Musings on Mike

It's to the point where I feel bad for him, honestly. None of the Beach Boys had it easy, and he's no exception. It must be hard having your name be synonymous with such hateful ideas.

Not at all. I think people just tend to view the situation out of context because they weren't there, and now they have the hindsight.

I'd been contemplating a Mike topic myself but didn't really know what to say! (Happens.) So thanks, kds.

Of course, I could have said that it was Mike who sang the Beach Boys song that converted me for ever in 2002. So I'll say it now instead.

 

Mike's definitely a guy who could benefit from a good PR person. Im sure Mike wasnt happy that, by 1968, they werent selling records like they used to, plus he had a diminished role in the creative process. Considering he wrote the lyrics of so many of their classics, I can see why he'd be frustrated.

All I Wanna Do is one of Mike's all time greatest moments. It also holds the title for my current favourite Beach Boys song, for several months now.

Been saying it for some time (and just because it's this particular water carrier saying it doesn't make it any less valid) that for a certain segment of the fanbase, Mike's biggest failing is that he's not Brian.

Guess I look at this very differently - from post-Carl.  Carl was the MD from the time I started seeing them live in the mid to later 60's after Brian left the road.  I think Mike's greatest contribution was touring the BB music after Carl died, even if things were never going to be the same, he built the BB Touring Band pretty much from scratch.

And I think the early years were kind of shaky, but Mike tightened up the personnel, refined it, made some hard decisions in the process but helped fill that huge void for the fans.  Mike went from being a band member to being front-and-center, at the helm to keep it going.  

The touring aspect always sustained them - through the lean years, finding that/those niche market/s where fans could hear live BB music, and learn how to work with their massive catalog to tailor set-lists to the regions and venues where they performed. I look at him through the lens of post 1998 when his involvement became more pronounced.    


p.s. And, I think that Al Jardine really came into his own when he built a band and toured the work as well.  He is amazing as well.  Out of that tragedy of losing Carl (and Dennis earlier) they both stepped up and found their way on the road.     

Good point on that. It must be hard trying to make sense of today with an such an older mindset.

Considering some of the horrid, vile things I've seen written about Mike from some so called "fans," I tend to think Capn's last sentence is very apt.

Here's my thoughts on Mike. Never let it be said that I'm a Mike basher or Brianista, but I think sometimes in recent years some fans go too far in the other direction, trying to exonerate him of everything.


I always thought some, not all, of the early hits lyrics were cheesy, even as a young kid. However, I don't think that diminishes their appeal in any way. They're fun, catchy and kind of cool in their cheesiness so they do the job. However, I do agree with Catch a Wave author Peter Ames Carlin in that once we got to California Girls, Brian's music surpassed Mike's lyrics and the latter held the track back. 

I think Mike could write genuinely great lyrics when he wanted to in the early days. Warmth of the Sun is fantastic, as are many others in that somber, vulnerable tradition which are too numerous to list. I never realized he wrote Im Waiting for the Day on Pet Sounds because it's so seamless with the Asher material. Speaking of which, Mike's Good Vibes lyrics blow Asher's out of the water. 

Mike deserved to be credited from the beginning and Brian not resolving this issue until decades later and a court case is inexcusable. Blaming it on Murry is pathetic--if Brian had wanted to he could have rectified the situation long before it had gotten to that point.

Mike didn't kill SMiLE and he had a right to feel upset considering he probably saw himself as Brian's McCartney only to find out his cousin didn't feel the same way. Any of us would have felt hurt, and probably wouldn't have handled it in the absolute best way. But Mike should have just sat Brian down and told him his feelings and/or tried to write his own lyrics to bring to Brian. Instead, he bullied Van and probably belittled Brian's new music. Mike's bad attitude is overstated as a reason for the album's cancellation, but to pretend he didn't even kick up a fuss is whitewashing in my opinion.

Mike's writing in the post-SMiLE but pre-15BO years leaves a lot to be desired for me. SDT is terrible and the TM songs are pretty irritating. 

Mike constantly talking about Back in the USSR/meeting the Beatles is embarassing since it's clear they never gave him a second thought yet he acts like they were best buds. Picses Brothers is a good example of this. Besides being a mediocre track, it's kind of cringe-inducing to hear a man play up his closeness to a guy who clearly didn't feel half as strong and is dead now. It almost feels like exploiting that association for glory.

A lot of the fights in the 70s I've heard about on SS seem to put Dennis and/or the other Wilsons in a worse light than Mike. It seems like Mike was always the more professional one trying to put on a good show. However...

The cheerleaders in the 80s were tacky and pervy. 

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame speech was humiliating for all concerned. Mike was clearly drunk and as talented and hard working as he is, he doesn't have the clout to insult the other artists like that. It's like your drunk Uncle Lester shitting on your more successful Uncle Ned at Thanksgiving dinner. It's not some badass rock and roll rebellion moment like some fans make it out to be today. What's more, I hate how he kept adjusting the mic for no reason while Brian was talking--this clearly threw him off and you can hear his voice start to quiver and trail off. 

Kokomo isn't a good enough song to constantly brag about, and since then Mike got way too lazy with his songwriting. 

Suing Brian over BWPS was a meanspirited move that feels like he was just trying to dump on his cousin's triumphant moment.

I think Melinda antagonizes Mike more than the other way around, and I have my doubts it's at Brian's directive. I don't know all the ins and outs of the reunion falling apart so I won't comment on that specifically.

That said, Mike needs to cool it with the interviews. Constantly bringing up someone else's long rehabilitated drug abuse is not cool. Imagine if you were a recovering alcoholic or had a mental breakdown in your past and your family member went out of their way to bring it up at every social event for anyone who'd listen. It's just mean and an unecessary thing to do to family--or anyone else. He also seems to use it as a deflection--like mentioning Brian's drug use as his own biggest regret when clearly they're unrelated. 

Even if it's doubtful whether Mike owes Brian an apology...he should do so. It'd be great PR for himself and healing the band if he just showed a bit more humility for everything his cousin went through. Mike seems to come from an older generation where to show any kind of feeling or humility is seen as weakness when really it can make an artist's public perception a lot stronger. 

If this is directed at me, then thank you