summer In Paradise', and it's not as bad as many say it is'. Just wait til' the MIU Sessions box comes out, everybody is gonna be lookin' at this baby as another masterpiece lol It's gonna blowww yourrrr minddddd! Given the decreasing quality of pop music in general over the decades since The Beach Boys, it’s no wonder what were once considered The Beach Boys Boys’ lesser efforts are now being re-evaluated as masterpieces.
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Post by Awesoman on May 29, 2023 11:59:41 GMT -5
And Oh Darlin' which must be on high on the worst songs evah list. A compelling argument, Ed, but I find myself reaching for KTSA over MIU when the hard times press upon me; I don't know why, perhaps a Darwinian instinct (the Harmonica on Santa Ana wipes anything on MIU in my book). I agree about that. I also have a soft spot for the title song (I may even prefer it to It's Okay...) Oh yeah the title track in 𝐾𝑒𝑒𝑝𝑖𝑛' 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑢𝑚𝑚𝑒𝑟 𝐴𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒 is a pretty underrated gem. Although nothing remarkable, it's got a good beat and a nice lead vocal from Carl. Even Mike's borderline-silly bass vocals are kind of charming. Co-written with Randy Bachman and features a nice slide guitar from the legendary Joe Walsh. Perfect song for a cookout. That album also has the terrific Queen-like "Goin' On" which usually sees its way on many of the band's expanded compilations. And then you have a few passable tracks such as "Some Of Your Love", "Livin' With A Heartache" and even "Sunshine" is a bit of a guilty pleasure. So surprisingly I would rank this notoriously low-rated album over 𝑀.𝐼.𝑈. 𝐴𝑙𝑏𝑢𝑚 even if neither album is particularly fantastic.
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Post by Rick Bartlett on May 29, 2023 21:00:05 GMT -5
Awww c'mon.... He probably just had a toke and was chillin' out against the wall... oh wait! That was Carl!.... Anyway, I've learned how these things work, all we need to have is Brian or the guys come out and say it's one of their best albums of all time and all of a sudden, The Beach Boys 'sheeps' will soon agree. Look at how now albums like 'Smiley' and 'Friends' and the great 'Sunflower' have become favorites for many fans now after being dormant and off the radar to the general fan base. I'm also seeing a lot of comments now from people now saying 'I finally listened to 'Summer In Paradise', and it's not as bad as many say it is'. Just wait til' the MIU Sessions box comes out, everybody is gonna be lookin' at this baby as another masterpiece lol It's gonna blowww yourrrr minddddd! Given the decreasing quality of pop music in general over the decades since The Beach Boys, it’s no wonder what were once considered The Beach Boys Boys’ lesser efforts are now being re-evaluated as masterpieces. Yes! Could be a lot of truth in that.
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Post by Awesoman on Aug 17, 2023 8:18:39 GMT -5
Awww c'mon.... He probably just had a toke and was chillin' out against the wall... oh wait! That was Carl!.... Anyway, I've learned how these things work, all we need to have is Brian or the guys come out and say it's one of their best albums of all time and all of a sudden, The Beach Boys 'sheeps' will soon agree. Look at how now albums like 'Smiley' and 'Friends' and the great 'Sunflower' have become favorites for many fans now after being dormant and off the radar to the general fan base. I'm also seeing a lot of comments now from people now saying 'I finally listened to 'Summer In Paradise', and it's not as bad as many say it is'. Just wait til' the MIU Sessions box comes out, everybody is gonna be lookin' at this baby as another masterpiece lol It's gonna blowww yourrrr minddddd! Given the decreasing quality of pop music in general over the decades since The Beach Boys, it’s no wonder what were once considered The Beach Boys Boys’ lesser efforts are now being re-evaluated as masterpieces. I dunno. With perhaps the exception of the wonky 𝐿𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑌𝑜𝑢, none of the band's records post-1975 I would consider to be great, certainly not masterpieces. Sure there are good to even great moments to be had on even the band's weakest albums, but all the history revisionism can't truly mask mediocrity. 𝐿𝐴 (𝐿𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝐴𝑙𝑏𝑢𝑚) comes *close* to achieving a "very good" status, but is marred by a couple of average songs and a terrible overlong disco track that keeps the album firmly in the "good-not-great" range. It had to have been very obvious during the second half of the 70's that the band was mostly out of gas creatively and was lacking direction. I think the nostalgia wave that took place in the 80's was ultimately a good thing for the band though as it even rewarded them with a number 1 hit record along with a couple of other decent singles and at least one ultra-slick but not bad self-titled album. But I don't believe the band ever fully recovered creatively after the mid-70's. I personally blame the double-edged sword that is the 𝐸𝑛𝑑𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑆𝑢𝑚𝑚𝑒𝑟 compilation.
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Post by filledeplage on Aug 17, 2023 8:28:19 GMT -5
Awww c'mon.... He probably just had a toke and was chillin' out against the wall... oh wait! That was Carl!.... Anyway, I've learned how these things work, all we need to have is Brian or the guys come out and say it's one of their best albums of all time and all of a sudden, The Beach Boys 'sheeps' will soon agree. Look at how now albums like 'Smiley' and 'Friends' and the great 'Sunflower' have become favorites for many fans now after being dormant and off the radar to the general fan base. I'm also seeing a lot of comments now from people now saying 'I finally listened to 'Summer In Paradise', and it's not as bad as many say it is'. Just wait til' the MIU Sessions box comes out, everybody is gonna be lookin' at this baby as another masterpiece lol It's gonna blowww yourrrr minddddd! Given the decreasing quality of pop music in general over the decades since The Beach Boys, it’s no wonder what were once considered The Beach Boys Boys’ lesser efforts are now being re-evaluated as masterpieces. Because, everything is relative.
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Post by E on Aug 17, 2023 8:33:14 GMT -5
A friend of mine in his forties was singing a traditional old blues song in a coffee house, and overheard a young girl in the audience whispering that he was a dirty old man. The Stones have managed this year. Somehow they just seem louche rather than predatory
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Post by boogieboarder on Aug 17, 2023 9:14:25 GMT -5
A friend of mine in his forties was singing a traditional old blues song in a coffee house, and overheard a young girl in the audience whispering that he was a dirty old man. The Stones have managed this year. Somehow they just seem louche rather than predatory The Stones were marketed that way when they were in their twenties. “Would you let your daughter marry a Rolling Stone?”
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patsy6
Dude/Dudette
Posts: 86
Likes: 85
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Post by patsy6 on Sept 4, 2023 15:21:38 GMT -5
Some contemporary views of this LP.
Wow, that second article shows the importance of doing some research about the personal lives of the band members before you write a review. This reporter doesn't know that Diane was Brian's sister-in-law, not his wife. Getting that wrong results in totally misinterpreting the song's meaning.
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Post by filledeplage on Sept 4, 2023 15:48:07 GMT -5
Some contemporary views of this LP.
Love the op-ed at the end, pet site. 👍
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alankard
Dude/Dudette
Module-Assembly Smile Hobbyist (MASH)
Posts: 52
Likes: 53
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Post by alankard on Dec 13, 2023 10:48:57 GMT -5
Very chaotic album as released, even by BBs standards. A categorized tracklist (with date of initial recording) might be a helpful study aid -- it's all known info, just typically not organized in the following manner. Corrections needed? Happy to edit this post.
She's Got Rhythm (Nov77): Celebration outgrowth based on Ron Altbach composition.
Come Go With Me (9/26/75): cover of early RnR song.
Hey Little Tomboy (Oct-Nov76): Love You outtake.
Kona Coast (12/13/77): dual-purpose composition (Christmas counterpart Melekalikimaka).
Peggy Sue (4/15/76, but mostly re-recorded): cover of early RnR song.
Wontcha Come Out Tonight (11/17/77): core M.I.U. composition.
Sweet Sunday Kinda Love (11/18/77): core M.I.U. composition.
Belles of Paris (11/18?/77): dual-purpose composition (Christmas counterpart Bells of Christmas).
Pitter Patter (11/18?/77): core M.I.U. composition.
My Diane (Oct-Nov76): Love You outtake.
Match Point of Our Love (11/18/77): core M.I.U. composition.
Winds of Change (11/23/77): Celebration outgrowth based on Ron Altbach composition.
So that's four songs intended solely for a new album, plus two apiece of dual-purpose songs, Love You outtakes, RnR covers, and Ron Altbach-originated songs -- which tops CATP-ST for crazy-quilt production. The earlier album enjoyed more balanced if disparate songwriting contributions than M.I.U. did.
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